Democratic Movement of Serbia

Democratic Movement of Serbia
Демократски покрет Србије
Demokratski pokret Srbije
AbbreviationDEPOS
LeaderVuk Drašković
SpokespersonVladeta Janković
Founded23 May 1992
Dissolved23 February 1994
Merged intoCoalition Together
HeadquartersMasarikova 5, Belgrade[1]
Political position1992: Center-right
1993: Big tent
National Assembly
(1993 election)
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The Democratic Movement of Serbia (Serbian: Демократски покрет Србије, Demokratski pokret Srbije) or DEPOS was a Serbian political coalition that existed between 1992 and 1994.

Initially, the DEPOS was a right-wing coalition led by the conservative monarchist Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) of Vuk Drašković. Aside from the SPO, the coalition included New Democracy, the Serbian Liberal Party (SLS) and would lead to a split within the centrist Democratic Party (DS) with the right-wing faction led by Vojislav Koštunica splitting to join the DEPOS under the name Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). The leadership of the DS refused to join the coalition due to its anti-secular and monarchist positions, as well as its use of Chetnik imagery.[2] The DEPOS was also joined by a group of independent intellectuals led by Matija Bećković.[1][2] At its Vidovdan Assembly in June 1992, the coalition was supported by Patriarch Pavle, Crown Prince Alexander, as well as the leader of the concurrent 1992 student protest, Dragan Đilas.[3]

In the 1992 election, the DEPOS supported the independent candidate, Serbian-American businessman Milan Panić, against sitting President Slobodan Milošević, backed by his Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS).[4] The election ended in crushing defeat for the opposition with Panić finishing second and the DEPOS being forced into third place in the parliamentary election by the up until then marginal Serbian Radical Party (SRS).[5] After the new ruling SPS-SRS majority introduced changes to the functioning of the upper house of the Federal Assembly, the DEPOS split over tactics with the DSS and SLS supporting a continued parliamentary boycott, while the SPO and ND returned to parliament in April 1993.[6][7] During this time, Drašković would align with the ruling SPS, the DS and the Civic Alliance of Serbia (GSS) in support of the Vance-Owen peace plan for ending the Bosnian War. The plan was opposed by Koštunica, the DSS and SLS.[8][9]

Shortly reunited in the summer of 1993 during Vuk Drašković's arrest, detention and hunger strike, the SPO and DSS would ultimately run in the 1993 election separately, while the SLS decided to boycott the election.[10][11] The DEPOS was refounded in November 1993 as a coalition of the SPO, New Democracy and the anti-war GSS. This marked the culmination of Drašković's evolution from his more hard-line nationalist background into centre-right, civic-national and anti-war positions.[11] The renewed DEPOS achieved a slightly worse result compared to the 1992 election, although it consolidated its voter base and became the second largest parliamentary grouping.[12][13][14]

The coalition fell apart in February 1994 when New Democracy formed a coalition government with Milošević's SPS, however its remaining constituents would continue to cooperate and would go on to form the Together coalition with the DS in 1996.[14][15][12][16]

  1. ^ a b Krstić 1994, pp. 149–151.
  2. ^ a b Thomas 2000, pp. 113–117.
  3. ^ "DEPOS". Audio i Foto Arhiv Simić (in Serbian). Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  4. ^ Thomas 2000, pp. 124–128.
  5. ^ Thomas 2000, pp. 134–135.
  6. ^ Thomas 2000, p. 145.
  7. ^ Thomas 2000, pp. 149–150.
  8. ^ Thomas 2000, p. 430.
  9. ^ Thomas 2000, pp. 150–154.
  10. ^ Thomas 2000, pp. 156–162.
  11. ^ a b Thomas 2000, pp. 178–184.
  12. ^ a b Thomas 2000, pp. 188–192.
  13. ^ Goati 2001, pp. 99–110.
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference N1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Rusovac, Olivija. "Iskušavanja jedne nade, Poglavlje prvo" (in Serbian). Republika. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  16. ^ Thomas 2000, pp. 264–271.