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Ahmedin Škrijelj

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Ahmedin Škrijelj
Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
Assumed office
6 February 2024
Personal details
Born (1982-08-08) 8 August 1982 (age 41)
Novi Pazar, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Political partySDA

Ahmedin Škrijelj (Serbian Cyrillic: Ахмедин Шкријељ; born 8 August 1982) is a Serbian politician from the country's Bosniak community. He is a veteran politician in Novi Pazar and was the city's deputy mayor from 2012 to 2013. Since February 2024, he has been a member of the National Assembly of Serbia. Škrijelj is a member of the Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak (SDA).

Early life and career[edit]

Škrijelj was born in Novi Pazar, in the Sandžak region of what was then the Socialist Republic of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He received a bachelor's degree in law and economics and afterward studied for a master's degree in international law at the University of Kragujevac. He now holds a master of political science degree.[1][2]

Politician[edit]

Early years in Novi Pazar[edit]

Škrijelj appeared in the thirty-first position on the SDA's electoral list for the Novi Pazar municipal assembly in the 2004 Serbian local elections and was given a mandate after the party won a plurality victory with twenty-one out of forty-seven seats.[3][4][5] (In the 2004 local elections, one-third of assembly mandates were awarded to candidates on successful lists in numerical order while the remaining two-thirds were distributed amongst other candidates at the discretion of the sponsoring parties or coalitions. Škrijelj received one of the SDA's "optional" mandates).[6]

Mayors were directly elected in the 2004 local elections, and this resulted in a divided administration in Novi Pazar: SDA leader Sulejman Ugljanin won the mayoral contest, but the rival Sandžak Democratic Party (SDP) was able to form a coalition government with smaller parties in the local assembly.[7] Škriljelj served as a member of the opposition in his first term. The political climate in the city was extremely tense in this period, and ultimately a new local assembly election was held in 2006.[8] On this occasion, the SDA won a majority victory with twenty-seven seats.[9] Škrijelj was again included on the SDA's list and was elected for a second term.[10]

Serbia abandoned the direct election of mayors with the 2008 local elections.[11] Since this time, mayors have been chosen by the elected members of the local assemblies. Škrijelj once again appeared on the SDA's list in Novi Pazar and was given a mandate for a third term when the list won eighteen seats.[12] The SDP's alliance won twenty-three seats and formed a new coalition government with a local alliance of Serb parties, and the SDA returned to opposition.[13]

Škrijlej also received the twenty-first position on the SDA-led Bosniak List for a European Sandžak in the 2008 Serbian parliamentary election, which was held concurrently with the local vote.[14] The list won two seats, and he was not chosen for a mandate. (From 2000 to 2011, mandates in Serbian parliamentary elections were awarded to sponsoring parties or coalitions rather than individual candidates, and it was common practice for the mandates to be assigned out of numerical order. Škrijelj could have been given a mandate despite his position on the list, though ultimately he was not.)[15][16]

Škrijelj publicly called for the SDP to form a new local coalition government with the SDA in Novi Pazar in January 2011, pointing to a recent alliance of the parties in Sjenica.[17]

Serbia's electoral system was reformed in 2011, such that all mandates were awarded to candidates on successful lists in numerical order.[18] Škrijelj appeared in the second position on the SDA's list for Novi Pazar in the 2012 local elections and was re-elected when the list won fourteen seats.[19][20] He also appeared in the fifth position on the SDA's list in the concurrent 2012 parliamentary election and was not elected when the list won two mandates.[21]

The SDP's alliance narrowly won the 2012 city election in Novi Pazar but fell well short of a majority and afterward formed a grand coalition with the SDA. Škrijelj became his party's main representative in the city administration and was confirmed as deputy mayor on 15 June 2012.[22] The alliance between the two historical rivals did not last long, however, and in February 2013 the SDP formed a new governing coalition that did not include the SDA. Škrijelj left office on 21 February 2013; in so doing, he said that any SDA officials not formally replaced by the new city administration would resign out of party solidarity.[23][24]

Škrijelj appeared in the eighth position on the SDA's list in the 2014 Serbian parliamentary election and was not elected when the list won three mandates.[25] After this, he largely withdrew from active political life for a few years.

Bosniak National Council[edit]

Prior to 2010, Serbia's national minority councils were chosen by electoral colleges of community representatives. Škrijelj was an elector for the Bosniak National Council (BNV) in this period.[26] The Serbian government introduced direct elections for the BNV and most other national councils in 2010.

Škrijelj received the largely honorary thirty-fifth and final position on a SDA-affiliated list in the 2018 election for the Bosniak National Council.[27][28] The list won fourteen seats, and he was not elected. After the election, the SDA and SDP once again joined forces to govern the council, and Esad Džudžo was chosen as its president.[29] Škrijelj became the legal representative of the SDA-aligned council group.

In June 2019, the BNV presented an address to the governments of Serbia and Montenegro calling for the Sandžak to receive special self-governing status. Džudžo distanced himself from the address, saying that it was done without his knowledge or support. Subsequently, SDA leader Sulejman Ugljanin endorsed the call for special status, and leading SDA officials called for Džudžo to resign. Škrijelj, in this period, accused Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić and his administration of seeking to undermine the legitimate requests of the Bosniak community and described Džudžo as an enabler of this process. Džudžo, for his part, rejected the calls for his resignation and described the special status initiative as the work of a pro-Albanian lobby group operating within the SDA.[30] The BNV leadership replaced Džudžo with Jasmina Curić shortly thereafter,[31] although the special status initiative ultimately gained little traction.

Return to political life[edit]

Škrijelj received the third position on the SDA's list for the Novi Pazar city assembly in the 2020 local elections and was elected to a fifth local assembly term when the list won nine seats, finishing third against the SDP and the Justice and Reconciliation Party (SPP).[32][33] The SDP formed a new coalition government after the election, the Škrijelj led the SDA's group in opposition.[34][35] His term lasted until the assembly was dissolved on 30 October 2023 for early elections.[36]

He received the fifth position on the SDA's list in the 2020 parliamentary election and was not elected when the list won three seats.[37] In the 2022 parliamentary election, he was given the third position and narrowly missed election when the list won two seats.[38]

Parliamentarian[edit]

Škrijelj was promoted to the second position on the SDA's list for the 2023 parliamentary election and was elected to the national assembly when the list won two seats.[39] He took his seat when the assembly convened in February 2024. The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and its allies won the election, and the SDA now serves in opposition. In an assembly debate on the approval of the new ministry, Škrijelj said the government would not be legitimate because the election had been "stolen" and described Bosniaks in the SNS-led administration as "private Bosniaks of the government."[40]

He is a member of an assembly working group for the improvement of the electoral process.[41]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ahmedin Škrijelj – Zamenik gradonačelnika Novog Pazara, Archived 2013-02-27 at the Wayback Machine, City of Novi Pazar, accessed 19 May 2024.
  2. ^ AHMEDIN ŠKRIJELJ, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 19 May 2024.
  3. ^ Službeni List (Opštine Novi Pazar), Volume 11 Number 10 (5 September 2004), p. 2.
  4. ^ Službeni List (Opštine Novi Pazar), Volume 11 Number 12 (23 September 2004), p. 2.
  5. ^ Službeni List (Opštine Novi Pazar), Volume 11 Number 15 (27 December 20040, p. 3.
  6. ^ Law on Local Elections (June 2002) Archived 2021-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 33/2002; made available via LegislationOnline, Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 7 April 2024.
  7. ^ Direktorijum lokalnih samouprava u Srbiji, Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CESID), September 2005, p. 232.
  8. ^ "Novi izbori za odbornike u opštini Novi Pazar", Archived 2022-12-25 at the Wayback Machine, Glas javnosti, 11 July 2006, accessed 25 December 2022.
  9. ^ Sastav Skupštine opštine, Archived 2003-03-08 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Novi Pazar, 30 September 2006, accessed 24 December 2022.
  10. ^ SKUPSTINA OPSTINE NOVI PAZAR, Archived 2007-07-02 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Novi Pazar, accessed 19 May 2024.
  11. ^ See Law on Local Elections (2007) Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, made available via LegislationOnline, Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 19 May 2024.
  12. ^ SKUPŠTINA GRADA, Archived 2009-07-12 at the Wayback Machine, City of Novi Pazar, accessed 19 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Novi Pazar dobio gradonačelnika", Radio Television of Serbia, 7 July 2008, accessed 15 November 2022.
  14. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 11. маја 2008. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (6 БОШЊАЧКА ЛИСТА ЗА ЕВРОПСКИ САНЏАК - ДР СУЛЕЈМАН УГЉАНИН), Archived 2021-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 19 May 2024.
  15. ^ Serbia's Law on the Election of Representatives (2000) stipulated that parliamentary mandates would be awarded to electoral lists (Article 80) that crossed the electoral threshold (Article 81), that mandates would be given to candidates appearing on the relevant lists (Article 83), and that the submitters of the lists were responsible for selecting their parliamentary delegations within ten days of the final results being published (Article 84). See Law on the Election of Representatives, Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 35/2000, made available via LegislationOnline, Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 7 April 2024.
  16. ^ 11 June 2008 legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 19 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Serbia: Party invites ex-rival to 'reshuffle' authorities in Sandzak town," British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring European, 11 January 2011 (Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1832gmt 11 Jan 11).
  18. ^ Law on the Election of Members of the Parliament (2000, as amended 2011) (Articles 88 & 92) made available via LegislationOnline, Archived 2021-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 6 June 2021.
  19. ^ Službeni List (Grada Novog Pazara), Volume 19 Number 5 (20 April 2012), p. 16.
  20. ^ Službeni List (Grada Novog Pazara), Volume 19 Number 7 (10 May 2012), p. 3.
  21. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине, 6. мај 2012. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (11 Странка демократске акције Санџака - др Сулејман Угљанин Stranka demokratske akcije Sandzaka - dr. Sulejman Ugljanin), Archived 2021-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024.
  22. ^ Službeni List (Grada Novog Pazara), Volume 19 Number 8 (15 June 2012), p. 6.
  23. ^ S. Novosel, "Privremena podrška protiv prinudne uprave", Danas, 28 February 2013, accessed 19 May 2024.
  24. ^ Službeni List (Grada Novog Pazara), Volume 20 Number 3 (18 June 2013), p. 229.
  25. ^ Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 16. и 23. марта 2014. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (10 СДА Санџака - др Сулејман Угљанин SDA Sandzaka - dr. Sulejman Uglјanin), Archived 2021-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024.
  26. ^ Избори за народне посланике ELEKTORI BOŠNJAČKOG NACIONALNOG VIJEĆA U SRBIJI I CRNOJ GORI, Archived 2009-10-10 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 19 May 2024. The council was overseen by the state union of Serbia and Montenegro until its dissolution in 2006.
  27. ^ Избори за чланове националних савета националних мањина 2018. године, 4. новембар 2018. године – Проглашене изборне листе (Национални савет БОШЊАЧКЕ националне мањине), Archived 18 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 17 May 2024.
  28. ^ Избори за чланове националних савета националних мањина 2018. године, 4. новембар 2018. године – Укупни резултати избора за националне савете националних мањина (Национални савет БОШЊАЧКЕ националне мањине), Archived 18 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 17 May 2024.
  29. ^ Filip Rudic, "Election Sees Power Shift in Serbia’s Bosniak Council", Balkan Insight, 26 November 2018, accessed 19 May 2024.
  30. ^ Slavka Bakračević, "Džudžo: Smenjuje me albanski lobi u SDA", Politika, 19 June 2019, accessed 19 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Curić nova predsednica BNV, Džudžo razrešen", Danas, 24 June 2019, accessed 19 May 2024.
  32. ^ Službeni List (Grada Novog Pazara), Volume 27 Number 7 (8 June 2020), p. 5.
  33. ^ Službeni List (Grada Novog Pazara), Volume 27 Number 9 (23 June 2020), p. 3.
  34. ^ "Za gradonačelnika Novog Pazara ponovo izabran Nihat Biševac, Brus Online, 10 September 2020, accessed 25 September 2022.
  35. ^ Sastav skupštine – Odbornici – SDA Sandžaka, Archived 8 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 19 May 2024.
  36. ^ Službeni List (Grada Novog Pazara), Volume 29 Number 9 (3 November 2023), p. 10.
  37. ^ ИЗБОРИ ЗА НАРОДНЕ ПОСЛАНИКЕ НАРОДНЕ СКУПШТИНЕ, 21. ЈУН 2020. ГОДИНЕ – Изборне листе (11 СДА Санџака – др Сулејман Угљанин SDA Sandžaka – dr. Sulejman Ugljanin), Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 16 June 2020.
  38. ^ "Ko su kandidati za poslanike na listi 'SDA Sandžaka – dr Sulejman Ugljanin'", Danas, 2 March 2022, accessed 10 November 2022.
  39. ^ "Ko su kandidati za narodne poslanike na listi 'SDA Sandžaka – dr Sulejman Ugljanin'?", N1, 15 November 2023, accessed 19 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Ahmedin Škrijelj (SDA): Nova vlada Srbije neće biti legitimna", Danas, 2 May 2024, accessed 19 May 2024.
  41. ^ AHMEDIN ŠKRIJELJ, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 19 May 2024.
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