"Vote for DS means vote for more corruption, deceit"

This interview with Srbijanka Turajlić, retired professor of the University of Belgrade, originally appeared in the Belgrade-based weekly Vreme

Turajlić: “The idea of [participating in the elections only to cast a blank vote] comes as the consequence of deep disappointment amongst Democratic Party (DS) voters, but also amongst the voters of other reformist parties; [voters] realized for the first time that the theory of ‘lesser evil’, or ‘vote for us so that worse would not come’ leads the country towards total disaster. Voting for DS again, as well as for some other parties, would mean giving a carte blanche to further increase in corruption, deconstruction of institutions, new deceits and the creation of even more chaos in the country. Their voters have no other parties to vote for, so the majority of them have firmly decided to cast a blank vote."

Vreme: And blank votes are just the thing to force the political scene to become more serious?

“I believe they are, and maybe they are crucial in helping prevent a downfall.”

Is this the only solution?

“Blank votes are the only clear answer to the evil we currently find ourselves in.”

For you, they are the answer, and for DS representatives, one of the “most morbid” ideas they have heard.

“What they are doing since they came into power is morbid. (…) It is extremely morbid to sit in power and deconstruct the state. It is morbid to have a parliament without parliamentary democracy, so that every day we witness autocracy and arrogance. They want me to go and vote, so that they could come into power again, and have their MPs avoid coming to the parliament, except when they get orders to appear and raise their hands. I will not vote for the people who cannot be bothered to come to the parliament. (…) But will this change with blank votes, which have no influence on the outcome of the elections? It will not, but I will feel much better because I did not give my vote to continue corruption.”

Is this not a way of spreading defeatism?

“It is not spreading defeatism, it is exercising my civil right. I have the right to say – excuse me politicians, but you are doing the job entrusted to you unprofessionally and irresponsibly. I will not support you in this, and that is it. (…) I would like for those who advocate for the opposite standpoint to explain to me what good will come from me voting for the party which has already shown itself in the worst possible light.”

Why don’t you organize a party to the liking of those who have no one to vote for?

“I do not want to organize any party. I am an engineer and I know how to do my job. Let those who want to work in politics organize themselves, but let them do it in a way that will satisfy my interests.”

But it is obvious that the idea of blank votes really irritates people, and not only those who recognize themselves in the role of the lesser evil?

“Well, each for a different reason.”

Who is irritated, and for which reason?

“DS is irritated because they believe they can do whatever they want, without loosing voters. They believe themselves to be the lesser evil.”

Well, are they?

“Yes they are, in a way.”

And others?

“It irritates current and former Radicals, however their parties are called and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)], because they hoped to draw in those disappointed DS voters.”

You believe they will not?

“Of course they will not, this is a naïve hope. It irritates the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), maybe the only one with reason, because it sees itself as the true alternative to DS, and it failed to convince voters of this…”

… And many others who warn that this is the loosing option, because blank votes have never won.

“Which is very logical, because they do not understand that not choosing is a very clear choice.”

Which cannot be transformed into a parliamentary majority.

“And it should not be, because that is not its goal.”

But what is the goal?

“To show there is no party worth voting for.”

But you cannot say that all parties are the same?

“They are not.”

Then what?

“With rare exceptions, which include LDP, although it also suffers from terrible problems due to inconsistency, they are each worse than the other.”

Which means what?

“It means that citizens are dissatisfied with the increase in corruption and party power.”

And for this, the responsible one is…

“The party in power.”

How?

“Corruption and coalition with the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). A number of voters could not find a way to accept this.”

But the coalition with SPS was made almost four years ago?

“It would have been accepted if it achieved some results.”

And you believe it hasn’t?

“Of course it hasn’t.”

What about foreign investments, at least some GDP growth, normalization of relations with certain neighboring countries...

"And worsening relations with others, indebtness, impoverishment and the increasing unemployment rate…”

Which can be the consequences of the economic crisis.

“They can, but they don’t have to be, we have sufficient internal weakness. Besides, we did not import corruption, it is our own product. It is much higher now than four years ago. The syndrome of party state is far more pronounced, and we are also witnesses to shameful lies of those in power. They look you in the eyes and they lie. (…) There is no institution that hasn’t been devastated.”

How far does corruption reach?

“To the top of the government.”

And you know this on the basis of what?

“If you sit at the top and know what irregularities are taking place, then you must be corrupt yourself. I don’t care whether the person at the top puts money in his pocket. I am only interested in whether this person sees what is happening, and whether he is taking certain steps to prevent it. But, this is not happening. For me, this is the same as putting the money in his own pocket.”

You refer to President Boris Tadić?

“To him.”

You claim that he knows about things that [high-ranking representative of DS and Minister of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning Oliver] Dulić is doing, or someone else even closer to him?

“It would be horrible if he didn’t, because it would be disastrous for the country to have a president who watches as people from his party are becoming rich in an illegal manner.”

And if he knows what is happening?

“Then it is tragic that he is doing nothing to prevent it, but he does know what is happening.”

Why is he allowing it then?

“I don’t know, and frankly speaking, I don’t really care.”

What do you care about?

“Not to have a president who calmly watches as people from his party carry out illegal machinations, where decisions are made at main party boards, instead of in the institutions.”

Is there at least a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel?

“Although I am a sworn optimist, I cannot see it.”

Maybe because you are an anarchist, communist or extravagant person, because the idea of blank votes is ascribed to such individuals?

“I am none of those things. The only thing I want is to live in an organized and structured state. (…) This is why I no longer what to give legitimacy to those who offer false promises and bear no consequences for doing so. If they understand this for once, maybe they will try to change something."