The Democratic Opposition of Serbia (, abbr. DOS) was a wide electoral alliance of political parties in Serbia, intent on ousting the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia and its leader, Slobodan Milošević.Vreme: Demokratska opozicija Srbije - Program za demokratsku Srbiju , No. 502, 19 August 2000
History Its presidential candidate, Vojislav Koštunica, defeated Milošević in the 2000 general election, while the DOS secured a majority of seats in the National Assembly. The coalition was able to form a government and selected Zoran Đinđić for Prime Minister. (in Serbian)
Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia left the coalition government in July 2001, in protest of the government's decision to extradite Slobodan Milošević to the ICTY, and officially left the coalition in July next year. Social Democracy was pushed into the opposition in May 2001 after a split in the party, as the faction which was eventually recognized by the Supreme Court of Serbia as the legitimate name bearer, was not regarded as such by the DOS, which transferred all the positions held by the party members to the other faction's adherents. That faction, having not received the legal recognition, had merged in July 2002 with the Social Democratic Union into the Social Democratic Party.
In March 2003, after a split in this party, the Social Democratic Union was renewed, still being a member of the DOS, while the Social Democratic Party was excluded from the coalition in November 2003, after having announced that it would support the opposition's demand for the government's deposition. In May 2003, New Serbia was excluded from the coalition after a series of conflicts with the other members. In 2003, New Democracy was renamed into the Liberals of Serbia, and the Association of Free and Independent Trade Unions founded the Labour Party of Serbia, to which it transferred its membership in the DOS.
Dragoljub Mićunović, the DOS candidate, performed poorly in the 2003 presidential election and was even beaten by 11% by Tomislav Nikolić, candidate of the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party. Since only 38% of the electors voted, the presidential election was cancelled for the third time in a row. Therefore, the DOS was disbanded on 18 November 2003. The disbanding was mostly decided by the Democratic Party, the party founded by the then Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, who was later assassinated on 12 March 2003.
Member parties +List of political parties affiliated with DOSNameLeaderMPs (2000 election)Democratic PartyZoran ĐinđićDemocratic Party of SerbiaVojislav KoštunicaSocial DemocracyVuk ObradovićNew DemocracyDušan MihajlovićCivic Alliance of SerbiaGoran SvilanovićNew SerbiaVelimir IlićChristian Democratic Party of SerbiaVladan BatićLeague of Social Democrats of VojvodinaNenad ČanakAlliance of Vojvodina HungariansJózsef KaszaDemocratic AlternativeNebojša ČovićMovement for a Democratic SerbiaMomčilo PerišićDemocratic CentreDragoljub MićunovićSocial Democratic UnionŽarko KoraćPeople's Peasant PartyDragan VeselinovReformists of VojvodinaMiodrag IsakovSandžak Democratic PartyRasim LjajićOtporSrđa PopovićLeague for ŠumadijaBranislav KovačevićAssociation of Free and Independent Trade UnionsDragan Milovanović
Electoral results FR Yugoslavia Chamber of Citizens YearVotesPercentageSeatsBallot carrier Control20002,040,64645.00%Vojislav Koštunica
President YearCandidate#1st round votes% of vote#2nd round votes% of vote2000Vojislav Koštunica
Republic of Serbia National Assembly YearPopular vote% of popular voteSeatsBallot carrier Control20002,402,38764.09%Zoran Đinđić
President YearCandidate#1st round vote% of vote#2nd round vote% of vote2002Miroljub Labus995,20027.92921.09431.62%2003Dragoljub Mićunović893,90635.42——
Positions held Major positions held by Democratic Opposition of Serbia members: President of FR YugoslaviaPartyYearsVojislav KoštunicaDemocratic Party of Serbia2000–2002President of the Chamber of Citizensof the Federal Assembly of YugoslaviaPartyYearsDragoljub MićunovićDemocratic Centre2000–2003Prime Minister of SerbiaPartyYearsZoran ĐinđićDemocratic Party2001–2003Zoran ŽivkovićDemocratic Party2003President of the National Assembly of SerbiaPartyYearsDragan MaršićaninDemocratic Party of SerbiaNataša MićićCivic Alliance of Serbia2001–2003Chairmen of the Executive Council of VojvodinaPartyYearsĐorđe ĐukićDemocratic Party2000–2004President of the Assembly of VojvodinaPartyYearsNenad ČanakLeague of Social Democrats of Vojvodina2000–2003Mayor of BelgradePartyYearsMilan St. ProtićNew Serbia2000–2001Radmila HrustanovićCivic Alliance of Serbia2001–2003Governor of the National Bank of YugoslaviaPartyYearsMlađan DinkićG17 Plus2000–2003
See also Overthrow of Slobodan Milošević
References