The speech and presentation of Tomislav Damnjanović, chief of G17 PLUS Central Electoral Headquarters and vice-president of G17 PLUS Executive Board at the Fourth Assembly of World Movement Democracy

Tuesday, 4 April 2006

       I believe that G17 PLUS is the party from our region with most rights to speak at this assembly.
      We have gathered in 1996 with the name of Group 17 (G17) as the union of 17 independent economists, opponents to the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. Then, as now, we had a goal that was sublimed in just few simple words - the change of the system.
      After the NATO bombing in 1999. we have organized the biggest opposition rally in Serbia, in which 200.000 people came together. The potential was there. We have made the decision that Group 17 will leave it’s strictly economic sphere, and so we created a NGO, or as we called it, the union of citizens to help Serbia - G17 PLUS. Foreigners called us think tank.
      In the 2000 year, we have written the pre electoral program for the Democratic opposition, and after that, we organized a series of promotional rallies across Serbia. It was the first time that political parties gave such support to a NGO.
      It was logical, that after the fall of Milosevic, DOS would offer, and we accept positions in the new government. What had happened was just what we expected; we got the worst two positions - deputy prime minister in charged of cooperation with EU and economic reforms and the position of the governor of National bank of (then) Yugoslavia.
      In the year of 2002, Miroljub Labus, the president of NGO G17 PLUS, accepted the invitation of the parties of DOS and put out his candidacy in the presidential elections. We lost the elections. Not because our candidate was bad, or our campaign badly led, the reason was that PARTIES never honestly support NGO candidates unless they are forced to.
      After these elections we were at the crossroad. One way led into disappearing of the G17 PLUS. Another, easiest one, led us to stay NGO. We took the third one. The road less traveled. On 15. December 2002 our NGO grew into a political party.
      In October and November of 2003, we made the government fall.
      The elections were held on 28th of December 2003. For the first time G17 PLUS went on elections as a political party and won 11.45 percent of the votes. Today we have the speaker of the Parliament (the president of the Parliament); the deputy prime minister, the ministers of finance, agriculture and health come from our party.
      After the election I realized we had a lot to learn.
      We began cooperation with NDI and IRI.
      We became associated members of EPP.
      But, I still felt we needed something else. I thought we needed a zen-like enlightening.
      In 2005 we finally met the Conservatives.
      This is the story about the influence of the oldest European political party on one of the youngest.

See: Conservative party and G17 PLUS (PDF, 570kb)