Milan Ćuk

Milan Ćuk (Serbian Cyrillic: Милан Ћук; born 21 October 1956) is a politician in Serbia. He has been at different times a member of the National Assembly of Serbia, the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro, and the Assembly of Vojvodina, as well as serving as the mayor of Odžaci. Ćuk is a member of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (Srpska radikalna stranka, SRS).

Early life and private career

Ćuk was born in Odžaci, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in what was then the People's Republic of Serbia in the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. He lives in the village of Bački Gračac and is a private entrepreneur.^[1]

Politician

Ćuk became politically active in 1992. He appeared in the seventeenth position on the Radical Party's electoral list for Novi Sad in the 1993 Serbian parliamentary election; the list won seven mandates, and he was not included in the party's assembly delegation.^[2][3] (From 1992 to 2000, Serbia's electoral law stipulated that one-third of parliamentary mandates would be assigned to candidates from successful lists in numerical order, while the remaining two-thirds would be distributed amongst other candidates on the lists at the discretion of the sponsoring parties.^[4] It was common practice for the latter mandates to be awarded out of order. Ćuk could have been awarded a mandate despite his list position, although he was not.)

Parliamentarian

Ćuk appeared in the sixth and final position on the SRS's list for the redistributed Sombor division in the 1997 Serbian parliamentary election. The list won three mandates, and he was not initially given a mandate.^[5][6] The Radical Party joined a coalition government led by the Socialist Party of Serbia (Socijalistička partija Srbije, SPS) in March 1998; Stanko Studen, one of the Radical Party's deputies for Sombor, was appointed as deputy minister of agriculture and was required to resign from the assembly. Ćuk was given a mandate as his replacement on 26 May 1998 and served as a supporter of the administration.^[7][8]

SPS leader Slobodan Milošević was defeated in the 2000 Yugoslavian presidential election, a watershed moment in Serbian and Yugoslavian politics. Ćuk stood as a candidate for Odžaci's second constituency seat in the concurrent 2000 Vojvodina provincial election and for the municipality's fifth seat in the 2000 Serbian local elections.^[9] He was defeated in both contests.^[10]

Serbia's SPS-led administration fell after Milošević's defeat, and a new provisional government was established pending new elections; the new administration did not include the SRS. A new Serbian parliamentary election was held in December 2000. As a result of reforms introduced prior to the vote, the entire country was counted as a single electoral division and all mandates were awarded at the discretion of successful parties and coalitions, irrespective of numerical order.^[11] Ćuk appeared in the eighty-ninth position on the Radical Party's list.^[12] The list won twenty-three mandates, and he was not included in the party's delegation. The term ended when the new assembly convened in January 2001.

Ćuk was given the fourteenth position on the SRS's list for the 2003 parliamentary election. The party won eighty-two seats, and on this occasion he was included in its delegation when the assembly met in January 2004.^[13][14] Although the Radicals were the largest party in the assembly after the election, they fell short of a majority and served in opposition.

By virtue of its performance in the 2003 parliamentary election, the SRS had the right to appoint thirty delegates to the federal assembly of Serbia and Montenegro. Ćuk was given a federal mandate on 12 February 2004; by virtue of this appointment, he was required to resign from the national assembly.^[15] Ćuk served as an opposition member in the federal parliament for the next two years. The federal union of Serbia and Montenegro ceased to exist in 2006 when Montenegro declared independence.

Ćuk appeared on the Radical Party's electoral lists in the 2007 and 2008 parliamentary elections, though he was not given a mandate on either occasion.^[16]

Mayor of Odžaci

Serbia introduced the direct election of mayors in the 2004 local elections. Ćuk was elected as mayor of Odžaci, defeating Democratic Party (Demokratska stranka, DS) candidate Predrag Cvetanović in the second round. He faced a recall vote on 3 December 2006 and survived the challenge.^[17]

The direct election of mayors proved to be a short-lived experiment; for the 2008 local elections, Serbia's local election laws were reformed such that mayors would be chosen by the elected members of city and municipal assemblies. Ćuk led the Radical Party to victory in the 2008 cycle and was confirmed for another term in office afterward.^[18]

The Radical Party experienced a serious split in late 2008, with several members joining the more moderate Serbian Progressive Party (Srpska napredna stranka, SNS) under the leadership of Tomislav Nikolić and Aleksandar Vučić. Ćuk remained with the Radicals.

Ćuk's administration in Odžaci fell in 2009 after the SPS withdrew its support. He stood down as mayor in August 2009 and was appointed as the SRS's representative in a multi-party provisional administration.^[19][20][21] A new off-year local election was held in January 2010; weakened by the 2008 split, the SRS finished in fourth place with only three mandates.^[22] Ćuk was elected as one of the party's delegates and served as an opposition member of the local assembly for the next four years.^[23]

In 2012, Ćuk was indicted on charges of accepting bribes during his tenure as mayor. He denied the charges.^[24] Online sources do not indicate how the matter was resolved.

Provincial delegate

Vojvodina introduced a system of mixed proportional representation for the 2004 Vojvodina provincial election. Ćuk ran for the Radical Party in the redistributed Odžaci division and was defeated in the second round by SPS incumbent Đorđe Bogdanović, the same candidate who defeated him in the 2000 provincial election.

He was elected for the Odžaci constituency seat in the 2008 provincial election, defeating Bogdanović in another rematch. The DS and its allies won a majority victory, and the Radicals served in opposition for the next term.

Serbia's electoral laws were reformed in 2011, such that mandates were awarded in numerical order to candidates on successful lists in elections held under proportional representation. Ćuk did not seek re-election for the Odžaci constituency seat in the 2012 provincial election but instead appeared in the fifth position on the SRS's electoral list; he was re-elected when the list won exactly five mandates.^[25] The DS and its allies won the election, and the Radicals remained in opposition. On 22 June 2012, Ćuk was selected as one of the assembly's deputy speakers.^[26] He also served on the committee for determining provincial regulations in languages of official use and the committee on urbanism, spatial planning, and environmental protection.^[27]

Ćuk led the SRS's list for Odžaci in the 2013 Serbian local elections^[28] and appeared in the sixty-first position on the party's list for the 2014 parliamentary election.^[29] In both cases, the party failed to cross the electoral threshold to win representation in the relevant assembly.

Vojvodina switched to a system of full proportional representation for the 2016 provincial election. Ćuk was promoted to the second position on the Radical Party's list and was elected to a third term when the list won ten mandates.^[30] The Progressive Party and its allies won the election, and the Radicals continued once again in opposition.

Ćuk led the SRS list for Odźaci again in the 2017 local elections and was on this occasion re-elected to the local assembly when the list won two seats.^[31] He did not seek re-election at either the provincial or the local level in 2020.

Electoral record

Provincial (Vojvodina)

2008 Vojvodina assembly election
Odžaci (constituency seat) – First and second rounds^[32]

Candidate	Party or Coalition	Votes	%		Votes	%
Milan Ćuk	Serbian Radical Party	6,293	39.02		3,615	52.96
Dr. Đorđe Bogdanović (incumbent)	Socialist Party of Serbia	3,330	20.65		3,211	47.04
Mirko Bomeštar	For a European Vojvodina, Democratic Party–G17 Plus, Boris Tadić (Affiliation: Democratic Party)	3,203	19.86
Jelena Škrbić	Christian Democratic Party of Serbia	2,056	12.75
Viktor Hajnal	Hungarian Coalition–István Pásztor	628	3.89
Zoran Đorđević	Together for Odžaci and Vojvodina Serbian Renewal Movement–League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina	616	3.82
Total valid votes		16,126	100		6,826	100
Invalid ballots		494			248
Total votes casts		16,620	58.67		7,074	24.97

2004 Vojvodina assembly election
Odžaci (constituency seat) – First and second rounds^[33]

Candidate	Party or Coalition	Votes	%		Votes	%
Dr. Đorđe Bogdanović (incumbent)	Socialist Party of Serbia	2,195	21.26		4,066	53.60
Milan Ćuk	Serbian Radical Party	2,230	21.60		3,520	46.40
Mirko Bomeštar	Democratic Party	1,437	13.92
Vladimir Košutić	Democratic Party of Serbia	1,000	9.69
Dr. Ljubomir Milenković	Citizens' Group: Milivoje Mića Stošić–No Politics - Work as Soon as Possible	703	6.81
Nedeljko Bjeletić	Strength of Serbia Movement	699	6.77
Vladimir Danilovac	Serbian Renewal Movement	659	6.38
Mile Mandić	Coalition: To Live Normally	538	5.21
Dr. Dragan Nalčić	Coalition: Together for Vojvodina–Nenad Čanak	514	4.98
Stevan Mirković	G17 Plus	240	2.32
Ljubiša Miljković	New Serbia	108	1.05
Total valid votes		10,323	100		7,586	100
Invalid ballots		333			715
Total votes casts		10,656	37.31		8,301	29.06

2000 Vojvodina assembly election
Odžaci II (constituency seat)^[34]

Candidate	Party or Coalition	Result
Đorđe Bogdanović	Socialist Party of Serbia–Yugoslav Left (Affiliation: Socialist Party of Serbia)	elected
Milan Ćuk	Serbian Radical Party
other candidates

Local (Odžaci)

2004 Odžaci municipal election
Mayor of Odžaci – second round results^[35]

Candidate	Party or Coalition	Votes	%
Milan Ćuk	Serbian Radical Party	4,152	51.34
Predrag Cvetanović	Democratic Party	3,936	48.66
Total valid votes		8,088	100

References

1. Potpredsjednik Milan Ćuk, Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 24 February 2022.
2. Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 19. и 26. децембра 1993. године и 5. јануара 1994. године – ЗБИРНЕ ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (6 Нови Сад), Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021.
3. Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 19. и 26. децембра 1993. године и 5. јануара 1994. године – РЕЗУЛТАТИ ИЗБОРА (Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за народне посланике у Народну скупштину Републике Србије, одржаних 19. и 26. децембра 1993. године и 5. јануара 1994. године), Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021.
4. Guide to the Early Election 2022-01-16 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Information of the Republic of Serbia, December 1992, made available by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, accessed 14 July 2017.
5. Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. и 28. септембра и 5. октобра 1997. године – ЗБИРНЕ ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (8 Сомбор), Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021.
6. Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. и 28. септембра и 5. октобра 1997. године – РЕЗУЛТАТИ ИЗБОРА (Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за народне посланике у Народну скупштину Републике Србије, одржаних 21. и 28. септембра и 5. октобра 1997. године (Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. и 28. септембра и 5. октобра 1997.) године, Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021.
7. TREĆA SEDNICA, PRVOG REDOVNOG ZASEDANJA, 26.05.1998., Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 24 February 2022.
8. TREĆA SEDNICA, PRVOG REDOVNOG ZASEDANJA, 26.05.1998., Otvoreni Parlament, accessed 24 February 2022.
9. Velika Srbija [Radical Party publication], Volume 11 Number 1201 (Belgrade, September 2000), pp. 6, 14.
10. The Radicals did not win any seats in Odžaci in the municipal election. See Izbori, 2000. Za Odbornike Skupština Opština i Gradova, Bureau of Statistics – Republic of Serbia, p. 43.
11. 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, accessed 28 February 2017.
12. Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 23. децембра 2000. године и 10. јануара 2001. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (1 Српска радикална странка – др Војислав Шешељ), Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021. His name is misspelled on the list as "Milan Đuk."
13. Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 28. децембра 2003. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (2. СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - др ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ) Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021.
14. "Skupština čeka demokrate", Glas javnosti, 13 January 2004, accessed 29 December 2021.
15. "Izbor poslanika u Skupštinu SCG", Glas javnosti, 12 February 2004, accessed 24 February 2022.
16. Ćuk received the 107th position in 2007 and the 122nd position in 2008. See Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 21. јануара и 8. фебрауара 2007. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (4 Српска радикална странка - др Војислав Шешељ), Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021; and Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 11. маја 2008. године (ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ – 4 СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - Др ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ), Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021. For his absence from the assembly, see 14 February 2007 legislature and 11 June 2008 legislature, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 5 March 2017.
17. "Poverenje predsednicima dve opštine", B92, 4 December 2006, accessed 22 February 2022.
18. Lokalni Izbori 2008; Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; pp. 11, 43.
19. Slobodan Mirić, "Smenjuju partijske direktore", Blic 22 August 2010, accessed 22 February 2022.
20. "Vanredni izbori u Odžacima u nedelju", Radio Television of Vojvodina, 19 January 2010, accessed 19 February 2022.
21. J. Jorgačević, "Za evropske Odžake", Vreme, 28 January 2010, accessed 19 February 2022.
22. ЛОКАЛНИ ИЗБОРИ 2012., Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; pp. 148, 37.
23. Одборници, 2013-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Odžaci, 21 February 2013, accessed 24 February 2022.
24. "Bivši predsednik opštine Odžaci: Nisam odgovoran za afere", Radio Television of Vojvodina, 19 October 2012, accessed 24 February 2022.
25. Изборне листе за изборе за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине (Изборна листа 4 - СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА-ДР ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ - кандидати за посланике) 2020-07-10 at the Wayback Machine, Избори 2012, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 12 July 2021.
26. Potpredsjednik Milan Ćuk, Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, accessed 24 February 2022.
27. Милан Ћук, . Archived from the original on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2022-02-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, 12 April 2016, accessed 24 February 2022.
28. Službeni List (Opštine Odžaci), Volume 48 Number 18 (4 December 2013), p. 615.
29. Избори за народне посланике Народне скупштине одржани 16. и 23. марта 2014. године – ИЗБОРНЕ ЛИСТЕ (6 СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА - ДР ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ), Republika Srbija - Republička izborna komisija, accessed 2 July 2021.
30. Изборне листе за изборе за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне покрајине Војводине (Изборна листа 6 - Др ВОЈИСЛАВ ШЕШЕЉ - СРПСКА РАДИКАЛНА СТРАНКА), Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 11 May 2018.
31. Službeni List (Opštine Odžaci), Volume 52 Number 10 (13 April 2017), p. 190.
32. Source: Избори мај 2008. године - резултати по већинском изборном систему (38 ОЏАЦИ) 2021-12-22 at the Wayback Machine, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 18 March 2017.
33. Source: Резултати избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине по већинском изборном систему (2004) (38 ОЏАЦИ), Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 30 July 2021.
34. Извештај о укупним резултатима избора за посланике у Скупштину Аутономне Покрајине Војводине одржаних 24. септембра и 8. октобра 2000. године, Provincial Election Commission, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, accessed 29 July 2021; Velika Srbija [Radical Party publication], Volume 11 Number 1201 (Belgrade, September 2000), p. 6.
35. ЛОКАЛНИ ИЗБОРИ: Председници општина и градова, изабрани на локалним изборима, 2004., . Archived from the original on 2010-10-03. Retrieved 2023-02-27., Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 3 October 2010, accessed 12 July 2021. Cvetanović's identity as the candidate defeated in the second round is confirmed in Velika Srbija [Radical Party publication], Volume 15 Number 1956 (September 2004), p. 16.