May 29 (SeeNews) - Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic resigned as head of the Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, on Saturday and will be succeeded by defence minister Milos Vucevic, the SNS said.
"A somewhat different approach is needed to unite a greater number of those who want to fight for the victory of patriotic Serbia, a successful Serbia that will focus on its citizens, for a country that will not look for reasons for division, but for unification and togetherness," Vucic told a party congress, as seen in a video posted on the SNS party website. "There is nothing more important than programmes and policies, an independent and independent Serbia on the European path. Our country must think about how to further improve the economy and continue to develop," he added.
Vucic's resignation as SNS head comes amid anti-government rallies in Belgrade following two mass shootings. The protesters have called on Vucic, interior minister Bratislav Gasic, and the director of the security agency, Aleksandar Vulin, to step down, saying that the government and the media outlets it controls are promoting hate speech and inciting violence which indirectly led to the shootings.