Minela Kalender
{{Short description|Serbian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Minela Kalender
| image =
| office = Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
| term_start = 26 September 2024
| term_end =
| birth_place =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|5|28}}
| occupation = Sanitary Engineer
| party = SDA
| citizenship =
| nationality = Bosniak
| alma_mater =
}}
Minela Kalender ({{lang-sr-cyr|Минела Календер; born 28 May 1984}}) is a Serbian politician from the country's Bosniak community. She has served in the Serbian national assembly since September 2024. Kalender is also an elected delegate in Serbia's Bosniak National Council (BNV) and has held high political office in Sjenica. She is a member of the Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak (SDA).
Private career
Kalender is a graduated sanitary engineer. She lives in Sjenica.[https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/izbori22/ko-su-kandidati-za-poslanike-na-listi-sda-sandzaka-dr-sulejman-ugljanin/ "Ko su kandidati za poslanike na listi 'SDA Sandžaka – dr Sulejman Ugljanin'"], Danas, 2 March 2022, accessed 10 November 2022.
Politician
=Early years in Sjenica=
Kalender was elected to the Sjenica municipal assembly in the 2012 Serbian local elections.[http://sjenica.rs/skupstina-opstine/ SPISAK ODBORNIKA SKUPŠTINE OPŠTINE SJENICA], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809060458/http://sjenica.rs/skupstina-opstine/ |date=2014-08-09 }}, Municipality of Sjenica, accessed 20 October 2024. The SDA won a plurality victory with twelve out of thirty-nine seats and afterward formed a coalition government that included its traditional rival, the Sandžak Democratic Party (SDP).[https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2012/Pdf/G20126016.pdf ЛОКАЛНИ ИЗБОРИ 2012.], Bureau of Statistics, Republic of Serbia; pp. 12, 61.[https://www.kurir.rs/vesti/srbija/280730/u-sjenici-na-vlasti-sda-sa-sdp-ds-ldp-sps-i-urs "U Sjenici na vlasti SDA sa SDP-DS-LDP, SPS i URS"], Kurir, 18 June 2024, accessed 20 October 2024. This source inaccurately states that Esad Zornić was appointed as deputy mayor and Muriz Turković was appointed as deputy speaker of the assembly; in fact, the reverse was true. Kalender served in the assembly as a supporter of the administration.
The SDA formed a new coalition administration without the SDP in November 2014, and Kalender was appointed as deputy mayor in place of local SDP leader Muriz Turković.[https://rtvnp.rs/2014/11/12/formirana-nova-vladajuca-vecina-u-sjenici/7412#google_vignette "Formirana nova vladajuća većina u Sjenici"], RTV Novi Pazar, 11 December 2014, accessed 20 October 2024. By virtue of accepting this position, she was required to resign from the assembly.
Kalender appeared in the third position on the SDA's electoral list for Sjenica in the 2016 Serbian local elections and was re-elected when the list won fifteen seats.Službeni Glasnik (Opštinski Sjenica), Volume 17 Number 7 (12 April 2016), p. 12.Službeni Glasnik (Opštinski Sjenica), Volume 17 Number 11 (1 May 2016), pp. 3-4. She stood down as deputy mayor on 30 May 2016 and on the same day was appointed as a member of the municipal council (i.e., the executive branch of the local government). Once again, she was required to resign from the local assembly to hold an executive position.Službeni Glasnik (Opštinski Sjenica), Volume 17 Number 13 (3 June 2016), pp. 14, 43-44. Her term on the municipal council appears to have been brief; she attended its inaugural meeting on 9 June 2016, but by September 2016 she was no longer listed as a member.[http://sjenica.rs/vijesti/konstituisano-novo-opstinsko-vece/ Konstituisano novo Opštinsko veće], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911154650/http://sjenica.rs/vijesti/konstituisano-novo-opstinsko-vece/ |date=2016-09-11 }}, Municipality of Sjenica, accessed 20 October 2024.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160913050721/http://sjenica.rs:80/opstinsko-vijece/ OPŠTINSKO VEĆE OPŠTINE SJENICA], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913050721/http://sjenica.rs:80/opstinsko-vijece/ |date=2016-09-13 }}, Municipality of Sjenica, accessed 20 October 2024.
Kalender also appeared in the third position on the SDA's list in the 2016 Serbian parliamentary election, which was held concurrently with the local elections.[http://arhiva.rik.parlament.gov.rs/izbori-za-narodne-poslanike-2016-izborne-liste.php Избори за народне посланике 2016. године – Изборне листе (9 SDA Sandžaka – Dr. Sulejman Ugljanin СДА Санџака – Др Сулејман Угљанин)], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426183241/http://arhiva.rik.parlament.gov.rs/izbori-za-narodne-poslanike-2016-izborne-liste.php |date=2021-04-26 }}, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 7 April 2024. The list won two seats, and she was not elected. She had the opportunity to enter the assembly in August 2016 as a replacement for party leader Sulejman Ugljanin, but she instead declined the mandate.[https://www.radiostoplus.com/gegic-umesto-ugljanina-u-skupstini-srbije/ N. Kočević, "Gegić umesto Ugljanina u Skupštini Srbije"], Radio Sto Plus, 10 August 2016, accessed 12 November 2022.
=Bosniak National Council member=
Kalender was given the ninth position on a SDA-affiliated list in the 2018 election for Serbia's Bosniak National Council and was elected when the list won a plurality victory with fourteen out of thirty-five seats.[http://arhiva.rik.parlament.gov.rs/izbori-za-nsnm-neposredni-2018-proglasene-liste.php Избори за чланове националних савета националних мањина 2018. године, 4. новембар 2018. године – Проглашене изборне листе (Национални савет БОШЊАЧКЕ националне мањине)], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518031253/http://arhiva.rik.parlament.gov.rs/izbori-za-nsnm-neposredni-2018-proglasene-liste.php |date=18 May 2021}}, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 17 May 2024.[http://arhiva.rik.parlament.gov.rs/izbori-za-nsnm-neposredni-2018-ukupni-rezultati.php Избори за чланове националних савета националних мањина 2018. године, 4. новембар 2018. године – Укупни резултати избора за националне савете националних мањина (Национални савет БОШЊАЧКЕ националне мањине)], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518061422/http://arhiva.rik.parlament.gov.rs/izbori-za-nsnm-neposredni-2018-ukupni-rezultati.php |date=18 May 2021}}, Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 20 October 2024. After the election, the SDA formed a coalition administration with a SDP-affiliated list, and Kalender served as a member of the BNV's executive board.[https://rtvnp.rs/2018/12/08/izabrano-novo-rukovodstvo-bnv-a/43425#google_vignette "Izabrano novo rukovodstvo BNV-a"], RTV Novi Pazar, 8 December 2018, accessed 21 October 2024.
She received the fourth position on the SDA's electoral list in the 2020 parliamentary election and again narrowly missed direct election when the list won three seats.[https://www.rik.parlament.gov.rs/tekst/1937/izborne-liste.php ИЗБОРИ ЗА НАРОДНЕ ПОСЛАНИКЕ НАРОДНЕ СКУПШТИНЕ, 21. ЈУН 2020. ГОДИНЕ – Изборне листе (11 СДА Санџака – др Сулејман Угљанин SDA Sandžaka – dr. Sulejman Ugljanin)], Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, accessed 16 June 2020. (The three elected SDA members served for the entirety of the parliament that followed, and she did not have the opportunity to enter the assembly as a replacement.[http://www.parlament.gov.rs/national-assembly/composition/members-of-parliament/legislature-archive/3-august-2020-legislature.4558.html 3 August 2020 legislature], National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 20 October 2024.) She again received the fourth position in the 2022 parliamentary election and was not elected as the list fell back to two seats.[https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/izbori22/ko-su-kandidati-za-poslanike-na-listi-sda-sandzaka-dr-sulejman-ugljanin/ "Ko su kandidati za poslanike na listi 'SDA Sandžaka – dr Sulejman Ugljanin'"], Danas, 2 March 2022, accessed 10 November 2022.
Kalender was promoted to the sixth position on the SDA's list in the 2022 Bosniak National Council election and was re-elected when the list won ten seats.IZBORNA LISTA: KANDIDATA ZA ČLANOVE NACIONALNOG SAVJETA BOŠNJAČKE NACIONALNE MANJINE („BOŠNJAČKO JEDINSTVO – dr. Sulejman Ugljanin“) [2022 election], Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia. After the election, the SDA formed a new coalition government with the Justice and Reconciliation Party (SPP).[https://balkans.aljazeera.net/teme/2022/12/31/bosnjaci-u-sandzaku-koliko-je-cvrst-sporazum-ugljanina-i-zukorlica "Bošnjaci u Sandžaku: Koliko je čvrst sporazum Ugljanina i Zukorlića?"], Al Jazeera Balkans, 31 December 2022. This arrangement did not last, and in 2024 the SDA formed a new partnership with the SDP.[https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/bnv-dobila-novo-rukovodstvo-koalicija-na-rec/ S. Nosovel, "BNV dobila novo rukovodstvo: Koalicija 'na reč'"], Danas, 11 August 2024, accessed 3 January 2025.
Kalender once again received the fourth position on the SDA's list in the 2023 parliamentary election and was not immediately elected when the list won two seats.[https://n1info.rs/vesti/izbori-2023/ko-su-kandidati-za-narodne-poslanike-na-listi-sda-sadnzaka-dr-sulejman-ugljanin/ "Ko su kandidati za narodne poslanike na listi 'SDA Sandžaka – dr Sulejman Ugljanin'?"], N1, 15 November 2023, accessed 19 May 2024.
She was given the fourth position on the SDA's list for Sjenica in the 2024 Serbian local elections and, after an absence of eight years, was elected to a third term in the municipal assembly when the list won eight seats.[https://www.rik.parlament.gov.rs/extfile/sr/files/additionalDocuments/584/147/Izborna%20lista%20SDA.pdf ИЗБОРНА ЛИСТА КАНДИДАТА ЗА ОДБОРНИКЕ СКУПШТИНЕ ОПШТИНЕ СЈЕНИЦА БР. 3: СДА САНЏАКА – ДР СУЛЕЈМАН УГЉАНИН], Local Election 2 June 2024, Sjenica Municipal Election Commission, accessed 9 September 2024.[https://www.rik.parlament.gov.rs/extfile/sr/files/additionalDocuments/653/993/Izvestaj%20rezultati%20izbora.pdf УКУПАН ИЗВЕШТАЈ О РЕЗУЛТАТИМА ИЗБОРА ЗА ОДБОРНИКЕ СКУПШТИНЕ ОПШТИНЕ СЈЕНИЦА], Sjenica Municipal Election Commission, 13 June 2024, accessed 9 September 2024. The SPP narrowly won the election and afterward formed a coalition government without the SDA.[https://n1info.rs/vesti/munib-mujagic-izabran-za-predsednika-opstine-sjenica/ "Munib Mujagić izabran za predsednika Opštine Sjenica"], N1, 27 August 2024, accessed 9 September 2024. As of 2024, Kalender continues to serve in the assembly as an opposition member.[https://sjenica.rs/skupstina-opstine/ Skupština opštine], Municipality of Sjenica, accessed 20 October 2024.
=Parliamentarian=
Selma Kučević, who had been elected to the Serbian parliament in 2023 as the lead candidate on the SDA's list, resigned her seat after becoming the mayor of Tutin on 1 August 2024.[https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/od-osporavane-do-reformatorke-ko-je-selma-kucevic-nova-predsednica-opstine-tutin/ "Od osporavane do reformatorke: Ko je Selma Kučević nova predsednica opštine Tutin?"], Danas, 1 August 2024, accessed 8 October 2024. The SDA's leadership decided later in the month that Kalender would be her replacement, bypassing the third-ranked candidate Mirza Hajdinović.[https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/minela-kalender-umesto-selme-kucevic-u-skupstini-srbije/ "Minela Kalender umesto Selme Kučević u Skupštini Srbije"], Danas, 13 August 2024, accessed 20 October 2024. (Technically, Hajdinović accepted Kučević's vacated mandate and became a member of assembly on 24 September 2024. He resigned on the same day, however, and Kalender was named as his replacement.)[https://www.rik.parlament.gov.rs/vest/657071/62-sednica-republicke-izborne-komisije.php 62. седница Републичке изборне комисије], Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, 24 September 2024, accessed 20 October 2024.[http://www.parlament.gov.rs/national-assembly/composition/members-of-parliament/current-legislature.487.html Current Legislature], National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 20 October 2024.[https://www.rik.parlament.gov.rs/vest/657158/63-sednica-republicke-izborne-komisije.php 63. седница Републичке изборне комисије], Republic Election Commission, Republic of Serbia, 26 September 2024, accessed 20 October 2024.
Kalender took her parliamentary mandate on 26 October 2024. The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and its allies hold a majority in the assembly, and she serves in opposition with a parliamentary group that includes the SDA, the Movement of Free Citizens (PSG), and the Party for Democratic Action (PDD).[http://www.parlament.gov.rs/MINELA_KALENDER.1431.488.html MINELA KALENDER], National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, accessed 20 October 2024.
References
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Category:Members of the Bosniak National Council (Serbia)
Category:Members of the National Assembly (Serbia)