Byzantine Blog

Kostunica: DSS-NS will Respect the Will of the People

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who is also at the helm of the Democratic Party of Serbia, stated that the DSS-NS coalition (Democratic Party of Serbia and New Serbia) will respect the will of the people expressed in parliamentary elections, which could only be represented by the Parliament majority of 126 seats. Anything else, he warned, would be altering the voters' will, usurping the rule of law and suspension of democracy.

"I presume that Boris Tadic knows that his coalition consisting of five parties with 102 mandates is not the majority in the Parliament of Serbia. According with to the basic principles of democracy and to Serbia's Constitution, only 126 MPs may represent the legitimate majority, as expressed by the will of the Serbian voters", Kostunica said.

Serbia's Premier also noted that "with the exception of Boris Tadic, no one has ever claimed that the vote given in the elections to his coalition is worth more than the vote given to other political parties. Such nonsense best describes and says it all about the person uttering it, while talking about democracy under the same breath", said Kostunica.

Dacic: No Simultaneous Dialogues with Other Political Options

"The general agreement regarding the principles and key points as the basis of the new coalition have been reached with Kostunica's Democratic coalition and the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), and it is not possible to talk at the same time with other political options", Dacic said today while visiting Moscow.

"We are talking with [Kostunica's] Democratic Party of Serbia, as we have already stated", said Dacic.

Asked whether he "excludes the negotiations" with Tadic's coalition about forming the Government, Dacic said: "We can't talk with other political parties in Serbia at the same time."

President of the Socialists confirmed for the press that "once the coalition agreement is signed, the coalition will be formed", adding that "the first step in that direction has been made".

"We have reached an agreement on key issues as a basis of the future Government of Serbia with Kostunica's DSS and we expect the talks to continue", Dacic said, clarifying that the preparations for the signing of a coalition agreement are continuing at the level of the work groups of political parties gathered around their coalition.

SRS, Aleksandar Vucic Expect Finalizing of the Agreement Soon

Serbian Radical Party (SRS) is pleased with the present agreements with Kostunica's DSS-NS and Dacic's SPS-PUPS-JS coalitions, concerning forming the Government at the level of Republic and the City of Belgrade, expecting to finalize the agreements soon, SRS Secretary General Aleksandar Vucic said. During the press conference he also warned the "part of regime headed by DS Tadic not to attempt to stay in power and keep their positions using the violent means."

"They can protest whatever they want, for as long as they want to", said Vucic, at the same time warning that only peaceful demonstrations will be tolerated. "Never and not for a second should they think of physically endangering someone, or demolishing the city property -- as they have been accustomed to [reference to the violent CIA-funded coup staged on October 5, 2000, when the same "democrats" gathered around Tadic's party burned and looted the Parliament building and the Belgrade downtown]. They will not be allowed to do that. We appeal to them not to attempt to create chaos in the state. No one is afraid of their threats, and we shall know how to protect the voters' will," Vucic stated.

Talks about forming the new Government of Serbia will be continued tomorrow at the highest level, or the day after, depending on Tomislav Nikolic's return from the Hague (a prearranged meeting with Vojislav Seselj) and Ivica Dacic's return from Moscow. Vucic confirmed that the talks at the level of city of Belgrade were continued and intensified today, will be continued tomorrow and, at that level, "we are very close to the final agreement."

Asked if the agreement on his appointment as the Mayor of the city of Belgrade has been reached, Vucic said he is pleased with talks held with future coalition partners thus far, that they have expressed their belief Vucic's appointment is the logical solution, "but we have not come to that particular issue yet".

According to Vucic, it is not possible to create a different coalition in Belgrade than the one already formed, adding that Liberal Democratic Party (LSD Cedomir Jovanovic) and the Socialist party do not want to get together. "This coalition [Radicals, Socialists and Kostunica's Democrats] will either be formed or there will be new elections," Vucic said. He said that he talked with the President of Serbian Radical Party Vojislav Seselj who is pleased with the election results, adding that his deputy, Tomislav Nikolic, and vice president of Radicals Dragan Todorovic will talk to Seselj today in Haque.

Brand New Math from the Yellow Camp: 102 Seats in the Parliament is More than 130

The spokesman for Kostunica's DSS Andreja Mladenovic announced intensification of talks between the coalition of DSS-NS (Democratic Party of Serbia and New Serbia), Serbian Radical Party and coalition of SPS-PUPS-JS (Socialist Party of Serbia, Party of United Pensioners of Serbia and United Serbia) in order to "sign the coalition agreement as soon as possible, which will enable forming of the new national Government".

"In the next couple of days we will have intense talks in order to sign the coalition agreement as soon as possible, leading to formation of the new national Government and of the local government in about 140 municipalities in Serbia", Mladenovic told Tanjug.

He added that coalition of DSS-NS (30 seats), Serbian Radical Party (78 seats) and coalition of SPS-PUPS-JS (20 seats), with the Bosniac List (2 seats) would have "a stable majority in the Parliament (130 MPs), which would allow the newly elected Government of Serbia to efficiently implement its programme goals and lead the country forward."

"It is ridiculous and irresponsible to claim that 130 MPs do not represent a majority and that they don't represent the will of Serbia's citizens. To say that 102 MPs (five parties gathered around Tadic, in "For the European Serbia" coalition) is the actual majority and that 130 MPs are, in turn, a minority, represents quite a novel marketing invention", concluded Mladenovic.

Yellow Dictator Tadic and LSD LDP Jovanovic Still in Trance

Radicals' official Nemanja Sarovic said that the Belgrade voters have clearly voted for the change and, therefore, "...LDP (Cedomir Jovanovic) can protest only against the will of the citizens of Belgrade, since they voted for the change. But they protest in vain. We have the legal and legitimate right to form the Government, since we have the majority", Sarovic stressed, adding that LDP's Cheda and DS Tadic obviously know nothing about democracy.

"Governance that does not respect the will of majority is called dictatorship. I am convinced we will constitute the Government in Belgrade in a short while. We shall ignore the rubbish coming from these two characters," Sarovic stressed.

"The work on solving the problems of Belgrade citizens has already begun. The new Government of Belgrade will not segregate its citizens according to the political party lines," he added.