Democrats: DSS ignores people's will

Democrats: DSS ignores people's will

“Nonetheless, the DSS has been trying to preserve the current state of affairs, conducting the cabinet talks so as not to reach a compromise, and using the lack of results as an alibi for turning to the Radicals,” the statement read.

According to the Democrats, other potential coalition partners, namely G17 Plus “displayed no constructiveness during the talks, as it tended to back and elaborate on the DSS’s proposals.”

Because they intend power to be distributed in all governmental segments, the DS offered the DSS charge of the State security agency (BIA).

Commenting on G17 Plus’s suggestion that independent experts should occupy chief posts in security agencies, the DS replied that it agreed that such posts, along with posts including governor of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), head of state television and chief of Serbian Army Headquarters should also belong to competent experts that did not belong to any contending party.

The Democrats insisted the cabinet offer was a good basis for a sound and pro-European government.

DSS: Democrats should resist pressures from abroad

The Democratic Party of Serbia called on the Democrats to accept its cabinet offer and “resist pressures and meddling from abroad in regards to new government personnel.”

“The DS now has to be patriotic and resist foreign pressures and attempts to meddle into the appointment of state security chiefs in Serbia,” DSS Vojvodina branch leader Zoran Lončar told Beta news agency.

He stressed that “European integrations entails balance and partnership relations.”

“They certainly do not imply that any one from abroad can infringe on the sovereign right of a state to chose government personnel on its own,” Lončar concluded.

G17 Plus: Serbia better off with new elections

G17 Plus leader Mlađan Dinkić told B92 that in the case that “Tomislav Nikolić is elected Parliament Speaker, Serbia will be better off with new elections where it can chose between a pro-European Serbia and a revival of the 1990s.”

He said he found the conduct of DS and DSS leaders disappointing, adding that Tadić and Koštunica only met five times to negotiate the government, and let three months past without any direct meetings.

“DS, DSS and G17 Plus have agreed on the future government’s program during the last three days of intensified talks,” Dinkić said, stressing that personnel issues remained a stumbling block, including police and traffic portfolios.

“It is completely insane to let cabinet talks collapse in its final stage, as only 20 percent of the cabinet structure has yet to be agreed on,” he said.