Radicals launch campaign in Kosovo

Several thousand Serbs gathered to greet Tomislav Nikolic in Gracanica today, as the SRS kicked off its election campaign. The Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy leader and other senior party officials were welcomed with chants of “Kosovo is Serbia”, “Serbia, Serbia”, “Tomo, Tomo”, accompanied by brass band music and traditional folk songs. Radicals launch campaign in Kosovo The Serbs accompanied Nikolic and his colleagues to Gracanica monastery where they were met by Bishop Artemije. In talks with Artemije, Nikolic stressed that a law had to be enacted allowing local elections to be held in Kosovo. He said that the people had to be able to elect their own representatives, and not have them imposed. Traffic was diverted during the SRS deputy leader’s visit to the town, and security was high. The visit to Gracanica was secured by a heavy KFOR and UNMIK presence. Nikolic will now move on to Kosovska Mitrovica where he will hold a meeting in the town’s central Sumadija square. The other members of the SRS delegation include author Brana Crncevic and senior officials Dragan Todorovic, Goran Cvitanovic, Natasa Jovanovic and Borislav Pelevic. Also today, Nikolic told Tanjug that he expects the Radicals to win the forthcoming parliamentary elections, but he estimated that it would not be enough to form a new government independently. "That is why, the Serb Radical Party is open to a post-election coalition with the people's coalition [DSS-NS], and also with parties of ethnic minorities, particularly the Hungarian minority," Nikolic said. Nikolic, however, ruled out a possibility of cooperation with the Democratic Party (DS) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), because, as he said, the former furtively recognizes independence of Kosovo, while the latter does it openly. Nikolic said that the Radicals "will not condition their potential post-election partners with a choice of a future prime minister from the party that wins more votes". Commenting the rift within the caretaker government on the Horgos-Pozega highway concession and the ratification of the energy deal with Russia, Nikolic underscored that Serbia has to build the highway and ratify the agreement "because those projects are linked and they mean Serbia's development". In regards to Serbia's cooperation with the EU and NATO, Nikolic is confident that Serbia will never join NATO and would not become a member of the EU "for as long as the condition for this is that Serbia gives up part of its territory". "NATO's request that we joint the Alliance in order to be protected seems to me equal to a request coming form Chicago mobsters, who used to make small shop owners pay protection money," said Nikolic. Tomislav Nikolic in Gracanica (FoNet)

Radicals launch campaign in Kosovo

The Serbs accompanied Nikolić and his colleagues to Gračanica monastery where they were met by Bishop Artemije.

In talks with Artemije, Nikolić stressed that a law had to be enacted allowing local elections to be held in Kosovo. He said that the people had to be able to elect their own representatives, and not have them imposed.

Traffic was diverted during the SRS deputy leader’s visit to the town, and security was high.

The visit to Gračanica was secured by a heavy KFOR and UNMIK presence.

Nikolić will now move on to Kosovska Mitrovica where he will hold a meeting in the town’s central Šumadija square.

The other members of the SRS delegation include author Brana Crnčević and senior officials Dragan Todorović, Goran Cvitanović, Nataša Jovanović and Borislav Pelević.

Also today, Nikolić told Tanjug that he expects the Radicals to win the forthcoming parliamentary elections, but he estimated that it would not be enough to form a new government independently.

"That is why, the Serb Radical Party is open to a post-election coalition with the people's coalition [DSS-NS], and also with parties of ethnic minorities, particularly the Hungarian minority," Nikolić said.

Nikolić, however, ruled out a possibility of cooperation with the Democratic Party (DS) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), because, as he said, the former furtively recognizes independence of Kosovo, while the latter does it openly.

Nikolić said that the Radicals "will not condition their potential post-election partners with a choice of a future prime minister from the party that wins more votes".

Commenting the rift within the caretaker government on the Horgoš-Požega highway concession and the ratification of the energy deal with Russia, Nikolić underscored that Serbia has to build the highway and ratify the agreement "because those projects are linked and they mean Serbia's development".

In regards to Serbia's cooperation with the EU and NATO, Nikolić is confident that Serbia will never join NATO and would not become a member of the EU "for as long as the condition for this is that Serbia gives up part of its territory".

"NATO's request that we joint the Alliance in order to be protected seems to me equal to a request coming form Chicago mobsters, who used to make small shop owners pay protection money," said Nikolić.