Dačić won't travel to Brussels

Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader Ivica Dacic told Tanjug today that he would not attend a meeting of the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday. "I will not go to Brussels, to the European Parliament session, because of obligations I have in Belgrade, regarding the formation of a new government," Dacic told the news agency in a telephone conversation. Dacic won't travel to Brussels The meeting, dedicated to the achievement of the European perspective of southeastern Europe will be held at the European Parliament on Monday and Tuesday, with all parliament speakers from the Western Balkans, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso taking part. It was earlier announced that Dacic, currently in Athens, would also attend. In the same statement for Tanjug, Dacic said "intensified talks" between his party and its coalition partners would now take place. The pre-election coalition led by the Socialists includes the Associated Pensioners Party (PUPS) and United Serbia (JS). The discussions will be "on the participation of their respective tickets in the composition of the future Serbian government", the SPS president said. "We should discuss jointly, not just within the coalition, but also with the DSS and SRS, some issues on which PUPS and JS insist, such as the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union," he added. Dacic said that the Socialists talked about the formation of a parliamentary majority only with the DSS-NS coalition and the Radicals (SRS). The SPS leader said that it was "well known that general principles for the formation of this coalition have been agreed so far and that, as far as the SPS is concerned, the general participation of each election ticket in the government composition has been agreed on." Dacic said that during the negotiations with the DSS-NS and the Radicals, "it has been said that the DSS will nominate prime minister" and that "logically, it is expected that this will be Vojislav Kostunica, to which all participants in the negotiations agreed." Also today, JS leader Dragan Markovic, a.k.a. Palma, said there will be no coalition consultations within the SPS-PUPS-JS this Saturday. Markovic added that such a meeting can likely be expected tomorrow. Earlier this week, he asked his coalition partners to end the negotiations meant to put together a new government, ongoing with the DSS-NS coalition and the Radicals (SRS), and to instead start talks with the Democratic Party (DS)-led bloc. Previously, Dacic was reported as saying that the date for his party's presidency to meet will be known after his return from Greece. The 20 mandates the Socialists have won give them the power to decide which of the two large political groupings – the Democrats (DS) and the four parties in their pre-election bloc, or the Radicals (SRS) along with the DSS-NS coalition – will be able to form the next government. Yesterday in Athens, Dacic met with the leader of the Greek opposition and president of the Socialist International Georgios Papandreou, who told him this organization was ready to start the process of the SPS admission. In the mean time, different voices were heard about what the presidency of the party which, founded and led by Slobodan Milosevic ruled Serbia throughout the 1990s, will in fact decide on. SPS official Branko Ruzic told B92 that the SPS will first declare itself on continued European integration along with preservation of state interests, to afterwards schedule a presidency meeting that will consider the cabinet talk progress. After it reaches a joint stance on the European integration issue, the Socialists will determine their position on forming a government with the DSS-NS and SRS. Ruzic, however, could not give a date for the presidency meeting. On the other hand, the head of the SPS Belgrade board, Aleksandar Antic, is convinced the party will as soon as tomorrow confirm its deal with the Radicals and the DSS on the city level. The caretaker mayor, Zoran Alimpic, DS, must schedule the first city assembly meeting 15 days after official results have been announced. In an interview for the daily Danas published today, Ruzic said the talks with the Radicals and the DSS-NS coalition so far did not discuss the distribution of portfolios in the new government. He also said that the SPS-led coalition has officially asked Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's DSS to confirm whether it insists the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) must be annulled, and that the future of the negotiations depended on this answer. Ruzic told the newspaper that in the first round of the post-election talks, Kostunica promised the SAA would not be a subject of deliberation by the new parliament and government. The SPS official said the issue of whether Kostunica will remain prime minister has not been raised so far. "Perhaps it would be more natural to offer the premiership to the Radicals, because they have won the most votes in this group, although we don't have any objections to Kostunica. The hurry of potential coalition partners will, naturally, not make further talks any more difficult," Ruzic was quoted by the newspaper. He confirmed that the negotiations over the ruling majority in Belgrade had progressed "to a late stage", and that the SPS presidency confirmation of the coalition deal was now awaited. "We believe that Aleksandar Vucic [SRS] has the assembly majority and that he will be able to seek the post of Belgrade mayor for himself," Ruzic said. The Socialist official confirmed that it was possible for his party to forge a coalition with the Radicals and the DSS-NS in Belgrade, and with the Democrats and their coalition on the state level. The SPS-PUPS-JS leaders, set for intensified discussions (FoNet) "We've been through worse days" One of the Socialist veteran leaders, Borka Vucic, told Vecernje Novosti Friday that if the party has any doubts as to with whom it should form the new government, "the presidency and the main board are here, and they will make the decision together". "The SPS has lived trough worse days, it will live through these as well," the former banker and close Milosevic associate told the daily, and added that she was convinced the party will emerge stronger "after this difficult decision". Asked whether membership in the Socialist International was worth forging a government with the Democrats, she said that "the International has a mission to fight for social justice throughout the world, not to interfere in our internal affairs and suggest which person we should support politically".

Dačić won't travel to Brussels

The meeting, dedicated to the achievement of the European perspective of southeastern Europe will be held at the European Parliament on Monday and Tuesday, with all parliament speakers from the Western Balkans, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso taking part.

It was earlier announced that Dačić, currently in Athens, would also attend.

In the same statement for Tanjug, Dačić said "intensified talks" between his party and its coalition partners would now take place.

The pre-election coalition led by the Socialists includes the Associated Pensioners Party (PUPS) and United Serbia (JS).

The discussions will be "on the participation of their respective tickets in the composition of the future Serbian government", the SPS president said.

"We should discuss jointly, not just within the coalition, but also with the DSS and SRS, some issues on which PUPS and JS insist, such as the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union," he added.

Dačić said that the Socialists talked about the formation of a parliamentary majority only with the DSS-NS coalition and the Radicals (SRS).

The SPS leader said that it was "well known that general principles for the formation of this coalition have been agreed so far and that, as far as the SPS is concerned, the general participation of each election ticket in the government composition has been agreed on."

Dačić said that during the negotiations with the DSS-NS and the Radicals, "it has been said that the DSS will nominate prime minister" and that "logically, it is expected that this will be Vojislav Koštunica, to which all participants in the negotiations agreed."

Also today, JS leader Dragan Marković, a.k.a. Palma, said there will be no coalition consultations within the SPS-PUPS-JS this Saturday.

Marković added that such a meeting can likely be expected tomorrow.

Earlier this week, he asked his coalition partners to end the negotiations meant to put together a new government, ongoing with the DSS-NS coalition and the Radicals (SRS), and to instead start talks with the Democratic Party (DS)-led bloc.

Previously, Dačić was reported as saying that the date for his party's presidency to meet will be known after his return from Greece.

The 20 mandates the Socialists have won give them the power to decide which of the two large political groupings – the Democrats (DS) and the four parties in their pre-election bloc, or the Radicals (SRS) along with the DSS-NS coalition – will be able to form the next government.

Yesterday in Athens, Dačić met with the leader of the Greek opposition and president of the Socialist International Georgios Papandreou, who told him this organization was ready to start the process of the SPS admission.

In the mean time, different voices were heard about what the presidency of the party which, founded and led by Slobodan Milošević ruled Serbia throughout the 1990s, will in fact decide on.

SPS official Branko Ružić told B92 that the SPS will first declare itself on continued European integration along with preservation of state interests, to afterwards schedule a presidency meeting that will consider the cabinet talk progress.

After it reaches a joint stance on the European integration issue, the Socialists will determine their position on forming a government with the DSS-NS and SRS. Ružić, however, could not give a date for the presidency meeting.

On the other hand, the head of the SPS Belgrade board, Aleksandar Antić, is convinced the party will as soon as tomorrow confirm its deal with the Radicals and the DSS on the city level.

The caretaker mayor, Zoran Alimpić, DS, must schedule the first city assembly meeting 15 days after official results have been announced.

In an interview for the daily Danas published today, Ružić said the talks with the Radicals and the DSS-NS coalition so far did not discuss the distribution of portfolios in the new government.

He also said that the SPS-led coalition has officially asked Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica's DSS to confirm whether it insists the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) must be annulled, and that the future of the negotiations depended on this answer.

Ružić told the newspaper that in the first round of the post-election talks, Koštunica promised the SAA would not be a subject of deliberation by the new parliament and government.

The SPS official said the issue of whether Koštunica will remain prime minister has not been raised so far.

"Perhaps it would be more natural to offer the premiership to the Radicals, because they have won the most votes in this group, although we don't have any objections to Koštunica. The hurry of potential coalition partners will, naturally, not make further talks any more difficult," Ružić was quoted by the newspaper.

He confirmed that the negotiations over the ruling majority in Belgrade had progressed "to a late stage", and that the SPS presidency confirmation of the coalition deal was now awaited.

"We believe that Aleksandar Vučić [SRS] has the assembly majority and that he will be able to seek the post of Belgrade mayor for himself," Ružić said.

The Socialist official confirmed that it was possible for his party to forge a coalition with the Radicals and the DSS-NS in Belgrade, and with the Democrats and their coalition on the state level.

"We've been through worse days"

One of the Socialist veteran leaders, Borka Vučić, told Večernje Novosti Friday that if the party has any doubts as to with whom it should form the new government, "the presidency and the main board are here, and they will make the decision together".

"The SPS has lived trough worse days, it will live through these as well," the former banker and close Milošević associate told the daily, and added that she was convinced the party will emerge stronger "after this difficult decision".

Asked whether membership in the Socialist International was worth forging a government with the Democrats, she said that "the International has a mission to fight for social justice throughout the world, not to interfere in our internal affairs and suggest which person we should support politically".