Radicals seek urgent meeting with Socialists

SRS deputy president Tomislav Nikolic has asked Socialist (SPS) and DSS leaders Ivica Dacic and Vojislav Kostunica to meet tomorrow. The Radicals are urging this so that "a clear stand could be taken, as a coalition, on the Stabilization and Association Agreement", Tanjug news agency said. Radicals seek urgent meeting with Socialists The three parties and pre-election coalitions gathered around them are engaged in talks to form a new government in Serbia. Nikolic also called on the Socialists "to clearly say with whom they will form the next cabinet". "I call on Dacic and Kostunica to meet, to arrive at a joint position on the SAA as a coalition. That meeting should show whether the SAA divides us. After that, it will be clear whether we have a government," the deputy SRS leader told reporters in Belgrade today. He said that a SRS, DSS-NS and SPS-PUPS-JS government "cannot be formed if the SAA is acceptable to the SRS coalition partners". Nikolic reiterated that the pre-accession deal with the EU is viewed as detrimental for Serbia by the Radicals, and that this party believes that the parliament should be the one to decide about the fate of the agreement, still awaiting ratification. Earlier, United Serbia (JS) leader Dragan Markovic says he will call for coalition talks with the DSS-NS to be suspended because of differences over the SAA. “I have nothing against the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)-New Serbia’s (NS) position, but I will propose that we end talks with them because that is a key question that we have not found a common answer to,” Markovic said. He said that DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica had promised at their first meeting in the government that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU would not be annulled. The JS leader said that SPS leader Ivica Dacic was also against annulling the SAA, as was the Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS). He told B92 that Serbia could not afford to waste any more time, because without foreign investment there would be no new jobs, adding that the majority of business were in favor of both entering the EU and adherence to Resolution 1244. “This might not suit to one or two big businessmen who would, in the event of isolation, gain a monopoly, but it would be good for the majority of Serbian people,” Markovic pointed out. The JS leader said that a meeting of the SPS-JS-PUPS coalition would be held tomorrow to discuss the issue. His call to end talks with the DSS-NS and the Serb Radical Party (SRS) was triggered by the legal analysis of the SAA carried out by the DSS, according to which the agreement contravenes the Constitution and cannot be ratified. Tomislav Nikolic (FoNet, archive) Dacic: No meeting with JS, PUPS SPS leader Ivica Dacic says there will be no meeting with his party’s coalition partners, JS and PUPS, as announced earlier by JS leader Dragan Markovic. Markovic said that he would today call on the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS) to break off talks with the Serb Radical Party (SRS) and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) on forming a government, and open talks with the Democratic Party (DS).Speaking to daily Vecernje Novosti, he said that he would know more details about the future government on Friday. The reason for the suspension of talks with the DSS and SRS is the legal analysis of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) conducted by the DSS, which concludes that the agreement is not in line with the Constitution and cannot be ratified. The JS leader told B92 that he expected the majority of his coalition partners to support the proposal to break off talks with the nationalists and Radicals. “We oppose annulling the SAA, and are in favor of its ratification in parliament. We are for cooperation and EU entry while respecting Resolution 1244,” he said. Markovic said that JS had entered the coalition with the SPS and PUPS on that platform. “My coalition partners are well aware of the JS’s opinion when it comes to the SAA. In the same way, I want to remind you that that is Ivica Dacic’s view too—10 days ago he said that he opposed annulling the agreement. You know that six or seven days ago, I proposed suspending talks with the DSS and opening talks with the DS,“ underlined the JS leader. Meanwhile, SRS Secretary-General Aleksandar Vucic has told B92 that he still believes a government will be formed with the DSS and the coalition gathered around the SPS. The obstacle in the resumption of negotiations could be the interpretation of the SAA conducted by the DSS legal team, but Vucic said that it was still possible to reach an agreement between all the parties involved. He suggested that the SPS should make its mind up once and for all. "I am sending a loud and clear message to the SPS. If they have any doubt as to whether to form a coalition with [SRS deputy leader] Tomislav Nikolic and [DSS leader] Vojislav Kostunica on the one hand, or with [SPO leader] Vuk Draskovic, [DS leader] Boris Tadic, [League of Vojvodina Social Democrats leader] Nenad Canak and [G17 Plus leader] Mladjan Dinkic on the other, they should say so right now and form a coalition with them,” Vucic said. He added that there “is one other very important issue.” "The most important thing, more important than all the tales about coalitions, is self-respect, one’s conscience should remain clear. If they (the SPS) want to form a coalition with someone else, then let them,” Vucic stressed.

Radicals seek urgent meeting with Socialists

The three parties and pre-election coalitions gathered around them are engaged in talks to form a new government in Serbia.

Nikolić also called on the Socialists "to clearly say with whom they will form the next cabinet".

"I call on Dačić and Koštunica to meet, to arrive at a joint position on the SAA as a coalition. That meeting should show whether the SAA divides us. After that, it will be clear whether we have a government," the deputy SRS leader told reporters in Belgrade today.

He said that a SRS, DSS-NS and SPS-PUPS-JS government "cannot be formed if the SAA is acceptable to the SRS coalition partners".

Nikolić reiterated that the pre-accession deal with the EU is viewed as detrimental for Serbia by the Radicals, and that this party believes that the parliament should be the one to decide about the fate of the agreement, still awaiting ratification.

Earlier, United Serbia (JS) leader Dragan Marković says he will call for coalition talks with the DSS-NS to be suspended because of differences over the SAA.

“I have nothing against the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)-New Serbia’s (NS) position, but I will propose that we end talks with them because that is a key question that we have not found a common answer to,” Marković said.

He said that DSS leader Vojislav Koštunica had promised at their first meeting in the government that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU would not be annulled.

The JS leader said that SPS leader Ivica Dačić was also against annulling the SAA, as was the Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS).

He told B92 that Serbia could not afford to waste any more time, because without foreign investment there would be no new jobs, adding that the majority of business were in favor of both entering the EU and adherence to Resolution 1244.

“This might not suit to one or two big businessmen who would, in the event of isolation, gain a monopoly, but it would be good for the majority of Serbian people,” Marković pointed out.

The JS leader said that a meeting of the SPS-JS-PUPS coalition would be held tomorrow to discuss the issue.

His call to end talks with the DSS-NS and the Serb Radical Party (SRS) was triggered by the legal analysis of the SAA carried out by the DSS, according to which the agreement contravenes the Constitution and cannot be ratified.

Dačić: No meeting with JS, PUPS

SPS leader Ivica Dačić says there will be no meeting with his party’s coalition partners, JS and PUPS, as announced earlier by JS leader Dragan Marković.

Marković said that he would today call on the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS) to break off talks with the Serb Radical Party (SRS) and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) on forming a government, and open talks with the Democratic Party (DS).Speaking to daily Večernje Novosti, he said that he would know more details about the future government on Friday.

The reason for the suspension of talks with the DSS and SRS is the legal analysis of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) conducted by the DSS, which concludes that the agreement is not in line with the Constitution and cannot be ratified.

The JS leader told B92 that he expected the majority of his coalition partners to support the proposal to break off talks with the nationalists and Radicals.

“We oppose annulling the SAA, and are in favor of its ratification in parliament. We are for cooperation and EU entry while respecting Resolution 1244,” he said.

Marković said that JS had entered the coalition with the SPS and PUPS on that platform.

“My coalition partners are well aware of the JS’s opinion when it comes to the SAA. In the same way, I want to remind you that that is Ivica Dačić’s view too—10 days ago he said that he opposed annulling the agreement. You know that six or seven days ago, I proposed suspending talks with the DSS and opening talks with the DS,“ underlined the JS leader.

Meanwhile, SRS Secretary-General Aleksandar Vučić has told B92 that he still believes a government will be formed with the DSS and the coalition gathered around the SPS.

The obstacle in the resumption of negotiations could be the interpretation of the SAA conducted by the DSS legal team, but Vučić said that it was still possible to reach an agreement between all the parties involved. He suggested that the SPS should make its mind up once and for all.

"I am sending a loud and clear message to the SPS. If they have any doubt as to whether to form a coalition with [SRS deputy leader] Tomislav Nikolić and [DSS leader] Vojislav Koštunica on the one hand, or with [SPO leader] Vuk Drašković, [DS leader] Boris Tadić, [League of Vojvodina Social Democrats leader] Nenad Čanak and [G17 Plus leader] Mlađan Dinkić on the other, they should say so right now and form a coalition with them,” Vučić said.

He added that there “is one other very important issue.”

"The most important thing, more important than all the tales about coalitions, is self-respect, one’s conscience should remain clear. If they (the SPS) want to form a coalition with someone else, then let them,” Vučić stressed.