LDP to support govt. "only in EU matters"

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Cedomir Jovanovic says that his party will support the government only on European integration issues. “If European challenges are facing Serbia, the government can depend on our support. In every other case we will be, as before, on the other side,” Jovanovic told daily Politika. LDP to support govt. "only in EU matters" He said that he did not doubt the government’s European orientation, but doubted its capacity to get the job done, adding that this government was doing nothing to change the policies pursued by its predecessor. Jovanovic said that LDP support to the current administration was in the interest of the citizens that it represented in parliament, and the fact that at least one of the declared priorities of Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic’s government chimed with his own party's—European integration. He said that reconstruction of the government with the support of the LDP was not possible, because “the idea of the LDP entering the government must be followed by a clear program” and that implementation of this program could not be achieved by the government in its current form. “We have to work for a better government. I think that, at this moment in time, it is very important to show readiness to help this government to at least partly realize society’s expectations. But the prerequisite for any kind of benefit coming from such an action is the government’s readiness to accept such relations,” the LDP leader said. Jovanovic criticized Belgrade’s reaction to the recognition of Kosovo by Montenegro and Macedonia, stating that “instead of running from our neighbors, we need to talk to them about areas where we can develop partnerships.” “With the government pushing the people’s heads into the sand, it is clear that you cannot hide the fact that these two countries had to balance out their relations with Kosovo, just as they had to do with Serbia,” he pointed out. Asked whether he supported a partition of Kosovo, Jovanovic said that this is “especially unacceptable because the idea comes from the same circles that broke Yugoslavia apart, while claiming to defend the idea of a unified Serbia.” “The idea of partitioning Kosovo comes from the political arsenal of the 20th century. There are several reasons why I have no understanding for this. The main one is the fact that it is mostly anti-European, even if it is clear that the majority of people believe that it would be better than nothing,” Jovanovic said. He also criticized President Boris Tadic, stating that he was “the editor-in-chief of all the newspapers, the president of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts, the prime minister, minister, and has his nose in concessions and foreign policies.” “Even if he does not want that, that is something he has to do because of the system that has been created. And he will sooner or later realize that he is the victim of such a concept. I am not blaming him. I am talking about a system where decisions are not expected from ministers or the prime minister, but the president, who delegates the implementation of these decisions to those who should otherwise be taking them,” Jovanovic said. He said that such a system “was created at Boris Tadic’s own choice. That was his goal and he ought to say why it is like that.” Cedomir Jovanovic (FoNet, archive)

LDP to support govt. "only in EU matters"

He said that he did not doubt the government’s European orientation, but doubted its capacity to get the job done, adding that this government was doing nothing to change the policies pursued by its predecessor.

Jovanović said that LDP support to the current administration was in the interest of the citizens that it represented in parliament, and the fact that at least one of the declared priorities of Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković’s government chimed with his own party's—European integration.

He said that reconstruction of the government with the support of the LDP was not possible, because “the idea of the LDP entering the government must be followed by a clear program” and that implementation of this program could not be achieved by the government in its current form.

“We have to work for a better government. I think that, at this moment in time, it is very important to show readiness to help this government to at least partly realize society’s expectations. But the prerequisite for any kind of benefit coming from such an action is the government’s readiness to accept such relations,” the LDP leader said.

Jovanović criticized Belgrade’s reaction to the recognition of Kosovo by Montenegro and Macedonia, stating that “instead of running from our neighbors, we need to talk to them about areas where we can develop partnerships.”

“With the government pushing the people’s heads into the sand, it is clear that you cannot hide the fact that these two countries had to balance out their relations with Kosovo, just as they had to do with Serbia,” he pointed out.

Asked whether he supported a partition of Kosovo, Jovanović said that this is “especially unacceptable because the idea comes from the same circles that broke Yugoslavia apart, while claiming to defend the idea of a unified Serbia.”

“The idea of partitioning Kosovo comes from the political arsenal of the 20th century. There are several reasons why I have no understanding for this. The main one is the fact that it is mostly anti-European, even if it is clear that the majority of people believe that it would be better than nothing,” Jovanović said.

He also criticized President Boris Tadić, stating that he was “the editor-in-chief of all the newspapers, the president of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts, the prime minister, minister, and has his nose in concessions and foreign policies.”

“Even if he does not want that, that is something he has to do because of the system that has been created. And he will sooner or later realize that he is the victim of such a concept. I am not blaming him. I am talking about a system where decisions are not expected from ministers or the prime minister, but the president, who delegates the implementation of these decisions to those who should otherwise be taking them,” Jovanović said.

He said that such a system “was created at Boris Tadić’s own choice. That was his goal and he ought to say why it is like that.”