Opposition parties still at odds

In the wake of the talks between SNS and DSS on joint call for elections, the two parties retained fundamentally unchanged positions, Djordje Vukadinovic said. Even though the leaders of Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) have agreed that the stand that EU has no alternative should be opposed to, Nikolic has not given up his view that Serbia needs to become a member of the EU. Opposition parties still at odds President of SNS Tomislav Nikolic said, during his appearance on TV B92, that a need to call for early elections was the only point of agreement with DSS representatives on a Monday meeting. However, the point did not include the issue of European integrations, which still causes disagreements, Nikolic said. Political analyst Djordje Vukadinovic thinks the hopes that public puts in possible agreement between DSS and SNS are too high. According to him, the purpose of the meeting was, above all, to smooth out relations between the two largest opposition parties. Vukadinovic reminded that the announcements of the meeting had already shown neither party would abandon their positions, with the SNS stand currently being much closer to that of Serbian President Boris Tadic than to what DSS president Vojislav Kostunica proclaimed. "In that respect, I would not overestimate the importance of the agreement, if one could call it an agreement at all. It is clear there is a shared interest to call for early elections, but a coalition, be it the preelection one, as they said themselves, or even a postelection one, as it seems to me, can hardly be imagined", Vukadinovic said. He believes that the social difficulties, country’s problems and disunity in the ruling coalition rather than association of opposition parties could cause early elections. "I think the possible elections, if any, and I'm not so optimistic we shall have them soon, would be called by a combination of social crisis and country’s financial difficulties on the one hand and the discord and disunity in the ruling coalition on the other, especially in the ruling party, rather than anything else", Vukadinovic said. He believes that the best the opposition can do right now is to refrain from further aggravating their relations. Tomislav Nikolic Samardzic: Still early for stronger alliance DSS Vice-President Slobodan Samardzic on Tuesday stated that the dialog between the DSS and SNS is an open process of developing a common and close stand of the Serbian opposition on key state issues, and that both sides are aware of the fact that it is still not the time for a stronger alliance. In a broadcast by TV B92, Samardzic said that yesterday's meeting was the first in a series of meetings and that it was agreed that representatives of the DSS and SNS should meet once a month to see how close their stands are. Yesterday's meeting was aimed at making the stands of the two parties clear and the DSS wanted to make a move towards its communication with the SNS, said Samardzic . The DSS finds Serbia's relations with the European Union and Kosovo most important and the party, according to Samardzic, just like the SNS, believes that the current developments are negative in that respect. “Perhaps we can develop a common stand on the key issue and it is about time Serbia's opposition had a common and close stand on some key state issues,” said Samardzic, confirming that there are “rather serious disagreements.” Slobodan Samardzic

Opposition parties still at odds

President of SNS Tomislav Nikolić said, during his appearance on TV B92, that a need to call for early elections was the only point of agreement with DSS representatives on a Monday meeting.

However, the point did not include the issue of European integrations, which still causes disagreements, Nikolić said.

Political analyst Đorđe Vukadinović thinks the hopes that public puts in possible agreement between DSS and SNS are too high. According to him, the purpose of the meeting was, above all, to smooth out relations between the two largest opposition parties.

Vukadinović reminded that the announcements of the meeting had already shown neither party would abandon their positions, with the SNS stand currently being much closer to that of Serbian President Boris Tadić than to what DSS president Vojislav Koštunica proclaimed.

"In that respect, I would not overestimate the importance of the agreement, if one could call it an agreement at all. It is clear there is a shared interest to call for early elections, but a coalition, be it the preelection one, as they said themselves, or even a postelection one, as it seems to me, can hardly be imagined", Vukadinović said.

He believes that the social difficulties, country’s problems and disunity in the ruling coalition rather than association of opposition parties could cause early elections.

"I think the possible elections, if any, and I'm not so optimistic we shall have them soon, would be called by a combination of social crisis and country’s financial difficulties on the one hand and the discord and disunity in the ruling coalition on the other, especially in the ruling party, rather than anything else", Vukadinović said.

He believes that the best the opposition can do right now is to refrain from further aggravating their relations.

Samardžić: Still early for stronger alliance

DSS Vice-President Slobodan Samardžić on Tuesday stated that the dialog between the DSS and SNS is an open process of developing a common and close stand of the Serbian opposition on key state issues, and that both sides are aware of the fact that it is still not the time for a stronger alliance.

In a broadcast by TV B92, Samardžić said that yesterday's meeting was the first in a series of meetings and that it was agreed that representatives of the DSS and SNS should meet once a month to see how close their stands are.

Yesterday's meeting was aimed at making the stands of the two parties clear and the DSS wanted to make a move towards its communication with the SNS, said Samardžić .

The DSS finds Serbia's relations with the European Union and Kosovo most important and the party, according to Samardžić, just like the SNS, believes that the current developments are negative in that respect.

“Perhaps we can develop a common stand on the key issue and it is about time Serbia's opposition had a common and close stand on some key state issues,” said Samardžić, confirming that there are “rather serious disagreements.”