Tadić: Democrats to stay on EU path

Democratic Party (DS) leader Boris Tadic has stated that his party will not abandon the EU path. He said at the DS Election Convention in Belgrade that the DS had launched a campaign for strong and European Serbia in 2007 and that this path should never be abandoned. Tadic: Democrats to stay on EU path Recalling the events in the past four years, Tadic pointed out that one of the most shameful was torching of embassies in Belgrade. “The protest turned into a political and shameful manifestation and torching of embassies and events that make us blush in the international public today followed and they will have to get an epilogue in the legal process,” he commented on the events that took place after Kosovo unilaterally declared independence. The DS leader stressed that 2011 would not be an election year but a working one. He says that priorities need to be achieved in 2011 and that the Democrats’s goal is that Serbia gets EU candidate status and starts accession negotiations before the next elections. According to Tadic, the DS’ goal is also victory in the parliamentary elections in the spring of 2012. He explained that priorities in 2011 were judicial reform that needed to be completed by the end of 2011, election system reform and establishment of a principle that mandates belonged to MPs and not to the parties. The DS leader also added that priorities would also be adoption of the Law on Restitution, continuation of combat against organized crime and corruption, beginning of the dialogue with Pristina and solving of the historic conflict. “Preservation of jobs is also among the priorities,” he stated. “Serbia can become an EU member in 2016 provided all preconditions envisaged by the plan for the next decade are fulfilled,” Tadic said, stressing that if we missed this opportunity, Serbia would not be awarded the EU candidate status before 2020, but in that case it would be a country that lags behind. “If this happens, Belgrade will no longer be called the city of future or Serbia the leader in the region which will have certain consequences for the entire state,” the DS leader said. He underscored that Serbia must not come to a standstill, adding that for that reason the Democrats had designed an economic plan. “I urge you first to support this plan, and then I will ask the same thing from all others,” Tadic said, adding that this was why he would like to have one more mandate as the DS president. The DS will elect its highest officials today. The newly elected officials will set the course of Serbia’s political, social and economic development in the next decade, the Democrats think. The DS will also adopt a new Rules of Procedure and choose Verification and Election Commission and Tadic will then present a report on the party’s work. It is envisaged that the party will also adopt the amendments to the party’s statute and about 3,000 delegates will then choose the president, five deputy presidents, nine members of the Presidency, presidents of the Political Council, permanent members of the Main Board, Statutory Commission and Supervisory Board. Boris Tadic (Tanjug)

Tadić: Democrats to stay on EU path

Recalling the events in the past four years, Tadić pointed out that one of the most shameful was torching of embassies in Belgrade.

“The protest turned into a political and shameful manifestation and torching of embassies and events that make us blush in the international public today followed and they will have to get an epilogue in the legal process,” he commented on the events that took place after Kosovo unilaterally declared independence.

The DS leader stressed that 2011 would not be an election year but a working one.

He says that priorities need to be achieved in 2011 and that the Democrats’s goal is that Serbia gets EU candidate status and starts accession negotiations before the next elections.

According to Tadić, the DS’ goal is also victory in the parliamentary elections in the spring of 2012.

He explained that priorities in 2011 were judicial reform that needed to be completed by the end of 2011, election system reform and establishment of a principle that mandates belonged to MPs and not to the parties.

The DS leader also added that priorities would also be adoption of the Law on Restitution, continuation of combat against organized crime and corruption, beginning of the dialogue with Priština and solving of the historic conflict.

“Preservation of jobs is also among the priorities,” he stated.

“Serbia can become an EU member in 2016 provided all preconditions envisaged by the plan for the next decade are fulfilled,” Tadić said, stressing that if we missed this opportunity, Serbia would not be awarded the EU candidate status before 2020, but in that case it would be a country that lags behind.

“If this happens, Belgrade will no longer be called the city of future or Serbia the leader in the region which will have certain consequences for the entire state,” the DS leader said.

He underscored that Serbia must not come to a standstill, adding that for that reason the Democrats had designed an economic plan. “I urge you first to support this plan, and then I will ask the same thing from all others,” Tadić said, adding that this was why he would like to have one more mandate as the DS president.

The DS will elect its highest officials today.

The newly elected officials will set the course of Serbia’s political, social and economic development in the next decade, the Democrats think.

The DS will also adopt a new Rules of Procedure and choose Verification and Election Commission and Tadić will then present a report on the party’s work.

It is envisaged that the party will also adopt the amendments to the party’s statute and about 3,000 delegates will then choose the president, five deputy presidents, nine members of the Presidency, presidents of the Political Council, permanent members of the Main Board, Statutory Commission and Supervisory Board.