Minister claims government has been blackmailed

Labor and Social Policy Minister Rasim Ljajic says the government has been blackmailed throughout its mandate and that “it will finish it with blackmails”. He stressed that parliamentary elections were expected to be held between April 22 and May 6, 2012 and that the government “has avoided the main obstacles”. Minister claims government has been blackmailed “We have been blackmailed by smaller partners in the government and the European Union and The Hague, and everyone who blackmailed us got off well,” Ljajic told daily Press. He believes that Serbia needs a smaller government with fewer parties because of the blackmails. “The Social Democratic Party (SDP) will request that the government has 15 members at the most, with only one state secretary in the ministries, who would finally finish the reforms that started in 2000, including the state administration reform,” the minister was quoted as saying. When asked whether smaller number of parties would be able to form a government after the elections, Ljajic said that he would not mind even if the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party (DS) formed the government on their own if they tackled enormous problems and solved key state issues. He pointed out that a possibility of the SNS and the DS forming a joint government was based on math, not on politics. “I don’t think that it is either party’s choice or that they themselves would be thrilled to form the coalition, but I think that the SNS and the DS would not shy away from the alliance if after the elections we had a situation that it was the only possibility to have a stable majority,” the labor minister told the daily. He also explained that it was unrealistic and risky for the SDP to go to the elections on its own because “it cannot compete with the goliaths”. According to Ljajic, the SDP wants to demonstrate a different political culture and a new approach to politics because there are too much tensions, bitterness and differences in the country’s political life. He believes that the Kosovo issue represents the Gordian knot but that it should be solved nonetheless. “I am not inclined to believe that the Gordian knot would be immediately untied because the issue is too complex but we should start a process to solve it so that it does not close the door to the European integrations and on the other hand the quality of life of the Kosovo Serbs will increase, so they would continue to live there and fight for the best possible status. Kosovo Serbs should actively participate in every negotiating process,” Ljajic pointed out. He also added that forming of a state council for Kosovo could be a way to solve problems and that government, opposition and Kosovo Serb representatives should be involved in the council’s work. According to him, it would be a sign of unity and shared responsibility. The minister stressed that the Kosovo issue was way too important to let the ruling coalition bear the entire responsibility for it. Rasim Ljajic (Beta, file)

Minister claims government has been blackmailed

“We have been blackmailed by smaller partners in the government and the European Union and The Hague, and everyone who blackmailed us got off well,” Ljajić told daily Press.

He believes that Serbia needs a smaller government with fewer parties because of the blackmails.

“The Social Democratic Party (SDP) will request that the government has 15 members at the most, with only one state secretary in the ministries, who would finally finish the reforms that started in 2000, including the state administration reform,” the minister was quoted as saying.

When asked whether smaller number of parties would be able to form a government after the elections, Ljajić said that he would not mind even if the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party (DS) formed the government on their own if they tackled enormous problems and solved key state issues.

He pointed out that a possibility of the SNS and the DS forming a joint government was based on math, not on politics.

“I don’t think that it is either party’s choice or that they themselves would be thrilled to form the coalition, but I think that the SNS and the DS would not shy away from the alliance if after the elections we had a situation that it was the only possibility to have a stable majority,” the labor minister told the daily.

He also explained that it was unrealistic and risky for the SDP to go to the elections on its own because “it cannot compete with the goliaths”.

According to Ljajić, the SDP wants to demonstrate a different political culture and a new approach to politics because there are too much tensions, bitterness and differences in the country’s political life.

He believes that the Kosovo issue represents the Gordian knot but that it should be solved nonetheless.

“I am not inclined to believe that the Gordian knot would be immediately untied because the issue is too complex but we should start a process to solve it so that it does not close the door to the European integrations and on the other hand the quality of life of the Kosovo Serbs will increase, so they would continue to live there and fight for the best possible status. Kosovo Serbs should actively participate in every negotiating process,” Ljajić pointed out.

He also added that forming of a state council for Kosovo could be a way to solve problems and that government, opposition and Kosovo Serb representatives should be involved in the council’s work. According to him, it would be a sign of unity and shared responsibility.

The minister stressed that the Kosovo issue was way too important to let the ruling coalition bear the entire responsibility for it.