Partnership with Socialists is finished, Tadić says

Democratic Party (DS) leader Boris Tadic says his party would not have given the prime minister's post to Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader Ivica Dacic. “Even if he had asked for it, Dacic would not have been given the mandate to form a government, as the DS would not yield to SPS demands and grant it the prime minister's post, as we are not convinced that the party would run the state and government in an adequate way,” he said on Thursday. Partnership with Socialists is finished, Tadic says “Certain time has been lost, but there is no dilemma that the DS does not shoulder any responsibility for the fact that the government has not been formed earlier. Now, it is more than evident what the problem was,” the DS leader added. “I do not see the reason why the SPS did not come forward and address the Serbian citizens. The party has a full legitimacy to seek the mandate,” Tadic noted, adding that the SPS was no more the DS' strategic partner. According to him, today represents a beginning of the forming of a new government and a coalition and every government should have its chance. Tadic voiced hope that the future government would not go below the standards reached in the past years. He also stated that in talks with potential partners the DS had presented a clear program, macroeconomic and fiscal policy and principles implying social solidarity and added that the Democrats had not accepted any blackmails by small parties. When asked whether the coalition between the DS and the SPS in Belgrade would fall apart, Tadic said the political situation would be analyzed "step by step" and that the Democrats "will not rush into decisions." "We will not break any coalition just because we have bad feelings. We are governed by reason when it comes to politics. Had we been governed by bad feelings, we would have never formed our previous coalitions," the DS leader concluded. Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic gave a mandate for the forming of the new government to Dacic on Thursday. The SPS leader said, among other things, that he had not asked for the prime minster’s position from the DS and that he had not chosen between the DS and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) but that it was a matter of taking responsibility. Boris Tadic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Partnership with Socialists is finished, Tadić says

“Certain time has been lost, but there is no dilemma that the DS does not shoulder any responsibility for the fact that the government has not been formed earlier. Now, it is more than evident what the problem was,” the DS leader added.

“I do not see the reason why the SPS did not come forward and address the Serbian citizens. The party has a full legitimacy to seek the mandate,” Tadić noted, adding that the SPS was no more the DS' strategic partner.

According to him, today represents a beginning of the forming of a new government and a coalition and every government should have its chance.

Tadić voiced hope that the future government would not go below the standards reached in the past years.

He also stated that in talks with potential partners the DS had presented a clear program, macroeconomic and fiscal policy and principles implying social solidarity and added that the Democrats had not accepted any blackmails by small parties.

When asked whether the coalition between the DS and the SPS in Belgrade would fall apart, Tadić said the political situation would be analyzed "step by step" and that the Democrats "will not rush into decisions."

"We will not break any coalition just because we have bad feelings. We are governed by reason when it comes to politics. Had we been governed by bad feelings, we would have never formed our previous coalitions," the DS leader concluded.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić gave a mandate for the forming of the new government to Dačić on Thursday.

The SPS leader said, among other things, that he had not asked for the prime minster’s position from the DS and that he had not chosen between the DS and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) but that it was a matter of taking responsibility.