Vojvodina politician says he "has no ambition to lead DS"

BELGRADE One of deputy leaders of the opposition Democratic Party (DS) and head of the Vojovodina provincial government says he "had no ambition to lead the party". Bojan Pajtic spoke for B92 on Wednesday to state that the DS main board session, scheduled for Saturday, will not bring "anything spectacular or personnel executions". Vojvodina politician says he "has no ambition to lead DS" He said that the DS needed an election and program assembly as soon as possible. “It is important to prove that the DS is united on the political scene. We will demonstrate our determination on Saturday. The DS is the only party with internal debate, the only that changed its leaders, deputy leaders… The DS is important for Serbia because all relevant parties in our country took over its program. We are far from ideal but we certainly did not deserve such satanization in media,” Pajtic explained. He noted that the DS Main Board will determine the path the party would take at the session. “One should not expect anything spectacular, no spectacular resolutions. The session will not be a scene of conflicts because we are not like other parties where only one person has a say in everything,” the DS deputy leader said. He added that DS leader Boris Tadic will submit a report on the party’s work and election results. Pajtic believes that Tadic did not deserve to have speculations about him circling in the media. “The question now is not who should have their political career taken away from them, but how the DS will emerge stronger after the elections. We will not allow the DS to split. The media are full of speculations about conflicts in the party. I can tell you that there is no bigotry. There are debates how the DS will come out stronger,” he pointed out. Commenting on a conflict between Tadic and DS deputy leader and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas, he said that the DS was “older from Tadic, Djilas and Pajtic”. “Tadic is a man who played a historic role. He succeeded in strengthening the political scene. A vast majority of parties are now pro-democratic, everybody wants to join the EU now but we will see how successful they will be. However, the fact is that the parties have taken over our program,” Pajtic pointed out. When asked whether he would run for the party leader, he said that he had “no ambition to be a DS leader”. “I have not thought about it in the long run,” the DS official stressed. He said that he would do everything to “preserve the DS” and to keep Tadic and Djilas in it because the party needed both of them. Pajtic said that the DS was being demonized by the ruling parties that wanted to “buy time instead of solving problems in the society” and by some media and tycoons who wanted to take part in the political life, but refused to state their names. He denied information of some media that the DS Vojvodina Board had decided to request Tadic’s resignation and added that this had not been discussed. According to him, DS Vojvodina Board official Goran Jesic is entitled to his own position that Tadic should resign. Pajtic added, however, that resignations were not important if the election assembly was called. Commenting on announcement that probes into work of Metals-banka will be conducted, he said that the bank was owned by people suspected of criminal acts and that it had financed mafia privatizations but that this was the reason why it had been decided to have the state take over the bank after the owners had been arrested. According to the DS deputy leader, a downfall of numerous firms and around 50,000 people who depended on them was prevented this way. He added that charges would be filed against anybody who accused the provincial authorities of being involved I illegal activities. “You cannot equalize criminals and those who arrested the criminals,” Pajtic underscored. He also denied Construction and Urban Planning Minister Velimir Ilic’s claims that capital investments were “cancer” of the Serbian economy and called the accusations “insolence”. Pajtic added that all debts of the Vojvodina Capital Investments Fund were minimal when compared to the investments and that they were made mostly because the republic authorities had failed to fulfill their constitutional obligations. Bojan Pajtic (Tanjug, file) B92

Vojvodina politician says he "has no ambition to lead DS"

He said that the DS needed an election and program assembly as soon as possible.

“It is important to prove that the DS is united on the political scene. We will demonstrate our determination on Saturday. The DS is the only party with internal debate, the only that changed its leaders, deputy leaders… The DS is important for Serbia because all relevant parties in our country took over its program. We are far from ideal but we certainly did not deserve such satanization in media,” Pajtić explained.

He noted that the DS Main Board will determine the path the party would take at the session.

“One should not expect anything spectacular, no spectacular resolutions. The session will not be a scene of conflicts because we are not like other parties where only one person has a say in everything,” the DS deputy leader said.

He added that DS leader Boris Tadić will submit a report on the party’s work and election results.

Pajtić believes that Tadić did not deserve to have speculations about him circling in the media.

“The question now is not who should have their political career taken away from them, but how the DS will emerge stronger after the elections. We will not allow the DS to split. The media are full of speculations about conflicts in the party. I can tell you that there is no bigotry. There are debates how the DS will come out stronger,” he pointed out.

Commenting on a conflict between Tadić and DS deputy leader and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas, he said that the DS was “older from Tadić, Đilas and Pajtić”.

“Tadić is a man who played a historic role. He succeeded in strengthening the political scene. A vast majority of parties are now pro-democratic, everybody wants to join the EU now but we will see how successful they will be. However, the fact is that the parties have taken over our program,” Pajtić pointed out.

When asked whether he would run for the party leader, he said that he had “no ambition to be a DS leader”.

“I have not thought about it in the long run,” the DS official stressed.

He said that he would do everything to “preserve the DS” and to keep Tadić and Đilas in it because the party needed both of them.

Pajtić said that the DS was being demonized by the ruling parties that wanted to “buy time instead of solving problems in the society” and by some media and tycoons who wanted to take part in the political life, but refused to state their names.

He denied information of some media that the DS Vojvodina Board had decided to request Tadić’s resignation and added that this had not been discussed. According to him, DS Vojvodina Board official Goran Ješić is entitled to his own position that Tadić should resign. Pajtić added, however, that resignations were not important if the election assembly was called.

Commenting on announcement that probes into work of Metals-banka will be conducted, he said that the bank was owned by people suspected of criminal acts and that it had financed mafia privatizations but that this was the reason why it had been decided to have the state take over the bank after the owners had been arrested.

According to the DS deputy leader, a downfall of numerous firms and around 50,000 people who depended on them was prevented this way. He added that charges would be filed against anybody who accused the provincial authorities of being involved I illegal activities.

“You cannot equalize criminals and those who arrested the criminals,” Pajtić underscored.

He also denied Construction and Urban Planning Minister Velimir Ilić’s claims that capital investments were “cancer” of the Serbian economy and called the accusations “insolence”.

Pajtić added that all debts of the Vojvodina Capital Investments Fund were minimal when compared to the investments and that they were made mostly because the republic authorities had failed to fulfill their constitutional obligations.