Serbia looks at either cabinet reshuffle or elections

BELGRADE The ruling Progressives, headed by Aleksandar Vucic, are now clearly suggesting that Serbia will either see its government reshuffled, or head to the polls. Which option will prevail will be known as soon as the EU decides on whether to give Serbia a date for the start of its membership talks. Serbia looks at either cabinet reshuffle or elections SNS official Igor Mirovic told B92 on Tuesday that they were "carefully analyzing the work of all its ministers", that its main board will "in the coming weeks" consider their reports - and that the party was "not running away from the citizens perhaps possibly having their say" in early elections. He echoed the statements made by SNS leader and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic in an interview broadcast last night. The Progressives (SNS) have nine ministers in the cabinet led by Ivica Dacic, who heads the junior partner in the ruling coalition, the Socialists (SPS). SNS cabinet members who have recently come under a great deal of criticism are Agriculture Minister Goran Knezevic and Culture Minister Bratislav Petkovic. Unofficially, the party is also unhappy with the performance of Minister of Mining Milan Bacevic. The same goes for "non-partisan" figures Ivan Mrkic and Alisa Maric - who have the foreign policy and sports portfolios - and who are reportedly seen as "not sufficiently present in public". Those who are certain to keep their jobs are Vucic himself, Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic, and Zorana Mihajlovic and Velimir Iliic, who are at the helm of the ministries of energy and construction and urbanism, respectively. SNS official unsure "what will be reshuffled" Branko Ruzic, the head of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) parliamentary group, said on Tuesday that it remains to be seen which model of cabinet reshuffle would be implemented and whether it would be “reduced to ministers from the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) only.” “Which model would be applied, whether that would be a reshuffle, whether it would be limited to the strongest party in the coalition, the SNS, we will see in the next days. For now, the realization of all vital government issues has not been jeopardized in any way,” Ruzic told reporters in the parliament. Commenting on the statement by Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic that it is possible that the government reshuffle and snap elections will take place after a decision on Serbia's starting date for EU entry talks, Ruzic said that is a legitimate political stand of the SNS leader. He, however, did not answer the question as to whether the SPS is ready to replace its ministers if it proves that they have not done a good job, but said that Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, who is also the SPS leader, should be the one to assess the performance records of the Socialists in the government. SNS ready to sack their own, "and encourage others" Veroljub Arsic, the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) whip in the national parliament, said on Tuesday that his party is prepared to replace its ministers and other state officials if it finds they have not been doing a good job, adding that the SNS "wants to encourage other parties to follow suit". Asked about a possible government reshuffle, Arsic told reporters at the parliament that it was not connected to current political events and recalled that at its last session, the SNS main committee asked all ministers, state secretaries and mayors to submit reports on their activities in the previous period. These reports will determine whether some members of the party will get to keep their current offices, he added. Recalling that the SNS has the most parliament seats and cabinet ministers, Arsic said that by reviewing their performance the party wanted to encourage its coalition partners to take the same step. If SNS ministers and other officials are not doing their job properly, the party is ready to replace them, even if other parties do not do the same, he concluded. B92 Tanjug

Serbia looks at either cabinet reshuffle or elections

SNS official Igor Mirović told B92 on Tuesday that they were "carefully analyzing the work of all its ministers", that its main board will "in the coming weeks" consider their reports - and that the party was "not running away from the citizens perhaps possibly having their say" in early elections.

He echoed the statements made by SNS leader and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vučić in an interview broadcast last night.

The Progressives (SNS) have nine ministers in the cabinet led by Ivica Dačić, who heads the junior partner in the ruling coalition, the Socialists (SPS). SNS cabinet members who have recently come under a great deal of criticism are Agriculture Minister Goran Knežević and Culture Minister Bratislav Petković.

Unofficially, the party is also unhappy with the performance of Minister of Mining Milan Bačević. The same goes for "non-partisan" figures Ivan Mrkić and Alisa Marić - who have the foreign policy and sports portfolios - and who are reportedly seen as "not sufficiently present in public".

Those who are certain to keep their jobs are Vučić himself, Justice Minister Nikola Selaković, and Zorana Mihajlović and Velimir Iliić, who are at the helm of the ministries of energy and construction and urbanism, respectively.

SNS official unsure "what will be reshuffled"

Branko Ružić, the head of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) parliamentary group, said on Tuesday that it remains to be seen which model of cabinet reshuffle would be implemented and whether it would be “reduced to ministers from the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) only.”

“Which model would be applied, whether that would be a reshuffle, whether it would be limited to the strongest party in the coalition, the SNS, we will see in the next days. For now, the realization of all vital government issues has not been jeopardized in any way,” Ružić told reporters in the parliament.

Commenting on the statement by Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić that it is possible that the government reshuffle and snap elections will take place after a decision on Serbia's starting date for EU entry talks, Ružić said that is a legitimate political stand of the SNS leader.

He, however, did not answer the question as to whether the SPS is ready to replace its ministers if it proves that they have not done a good job, but said that Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, who is also the SPS leader, should be the one to assess the performance records of the Socialists in the government.

SNS ready to sack their own, "and encourage others"

Veroljub Arsić, the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) whip in the national parliament, said on Tuesday that his party is prepared to replace its ministers and other state officials if it finds they have not been doing a good job, adding that the SNS "wants to encourage other parties to follow suit".

Asked about a possible government reshuffle, Arsić told reporters at the parliament that it was not connected to current political events and recalled that at its last session, the SNS main committee asked all ministers, state secretaries and mayors to submit reports on their activities in the previous period.

These reports will determine whether some members of the party will get to keep their current offices, he added.

Recalling that the SNS has the most parliament seats and cabinet ministers, Arsić said that by reviewing their performance the party wanted to encourage its coalition partners to take the same step.

If SNS ministers and other officials are not doing their job properly, the party is ready to replace them, even if other parties do not do the same, he concluded.