Police director appointment "weakens PM"

BELGRADE Milorad Veljovic will continue in his role as police director, the Serbian government has decided on Thursday, B92 has learned. Veljovic has thus been formally reelected to the position, which he first assumed in 2006. Police director appointment "weakens PM" Earlier in the day, Belgrade-based daily Blic was reporting that a commission set up by the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) to choose candidates had selected only Veljovic. Serbia's public broadcaster RTS said that the Government Personnel Commission then confirmed this, at the proposal of PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic. There have been delays in the appointment of a new police director, while the media speculated that this issue was causing problems between the ruling Progressives (SNS) and their partners in the government, the Socialists (SPS). First Deputy PM and SNS leader Aleksandar Vucic was quoted as saying earlier that a new police director could be appointed "through agreement", while his party thought "the most important thing was to continue with the investigations into the 24 controversial privatizations". Milorad Veljovic (file) Dacic says Veljovic chosen "at his proposal" Ivica Dacic said on Thursday that Milorad Veljovic was re-elected as Serbia's police director among three candidates, adding that he had been put forward "at his own proposal". Dacic told reporters at the Serbian government that he had suggested Veljovic "because his objective was to make the Interior Ministry the best ministry in the government, in the interest of the citizens". "My goal is to have everyone work jointly in eradicating organized crime and corruption and ensuring public order is enforced and security of citizens is fostered," explained Dacic. However, another person has previously been mentioned most often as Veljovic's successor - the current Deputy Director of BIA, Dragan Markovic. Markovic was also the candidate that Dacic reportedly favored. The fact that the prime minister had to desist from his choice - along with Veljovic's appointment for another mandate - shows that the prime minister's position has been "very weakened", says Vreme weekly editor-in-chief Filip Svarm. First Deputy PM and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic is now the one who determines who will be police director, this journalist believes. "This whole conflict, that is to say, the Banana Affair, came out of the police director selection situation, and, after all, Dacic spoke about it himself. Now we see that Dacic has been very weakened and that he is no longer able to influence the police director. He withdrew his candidate, while the man backed by Vucic became police director," Svarm said. According to him, the dispute between Vucic and Dacic over who will control the country's security services has now been taken off the agenda - "but it is unclear for how long this situation could last". B92 Blic RTS Tanjug

Police director appointment "weakens PM"

Earlier in the day, Belgrade-based daily Blic was reporting that a commission set up by the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) to choose candidates had selected only Veljović.

Serbia's public broadcaster RTS said that the Government Personnel Commission then confirmed this, at the proposal of PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić.

There have been delays in the appointment of a new police director, while the media speculated that this issue was causing problems between the ruling Progressives (SNS) and their partners in the government, the Socialists (SPS).

First Deputy PM and SNS leader Aleksandar Vučić was quoted as saying earlier that a new police director could be appointed "through agreement", while his party thought "the most important thing was to continue with the investigations into the 24 controversial privatizations".

Dačić says Veljović chosen "at his proposal"

Ivica Dačić said on Thursday that Milorad Veljović was re-elected as Serbia's police director among three candidates, adding that he had been put forward "at his own proposal".

Dačić told reporters at the Serbian government that he had suggested Veljović "because his objective was to make the Interior Ministry the best ministry in the government, in the interest of the citizens".

"My goal is to have everyone work jointly in eradicating organized crime and corruption and ensuring public order is enforced and security of citizens is fostered," explained Dačić.

However, another person has previously been mentioned most often as Veljović's successor - the current Deputy Director of BIA, Dragan Marković.

Marković was also the candidate that Dačić reportedly favored.

The fact that the prime minister had to desist from his choice - along with Veljović's appointment for another mandate - shows that the prime minister's position has been "very weakened", says Vreme weekly editor-in-chief Filip Švarm.

First Deputy PM and Defense Minister Aleksandar Vučić is now the one who determines who will be police director, this journalist believes.

"This whole conflict, that is to say, the Banana Affair, came out of the police director selection situation, and, after all, Dačić spoke about it himself. Now we see that Dačić has been very weakened and that he is no longer able to influence the police director. He withdrew his candidate, while the man backed by Vučić became police director," Švarm said.

According to him, the dispute between Vučić and Dačić over who will control the country's security services has now been taken off the agenda - "but it is unclear for how long this situation could last".