Socialists open to alliance with SNS; Democrats rule it out

Socialists open to alliance with SNS; Democrats rule it out

"Anyone could also give a few reasons against the idea, but only one - the future of Serbia - is the most important one," Dacic told reporters after consultations with President Tomislav Nikolic on the new government.

Dacic noted that that he has nothing new to say after the consultations because it is well known that the SNS-led electoral list has won the parliamentary majority in the recent elections.

"We are very satisfied that our two electoral lists - the SNS and the SPS, as representatives of the government policy - have won that many seats, which confirms that the policy we have pursued is correct," Dacic said.

Be it in the government or the opposition, the SPS will not change its priorities, which are good relations with friends, a modern Serbia and continuing public finance reforms focused on the country's development, Dacic said.

Asked if he believes that Vucic will ask him to join the government, Dacic said that it is a question for Vucic.

"It is in Serbia's best interest, but whether it will actually happen is not up to us," Dacic said. Democratic Party (DS) leader Bojan Pajtic said in a statement to reporters after Monday's consultations on the new government that he explicitly told President Tomislav Nikolic that "being in the government with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is the last thing" on the Democrats' minds.

Pajtic said that, among other things, he told Nikolic that he had enabled Aleksandar Vucic's rise to power and that he is partly responsible for the recent electoral theft, the controversial demolitions in Belgrade's Savamala district and dismissals at the Radio Television of Vojvodina, which are matters that are "eroding the legal system of the state."

Nikolic took note of this, but added that he merely fulfilled his constitutional obligation by holding a meeting with the DS when, from a pragmatic point of view, it would have been sufficient to speak with the party that won the majority in the elections, Pajtic said.

Pajtic said that he will seek that an inquiry committee be set up in the parliament to probe the electoral theft.