Tadić willing to run for second term

Democratic Party leader and Serbian president, Boris Tadic, says he is looking forward to the coming presidential elections. “I am eager to run for my second term in office,” the president said at a session of the Democrats' main board held in Vrnjacka Banja Saturday, adding he wishes the elections to be held as soon as possible. Tadic willing to run for second term “I am always ready to square off with my competition in a political match where citizens can see whose agenda is better, whose vision and energy is superior,” he said. Tadic added that local and presidential elections were lying ahead, stressing that, for his part, “what matters most is to respect the Constitution and the law.” Speaking of the first 100 days of the Kostunica cabinet, he cited the refusal to publish the Horgos-Pozega highway contract up until recently as the cabinet’s "biggest mistake.” “Serbia has had many infrastructure projects that have not been completed, which is why my support goes for those ministers, including even Velimir Ilic, who are seeing to it that these projects are finished.” Tadic announced he will soon present his political and development program for Serbia’s future that would represent “the national development strategy.” Boris Tadic (Beta, archive) Ruling parties talk elections The ruling coalition has four months to set dates for presidential and local elections. The Constitutional Law sets December 31 as the deadline for the announcement of the elections. By that date, the parliament must adopt appropriate legislation, including laws on state president, local self-government and territorial organization. Rade Obradovic, deputy speaker from the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), told B92 that the ruling coalition would meet the deadlines, adding that the drafting of the laws is underway. Democratic Party (DS) spokeswoman Jelena Markic said that governing parties have engaged in talks over the adoption of necessary legislation, but added that the issue of setting the exact dates thus far did not come up in the discussion. “In any case, the deadlines will be met and elections called by the end of the year,” she said. Obradovic said there was still plenty of time to think about the dates and decide whether to hold both presidential and local ballots simultaneously. “Whether the electoral legislation will be passed in a package or separately depends on the parliament’s agenda. Only when we adopt these laws can we discuss dates,” he said. New laws will likely change the way municipal presidents are elected and adjust to the new constitution, which says heads of municipalities will be elected by local assemblies, rather than in direct vote, as was the case so far.

Tadić willing to run for second term

“I am always ready to square off with my competition in a political match where citizens can see whose agenda is better, whose vision and energy is superior,” he said.

Tadić added that local and presidential elections were lying ahead, stressing that, for his part, “what matters most is to respect the Constitution and the law.”

Speaking of the first 100 days of the Koštunica cabinet, he cited the refusal to publish the Horgoš-Požega highway contract up until recently as the cabinet’s "biggest mistake.”

“Serbia has had many infrastructure projects that have not been completed, which is why my support goes for those ministers, including even Velimir Ilić, who are seeing to it that these projects are finished.”

Tadić announced he will soon present his political and development program for Serbia’s future that would represent “the national development strategy.”

Ruling parties talk elections

The ruling coalition has four months to set dates for presidential and local elections. The Constitutional Law sets December 31 as the deadline for the announcement of the elections.

By that date, the parliament must adopt appropriate legislation, including laws on state president, local self-government and territorial organization.

Rade Obradović, deputy speaker from the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), told B92 that the ruling coalition would meet the deadlines, adding that the drafting of the laws is underway.

Democratic Party (DS) spokeswoman Jelena Markić said that governing parties have engaged in talks over the adoption of necessary legislation, but added that the issue of setting the exact dates thus far did not come up in the discussion.

“In any case, the deadlines will be met and elections called by the end of the year,” she said.

Obradović said there was still plenty of time to think about the dates and decide whether to hold both presidential and local ballots simultaneously.

“Whether the electoral legislation will be passed in a package or separately depends on the parliament’s agenda. Only when we adopt these laws can we discuss dates,” he said.

New laws will likely change the way municipal presidents are elected and adjust to the new constitution, which says heads of municipalities will be elected by local assemblies, rather than in direct vote, as was the case so far.