Tadić, Nikolić spar in final televised debate

Presidential candidates Boris Tadic and Tomislav Nikolic went head-to-head last night in a live televised debate. In his opening statement on RTS, Serb Radical Party (SRS) candidate Nikolic thanked the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) for withholding their support from his rival in the presidential run-off. Tadic, Nikolic spar in final televised debate Democratic Party (DS) candidate and incumbent President Tadic opened up by saying that there was no alternative to the European path, and that on that path lay all hopes and expectations for settling numerous problems and tests that the Serbian people had been confronting for years. Accusing Tadic of running a dirty campaign, Nikolic said that the DS candidate had lost a lot of friends, and claimed that EU officials had said that Serbia’s European path did not hinge on the elections, and that not a single member of the former Democratic Opposition of Serbia had given him their support. “In Serbia today, there are no two paths, there are no two Serbias,” said the SRS candidate, adding that the Serbian people were not “scared” of his potential victory on February 3. In his opening address, the DS candidate reiterated that Serbia now found at itself at a crossroads, and that it was up to the citizens to choose which of those roads Serbia would take. He said that one road led to a better life and European integration while the other led away from Europe, and was the one SRS leader Vojislav Seselj had been consistently propagating for the last 17 years. Tadic said that the policies of the nineties had led to isolation and that they were policies of the past and of uncertainty, not of change. The president said that he knew life was hard in Serbia, but that he also knew that Serbia was on the road to change and that great things had been achieved. “If we stop now, we will be making a big mistake. We’re halfway along the road, and I know we can reach the end,” he insisted. Main themes: Kosovo, EU Tadic said that on February 3, the people would decide whether they were for or against Serbia’s European road, while his opponent said that he was sure that the EU would continue to cooperate with Serbia regardless of who won the forthcoming election. “To reach Europe, you mustn’t insult her, and for Serbia to reach Europe, she too cannot be insulted, and I’m telling that to all my European colleagues. I believe only in Serbia’s entry into the EU together with Kosovo,” said the DS candidate. He added that Nikolic, even though he had declared that he had nothing against the EU, did not have the capacity to lead Serbia down the European road. “No-one in Europe has entered by offending Europe, no-one who has said they want to be in Europe during the elections, but whose political actions have always spoken to the contrary… the SRS, Vojislav Seselj and Tomislav Nikolic’s belief in Europe can be reflected in the title of Seselj’s book, “EU: A Satanic Creation”, published by the SRS,” said Tadic. Meanwhile, Nikolic stressed that the EU was sending an entirely different message at these elections to the last, when it had openly declared that the SRS must not win. The SRS candidate said that he believed a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo would follow the elections and said that he could not help but reproach those that supported Kosovo’s independence. Tadic said that he was sure that the EU would never recognize a unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence, as Serbia had friends in the EU who would not allow this. The DS candidate said that, as president, he would continue to conduct a united state policy over Kosovo that was endorsed by parliament. He said that Serbia could only defend Kosovo if it had respect, was financially strong and open to the world, and that for this reason he opposed a policy of “saber rattling” in settling the province’s future status. Boris Tadic and Tomislav Nikolic go head-to-head (Tanjug)

Tadić, Nikolić spar in final televised debate

Democratic Party (DS) candidate and incumbent President Tadić opened up by saying that there was no alternative to the European path, and that on that path lay all hopes and expectations for settling numerous problems and tests that the Serbian people had been confronting for years.

Accusing Tadić of running a dirty campaign, Nikolić said that the DS candidate had lost a lot of friends, and claimed that EU officials had said that Serbia’s European path did not hinge on the elections, and that not a single member of the former Democratic Opposition of Serbia had given him their support.

“In Serbia today, there are no two paths, there are no two Serbias,” said the SRS candidate, adding that the Serbian people were not “scared” of his potential victory on February 3.

In his opening address, the DS candidate reiterated that Serbia now found at itself at a crossroads, and that it was up to the citizens to choose which of those roads Serbia would take.

He said that one road led to a better life and European integration while the other led away from Europe, and was the one SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj had been consistently propagating for the last 17 years.

Tadić said that the policies of the nineties had led to isolation and that they were policies of the past and of uncertainty, not of change.

The president said that he knew life was hard in Serbia, but that he also knew that Serbia was on the road to change and that great things had been achieved.

“If we stop now, we will be making a big mistake. We’re halfway along the road, and I know we can reach the end,” he insisted.

Main themes: Kosovo, EU

Tadić said that on February 3, the people would decide whether they were for or against Serbia’s European road, while his opponent said that he was sure that the EU would continue to cooperate with Serbia regardless of who won the forthcoming election.

“To reach Europe, you mustn’t insult her, and for Serbia to reach Europe, she too cannot be insulted, and I’m telling that to all my European colleagues. I believe only in Serbia’s entry into the EU together with Kosovo,” said the DS candidate.

He added that Nikolić, even though he had declared that he had nothing against the EU, did not have the capacity to lead Serbia down the European road.

“No-one in Europe has entered by offending Europe, no-one who has said they want to be in Europe during the elections, but whose political actions have always spoken to the contrary… the SRS, Vojislav Šešelj and Tomislav Nikolić’s belief in Europe can be reflected in the title of Šešelj’s book, “EU: A Satanic Creation”, published by the SRS,” said Tadić.

Meanwhile, Nikolić stressed that the EU was sending an entirely different message at these elections to the last, when it had openly declared that the SRS must not win.

The SRS candidate said that he believed a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo would follow the elections and said that he could not help but reproach those that supported Kosovo’s independence.

Tadić said that he was sure that the EU would never recognize a unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence, as Serbia had friends in the EU who would not allow this.

The DS candidate said that, as president, he would continue to conduct a united state policy over Kosovo that was endorsed by parliament.

He said that Serbia could only defend Kosovo if it had respect, was financially strong and open to the world, and that for this reason he opposed a policy of “saber rattling” in settling the province’s future status.