Đelić: Government will survive regardless

Bozidar Djelic says the government will survive, despite the DSS-NS’s decision to withhold its support for Boris Tadic. The deputy prime minister stated that the Democratic Party of Serbia’s (DSS) decision to remain neutral in the second round of the presidential election will not have any impact on the work of the government. Djelic: Government will survive regardless Nor will Democratic Party (DS) ministers withdraw from the government, but will indeed work even harder to ensure its continued smooth functioning. DSS leader and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, by deciding to sit on the fence again, has given citizens the opportunity to decide, and thus assume responsibility for their own actions. It is interesting too that Kostunica does not see any responsibility of his own in taking that decision, or for the fact that such a move plays more into Serb Radical Party (SRS) candidate Tomislav Nikolic's hands than DS candidate Tadic's. However, this is not enough to raise shackles within the DS – Djelic insists that the coalition will continue to function. The deputy prime minister expects Tadic to win on Sunday and announced that "certain discussions will take place within the ruling coalition" on February 4. B92: Will the governing coalition collapse because of the lack of support Djelic: The government’s working, and President Tadic and the DS have always guaranteed our society and country stability, and that’s what we’ll continue to do. B92: That means you’re not considering withdrawing from the government? Djelic: We’re working for the good of our citizens, we expect a great victory for Boris Tadic on Sunday. The government will continue to function. The deputy prime minister also doubts Kostunica’s statement yesterday that he had still not decided who to vote for on Sunday. “I can’t believe that the prime minister, who is the guarantee of democracy, won’t vote on Sunday. I’m sure that Kostunica who, together with Tadic, and led by [the late Prime Minister] Zoran Djindjic, toppled the regime of [late President Slobodan] Milosevic, [SRS leader Vojislav] Seselj and Tomislav Nikolic seven years ago, cannot vote for anyone other than Tadic,“ he predicted. The third partner in the coalition, G17 Plus, are yet to comment on the DSS’s decision to withhold their backing on Sunday. Bozidar Djelic (FoNet, archive)

Đelić: Government will survive regardless

Nor will Democratic Party (DS) ministers withdraw from the government, but will indeed work even harder to ensure its continued smooth functioning.

DSS leader and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, by deciding to sit on the fence again, has given citizens the opportunity to decide, and thus assume responsibility for their own actions.

It is interesting too that Koštunica does not see any responsibility of his own in taking that decision, or for the fact that such a move plays more into Serb Radical Party (SRS) candidate Tomislav Nikolić's hands than DS candidate Tadić's.

However, this is not enough to raise shackles within the DS – Đelić insists that the coalition will continue to function.

The deputy prime minister expects Tadić to win on Sunday and announced that "certain discussions will take place within the ruling coalition" on February 4.

B92: Will the governing coalition collapse because of the lack of support

Đelić: The government’s working, and President Tadić and the DS have always guaranteed our society and country stability, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.

B92: That means you’re not considering withdrawing from the government?

Đelić: We’re working for the good of our citizens, we expect a great victory for Boris Tadić on Sunday. The government will continue to function.

The deputy prime minister also doubts Koštunica’s statement yesterday that he had still not decided who to vote for on Sunday.

“I can’t believe that the prime minister, who is the guarantee of democracy, won’t vote on Sunday. I’m sure that Koštunica who, together with Tadić, and led by [the late Prime Minister] Zoran Đinđić, toppled the regime of [late President Slobodan] Milošević, [SRS leader Vojislav] Šešelj and Tomislav Nikolić seven years ago, cannot vote for anyone other than Tadić,“ he predicted.

The third partner in the coalition, G17 Plus, are yet to comment on the DSS’s decision to withhold their backing on Sunday.