Tadić: No ticket has majority

President Boris Tadic said after the cabinet consultations today that no party or coalition has the necessary majority to form a new government. Tadic, who is also the leader of the Democrats (DS), added he will "announce further steps in good time", Tanjug quoted a statement issued by his office this evening. Tadic: No ticket has majority He met with representatives of the "For European Serbia list - Boris Tadic" ticket of five parties, the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the Democratic Party of Serbia - New Serbia (DSS-NS) coalition, the Socialist Party of Serbia - United Pensioners' Party - United Serbia (SPS-PUPS-JS) coalition, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Hungarian Coalition, the Bosniak List for European Sandzak, and the Presevo Valley Albanians Coalition. The DS-led coalition told Tadic its candidate for future prime minister will be nominated shortly. The Radicals informed the president that DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica is their candidate, while the DSS-NS themselves did not disclose the name of their nominee for premier. The Socialist and their two junior partners said their candidate was named during the pre-election campaign, and that he is Milutin Mrkonjic. The statement adds that the consultations today focused on the need to form a government as soon as, and one which will "work for the benefit of all citizens". Earlier in the day, both the "For a European Serbia" list and the Serb Radical Party (SRS) claimed to have secured a majority, the Socialist s continued sitting on the fence, while the Liberal Democrats (LDP) refuse to enter a government with them. Tadic met with LDP representatives in the afternoon, having earlier held talks with the Socialists. This was the longest meeting today, lasting over an hour. SPS leader Ivica Dacic said afterwards that his SPS-Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS)-United Serbia (JS) coalition would be meeting for further talks over the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with SRS and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)-New Serbia (NS) representatives, as they were opposed to annulling that agreement. Dacic said that he would only be able to discuss forming a parliamentary majority once the parties that would form such a majority had signed a coalition agreement, meaning that it was impossible to discuss a majority for the time being. The SPS leader said that he had informed the president of the identity of that party's candidate for prime minister--Milutin Mrkonjic. He was accompanied at the negotiations by fellow coalition leaders, JS's Dragan Markovic and PUPS' Jovan Krkobabic, as well as by Mrkonjic himself and fellow SPS official Zarko Obradovic. They were followed by LDP representatives, party leader Cedomir Jovanovic, together with Natasa Micic, Vesna Pesic and Zarko Korac. After the talks, Jovanovic said that he did not see any possibility for the LDP to be in the same government as the Socialists, though he understood the DS's position, and their willingness to form a government with the SPS. "The LDP supports the 'For a European Serbia' list, and expects the president to allow that list to put forward the next prime minister," said Jovanovic. The president will now hold talks with representatives from the minority parties. Tadic began consultations earlier in the day, meeting with officials from his won “For a European Serbia” list. The "For a European Serbia" list manifesto, with its main points—European integration and the defense of Kosovo—has the support of 142 MPs thus far,” said Democratic Party (DS) Vice-President Dusan Petrovic. The consultations were attended by Petrovic, Dragan Sutanovac, G17 Plus leader Mladjan Dinkic, Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) leader Vuk Draskovic, League of Vojvodina Social Democrats leader Nenad Canak, and Sandzak Democratic Party (SDP) deputy leader Meho Omerovic. At about 11:00 CET, Serb Radical Party (SRS) officials Natasa Jovanovic and Filip Stojanovic arrived for consultations. They spoke with Tadic for about ten minutes. Jovanovic said that the SRS was well on its way towards creating a coalition with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)-New Serbia (NS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS)-Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS)-United Serbia (JS) coalition, adding that the coalition would propose DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica as prime minister again. Next up were DSS-NS representatives: DSS deputy leader Slobodan Samardzic, and Presidents of the DSS and NS’s Executive Committees, Jovan Palalic and Miroslav Markicevic, respectively. “The DSS-NS coalition, together with the SRS and the coalition grouped round the SPS is able to reach a parliamentary majority of 128 MPS, which is enough for those parties to form a government,” said Samardzic. He added that talks were also under way with Sulejman Ugljanin, head of the “List for a European Sandzak”, who has agreed in principle to join that coalition. Meanwhile, JS leader Dragan Markovic, a.k.a. Palma, said he would today call for a suspension of talks between the Socialists-led coalition, the Radicala, and the DSS-NS. Consultations with the parliamentary parties kicked off two days after the Electoral Commission (RIK) published the final official election results. Boris Tadic in talks with DSS officials earlier today (Tanjug)

Tadić: No ticket has majority

He met with representatives of the "For European Serbia list - Boris Tadić" ticket of five parties, the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the Democratic Party of Serbia - New Serbia (DSS-NS) coalition, the Socialist Party of Serbia - United Pensioners' Party - United Serbia (SPS-PUPS-JS) coalition, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Hungarian Coalition, the Bosniak List for European Sandžak, and the Preševo Valley Albanians Coalition.

The DS-led coalition told Tadić its candidate for future prime minister will be nominated shortly.

The Radicals informed the president that DSS leader Vojislav Koštunica is their candidate, while the DSS-NS themselves did not disclose the name of their nominee for premier.

The Socialist and their two junior partners said their candidate was named during the pre-election campaign, and that he is Milutin Mrkonjić.

The statement adds that the consultations today focused on the need to form a government as soon as, and one which will "work for the benefit of all citizens".

Earlier in the day, both the "For a European Serbia" list and the Serb Radical Party (SRS) claimed to have secured a majority, the Socialist s continued sitting on the fence, while the Liberal Democrats (LDP) refuse to enter a government with them.

Tadić met with LDP representatives in the afternoon, having earlier held talks with the Socialists. This was the longest meeting today, lasting over an hour.

SPS leader Ivica Dačić said afterwards that his SPS-Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS)-United Serbia (JS) coalition would be meeting for further talks over the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with SRS and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)-New Serbia (NS) representatives, as they were opposed to annulling that agreement.

Dačić said that he would only be able to discuss forming a parliamentary majority once the parties that would form such a majority had signed a coalition agreement, meaning that it was impossible to discuss a majority for the time being.

The SPS leader said that he had informed the president of the identity of that party's candidate for prime minister--Milutin Mrkonjić.

He was accompanied at the negotiations by fellow coalition leaders, JS's Dragan Marković and PUPS' Jovan Krkobabić, as well as by Mrkonjić himself and fellow SPS official Žarko Obradović.

They were followed by LDP representatives, party leader Čedomir Jovanović, together with Nataša Mićić, Vesna Pešić and Žarko Korać.

After the talks, Jovanović said that he did not see any possibility for the LDP to be in the same government as the Socialists, though he understood the DS's position, and their willingness to form a government with the SPS.

"The LDP supports the 'For a European Serbia' list, and expects the president to allow that list to put forward the next prime minister," said Jovanović.

The president will now hold talks with representatives from the minority parties.

Tadić began consultations earlier in the day, meeting with officials from his won “For a European Serbia” list.

The "For a European Serbia" list manifesto, with its main points—European integration and the defense of Kosovo—has the support of 142 MPs thus far,” said Democratic Party (DS) Vice-President Dušan Petrović.

The consultations were attended by Petrović, Dragan Šutanovac, G17 Plus leader Mlađan Dinkić, Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) leader Vuk Drašković, League of Vojvodina Social Democrats leader Nenad Čanak, and Sandžak Democratic Party (SDP) deputy leader Meho Omerović.

At about 11:00 CET, Serb Radical Party (SRS) officials Nataša Jovanović and Filip Stojanović arrived for consultations. They spoke with Tadić for about ten minutes.

Jovanović said that the SRS was well on its way towards creating a coalition with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)-New Serbia (NS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS)-Associated Pensioners’ Party (PUPS)-United Serbia (JS) coalition, adding that the coalition would propose DSS leader Vojislav Koštunica as prime minister again.

Next up were DSS-NS representatives: DSS deputy leader Slobodan Samardžić, and Presidents of the DSS and NS’s Executive Committees, Jovan Palalić and Miroslav Markićević, respectively.

“The DSS-NS coalition, together with the SRS and the coalition grouped round the SPS is able to reach a parliamentary majority of 128 MPS, which is enough for those parties to form a government,” said Samardžić.

He added that talks were also under way with Sulejman Ugljanin, head of the “List for a European Sandžak”, who has agreed in principle to join that coalition.

Meanwhile, JS leader Dragan Marković, a.k.a. Palma, said he would today call for a suspension of talks between the Socialists-led coalition, the Radicala, and the DSS-NS.

Consultations with the parliamentary parties kicked off two days after the Electoral Commission (RIK) published the final official election results.