SPS: No parliamentary majority without agreement

SPS leader Ivica Dacic says there will be no new parliamentary majority unless there is agreement in the pre-election coalition his party leads. The SPS-PUPS-JS coalition won 20 seats in the May 11 elections, three of which belong to United Serbia (JS), which is calling for an end to talks with the Radicals (SRS) and the DSS-NS, because of the differences over the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). SPS: No parliamentary majority without agreement "The Socialists have expressed their position," Dacic told Tanjug news agency today, recalling that his party is opposed to the annulment of the SAA, while the Dragan Markovic Palma-led JS says they want the EU deal's ratification. "However, it is necessary to come up with a joint stand of the entire coalition," Dacic said reaction to a statement by DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica, calling on him, as the head of the coalition, to respond to the legal analysis of the SAA the DSS offered yesterday. The analysis said that the agreement was legally invalid. Dacic underscored "a methodology problem in the approach of the DSS and SRS to the talks on the formation of the parliamentary majority" – this being, according to him, that while the SPS is the largest party in that coalition, the pre-election coalition gathered around them cannot determine a joint position without agreement from all partners. "The SPS stance on the SAA is clear and it has been presented both to the DSS and SRS representatives during our initial meetings," Dacic told the agency. He reiterated that the Socialist are opposed to annulment of the SAA, because they believes that "this would not be a good message either for the new government, or for the new parliament." But Dacic also said that the other parties in his coalition have other views. "For example, JS even urges the ratification of that agreement," he said. "I hope that these differences can be overcome, otherwise there will be no parliamentary majority," Dacic warned. Earlier in the day, the SPS leader told Germany's Deutsche Welle Radio that it would become clear in the coming days whether there was unity within the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition, and whether a future government could be formed. Following Markovic’s statement that his party favored a government with the DS, the SPS leader said that he hoped that an agreement could be reached within the coalition over unresolved matters. “It wouldn’t be a good idea to say what those differences are out in public, not until we’ve reached an agreement,” said Dacic. He said that the SPS was not holding—nor would it hold— talks with anyone else parallel to the ongoing negotiations with the DSS and the SRS. The SPS leader categorically dismissed the possibility of the coalition grouped round the Socialists collapsing, and JS siding with the DS-led ticket. “That’s not possible and won’t happen. For that very reason we want to reach a common position—either everyone or no-one. We can all have our own political opinion. It’s also possible for someone not to support a certain decision, but it’s not possible for someone to make a different coalition without the SPS,“ Dacic stressed. He said that he still believed that talks with the DSS would end successfully. “We’ve received their legal analysis of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), and we expect an analysis of the socio-economic position and social status of pensioners to be complete in the coming days. Once all that is tidied up, we, as a coalition, will decide how to proceed,“ explained the Socialist leader. Dacic does not believe agreements at local level will have significant bearing on agreements at republic level. “At local level you have various political interests and a different balance of power. Sure, it would be good if an agreement at local level accompanied an agreement at republic level, but that should not be discussed until an agreement has been reached at republic level,“ he told Deutche Welle. Kingmaker coalition: Markovic, Dacic, Krkobabic (FoNet)

SPS: No parliamentary majority without agreement

"The Socialists have expressed their position," Dačić told Tanjug news agency today, recalling that his party is opposed to the annulment of the SAA, while the Dragan Marković Palma-led JS says they want the EU deal's ratification.

"However, it is necessary to come up with a joint stand of the entire coalition," Dačić said reaction to a statement by DSS leader Vojislav Koštunica, calling on him, as the head of the coalition, to respond to the legal analysis of the SAA the DSS offered yesterday.

The analysis said that the agreement was legally invalid.

Dačić underscored "a methodology problem in the approach of the DSS and SRS to the talks on the formation of the parliamentary majority" – this being, according to him, that while the SPS is the largest party in that coalition, the pre-election coalition gathered around them cannot determine a joint position without agreement from all partners.

"The SPS stance on the SAA is clear and it has been presented both to the DSS and SRS representatives during our initial meetings," Dačić told the agency.

He reiterated that the Socialist are opposed to annulment of the SAA, because they believes that "this would not be a good message either for the new government, or for the new parliament."

But Dačić also said that the other parties in his coalition have other views.

"For example, JS even urges the ratification of that agreement," he said.

"I hope that these differences can be overcome, otherwise there will be no parliamentary majority," Dačić warned.

Earlier in the day, the SPS leader told Germany's Deutsche Welle Radio that it would become clear in the coming days whether there was unity within the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition, and whether a future government could be formed.

Following Marković’s statement that his party favored a government with the DS, the SPS leader said that he hoped that an agreement could be reached within the coalition over unresolved matters.

“It wouldn’t be a good idea to say what those differences are out in public, not until we’ve reached an agreement,” said Dačić.

He said that the SPS was not holding—nor would it hold— talks with anyone else parallel to the ongoing negotiations with the DSS and the SRS.

The SPS leader categorically dismissed the possibility of the coalition grouped round the Socialists collapsing, and JS siding with the DS-led ticket.

“That’s not possible and won’t happen. For that very reason we want to reach a common position—either everyone or no-one. We can all have our own political opinion. It’s also possible for someone not to support a certain decision, but it’s not possible for someone to make a different coalition without the SPS,“ Dačić stressed.

He said that he still believed that talks with the DSS would end successfully.

“We’ve received their legal analysis of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), and we expect an analysis of the socio-economic position and social status of pensioners to be complete in the coming days. Once all that is tidied up, we, as a coalition, will decide how to proceed,“ explained the Socialist leader.

Dačić does not believe agreements at local level will have significant bearing on agreements at republic level.

“At local level you have various political interests and a different balance of power. Sure, it would be good if an agreement at local level accompanied an agreement at republic level, but that should not be discussed until an agreement has been reached at republic level,“ he told Deutche Welle.