SRS wants "declaration" to accompany SAA

The SRS will vote in favor of the SAA, provided the agreement is adopted along with a special declaration concerning its interpretation, says Tomislav Nikolic. “The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) serves as an excuse for a problem, and I’m preparing a project whereby we can extract ourselves from this impasse,” the Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy leader told Deutsche Welle Radio. SRS wants "declaration" to accompany SAA He said that he was intending to propose to parliament that it include the agreement on the agenda, along with a declaration which explains “how certain articles of the agreement” are interpreted. Asked whether that meant that SRS MPs would be voting in favor of ratification of the SAA if it was accompanied by the declaration, Nikolic replied in the affirmative. “That option is acceptable for Serbia. Serbia says there: yes, I want to go into Europe, and it’s good that this agreement, as we interpret it, guarantees that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia,” he explained. The SRS deputy leader also touched on yesterday’s comments by United Serbia (JS) leader Dragan Markovic. He said that in a prior conversation, Markovic had told him that he did not want to enter a government with Democratic Party of Serbia leader Vojislav Kostunica. “So, I found out his views a few hours before he made them public. But that’s only his opinion. Not for a moment did he consider joining this coalition,” said Nikolic. “Negotiations over forming a new Serbian government have reached a delicate and crucial stage. I think that everyone’s cards will be on the table soon, and that it will be clear who said what during the campaign, and what they planned to do. "There are those who said what they would do—I mean by that, the SRS. There are those who sat on the fence, and I cannot accuse them of deceiving anyone, and there I mean the DSS. And, there are those who said what they’d do and most probably deceived the citizens of Serbia, and there I’m thinking of the Democratic Party (DS) and the SPS," he explained. "The SPS formed a coalition for whom it was clear during the election campaign that they wanted to fight for the respect of Serbian citizens that had been destroyed by the DS, and then it turned out that that coalition included a party that wanted to form a coalition with the DS. "I’m now waiting for [SPS leader] Ivica Dacic’s reaction to see whether he will confiscate their seats, or whether this has all been a farce for the SPS to win the DS votes through voters who oppose the DS,” fumed Nikolic. “I will no longer accept Mr. Dacic’s assertions that he is negotiating with us, but that he is also open to talks with the DS. Either he makes a government with us or the DS. I realize that he can go with who he likes, that could be a trick or deception of the electorate, we can question its legality, but for me all that matters is 126 MPs who will form a government,” underlined the SRS deputy leader. Tomislav Nikolic (FoNet, archive)

SRS wants "declaration" to accompany SAA

He said that he was intending to propose to parliament that it include the agreement on the agenda, along with a declaration which explains “how certain articles of the agreement” are interpreted.

Asked whether that meant that SRS MPs would be voting in favor of ratification of the SAA if it was accompanied by the declaration, Nikolić replied in the affirmative.

“That option is acceptable for Serbia. Serbia says there: yes, I want to go into Europe, and it’s good that this agreement, as we interpret it, guarantees that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia,” he explained.

The SRS deputy leader also touched on yesterday’s comments by United Serbia (JS) leader Dragan Marković. He said that in a prior conversation, Marković had told him that he did not want to enter a government with Democratic Party of Serbia leader Vojislav Koštunica.

“So, I found out his views a few hours before he made them public. But that’s only his opinion. Not for a moment did he consider joining this coalition,” said Nikolić.

“Negotiations over forming a new Serbian government have reached a delicate and crucial stage. I think that everyone’s cards will be on the table soon, and that it will be clear who said what during the campaign, and what they planned to do.

"There are those who said what they would do—I mean by that, the SRS. There are those who sat on the fence, and I cannot accuse them of deceiving anyone, and there I mean the DSS. And, there are those who said what they’d do and most probably deceived the citizens of Serbia, and there I’m thinking of the Democratic Party (DS) and the SPS," he explained.

"The SPS formed a coalition for whom it was clear during the election campaign that they wanted to fight for the respect of Serbian citizens that had been destroyed by the DS, and then it turned out that that coalition included a party that wanted to form a coalition with the DS.

"I’m now waiting for [SPS leader] Ivica Dačić’s reaction to see whether he will confiscate their seats, or whether this has all been a farce for the SPS to win the DS votes through voters who oppose the DS,” fumed Nikolić.

“I will no longer accept Mr. Dačić’s assertions that he is negotiating with us, but that he is also open to talks with the DS. Either he makes a government with us or the DS. I realize that he can go with who he likes, that could be a trick or deception of the electorate, we can question its legality, but for me all that matters is 126 MPs who will form a government,” underlined the SRS deputy leader.