Nikolić wants DSS, NS cooperation

Tomislav Nikolic says his new MP club is ready to continue cooperation with the Democratic Party of Serbia and New Serbia. "My MP club's (Forward Serbia) members are ready to support every law passed by the government, but only on condition that they accept our amendments," the former SRS deputy leader told Russian daily Vremya Novostei. Nikolic wants DSS, NS cooperation "We're the opposition bloc, and we're in a position to replace the current powers-that-be, though I don't see any chance of cooperation with those that we've just broken up with," he explained. Nikolic said earlier that he would probably form his own party. The former Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy leader said that he did not believe that he would get the support of the party’s presidency. Nikolic told Belgrade daily Blic that party Secretary General Aleksandar Vucic had confirmed that he would not be “a member of a party led by the likes of Dragan Todorovic and Vjerica Radeta,” though he could not say why Vucic had needed so much time to make up his mind. He explained that the majority of MPs had returned their mandates to the party and that he did not believe that he would get the support of the party’s Central Fatherland Committee, stating that many of his supporters would be prevented from attending the session. Borislav Pelevic, who sided with Nikolic following the SRS split, has no doubts about the success of the new party. “I cannot see myself among those who have decided to stay in the SRS as it is today. We’ll choose a name for the new party. The name will contain the word “Radical” in any case. We will not give up on the SRS basic manifesto, but we will interpret it differently,” Pelevic said. Meanwhile, SRS Vice President Gordana Pop-Lazic told B92 that a party congress could take place only if one fifth of the party’s municipal boards called for it, but added that she did not expect such a scenario. She reiterated that Tomislav Nikolic and Bozidar Delic were traitors, and accused her former boss of stealing MP mandates. Pop Lazic claimed that Nikolic had made the decision to support the Stabilization and Association Agreement without consulting other party members. “We were completely taken aback by his statement and we got very angry because there was no meeting of the MP club before or after that, where we could state our position on the issue. We never intended to support the SAA, and we were all completely stunned by his statement,” Pop Lazic told TV B92. Tomislav Nikolic (Beta, archive)

Nikolić wants DSS, NS cooperation

"We're the opposition bloc, and we're in a position to replace the current powers-that-be, though I don't see any chance of cooperation with those that we've just broken up with," he explained.

Nikolić said earlier that he would probably form his own party.

The former Serb Radical Party (SRS) deputy leader said that he did not believe that he would get the support of the party’s presidency.

Nikolić told Belgrade daily Blic that party Secretary General Aleksandar Vučić had confirmed that he would not be “a member of a party led by the likes of Dragan Todorović and Vjerica Radeta,” though he could not say why Vučić had needed so much time to make up his mind.

He explained that the majority of MPs had returned their mandates to the party and that he did not believe that he would get the support of the party’s Central Fatherland Committee, stating that many of his supporters would be prevented from attending the session.

Borislav Pelević, who sided with Nikolić following the SRS split, has no doubts about the success of the new party.

“I cannot see myself among those who have decided to stay in the SRS as it is today. We’ll choose a name for the new party. The name will contain the word “Radical” in any case. We will not give up on the SRS basic manifesto, but we will interpret it differently,” Pelević said.

Meanwhile, SRS Vice President Gordana Pop-Lazić told B92 that a party congress could take place only if one fifth of the party’s municipal boards called for it, but added that she did not expect such a scenario.

She reiterated that Tomislav Nikolić and Božidar Delić were traitors, and accused her former boss of stealing MP mandates.

Pop Lazić claimed that Nikolić had made the decision to support the Stabilization and Association Agreement without consulting other party members.

“We were completely taken aback by his statement and we got very angry because there was no meeting of the MP club before or after that, where we could state our position on the issue. We never intended to support the SAA, and we were all completely stunned by his statement,” Pop Lazić told TV B92.