"Nikolić prepared split for long time"

SRS official Elena Bozic-Talijan says that Tomislav Nikolic had prepared for the takeover of the party for a long time. The newly elected secretary general of Serb Radical Party (SRS) told the daily Glas Javnosti that the transcripts Nikolic presented to the media were not authentic, but a sort of a “compilation.” "Nikolic prepared split for long time" She also questioned the possibility that Nikolic "turned his back on Seselj because of an amendment". Nikolic, the former party number two, announced that he was resigning after the SRS withdrew its support for the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in parliament. He said that leader Vojislav Seselj made the decision from his Hague cell, although the party previously announced that the ruling coalition's acceptance of their amendment to the agreement meant they would vote in favor of the ratification. "That was used as an excuse. The party’s breakup has been planned for a long time,” she said adding that Nikolic had a “fantastic financial logistical support.” “A man who tends to establish a political party does not undertake such a move without tremendous financial means,” Bozic-Talijan said. Asked which part of the transcripts from a party meeting on the issue of the proposed amendment were true, she said that on July 9 “only debate in principle took place”, adding that the SRS MPs discussed whether the amendment could amend or improve the SAA and strengthen their s position on the issue of the protection of the country’s integrity and sovereignty. "However, European diplomats kept stating that if Serbia did not recognize Kosovo, it could not be accepted to the EU. As the editor-in-chief of Velika Srbija, a bulletin where every official party’s document is posted, I insist that the SRS position has never been that the amendment on the accompanying law could influence the SAA,” she told the newspaper. Bozic-Talijan confirmed that the party’s senior official Zoran Krasic did at the time say in parliament that the Radicals would support the SAA if their amendment were attached to the deal, but added that it might have been a “legitimate political maneuver.” "Go ahead, accept the amendment, and later on we'll decide if we'll follow through." She also accused Nikolic as having had the takeover of the party as his principal objective. "They thought that they could do it inside the party by simply achieving a majority for this different policy,” Bozic-Talijan said.

"Nikolić prepared split for long time"

She also questioned the possibility that Nikolić "turned his back on Šešelj because of an amendment".

Nikolić, the former party number two, announced that he was resigning after the SRS withdrew its support for the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in parliament.

He said that leader Vojislav Šešelj made the decision from his Hague cell, although the party previously announced that the ruling coalition's acceptance of their amendment to the agreement meant they would vote in favor of the ratification.

"That was used as an excuse. The party’s breakup has been planned for a long time,” she said adding that Nikolić had a “fantastic financial logistical support.”

“A man who tends to establish a political party does not undertake such a move without tremendous financial means,” Božić-Talijan said.

Asked which part of the transcripts from a party meeting on the issue of the proposed amendment were true, she said that on July 9 “only debate in principle took place”, adding that the SRS MPs discussed whether the amendment could amend or improve the SAA and strengthen their s position on the issue of the protection of the country’s integrity and sovereignty.

"However, European diplomats kept stating that if Serbia did not recognize Kosovo, it could not be accepted to the EU. As the editor-in-chief of Velika Srbija, a bulletin where every official party’s document is posted, I insist that the SRS position has never been that the amendment on the accompanying law could influence the SAA,” she told the newspaper.

Božić-Talijan confirmed that the party’s senior official Zoran Krasić did at the time say in parliament that the Radicals would support the SAA if their amendment were attached to the deal, but added that it might have been a “legitimate political maneuver.”

"Go ahead, accept the amendment, and later on we'll decide if we'll follow through."

She also accused Nikolić as having had the takeover of the party as his principal objective.

"They thought that they could do it inside the party by simply achieving a majority for this different policy,” Božić-Talijan said.