Mayor: DS to stay in opposition in Zemun

Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas says that his Democratic Party (DS) should be in opposition in the municipality of Zemun. He said that the DS would not participate in the government in Zemun. Mayor: DS to stay in opposition in Zemun Five days after the local elections, the DS is the first party to express such a view. He said that a coalition with the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) was not an option. Djilas said that the DS will not form coalitions with parties if it could not implement its own agenda. “Even if that means entering the opposition, the DS is ready for that,” Djilas said. “I believe that the DS should be the opposition in that municipality, because we lost the elections. Coalitions are made based on joint ideas. The DS will not renounce its ideas just to form a government in some Belgrade municipality,” Djilas said. Speaking of G17 Plus leader Mladjan Dinkic’s threat to quit the state government if the DS formed a coalition with the SNS locally, he said: “Coalitions are supposed to sit down and talk. Anyone who thinks that they should publish their opinions, without talking to others, puts himself forward at the next elections in Belgrade, and all other municipalities, alone, without the Democratic Party.” Parties to open talks after final results Inter-party negotiations on forming local governments in Vozdovac and Zemun are likely to begin once the final election results are released. So far, only the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has responded to the Serb Progressive Party’s (SNS) offer of cooperation sent to them and the Serb Radical Party (SRS). The elections results in the two Belgrade municipalities have caused something of a stir among disgruntled parties both in power and opposition. The SNS has called on other opposition parties to cooperate, but has only received a reply from the DSS. The DSS stated that they were ready to cooperate and that specific talks would begin once re-votes were held at a number of polling stations. “Our coalition will discuss cooperation with opposition parties to whom we offered a national opposition grouping—precisely over issues like early parliamentary elections and holding a referendum on integrating into and joining NATO,” DSS official Andrija Mladenovic said. “These are parties that are known to you, the opposition parties, the SNS and SRS. That is the circle of parties that we can talk to,” he said. Meanwhile, the SRS recognizes that they have suffered a defeat, but say that they are ready to cooperate with SNS under certain conditions. “We haven’t talked with any parties yet, but there is one question to ask regarding the SNS—why don’t they give us back our mandates that they stole in the Serbian parliament? Let that be the first step and then we will see what happens from there,” SRS deputy leader Dragan Todorovic said. The SRS’s election debacle prompted Todorovic to offer his resignation, which the party leadership ultimately turned down. Nor is the ruling coalition without its problems following the elections. The Democratic Party said that it did not see Mladjan Dinkic’s threat that his G17 Plus party would quit the state coalition if a local coalition was formed with SNS as blackmail. “You cannot create stability through ultimatums, so I believe that our coalition partners G17 will be mindful of Serbia’s best interests, which is to have a stable government,” DS official Nada Kolundzija said.

Mayor: DS to stay in opposition in Zemun

Five days after the local elections, the DS is the first party to express such a view.

He said that a coalition with the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) was not an option.

Đilas said that the DS will not form coalitions with parties if it could not implement its own agenda.

“Even if that means entering the opposition, the DS is ready for that,” Đilas said.

“I believe that the DS should be the opposition in that municipality, because we lost the elections. Coalitions are made based on joint ideas. The DS will not renounce its ideas just to form a government in some Belgrade municipality,” Đilas said.

Speaking of G17 Plus leader Mlađan Dinkić’s threat to quit the state government if the DS formed a coalition with the SNS locally, he said: “Coalitions are supposed to sit down and talk. Anyone who thinks that they should publish their opinions, without talking to others, puts himself forward at the next elections in Belgrade, and all other municipalities, alone, without the Democratic Party.”

Parties to open talks after final results

Inter-party negotiations on forming local governments in Voždovac and Zemun are likely to begin once the final election results are released.

So far, only the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has responded to the Serb Progressive Party’s (SNS) offer of cooperation sent to them and the Serb Radical Party (SRS).

The elections results in the two Belgrade municipalities have caused something of a stir among disgruntled parties both in power and opposition.

The SNS has called on other opposition parties to cooperate, but has only received a reply from the DSS.

The DSS stated that they were ready to cooperate and that specific talks would begin once re-votes were held at a number of polling stations.

“Our coalition will discuss cooperation with opposition parties to whom we offered a national opposition grouping—precisely over issues like early parliamentary elections and holding a referendum on integrating into and joining NATO,” DSS official Andrija Mladenović said.

“These are parties that are known to you, the opposition parties, the SNS and SRS. That is the circle of parties that we can talk to,” he said.

Meanwhile, the SRS recognizes that they have suffered a defeat, but say that they are ready to cooperate with SNS under certain conditions.

“We haven’t talked with any parties yet, but there is one question to ask regarding the SNS—why don’t they give us back our mandates that they stole in the Serbian parliament? Let that be the first step and then we will see what happens from there,” SRS deputy leader Dragan Todorović said.

The SRS’s election debacle prompted Todorović to offer his resignation, which the party leadership ultimately turned down.

Nor is the ruling coalition without its problems following the elections.

The Democratic Party said that it did not see Mlađan Dinkić’s threat that his G17 Plus party would quit the state coalition if a local coalition was formed with SNS as blackmail.

“You cannot create stability through ultimatums, so I believe that our coalition partners G17 will be mindful of Serbia’s best interests, which is to have a stable government,” DS official Nada Kolundžija said.