SNS leader expects March ballot

Opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) leader Tomislav Nikolic believes that the current government is not handling the economic crisis well. This, he told Beta news agency in an interview on Saturday, will eventually force early elections, and mentioned March 2010 as the likely date. SNS leader expects March ballot "I'm convinced that the difficult situation will cook up by September and that the government's lack of resourcefulness will cause early parliamentary elections. They [the government] will bring to the country to the boiling point," Nikolic stated. He appraised that the government had "alienated itself" from the citizens who are living in increasingly difficult conditions, and that early elections should take place as soon as possible, "before there is a serious disruption of security on the streets". According to Nikolic, pensioners with RSD 14,000 and workers with RSD 20,000 per month "could very easily arrive at an idea to organize huge street protests, since it's an open question what they'll do when the time comes to pay the bills, secure food, heating, clothes and prepare children for school". "For this reason the winner of the next elections will have huge responsibility, and the SNS is ready to take on that responsibility and show that we are better than others, that we think differently, and about each citizens individually," he was quoted as saying. The SNS leader also told the news agency that his cabinet would move forward, take unpopular measures and that it would not set clinging to power at any cost as its primary goal. Nikolic said that it is up to the ruling Democrats (DS) leader and Serbian President Boris Tadic to decide whether the next ballot will see "the removal of the problem of small parties that are at the helm of the state and are preventing its normal functioning with blackmail". "The time has come to, in the next elections, politically divide Serbia into two blocks, just as is the case in all modern democracies, and to take turns governing. The SNS and the DS should lead the two blocks, that smaller parties that make it across the threshold would later gather around in parliament," said Nikolic, whose party is neck-and-neck with the Democrats in the latest opinion polls. He stated that it is very important for Tadic not to allow small parties to enter parliament on his electoral list, to then be given ministries, "since there is no political life with blackmail and conditioning". Nikolic concluded the interview by saying that his party will run in the next elections alone, and that it will negotiate possible alliances once it enters parliament.

SNS leader expects March ballot

"I'm convinced that the difficult situation will cook up by September and that the government's lack of resourcefulness will cause early parliamentary elections. They [the government] will bring to the country to the boiling point," Nikolić stated.

He appraised that the government had "alienated itself" from the citizens who are living in increasingly difficult conditions, and that early elections should take place as soon as possible, "before there is a serious disruption of security on the streets".

According to Nikolić, pensioners with RSD 14,000 and workers with RSD 20,000 per month "could very easily arrive at an idea to organize huge street protests, since it's an open question what they'll do when the time comes to pay the bills, secure food, heating, clothes and prepare children for school".

"For this reason the winner of the next elections will have huge responsibility, and the SNS is ready to take on that responsibility and show that we are better than others, that we think differently, and about each citizens individually," he was quoted as saying.

The SNS leader also told the news agency that his cabinet would move forward, take unpopular measures and that it would not set clinging to power at any cost as its primary goal.

Nikolić said that it is up to the ruling Democrats (DS) leader and Serbian President Boris Tadić to decide whether the next ballot will see "the removal of the problem of small parties that are at the helm of the state and are preventing its normal functioning with blackmail".

"The time has come to, in the next elections, politically divide Serbia into two blocks, just as is the case in all modern democracies, and to take turns governing. The SNS and the DS should lead the two blocks, that smaller parties that make it across the threshold would later gather around in parliament," said Nikolić, whose party is neck-and-neck with the Democrats in the latest opinion polls.

He stated that it is very important for Tadić not to allow small parties to enter parliament on his electoral list, to then be given ministries, "since there is no political life with blackmail and conditioning".

Nikolić concluded the interview by saying that his party will run in the next elections alone, and that it will negotiate possible alliances once it enters parliament.