"Nationalist" Dačić won't take blame for govt. talks

SPS leader Ivica Dacic says that the "confusion" surrounding the attempts to form Serbia's new government was not caused by his party. Instead he accused the Democrats (DS) - with whom he is officially negotiating - and the Progressives (SNS). "Nationalist" Dacic won't take blame for govt. talks "Why do you ask me why the government is not formed? Let them form one without me, what do I care. Why would I join a government where someone will say that everything the EU is demanding must be accepted? And why would I join a government that says we can't negotiate with the EU at all?" Dacic wondered as he spoke to reporters in Novi Sad on Thursday. He confirmed that Boris Tadic's Democrats found Mladjan Dinkic's United Regions of Serbia (URS) "unacceptable" as partners in a new cabinet, while the Socialists did not wish to accept the LDP, led by Cedomir Jovanovic, as a third partner on which a future parliamentary majority would depend. Dacic did not wish to deny reports that Russia was pressuring him to form a government with the Progressives (SNS) - led until recently by the country's new president Tomislav Nikolic - but noted that pressure was being exerted "from the other side as well": "What do you think - that there's no pressure from the other side? Well four years ago representatives of western governments called me so that I would support a DS government and back then, that bothered no one." Dacic continued to say that he "truly wished to inform the public honestly about the negotiations", but that questions were "constantly being sent to the wrong address", considering that it was not the Socialists who were trying to put together a majority. He further noted that it was "known very well what next steps in Brussels would be": "The EU will say they are not asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo, but they will ask Serbia to open an office in Pristina. They will not ask that Serbia accepts Kosovo's independence, but Kosovo will be given a separate telephone code." "These are the questions that a future government must know how to react to," said Dacic, and added that he was a Serb nationalist - "whether somebody likes it or not". "Nobody can exert pressure on me - not London, not Washington, not Moscow," he asserted. He added "tycoons" to that list as well, and explained this was the case "because they did not give me money for elections". "Let them pressure those they gave their money to," Dacic stated. He also noted that his party was under pressure "just so that a new government be formed as soon as possible at any cost". "Well I don't care! Let them form a government, let them be in power, I'll join the opposition, what do I care. If somebody wants a government - let them find a parliamentary majority, and then let me know. Good bye," Dacic said, turned around and left, refusing to answer any more questions. Ivica Dacic, Tomislav Nikolic (Tanjug, file) “No alliance with parties we don't agree with" Earlier in the day, Ivica Dacic was quoted as saying that his party "does not want to joint the government that would depend on parties with opposing stances". According to him, the Socialists do not want to be in the government with parties that have diametrically opposed opinions on Kosovo, the EU and the Republic of Srpska (RS). “I am not going to reeducate (Liberal Democratic Party leader) Ceda Jovanovic and I will not allow him to reeducate me,” Dacic pointed out. He added that he did not want “those who lost the election to join the government under the guise of the talk that the government needs to be formed as soon as possible”. The SPS leader stressed that all parties that had so far been in power, aside from the SPS, had poorer results in the latest election when compared to the previous one. Beta Tanjug

"Nationalist" Dačić won't take blame for govt. talks

"Why do you ask me why the government is not formed? Let them form one without me, what do I care. Why would I join a government where someone will say that everything the EU is demanding must be accepted? And why would I join a government that says we can't negotiate with the EU at all?" Dačić wondered as he spoke to reporters in Novi Sad on Thursday.

He confirmed that Boris Tadić's Democrats found Mlađan Dinkić's United Regions of Serbia (URS) "unacceptable" as partners in a new cabinet, while the Socialists did not wish to accept the LDP, led by Čedomir Jovanović, as a third partner on which a future parliamentary majority would depend.

Dačić did not wish to deny reports that Russia was pressuring him to form a government with the Progressives (SNS) - led until recently by the country's new president Tomislav Nikolić - but noted that pressure was being exerted "from the other side as well":

"What do you think - that there's no pressure from the other side? Well four years ago representatives of western governments called me so that I would support a DS government and back then, that bothered no one."

Dačić continued to say that he "truly wished to inform the public honestly about the negotiations", but that questions were "constantly being sent to the wrong address", considering that it was not the Socialists who were trying to put together a majority.

He further noted that it was "known very well what next steps in Brussels would be":

"The EU will say they are not asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo, but they will ask Serbia to open an office in Priština. They will not ask that Serbia accepts Kosovo's independence, but Kosovo will be given a separate telephone code."

"These are the questions that a future government must know how to react to," said Dačić, and added that he was a Serb nationalist - "whether somebody likes it or not".

"Nobody can exert pressure on me - not London, not Washington, not Moscow," he asserted.

He added "tycoons" to that list as well, and explained this was the case "because they did not give me money for elections".

"Let them pressure those they gave their money to," Dačić stated.

He also noted that his party was under pressure "just so that a new government be formed as soon as possible at any cost".

"Well I don't care! Let them form a government, let them be in power, I'll join the opposition, what do I care. If somebody wants a government - let them find a parliamentary majority, and then let me know. Good bye," Dačić said, turned around and left, refusing to answer any more questions.

“No alliance with parties we don't agree with"

Earlier in the day, Ivica Dačić was quoted as saying that his party "does not want to joint the government that would depend on parties with opposing stances".

According to him, the Socialists do not want to be in the government with parties that have diametrically opposed opinions on Kosovo, the EU and the Republic of Srpska (RS).

“I am not going to reeducate (Liberal Democratic Party leader) Čeda Jovanović and I will not allow him to reeducate me,” Dačić pointed out.

He added that he did not want “those who lost the election to join the government under the guise of the talk that the government needs to be formed as soon as possible”.

The SPS leader stressed that all parties that had so far been in power, aside from the SPS, had poorer results in the latest election when compared to the previous one.