Criminals looking forward to changes, Tadić says

Democratic Party (DS) leader Boris Tadic has stated that “organized crime is looking forward to political changes in Serbia”. He stressed that he expected guarantees from the new president that there would be no compromise with the organized crime and structures connected with Hague indictees. Criminals looking forward to changes, Tadic says Tadic told weekly Novi magazine that he did not feel safe after realizing this, adding that the highest level of security had been established in Serbia during his time in office. “I will carefully watch the new president, how ready he is to take the risks. This is not a verbal question, it’s a matter of practice and it is measures with the number of criminals that were arrested during our time, whether you made compromise with crime, war crimes, with issues of the deepest national interest,” he explained. According to him, the fact that there are people on electoral lists of the parties trying to form the government who glorify war criminals is discouraging. Tadic pointed out that combat against corruption should be the DS’ main priority in the next four years. He explained that it had been impossible to reform the judiciary, tackle organized crime and corruption in only one mandate of the government. “Now we are in a situation, thanks to an absurd twist of fate, that political leaders from the 90s are forming the government but with the October 5 policy,” the DS leader was quoted as saying. He assessed that the results of the May election would have been completely different if he had resigned as the DS leader. “I would have won the presidential election easily this time too, because I would have been a more acceptable, neutral president for all political factors. I could have without any problems played a role of a peacekeeper in the internal political scene, to extend my hand to all political parties and I do not believe that anyone could have beaten me. But it is not a role I have ever wanted, to be a president that is acceptable for everybody, who takes on the most difficult problems,” Tadic concluded. Boris Tadic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Criminals looking forward to changes, Tadić says

Tadić told weekly Novi magazine that he did not feel safe after realizing this, adding that the highest level of security had been established in Serbia during his time in office.

“I will carefully watch the new president, how ready he is to take the risks. This is not a verbal question, it’s a matter of practice and it is measures with the number of criminals that were arrested during our time, whether you made compromise with crime, war crimes, with issues of the deepest national interest,” he explained.

According to him, the fact that there are people on electoral lists of the parties trying to form the government who glorify war criminals is discouraging.

Tadić pointed out that combat against corruption should be the DS’ main priority in the next four years.

He explained that it had been impossible to reform the judiciary, tackle organized crime and corruption in only one mandate of the government.

“Now we are in a situation, thanks to an absurd twist of fate, that political leaders from the 90s are forming the government but with the October 5 policy,” the DS leader was quoted as saying.

He assessed that the results of the May election would have been completely different if he had resigned as the DS leader.

“I would have won the presidential election easily this time too, because I would have been a more acceptable, neutral president for all political factors. I could have without any problems played a role of a peacekeeper in the internal political scene, to extend my hand to all political parties and I do not believe that anyone could have beaten me. But it is not a role I have ever wanted, to be a president that is acceptable for everybody, who takes on the most difficult problems,” Tadić concluded.