Democrats "not split up, only stirred" in wake of elections

BELGRADE The Demoratic Party (DS) parliament group chief Dragoljub Micunovic says that he accepted the position to help create cohesion within the party. He denies allegations about a split in the DS, but says that the “defeat, though minimal in numbers, caused a shock” within the party. Democrats "not split up, only stirred" in wake of elections Serbia's formerly ruling party and its pre-election coalition came in second in the parliamentary elections held on May 6, while two weeks later, DS leader Boris Tadic suffered defeat in the presidential runoff, failing to secure his third term in office. “Now someone to blame and to be held responsible is being sought, and this caused a stir,” Micunovic told the weekly Novi Magazin. Asked whether the DS could deal with the election shock without making any internal changes, Micunovic responded that there would be changes and that they would pertain to senior positions in the party as well. Micunovic says that party leader Boris Tadic himself stresses his own responsibility, but the question remains whether he is the only one to blame or the responsibility should be shared by many who participated in the policy-making. It would be good for the party to hold an assembly, but not one to decide about distribution of functions, because these usually cause a party to “come apart, and it would not be good for us to split now,” he said. To a remark about his being too diplomatic in answering questions about the current relationships in the DS, Micunovic said his task was to calm things down, not to stir them up and that he only accepted to be the party whip because of that. He added, though, that he would soon be replaced as the party whip by Balsa Bozovic. “The DS has a future. This is why leader of the DS youth is my deputy in the MP club. And he will replace me very soon,” said Micunovic. As an opposition party in parliament, he said, the Democratic Party will not attack any idea good for the country and will vote for all bills that can help step up European integration. Micunovic, however, believes that the future prime minister and deputy prime minister will have too much power, and that the state will be sliding away from democracy if the opposition cannot effectively control the ruling majority. “That is why we will be most watchful with respect to the prime minister, who is also minister of internal affairs, and the deputy prime minister, who serves as the defense minister and coordinator of all intelligence services. These two are the points of huge concentration of power and authority, and if nobody controls them there, the country could be slipping out of democracy,” Micunovic said. Dragoljub Micunovic (file) Tanjug Novi magazin

Democrats "not split up, only stirred" in wake of elections

Serbia's formerly ruling party and its pre-election coalition came in second in the parliamentary elections held on May 6, while two weeks later, DS leader Boris Tadić suffered defeat in the presidential runoff, failing to secure his third term in office.

“Now someone to blame and to be held responsible is being sought, and this caused a stir,” Mićunović told the weekly Novi Magazin.

Asked whether the DS could deal with the election shock without making any internal changes, Mićunović responded that there would be changes and that they would pertain to senior positions in the party as well.

Mićunović says that party leader Boris Tadić himself stresses his own responsibility, but the question remains whether he is the only one to blame or the responsibility should be shared by many who participated in the policy-making.

It would be good for the party to hold an assembly, but not one to decide about distribution of functions, because these usually cause a party to “come apart, and it would not be good for us to split now,” he said.

To a remark about his being too diplomatic in answering questions about the current relationships in the DS, Mićunović said his task was to calm things down, not to stir them up and that he only accepted to be the party whip because of that.

He added, though, that he would soon be replaced as the party whip by Balša Božović.

“The DS has a future. This is why leader of the DS youth is my deputy in the MP club. And he will replace me very soon,” said Mićunović.

As an opposition party in parliament, he said, the Democratic Party will not attack any idea good for the country and will vote for all bills that can help step up European integration.

Mićunović, however, believes that the future prime minister and deputy prime minister will have too much power, and that the state will be sliding away from democracy if the opposition cannot effectively control the ruling majority.

“That is why we will be most watchful with respect to the prime minister, who is also minister of internal affairs, and the deputy prime minister, who serves as the defense minister and coordinator of all intelligence services. These two are the points of huge concentration of power and authority, and if nobody controls them there, the country could be slipping out of democracy,” Mićunović said.