PM presents cabinet’s 100-day report

BELGRADE Serbian PM Ivica Dacic said Friday, presenting a report on government’s work in the first 100 days, that the government had brought the country back on track. According to him, the government had gotten Serbia back on track when it comes to a possible solution for the Kosovo issue, EU membership and stopping the economic downfall. PM presents cabinet’s 100-day report Dacic said the people's expectations were not considerably higher than three months ago and noted that his cabinet had a duty to meet these expectations. Reporting on its first three months in office, the prime minister said his cabinet had not had the privilege of being spared of criticism in this period, as was the usual custom, noting that it had done a lot in the field of European integration and solving the issue of Kosovo, as well as stopping the economic downfall and the drop in living standards. Dacic reiterated that for the first time the government sent next year's budget bill to the parliament on time, that its was committed to solving the Kosovo issue through dialogue and in a peaceful manner, that it had restarted the dialogue with Pristina and elevated it to a higher political level and continued the implementation of the agreements reached in Brussels. When it comes to European integration, the prime minister noted that even before getting a starting date for accession talks, the EU had given a positive opinion on 26 of the 33 chapters it had delivered to Serbia, that EUR 300jmn in international assistance had been pledged to Serbia, and that no one was protected in combat against organized crime. "In the first one hundred days, we have seen there is no magic wand, but this government has managed to do more than any that came before. There is constant and full cooperation among political parties and all decisions have been made unanimously," said Dacic. "After one thousand days, we will be able to speak more extensively about what we have done," he added. First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic agreed with the prime minister that the government was working as a team, that it had done a lot in its first hundred days, and noted that the country might secure its EU accession talks date before expected. He recalled that the government expected this to happen in June next year but that it could be in March 2013 and that there was a chance Serbia could get a provisional date as early as this December. A new B92/Ipsos Strategic Marketing polls has shown that 66 percent of Serbians expect the government to last its full mandate. When asked about the government's biggest successes in the first 100 days in office, 23 percent said it was the fight against corruption, 19 percent choose related arrests, while the economy came in third - regarding the stabilized exchange rate. However, 24 percent said that that the government "has had no successes”. President Tomislav Nikolic has also praised the government, adding that h is completely satisfied with its work. On the other hand, Democratic Party (DS) leader Boris Tadic believes that the government has made both good and bad moves and that the issue of economy would “make or break” the government. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Cedomir Jovanovic has said that the government is incompetent and that it is playing games with the state, pointing to “devastating inflation, record-high unemployment rate and public debt growth”. Both economists and citizens believe that the economy is one of the crucial tests for the government. Economists are divided when it comes to the government’s results and many say that 100 days is not enough to achieve real results. (Tanjug) B92 Beta Tanjug

PM presents cabinet’s 100-day report

Dačić said the people's expectations were not considerably higher than three months ago and noted that his cabinet had a duty to meet these expectations.

Reporting on its first three months in office, the prime minister said his cabinet had not had the privilege of being spared of criticism in this period, as was the usual custom, noting that it had done a lot in the field of European integration and solving the issue of Kosovo, as well as stopping the economic downfall and the drop in living standards.

Dačić reiterated that for the first time the government sent next year's budget bill to the parliament on time, that its was committed to solving the Kosovo issue through dialogue and in a peaceful manner, that it had restarted the dialogue with Priština and elevated it to a higher political level and continued the implementation of the agreements reached in Brussels.

When it comes to European integration, the prime minister noted that even before getting a starting date for accession talks, the EU had given a positive opinion on 26 of the 33 chapters it had delivered to Serbia, that EUR 300jmn in international assistance had been pledged to Serbia, and that no one was protected in combat against organized crime.

"In the first one hundred days, we have seen there is no magic wand, but this government has managed to do more than any that came before. There is constant and full cooperation among political parties and all decisions have been made unanimously," said Dačić.

"After one thousand days, we will be able to speak more extensively about what we have done," he added.

First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić agreed with the prime minister that the government was working as a team, that it had done a lot in its first hundred days, and noted that the country might secure its EU accession talks date before expected.

He recalled that the government expected this to happen in June next year but that it could be in March 2013 and that there was a chance Serbia could get a provisional date as early as this December.

A new B92/Ipsos Strategic Marketing polls has shown that 66 percent of Serbians expect the government to last its full mandate.

When asked about the government's biggest successes in the first 100 days in office, 23 percent said it was the fight against corruption, 19 percent choose related arrests, while the economy came in third - regarding the stabilized exchange rate.

However, 24 percent said that that the government "has had no successes”.

President Tomislav Nikolić has also praised the government, adding that h is completely satisfied with its work.

On the other hand, Democratic Party (DS) leader Boris Tadić believes that the government has made both good and bad moves and that the issue of economy would “make or break” the government.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Čedomir Jovanović has said that the government is incompetent and that it is playing games with the state, pointing to “devastating inflation, record-high unemployment rate and public debt growth”.

Both economists and citizens believe that the economy is one of the crucial tests for the government.

Economists are divided when it comes to the government’s results and many say that 100 days is not enough to achieve real results.