DS ready for early elections, leader says

BELGRADE Democratic Party (DS) leader Dragan Djilas says that the ruling coalition is talking about early elections in 2013 much more than the DS. He told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) on Wednesday night that the DS was ready for the elections whenever they might be held, noting that the parties of the ruling majority mentioned the early elections more often than his party. DS ready for early elections, leader says “If I manage together with people in the DS to do this and show the people what the DS is and what it will fight for, I am sure that the DS, no matter when the elections are, will do very well,” Djilas said and reiterated that he had made it clear that there would be no room for United Regions of Serbia (URS) leader Mladjan Dinkic in the DS’ government. According to him, the DS is ready to discuss its participation in the government with those who want consensus on the most important issues, such as decentralization of the state. He stressed that his party did not allow multiple policies and that individual members of the DS were irrelevant, stressing that the key issue was what the party was going to offer to the citizens. Djilas pointed out that all DS members needed to follow the rules and respect decisions of the Main Board, adding that anyone who disrespected them would automatically expel themselves from the party. “There is no possibility of multiple policies. The policy is formed by the Main Board, the Presidency and me. Anyone can present ideas but once we have made a decision we have to implement it. Changes in the party are not personal to me, those are changes of ideas, ways that we work. He explained that he wanted former ministers from the DS to resign as MPs in order to “create discontinuity with those who did a poor job”. “We are making a new story, new people, we respect people from the previous mandate, they are a part of the team but it is time for some new people to take the front rows,” Djilas said, adding that he was proud of the fact that Serbia had its representative in the UN General Assembly. “It is a good thing for Serbia, I think that (DS official and UNGA President Vuk) Jeremic did a lot of good things, such as a concert in New York, those are good things,” he said. Djilas stressed that the DS had done many good things and deserved to be considered a national institution. However, he added that he was not sure if the party had such reputation among the people today and that it was his job to win it back. Dragan Djilas (Beta, file) Tanjug

DS ready for early elections, leader says

“If I manage together with people in the DS to do this and show the people what the DS is and what it will fight for, I am sure that the DS, no matter when the elections are, will do very well,” Đilas said and reiterated that he had made it clear that there would be no room for United Regions of Serbia (URS) leader Mlađan Dinkić in the DS’ government.

According to him, the DS is ready to discuss its participation in the government with those who want consensus on the most important issues, such as decentralization of the state.

He stressed that his party did not allow multiple policies and that individual members of the DS were irrelevant, stressing that the key issue was what the party was going to offer to the citizens.

Đilas pointed out that all DS members needed to follow the rules and respect decisions of the Main Board, adding that anyone who disrespected them would automatically expel themselves from the party.

“There is no possibility of multiple policies. The policy is formed by the Main Board, the Presidency and me. Anyone can present ideas but once we have made a decision we have to implement it. Changes in the party are not personal to me, those are changes of ideas, ways that we work.

He explained that he wanted former ministers from the DS to resign as MPs in order to “create discontinuity with those who did a poor job”.

“We are making a new story, new people, we respect people from the previous mandate, they are a part of the team but it is time for some new people to take the front rows,” Đilas said, adding that he was proud of the fact that Serbia had its representative in the UN General Assembly.

“It is a good thing for Serbia, I think that (DS official and UNGA President Vuk) Jeremić did a lot of good things, such as a concert in New York, those are good things,” he said.

Đilas stressed that the DS had done many good things and deserved to be considered a national institution. However, he added that he was not sure if the party had such reputation among the people today and that it was his job to win it back.