Koštunica: No deal with SRS, elections in Kosovo

Outgoing Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has denied here has been a coalition agreement reached with the SRS. The leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) spoke for B92 TV when also said Serbia would organize local elections in Kosovo. Kostunica: No deal with SRS, elections in Kosovo “The coalition of Seselj and Vojislav Kostunica does not exists and there is no agreement. Behind this story are the same people that claimed that the DSS would form a coalition without any elections with the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and secure a parliamentary majority. They were lying then and they are lying now,” Kostunica told B92. Asked why there is no distance toward the SRS, Kostunica said this was because the government was not collapsed by the SRS opposition, but because of Kosovo and lack of agreement with coalition partners , the Democrats (DS) and G17 plus. He said that “parties should be allowed to change” and that a "time will come when it will not be strange for the parliament speaker to be from an opposition party.” Asked whether the principles of the DS or SRS are closer to his, Kostunica said that the principles which he has not given up on are “democratic and national” and that these principles are implemented “according to circumstances.” The prime minister said that people should be careful of those who say that Serbia needs to enter the European Union first and then defend Kosovo. Commenting the possibility of becoming a minister in the government instead of prime minister, Kostunica said that he is interested in implementing the policies which he stands behind, and and of having a decisive influence on the process, adding that there are "different ways to go about that". “When I say a decisive influence, I mean on the general development of the country, economy and the needed legal reforms and European integration, and the fight for Kosovo which has begun,” Kostunica said, adding that it is only important that the principles he supports are being implemented. He said that this is why he “left a position of power three times easily.” Asked whether he likes being prime minister, Kostunica said that "it appears that there are many people who like the job more than he does". “In these moments there is a feeling of satisfaction for doing the right thing. I am talking about he great battle for preserving Kosovo,” Kostunica said, adding that this satisfaction was shared with his partners in the government until a divide occurred. Kostunica also told B92 that the purpose of elections in Kosovo was chiefly to provide legitimacy. "We will simply legitimize Kosovo as a part of Serbia by holding elections in Kosovo, whether UNMIK wants this or not in the all-out legal chaos reigning in Kosovo." As for signing the Stabilization And Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, Kostunica said that after the province's unilateral declaration of independence, it was normal to ask the EU to make known its views. He said that the agreement, initialed on Nov. 7, was not in dispute, because "it speaks of Serbia as a whole with one part under UN rule," but that it was now necessary to provide additional guarantees of Serbian sovereignty and clarify any dilemmas. Asked whether he would revoke the deputy prime minister's authorization to sign the SAA, Kostunica said that "agreement has not yet been offered and no one has seen the agreement." Kostunica blasted his former coalition partners for not taking stronger action toward the foreign countries that had recognized Kosovo's unilateral independence. "We should have immediately filed a lawsuit against those countries that recognized Kosovo," he said, adding that this question would still be open-ended when the new cabinet was created. Vojislav Kostunica (B92)

Koštunica: No deal with SRS, elections in Kosovo

“The coalition of Šeselj and Vojislav Koštunica does not exists and there is no agreement. Behind this story are the same people that claimed that the DSS would form a coalition without any elections with the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and secure a parliamentary majority. They were lying then and they are lying now,” Koštunica told B92.

Asked why there is no distance toward the SRS, Koštunica said this was because the government was not collapsed by the SRS opposition, but because of Kosovo and lack of agreement with coalition partners , the Democrats (DS) and G17 plus.

He said that “parties should be allowed to change” and that a "time will come when it will not be strange for the parliament speaker to be from an opposition party.”

Asked whether the principles of the DS or SRS are closer to his, Koštunica said that the principles which he has not given up on are “democratic and national” and that these principles are implemented “according to circumstances.”

The prime minister said that people should be careful of those who say that Serbia needs to enter the European Union first and then defend Kosovo.

Commenting the possibility of becoming a minister in the government instead of prime minister,
Koštunica said that he is interested in implementing the policies which he stands behind, and and of having a decisive influence on the process, adding that there are "different ways to go about that".

“When I say a decisive influence, I mean on the general development of the country, economy and the needed legal reforms and European integration, and the fight for Kosovo which has begun,” Koštunica said, adding that it is only important that the principles he supports are being implemented.

He said that this is why he “left a position of power three times easily.”

Asked whether he likes being prime minister, Koštunica said that "it appears that there are many people who like the job more than he does".

“In these moments there is a feeling of satisfaction for doing the right thing. I am talking about he great battle for preserving Kosovo,” Koštunica said, adding that this satisfaction was shared with his partners in the government until a divide occurred.

Koštunica also told B92 that the purpose of elections in Kosovo was chiefly to provide legitimacy.

"We will simply legitimize Kosovo as a part of Serbia by holding elections in Kosovo, whether UNMIK wants this or not in the all-out legal chaos reigning in Kosovo."

As for signing the Stabilization And Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, Koštunica said that after the province's unilateral declaration of independence, it was normal to ask the EU to make known its views.

He said that the agreement, initialed on Nov. 7, was not in dispute, because "it speaks of Serbia as a whole with one part under UN rule," but that it was now necessary to provide additional guarantees of Serbian sovereignty and clarify any dilemmas.

Asked whether he would revoke the deputy prime minister's authorization to sign the SAA, Koštunica said that "agreement has not yet been offered and no one has seen the agreement."

Koštunica blasted his former coalition partners for not taking stronger action toward the foreign countries that had recognized Kosovo's unilateral independence.

"We should have immediately filed a lawsuit against those countries that recognized Kosovo," he said, adding that this question would still be open-ended when the new cabinet was created.