DS to announce PM candidate "at end of campaign"

Boris Tadic says that his party's candidate for prime minister will be announced at the end of its campaign. The Democratic Party (DS) leader and the country's president told the daily Politika in an interview published today that he has “several candidates he is thinking about – both partisan and non-partisan". DS to announce PM candidate "at end of campaign" "In any case, the candidate for prime minister will have to be capable of leading the government in which the parties with the largest number of votes will be, and will have to be able to come to terms with different ideologies and political approaches.” Tadic also said that the candidate must be a person who has "respectable economic knowledge", because Serbia’ economy is the "biggest problem". Asked if it would be more fair towards the voters to know who the candidate is before the elections, Tadic said that “both ways are fair, but what the voters surely know is that there is no obscuring of the policies which the future prime minister will be leading.” “That is a policy which I presented in the last presidential elections and the prime minister will have to implement this. The citizens have no uncertainty in the kind of policies the future government will lead, in which the Democratic Party will have the majority,” Tadic was confident. Asked why the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) is a more acceptable partner than the Serb Radical Party (SRS) for DS, Tadic said that SRS “is unacceptable as a strategic or coalitional partner for DS, and the SPS is not acceptable enough.” Both two parties were allied in a number of cabinets during the Milosevic regime. Tadic also addressed the issue of the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) and said it is "not a party issue, but one of the state". "It is not irrelevant when the SAA will be signed, but I believe it is unlikely that this will happen before the elections," he told Politika. Tadic continued that "this is why there is no reason for certain parties - in particular those that were in favor of the signing of that agreement, like the Democratic Party of Serbia – to discuss this now, fearing that this signing could bring a percentage of votes to the coalition rallied around the Democratic Party." "It is not a party issue, but one of the state," Tadic said. The DSS also says that this is a state issue, but their argument is that the main countries of the EU have accepted the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, and that this is why the EU policy toward Serbia should be reconsidered, Politika said, asking Tadic for his comment. "That is precisely one of those confusing ideas that are being set before the public ahead of these elections," Tadic replied. "The only thing possible is that the DSS should ask those countries that have recognized the illegal independence of Kosovo and Metohija to change their policy," Tadic said. "The DSS cannot ask this of the EU, because it has not recognized Kosovo, nor will it do so because it does not have the mandate to recognize states," Tadic said. "However, it suits the DSS to present its member states and the European Union as equal entities because of the anti-European policy that this party is now practicing," Tadic told the newspaper. Boris Tadic (FoNet)

DS to announce PM candidate "at end of campaign"

"In any case, the candidate for prime minister will have to be capable of leading the government in which the parties with the largest number of votes will be, and will have to be able to come to terms with different ideologies and political approaches.”

Tadić also said that the candidate must be a person who has "respectable economic knowledge", because Serbia’ economy is the "biggest problem".

Asked if it would be more fair towards the voters to know who the candidate is before the elections, Tadić said that “both ways are fair, but what the voters surely know is that there is no obscuring of the policies which the future prime minister will be leading.”

“That is a policy which I presented in the last presidential elections and the prime minister will have to implement this. The citizens have no uncertainty in the kind of policies the future government will lead, in which the Democratic Party will have the majority,” Tadić was confident.

Asked why the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) is a more acceptable partner than the Serb Radical Party (SRS) for DS, Tadić said that SRS “is unacceptable as a strategic or coalitional partner for DS, and the SPS is not acceptable enough.”

Both two parties were allied in a number of cabinets during the Milošević regime.

Tadić also addressed the issue of the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union (EU) and said it is "not a party issue, but one of the state".

"It is not irrelevant when the SAA will be signed, but I believe it is unlikely that this will happen before the elections," he told Politika.

Tadić continued that "this is why there is no reason for certain parties - in particular those that were in favor of the signing of that agreement, like the Democratic Party of Serbia – to discuss this now, fearing that this signing could bring a percentage of votes to the coalition rallied around the Democratic Party."

"It is not a party issue, but one of the state," Tadić said. The DSS also says that this is a state issue, but their argument is that the main countries of the EU have accepted the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, and that this is why the EU policy toward Serbia should be reconsidered, Politika said, asking Tadić for his comment.

"That is precisely one of those confusing ideas that are being set before the public ahead of these elections," Tadić replied.

"The only thing possible is that the DSS should ask those countries that have recognized the illegal independence of Kosovo and Metohija to change their policy," Tadić said.

"The DSS cannot ask this of the EU, because it has not recognized Kosovo, nor will it do so because it does not have the mandate to recognize states," Tadić said.

"However, it suits the DSS to present its member states and the European Union as equal entities because of the anti-European policy that this party is now practicing," Tadić told the newspaper.