“Complicated moment for Socialists"

Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader Ivica Dacic says his coalition is torn between forming a government with the DSS-NS-SRS, and that with the DS. While the former is closer to the Socialists for its state and national policy, Dacic said, they have more in common with the latter ideologically. “Complicated moment for Socialists" “The Socialist Party of Serbia finds itself in a very complicated political moment,” he said, according to Beta news agency. Dacic added that the Socialists now have to decide whether to continue on the traditional path or down a new, independent one, adding that it is not easy to enter a coalition with those that arrested and locked SPS officials up, noting that he is mainly speaking of the Democrats in this context. He said that the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition is currently only talking with the DSS and the SRS, but that talks with the DS would occur only on the highest level. “We insist on the principles of social justice and harmonizing laws and the continuation of the process of European integration with the protection of national and state interests,” Dacic told Fox television, adding that the SPS is against annulment of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU. As far as forming local authorities in Belgrade is concerned, he said that principles of cooperation have been agreed upon with the DSS-NS-SRS, adding that talks with those parties will be finished by the end of the week, due to shorter deadlines. Ivica Dacic (FoNet, archive) DS: SAA test for new government Democratic Party (DS) MP Dragoljub Micunovic says that the “For a European Serbia" list is waiting for the final results of the elections to be made official, “because only then can the president and leader of the list formally begin negotiations.” “These other parties are in a rush, because they are unsure whether, by some sort of arithmetic, they’ll be able turn the electorate’s European orientation into some kind of de facto postponement of talks with the EU,” Micunovic told daily Novosti. “As far as the Hague is concerned, I don’t think there will be any obstacles for the SPS. That cooperation is defined by law, it is necessary. Many have gone there voluntarily, and the court will decide who is guilty and to what degree,” the DS official said. He added that the real test for the formation of the new government would be the parliamentary vote on ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. “The majority of MPs would be in favor of this document,” Micunovic said, stating that the government “will, to a great extent, hang on whether or not the parliamentary speaker puts the SAA on the agenda.” “If the SAA is ratified, all the Radicals and DSS’s arguments that this document damages the state fall by the wayside, and they'll be left without any arguments for not striving towards the EU,” the DS official underlined. Asked what would happen if the Socialists demanded that all charges be dropped against the members of the Milosevic family, he said that “this cannot be a condition, as it is within the jurisdiction of the judiciary.”

“Complicated moment for Socialists"

“The Socialist Party of Serbia finds itself in a very complicated political moment,” he said, according to Beta news agency.

Dačić added that the Socialists now have to decide whether to continue on the traditional path or down a new, independent one, adding that it is not easy to enter a coalition with those that arrested and locked SPS officials up, noting that he is mainly speaking of the Democrats in this context.

He said that the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition is currently only talking with the DSS and the SRS, but that talks with the DS would occur only on the highest level.

“We insist on the principles of social justice and harmonizing laws and the continuation of the process of European integration with the protection of national and state interests,” Dačić told Fox television, adding that the SPS is against annulment of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU.

As far as forming local authorities in Belgrade is concerned, he said that principles of cooperation have been agreed upon with the DSS-NS-SRS, adding that talks with those parties will be finished by the end of the week, due to shorter deadlines.

DS: SAA test for new government

Democratic Party (DS) MP Dragoljub Mićunović says that the “For a European Serbia" list is waiting for the final results of the elections to be made official, “because only then can the president and leader of the list formally begin negotiations.”

“These other parties are in a rush, because they are unsure whether, by some sort of arithmetic, they’ll be able turn the electorate’s European orientation into some kind of de facto postponement of talks with the EU,” Mićunović told daily Novosti.

“As far as the Hague is concerned, I don’t think there will be any obstacles for the SPS. That cooperation is defined by law, it is necessary. Many have gone there voluntarily, and the court will decide who is guilty and to what degree,” the DS official said.

He added that the real test for the formation of the new government would be the parliamentary vote on ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU.

“The majority of MPs would be in favor of this document,” Mićunović said, stating that the government “will, to a great extent, hang on whether or not the parliamentary speaker puts the SAA on the agenda.”

“If the SAA is ratified, all the Radicals and DSS’s arguments that this document damages the state fall by the wayside, and they'll be left without any arguments for not striving towards the EU,” the DS official underlined.

Asked what would happen if the Socialists demanded that all charges be dropped against the members of the Milošević family, he said that “this cannot be a condition, as it is within the jurisdiction of the judiciary.”