Koštunica calls for new elections

Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) President Vojislav Kostunica says that this is the right moment to give the government a no-confidence vote. Kostunica said that doing so was the last chance to prevent recognition of the EULEX mission and consequently recognition of Kosovo’s unilateral independence. Kostunica calls for new elections "There has been no debate on Kosovo in parliament for four months now. That is a forbidden topic for these authorities. At the same time, further steps by the government could lead to the indirect and covert recognition of an independent Kosovo, and the EULEX mission is the greatest threat in this regard," the former prime minister told daily Vecernje Novosti. "The authorities are negotiating, in secret and behind the backs of MPs and the citizens of Serbia, over the reconfiguration of UNMIK and the deployment of EULEX throughout the entire territory of Kosovo," Kostunica warned. "The only way to open a public debate about this is through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in the government, which cannot be sidestepped," said the DSS leader, whose party has launched such an initiative in parliament. Asked why such an initiative was being launched now, and what arguments indicated that the government was in secret negotiations, Kostunica replied that "we are being showered by statements from abroad on a daily basis that EULEX will be deployed throughout Kosovo by the end of December." “We want to know, who is negotiating, on Serbia’s behalf, the deployment of a mission whose main goal is implementation of the Ahtisaari Plan for Kosovo independence. Meanwhile, the government refuses to include the opposition resolution on Kosovo on the parliamentary agenda, while their own resolution,which doesn’t even mention EULEX, is also being withdrawn,“ he pointed out. Kostunica said that “it’s unlikely that anything can strengthen the government’s position right now,“ as “all that is holding this nationally, economically and socially irresponsible government together is the sheer thirst for power and the foreign factor that participated in its formation.“ “The people didn’t vote for this out-of-tune orchestra. The idea of a debate is that arguments are put forward and that it is left to each MP’s conscience to vote as he sees fit. Not all debates on no confidence in the government end with bringing the government down, but the main aim is for the electorate to see for themselves the incompetence and dependency of the current administration,“ said the DSS leader. Vojislav Kostunica (FoNet, archive)

Koštunica calls for new elections

"There has been no debate on Kosovo in parliament for four months now. That is a forbidden topic for these authorities. At the same time, further steps by the government could lead to the indirect and covert recognition of an independent Kosovo, and the EULEX mission is the greatest threat in this regard," the former prime minister told daily Vecernje Novosti.

"The authorities are negotiating, in secret and behind the backs of MPs and the citizens of Serbia, over the reconfiguration of UNMIK and the deployment of EULEX throughout the entire territory of Kosovo," Koštunica warned.

"The only way to open a public debate about this is through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in the government, which cannot be sidestepped," said the DSS leader, whose party has launched such an initiative in parliament.

Asked why such an initiative was being launched now, and what arguments indicated that the government was in secret negotiations, Koštunica replied that "we are being showered by statements from abroad on a daily basis that EULEX will be deployed throughout Kosovo by the end of December."

“We want to know, who is negotiating, on Serbia’s behalf, the deployment of a mission whose main goal is implementation of the Ahtisaari Plan for Kosovo independence. Meanwhile, the government refuses to include the opposition resolution on Kosovo on the parliamentary agenda, while their own resolution,which doesn’t even mention EULEX, is also being withdrawn,“ he pointed out.

Koštunica said that “it’s unlikely that anything can strengthen the government’s position right now,“ as “all that is holding this nationally, economically and socially irresponsible government together is the sheer thirst for power and the foreign factor that participated in its formation.“

“The people didn’t vote for this out-of-tune orchestra. The idea of a debate is that arguments are put forward and that it is left to each MP’s conscience to vote as he sees fit. Not all debates on no confidence in the government end with bringing the government down, but the main aim is for the electorate to see for themselves the incompetence and dependency of the current administration,“ said the DSS leader.