"Government barely has majority, no authority"

Opposition DSS party leader Vojislav Kostunica says early elections and a new cabinet represent "the only solution to the bad situation that Serbia is in". A new government would work to provide development opportunities for the country, and achieve national unity as the answer to the trouble faced by the citizens who live in difficult conditions. "Government barely has majority, no authority" "It can't go on like this," said Kostunica, who previously served as Serbia's prime minister for two terms. He also noted that during his mandates, the country enjoyed "a significant economic growth, budget surplus, large investments and salaries higher by a quarter compared to now". Kostunica stated that while the current government had "a mathematical, barely managed majority in parliament" - it's credibility and authority with the nation was "long lost". DSS membership, he continued, "at this time wishes for the party to run in the next election alone". However, he added that there was "good communication" with the opposition Serb Progressives (SNS), and that this communication concerned "development of Serbia as the broadest national goal". Securing essential national interests and normal lives for the citizens depend on that goal, he noted. Asked whether their stance toward the EU would prove to be contentious in a possible future cabinet formed with SNS, Kostunica said the two parties had discussed this issue and found that they had "certain differences, but also similar positions". "We are accused of being an anti-European party, but DSS is in the deepest sense oriented toward Europe, considering that Europe is a deeper and bigger idea than the European Union, and that not all European states are members of the EU," said the DSS president. Serbia, he continued, must primarily have its own interest in mind, "instead of approaching the EU as if it were a church, and Brussels' conditions as if they were dogmas". "I think the citizens of Serbia will express this realism in elections, and resist attempts to have outside factors influence the most important internal issues," Kostunica stated. He mentioned the Serb Republic (RS) in Bosnia as an example where "the very idea of democracy has been endangered by numerous interventions of the outside factor". The Serb entity is the only functional part of Bosnia, continued Kostunica, "since Bosnia is paralyzed and jeopardized primarily through forced changes of the Dayton peace agreement, which did not suit the big powers when they wished to make Bosnia a unitary state". The DSS leader also noted that "there are at once desires to make Bosnia unitary, and disintegrate Serbia", and do the latter by creating a fake state out of Kosovo. Vojislav Kostunica (Beta, file)

"Government barely has majority, no authority"

"It can't go on like this," said Koštunica, who previously served as Serbia's prime minister for two terms.

He also noted that during his mandates, the country enjoyed "a significant economic growth, budget surplus, large investments and salaries higher by a quarter compared to now".

Koštunica stated that while the current government had "a mathematical, barely managed majority in parliament" - it's credibility and authority with the nation was "long lost".

DSS membership, he continued, "at this time wishes for the party to run in the next election alone". However, he added that there was "good communication" with the opposition Serb Progressives (SNS), and that this communication concerned "development of Serbia as the broadest national goal".

Securing essential national interests and normal lives for the citizens depend on that goal, he noted.

Asked whether their stance toward the EU would prove to be contentious in a possible future cabinet formed with SNS, Koštunica said the two parties had discussed this issue and found that they had "certain differences, but also similar positions".

"We are accused of being an anti-European party, but DSS is in the deepest sense oriented toward Europe, considering that Europe is a deeper and bigger idea than the European Union, and that not all European states are members of the EU," said the DSS president.

Serbia, he continued, must primarily have its own interest in mind, "instead of approaching the EU as if it were a church, and Brussels' conditions as if they were dogmas".

"I think the citizens of Serbia will express this realism in elections, and resist attempts to have outside factors influence the most important internal issues," Koštunica stated.

He mentioned the Serb Republic (RS) in Bosnia as an example where "the very idea of democracy has been endangered by numerous interventions of the outside factor".

The Serb entity is the only functional part of Bosnia, continued Koštunica, "since Bosnia is paralyzed and jeopardized primarily through forced changes of the Dayton peace agreement, which did not suit the big powers when they wished to make Bosnia a unitary state".

The DSS leader also noted that "there are at once desires to make Bosnia unitary, and disintegrate Serbia", and do the latter by creating a fake state out of Kosovo.