DS, SNS engage in "pre-election spat"

The opposition Progressives (SNS) and the ruling Democrats (DS) are facing a problem, with people perceiving them as being the same, writes a daily. Therefore, they are trying to create clear distinction between the two parties, sociologist Vladimir Vuletic told the Belgrade-based daily Politika. DS, SNS engage in "pre-election spat" The Democrats and the Progressives did not "exchange words" since SNS leader Tomislav Nikolic’s hunger strike, but they made it up for this on Thursday. After Serbian President and DS leader Boris Tadic's criticism of the SNS, SNS deputy leader Aleksandar Vucic called Tadic “a man of the past“ and said that he “is more DS leader and less leader of all Serbian citizens”, the daily writes. Vuletic sees this as a “slight warm-up” before the elections campaign that will probably be fiercer this year. “We are forgetting what previous campaigns looked like and what ‘weapons’ were used, there are at least no swear words now,” he pointed out. But they are, however, mentioning god. Tadic said on Tuesday night: ““God forbid that SNS forms the next government, because I would still be president, and our policies would diverge. I am convinced, however, that it is an impossible scenario and that the citizens would realize that it is in their best interest that Serbia continues its path toward the EU instead of renewed isolation.” Vucic has assessed that “the fact that he is calling on god to help him beat the SNS shows how scared Boris Tadic is and how much he is worried about his associates who have robbed Serbia, destroyed and ruined it in the privatization process and monopoly privileges.” The SNS deputy leader pointed out that the president was trying to intimidate citizens into trusting him by accusing opposition, because he is afraid that he could lose his position but still wants to keep the privileges the DS has and called the DS a “privileged class”. He also accused Tadic of controlling almost all Serbian media and that therefore nobody dared to say that there had been a drastic drop in production in the last several months. DS deputy leader Jelena Trivan told Politika that her party always had the same, principled attitude toward the SNS. “We believe that we are obligated to respond to lies and warn of moral and political credibility of those who criticize the government today. We consider it to be a hypocrisy that Vucic speaks about the freedom of media because he is now measuring the freedom with hours in the news, while journalists paid with their lives for the freedom in his time,” she pointed out and added that “democracy lessons cannot be given by a party which is trying to get to power with undemocratic and anti-European behavior, such as blackmail and suicide”. The DS made a statement after Vucic's press conference, stressing that the SNS was only continuing to show a complete idea-lessness of its policy. “Empty, loud accusations and even emptier political offer and lack of any moral legitimacy is SNS’ political platform,” it is said in the statement. Vuletic believes that this is a fair political fight between the parties. He added that he would suggest them to do the exact same thing. “Strong words are there in order to differentiate the two parties,” he said and pointed out that the fact that people had already started equalizing them a bit was a problem both for the DS and the SNS. He explained that citizens did not see significant differences between the two parties regarding key issues such as the EU, Kosovo and economic policy. “Now both realize that they are aligning themselves in the same blocs with such policy. And when the two most powerful parties are that similar and there are talks about some post-elections alliances, people may say ‘I won’t vote for either of them, I’ll find someone else instead,” Vuletic was quoted as saying. According to him, this is why they are trying to clearly separate themselves, to make it clear that the two parties are leading different political blocs and the way they are doing it is completely acceptable.

DS, SNS engage in "pre-election spat"

The Democrats and the Progressives did not "exchange words" since SNS leader Tomislav Nikolić’s hunger strike, but they made it up for this on Thursday.

After Serbian President and DS leader Boris Tadić's criticism of the SNS, SNS deputy leader Aleksandar Vučić called Tadić “a man of the past“ and said that he “is more DS leader and less leader of all Serbian citizens”, the daily writes.

Vuletić sees this as a “slight warm-up” before the elections campaign that will probably be fiercer this year.

“We are forgetting what previous campaigns looked like and what ‘weapons’ were used, there are at least no swear words now,” he pointed out.

But they are, however, mentioning god. Tadić said on Tuesday night: ““God forbid that SNS forms the next government, because I would still be president, and our policies would diverge. I am convinced, however, that it is an impossible scenario and that the citizens would realize that it is in their best interest that Serbia continues its path toward the EU instead of renewed isolation.”

Vučić has assessed that “the fact that he is calling on god to help him beat the SNS shows how scared Boris Tadić is and how much he is worried about his associates who have robbed Serbia, destroyed and ruined it in the privatization process and monopoly privileges.”

The SNS deputy leader pointed out that the president was trying to intimidate citizens into trusting him by accusing opposition, because he is afraid that he could lose his position but still wants to keep the privileges the DS has and called the DS a “privileged class”.

He also accused Tadić of controlling almost all Serbian media and that therefore nobody dared to say that there had been a drastic drop in production in the last several months.

DS deputy leader Jelena Trivan told Politika that her party always had the same, principled attitude toward the SNS.

“We believe that we are obligated to respond to lies and warn of moral and political credibility of those who criticize the government today. We consider it to be a hypocrisy that Vučić speaks about the freedom of media because he is now measuring the freedom with hours in the news, while journalists paid with their lives for the freedom in his time,” she pointed out and added that “democracy lessons cannot be given by a party which is trying to get to power with undemocratic and anti-European behavior, such as blackmail and suicide”.

The DS made a statement after Vučić's press conference, stressing that the SNS was only continuing to show a complete idea-lessness of its policy.

“Empty, loud accusations and even emptier political offer and lack of any moral legitimacy is SNS’ political platform,” it is said in the statement.

Vuletić believes that this is a fair political fight between the parties. He added that he would suggest them to do the exact same thing.

“Strong words are there in order to differentiate the two parties,” he said and pointed out that the fact that people had already started equalizing them a bit was a problem both for the DS and the SNS. He explained that citizens did not see significant differences between the two parties regarding key issues such as the EU, Kosovo and economic policy.

“Now both realize that they are aligning themselves in the same blocs with such policy. And when the two most powerful parties are that similar and there are talks about some post-elections alliances, people may say ‘I won’t vote for either of them, I’ll find someone else instead,” Vuletić was quoted as saying.

According to him, this is why they are trying to clearly separate themselves, to make it clear that the two parties are leading different political blocs and the way they are doing it is completely acceptable.