Elections yet to be called, parties weighing options

Parliamentary elections are yet to be scheduled in Serbia, but the country's political parties are continuing to discuss their potential coalition partners. The ruling Democrats (DS) thus on Friday said they would not once again join forces with either Mladjan Dinkic's United Regions of Serbia (URS), or Vuk Draskovic's Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO). Elections yet to be called, parties weighing options At the same time, the Liberal-Democrats (LDP) stated that although they formed the U-Turn Movement together, the party was "still not in coalition with the SPO and the Social-Democratic Union (SDU). Meanwhile, Rasim Ljajic's SDPS - seen as "the most desirable partner" by many - said they are " yet to decide" who to join in a coalition ahead of the election, expected to be scheduled for next spring. The Pensioner Party (PUPS) - now a part of the ruling coalition through their pre-election alliance with the Socialists (SPS) and United Serbia (JS) - said they would decide proceeding with "either new or old partners" by mid-January. DS-led parliamentary group whip Nada Kolundzija said on Friday that the Democrats would run the election race with the SDPS and the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV). She ruled out renewed alliance with the URS - i.e., G17 Plus - "because they decided to run alone" - as well as with the SPO - "because that party changed its political course on the issue Kosovo". SPO's Aleksandar Jugovic also spoke to reporters today to say that "a fake coalition idyll should not be maintained", if that were to put SPO's manifesto out of focus. "The SPO stands for unconditional European integrations," said this party officials. "We raun on the (DS-led) ZES list in 2008. We promised the people that Serbia would become a candidate and that we would move on the EU road. The condition for that is a change of the policy toward Kosovo and Metohija." United Regions of Serbia (URS) MP Vlajko Senic announced on Friday that the URS would run independently in the upcoming elections, but that it could consider a possible election coalition only with the Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDPS) headed by Rasim Ljajic. Senic told reporters in the parliament that the URS made decision on independent participation in the elections a year and a half ago, when it was formed. He said that the URS at this point does not see any party other than the Social Democratic Party of Serbia as a potential partner. "It is normal that after a joint government with the DS and in a completely different situation in which the country is now after four years, we are going to run independently," Senic concluded. The Serbian parliament in Belgrade (Tanjug)

Elections yet to be called, parties weighing options

At the same time, the Liberal-Democrats (LDP) stated that although they formed the U-Turn Movement together, the party was "still not in coalition with the SPO and the Social-Democratic Union (SDU).

Meanwhile, Rasim Ljajić's SDPS - seen as "the most desirable partner" by many - said they are " yet to decide" who to join in a coalition ahead of the election, expected to be scheduled for next spring.

The Pensioner Party (PUPS) - now a part of the ruling coalition through their pre-election alliance with the Socialists (SPS) and United Serbia (JS) - said they would decide proceeding with "either new or old partners" by mid-January.

DS-led parliamentary group whip Nada Kolundžija said on Friday that the Democrats would run the election race with the SDPS and the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV).

She ruled out renewed alliance with the URS - i.e., G17 Plus - "because they decided to run alone" - as well as with the SPO - "because that party changed its political course on the issue Kosovo".

SPO's Aleksandar Jugović also spoke to reporters today to say that "a fake coalition idyll should not be maintained", if that were to put SPO's manifesto out of focus.

"The SPO stands for unconditional European integrations," said this party officials. "We raun on the (DS-led) ZES list in 2008. We promised the people that Serbia would become a candidate and that we would move on the EU road. The condition for that is a change of the policy toward Kosovo and Metohija."

United Regions of Serbia (URS) MP Vlajko Senić announced on Friday that the URS would run independently in the upcoming elections, but that it could consider a possible election coalition only with the Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDPS) headed by Rasim Ljajić.

Senić told reporters in the parliament that the URS made decision on independent participation in the elections a year and a half ago, when it was formed.

He said that the URS at this point does not see any party other than the Social Democratic Party of Serbia as a potential partner.

"It is normal that after a joint government with the DS and in a completely different situation in which the country is now after four years, we are going to run independently," Senić concluded.