"Foreigners won't be choosing our governments"

The opposition Serb Progressives (SNS) said on Tuesday that a future Serbian government they would participate in "would be chosen by the citizens of Serbia". It will not be chosen by any foreign country, whichever it may be, asserted deputy party leader Aleksandar Vucic. "Foreigners won't be choosing our governments" He addressed a news conference in Belgrade on Tuesday to say that his party "talked to everyone", including "Russians and Americans, the Chinese, the Japanese, Europeans", and that this communication was "constant" - but that he "did not wish to go into what somebody's wishes may be, nor to state what ideas were presented in those talks". Vucic's comments came as the Belgrade-based Blic daily reported that Americans had demanded from the Progressives that a future Serbian government should not include the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). "What I can say with utter certainty is that a future government that would include the SNS will be chosen by the citizens of Serbia. It will never be chosen by any foreign country, whether it's America, Russia, or any EU state, or anyone else," he said. According to the top party official, the media that carried the report today "previously wrote that the Progressives had no communication with Americans - now all of a sudden, we do". Speaking about the forthcoming elections, Vucic said that regardless of whether presidential, parliamentary and local elections are held at the same time, "the SNS has only one goal, and that is victory on all levels". He also said he wished "all the best to Fiat" - which today presented its new car model, to be produced in Serbia - that his party wanted to see the project succeed, but that the authorities acted "arrogantly - even disgustingly" in using it to benefit their election campaign. Vucic described that behavior as "more of the same", with the parties currently in power "using old tricks in their attempt to win the election", but added it was "all for nothing, because they are past their expiry date". Vucic also told reporters that he expected his party to become dominant on the local level and form local governments in as many as 100 municipalities - "either alone, or as part of a coalition". Aleksandar Vucic (Tanjug) Tanjug

"Foreigners won't be choosing our governments"

He addressed a news conference in Belgrade on Tuesday to say that his party "talked to everyone", including "Russians and Americans, the Chinese, the Japanese, Europeans", and that this communication was "constant" - but that he "did not wish to go into what somebody's wishes may be, nor to state what ideas were presented in those talks".

Vučić's comments came as the Belgrade-based Blic daily reported that Americans had demanded from the Progressives that a future Serbian government should not include the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).

"What I can say with utter certainty is that a future government that would include the SNS will be chosen by the citizens of Serbia. It will never be chosen by any foreign country, whether it's America, Russia, or any EU state, or anyone else," he said.

According to the top party official, the media that carried the report today "previously wrote that the Progressives had no communication with Americans - now all of a sudden, we do".

Speaking about the forthcoming elections, Vučić said that regardless of whether presidential, parliamentary and local elections are held at the same time, "the SNS has only one goal, and that is victory on all levels".

He also said he wished "all the best to Fiat" - which today presented its new car model, to be produced in Serbia - that his party wanted to see the project succeed, but that the authorities acted "arrogantly - even disgustingly" in using it to benefit their election campaign.

Vučić described that behavior as "more of the same", with the parties currently in power "using old tricks in their attempt to win the election", but added it was "all for nothing, because they are past their expiry date".

Vučić also told reporters that he expected his party to become dominant on the local level and form local governments in as many as 100 municipalities - "either alone, or as part of a coalition".