Nikolić says his victory will help Serbia "learn truth"

Tomislav Nikolic says he wants to win in the presidential runoff in order for the truth about election fraud, privatizations and affairs to come to light. The leader of the SNS and Boris Tadic, who heads the Democratic Party (DS), will run in the second round of elections next Sunday, May 20. Nikolic says his victory will help Serbia "learn truth" "I wish to achieve victory over Tadic as that is the best way for Serbia to find out the real truth about the regime's election fraud, but also about thieving privatizations, shut-down factories and affairs that have been destroying our country," Nikolic said in an interview for the Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti. Nikolic - who won 25.05 percent of the vote in the first round, against Tadic's 25.31 percent - said he "can beat Tadic", and that it would be "a great sin to leave the state in his hands". He also expressed his conviction that the citizens "would not choose their own calamity" - i.e., elect Tadic to office for a third term. Despite the accusations of first round election fraud leveled by the Progressives against the Democrats, Nikolic decided not to drop out of the presidential race, and told the newspaper he made this decision because otherwise he would have shown "cowardice and indecision, and allowed Tadic to win a new presidential mandate without a fight": "I have no right to boycott the elections because people in Serbia want changes, not a retreat. And besides, I vowed that I will never gain power in the streets, nor will anyone die, or cry, because of my actions." Tomislav Nikolic (Tanjug, file) "No violence" SNS party deputy leader Aleksandar Vucic stated on Monday that there will be no violence at the rallies staged by the party. Vucic told that to the press commenting on a statement issued by the Democratic Party, which says that SNS leader Tomislav Nikolic had called for violence by saying that "he will defend every vote physically". Vucic added that the Democrats "are hypocrites, since they came to power by violence, beating people and burning the parliament." When it comes to the Republic Electoral Commission's (RIK) statement that there was no fixing of election results on May 6, Vucic said that the report, which the police wrote based on the electoral material handed over by the Progressives', does not match with data from any polling station in Pancevo. Therefore, said Vucic, I do not see how the Public Prosecutor's Office came to such a conclusion. In front of the RIK building, Vucic showed the record of seized items to reporters, which states how many ballot papers the SNS handed over to the police and the prosecutor's office. Vucic called on the citizens to go to the polls on May 20, support Nikolic and thus, as he put it, prevent courts and prosecutor's offices from being "partisan institutions". Beta Tanjug Vecernje novosti

Nikolić says his victory will help Serbia "learn truth"

"I wish to achieve victory over Tadić as that is the best way for Serbia to find out the real truth about the regime's election fraud, but also about thieving privatizations, shut-down factories and affairs that have been destroying our country," Nikolić said in an interview for the Belgrade daily Večernje Novosti.

Nikolić - who won 25.05 percent of the vote in the first round, against Tadić's 25.31 percent - said he "can beat Tadić", and that it would be "a great sin to leave the state in his hands".

He also expressed his conviction that the citizens "would not choose their own calamity" - i.e., elect Tadić to office for a third term.

Despite the accusations of first round election fraud leveled by the Progressives against the Democrats, Nikolić decided not to drop out of the presidential race, and told the newspaper he made this decision because otherwise he would have shown "cowardice and indecision, and allowed Tadić to win a new presidential mandate without a fight":

"I have no right to boycott the elections because people in Serbia want changes, not a retreat. And besides, I vowed that I will never gain power in the streets, nor will anyone die, or cry, because of my actions."

"No violence"

SNS party deputy leader Aleksandar Vučić stated on Monday that there will be no violence at the rallies staged by the party.

Vučić told that to the press commenting on a statement issued by the Democratic Party, which says that SNS leader Tomislav Nikolić had called for violence by saying that "he will defend every vote physically".

Vučić added that the Democrats "are hypocrites, since they came to power by violence, beating people and burning the parliament."

When it comes to the Republic Electoral Commission's (RIK) statement that there was no fixing of election results on May 6, Vučić said that the report, which the police wrote based on the electoral material handed over by the Progressives', does not match with data from any polling station in Pančevo.

Therefore, said Vučić, I do not see how the Public Prosecutor's Office came to such a conclusion.

In front of the RIK building, Vučić showed the record of seized items to reporters, which states how many ballot papers the SNS handed over to the police and the prosecutor's office.

Vučić called on the citizens to go to the polls on May 20, support Nikolić and thus, as he put it, prevent courts and prosecutor's offices from being "partisan institutions".