New MPs trade accusations; former ally slams Tadić

BELGRADE URS leader Mladjan Dinkic said today in parliament that he decided to take part in an SNS-led cabinet only after the Democrats (DS) moved to break up his party. The now opposition DS, and G17 Plus - which merged with several smaller parties to form the United Regions of Serbia (URS) - were coalition partners in the outgoing government, formed in 2008. New MPs trade accusations; former ally slams Tadic In the wake of the May 6 elections, Dinkic decided to join a ruling coalition with the Serb Progressives (SNS) and the Socialists (SPS), which removed the Democrats from power, while DS leader Boris Tadic lost his bid to be elected the country's president for a third term. Dinkic on Monday decided to explain why he switched sides, and said the decision came after Tadic offered the URS to participate in the next cabinet - but without Dinkic: "Once the DS started to break up the URS, offering them to join a government without their leader, and once they (DS) wished to continue with the same old policy, same old marketing, without any essence to it, the talks commenced (with the SNS) on forming a majority." Dinkic also wondered if election results would have been the same "had there not been for all the marketing and control over the media", and asserted that the Democrats would have fared even worse under different circumstances. "They were saying in their campaign that there must be no stopping and abandoning of their road, but it was not known that the road was," the URS leader continued, and placed the blame for the Democrats' current predicament on the shoulders of Boris Tadic: "If anyone's to be credited with the position that the DS find themselves in, it's Boris Tadic." The Democrats, continued Dinkic, four years ago had absolute power in Serbia, but missed their chance to carry out the necessary reforms. The DS was "afraid to cut red tape, let alone conduct reforms", he stated, and added that he was previously "condemned for criticizing the DS for their autism, for their failure to engage the business people, unions, the citizens of Serbia". Dinkic further blamed Tadic for his "naively joining a NIS (former state oil monopoly) working group believing that there was a desire to rectify the situation", and that he "accepted to sell NIS seven times under its value because Serbia would get South Stream": "Then Tadic demanded that I leave the working group. The essential question here is what Serbia gained for giving NIS away for seven times less than its price. I respect both Russia and Europe very much, but I love Serbia the most. The only logical explanation is that Tadic decided to gift NIS to the Russians, believing he would win in the second round of (2008) presidential elections". Dinkic also advised his former government partners to "look into their own mistakes", and said the DS left in its wake "a record budget deficit". The comments of the URS leader came as a stormy parliament session unfolded in Belgrade on Monday, triggered by a statement made by DS MP group chief Dragoljub Micunovic, who said he was doubtful that a government that is expected to be voted in shortly "would change things in the country", and added that "most of its members already served in previous cabinets". SNS leader and MP Aleksandar Vucic responded by saying that Micunovic was now "speaking badly of the same people with whom his party 20 days ago meant to form a (ruling) majority". MPs from other parties then weighed in with their accusations, reminding each other of the political alliances broken over the years, the insults that new allies traded while they were in opposing camps, political and criminal affairs, and unfulfilled promises - such as the highly controversial, election campaign-time promise championed by Dinkic, that the citizens would receive EUR 1,000 in free shares from privatizations of large state enterprises - including that of NIS. MPs Ivan Andric (LDP) and Slobodan Samardzic (DSS) unsuccessfully labored for over an hour to persuade their colleagues to end mutual accusations and proceed with the business at hand - election of the Serbian parliament's new speaker. New MPs are seen in parliament on Monday (Tanjug) B92 Beta Tanjug

New MPs trade accusations; former ally slams Tadić

In the wake of the May 6 elections, Dinkić decided to join a ruling coalition with the Serb Progressives (SNS) and the Socialists (SPS), which removed the Democrats from power, while DS leader Boris Tadić lost his bid to be elected the country's president for a third term.

Dinkić on Monday decided to explain why he switched sides, and said the decision came after Tadić offered the URS to participate in the next cabinet - but without Dinkić:

"Once the DS started to break up the URS, offering them to join a government without their leader, and once they (DS) wished to continue with the same old policy, same old marketing, without any essence to it, the talks commenced (with the SNS) on forming a majority."

Dinkić also wondered if election results would have been the same "had there not been for all the marketing and control over the media", and asserted that the Democrats would have fared even worse under different circumstances.

"They were saying in their campaign that there must be no stopping and abandoning of their road, but it was not known that the road was," the URS leader continued, and placed the blame for the Democrats' current predicament on the shoulders of Boris Tadić:

"If anyone's to be credited with the position that the DS find themselves in, it's Boris Tadić."

The Democrats, continued Dinkić, four years ago had absolute power in Serbia, but missed their chance to carry out the necessary reforms.

The DS was "afraid to cut red tape, let alone conduct reforms", he stated, and added that he was previously "condemned for criticizing the DS for their autism, for their failure to engage the business people, unions, the citizens of Serbia".

Dinkić further blamed Tadić for his "naively joining a NIS (former state oil monopoly) working group believing that there was a desire to rectify the situation", and that he "accepted to sell NIS seven times under its value because Serbia would get South Stream":

"Then Tadić demanded that I leave the working group. The essential question here is what Serbia gained for giving NIS away for seven times less than its price. I respect both Russia and Europe very much, but I love Serbia the most. The only logical explanation is that Tadić decided to gift NIS to the Russians, believing he would win in the second round of (2008) presidential elections".

Dinkić also advised his former government partners to "look into their own mistakes", and said the DS left in its wake "a record budget deficit".

The comments of the URS leader came as a stormy parliament session unfolded in Belgrade on Monday, triggered by a statement made by DS MP group chief Dragoljub Mićunović, who said he was doubtful that a government that is expected to be voted in shortly "would change things in the country", and added that "most of its members already served in previous cabinets".

SNS leader and MP Aleksandar Vučić responded by saying that Mićunović was now "speaking badly of the same people with whom his party 20 days ago meant to form a (ruling) majority".

MPs from other parties then weighed in with their accusations, reminding each other of the political alliances broken over the years, the insults that new allies traded while they were in opposing camps, political and criminal affairs, and unfulfilled promises - such as the highly controversial, election campaign-time promise championed by Dinkić, that the citizens would receive EUR 1,000 in free shares from privatizations of large state enterprises - including that of NIS.

MPs Ivan Andrić (LDP) and Slobodan Samardžić (DSS) unsuccessfully labored for over an hour to persuade their colleagues to end mutual accusations and proceed with the business at hand - election of the Serbian parliament's new speaker.