PM Dačić: No differences with first deputy

BELGRADE Serbian Prime Minister and SPS party leader Ivica Dacic has said that there had been no differences between him and his first deputy, Aleksandar Vucic. "There is no issue on which we hold diverging views," Dacic told Belgrade-based tabloid Blic in an interview, and clarified this was related "both to the fight against corruption and political questions". PM Dacic: No differences with first deputy "We must be more careful when we talk about the relations within the ruling coalition, because it could seem as if there are rifts between the SPS and the SNS," he said, and added that while there was competition "over who will be better", any other type of conflict would mean that "this government will certainly not exist". Dacic denied that the differences between the Socialists (SPS) and Vucic's Progressives (SNS) came to the fore after investigations were launched into companies headed by SPS members, and once again stated that the party "had no connection to Agrobanka". At the same time the premier noted that Socialists were not mangers at EPS, while there was "no type of investigation" being carried out into the business of Srbijagas, headed by his close party associate Dusan Bajatovic: "It was even reported that the money from Agrobanka ended up in the SPS, which is pure nonsense. Others benefited from Agrobanka. The investigation was being directed toward the branch that was thought to have connection with the SPS, but they had no connection to us." He specified that he had Habitfarm owner Radoslav "Lale" Sekulic in mind, and explained that the only connection between them was "that he knew people from the past whom he had worked with, who are active politically to this day". "It is tactically very good to throw red herrings, to redirect," observed Dacic. Asked whether it was Vucic who was "throwing red herrings", Dacic said the minister was not the one he had in mind, but that he was referring to "earlier investigations that were skillfully redirected toward smaller parties of the (former) ruling coalition, in order to keep them under control": "That's the way that proved to be successful. The MUP and the police will work with other services, with the Bureau for Coordination of Security Services, which is headed by Vucic. I believe that future investigation will not have a political segment." (Beta, file) Beta Blic

PM Dačić: No differences with first deputy

"We must be more careful when we talk about the relations within the ruling coalition, because it could seem as if there are rifts between the SPS and the SNS," he said, and added that while there was competition "over who will be better", any other type of conflict would mean that "this government will certainly not exist".

Dačić denied that the differences between the Socialists (SPS) and Vučić's Progressives (SNS) came to the fore after investigations were launched into companies headed by SPS members, and once again stated that the party "had no connection to Agrobanka".

At the same time the premier noted that Socialists were not mangers at EPS, while there was "no type of investigation" being carried out into the business of Srbijagas, headed by his close party associate Dušan Bajatović:

"It was even reported that the money from Agrobanka ended up in the SPS, which is pure nonsense. Others benefited from Agrobanka. The investigation was being directed toward the branch that was thought to have connection with the SPS, but they had no connection to us."

He specified that he had Habitfarm owner Radoslav "Lale" Sekulić in mind, and explained that the only connection between them was "that he knew people from the past whom he had worked with, who are active politically to this day".

"It is tactically very good to throw red herrings, to redirect," observed Dačić.

Asked whether it was Vučić who was "throwing red herrings", Dačić said the minister was not the one he had in mind, but that he was referring to "earlier investigations that were skillfully redirected toward smaller parties of the (former) ruling coalition, in order to keep them under control":

"That's the way that proved to be successful. The MUP and the police will work with other services, with the Bureau for Coordination of Security Services, which is headed by Vučić. I believe that future investigation will not have a political segment."