Nikolić “does not expect elections before mid-2013”

BELGRADE Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has stated that he does not expect early elections to take place “at least before mid-2013”. He stressed that politicians were the most responsible for the disastrous situation in the country and economy and that they therefore must not give up on combat against corruption. Nikolic “does not expect elections before mid-2013” According to the president “not a single case, not even the case of (Delta Holding owner Miroslav) Miskovic should shake the government”. “Politicians have made such a meaningless country out of Serbia. There never would have been this much corruption and crime, bribery, citizens’ dissatisfaction with their lives if the politicians had not wanted it. Therefore, the politicians need to be dealt with first,” he stressed. He said that it was not fair to describe investigations against politicians as “witch-hunts” and “persecutions”, just like it was not fair to view probes against certain wealthy people as an attack on all rich people. Nikolic stressed that the investigations, including the one against Miskovic, would not “drag out for 10 or 15 years”. “These cases need to be completely clear and clean, just like in the case of politicians, but when they are clear and clean, then one must not hesitate and nobody must be protected,” he explained. “The government cannot fall because it is fighting crime. Otherwise, there would be something wrong there and such government should not have been formed in the first place,” the president said. However, the president has not ruled out a possibility of early parliamentary elections taking place next year. He noted that he did not expect them to be held before mid-2013, when it would be known whether the EU had decided to negotiate with Serbia or not. “We need a government that will fulfill the assumed obligations and at the same time secure that people have completely peaceful and stable lives in Serbia and insist that negotiations with Albanians continue in accordance with the platform and principles,” Nikolic said. He said that it was obvious that the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had the biggest chance to have success in the early elections but that the SNS was a serious and responsible party that “knows what five months without the government would mean”. “That’s five months without decisions, without assuming responsibility, five months of running around Serbia, making promises and going into stalls, fields, woods and it leads to a possibility to miss the most important thing – the EU and the fate of Kosovo and Metohija which are connected. I do not expect someone, at least not in the first half of the year, who has just gotten the power to leave. After that, it will depend on how parliament and Serbian citizens will decide. I will agree with everything,” the president said. He pointed out that Serbia would not be a cause of instability in the region but that it would keep its dignity. “Nobody can spit on Serbia and accuse it of crimes, let alone accuse the entire people for the crimes of one individual because Serbs were the victims too,” Nikolic noted. “Some Serbs were criminals but many Serbs were victims of crimes committed by other people. If we can place a thick layer of concrete over it, like you put on a fallout shelter, and move on, so it can be a foundation for our new relations, then fine but if Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina want to burden our relations forever, there is nothing we can do about it,” he underscored. He added that Serbia was ready to establish good relations with both Bosnia and Croatia as soon as they were willing to do so. The president pointed out that there were no top-level meetings was because “people leading the two countries do not want to cooperate with Serbia and their excuse is Tomislav Nikolic”. “They are looking for an excuse not to cooperate with Serbia. Croatia has a genocide lawsuit, has an open road to the EU, the only thing left is to start negotiating about Serbs’ property, overdue pensions, seized apartments, about the Storm that Croatia celebrates instead of mourns like Serbia mourns over Srebrenica because it would have been much easier if Srebrenica had not happened,” the president said. He said that he was not obstructing the regional cooperation and reconciliation, adding that he had sent an official invitation to a meeting to Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and that he had informed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule but that he had not received any response. He said that the meeting was supposed to be held in Montenegro but that the acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj had disturbed the plans. Nikolic stressed that Serbia’s relations with Slovenia and Macedonia were excellent and that a historical agreement had been reached with Hungary. He stated that there was “absolute unity between the Presidency and the government regarding priorities”. Tomislav Nikolic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Nikolić “does not expect elections before mid-2013”

According to the president “not a single case, not even the case of (Delta Holding owner Miroslav) Mišković should shake the government”.

“Politicians have made such a meaningless country out of Serbia. There never would have been this much corruption and crime, bribery, citizens’ dissatisfaction with their lives if the politicians had not wanted it. Therefore, the politicians need to be dealt with first,” he stressed.

He said that it was not fair to describe investigations against politicians as “witch-hunts” and “persecutions”, just like it was not fair to view probes against certain wealthy people as an attack on all rich people.

Nikolić stressed that the investigations, including the one against Mišković, would not “drag out for 10 or 15 years”.

“These cases need to be completely clear and clean, just like in the case of politicians, but when they are clear and clean, then one must not hesitate and nobody must be protected,” he explained.

“The government cannot fall because it is fighting crime. Otherwise, there would be something wrong there and such government should not have been formed in the first place,” the president said.

However, the president has not ruled out a possibility of early parliamentary elections taking place next year. He noted that he did not expect them to be held before mid-2013, when it would be known whether the EU had decided to negotiate with Serbia or not.

“We need a government that will fulfill the assumed obligations and at the same time secure that people have completely peaceful and stable lives in Serbia and insist that negotiations with Albanians continue in accordance with the platform and principles,” Nikolić said.

He said that it was obvious that the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had the biggest chance to have success in the early elections but that the SNS was a serious and responsible party that “knows what five months without the government would mean”.

“That’s five months without decisions, without assuming responsibility, five months of running around Serbia, making promises and going into stalls, fields, woods and it leads to a possibility to miss the most important thing – the EU and the fate of Kosovo and Metohija which are connected. I do not expect someone, at least not in the first half of the year, who has just gotten the power to leave. After that, it will depend on how parliament and Serbian citizens will decide. I will agree with everything,” the president said.

He pointed out that Serbia would not be a cause of instability in the region but that it would keep its dignity.

“Nobody can spit on Serbia and accuse it of crimes, let alone accuse the entire people for the crimes of one individual because Serbs were the victims too,” Nikolić noted.

“Some Serbs were criminals but many Serbs were victims of crimes committed by other people. If we can place a thick layer of concrete over it, like you put on a fallout shelter, and move on, so it can be a foundation for our new relations, then fine but if Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina want to burden our relations forever, there is nothing we can do about it,” he underscored.

He added that Serbia was ready to establish good relations with both Bosnia and Croatia as soon as they were willing to do so. The president pointed out that there were no top-level meetings was because “people leading the two countries do not want to cooperate with Serbia and their excuse is Tomislav Nikolić”.

“They are looking for an excuse not to cooperate with Serbia. Croatia has a genocide lawsuit, has an open road to the EU, the only thing left is to start negotiating about Serbs’ property, overdue pensions, seized apartments, about the Storm that Croatia celebrates instead of mourns like Serbia mourns over Srebrenica because it would have been much easier if Srebrenica had not happened,” the president said.

He said that he was not obstructing the regional cooperation and reconciliation, adding that he had sent an official invitation to a meeting to Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga and that he had informed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule but that he had not received any response.

He said that the meeting was supposed to be held in Montenegro but that the acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj had disturbed the plans.

Nikolić stressed that Serbia’s relations with Slovenia and Macedonia were excellent and that a historical agreement had been reached with Hungary.

He stated that there was “absolute unity between the Presidency and the government regarding priorities”.