Showbiz manager's appointment upsets coalition

BELGRADE The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and United Regions of Serbia (URS) have traded accusations over appointment of show business manager Sasa Mirkovic. Mirkovic has recently been appointed assistant transport minister. Showbiz manager's appointment upsets coalition The SNS will hold a session on Saturday and Mirkovic has in the meantime strongly criticized Finance and Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic. The Progressives will hold a session behind closed doors but it is clear that they will discuss their relations with coalition partners. The emergency session was called after a request had been made to prepare a response to Dinkic’s statement that he would never hire Mirkovic. However, the show business manager has already made a statement, accusing the finance minister of “destroying the Serbian economy”. Mirkovic, who is an SNS Main Board member, told a press conference in Zajecar on Friday that he would never accept being an assistant finance minister. “Dinkic could never hire me as his assistant because I have always worked with top stars and not with failed musicians,” he said, referring to the finance minister’s hobby of guitar playing. Mirkovic added that he would never work for the ministry led by Dinkic, “a man who has destroyed the Serbian economy”. The show business manager refused to tell reporters from which Faculty of Law he had graduated. Dinkic has in the meantime tried to calm things down, claiming that his personal stance “should not be taken to an inter-party level”. He stressed that he had good cooperation with President Tomislav Nikolic and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic, just like the “URS and SNS have good cooperation”. The Serbian government has confirmed that Mirkovic has been appointed the new assistant transport minister. Mirkovic told B92 that he was qualified for the job thanks to his “organization abilities”. Dinkic said initially, commenting on the appointment, that “every minister chooses their associates” and that he personally would never hire Mirkovic. “Sasa Mirkovic was nominated by the SNS. Who else would nominate him? He meets the conditions that exist in the systematization, he has a law degree, he has 20 years of experience. He will now take care of clearing snow from roads,” Transport Minister Milutin Mrkonjic explained. However, Mirkovic told daily Blic that he would be in charge of internal control. SNS deputy leader Zorana Mihajlovic requested after Dinkic’s statement that SNS leader Aleksandar Vucic call an emergency session of the SNS Presidency. “Let’s see how to respond to our coalition partners whose staff was appointed by the previous government, who are still in their positions and there are serious indications that they are involved in numerous affairs,” she said and noted that Dinkic’s statement represented an “unbelievable lack of any criticism criteria”. Mihajlovic added that “a driver he used to be in the coalition with and who is now Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas’ assistant did not bother Minister Dinkic”. Mirkovic was a manager of pop singer Marija Serifovic when she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007. In the last several years he has been in constant conflict with URS municipal officials in the eastern town of Bor over control of local TV stations. Mirkovic recorded irregularities in the work of Zajecar’s Municipal Electoral Commission during the May 6 election. After the elections, he was mentioned in media as one of the candidates for a director of the Civil Aviation Directorate. Sasa Mirkovic (Image made from video, B92) B92 Beta Tanjug

Showbiz manager's appointment upsets coalition

The SNS will hold a session on Saturday and Mirković has in the meantime strongly criticized Finance and Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić.

The Progressives will hold a session behind closed doors but it is clear that they will discuss their relations with coalition partners.

The emergency session was called after a request had been made to prepare a response to Dinkić’s statement that he would never hire Mirković. However, the show business manager has already made a statement, accusing the finance minister of “destroying the Serbian economy”.

Mirković, who is an SNS Main Board member, told a press conference in Zaječar on Friday that he would never accept being an assistant finance minister.

“Dinkić could never hire me as his assistant because I have always worked with top stars and not with failed musicians,” he said, referring to the finance minister’s hobby of guitar playing.

Mirković added that he would never work for the ministry led by Dinkić, “a man who has destroyed the Serbian economy”.

The show business manager refused to tell reporters from which Faculty of Law he had graduated.

Dinkić has in the meantime tried to calm things down, claiming that his personal stance “should not be taken to an inter-party level”. He stressed that he had good cooperation with President Tomislav Nikolić and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vučić, just like the “URS and SNS have good cooperation”.

The Serbian government has confirmed that Mirković has been appointed the new assistant transport minister. Mirković told B92 that he was qualified for the job thanks to his “organization abilities”.

Dinkić said initially, commenting on the appointment, that “every minister chooses their associates” and that he personally would never hire Mirković.

“Saša Mirković was nominated by the SNS. Who else would nominate him? He meets the conditions that exist in the systematization, he has a law degree, he has 20 years of experience. He will now take care of clearing snow from roads,” Transport Minister Milutin Mrkonjić explained.

However, Mirković told daily Blic that he would be in charge of internal control.

SNS deputy leader Zorana Mihajlović requested after Dinkić’s statement that SNS leader Aleksandar Vučić call an emergency session of the SNS Presidency.

“Let’s see how to respond to our coalition partners whose staff was appointed by the previous government, who are still in their positions and there are serious indications that they are involved in numerous affairs,” she said and noted that Dinkić’s statement represented an “unbelievable lack of any criticism criteria”.

Mihajlović added that “a driver he used to be in the coalition with and who is now Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas’ assistant did not bother Minister Dinkić”.

Mirković was a manager of pop singer Marija Šerifović when she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007. In the last several years he has been in constant conflict with URS municipal officials in the eastern town of Bor over control of local TV stations.

Mirković recorded irregularities in the work of Zaječar’s Municipal Electoral Commission during the May 6 election.

After the elections, he was mentioned in media as one of the candidates for a director of the Civil Aviation Directorate.