Ruling parties to talk reshuffle until weekend

BELGRADE The Socialists are ready to, as part of the cabinet reshuffle, "give away" the education ministry portfolio, Belgrade's Vecernje Novosti writes. But they at the same time want the new minister of education to be appointed from their ranks, according to the report. Ruling parties to talk reshuffle until weekend The Progressives (SNS) and the Socialists (SPS) are moving to finalize their agreement about the shape of the reconstructed government, and a series of consultations between Ivica Dacic and Aleksandar Vucic will beheld until the end of the week - within the parties, as well as with the candidates for new ministers, the newspaper writes. The last word on this will be given over the weekend by the presidencies of both parties. They will then send their proposals to the Serbian parliament, which is expected to discuss the reconstruction of the government on August 26. Prime Minister and Interior Minister and SNS leader Ivica Dacic told Vecernje Novosti that "all issues will be on the table, from the formation of new ministries, the rotation of existing departments, the possible entry of new partners into the government, to specific personnel decisions." The parties led by Jovan Krkobabic and Rasim Ljajic, the PUPS and the SDPS, say that they are not involved in discussions about the reconstruction of the government, and to wait to see the results of the agreement between the "two pillars" of the ruling coalition - the SPS and the SNS. Decisions will be made in the coming days about who will head ministries of education, transportation, economy, defense, culture, sports, agriculture and regional development. The coalition partners also need to agree whether to establish a separate ministry for EU integration, or have the work split between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office for EU Integration. The Progressives advocate, and this proposal is likely to come before the Socialists, that energy and mining should be merged, while the environment, which will be one of the most challenging areas in the future negotiations with the EU, should have a separate department. According to the newspaper, this outline of the future government is "more or less acceptable" to the Socialists, but they in recent days sent a clear signal that it is unlikely that Dacic will step down as interior minister. The Progressives also toned down their stance on this issue and said that they "at no point conditioned any of the coalition partners, including Dacic," with withdrawal from the MUP. (Tanjug, file) Vecernje novosti

Ruling parties to talk reshuffle until weekend

The Progressives (SNS) and the Socialists (SPS) are moving to finalize their agreement about the shape of the reconstructed government, and a series of consultations between Ivica Dačić and Aleksandar Vučić will beheld until the end of the week - within the parties, as well as with the candidates for new ministers, the newspaper writes.

The last word on this will be given over the weekend by the presidencies of both parties. They will then send their proposals to the Serbian parliament, which is expected to discuss the reconstruction of the government on August 26.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister and SNS leader Ivica Dačić told Večernje Novosti that "all issues will be on the table, from the formation of new ministries, the rotation of existing departments, the possible entry of new partners into the government, to specific personnel decisions."

The parties led by Jovan Krkobabić and Rasim Ljajić, the PUPS and the SDPS, say that they are not involved in discussions about the reconstruction of the government, and to wait to see the results of the agreement between the "two pillars" of the ruling coalition - the SPS and the SNS.

Decisions will be made in the coming days about who will head ministries of education, transportation, economy, defense, culture, sports, agriculture and regional development. The coalition partners also need to agree whether to establish a separate ministry for EU integration, or have the work split between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office for EU Integration.

The Progressives advocate, and this proposal is likely to come before the Socialists, that energy and mining should be merged, while the environment, which will be one of the most challenging areas in the future negotiations with the EU, should have a separate department.

According to the newspaper, this outline of the future government is "more or less acceptable" to the Socialists, but they in recent days sent a clear signal that it is unlikely that Dačić will step down as interior minister.

The Progressives also toned down their stance on this issue and said that they "at no point conditioned any of the coalition partners, including Dačić," with withdrawal from the MUP.