"SNS willing to join Democrats in power in Vojvodina"

"SNS willing to join Democrats in power in Vojvodina"

"It is true that a couple of months ago we would not join the DS in power, and now we are offering that option as well. Vojvodina needs elections because the still current DS authorities have completely lost their legitimacy. However, at this time, that is completely not rational for the whole of Serbia, and very difficult to carry out from the technical point of view," Knežević was quoted as saying.

He added that "the proposal of League of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) President Istvan Pasztor" about "a concentrated government" in the province was acceptable:

"It's not a bad idea. It means there would be a transitional govermnment that would have an expiry date, and in that determined time frame some legislation would be adopted and defined goals achieved. After that, provincial elections would be called."

Asked what would happen if the DS continued to reject cooperation with the SNS, Knežević replied, "Then we will make a transitional government without them."

Parties at odds

The Democratic Party (DS) finds the idea of forming a broad-based government in Vojvodina unacceptable, prime minister of the northern Serbian province and DS leader Bojan Pajtić said on Tuesday.

Leaders of the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM) Aleksandar Vučić and Istvan Pasztor, respectively, agreed on Monday that a broad-based government consisting of representatives of all parties should be formed in Vojvodina. The government would focus on specific tasks and remain in office until the next elections.

Pajtić, on the other hand, told Tanjug that forming “unnatural coalitions” and the SNS coming to power in Vojvodina would not bring any good to the province, and underlined that for that reason the DS advocates for a provincial government reshuffle.

According to Pajtić, the DS feels that the central government did not succeed in solving economic issues and drawing foreign investments, or in promoting the rule of law in Serbia.

All those who bear any responsibility in the country have a constitutional, legal and political obligation to cooperate on all levels of the government, regardless of whether they like a political structure or not, stressed Pajtić.

Vojvodina Assembly Deputy Speaker Djordje Milicevic of SNS told Tanjug that the Progressives believe that Vojvodina needs a new policy and a completely new provincial government.

"SNS will support any serious idea aimed at pulling Vojvodina out of the deep crisis brought on by the irresponsible and bad policy that the DS has pursued in the province over the past 14 years,” he said.

The talks which should ensue between all political parties in Vojvodina will reveal the conditions under which a broad-based government could be formed in the province, noted Milićević.

The League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) believes that a certain form of cooperation is needed between all political actors in the provincial administration, especially SNS and DS, in order to move away from a dead end, the party's deputy president Bojan Kostreš said.

He pointed out that all decisions of the provincial government as well as all the bills, including the bills on Vojvodina powers and funding, must be approved by the central government, or, in other words, supported by the SNS.

This means that the functioning of the province cannot continue without a broad political cooperation, said Kostreš. He recalled that the Statute of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina was adopted several months ago owing to the cooperation between the SNS and the DS, and added that he sees no reason why these parties could not continue to work together in the future.

The most important matter for the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) is the policy which a broad-based Vojvodina government would pursue, head of the party's provincial committee Milenko Jovanov said.

It is a long road from the idea to the forming of a broad-based government, he noted. "Some say that they do not accept this idea, and others set out absurd conditions,” he added, stressing that the DSS will present its final stand only when the tasks of such a government are made completely clear.

A coalition consisting of SVM, DS and LSV is in power in Vojvodina, while the SNS, the SPS-led coalition and the DSS are in opposition.