Tadić: Koštunica won't be PM in DS govt.

President Boris Tadic says that Vojislav Kostunica won’t be prime minister in a new Democratic Party (DS) government. The DS leader told daily Blic that he could cooperate with anyone who was prepared to adjust their policies in accomplishing two goals—accelerated European integration and the resumption of a united state policy for preserving the state’s integrity. Tadic: Kostunica won't be PM in DS govt. “I refuse to cooperate with those who would take Serbia into isolation,” he said, adding that he would not shut the door on anyone who could help achieve those two aims. Asked whether he believed Kostunica, the outgoing prime minister and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) leader, could form a government with the Serb Radical Party (SRS), Tadic replied that that danger had existed “all these years,“ and that he had always been concerned by the DSS’s refusal to rule out such an agreement with the Radicals. “The DSS’s effective renunciation of European integration principles led to the government’s fall. So, all the parties that have said recently that they want to work with the principles on which the previous government was based, and receive the confidence of the citizens, are welcome,“ Tadic explained. The president said that these did not include parties that refused to give their support to the clear European option and the defense of Kosovo in the second round of the recent presidential elections. “Here, I’m talking about the DSS, New Serbia and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). I leave the possibility open for them to change their position, but they are clearly indecisive at the moment, and are thinking more about their election result, than about the mission that faces Serbia,” he surmised. Tadic said that an agreement had been reached for the DS to stand on a joint ticket with Rasim Ljajic’s Sandzak Democratic Party at the elections, and that talks were under way with G17 Plus. “Whether we’ll stand individually or together is a technical matter, and we’ll see what the best solution is. In any case, G17 is a potential partner for the DS after the elections,” said the president. He pointed out that the upcoming elections would be another opportunity to confirm that Serbia wanted to join the EU. “There are political parties that cannot openly say that they do not support a European future, but that tried to halt the country’s integration a few days ago by abusing the issue of preservation of the country’s integrity,” Tadic claimed. The DS leader said that certain parties had worked directly to prevent Serbia’s EU entry, and that there were no essential differences between the parties when it came to defending Kosovo. “We are in favor of protecting Kosovo, and I’m sure that we can only enter the EU together with Kosovo,” he concluded. Boris Tadic (FoNet, archive)

Tadić: Koštunica won't be PM in DS govt.

“I refuse to cooperate with those who would take Serbia into isolation,” he said, adding that he would not shut the door on anyone who could help achieve those two aims.

Asked whether he believed Koštunica, the outgoing prime minister and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) leader, could form a government with the Serb Radical Party (SRS), Tadić replied that that danger had existed “all these years,“ and that he had always been concerned by the DSS’s refusal to rule out such an agreement with the Radicals.

“The DSS’s effective renunciation of European integration principles led to the government’s fall. So, all the parties that have said recently that they want to work with the principles on which the previous government was based, and receive the confidence of the citizens, are welcome,“ Tadić explained.

The president said that these did not include parties that refused to give their support to the clear European option and the defense of Kosovo in the second round of the recent presidential elections.

“Here, I’m talking about the DSS, New Serbia and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). I leave the possibility open for them to change their position, but they are clearly indecisive at the moment, and are thinking more about their election result, than about the mission that faces Serbia,” he surmised.

Tadić said that an agreement had been reached for the DS to stand on a joint ticket with Rasim Ljajić’s Sandžak Democratic Party at the elections, and that talks were under way with G17 Plus.

“Whether we’ll stand individually or together is a technical matter, and we’ll see what the best solution is. In any case, G17 is a potential partner for the DS after the elections,” said the president.

He pointed out that the upcoming elections would be another opportunity to confirm that Serbia wanted to join the EU.

“There are political parties that cannot openly say that they do not support a European future, but that tried to halt the country’s integration a few days ago by abusing the issue of preservation of the country’s integrity,” Tadić claimed.

The DS leader said that certain parties had worked directly to prevent Serbia’s EU entry, and that there were no essential differences between the parties when it came to defending Kosovo.

“We are in favor of protecting Kosovo, and I’m sure that we can only enter the EU together with Kosovo,” he concluded.