Tadić: No rift over new PM, govt. next week

The leader of the Democrats (DS), Boris Tadic, says his decision on who to name as the candidate for prime minister has not caused a split within his party. Earlier this week, he announced that Mirko Cvetkovic is the candidate for the top job in the next cabinet. The media reported about rifts within the DS over this appointment. Tadic: No rift over new PM, govt. next week Tadic, who is also Serbia's president, told FoNet news agency that the same political forces that will form the government will rule Belgrade on the local level. His five-party pre-election coalition, known as "For a European Serbia", is negotiating a new cabinet with the SPS-PUPS-JS. However, at the end of May, the Socialist-led political group signed a Belgrade deal with the SRS-DSS-NS. Tadic claims that he said as early as the campaign for the May 11 elections that a non-partisan personality would be best suited to the post of the next premier, which he says is now confirmed with the choice of Cvetkovic. Two high ranking DS officials, Bojan Pajtic and Vuk Jeremic, were also his candidates, Tadic continued, and stressed that his decision came "after careful deliberation and analysis, in order to minimize the possibility of making a mistake". "I have consulted with all parties, as well as within the DS, and have made a decision afterwards, which is the Serbian president's constitutional responsibility," he said, and added that the issue of the nominee for the post of premier "is above parties", as well as that his own role in the DS "will never come first compared to the state role". A dynamic discussion was led within the DS over the name of the next premier, he continued, but denied there was a vote on the issue or divisions over preferred candidates. "There were no rifts or conflicts, but there will always be vigorous and lively discussion in the DS, after which come decisions beneficial for the state," said Tadic. According to him, Pajtic, Jeremic, "and above all Cvetkovic" were "his candidates the whole time", rather than candidates of "some group or part of the DS". As for some other names mentioned earlier, Tadic said that Bozidar Djelic will continue work on European integrations, while Dusan Petrovic will in the future be involved in building the party. "We can't all be in executive government, we must distribute our duties," he explained. The first task for the next government and prime minister will be to emerge as one team and one organism, Tadic said, and added that while he personally was against any increase in the number of portfolios, "aspirations grow when many parties participate in a cabinet". "I believe the government will have a full mandate, at the end of which we will be on the verge of EU membership." The president commented on particular ministries in the likely new cabinet, to say that outgoing defense chief, Dragan Sutanovac, DS, did an excellent job at the helm of the ministry of defense, and will continue along the same line once he is in charge of the Army's "modernization and training methods". According to him, the ministries of finance and justice will be very important, "to be led by non-partisan persons", while the Kosovo ministry should be headed by "people who come from there". Such a government can be expected mid-next week, Tadic said, at the same time rejecting criticism from some quarters that he had been too lenient toward the Socialists, saying that "only citizens, not political parties, not even the DS" can be the judge of his behavior. Asked who will in the future head the civilian state security agency, BIA, Tadic said that this should be a professional figure, with experience in the sector, and added that the solution will be along those line. "As for the SPS, I have strong respect for their decision to travel the road from political opposition to political partnership," Tadic said of late Slobodan Milosevic's party, in power in Serbia throughout the 1990s. "The SPS is welcome in a new Serbian government and the SPS personnel solutions can only contribute to our country's political stability." He rejected criticism of his recent speech at the DS main board session, when he said both his party and the SPS "share the same pain" over their now deceased leaders. Milosevic died of a heart attack in a Hague Tribunal cell, undergoing a war crimes trial, while assassins with criminal and secret service background killed Zoran Djindjic while he was the serving prime minister. Any equation between the two, Tadic explained today, "is completely impossible and nonsensical, because we have been and have remained great opponents in the past, but we can become partners in the future". A new time, a completely new era is coming, and those who do not feel it, do not understand politics, or the citizens' needs, he went on to say. As for the local Belgrade authorities, Tadic said that "the principle used in forming a majority in parliament will be used while constituting the Belgrade authorities". "It's impossible to efficiently run Serbia unless the heart of this system is in direct coordination with the government and unless there is the same structure of power in Belgrade and in the Republic," he was quoted as saying. Asked whether this has already been agreed on with the SPS, who are tied in a deal with the SRS-DSS-NS, Tadic that "it will be enough for the quiet waters to dissolve the rock", and that this issue should not cause uproar, but that "results should be awaited". Boris Tadic (FoNet)

Tadić: No rift over new PM, govt. next week

Tadić, who is also Serbia's president, told FoNet news agency that the same political forces that will form the government will rule Belgrade on the local level.

His five-party pre-election coalition, known as "For a European Serbia", is negotiating a new cabinet with the SPS-PUPS-JS. However, at the end of May, the Socialist-led political group signed a Belgrade deal with the SRS-DSS-NS.

Tadić claims that he said as early as the campaign for the May 11 elections that a non-partisan personality would be best suited to the post of the next premier, which he says is now confirmed with the choice of Cvetković.

Two high ranking DS officials, Bojan Pajtić and Vuk Jeremić, were also his candidates, Tadić continued, and stressed that his decision came "after careful deliberation and analysis, in order to minimize the possibility of making a mistake".

"I have consulted with all parties, as well as within the DS, and have made a decision afterwards, which is the Serbian president's constitutional responsibility," he said, and added that the issue of the nominee for the post of premier "is above parties", as well as that his own role in the DS "will never come first compared to the state role".

A dynamic discussion was led within the DS over the name of the next premier, he continued, but denied there was a vote on the issue or divisions over preferred candidates.

"There were no rifts or conflicts, but there will always be vigorous and lively discussion in the DS, after which come decisions beneficial for the state," said Tadić.

According to him, Pajtić, Jeremić, "and above all Cvetković" were "his candidates the whole time", rather than candidates of "some group or part of the DS".

As for some other names mentioned earlier, Tadić said that Božidar Đelić will continue work on European integrations, while Dušan Petrović will in the future be involved in building the party.

"We can't all be in executive government, we must distribute our duties," he explained.

The first task for the next government and prime minister will be to emerge as one team and one organism, Tadić said, and added that while he personally was against any increase in the number of portfolios, "aspirations grow when many parties participate in a cabinet".

"I believe the government will have a full mandate, at the end of which we will be on the verge of EU membership."

The president commented on particular ministries in the likely new cabinet, to say that outgoing defense chief, Dragan Šutanovac, DS, did an excellent job at the helm of the ministry of defense, and will continue along the same line once he is in charge of the Army's "modernization and training methods".

According to him, the ministries of finance and justice will be very important, "to be led by non-partisan persons", while the Kosovo ministry should be headed by "people who come from there".

Such a government can be expected mid-next week, Tadić said, at the same time rejecting criticism from some quarters that he had been too lenient toward the Socialists, saying that "only citizens, not political parties, not even the DS" can be the judge of his behavior.

Asked who will in the future head the civilian state security agency, BIA, Tadić said that this should be a professional figure, with experience in the sector, and added that the solution will be along those line.

"As for the SPS, I have strong respect for their decision to travel the road from political opposition to political partnership," Tadić said of late Slobodan Milošević's party, in power in Serbia throughout the 1990s.

"The SPS is welcome in a new Serbian government and the SPS personnel solutions can only contribute to our country's political stability."

He rejected criticism of his recent speech at the DS main board session, when he said both his party and the SPS "share the same pain" over their now deceased leaders.

Milošević died of a heart attack in a Hague Tribunal cell, undergoing a war crimes trial, while assassins with criminal and secret service background killed Zoran Đinđić while he was the serving prime minister.

Any equation between the two, Tadić explained today, "is completely impossible and nonsensical, because we have been and have remained great opponents in the past, but we can become partners in the future".

A new time, a completely new era is coming, and those who do not feel it, do not understand politics, or the citizens' needs, he went on to say.

As for the local Belgrade authorities, Tadić said that "the principle used in forming a majority in parliament will be used while constituting the Belgrade authorities".

"It's impossible to efficiently run Serbia unless the heart of this system is in direct coordination with the government and unless there is the same structure of power in Belgrade and in the Republic," he was quoted as saying.

Asked whether this has already been agreed on with the SPS, who are tied in a deal with the SRS-DSS-NS, Tadić that "it will be enough for the quiet waters to dissolve the rock", and that this issue should not cause uproar, but that "results should be awaited".