SNS, DSS team up on local, state level

Opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) have struck a cooperation deal on both local and state levels. This is according to a statement from SNS leader Tomislav Nikolic in Belgrade this Tuesday, regarding his talks with DSS President Vojislav Kostunica. SNS, DSS team up on local, state level "We brought up many issues, many topics, we agreed on the principles on which to base our future cooperation, and also the cooperation over forming of local authorities in municipalities," Nikolic told reporters gathered in Serbia's parliament. He specified that the two leaders agreed to act in unison in order to force early parliamentary elections, prevent adoption of the draft Vojvodina statute – since it clashes with the Constitution – and to make sure that as voters cast their ballots in the next elections, they simultaneously take part in a referendum on Serbia's NATO membership. "We have reached a high degree of understanding that we should and that we can form [local] governments perhaps in all three municipalities that had early elections. We agreed to wait for another two to three days for a formal response from the SRS," Nikolic said of his former party, the opposition Serb Radicals (SRS). Should this answer never arrive, the SNS and the DSS will "get down to work" to form municipal administrations in Zemun, Vozdovac and Kosjeric, he said, and added that other parties, including the ruling Socialists (SPS) are welcome to a power-sharing deal on the local level. Nikolic announced that he would meet with SPS leader Ivica Dacic "in several days' time", and noted that SPS' pre-parliamentary election partners PUPS and United Serbia (JS) "have already made their [positive] position known". Meanwhile, the DSS announced that Kostunica and Nikolic met and discussed the principles that would gather the opposition parliamentary parties with the goal of achieving changes in the country and Serbia's necessary internal renewal. The issue of local governments in the three municipalities was addressed as part of the said principles, the DSS announced.

SNS, DSS team up on local, state level

"We brought up many issues, many topics, we agreed on the principles on which to base our future cooperation, and also the cooperation over forming of local authorities in municipalities," Nikolić told reporters gathered in Serbia's parliament.

He specified that the two leaders agreed to act in unison in order to force early parliamentary elections, prevent adoption of the draft Vojvodina statute – since it clashes with the Constitution – and to make sure that as voters cast their ballots in the next elections, they simultaneously take part in a referendum on Serbia's NATO membership.

"We have reached a high degree of understanding that we should and that we can form [local] governments perhaps in all three municipalities that had early elections. We agreed to wait for another two to three days for a formal response from the SRS," Nikolić said of his former party, the opposition Serb Radicals (SRS).

Should this answer never arrive, the SNS and the DSS will "get down to work" to form municipal administrations in Zemun, Voždovac and Kosjerić, he said, and added that other parties, including the ruling Socialists (SPS) are welcome to a power-sharing deal on the local level.

Nikolić announced that he would meet with SPS leader Ivica Dačić "in several days' time", and noted that SPS' pre-parliamentary election partners PUPS and United Serbia (JS) "have already made their [positive] position known".

Meanwhile, the DSS announced that Koštunica and Nikolić met and discussed the principles that would gather the opposition parliamentary parties with the goal of achieving changes in the country and Serbia's necessary internal renewal.

The issue of local governments in the three municipalities was addressed as part of the said principles, the DSS announced.