Call elections or face protests, warns opposition leader

SNS party is requesting urgent meetings with those in power in order to reach an agreement with the opposition regarding early parliamentary elections. The opposition party's leader, Tomislav Nikolic, told reporters in Belgrade on Monday that Serbia has never been in a worse condition, and warned that poverty and unemployment rates were increasing daily. Call elections or face protests, warns opposition leader On the other hand, Nikolic sees crime and corruption going unpunished and becoming part of our everyday lives. The SNS leader also announced that his party demanded a halt to the announced sale of Telekom Srbija state-owned telecommunications company, and dismissal of the director and editor-in-chief of the Belgrade-based TV and radio outlet Studio B, since he said they had become a tool in the hands of authorities. Nikolic also wants the government to determine who was responsible for the death of Ranko Panic and to punish them. Panic was a Serb Radical Party (SRS) activist who died after police beat him during a rally called in support of Radovan Karadzic. The rally took place in the summer of 2008, before Nikolic broke away from the Radicals to set up his own party, the Serb Progressives (SNS). Another demand that the party is delivering to those ruling the country pertains punishing those responsible for an election scandal in the town of Bor during local elections there earlier this year. Should these demands be ignored, Nikolic warned, his party would organize a large protest rally in Belgrade at the end of January of next year. The protest would be peaceful and democratic, and would last until the demands had been met, he said. Nikolic also noted that he did not expect Croatia to solve the issue of Croatian Serb refugees unless it comes under pressure from the EU, since “even the Serbs who live there do not have adequate status.” Commenting on the frequent visits of Serbian President Boris Tadic to Croatia, Nikolic said that “it is always good to talk.” “Still, SNS would have major reservations, because Croatia is not showing willingness to solve the problem of the Serbs it drove from their homes, and to do what Serbia did and offer an apology for operations Flash and Storm. The Serbian president is currently on an official visit to Zagreb, where a general agreement was reached Wednesday for a durable housing solution for the Serb refugees who want to return to Croatia. The first step, Tadic noted, will be an international donor conference. Nikolic and his SNS second-in-command Aleksandar Vucic address reporters (Tanjug)

Call elections or face protests, warns opposition leader

On the other hand, Nikolić sees crime and corruption going unpunished and becoming part of our everyday lives.

The SNS leader also announced that his party demanded a halt to the announced sale of Telekom Srbija state-owned telecommunications company, and dismissal of the director and editor-in-chief of the Belgrade-based TV and radio outlet Studio B, since he said they had become a tool in the hands of authorities.

Nikolić also wants the government to determine who was responsible for the death of Ranko Panić and to punish them. Panić was a Serb Radical Party (SRS) activist who died after police beat him during a rally called in support of Radovan Karadžić.

The rally took place in the summer of 2008, before Nikolić broke away from the Radicals to set up his own party, the Serb Progressives (SNS).

Another demand that the party is delivering to those ruling the country pertains punishing those responsible for an election scandal in the town of Bor during local elections there earlier this year.

Should these demands be ignored, Nikolić warned, his party would organize a large protest rally in Belgrade at the end of January of next year. The protest would be peaceful and democratic, and would last until the demands had been met, he said.

Nikolić also noted that he did not expect Croatia to solve the issue of Croatian Serb refugees unless it comes under pressure from the EU, since “even the Serbs who live there do not have adequate status.”

Commenting on the frequent visits of Serbian President Boris Tadić to Croatia, Nikolić said that “it is always good to talk.”

“Still, SNS would have major reservations, because Croatia is not showing willingness to solve the problem of the Serbs it drove from their homes, and to do what Serbia did and offer an apology for operations Flash and Storm.

The Serbian president is currently on an official visit to Zagreb, where a general agreement was reached Wednesday for a durable housing solution for the Serb refugees who want to return to Croatia.

The first step, Tadić noted, will be an international donor conference.