Democrats yet to decide on candidate for PM

The Democratic Party (DS) on Friday announced that it would negotiate to form a government with the coalition gathered around the Socialists Party (SPS). Despite reports earlier in the day that a meeting of the DS presidency would also decide on the party's candidate for prime minister, this decision was not reached. Democrats yet to decide on candidate for PM DS leader Boris Tadic was mentioned as the likely candidate for premiership. But addressing reporters after the party meeting which lasted for three hours on Friday afternoon, Tadic said that negotiations with coalition partners would continue in a bid to form Serbia's new government, while a decision on who will head that government "will be made soon". "I know you're interested to learn who will be prime minister, but we'll first talk about the program of the new government, while the decision on the PM candidate will be made soon," he said. Tadic also stated that the most important goal of a new government should be "the start of membership negotiations with the European Union", and that "reforms and fight against organized crime should continue". The DS leader, who was on May 20 seeking his third term in office as Serbia's president when he suffered defeat at the hands of Tomislav Nikolic (SNS), also noted that another goal of Serbia's new cabinet must be "a society that's as fair as possible, and closer relations between the authorities and the citizens". The DS presidency met in its "core" format, with only Tadic, his party deputy Dragan Djilas, DS vice-presidents Dusan Petrovic, Bojan Pajtic and Dragan Sutanovac, and DS Political Council Chair Dragoljub Micunovic in attendance. Boris Tadic addresses reporters on Friday (Tanjug) "All will be clear in next few days" Earlier on Friday, high ranking party official Oliver Dulic told journalists that the Democratic Party (DS) would today nominate its candidate for prime minister. Speaking in the eastern Serbian town of Bor on Friday, he added that "everything will be clear in the next few days about the future coalition that will form the government". He avoided answering whether it was possible for the DS and Serb Progressive Party (SNS) to form an alliance to that end. Dulic stated the government would be formed "between coalition partners who had agreed about its formation". The DS and Socialist Party of Serbia reached a general agreement on May 8 on forming a parliamentary majority. Dulic told reporters today that he expected the pace of the talks to be much faster than when earlier governments were formed. "This country has no time to lose. Each day without a government would have great consequences, and I expect everyone to show great responsibility for the tasks awaiting us in the future," he noted. Serbia will soon get stable institutions and cooperation between all the elected government bodies will function as best it can, and in the interest of the people, Dulic stated. Commenting on Socialist Party of Serbia leader Ivica Dacic's statements that western countries were pushing for a government formed by the DS and Serb Progressive Party, Dulic said that "other countries or powerful foreign economic lobbies had never formed the government in Serbia" but that this was done by political parties who won elections. "That is how it is going to be this time as well," he added. B92 Beta Tanjug

Democrats yet to decide on candidate for PM

DS leader Boris Tadić was mentioned as the likely candidate for premiership.

But addressing reporters after the party meeting which lasted for three hours on Friday afternoon, Tadić said that negotiations with coalition partners would continue in a bid to form Serbia's new government, while a decision on who will head that government "will be made soon".

"I know you're interested to learn who will be prime minister, but we'll first talk about the program of the new government, while the decision on the PM candidate will be made soon," he said.

Tadić also stated that the most important goal of a new government should be "the start of membership negotiations with the European Union", and that "reforms and fight against organized crime should continue".

The DS leader, who was on May 20 seeking his third term in office as Serbia's president when he suffered defeat at the hands of Tomislav Nikolić (SNS), also noted that another goal of Serbia's new cabinet must be "a society that's as fair as possible, and closer relations between the authorities and the citizens".

The DS presidency met in its "core" format, with only Tadić, his party deputy Dragan Đilas, DS vice-presidents Dušan Petrović, Bojan Pajtić and Dragan Šutanovac, and DS Political Council Chair Dragoljub Mićunović in attendance.

"All will be clear in next few days"

Earlier on Friday, high ranking party official Oliver Dulić told journalists that the Democratic Party (DS) would today nominate its candidate for prime minister.

Speaking in the eastern Serbian town of Bor on Friday, he added that "everything will be clear in the next few days about the future coalition that will form the government".

He avoided answering whether it was possible for the DS and Serb Progressive Party (SNS) to form an alliance to that end.

Dulić stated the government would be formed "between coalition partners who had agreed about its formation".

The DS and Socialist Party of Serbia reached a general agreement on May 8 on forming a parliamentary majority.

Dulić told reporters today that he expected the pace of the talks to be much faster than when earlier governments were formed.

"This country has no time to lose. Each day without a government would have great consequences, and I expect everyone to show great responsibility for the tasks awaiting us in the future," he noted.

Serbia will soon get stable institutions and cooperation between all the elected government bodies will function as best it can, and in the interest of the people, Dulić stated.

Commenting on Socialist Party of Serbia leader Ivica Dačić's statements that western countries were pushing for a government formed by the DS and Serb Progressive Party, Dulić said that "other countries or powerful foreign economic lobbies had never formed the government in Serbia" but that this was done by political parties who won elections.

"That is how it is going to be this time as well," he added.