“Democrats won’t form coalitions before elections”

BELGRADE The Democratic Party (DS) will not make any coalitions before the elections, DS leader Dragan Djilas has stated in an interview for Tanjug. However, he did not rule out a possiblility of cooperating with all parties that shared the DS' ideas and values after the elections. “Democrats won’t form coalitions before elections” Djilas said he was sure that early elections would be held this year, pointing out that the current government was “making up affairs and criminalizing the DS”. He told Tanjug he was not concerned that some members had left the party, adding he was glad that they and Dusan Petrovic were gone. The DS leader stressed that only election results could show how much support a party had among people, not opinion polls. “It is logical that we cooperate on various issues with parties if we have the same positions, both with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and with other parties, but I think that any ideas of forming some special blocs, merging of parties are not realistic,” he explained. Djilas noted that the DS was in the process of reforms and that it was yet to win back the citizens’ trust, adding that the party should go to the elections alone and that it could form coalitions only with parties that shared its ideas and values after the elections. He also believes that the current government is “criminalizing” the DS through certain media and making up affairs. Djilas added that among 200,000 DS members there certainly were some people who were not honest and that they should be put in jail. However, he wondered how it was possible that only DS members who were a part of the previous government had been charged and indicted. He stressed that the Serbian media were not reporting news anymore but judging, adding that it was a “sure-fire way to make them unpopular, inefficient and in the end destroy their and credibility of the state”. The DS leader explained that his party had an idea and a plan to get the country out of the crisis, noting that the economy and education were key solutions. Dragan Djilas (Beta, file) Tanjug

“Democrats won’t form coalitions before elections”

Đilas said he was sure that early elections would be held this year, pointing out that the current government was “making up affairs and criminalizing the DS”.

He told Tanjug he was not concerned that some members had left the party, adding he was glad that they and Dušan Petrović were gone. The DS leader stressed that only election results could show how much support a party had among people, not opinion polls.

“It is logical that we cooperate on various issues with parties if we have the same positions, both with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and with other parties, but I think that any ideas of forming some special blocs, merging of parties are not realistic,” he explained.

Đilas noted that the DS was in the process of reforms and that it was yet to win back the citizens’ trust, adding that the party should go to the elections alone and that it could form coalitions only with parties that shared its ideas and values after the elections.

He also believes that the current government is “criminalizing” the DS through certain media and making up affairs.

Đilas added that among 200,000 DS members there certainly were some people who were not honest and that they should be put in jail.

However, he wondered how it was possible that only DS members who were a part of the previous government had been charged and indicted.

He stressed that the Serbian media were not reporting news anymore but judging, adding that it was a “sure-fire way to make them unpopular, inefficient and in the end destroy their and credibility of the state”.

The DS leader explained that his party had an idea and a plan to get the country out of the crisis, noting that the economy and education were key solutions.