Dacic:No Reason to Step Down as Minister of Internal Affairs

Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, said on Tuesday he saw no reason for renouncing the office of Minister of Internal Affairs. Dacic is in charge of the office of the Minister of Interior next to the duty of the Prime Minister. Dacic:No Reason to Step Down as Minister of Internal Affairs Dacic thus directly replied for the first time to the pressures that intensified in the last several days, and which were exerted through media by Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the strongest coalition partner of SPS in the government, to do the same what the leader of this party and the first Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic did and renounce the minister’s post. (see VIP 5165) Vucic announced last month that he would withdraw from the office of Minister of Defense because he was not able to discharge the duty efficiently, next to the First Deputy Prime Minister’s. In an interview to TV B92, Dacic stressed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) was next to the Ministry of Defense that best evaluated ministry in the government, although he did not specify what evaluation he referred to. Dacic used to refer to the fact that MUP was the best graded ministry in the previous government, in which he was also at the post of Minister of Internal Affairs, along with the post of the Deputy Prime Minister at the time. He reminded of the fact that following Vucic’s announcement, he was not the only member of the incumbent government who had more than one office and added that Jovan Krkobabic, the President of the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS) was leading the ministry consisting of two ministries in fact, as well as Rasim Ljajic, the president of Social Democratic Party (SDP) – and they are both at the same time Deputy Prime Ministers. Dacic stressed that Vucic was still in charge of more functions, because apart from the Deputy Prime Minister’s job in the government, he was still working as the Secretary of the National Security Council. This function implies coordination of all the intelligence services in the state. Dacic also said it was inappropriate that media pressures against him were led by SNS vice-presidents Zorana Mihajlovic and Bratislav Gasic since he talked to Vucic about all the essentially important matters and Vucic never “asked him to step down as the Minister of Internal Affairs”. “I don’t have to be either Prime Minister or Minister of Internal Affairs, but as long as I am in these offices, we should have correct relations”, Dacic said commenting on a statement made by Mihajlovic – who is also the Minister of Energy in his government – that “a person could not be successful today if he/she is in charge of more functions” and that she “expected from Dacic a sincere report on work”. “I didn’t think that I should submit my report on work to her”, Dacic said sarcastically. SPS has nothing against engagement of foreign experts in the government: In the same interview, Dacic said that he had not opposed to hiring experts from abroad in the government. “One should listen to advice, perhaps someone sees the situation in Serbia from different starting positions. The question is where we could find good personnel… If there are such solutions, I am in favour of them”, Dacic said. Prime Minister reminded that this subject was not discussed for the first time and advisors from abroad were already working in some ministries. Apart from that, there is also an obligation to hire foreign experts in some loan agreements, he said. Asked what he thought about possible engagement of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, ex-director of IMF, in the government, Dacic replied: “If he was good for IMF, why shouldn’t he be good for our economy”. By the way, Strauss-Kahn did not lose the post of director of this institution because he was doing a poor job, but for other reasons, he added. “But, first we should talk to people and see if such a job suits them, too. Anyway, if foreign players are playing in our football clubs, why a high-quality expert should not be sitting in our team in the government, too”, Dacic said. He reminded that Radovan Jelasic, ex-governor of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), was not a citizen of Serbia despite the fact that he was a Serb by origin, at the time when he was about to be hired and that he was granted the Serbian citizenship only then. Possible engagement of foreign experts could be paid by the funds that might be registered in the books as the government’s expenditures, Dacic said. He also added that in the next 10 days the main subject of talks between SPS and SNS would be persons to be appointed as new ministers and said that he was not against SNS taking the entire finance sector or recommending someone for these posts, because they were the strongest party in the coalition. Dacic said he expected especially good and quick results in economy by the new reshuffled government. “Serbia must make haste, it cannot wait. Tasks related to reducing the unemployment rate and stopping dizzy fall of the economy are at the first place”, Dacic said. /Tanjug, file/ VIP

Dacic:No Reason to Step Down as Minister of Internal Affairs

Dacic thus directly replied for the first time to the pressures
that intensified in the last several days, and which were exerted
through media by Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the strongest
coalition partner of SPS in the government, to do the same what the
leader of this party and the first Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar
Vucic did and renounce the minister’s post. (see VIP 5165)

Vucic announced last month that he would withdraw from
the office of Minister of Defense because he was not able to discharge
the duty efficiently, next to the First Deputy Prime Minister’s.

In an interview to TV B92, Dacic stressed that the Ministry
of Internal Affairs (MUP) was next to the Ministry of Defense that
best evaluated ministry in the government, although he did not
specify what evaluation he referred to.
Dacic used to refer to the fact that MUP was the best graded
ministry in the previous government, in which he was also at the post
of Minister of Internal Affairs, along with the post of the Deputy Prime
Minister at the time.

He reminded of the fact that following Vucic’s
announcement, he was not the only member of the incumbent
government who had more than one office and added that Jovan
Krkobabic, the President of the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia
(PUPS) was leading the ministry consisting of two ministries in fact,
as well as Rasim Ljajic, the president of Social Democratic Party
(SDP) – and they are both at the same time Deputy Prime Ministers.
Dacic stressed that Vucic was still in charge of more
functions, because apart from the Deputy Prime Minister’s job in the
government, he was still working as the Secretary of the National
Security Council. This function implies coordination of all the
intelligence services in the state.

Dacic also said it was inappropriate that media pressures
against him were led by SNS vice-presidents Zorana Mihajlovic and
Bratislav Gasic since he talked to Vucic about all the essentially
important matters and Vucic never “asked him to step down as the
Minister of Internal Affairs”.
“I don’t have to be either Prime Minister or Minister of
Internal Affairs, but as long as I am in these offices, we should have
correct relations”, Dacic said commenting on a statement made by
Mihajlovic – who is also the Minister of Energy in his government – that
“a person could not be successful today if he/she is in charge of more
functions” and that she “expected from Dacic a sincere report on
work”.
“I didn’t think that I should submit my report on work to
her”, Dacic said sarcastically.

SPS has nothing against engagement of foreign experts in the
government: In the same interview, Dacic said that he had not
opposed to hiring experts from abroad in the government.
“One should listen to advice, perhaps someone sees the
situation in Serbia from different starting positions. The question is
where we could find good personnel… If there are such solutions, I
am in favour of them”, Dacic said.
Prime Minister reminded that this subject was not discussed
for the first time and advisors from abroad were already working in
some ministries. Apart from that, there is also an obligation to hire
foreign experts in some loan agreements, he said.
Asked what he thought about possible engagement of
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, ex-director of IMF, in the government,
Dacic replied: “If he was good for IMF, why shouldn’t he be good for
our economy”.
By the way, Strauss-Kahn did not lose the post of director
of this institution because he was doing a poor job, but for other
reasons, he added.
“But, first we should talk to people and see if such a job
suits them, too. Anyway, if foreign players are playing in our football
clubs, why a high-quality expert should not be sitting in our team in
the government, too”, Dacic said.
He reminded that Radovan Jelasic, ex-governor of the
National Bank of Serbia (NBS), was not a citizen of Serbia despite
the fact that he was a Serb by origin, at the time when he was about to
be hired and that he was granted the Serbian citizenship only then.
Possible engagement of foreign experts could be paid by
the funds that might be registered in the books as the government’s
expenditures, Dacic said.
He also added that in the next 10 days the main subject of
talks between SPS and SNS would be persons to be appointed as new
ministers and said that he was not against SNS taking the entire
finance sector or recommending someone for these posts, because
they were the strongest party in the coalition.
Dacic said he expected especially good and quick results in
economy by the new reshuffled government.
“Serbia must make haste, it cannot wait. Tasks related to
reducing the unemployment rate and stopping dizzy fall of the
economy are at the first place”, Dacic said.