Elections to be held “between December and May 2012”

Democratic Party (DS) deputy president and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas says that no one who really represents the DS is engaged in guesswork with election date. He stressed that elections would be held between December 15, 2011 and May 2012. Elections to be held “between December and May 2012” “No one who really represents the Democratic Party places bids on the date of elections. The DS has taken a nearly unique position in the country: elections should not be scheduled before Serbia gets official information from Brussels that its EU candidacy was approved, and that will be known on December 15,” he pointed out. “From that date until May next year, elections will be held as required by the Constitution,” Djilas told daily Politika. “If one listens to the opposition, it appears that better living conditions for the people would ensue immediately after the elections,” he said. The Belgrade mayor stressed he would like to propose to change the Constitution and to hold elections every six months, because if every election brings a better life, the people should vote every day. “Nearly everyone in Serbia is dissatisfied, but dissatisfied people do not vote only for opposition parties, but also for the DS, for the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), for G 17 Plus, etc.,” Djilas stressed. “In Serbia, where the average salary is EUR 350, and many receive only half of that, not many people are satisfied. The state should therefore draft a program for securing 30 percent higher salaries,” he said. Commenting the hunger and thirst strike by Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leader Tomislav Nikolic, Djilas said that this kind of political struggle was unacceptable. He stressed that even after the cabinet reshuffle, it was not certain that all ministers of the Democratic Party would remain in office until next elections. “If Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic estimates that someone has not worked well, the DS will support a decision to replace the minister in question,” he concluded. Dragan Djilas (FoNet, file)

Elections to be held “between December and May 2012”

“No one who really represents the Democratic Party places bids on the date of elections. The DS has taken a nearly unique position in the country: elections should not be scheduled before Serbia gets official information from Brussels that its EU candidacy was approved, and that will be known on December 15,” he pointed out.

“From that date until May next year, elections will be held as required by the Constitution,” Đilas told daily Politika.

“If one listens to the opposition, it appears that better living conditions for the people would ensue immediately after the elections,” he said.

The Belgrade mayor stressed he would like to propose to change the Constitution and to hold elections every six months, because if every election brings a better life, the people should vote every day.

“Nearly everyone in Serbia is dissatisfied, but dissatisfied people do not vote only for opposition parties, but also for the DS, for the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), for G 17 Plus, etc.,” Đilas stressed.

“In Serbia, where the average salary is EUR 350, and many receive only half of that, not many people are satisfied. The state should therefore draft a program for securing 30 percent higher salaries,” he said.

Commenting the hunger and thirst strike by Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leader Tomislav Nikolić, Đilas said that this kind of political struggle was unacceptable.

He stressed that even after the cabinet reshuffle, it was not certain that all ministers of the Democratic Party would remain in office until next elections.

“If Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković estimates that someone has not worked well, the DS will support a decision to replace the minister in question,” he concluded.