Tycoons want SNS-SPS government, Tadić claims

Democratic Party (DS) leader Boris Tadic told weekly NIN that the DS used to be financed by tycoons but that he had ended it. He added that some of the Serbian tycoons wanted to see him leave because “for the first time in 20 years representatives of the social group had to wait for a meeting with him instead of going through an open door”. Tycoons want SNS-SPS government, Tadic claims “This sort of relation was created then and they wanted to see me gone because of it. They are achieving their own interests, even though some of the certainly have their place in the Serbian economy, they can contribute but according to the rules of the game they cannot use privileges provided by the state to increase their wealth,” he said. “I am sorry that our public is not aware of it, but in the last four years there has been a change of communication between representatives of large capital and the authorities,” Tadic told NIN. He confirmed that a new government that will be formed by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and United Regions of Serbia (URS) was the government that the tycoons wanted to see. When asked whether businessman Miroslav Miskovic was one of them, the DS leader said: “I think so. I believe he is.” He added that he was quite sure that Miskovic did not want a government in which both he and the DS would be. Tadic said he accepted responsibility for the election results and explained that he did not want to switch the responsibility because he was the one who lost the presidential election. He pointed out that he was advocating investigation of responsibility and democratic changes in the DS but not for a Stalinist purge. According to him, the DS paid a price of arrogant people in its ranks and added that any DS member who illegally obtained money would be persecuted by the judicial institutions. Tadic said that his biggest mistake was the fact that he had no initiated changes in the party on time. “I did not do it because I was not dealing with the DS, I was performing the duties of the Serbian president and I did not have time to deal with the DS,” he explained. The DS leader denied he would resign from the party and added that the party organs had not asked him to. When asked whether a coalition between the DS and the SNS was possible and whether he could be a PM, he said he “is not a prophet” but that there were no talks between the two parties at the moment. Boris Tadic NIN

Tycoons want SNS-SPS government, Tadić claims

“This sort of relation was created then and they wanted to see me gone because of it. They are achieving their own interests, even though some of the certainly have their place in the Serbian economy, they can contribute but according to the rules of the game they cannot use privileges provided by the state to increase their wealth,” he said.

“I am sorry that our public is not aware of it, but in the last four years there has been a change of communication between representatives of large capital and the authorities,” Tadić told NIN.

He confirmed that a new government that will be formed by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and United Regions of Serbia (URS) was the government that the tycoons wanted to see.

When asked whether businessman Miroslav Mišković was one of them, the DS leader said:

“I think so. I believe he is.”

He added that he was quite sure that Mišković did not want a government in which both he and the DS would be.

Tadić said he accepted responsibility for the election results and explained that he did not want to switch the responsibility because he was the one who lost the presidential election.

He pointed out that he was advocating investigation of responsibility and democratic changes in the DS but not for a Stalinist purge.

According to him, the DS paid a price of arrogant people in its ranks and added that any DS member who illegally obtained money would be persecuted by the judicial institutions.

Tadić said that his biggest mistake was the fact that he had no initiated changes in the party on time.

“I did not do it because I was not dealing with the DS, I was performing the duties of the Serbian president and I did not have time to deal with the DS,” he explained.

The DS leader denied he would resign from the party and added that the party organs had not asked him to.

When asked whether a coalition between the DS and the SNS was possible and whether he could be a PM, he said he “is not a prophet” but that there were no talks between the two parties at the moment.