End of DOS

End of DOS, says deputy PM
Beta - October 17, 2003

BELGRADE -- Friday – Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Cedomir Jovanovic has conceded he is no longer certain the government commands a majority in parliament.

“I cannot guarantee we have 126 MPs”, Jovanovic told a press conference this afternoon. He blamed the Social Democratic Party, SDP, who he said had pushed the government into a complicated political situation that might end in early elections.

The SDP yesterday refused to sign a deal with the rest of the DOS coalition that would have seen confidence motions in both the government and parliament speaker pulled from the agenda of parliament.

“We don’t need just any kind of majority, we need a majority which will have enough energy to carry out reforms in the country,” said Jovanovic.

“We’re not after a parliamentary majority which will solely serve the purpose of keeping us in power. For us, power is meaningless if we can’t change this country.

“if there is no functional parliamentary majority we will have elections at which we will seek support from Serbian citizens,” the deputy prime minister added.

He added that the DOS coalition would be consigned to political history after the next elections.