Africa | America | Asia | Australasia | Europe | India | Middle East | UK | US

Serbian coalition ties loose ends, appoints Belgrade mayor - Summary

Posted : Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:32:01 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Europe (World)
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
Europe World News | Home
Belgrade - President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party (DS) and their Socialist Party (SPS) partners in Serbia's ruling coalition on Tuesday tied up loose ends left dangling three months after elections by finally appointing a mayor for Belgrade. After months of wrangling - and a major change of heart by the SPS - 58 of 110 representatives in the city hall voted DS deputy chief Dragan Djilas into the powerful post for the next four years.

The DS and late strongman Slobodan Milosevic's SPS buried the hatchet in June to form a pro-European Serbian government, but agreement remained elusive at local level in Belgrade.

The deal ending the deadlock included the support of a third party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a fiercely anti-Milosevic DS splinter group, which toned down its animosity to the SPS in order to take part in governing Belgrade.

The LDP is not part of the coalition at national level.

Djilas, 41, was elected two days ahead of a legal deadline which would have forced a repeat vote for the Belgrade municipal authorities.

The outcome is in stark contrast to early signals from the SPS after the May 11 parliamentary and local polls.

Days after the poll, the Belgrade SPS announced a coalition to rule the capital with the nationalist bloc of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and former premier Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).

That deal was, however, overruled by the SPS top policy-making body.

In the position of the kingmaker after the poll - the party decided to shed its Milosevic-era image and opt for an alliance with Tadic, a favourite of the West.

Outraged nationalists accused the SPS - their allies under Milosevic - of selling out to Tadic, but did not obstruct Tuesday's vote in the Serbian assembly. They had earlier filibustered proceedings and forced a month-long recess.

The break in the national legislature prevented Serbia from passing a pre-membership agreement with the European Union and a crucial energy deal with Russia.

Copyright, respective author or news agency

Share/Save/Bookmark

Article : Serbian coalition ties loose ends, appoints Belgrade mayor - Summary
Print this article
Email this article

Stay Updated
News gadget on your Google homepage
Subscribe to a news feed in Google Reader



Have your Say
Name
Email
Subject
Your Comment

Enter Verification code
 
  

 

 

More Europe (World) News click here
Follow The Earth Times
Subscribe to RSS Follow Earth Times on TwitterNews by email
Share/Save/Bookmark

 
 



 
Subscribe to free Earthtimes
News Alerts by Email Click here
For RSS Feeds Click here
or Create your own RSS

Add to Google Toolbar
Breaking News
Press Releases


The Earth Times
News Category

© 2009 www.earthtimes.org, The Earth Times, All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
Earth Times accept no responsibility or liability either directly or indirectly for views or opinions expressed in articles or comments.