Serbian president quits early for joint polls
Source: Agencies |
April 5, 2012, Thursday
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SERBIAN President Boris Tadic said yesterday he was resigning 10 months before the end of his mandate, clearing the way for joint parliamentary and presidential polls in May when he will seek a new five-year term.
Analysts say Tadic's Democratic Party is banking on the president's personal popularity to boost the party's vote in the parliamentary election already set for May 6.
The Democratic Party, the main party in Serbia's ruling coalition, is trailing in opinion polls behind the opposition populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNP), whose leader Tomislav Nikolic is also set to challenge Tadic for the presidency.
Tadic said he would formally submit his resignation today to the speaker of the parliament, who will then call the election.
"In line with the constitution I have decided to shorten my mandate ... to allow the holding of elections on all levels on May 6," he said. "I will run in these elections and I expect them to be tough."
Serbia's outgoing government won a welcome boost in March when the former Yugoslav republic became an official candidate for membership of the European Union, after the arrest and extradition last year of Bosnian Serb genocide suspect Ratko Mladic.
But the government is struggling to grow the economy and curb rising unemployment as the western Balkans suffers from the ripple effect of the eurozone sovereign debt crisis.
Future progress toward EU accession, which could take a decade, will depend on improved relations between Serbia and its former Kosovo province, which declared independence in 2008. Serbia rejects the secession, but is under pressure to normalize ties.
"The people will have the opportunity to decide which path Serbia will take," Tadic said. "I am sure Serbia will proceed toward the European Union, but we will never recognise Kosovo."
Analysts say Tadic's Democratic Party is banking on the president's personal popularity to boost the party's vote in the parliamentary election already set for May 6.
The Democratic Party, the main party in Serbia's ruling coalition, is trailing in opinion polls behind the opposition populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNP), whose leader Tomislav Nikolic is also set to challenge Tadic for the presidency.
Tadic said he would formally submit his resignation today to the speaker of the parliament, who will then call the election.
"In line with the constitution I have decided to shorten my mandate ... to allow the holding of elections on all levels on May 6," he said. "I will run in these elections and I expect them to be tough."
Serbia's outgoing government won a welcome boost in March when the former Yugoslav republic became an official candidate for membership of the European Union, after the arrest and extradition last year of Bosnian Serb genocide suspect Ratko Mladic.
But the government is struggling to grow the economy and curb rising unemployment as the western Balkans suffers from the ripple effect of the eurozone sovereign debt crisis.
Future progress toward EU accession, which could take a decade, will depend on improved relations between Serbia and its former Kosovo province, which declared independence in 2008. Serbia rejects the secession, but is under pressure to normalize ties.
"The people will have the opportunity to decide which path Serbia will take," Tadic said. "I am sure Serbia will proceed toward the European Union, but we will never recognise Kosovo."
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