Ex-President Tadic to form new Serb gov’t

BELGRADE - Agence France-Presse

REUTERS photo

Former Serbian President Boris Tadic was expected start negotiations yesterday on the formation of a pro-European Union government that would leave the new nationalist president without real power.

Tadic announced his decision to become the prime minister after a meeting of his Democratic party late May 27. He said official talks with potential coalition partners were to start yesterday when he was also to meet Tomislav Nikolic who edged him in the May 20 presidential election.

Nikolic is expected to be forced to name Tadic primes minister designate because Tadic has the support of the majority of the 250-seat Parliament. Although Nikolic’s nationalist Progressive party has the biggest number of seats, Tadic’s Democrats have more allies to form the next cabinet. The position of a prime minister is stronger than the president, a figurehead who cannot draft laws or make real political decisions.

Tadic said he would not include Nikolic’s nationalists in his government, further diminishing Nikolic’s role in Serbia’s future policies. The Progressive party said that a future Serbian government that excludes them “will have a problem with legitimacy.”