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Serbia's anti-Western leaders open coalition talks

May 12, 2008, 11:34 GMT

Belgrade - A day after Serbian snap elections, the parties opposing Serbia's aspirations to join the European Union launched coalition talks, the Tanjug news agency reported Monday. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica met opposition ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader Tomislav Nikolic, a spokesman for Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) said. 'Today the first talks by ... Kostunica and Nikolic on the character and goals of the new cabinet were held,' spokesman Andreja Mladenovic said. Kostunica and Nikolic both want to turn Belgrade away from the West in protest at its support for Kosovo since the province declared independence from Serbia in mid-February. The pro-European coalition behind President Boris Tadic won by far the most votes in Sunday's polls, 39 per cent to 29 per cent for Nikolic and 11.5 per cent for Kostunica, but nowhere nearly enough for a majority or even a simple two-way coalition. Both Tadic on one side, and Nikolic and Kostunica on the other, need the late strongman Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) for a majority in parliament. Socialist leader Ivica Dacic said earlier that he would open coalition talks with Kostunica, but refused to commit immediately. 'There will be no parliamentary majority without SPS,' Dacic said after the vote. Confirming Kostunica's earlier statement that he would not again ally with Tadic, Mladenovic said the DSS would either forge a ruling coalition with the Socialists and Radicals, or move into opposition.

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