Dacic: Serbia’s ruling coalition not in crisis

BELGRADE, Serbia

Deputy Prime Minsiter Ivica Dacic rejected on Wednesday (August 5th) media speculation that the ruling coalition is in crisis over the controversial bill on public information, which would regulate the media. A vote was postponed until August 31st to allow time for more consultation. Dacic, leader of the Socialist Party, told Blic daily that his party was never even informed about the bill.

Separately, Dragan Sutanovac, deputy leader of President Boris Tadic’s Democratic Party, said on Tuesday that tensions over the proposed legislation are unlikely to lead to early elections, “especially this year”. “I do not know in whose best interest it would be to have months of campaigning now, and then negotiate to form a government,” Sutanovac told Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti. The next scheduled general elections are in May 2012.