Vucevic resigns as Serbian PM

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Milos Vucevic resigned from his post on Tuesday.

At an extraordinary press conference, Vucevic said his resignation was irrevocable and that he had made the decision after last night's attack on students in Novi Sad.

He announced that Novi Sad Mayor Milan Djuric would also resign on Tuesday.

Vucevic said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had accepted his decision and arguments after a long and substantial discussion this morning.

"I think that, that way, we demonstrate a sense of responsibility of those who have been elected to be responsible," he said.

"Politicians need to accept responsibility and demonstrate, in that way at least, that they are ready to lead to a calming of tensions in society.

Everyone must return to dialogue and to seeking a solution that is the best for Serbia - not for one, other or a third party, and especially not for a foreign country or foreign interests," he said.

Vucevic, who is also president of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), said attacks on SNS offices in the past three months or longer were absolutely unacceptable.

He said he had decided to resign to keep things from getting more complicated and tensions in society from rising further.

Vucevic said his and Djuric's resignation meant that "even the most political demands of a part of the most extreme protesters" had been met.

"Both the PM and the Novi Sad mayor believe they are objectively responsible for what has happened and, as the ones who are objectively responsible, we resign from the posts we have been elected to. May that lead to a calming of passions and a restoration of political and social dialogue, which is much-needed in Serbia," Vucevic said.

He noted he was proud of the results his government had achieved in the past nine months and thanked the cabinet members for their cooperation and Vucic for his support.

Vucevic said he would continue to perform his duties until the election of a new PM and that, from now on, the entire government was in a caretaker capacity.

He said the November 1 railway station tragedy in Novi Sad, which left 15 people dead and two others seriously injured, had cast a "big shadow over last year and, certainly, the term of this government."

Since that moment, it seems that Serbia has remained stuck in that accident, he added.

"Unfortunately, we have once again seen political misuses of the tragedy and attempts by some people to capitalise on an accident, to politically capitalise on loss of human lives," Vucevic said.

Serious divisions have taken place and the atmosphere in society is on the verge of conflict, he said.