Dacic: Elections should be regular or as close to that as possible, SPS always ready for them

BELGRADE - Speaking to reporters after consultations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader Ivica Dacic said his party was always ready for elections but that, in his opinion, they should be regular elections or as close to that as possible, and added that the meeting with Vucic had also addressed foreign policy and strategic goals and that there were no disagreements in that regard.

"You know my position on elections. Therefore, I told him (Vucic): 'If that is why you have invited me, you did not even have to.' As far as I can see, Vucic is the only one in this country who is pushing for elections. I am in favour of regular elections - we must know when elections are held. If elections were a good thing, frequent elections would be taking place in other organisations, such as the church. But I have nothing against them, we are always ready for elections," Dacic said.

He added that he was not certain that those who had demanded elections were ready for them or wanted them.

"As always, the SPS is ready for elections, because it is indestructible," Dacic said.

Commenting on the discussion with Vucic, he said:

"We are proud of our good cooperation throughout all these years. We have no problems, no disagreements whatsoever when it comes to strategic goals and where our country is heading to."

"As far as the foreign policy orientation is concerned, that being one of the topics, we know that the position in the international arena is difficult but we also believe that Serbia has a state leadership that is looking after Serbian interests, above all, and that it will continue that policy in the future. Elections would not contribute at all to a resolution of all the problems potentially resulting from a major international economic crisis," Dacic added.