SERBIA: Ruling Democratic party holds its election campaign rally as the country's candidates rev up ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 6

Record ID: 213668

  • Title: SERBIA: Ruling Democratic party holds its election campaign rally as the country's candidates rev up ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 6
  • Date: 28th April 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, BORIS TADIC, SAYING: "The coming elections are very important, and there is no dilemma that Serbia, after May 6, will change. But the question is , will it change for the better or worse? That's the main question today in Serbia." MAN LISTENING AT RALLY TADIC SPEAKING AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Serbia
  • Embargoed: 13th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia, Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1MCRVXJR4W3COXZYMIYIQ67W8
  • Story Text: Serbia's ruling Democratic party held its election campaign rally on Friday (April 27) in Nis, some 200 kilometres south of Belgrade, as the country's candidates rev up ahead of twin presidential and parliamentary elections on May 6.
    The Democratic Party of President Boris Tadic is bidding to extend its hold on power and keep the ex-Yugoslav republic edging closer to the European Union, but the party is trailing in polls behind the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), whose conservative, populist policy has played to voter anger over the country's economy and corruption.
    "The coming elections are very important, and there is no dilemma that Serbia, after May 6, will change. But the question is , will it change for the better or worse? That's the main question today in Serbia," said Boris Tadic, leader of the Democratic party and a presidential candidate.
    An SNS-led bloc would take 33.5 percent of the vote in the parliamentary election, ahead of the Democratic Party on 28.3 percent, according to the results of an opinion poll conducted between April 14 and 22 by pollster Faktor Plus.
    "Will this country be governed by those who have embarrassed us, who threatened that they would kill hundreds of members of other nations and religions if one of us was killed? Or will this country will be governed by those who have international credibility? Will this country be governed by those, who at the first glimpse of trouble, are ready to give up, or by those who are ready to stand firm to challenge the future, and who are brave in facing the danger?" Tadic asked.
    Serbian Progressive Party leader Tomislav Nikolic and Tadic are neck-and-neck in the race for presidency and will almost certainly enter a second round on May 20.
    One voter knows exactly whom will get his support in this election.
    "Now in the pre-election campaign, everybody makes promises, but for me, the greatest certainty and trust I have is in Boris Tadic," said Mladen Dimitrijevic from Nis.
    Another voter thinks that bigger changes will come but not in the near future.
    "In a short period of time, not a big change can happen, but in a long term, yes." said Dragana Jovanovic, also from Nis.
    For Dragana Micic, the Democratic party is the best choice at the moment.
    "They (Democratic party) are the best choice, at the moment, we don't have other. I think they would lead us to a secure future, and they think about our children and about all of us. We have no better choice, and I think they are the best." said Micic.
    More than a decade since Milosevic was ousted, Serbia last month became an official candidate to join the European Union, but the country faces years of difficult reform to improve governance, tackle organised crime and corruption and encourage economic growth and investment.
    It must also improve ties with its former Kosovo province, which declared independence in 2008 but is not recognised by Serbia, before the EU says it will open accession talks.
    Support for the Democratic Party has been hit by rising unemployment, as the country of 7.3 million people struggles to maintain growth given falling exports and the spillover effect of the debt crisis in the euro zone.
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