Serbia: Split Gets Worse In Ruling Coalition

The Democratic Party of Serbia insists on a pre-term election to the republican Skupstina, parliament. Led by Yugoslavia's President Vojislav Kostunica, the Democratic Party is again having differences with other members of the ruling coalition, Serbian Democratic Opposition. Lances are broken this time round a labour bill. Democratic MPs are indignant with the conduct of the parliament Speaker, follower of Zoran Djindjic, Serbia's Prime Minister. The federal President and the republican Premier fell out after the cabinet determined to extradite Slobodan Milosevic, previous President, to the Hague tribunal. In today's parliamentary session, the Democratic Party group called the house to appeal to the government for an early election. As the Serbian constitution has it, the republican president can disband parliament if a respective governmental initiative is found well-grounded. The Serbian Democratic Opposition has a reliable parliamentary majority, as it is, and does not need a pre-term poll, retorts Premier Djindjic.