President to ask Vučić to form government

President to ask Vučić to form government

BELGRADE -- President Tomislav Nikolić will on Tuesday afternoon meet with representatives of the SNS-led election list and discuss the formation of a new government.

As expected, Nikolić will at this meeting officially give the mandate to form the country's new cabinet to the leader of the Serb Progressives (SNS), Aleksandar Vučić.

The SNS list won 158 of the 250 seats in parliament and included the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, New Serbia, the Serbian Renewal Movement, and the Movement of Socialists.

Last week, the president held consultations with representatives of other coalitions that have MPs in the new parliament, constituted on April 16. Those lists are led by the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the Democratic Party (DS), the New Democratic Party (NDS), the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) of Sandžak, and the Party for Democratic Action.

Vučić said on April 15 at the meeting of SNS main board that he would present the composition of his future cabinet to this party body on April 25, and that Serbia should have a new government on April 27.

He said it would be "small, modern and efficient and have 17 members."

Vučić said he offered the Socialists to join "in accordance with their strength," bearing in mind that, as he stated, the SNS "is making a Serbia of unification, not divisions, and shows that it is different from other parties."

The presidency of the SPS then accepted the proposal of the SNS and president to participate in his cabinet, stating it was " in Serbia's best interests."

The SNS and the SVM should officially sign their coalition agreement...