"Raid won't be staged to arrest Seselj" - PM

"Raid won't be staged to arrest Seselj" - PM

BELGRADE -- Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said late on Tuesday that "nobody will be arresting Vojislav Seselj in a surprise raid."

After his ruling SNS party held a meeting of its Presidency in Belgrade, he told journalists not to expect such an arrest operation to happen, and stressed the government on Tuesday received information about Seselj's health and was now "waiting to see how things will further unfold."

"We'll wait to see what the (Hague) Appeals Chamber has concluded, to see first of all what they are demanding from us," Vucic said.

"Remember they packed him up and sent him to us," he said, in reference to the Hague Tribunal's Trial Chamber's decision last November to grant Seselj provisional release on medical grounds.

"Initially they asked that we spy on him, see where he eats, where he sleeps... they only caused problems for Serbia by releasing Seselj. Now we'll see what new things they demand of us."

Vucic once again stated that the Hague's decision to set Seselj free - after more than 11 years in custody without a verdict - had the goal of "bringing down the government, the SNS, and its approval rating."

"Despite that, Serbia will do all it can to preserve full political and economic stability," he said.

As for the decision of the Appeals Chamber to order the Trial Chamber to revoke its decision to release Seselj and have him back in custody, Vucic said he found it unexpected and surprising, and remarked that "only Minister Aleksandar Vulin guessed right what was happening."

"He alone realized their goal was to bring down the government and its rating, and the SNS, and nothing more."

Vucic then revealed that he ...