LOCAL PRESS

 

Nikolic to Matviyenko: Serbia will remain neutral (Tanjug)

Serbia will preserve its neutral position and will not introduce any kind of sanctions against Russia, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said in talks with the Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko in Belgrade. “We will preserve our stand that Russia and the EU should solve their disagreements through talks and we are ready to use Serbia’s OSCE chairmanship to give our full contribution in order to reach a total solution to the crisis in Ukraine,” Nikolic said, the President’s press service stated. Nikolic also expressed regret over the abandoning of the South Stream pipeline project and said that this constitutes an irrecoverable loss for Serbia. Matviyenko said that she is very satisfied with the development of friendly relations between Serbia and the Russian Federation, which, to a great extent, reflects a great friendship between President Tomislav Nikolic and President Vladimir Putin. Matviyenko informed Nikolic that parliaments of the two countries have established close ties and about the signed agreements. The Federation Council head supported Serbia’s principled position that the crisis in Ukraine can only be resolved by peaceful means.

 

Serbia is the only party for Kosovo Serbs (Beta)

There is no place for party clashes among the Kosovo Serbs and they must have only one party called Serbia, this was stated at the meeting of the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric with the representatives of the Serb (Srpska) List in the Kosovo institutions. The caucus whip of the Serb List in the Kosovo Assembly Sasa Milosavljevic said yesterday that four of nine MPs of this coalition have not been attending assembly sessions since the Serbs returned to the Kosovo institutions at the end of April. The statement reads that the Kosovo Serb representatives conveyed concern to the government officials over the terrorist attacks in Macedonia and the escalation of ethnic tensions following inflammatory statements calling for the creation of the so-called ‘Greater Albania’. “The participants of the meeting pointed out that the continued flagrant violation of the Brussels agreement and avoiding of the implementation of the agreed and signed in Brussels is an indicator of the sincerity of the Albanian political community in Kosovo and Metohija in the process of normalization of relations,” reads the statement. Proof for that is the “policy that is persistently pushing out the Serb community from the political life in the province, and the Serbian government from the Brussels dialogue”. They also criticized the indictment against Aleksandar Jablanovic for provoking national and religious hatred. The statement reads that Jablanovic is thus “practically prosecuted for verbal offense”. “Top Kosovo Serb representatives voiced concern over the implementation of the envisaged integration into such politically instructed judiciary and the trust of the Serbs in executive and judicial institutions in Pristina that have been conducting a several-month-long chase and Kafkian process against the leader of the strongest Serb political organization in Kosovo and Metohija,” reads the statement. The Serb List representatives stated that the policy of Prime Minister Vucic is a policy of stability, normalization of relations and opening of economic perspectives, which are the key prerequisites for the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. They also thanked the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and its Head Marko Djuric for their efforts in the Brussels negotiations towards protecting the Serb interests in the province.

 

Dacic: Serbia supports everything except sanctions against Russia (RTS/Tanjug)

Addressing participants of a conference titled “The EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and Serbian Accession to the EU”, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said that, when it comes to harmonizing the Serbia’s foreign policy with the EU’s, Serbia supports everything except sanctions against Russia. Dacic said that the issue of harmonization of foreign and security policy often comes down to the issue of sanctions imposed on Russia, stressing that Chapter 31 (foreign, security and defense policy) is much more complex. “Serbia has committed itself to gradually harmonizing its foreign policy with the EU one and it will do so in accordance with its obligations until the moment of accession to the EU. By that time, we will increase the degree of harmonization in accordance with our interests,” Dacic said. In previous years, Serbia’s harmonization amounted to 97 percent, he said, adding that the percentage dropped in the year when the crisis in Ukraine started and when Serbia remained silent on measures against Russia. Serbia’s assessment to stay neutral is good, the Foreign Minister said.

 

Miscevic: Dialogue has impact on Serbia’s EU integration (Tanjug)

The Head of the Serbian negotiating team with the EU Tanja Miscevic assessed that there is no consent between Belgrade and Pristina regarding the issues of the status of the Union of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), adding that the dialogue has impact on Serbia’s EU integration. “We are not exactly hostages to this dialogue. From the moment when we started talks in the negotiating framework on how to organize the relation between the dialogue on normalization and membership negotiations, we knew it would not be simple since not everything depends on the EU and its member states, but also on Pristina,” said Miscevic. After the presentation of the “Guide for Chapter 31 – Joint Foreign and Security Policy” at the Belgrade Crown Plaza Hotel, she pointed out that it is important to specify the mechanism so there would be no unnecessary stopping or delaying of the negotiations. “There is good will from our side to continue the talks, and we hope this will unblock the negotiating process,” said Miscevic. Asked whether the EU integration could be suspended by the stand of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic that he will not give Gazivode, Miscevic says that “stressing somebody’s firm stand cannot stop anything but only define the negotiating position of one side, i.e. Serbian”.

 

Davenport: Progress in dialogue must be made in one month (Radio Serbia)

The Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport has stated that in the next month there must be some essential progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, i.e. before the next high-level meeting is held. At the margins of the conference “The EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and Serbian Accession to the EU”, in comment to the notion that by cancelling the latest meeting and refusing to establish the Union of Serb Municipalities Pristina is hindering the European integration of Serbia, and asked how to overcome this problem, Davenport said it would not be an easy process. According to him, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic have given large contribution to the progress in the dialogue, and the agreement on judiciary in February was a key step.

 

Stankovic: Situation in Kosovo and southern Serbia peaceful (TV B92)

The situation in Kosovo and Metohija and southern Serbia is peaceful and there is no indication that the situation can complicate, said the Head of the Coordination Center for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja Zoran Stankovic. According to him, the estimates are being done on a daily basis, they had been done in the past period, and security structures are constantly on the ground estimating the situation. Stankovic told TV B92 that there are as many people as necessary in the Ground Safety Zone, pointing out that the increase of their number is connected with the fact that an armed conflict is occurring near the border and that precautionary measures are stepped-up in such situations. Speaking about the people who arrived from Macedonia, Stankovic said that he had received information from the Presevo Mayor Ragmi Mustafa that around 700 people arrived in Presevo, but that this number is now smaller since most of them have returned.

 

Albanians procrastinating if something doesn’t suit them (TV B92)

The decision of the Kosovo Albanians not to appear in Brussels today at the negotiations on the formation of the Union of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) is part of their folklore, Dejan Radenkovic, Kosovo MP of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) told TV B92’s broadcast Topic of the Day. “When something doesn’t suit the Albanians, they procrastinate. What states in the Constitution that we as a republic do not recognize, what is implemented on the ZSO, they do not respect. They are also doing this when it comes to the Brussels agreement. The guarantor of the Brussels agreement is the EU, they will have to remind the Albanians of this. We are in a pat position,” said Radenkovic, adding that the Albanians are very skillful and that they always conduct some maneuvers in order to buy time. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic told TV B92 that the situation is very complex. “Albanian officials lack explanations for the mass migrations from Kosovo, someone should explain what is happening with the ZSO, yet they are trying to divert the attention with various tricks. After 15, 20 years next in the line is something that doesn’t suit the Albanians. Still, the greatest responsibility is with the EU, it is important for them to motivate the Albanians to do what they must do. Our side has implemented something that we found uncomfortable. ZSO is the only thing that can keep the Serbs in Kosovo. They will have to do this since everything they haven’t done will accumulate. They also expect EU membership, so they will have to do this then. It is on us to specify an institution that will protect the Serbs in Kosovo. We need the ZSO so the Serbs can survive in Kosovo,” said Stojanovic.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Meeting Vucic – Zvizdic: Improving cooperation of Serbia, B&H in several areas (Klix.ba)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met today in Sarajevo with Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of B&H Denis Zvizdic to talk on bilateral cooperation, improvement of economic relations and cooperation in tourism, infrastructure and security. Vucic told journalists after the meeting that the topic of discussion was the creation of a better climate and more successful cooperation between the two countries, as well as joint participation in third markets. We talked about cooperation in the defence industry, tourism, security issues, combating terrorism and addressing the backlog of disputes between Serbs and Bosniaks, said Vucic. Zvizdic said that Serbia and B&H have the same attitude with regard to taking responsibility for the future of the region, which should be viewed as a single market. We also discussed the security situation in B&H and we have decided to raise the level of cooperation to the institutional level, through the cooperation of relevant ministries, Zvizdic said.

 

B&H Presidency meets with Brammertz (Patria)

Members of the B&H Presidency received ICTY Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, whose visit is part of preparations for the regular six-month report to the UN Security Council, Patria reports. During the meeting it was said that there are no open issues between the ICTY and B&H. Members of the B&H Presidency thanked and supported the work of Chief Prosecutor Brammertz and the International Court in The Hague, and thanked him for his role and assistance offered to B&H judicial institutions in the process of prosecuting those accused of war crimes. Members of the B&H Presidency were interested in the report of the chief prosecutor that will be submitted to the Security Council, but also in further cooperation with the chief prosecutor of the B&H Prosecution. They also discussed the current situation in cases referred to the B&H Prosecution from the ICTY. The chief prosecutor informed the members of the B&H Presidency of the current situation in the current first-degree and second-degree proceedings, the Prosecution’s cooperation with the other countries of the former Yugoslavia. He informed the members of the Presidency that the Court is in the process of drafting the budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year and that 2017 is the last year in which the UN Security Council will secure a budget for the work of the ICTY.

 

UN Assistant to the Secretary General visits B&H (Novo vrijeme/Srna)

Cihan Sultanoğlu, UN Assistant to the Secretary General for Europe and the community of independent countries of the UN Development Program, Cihan Sultanoğlu, is in her official visit to B&H that lasts from 10 to 13 of May. During the first visit to B&H, Sultanoğlu met with state, entity and municipal officials, as well as with the representatives of the civil society and has also visited areas in Maglaj and Doboj that were restored after last year’s floods. As it has been announced from the UNDP, it will be discussed on the global development agenda and position of B&H, activities of the UN in the flood recovery and the building of the resistance to natural disasters in B&H, actual projects and the progress of B&H on its path towards the European integrations. Focusing on the floods recovery projects carried out by the UN agencies, Sultanoğlu will visit some of renewed public institutions, schools and kindergartens in Maglaj and Doboj. The Assistant UN Secretary-General said in Doboj that she is satisfied with B&H’s efforts towards sustainable development and European integration, in which the UN is acting as a partner.

 

Terrorists planned to blow up bridge in Skopje (Vecer/Hina)

The terrorist group that last weekend carried out an attack in Kumanovo, northern FYROM, planned to blow up one of the main bridges in Skopje, reports the website vecer.mk, which said the information was revealed by one of the captured terrorists. The suspect told investigators he was tasked with going to Skopje and carrying out the attack, planned to take place in mid-May, along with more attacks on the police, a court house and a hospital in Kumanovo. The website reports that the terrorists made a detailed plan and predicted a large number of victims. According to this, the plan included a large amount of money to be put at the disposal of the terrorists, and as reward for the job well done. It describes the masterminds as inhabitants of Kosovo, veterans of paramilitary formations, who after the end of the conflict in Kosovo continued with terrorist activities. The website added that the terrorist group chose a suburb of Kumanovo as their base of operations, renting four houses in an area accessible only on foot. “The group’s leader, Mirsad Ndrecaj personally arrived to that part of Kumanovo in May and rented the houses, paying 1,000 euros for each for a month. Several days later he bought another house nearby where a large amount of weapons was stored, along with ten terrorists," the report said. The FYROM embassy in Zagreb, Croatia, published a non-paper which “confirmed that the terrorist group in Kumanovo came from Kosovo”.  Specifically, they are said to be “Kosovo citizens, members of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), and founders of paramilitary structures who failed to secure political support”. They are described as one of the most dangerous criminal groups with political ambitions in the region. The document quoted by the Croatian Hina news agency also said the terrorists’ goal was to attack state institutions and strategic targets, but that the threat was eliminated, and the country is united. The document also blamed the same group for a number of previous attacks, including on a FYROM police outpost in April.

 

More attacks will happen, Islamists aspire to single state (Srna)

American Balkans expert Steven Meyer has told Srna that the fatal attacks of radical Islamists in the RS and FYROM represent an aspiration of Balkan Islamists, especially Albanians, to merge into a single country. Meyer believes that the attacks mean that the issue of Balkan borders and structure of political communities has not been solved yet, and claims that such attacks will recur. “Prime ministers in the Middle East are encouraging the Balkan radical Islamists to pursue their local goals. That is why it is highly likely that contacts between the Balkan extremists and broader radical Islamic movement in the Middle East will increase. This means there will be more such attacks in the Balkans,” says Meyer. Meyer thinks that, unlike what the FYROM leaders are saying, these attacks have nothing to do with the fact that FYROM has not integrated into NATO or the EU. “It is almost certain that there will be more changes to the borders in the region and solutions to those problems will require extreme creativity and leadership in the Balkans,” notes Meyer. He points out that the attacks in RS and specifically in FYROM are dangerous escalations of radical Islam violence. The reason for the escalation of violence he says is Islamic State and the war in Syria, the examples and encouragement to the Balkan extremists.

The more Islamic State engages in violence and the more the bloody war in Syria goes on, the more it will attract Islamists in the Balkans to commit their own violence, says Meyer. “They see Islamic State as a brilliant, defiant example of Islamic glory and defiance to the West and the war in Syria as a war that was inspired from the West,” underlines Meyer.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Macedonia ministers resign amid phone-tapping scandal (BBC, 13 May 2015)

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has accepted the resignation of two ministers and his intelligence head amid a surveillance scandal. Opposition leaders say intelligence chief Saso Mijalkov and Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska led government attempts to control the press, judiciary and electoral officials by tapping their phones. The government denies the allegations. Clashes also erupted between ethnic Albanians and police at the weekend. Fourteen ethnic Albanians and eight police officers were killed in fighting that followed a police raid on an ethnic Albanian neighbourhood in the northern town of Kumanovo.

Political crisis

Conservative leader Mr Gruevski did not give a reason for the resignations of Interior Minister Ms Jankulovska, Transport Minister Mile Janakieski or intelligence chief Mr Mijalkov, who is also his cousin. Mr Mijalkov, in a resignation letter, said he hoped his departure would "help in overcoming the political crisis imposed by the opposition". Western diplomats say the government's failure to investigate the surveillance scandal casts "serious doubts" on the government's commitment to democratic values. Macedonia, which is a candidate for European Union membership, is facing increasing unrest. The opposition and government have accused each other of deliberately destabilising the country. Since February, opposition leader Zoran Zaev has been releasing leaked recordings, amid concerns about the government's apparently authoritarian leanings. Anti-government protests broke out last week after leaked conversations allegedly revealed that important details in a 2011 murder case had been covered up. Demonstrators say they will take to the streets on Sunday to demand the prime minister's resignation.

 

Smoke and gunpowder in the political dust of Macedonia (European Council on Foreign Relations, by Zoran Jačev, 13 May 2015)

The recent clashes between the police and armed groups of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and Macedonia in Kumanovo - which left eight dead and over 30 policemen wounded - returned Macedonia to the headlines 14 years after the conflict ended in 2001. This follows on the heels of allegations of corruption raised by the biggest opposition party Social Democratic Union of Moldova (SDSM) which disclosed wiretapped conversations of highly-placed government representatives. The government has not denied them, claiming only that the conversations were”edited” so as to leave it open to accusations of corruption, serious violations of the electoral process, and politicization of government institutions. Moreover, the opposition has announced protests for 17 May which they predict will result in the resignation of the Government, the formation of a transitional government and snap elections.

Legitimate anti-terrorist action or just a distraction?

The manner and timing of the police action in Kumanovo has further divided opinion in an already heated political debate, resulting in different interpretations of what actually happened. On the one hand, the government says there was a group of 30-70 people (including known KLA commanders and local criminals) who intended to attack government buildings and carry out acts of terror leading to civilian casualties in order to destabilise the country. On the other hand, the opposition see it as an attempt to divert public attention from growing public unrest and to prevent the planned opposition protest from going ahead. While the Government presents the actions as heroic and well-planned, its opponents accuse it of needlessly sacrificing the lives of policemen. There are other conspiracy theories that the appearance of this armed group is a message to all Balkan countries that they may be destabilised if they get closer to Russia. Or even that this group was hired and paid (allegedly €2m) by individuals from governing parties in Macedonia to run riot.

An isolated incident or the beginning of a new conflict?

Regardless of all these theories, it is now a fact that an armed group has been present and active in European country which is a candidate for EU and NATO membership.  This raises the worrying question of whether this will spark a new conflict and destabilise Macedonia and the region. But the situation is very different to 2001 and it is almost unthinkable that it might happen again. There is simply not enough tension between Macedonians and Albanians to cause a real ethnic conflict. Moreover, all neighbouring countries are either members of EU and NATO or planning to join so an unstable Macedonia is not in their interest. This is particularly true of Kosovo, because Albanians are trying to show that they are not playing the role of the "usual suspects" in destabilising the region. And– neither the EU, NATO nor the United States would tolerate the creation of a crisis in Europe which could be exploited by Islamic State. Having said that, the deep political crisis in Macedonia over the last two months could be exploited by criminal and extremist groups. It must be resolved as soon as possible in order to prevent these groups spreading interethnic tensions.

A longer stick and a bigger carrot

The existence of these criminal and extremist groups in Macedonia and their power to destabilise countries in the region calls for decisive and co-ordinated action against them by governments, particularly those of Kosovo and Macedonia. The connections between politicians with organised crime must be cut in order to eliminate the protection that they provide. On the other hand, there has to be strong pressure from the international community for the rule of law, because for some Balkan elites, it is much easier to live with organised crime (and profit from it), than to fight it . They must be urged to put the fight against organised crime top of the reform agenda and the EU should offer support, monitoring and guidance in the process. Moreover, a failure to achieve results should lead to a cut in support in other areas. The current political crisis in Macedonia - which has been off the EU and NATO radar for 10 years -  confirms that without a longer stick or a bigger carrot there will always bedust and smoke in the region.

Zoran Jačev is a lawyer and has held various positions in the Macedonian Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Defence. He has also been the Executive Director of one of the first Macedonian think-tanks Forum – Center for Strategic Research and Documentation and was the Founder and President of Transparency International – Macedonia.

 

Bosnian Economy Starting to Recover, IMF Says (BIRN, by Elvira M. Jukic, 13 May 2015)

After a two-week mission to Bosnia, the International Monetary Fund said it was more optimistic the economy - although fresh financial assistance would still depend on reforms

After surveying Bosnia's fiscal, economic and social situation over the last two weeks, an IMF mission has expressed mild optimism about signs of recovery - while underlining the need for urgent reforms if Bosnia wants further financial support. “First reforms, then the next tranche,” the Banja Luka daily Nezavisne Novine reported on Wednesday. Bosnia initialled its current Stand-By Arrangement, SBA, with the IMF in September 2012, but constant political quarrels ahead of 2014 general elections delayed or blocked the reforms it was supposed to undertake. The IMF then halted payments to Bosnia last September, which led to a shortfall in the agreed IMF disbursements. Out of the 700 million euro agreed under the current SBA, the IMF so far gave Bosnia only 530 million. In Sarajevo on Tuesday, the head of the IMF mission, Ron van Rooden, said the existing SBA remains blocked because the IMF “did not see enough efforts [by Bosnia] to implement the reform agenda”. Since the current SBA with Bosnia expires at the end of June, the IMF, the European Union and the World Bank will be work to prepare a new loan arrangement, which Bosnia desperately needs to cover a growing budget deficit. Continued financial support is one of the key elements of EU’s new approach towards Bosnia, which is focusing on improving the economic and social base of the country rather than on reforming constitutional arrangements. This will be underlined through the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, SAA, which will become effective as of June. In meetings with the state and the two entity governments over the past two weeks, as well as at a joint retreat on Mt Jahorina near Sarajevo on Sunday and Monday, the IMF, the World Bank, the EU, the EBRD and local politicians discussed Bosnia’s future reform agenda. This will include reforms of the administration, health care, pension funds and the labour laws, which have already become a point of disagreement between the IMF and employers’ associations on one side and trade unions on the other. Ron van Rooden stressed that IMF will not even discuss payment of the current arrangements, or prepare new financial arrangements, until Bosnia initiates some of those reforms. However, he also said there were indicators that Bosnia’s economy was not so damaged by last year’s catastrophic floods as was first thought, and that the economy is showing signs of recovery. “After these difficult years, the recovery is showing signs of taking a firmer hold. As economic activity is projected to pick up in Europe, growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to rebound to over 2 per cent this year,” Rooden said, adding that it still “substantially lags behind” the rest of the region and Europe. “An ambitious policy agenda is necessary to accelerate growth and reduce unemployment, while maintaining macroeconomic stability,” he concluded in his statement.

 

Turkey calls for 'economy for peace' in western Balkans (Anadolu Agency, 13 May 2015)

Turkey urges Western Balkan nations to establish common economic goals for peace and prosperity in region

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan urged Western Balkan countries Wednesday to establish common economic goals for peace, prosperity and stability in the region. Speaking at the sixth Sarajevo Business Forum in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, Babacan said the economy was an important instrument for strengthening political relations and reconciliation in the region. He said: "It is very important for the region that we have free movement of people, goods and capital. When I look at the region we see that we have quite a fragmented economy. "When we unite the region in order to avoid barriers to investment, then we can talk about the prosperity of the region." He went on: "... it is very important to work on the joint construction of the region and to work together for its prosperity. How to do it? Through peace and stability. Anywhere in the world, political stability is the foundation of economic progress." He said dialogue and tolerance could promote political stability in the region. Babacan added: "How to achieve political stability? Through democracy and dialogue of course -- conversation, tolerance and promoting reconciliation. "Events such as the Sarajevo Business Forum (SBF) are very important because they bring together politicians and allow interaction between politicians and businessmen. Such economic activity becomes a powerful mechanism in the fight against political disputes." He used the experience of the European Union states to highlight the importance of strong economies. Babacan said: "An essential element for progress in European structures is integration. As we look to the European Union, its founders were actually on opposite sides in World War II and then those countries have united around a common thing, and that was the economy. "The economy itself is an essential instrument for the political process and the process of reconciliation. We must do everything to improve the business environment of our countries to make this country so interesting for investment." "We, as Turkey, noticed a deficit of trust, and it is very important for many countries that all countries work together to establish and maintain confidence," he added. Meanwhile, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said: "We accept the slogan of the forum; 'One region, one economy'. That's my suggestion, that your leaders lead dialogue between the Bosnian and Serbian people, in order to make a favorable environment." He said that only a unified market in the region could attract more investors from countries around the world. Vucic said: "You should not let others take care of us -- we must take responsibility. "Serbia is ready to talk about all the difficult topics with Bosniaks. We have to think about the common future of our countries. It is a fair offer, because we have to live together." The Sarajevo Business Forum aims to bring direct foreign investments to Bosnia and Herzegovina which are seen as being crucial for peace and stability in the region. Business people from around the region as well as their counterparts from more than 30 countries participated in the conference, which includes guests such as Babacan; Indian Foreign Minister India Vijay Kumar Singh, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti, and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. The forum is hosting over 900 representatives from all around the world.

 

Montenegro PM Complains of ‘Masochistic’ Coalition (BIRN, by Dusica Tomovic, 12 May 2015)

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic expressed his harshest ever criticism of his governing allies, the Social Democratic Party, saying that their longstanding coalition was a painful relationship

Djukanovic expressed frustration on Monday that the smaller party in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, led by parliament speaker Ranko Krivokapic, has often voted with opposition MPs on important laws in recent years. He accused the SDP of deceiving the public by remaining part of a government that it wants to "tear down through mechanisms of parliamentary control". He that the ruling coalition at the national level only was only held together by its mutual support for Montenegro's bid to join NATO. "Otherwise there would not be any other reason to suffer such masochism," he said during a debate with prominent Montenegrin journalists on local Atlas TV. "We only bear this because we trying to get an invitation for NATO membership; all other reasons lead us to early elections," he added. Djukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists and the SDP have made up the ruling coalition at the national level for more than 15 years. But the SDP has often criticized the government's performance in reforming the judiciary and the state of media freedom. The two parties agreed to redefine their relations last May following months of conflict over the privatisation of the state-owned electric power company, Elektroprivreda, the leasing of a luxury coastal resort to foreign investors and the fight against organised crime and corruption. They signed an annex to their coalition agreement proclaiming EU and NATO membership as their joint priority. Djukanovic's party has now been in power for 25 years, which makes Montenegro the only state in the Balkans that has been run by the same party without interruption ever since its first democratic elections in 1990. The current government was elected on December 2012. It comprises Djukanovic's DPS, the SDP and three ethnic minority parties. The next general elections are due in 2016.