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Serbian opposition sceptical toward Vucic’s dialogue on Kosovo (Danas)

Representatives of the opposition parliamentary parties are sceptical regarding idea of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to initiate a nationwide dialogue on Kosovo issues, Danas daily reported. Serbian media over the last days extensively covered Vucic’s announcement saying that in addition to all parliamentary parties, representatives of non-governmental sector, church dignitaries, heads of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, also intellectuals from all ideological spheres would be included in September talks in order to find homogeneous strategy related to the Kosovo issue. However, there are serious differences in opposition parties’ reactions to Vucic’s proposal. Djordjo Zujovic, from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said an open talks and a dialogue of people ready to express different opinions is needed, and there is nothing disputable in terms of that. However, it is disputable our right to decide on behalf of the people who live in Kosovo, because they are not hostages of the myths from the past because of a peaceful dream of every government in Belgrade, but they should exist because their own future and future of their children. Marko Djurisic, chief of the Social-Democratic Party caucus, said their decision to participate depends on whether they will be invited. “Let’s see what kind of talks there would be, in September or during any other months, what are the topics…” he said. Part of the Serbian opposition believes that Vucic wants to disguise recognition of Kosovo independence and has an alibi for his failed policy. President of Democratic Party (DS), Dragan Sutanovic stated that Vucic should prepare a platform for talks, including precisely what his policy is about and ways how and what he wants to be a solution to the Kosovo issue. Sanda Raskovic Ivic, chair of the Movement of Salvation of Serbia caucus, and former head of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) thinks these talks are much belated. “Vucic uses them to share the responsibility for the failure of his politics. Why would we help him to cheat on us again and clean his biography? We would not respond to his call, as things stand now. And I do not see it is possible to change them,” she said Other political leaders think that Vucic’s call for a dialogue is nothing else but preparation of Serbia’s public for recognition of Kosovo and deleting Kosovo and Metohija from the Serbian Constitution preamble.