Coalition For Vojvodina

VREME: Mr. Petrovic, what political forces and ambitions are you launching in your election campaign?

DP: Our Board has already decided that the RSDV take part in the upcoming elections within the ``Democratic Coalition for Vojvodina,'' which would rally parties and associations prepared for minimum cooperation. This stand is in line with our urge for the opposition's rallying. We had expected this rallying on all levels and in all parts of the republic, since it would help the opposition achieve better results at the elections. Unfortunately, the opposition parties will again dissipate and lose the votes and parliamentary seats they could have won.

* Why do you think each party is running by itself?

I am reluctant to talk about that. I think that reasonable behaviour is not a strong point of our opposition parties, and that too many leaders have ambitions of personal promotion. Everyone thinks the mood of the voters will change to his benefit alone and that he will take advantage of the ruling party's drastic fall of popularity more than the others.

In view of such relations among prominent Serbian opposition parties, we assessed that it was necessary to find a figure, who would take a moreorless neutral position and play an integrative role, encouraging as many citizens as possible to go to the polls. We think that Milan Panic (exYugoslav Prime Minister and presidential candidate at the last elections) was such a figure, and that he was the ``last chance'' for the opposition to close ranks, although his image is not faultless.

* At last year's early elections, you formed a coalition with the Democratic Party (DS) and entered both Parliaments with it...

We have an agreement on cooperation with the Democratic Party, which has not been brought into question even after the tumultuous events and delicate shifts within it. We understand, however, that the Democratic Party wants to test its new orientation and we think it is good that a party does this by itself at the elections. We hope our cooperation will continue after the elections.

On the other hand, the RDSV has got a nice opportunity to reaffirm its traditional messages and stands, without the burden of the Belgrade partner. I would like to recall that the RDSV has succeeded in winning seats in all parliamentary elections it has taken part in and has easily proven that it is the strongest socalled regional party. This is why we are certain that we will remain in the Parliament after the elections, since we maintain that our voters have not wavered, that we have a strong group of our own in the electorate.

* How do you assess the popularity of the chief rivals? Since last elections, the ruling SPS and Seselj's Radicals have become the chief rivals in Novi Sad (Vojvodina capital).

I would first like to deny the rumours of the Radicals winning a major victory at last year's elections. For instance, in the City Assembly, they won 21 seats while the united democratic opposition won 27 seats. The Socialists and their 10 MP's tipped the scale and brought the Radicals to power in Novi Sad thanks to their coalition. It's another story now, the Radicals can now feel on their own backs what we had gone through. It is the key interest of the electorate both in Novi Sad and the whole country to realise where the Socialists, the Radicals, and their old and new satellites are leading us. Our old slogan: CHANGES ARE NECESSARY has never been more topical.