JOINT APPEARANCE IN ELECTIONS AGREED, BUT NOT CANDIDATES

BANJA LUKA, MAY 20 /SRNA/ - Opposition political parties - the Serbian Democratic Party /SDS/, the Movement for Safe Srpska, and the People’s Front - agreed today on a joint appearance in the upcoming general elections, but not on joint candidates for individual executive positions.

The president of the Movement for Safe Srpska, Draško Stanivuković, who hosted the meeting, told reporters that the opposition will have joint candidates for the President of Republika Srpska and the Serb member of the Presidency of BiH. "We are leaving space for other political organizations as well. The idea is to open it up to the non-governmental sector, actors, lawyers, and legal professionals," Stanivuković added. SDS President Branko Blanuša said that final positions on candidacies will be presented at the next meeting at the end of May, which will be hosted by the People’s Front. Commenting on his own candidacy for President of Republika Srpska, Blanuša said that this is not his personal position and that such decisions can only be changed by party bodies. He expressed regret that the leader of the List for Justice and Order, Nebojša Vukanović, did not attend today’s meeting, adding that he expects a larger number of parties to participate in the next round of talks. The president of the People’s Front, Jelena Trivić, said that a joint agreement has been signed and that they will have common candidates for the President of Republika Srpska and for the Serb member of the Presidency of BiH.