Serb radicals threaten gov’t
BELGRADE – A leader of Serbia’s ultra-nationalists yesterday threatened to topple the government at the next parliamentary session, capitalizing on a surge of nationalism following Slobodan Milosevic’s death. Tomislav Nikolic, deputy leader of the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party, the single largest party in the 250-seat Parliament, told The Associated Press that he now sees a «chance for the collapse» of the conservative government. «We will not participate in the next parliamentary session and… if (Milosevic’s) Socialists and some other deputies join us, we can topple the government,» Nikolic said in an interview. The session is scheduled for March 20. The Radicals, who supported Milosevic’s warmongering policies throughout his rule, control 82 seats in Serbia’s Parliament. With the support of 22 of Milosevic’s Socialist deputies, they could initiate a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica. Since it was formed in 2004, Kostunica’s minority government has depended on the Socialist Party for parliamentary support and had a tacit pact with Radicals that they would not jeopardize its stability.
