Tanja Fajon: Inter-Party Dialogue Should Be Concluded Long Before Next Elections

Tanja Fajon (BETAPHOTO/STA/Daniel Novakovic/DS)

Tanja Fajon, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) and its facilitation team for the inter-party dialogue on election conditions in Serbia, is of the opinion that the talks between the Serbia government and the opposition have to be concluded “long before” the next elections so as to leave enough time for the revision of the election regulations.

In an interview for Nova.rs given in the evening on April 18, Fajon said that the latest and ongoing round of talks in Serbia had begun in March when the MEPs met with Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic. In April and the beginning of May, she added, her team is to have an online meeting with the cabinet, and the representative extra-parliamentary and parliamentary parties.

“In the meantime, we’ve gotten in touch with everyone in Serbia who wants to participate in the dialogue and we’ve set some deadlines, which are yet to be approved.  Our goal is to finish the first consultation round with all of them by the end of May. We are planning to formally meet with the opposition bloc at the end of April, or beginning of May,” Fajon said.

According to her, the goal of the dialogue is to achieve greater political pluralism in Serbia, and bring about elections that are fairer, freer and more democratic for everyone, including the “boycotting opposition.”

When asked to comment on the government’s announcement that it will start the negotiations with those who want the talks without the EP’s mediation, Fajon said the European Parliament salutes everyone who wants to participate in the dialogue and “shares the same goal.”