Boris Tadic named leader of Social Democratic Party

BELGRADE - The New Democratic Party, the youngest party on Serbia's political scene, has been renamed the Social Democratic Party (SDS), and Boris Tadic was elected its president.

The party leadership will be known after the party assembly election on October 26, and in the meantime, a request for the name change will be filed to the Ministry of Public Administration.

According to the Social Democratic Party statute, Tadic will have no deputies, but the party will have six vice-presidents, and at least two of the positions will have to be filled by women.

Speaking on a Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) talk show about this, Tadic argued that social democracy was better suited to the challenges of today than conservative parties' ideologies.

He said that he did not see the SDS in the ruling coalition at the central level or at the level of the Province of Vojvodina at the moment, but added he would hold talks about possible particiption in the government anyway.

Tadic said that it was now most important for the SDS to work in the opposition, which was "very static and not penetrating to the core of the problems" in the country.

He expressed understanding for the restrictive measures taken by the current Serbian government, stressing that it would be irresponsible to say that such measures were uncalled for.

Tadic said that even if he himself created a new government, it would have to take restrictive measures, adding, however, that economic recovery also called for antirecession measures that social democracy insisted on.

"Without productivity, investment and competitiveness, we cannot provide funds for development and decent living," he said.

"We will be sharp critics...