July 28, 2003 - Former Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) are once again the most popular political party in Serbia, after the four-month slump which followed the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.

According to the latest survey conducted by the Strategic Marketing Agency, Djindjic's Democratic Party has fallen to third; with G17 Plus – whose deputy leader is former National Bank governor Mladjan Dinkic – climbing to second.

The survey of 1,545 citizens, carried out between 19 and 22 July, shows a gap of less than one per cent between the three leading parties. However, DSS and G17 are visibly on the rise, while the Democratic Party is struggling to maintain the popularity boost of March this year.

DSS have gained two and a half per cent in the last month and now have an approval rating of 16 per cent; G17 Plus' popularity has jumped by four per cent to 15.9; while the Democratic Party continue to lose ground, with a further two and a half per cent drop to 15.5.

Other parties with significant support include the Serbian Radical Party, who picked up seven per cent of support despite the fact that party leader Vojislav Seselj is currently on trial at The Hague, and Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia, who have regained their pre-state of emergency rating of 5.4 per cent.

Dinkic top of the tree
Respondents were asked to select potential coalition partners and the most popular combination proved to be the Democratic Party and G17 Plus, despite the fact that they have been at loggerheads recently over the National Bank affair and associated money laundering accusations. The second most popular combination would be DSS and G17 Plus.

The most popular individual political figure in Serbia at present is Mladjan Dinkic, followed by his party leader Miroljub Labus, SCG Defence Minister Boris Tadic, Serbian Finance Minister Bozidar Djelic, SCG Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic and DSS leader Kostunica.

Those suffering the biggest drop in popularity are Serbian Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic, recently accused by Dinkic of involvement in illegal profiteering, and Deputy Serbian PM Cedomir Jovanovic, accused of ties to the Zemun Gang.

Negative direction
For the first time since Djindjic's demise the majority of respondents feel that the country is heading in the wrong direction, with 45 per cent identifying a negative trend and only 39 per cent believing Serbia is heading in the right direction.

During police Operation Sabre, conducted under the state of emergency, some 66 per cent felt the country was heading the right way, with only 16 per cent opposed.

Democratic Party keeps its options open
Earlier today, the Democratic Party said that despite a major falling-out it remains closer to G17 Plus than Vojislav Kostunica’s Democratic Party of Serbia.

Spokesman Aleksandar Radosavljevic said that the Democratic Party, Serbia's biggest political party, is closest to parties “that advocate European integration, and these are members of DOS and G17 Plus”.

Radosavljevic refused to rule out cooperation with the Democratic Party of Serbia, saying: “It’s really a question of whether the Democratic Party of Serbia truly wants reform”, he said.

The spokesman predicted elections would be held at the end of 2004, adding that no one could say with any certainty what the coalitions would look like.