(11 Jun 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Wide shot of Serbian parliament building
2. The two Serbian flags on the Parliament building
3. Close-up of the "National Assembly" sign
4. Pan across members of the parliament inside the building, waiting to get into hall
5. Members in doorway, waiting to get into hall
6. Various of members of the parliament in hall
7. Wide of parliament speaker at the session
8. Mid of the Parliament speaker at the session
9. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) Tomislav Nikolic, Vice President, Serbian Radical Party:
"This parliament session doesn't mean anything at the moment except that we can implement legality and legitimacy and start working. However, the session in which we choose the president of the Serbian Parliament is the session in which we will form the government."
11. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) Dragan Markovic, United Serbia Party leader:
"Regarding the principles of United Serbia, we are in favour of the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and against the annulment of that agreement. Having in mind that (Prime Minister ) Vojislav Kostunica, like his party (Democratic Party of Serbia), is against ratification of the agreement, for us, United Serbia, talks with the DSS are finished."
12. Cutaway cameras
STORYLINE:
Serbia's parliament convened in Belgrade on Wednesday for the first time since last month's elections, in a step toward forming a new government weeks after the inconclusive vote.
The country has been locked in a power struggle between pro-European Union reformists and hardline nationalists since the May 11 vote, which left none of the rival camps with a clear governing majority.
The 250 new lawmakers were sworn in during Wednesday's session, and adjourned until a governing majority is formed.
The lawmakers now have three months to elect a government or another election will be held.
"This parliament session doesn't mean anything at the moment except that we can implement legality and legitimacy and start working. However, the session in which we choose the president of the Serbian Parliament is the session in which we will form the government," Tomislav Nikolic, Vice President of the Serbian Radical Party told reporters.
At stake is Serbia's integration into the European Union.
President Boris Tadic's pro-EU coalition wants to speed up the process, while nationalists want to move the nation closer to Russia.
Both nationalists and the pro-Western camp have sought to win over late strongman Slobodan Milosevic's Socialists, which have emerged as the kingmaker after the vote.
Tadic's camp won 102 seats in the parliament and needs the support of the 20 Socialist lawmakers and other minority parties to form a government.
Together, the far-right Radicals and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Popular Coalition have 108 seats and also need the Socialists' backing.
The Socialists initially opened talks with the nationalists, but have since showed signs that they may switch sides and team up with Tadic.
The outcome of the negotiations will be known in a week, senior Socialist official Milutin Mrkonjic said on Wednesday.
Nationalist officials, meanwhile, suggested there was little hope they would form a government.
Kostunica said on Tuesday that prospects of a nationalist government had diminished.
Also on Tuesday, reformist official Mladjan Dinkic suggested that the formation of the pro-EU government was a done deal. He said Tadic would soon announce who would be the next prime minister.
The Socialist Party was founded and led by Milosevic until he died in 2006 in detention at the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
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