BELGRADE (AFP) — Tomislav Nikolic, acting leader of Serbia's ultra-nationalist main opposition resigned from posts in his party following disagreement on the country's EU future, Beta news agency reported Saturday.
"Tomislav Nikolic resigned last night from the post of deputy leader of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) as well as from the post of the party parliamentary group's chief," the agency said, quoting a SRS statement.
Local news media reported that Nikolic resigned over a disagreement within the party on support for Serbia's rapprochement with the European Union.
Nikolic on Thursday made an unexpected political shift, saying the SRS would vote for ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, a prelude to EU candidate status signed in April between Belgrade and Brussels.
But another senior SRS official, Dragan Todorovic, told Beta earlier on Saturday that the party would not support ratification.
The turn came after SRS leader Vojislav Seselj -- on trial before the UN war crimes tribunal -- pressured the party leadership to give up its announced support, the Vecernje Novosti newspaper reported.
The party split over the issue; Seselj's faction prevailed and therefore Nikolic resigned, the daily added.
The SRS is the strongest single force in the Serbian parliament with 78 out of 250 seats.
The stabilisation agreement is still likely to be ratified, as the ruling pro-European coalition led by President Boris Tadic's democrats holds a majority in parliament. The vote is expected next week.
The ruling coalition hailed the SRS's announced support for the stabilisation agreement in hopes of reaching "a national consensus".
Earlier in the day, Tadic said consensus would mean that Serbia has clearly decided to take the road of European integration.
But the agreement would be ratified even if there is no such a consensus, he added at a party meeting.
Nikolic has steered the SRS since Seselj left for The Hague and surrendered to the UN tribunal in February 2003. He has led it from a minor nationalist party to the strongest opposition political force.
Disagreements on SRS policy towards Serbia's integration in the EU between moderate Nikolic and hardliner Seselj have been reported for months by local media, but never confirmed until now.
Unlike Nikolic, who has openly supported country's EU bid under certain conditions, Seselj repeatedly advocated against Serbia's cooperation with EU and NATO, claiming that "all Serbia's enemies are there."
It remains to be seen how many deputies will support Nikolic in parliament on the vote on ratification of the stabilisation pact.
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