KOSTUNICA WILLING TO NEGOTIATE EVEN WITH MILOSEVIC'S SOCIALISTS

BELGRADE, Jan 28(Hina) - The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has not negotiated with Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) about its participation in the new government, DSS leader Vojislav Kostunica told Beta news agency on Wednesday.#L# Kostunica was speaking in response to a New York Times article of Wednesday which, according to the media in Serbia, said Kostunica had announced in an interview that his party might cooperate with the SPS so that a new government could be formed and new elections averted. Kostunica said today that following parliament's failure yesterday to elect a speaker, his party would not object to having those parties that did not vote for the DSS candidate, do so next time, referring to the Democratic Party (DS) and the SPS. "The DSS is the only party which, wanting to elevate parliamentarism in Serbia to a higher level, has talked with both the Radicals and the Socialists". Kostunica said the parties of the democratic bloc would continue negotiations on Friday, before the Serbian parliament resumes its constituent session and once again tries to elect a speaker. Neither of the two candidates, Dragan Marsicanin of the DSS and Gordana Pop Lazaric of the Serbian Radical Party, were elected yesterday due to the abstention of the DS and the SPS. Kostunica has proposed that the DS support Marsicanin who, in turn, would cede the post to the DS once the new government is formed. (Hina) ha