Natasa Micic, who is speaker of the outgoing Serbian parliament and acting president, announced in Belgrade on 16 January that the recently elected legislature will hold its first session on 27 January.

It is not clear whether a new government will be formed by that date. Former Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) wants to form a minority government with three other parties, but would also need the legislative support of the Democratic Party to govern.

The Democrats are torn by internal divisions that they hope to resolve at a meeting on 18 January. Several Democratic leaders are bitter enemies of Kostunica and unwilling to support any cabinet led by him.

Tomislav Nikolic, who heads the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), said that Kostunica missed an important opportunity by not forming a coalition with the SRS, which won the most votes in the 28 December elections.

(RFE/RL 16.i.04)