The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Belgrade

Serbian nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica resigned on Saturday following a government crisis over the independence of Kosovo and the country's EU future. "The government, which does not have united policies, cannot function," Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said as he announced the fall of his Cabinet. "That's the end of the government." Kostunica said he will convene a session of the caretaker government Monday, which will propose to President Boris Tadic to dissolve the Parliament and call new elections for May 11. Tadic said in a statement that he will call early elections because they are a "democratic way to overcome the political crisis." But he disputed Kostunica's claim that their clash was over Kosovo, the Serbian medieval heartland which proclaimed independence last month with the backing of the United States and several EU countries. "Kosovo is of course an integral part of our country," Tadic said. "I believe the issue is that the Serbian government does not have a united position over European and economic perspectives of Serbia and its citizens," he added.