Serbia's Former Ruling Party Ejects Jeremic

"The President of the World", as some in the Serbian media call Vuk Jeremic, head of the UN General Assembly, is no longer in the ranks of the Serbia's former ruling Democratic Party.

The executive board expelled him on Thursday afternoon after he had refused to return his MP's mandate.

The new party leadership had called on all former ministers from their ranks to return their mandates. Most former ministers have fulfilled the request.

Dusan Petrovic, who served as agricutlure minister in the previous government, and did not want to return his mandate, was expelled last week.

Jeremic also said earlier that he would not return his mandate because it would be contrary to laws that say that the mandate belongs to the MP, not the party.

The "cleaning" of the party came after the Mayor of Belgrade, Dragan Djilas, was elected head of the party last November.

The party has been in turmoil ever since last May's general elections, when the Democrats lost power to the Serbian Progressive Party.

Boris Tadic, the former leader, who was also Serbian President, was widely blamed for the defeat.

At the same time, the media started leaking information on corruption among former Democrat ministers.