BELGRADE, March 8 (Reuters) - Serbian Prime Minister
Vojislav Kostunica announced his resignation on Saturday, saying
his government was no longer functioning because of disunity in
the coalition.
 

"This is the end of the government," he told a news
conference. "I have called a government session on March 10 to
discuss dissolution of parliament."
 

He said it was likely that a snap election would be held on
May 11, the date already set for local elections in Serbia.
 

The nationalist leader has indirectly accused his
pro-Western coalition partners of giving up on defending
Serbia's claim to Kosovo in favour of better ties with the West,
which backs Kosovo's secession.
 

He said part of the coalition wanted Serbia to be a member
of the European Union only if the independence of Kosovo, which
two thirds of EU members have recognised, is revoked, while a
majority did not want EU membership linked to Kosovo.
 

His decision to end the government puts him in direct
conflict with Serbia's pro-Western president Boris Tadic and his
party, who formed the backbone of the coalition which came to
power 10 months ago.
 

Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) says it would
support a Serbian Radical Party (SRS) resolution in parliament,
calling on the EU to "clearly and unambiguously" confirm
Serbia's territorial integrity, as a condition for further
European integration.
 

Tadic's Democratic Party and their liberal G17 Plus partner
opposed the resolution in cabinet earlier this week and defeated
it 2-to-1.
 

The pro-EU parties say the resolution will not bring back
Kosovo -- whose Albanian majority declared independence on Feb
17 with Western backing -- but put a halt to Serbia's bid to
join the European Union, which is their key policy aim.