Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica focused on the nation's unhappiness with low living standards and job losses as he outlined his programme for next month's Serbian presidential election.
Before the main board of his party endorsed him as its candidate, Kostunica attacked the Serbian government's record of economic management and said its programme of privatisation was open to abuse and lacked transparency.
"We know how badly we live and - what's even worse - without any prospects," said Kostunica, who ended weeks of speculation on Friday by declaring he would run for the top job in Yugoslavia's dominant republic.
The main showdown at the polls is expected to be between two camps from the reformist movement that ousted Slobodan Milosevic - Kostunica's moderate nationalists and pro-market liberals championed by Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus.
Kostunica, a constitutional lawyer, has been president of the Yugoslav federation since Milosevic's ouster in 2000.
But the federation is to be revamped and Kostunica has opted to seek the presidency of his native Serbia. The presidency of the new, looser union of Serbia and Montenegro is widely expected to be less powerful than Kostunica's current post.
"Why do I think I can be president of Serbia? Because I feel a responsibility for what is happening here and a commitment to finish the job I have started," Kostunica said.
Labus is cultivating the image of a modest economics expert who can raise living standards in a republic battered by years of wars, corruption and international sanctions under Milosevic.
But Kostunica indicated he was ready to fight on his rival's area of expertise, tapping into widespread discontent among Serbs who feel their living standards have not improved since Milosevic was toppled nearly two years ago.
The Serbian government argues it has already done much to stabilise prices and increase wages. Ministers say all former communist states suffer as they move to a full market economy but Serbia will reap the benefits of their reforms in time.
The Serbian government is headed by Kostunica's arch-rival Zoran Djindjic, who is backing Labus.
Kostunica accused the government of concentrating on closing down companies and scrapping jobs. It was not creating a solid legal framework for businesses or establishing the independent legal system needed to inspire investors' confidence, he said.
"Reform processes have to be based on numerous new economic undertakings to compensate for closing down unprofitable companies and banks losing non-productive jobs," Kostunica said.
He said he was in favour of liberalising the economy and prices, but this did not mean weakening institutions or the state. He said he also wanted to see inflation reduced to below four percent over two years.
Last year inflation in Serbia fell to 38.7 per cent from more than 100 per cent in 2000.
The mandate of Serbia's current president Milan Milutinovic, expires at the end of the year. He has been indicted along with Milosevic on war crimes charges and is expected to surrender himself to The Hague tribunal.