By Douglas Hamilton
The coalition of nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica was on the verge of collapse over the offer, a one-of-a-kind deal tendered as a sweetener to Serbia because EU members cannot agree to offer it a full pre-membership accord.
One nationalist minister warned pro-EU Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic he would be a "traitor" if he signed such a deal.
He has issued two statements, one on Monday saying the EU "political agreement" was a trap that Serbia would never sign, and a second on Wednesday saying parliament must meet to quell political disunity.
Kostunica has cancelled cabinet's regular Thursday session despite demands by a majority of ministers for an urgent meeting.
"This is an exceptionally serious situation, the government is in paralysis," said Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic of Tadic's Democratic Party, a few hours before the EU announced it would, "with deep regret", hold off on signing the pact.
Tadic was re-elected on a pledge of pursuing EU membership no matter what happens with Kosovo, and has made clear he will not back down after months of playing second fiddle to Kostunica and his drive to make Kosovo Serbia's one and only issue.
Kostunica wants to bring the issue to parliament where he can rely on the votes of the nationalist Radicals, Serbia's strongest single party, to back his case in a showdown over the country's future direction.
(Editing by Timothy Heritage)
