NEW SERBIAN PREMIER DOES NOT RULE OUT BAN ON PARTIES WITH TIES TO CRIME
Beta - March 18, 2003

Belgrade, 18 March: The newly-elected Serbian prime minister, Zoran Zivkovic, said today that the priority task of his government will be arresting the taskmasters and assassins of Zoran Djindjic and clamping down on all criminal groups that have been identified as early as two years ago.

Zivkovic told a news conference that "those who politically inspired the assassination of Zoran Djindjic" will be punished, too.

Asked whether a ban on some political parties in Serbia was currently being prepared, Zivkovic pointed out it was not the Serbian government but the Constitutional Court that decided about this. He said that if it transpires that some parties have had links with the assassins, the Constitutional Court will act in accordance with the regulations.

Serbian Culture and Information Minister Branislav Lecic confirmed at the news conference that daily Nacional, weekly Identitet, and the Radio-Television Mars from Valjevo have all been banned for failure to adhere to the decree on measures applying during the state of emergency.

Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1655 gmt 18 Mar 03

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