BELGRADE -- Monday - The Socialist Party of Serbia has given the federal parliament notice of a motion of no confidence in Human Rights Minister Rasim Ljajic.

The deputy parliamentary leader of the Socialist Party, Veljko Odalovic, said today that the initiative came after an obituary written by Ljajic for former Bosnian president Alija Izetbegovic which was published in a Sarajevo newspaper.

"We were appalled that in the obituary Minister Ljajic refers to Alija Izetbegovic as his president and praises him and his work," said Odalovic, adding that the minister should explain to the parliament how the former leader of the Party of Democratic Action was "his president".

Izetbegovic policies had resulted in an exodus of Serbs from Bosnia and his party had brought together Mujahadin from Al-Qaeda," said Odalovic.

"A minister who has a mandate to protect human and ethnic minority rights has no mandate to publish such an obituary," he added.

Ljajic himself dismissed the no confidence move as an election stunt.