Milosevic son says not bitter over father's funeral in Serbia
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - March 20, 2006, Monday

Text of report by Belgrade-based private BKTV on 19 March

[Presenter] Belgrade-based daily Press claims that Milosevic's son Marko has stated for this daily that he is embittered by the fact that his father's funeral was turned into a political rally.

Marko Milosevic, allegedly, repeated that he and his mother had not come to the funeral because they had not received sufficient guarantees regarding their safety.

Marko Milosevic has denied the Press report in a phone statement for BKTV and given his expressions about the latest events.

[Milosevic] I have called you regarding a report published in Press daily today [19 March]. I was informed today about an interview which I have allegedly given for their daily. No-one from our family has ever denied any media reports aimed against us, a great campaign has been under way all these years, but we still have the same attitude towards it as ever. But, in such a situation, today and yesterday, I expected media reports to have at least some tact and show at least some understanding for the position our family is in and the tragedy which happened to us.

I do not state anything for print media on purpose, exactly because those statements have been falsified ever since I can remember, because they are always incorrect, because I have, according to them, smashed 20 cars, etc. We all know what is in question here.

I had been called by a certain journalist named Vucicevic [Press editor in chief Dragan Vucicevic], virtually just before the funeral begun. He was decent, humble, and I could not speak, I just told him several things, but the thing published today was invented from the capital letter to the full stop. That is an utter lie, that is absolutely not true, it reads that I am, I do not know, embittered and disappointed by the funeral. That is utterly incorrect and it shows a complete lack of any personal and professional ethics. I have not expected such a thing to happen and my only motive for denying this and for denying it live and in such a way is because I do not want to allow that such a thing be launched, above all, because of the great number of people who attended the funeral, who came to pay their respect to my father.

My impressions after the funeral, if one can have impressions after a funeral, are such that we are deeply moved and most deeply grateful to all those who attended it, who came to pay their respect. The funeral looked the way it should have looked, it was neither a political nor a state funeral, it was not a political rally, as I reportedly said. It was a popular funeral of a popular leader, and he was buried as he deserved, as all those who support him in Serbia deserve [as heard], and he was buried the way he wanted - in Pozarevac, beneath his linden.

There is no special reason [presumably answering to the question of why they did not attend the funeral], we simply did not manage to agree with Belgrade regarding her [Mira Markovic's] security. We only managed to agree that he could be buried in Serbia, and that the family would not suffer any further consequences due to that. But, the whole thing did not manage to go as far as for her to be able to attend [the funeral]. My father, as you all know, had gone to the Hague prison with the guarantees by the state leadership [that he would not be extradited] and the Constitutional Court, and he had been, nevertheless, taken there. And we could all see now how he returned. Since guarantees were not obtained at all levels, i.e, a part of the power structures in Serbia did not confirm them, I did not want to take the risk of her appearing there and I was resolute in opposing that she go there, regardless of how tragic and painful it was for her and for all of us. Since she could not come, and it is a sacred thing, that a wife can bid farewell to her husband, and they did not have to be apart in this moment of them all, that is why no-one else from the family came.

When it comes to my and our plans, I cannot speak about them, because we do not have them for the time being, it is impossible to make plans in a situation like this. And when it comes to Serbia after my father, I do not know how I see it, but I know what I wish for it and how I hope it can be, and I said that in the last letter I sent to my father, which was read out yesterday by Bogoljub Bjelica.

Source: BKTV, Belgrade, in Serbian 1455 gmt 19 Mar 06

Copyright 2006 British Broadcasting Corporation
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