SERBIA'S SPS CALLS FOR MINISTER'S DISMISSAL OVER IZETBEGOVIC OBITUARY
Tanjug - October 30, 2003

Belgrade, 30 October: Ivica Dacic, chairman of the main committee of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), said today that the SPS deputies in the Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) Assembly would call for the dismissal of Rasim Ljajic, member of the SCG Council of Ministers, "after his scandalous choice of words in the obituary on the death of (former chairman of the Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency) Alija Izetbegovic, in which he addressed him as 'dear president".

Speaking at a news conference in Belgrade, Dacic said it was clear that Ljajic "cannot stay in the Council of Ministers any longer" and that he expected the SPS's proposal to be included in the agenda of the SCG Assembly session.

"The SPS calls on its voters and citizens of Serbia to boycott the presidential elections," Dacic said, adding that the failure of the elections "will be the final blow to DOS (Democratic Opposition of Serbia) which will force it to call the parliamentary elections."

Source: Tanjug news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1247 gmt 30 Oct 03

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SERBIAN SOCIALISTS WANT OFFICIAL COMMENT ON MINISTER'S OBITUARY TO IZETBEGOVIC
FoNet - October 30, 2003

Belgrade, 30 October: The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) demands of the Serbia-Montenegro government to make up its mind over stances upheld by Minister for Human and Minority Rights Rasim Ljajic in the wake of the publication of an obituary in the Dnevni avaz newspaper prompted by the death of (former Bosnia-Hercegovina president) Alija Izetbegovic.

"If it (the government) also believes that Alija Izetbegovic deserved gratitude from the citizens of Serbia-Montenegro, then let it tell us publicly and let it enlighten us as to what these deeds were for which he deserved our gratitude." The SPS said that "the crimes against Serbia-Montenegro citizens and against the Serbs in Bosnia-Hercegovina are not important to The Hague (tribunal) nor are they important to Ljajic. However, unless they (ministers) distance themselves from Ljajic, these crimes are not important then to the Serbia-Montenegro government either".

Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1813 gmt 30 Oct 03

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Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire 
Copyright 2003 BBC Monitoring/BBC  
BBC Monitoring International Reports

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