CAN THE SERBIAN RADICAL PARTY BE TRUSTED?
VOJISLAV SESELJ AND THE OCTOBER 5, 2000 COUP
www.slobodan-milosevic.org - January 1, 2004

By: Andy Wilcoxson

I recently spoke with a friend of mine in Belgrade who is an activist in the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). In light of the recent victory of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), I asked him what his thoughts were on the SRS and its leader Vojislav Seselj.

One of the things he told me was that he had heard rumors that Seselj had received a 1 million deutschemark bribe prior to the October 5, 2000 coup d'etat that forced Slobodan Milosevic from power.

Apparently, the bribe was paid so that Seselj and the SRS would not hinder the coup. I don't know if a bribe was paid or not, but the then Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj's actions in the days leading up to the coup suggest that he was helping DOS to lay the foundation needed to mount the coup.

On October 5, 2000 protestors took to the streets of Belgrade with the false belief that the federal authorities were attempting to falsify the results of a the recent September 24, 2000 elections.

The so-called "Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS)" was publicly accusing the Yugoslav authorities of stealing the elections, and so was Vojisalv Seselj, the Deputy Prime Minister. Seselj's public statements helped DOS to whip-up the public outrage needed to conduct the October 5th Coup.

What follows is documentation of Seselj's actions leading-up to and through the coup:

- September 24, 2000: General Elections held in Yugoslavia.

- September 28, 2000: Yugoslav Federal Electoral Commission releases election results, and schedules a runoff for October 8, 2000

- September 28, 2000: Seselj publicly accuses Milosevic and Yugoslav authorities of electoral fraud.

- September 28, 2000: Serbian Radical Party deputies file motion in the Serbian Parliament to sack the Serbian Interior Minister, Vlajko Stojiljkovic.

- September 29, 2000: Seselj contacts DOS leader Kostunica congratulates him on his "election victory," and offers his cooperation.

- September 29, 2000 - October 2, 2000: Seselj continues to publicly accuse the Yugoslav authorities of electoral fraud on Belgrade TV. Seselj publicly calls for the sacking of Serbian Interior Minister, Vlajko Stojiljkovic. Seselj calls into question the legitimacy of government institutions, including the Yugoslav Courts. Seselj publicly endorses DOS street protests, and calls for the arrest of Government officials.

- October 5, 2000: All Hell breaks loose in Belgrade. Protesters burn the ballot papers from the elections.

- October 7, 2000: Yugoslav Federal Electoral Commission releases a 2nd set of "official election results" (after the ballot papers had been destroyed) showing Kostunica as the winner.

- October 9, 2000: Seselj washes his hands of the whole situation. Seselj accuses DOS of mounting a coup, and "marvels" at how quickly they managed to takeover the police. Remember, it was Seselj himself who had led the charge to sack the interior minister.

- October 9, 2000: Serbian Interior Minister, Vlajko Stojiljkovic is forced to resign. Seselj, who had previously and publicly called for Stojiljkovic's removal, brands his removal to be "highway robbery."