Slobodan Milosevic’s death divides Serbia

BELGRADE – From pride in his leadership to shame at his memory, the death of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic inspired an emotional response that deeply divided his homeland.

Herewith are some of the reactions garnered during Sunday, a day after he was found dead in his cell at the UN war crimes court in The Hague, where he was standing trial for genocide and war crimes. Dozens of hardcore Milosevic loyalists queued in the rain to pay tribute to their late idol in front of his party seat in central Belgrade.A big photograph of Milosevic and a book of condolences were laid out on a table in the entrance hall of the marble-coated building.”Slobo, Serbia has died with you,” said a written message placed nearby.His supporters, mostly of them elderly, waited patiently for their turn to pen messages.One saluted Milosevic’s photo then left the hall, tears in his eyes.Meanwhile senior officials of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) – which Milosevic still formally headed before his death – gathered in a nearby hall in emergency session.In a brief speech, SPS official Ivica Decic voiced “deepest condolences” in the name of his party to Milosevic’s family.”Slobodan Milosevic did not die, he was murdered in The Hague prison,” he said.”By refusing to let him go to Moscow for medical treatment, the tribunal signed his death sentence,” Dacic stated.His death was an “irreparable loss for Serbia, its citizens and the SPS.”Serbian newspapers accused the UN war crimes tribunal of his “murder.””Murdered!”, “The Hague killed Milosevic”, and “Dead before verdict”, the Serbian tabloids blared, devoting up to eight pages of space each to his death in a cell of The Hague-based court.Kurir, one of the Balkan state’s more lurid dailies, quoted a local doctor who had examined Milosevic last November.”Milosevic was very ill while leaders of the New World Order wanted the former Serbian president to disappear because they were involved in the trial they couldn’t get out of,” the doctor, Vukasin Andric, was quoted as saying.The same doctor told the Vecernji Novosti newspaper that “Milosevic was a nightmare for the tribunal”.”They wanted to kill him at any price in the awareness that with his death, they would hide the real truth,” Andric said according to Novosti.Serbia-Montenegro Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic said he was “ashamed” of public reaction in Serbia to the death.”His supporters’ grief for the man who was responsible for countless crimes and who personally ordered numerous murders has been turned into eulogies for the deceased,” Draskovic told Tanjug news agency.Milosevic’s policies had only produced “death, misfortune and hatred, said Draskovic, a fierce critic of the autocratic regime of the former Serbian and Yugoslav president in the 1990s.”By promoting a serial killer into a national hero his victims are murdered again and Serbia disgraces itself …as the state in which crime is a supreme virtue,” said Draskovic.Serbian President Boris Tadic’s office said “The president believes a national funeral for Slobodan Milosevic would be completely inappropriate because of the role that he played in Serbia’s recent history, and contrary to the direction the people of Serbia clearly showed on October 5, 2000,” referring to his ouster in a popular uprising.Bosnian Serbs paid tribute to their “hero” in the Balkan country’s Serb-run half.”To Serb hero, hero Slobo Milosevic,” read one message on black ribbon tied to a bouquet of red roses in central Doboj.In Bijeljina, people lit candles near a monument in the centre of the town where posters with Milosevic’s photo were plastered.”Heroes never die,” “We love you,” read the captions.Some 3 000 people paid tribute to reformist prime minister Zoran Djindjic, the man who sent Milosevic to The Hague, who was assassinated three years ago.Earlier, at least 500 mourners had gathered around his tomb in the rain.The afternoon memorial at the Sava Centar conference hall was attended by Djindjic’s wife Ruzica, members of his Democratic Party including pro-Western Serbian President Boris Tadic, and US ambassador Michael Polt.”Three years after the assassination of Mr Djindjic, Serbia is where it was three years before he took power,” said Zoran Zivkovic, who had been the late premier’s immediate successor.- Nampa-AFPDozens of hardcore Milosevic loyalists queued in the rain to pay tribute to their late idol in front of his party seat in central Belgrade.A big photograph of Milosevic and a book of condolences were laid out on a table in the entrance hall of the marble-coated building.”Slobo, Serbia has died with you,” said a written message placed nearby.His supporters, mostly of them elderly, waited patiently for their turn to pen messages.One saluted Milosevic’s photo then left the hall, tears in his eyes.Meanwhile senior officials of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) – which Milosevic still formally headed before his death – gathered in a nearby hall in emergency session.In a brief speech, SPS official Ivica Decic voiced “deepest condolences” in the name of his party to Milosevic’s family.”Slobodan Milosevic did not die, he was murdered in The Hague prison,” he said.”By refusing to let him go to Moscow for medical treatment, the tribunal signed his death sentence,” Dacic stated.His death was an “irreparable loss for Serbia, its citizens and the SPS.”Serbian newspapers accused the UN war crimes tribunal of his “murder.””Murdered!”, “The Hague killed Milosevic”, and “Dead before verdict”, the Serbian tabloids blared, devoting up to eight pages of space each to his death in a cell of The Hague-based court.Kurir, one of the Balkan state’s more lurid dailies, quoted a local doctor who had examined Milosevic last November.”Milosevic was very ill while leaders of the New World Order wanted the former Serbian president to disappear because they were involved in the trial they couldn’t get out of,” the doctor, Vukasin Andric, was quoted as saying.The same doctor told the Vecernji Novosti newspaper that “Milosevic was a nightmare for the tribunal”.”They wanted to kill him at any price in the awareness that with his death, they would hide the real truth,” Andric said according to Novosti.Serbia-Montenegro Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic said he was “ashamed” of public reaction in Serbia to the death.”His supporters’ grief for the man who was responsible for countless crimes and who personally ordered numerous murders has been turned into eulogies for the deceased,” Draskovic told Tanjug news agency.Milosevic’s policies had only produced “death, misfortune and hatred, said Draskovic, a fierce critic of the autocratic regime of the former Serbian and Yugoslav president in the 1990s.”By promoting a serial killer into a national hero his victims are murdered again and Serbia disgraces itself …as the state in which crime is a supreme virtue,” said Draskovic.Serbian President Boris Tadic’s office said “The president believes a national funeral for Slobodan Milosevic would be completely inappropriate because of the role that he played in Serbia’s recent history, and contrary to the direction the people of Serbia clearly showed on October 5, 2000,” referring to his ouster in a popular uprising.Bosnian Serbs paid tribute to their “hero” in the Balkan country’s Serb-run half.”To Serb hero, hero Slobo Milosevic,” read one message on black ribbon tied to a bouquet of red roses in central Doboj.In Bijeljina, people lit candles near a monument in the centre of the town where posters with Milosevic’s photo were plastered.”Heroes never die,” “We love you,” read the captions.Some 3 000 people paid tribute to reformist prime minister Zoran Djindjic, the man who sent Milosevic to The Hague, who was assassinated three years ago.Earlier, at least 500 mourners had gathered around his tomb in the rain.The afternoon memorial at the Sava Centar conference hall was attended by Djindjic’s wife Ruzica, members of his Democratic Party including pro-Western Serbian President Boris Tadic, and US ambassador Michael Polt.”Three years after the assassination of Mr Djindjic, Serbia is where it was three years before he took power,” said Zoran Zivkovic, who had been the late premier’s immediate successor.- Nampa-AFP