THE HAGUE, Feb 19 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Tuesday began his first cross-examination before the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague by asking sharp questions, looking for inconsistencies in the
testimony of Albanian politician Mahmut Bakali and his claims that Serbia, under Milosevic's leadership, had suppressed Albanian rights in Kosovo. Milosevic dismissed as incorrect a statement Bakali made to the effect that Milosevic's Gazimestan speech, which the witness described as an announcement of war, had paved the way for constitutional reforms in Serbia which revoked autonomy for Kosovo. Do you know that the constitutional changes were made three months before my speech at Gazimestan?, asked Milosevic. He also asked if Bakali knew that the Serbian constitutional changes of 1999 had been approved by the Kosovo parliament, and if any Albanian representative attending the Serbian parliamentary session
THE HAGUE, Feb 19 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic on Tuesday began his first cross-examination before the
UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague by asking sharp questions,
looking for inconsistencies in the testimony of Albanian
politician Mahmut Bakali and his claims that Serbia, under
Milosevic's leadership, had suppressed Albanian rights in Kosovo.
Milosevic dismissed as incorrect a statement Bakali made to the
effect that Milosevic's Gazimestan speech, which the witness
described as an announcement of war, had paved the way for
constitutional reforms in Serbia which revoked autonomy for
Kosovo. Do you know that the constitutional changes were made three
months before my speech at Gazimestan?, asked Milosevic.
He also asked if Bakali knew that the Serbian constitutional
changes of 1999 had been approved by the Kosovo parliament, and if
any Albanian representative attending the Serbian parliamentary
session in question had been against the changes.
The issue of the Albanian educational system in Kosovo and the use
of the Albanian language, which Milosevic used to begin the cross-
examination, indicated that he had prepared for the procedure,
which he did with the help of notes.
Many of his questions referred to the use of Albanian as the
official language and the educational system.
Bakali said that Serbia, under its Constitution, had had no right to
meddle with the educational system established in Kosovo, but had
done so by replacing former and appointing new headmasters and
deans.
The Milosevic-Bakali discussion about the right to the use the
Albanian language in courts elicited laughter in the courtroom and
the intervention of the president of the trial chamber.
Were Albanians denied the right to use Albanian in courts, asked
Milosevic, to which Bakali responded that the problem was not the
language they could answer in but the reason why they appeared in
courts. Judge Richard May interrupted the discussion by stating the
question had been if the Albanian language had been allowed in
courts and that the witness had answered in the affirmative.
Before the cross-examination, Judge May warned Milosevic that he
could only make questions referring to the topics previously
tackled by the prosecutors and the credibility of the witness. The
defendant may ask questions pertaining to the theses of his
defence, cannot harass witnesses with his questions, and must
respect measures used for protected witnesses.
(hina) ha sb