BELGRADE, June 25 (Hina) - Yugoslavia's top military officers on Tuesday held a meeting with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica to discuss his decision to dismiss the army's chief-of-staff, General Nebojsa Pavkovic.
BELGRADE, June 25 (Hina) - Yugoslavia's top military officers on
Tuesday held a meeting with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica
to discuss his decision to dismiss the army's chief-of-staff,
General Nebojsa Pavkovic. #L#
According to the Belgrade-based "Glas Javnosti" daily, the army
headquarters seems to have decided not to accept a decree Kostunica
made on Monday on Pavkovic's dismissal.
Immediately after Kostunica's decree on Monday, the sacked army
chief Pavkovic convened a meeting of the top officers who held the
talks late last night and decided to refuse President's decree, the
same daily read.
Tuesday's meeting between Kostunic and the army's high-ranking
officers was held behind the closed doors.
The sacked general Pavkovic did not attend the meeting with
Kostunica, but the acting army chief-of-staff, General Branko
Krga, was present.
On Monday evening Pavkovic said he would not accept Kostunica's
decision and he claimed his replacement was the result of his
personal conflict with Kostunica which commenced last year with
attempts of Kostunica's aides to use the Yugoslav army in the
showdown against the Serbian government's information office.
Most of those who have so far commented Kostunica's decision to sack
Pavkovic, hailed this move. Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran
Svilanovic said Kostunica should have fired Pavkovic on 6 October
2000 after the fall of the Slobodan Milosevic regime.
Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic, however, said Kostunica should not
have made such a decree without the consent of the Supreme Defence
Council, and warned that Kostunica "will be held responsible for
the consequences" of such decision which might lead to "the
destabilisation of the country's reputation."
(hina) ms