BELGRADE: PREMIER DJINDJIC COMMENTS ON ICTY INDICTEE MILUTINOVIC

BELGRADE, Dec 19 (Hina) - Once his mandate expires on January 5 next year, the incumbent Serbian President, Milan Milutinovic, will "have to explain in The Hague his role in past events", Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic said in an interview in Thursday's issue of the "Blic" daily. #L# "Milutinovic is on the Hague tribunal's list and I assume that he will have to explain in The Hague his role in past events, unless the tribunal changes its plans, but I don't see any indications that this will happen," Djindjic said. He added that Milutinovic would have to contact the prosecution and agree with it on the form of his appearance before the tribunal. "Whether he will convince them there is no reason to initiate proceedings against him, or whether those proceedings will nevertheless be initiated and he allowed to defend himself in freedom or in some other way, I don't know," Djindjic said. Commenting on the election of the new Serbian president, Djindjic said he did not expect elections to be called in the spring, which he said would constitute "the harassment of citizens, because the elections would not end any differently than these have". Djindjic believes that a new Serbian constitution should be adopted before the elections. The Serbian PM does not expect an early parliamentary election. "Parliamentary elections will be called in due time, in December 2004, unless situations which are regulated by law happen, i.e. if the government is given a vote of no confidence. Anything else is political speculation," Djindjic said. Djindjic recently said the new Serbian constitution would be drawn up once a constitutional charter on relations between Serbia and Montenegro was finally adopted. The new constitution should be agreed on in the next six months. (hina) rml sb