BELGRADE, June 14 (Hina) - The Yugoslav government on Thursday endorsed a bill on cooperation between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), forwarding it into
parliament for debate and adoption. The bill was endorsed with a majority vote. Montenegro's Socialist People's Party (SNP), the party of Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic, voted against the bill, i.e. any possibility of handing over Yugoslav citizens. "The bill defines all obligations of Yugoslavia's federal institutions and the institutions of its republics. Under the bill, the republics' authorised bodies decide on the hand-over of suspects to the ICTY, whereas rulings on the hand-over are adopted by their governments," Yugoslav Information Minister Slobodan Orlic told the Belgrade-based agency Beta. The first reactions from Montenegro say the bill is another proof that the
BELGRADE, June 14 (Hina) - The Yugoslav government on Thursday
endorsed a bill on cooperation between the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), forwarding it into parliament for debate and
adoption.
The bill was endorsed with a majority vote. Montenegro's Socialist
People's Party (SNP), the party of Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran
Zizic, voted against the bill, i.e. any possibility of handing over
Yugoslav citizens.
"The bill defines all obligations of Yugoslavia's federal
institutions and the institutions of its republics. Under the bill,
the republics' authorised bodies decide on the hand-over of
suspects to the ICTY, whereas rulings on the hand-over are adopted
by their governments," Yugoslav Information Minister Slobodan
Orlic told the Belgrade-based agency Beta.
The first reactions from Montenegro say the bill is another proof
that the federal state does not exist, namely that Yugoslavia is
"fiction."
The endorsed bill "goes in favour of compromise", said Yugoslav
Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, one of the leaders of Serbia's
DOS coalition.
Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica said the endorsement of the
bill "fortifies the federation." He is confident the bill the
government forwarded into parliament "will be adopted in its
present form."
The SNP, however, reiterated today it would vote against it if it
stipulated extraditing Yugoslav citizens.
The Yugoslav parliament is expected to discuss the bill as early as
next week. ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte will visit
Belgrade next week. According to unofficial sources, she will
arrive on June 21 and meet the highest Yugoslav state officials.
(hina) rml/ha