BELGRADE, Sept 24 (Hina) - On the first anniversary of his DOS coalition's electoral victory, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has said "the most important thing is that freedom has been won (and) the people have toppled an
authoritarian leader without bloodshed." In an editorial the Belgrade daily Politika ran on Monday, Kostunica says the "mass repression, fear and insecurity that characterised the (Slobodan) Milosevic and (Josip) Broz (Tito) times, including the period between the two, definitely belongs to the past." Kostunica maintains "it wasn't the sanctions, nor the NATO bombings but the people's will" that overturned his predecessor Milosevic, who is detained at the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague. "The sanctions and the NATO actions only postponed the articulation of the people's will," he says. The incumbent head of state agrees the international community, with Europe at the fo
BELGRADE, Sept 24 (Hina) - On the first anniversary of his DOS
coalition's electoral victory, Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica has said "the most important thing is that freedom has
been won (and) the people have toppled an authoritarian leader
without bloodshed."
In an editorial the Belgrade daily Politika ran on Monday,
Kostunica says the "mass repression, fear and insecurity that
characterised the (Slobodan) Milosevic and (Josip) Broz (Tito)
times, including the period between the two, definitely belongs to
the past."
Kostunica maintains "it wasn't the sanctions, nor the NATO bombings
but the people's will" that overturned his predecessor Milosevic,
who is detained at the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague. "The
sanctions and the NATO actions only postponed the articulation of
the people's will," he says.
The incumbent head of state agrees the international community,
with Europe at the forefront, has lent a hand and helped "to a
certain degree" in the return to international organisations and
monetary institutions. He maintains, however, "the world's
attitude to (Yugoslavia) hasn't changed" as financial assistance
continues to be conditioned.
Kostunica says this cannot be avoided entirely but believes "a line
should be drawn below which one mustn't go." He states Yugoslavia's
debt is $15 billion and asserts the 1999 NATO bombings caused damage
twice as high.
The president adds the debt dates back to before the 1990 break-up
of the former Yugoslav federation. He says it was incurred "in the
joint state, at the time of the West's great understanding for the
rule of another tyrant - Josip Broz."
(hina) ha