Nouvelles de la campagne internationale de solidarité avec Slobodan Milosevic

 

(D'après AFP, AP, LCI, SPS - Bureau de Presse de Belgrade du PCN-NCP – 28 Juin 2001)

Remise de Slobodan Milosevic au TPI : un ''kidnapping''

La remise de l'ancien président yougoslave Slobodan Milosevic à un responsable du Tribunal Pénal International (TPI) de La Haye constitue un ''kidnapping'' sous ''la pression des Américains et de l'OTAN'', a affirmé ce jeudi 28 juibn son frère Borislav Milosevic.

''C'est un marchandage (...) sans aucune raison, sans aucune base légale'', a ajouté sur LCI Borislav Milosevic, qui a occupé les fonctions d'ambassadeur de Yougoslavie en Russie. Il a qualifié de ''bourreaux'' les responsables du TPI, affirmant que son frère n'avait ''aucune chance'' d'être jugé équitablement.

Un peu plus tôt ce jeudi, la Cour constitutionnelle fédérale avait pourtant suspendu temporairement le récent décret gouvernemental permettant son extradition vers le TPI. Le 28 mai 1999, ce dernier a inculpé l'ancien chef d'Etat de crimes de guerre et crimes contre l'humanité pour les atrocités commises au Kosovo en 1998 et 1999.

''Je n'arrive pas à croire ce qui est arrivé'', a réagi le principal avocat de Slobodan Milosevic, Me Toma Fila. Un autre avocat, Me Branimir Gugl, a accusé les autorités d'avoir enlevé son client. ''La procédure d'extradition sans la présence d'avocats équivaut à un enlèvement'', a-t-il dit à l'agence Associated Press.

Après le gel du décret gouvernemental, la Cour constitutionnelle devait se prononcer sur la constitutionnalité de cet édit afin de savoir s'il ne violait pas l'interdiction faite à la Yougoslavie d'extrader ses propres ressortissants

La fin de la coalition !

A Belgrade, cette nouvelle a toutefois semé un certain désordre au sein de la classe politique, faisant planer le risque d'une crise sur le gouvernement réformateur. Des partisans de Milosevic se sont rassemblés en masse dans le centre de la capitale.

Le président yougoslave, Vojislav Kostunica, a appris la nouvelle par les médias, ont affirmé des sources présidentielles.

Sa réaction n'est pas encore connue. Mais jusqu'à présent, Kostunica - qui n'a jamais été un partisan convaincu de la justice internationale - avait assuré que le dernier mot devait revenir à la Cour constitutionnelle de son pays.

"C'est la fin de la coalition"

Or, cette instance suprême avait auparavant décidé de geler l'application du décret adopté samedi dernier et permettant de transférer des citoyens yougoslaves à La Haye.

Les juges constitutionnels avaient demandé aux autorités de ne pas entreprendre le transfert tant qu'il n'auraient pas statué sur un recours présenté par les avocats de Milosevic, selon lesquels le décret est inconstitutionnel.

Par ailleurs, le Parti socialiste du peuple (SNP) monténégrin, partenaire minoritaire au sein du gouvernement yougoslave, a décidé après l'annonce du transfert de quitter la coalition en signe de protestation.

Le SNP avait déjà décidé de ne pas voter un projet de loi de coopération entre Belgrade et La Haye, ce qui avait obligé le gouvernement à adopter un décret. "Nous restons fermes sur notre position. C'est la fin de la coalition", a déclaré le leader du SNP, Pedrag Bulatovic.

La DOS gouverne désormais contre la majorité, contre la Loi, contre la Constitution, contre le peuple : c'est une junte de république bananière !

 

(SPS Statement - Transmission from Beograd – June, 23. 2001)

PROCLAMATION OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF SERBIA

Respected citizens!

An attempt at treason and shameful capitulation of the country is going on! The decree by which members of the DOS politburo in the Federal Government have accepted extradition of our citizens to the Hague Tribunal is an unprecedented anticonstitutional and antipopular act that puts under the question survival of the federal state, our freedom and sovereignty.

This unprecedented decision has been prepared and followed by a series of lies and manipulations such as: alleged commitments accepted in Dayton, alleged unity of the international community, alleged prospects of our better treatment in donors' conferences... They've been telling us that if we cooperate with the Hague Tribunal the NATO countries will forgive the interest [on alleged international debts] that accrued during the period of embargo and aggression, but they haven't been admitting that we shall pay many times more by loosing the right to receive war reparations, and by being compelled to pay 'compensation' to Bosnia and Croatia and by allowing our economy to be sold at bargain prices.

This decision is unprecedented in world history unprecedented. Its real aim is the amnesty of NATO criminals and the imposition of collective guilt on the Serbian people, guilt for all past and future suffering in the region. In this way the Serbian people would lose all prospectives and become an object of mass deportations to foreign political judges of the Hague Tribunal, financed by George Soros and American agencies.

DOS just destroyed the Federal Government. Due to resistance in Montenegro, they want to destroy the Federal State as well. They are attacking the Yugoslav Army.

The Presidents of Yugoslavia and Serbia are not only failing to protect the constitutional order, but are also becoming a cover for its undermining. DOS blackmails and misuses the judiciary. The economic system has been decimated and poverty has become massive. Education, health-care, culture are ruined. The country drowns hopelessly deep.

Respected citizens,

Say decisively NO to these traitors against the people and the country ! Say NO to the ones ready to sell the Serbian soul and honor for a handful of dollars !

A people who deserve the admiration of the world for its heroism can not accept this major humiliation! The Serbian people will never recognize their capitulation !

Let us unite to protect democracy, sovereignty and constitutional order ! Let us protect Slobodan Milosevic and each citizen of this country !

 

(SPS Statement - Transmission from Beograd – June, 23. 2001)

STATEMENT OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF SERBIA
Head Committee

The Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of Serbia warns that the decision of the DOS Politburo to adopt a federal decree authorizing extradition of Yugoslav citizens to the Hague Tribunal represents a most severe violation of the Constitution and paves the way for the imposition of martial law in the country.

Since the DOS regime has failed in its attempt to pass the anticonstitutional [extradition] law in Parliament, they decided to simply adopt a decree which in its essence abolishes the multiparty parliamentary system.

In so doing DOS has taken control over the state by decrees; there is nothing left of the rule of law. The Federal Government is not working. The Presidents of Yugoslavia and Serbia who are obliged to protect the Constitution as well as the interests and dignity of the people and the country are not reacting to this major violation of the Constitution and even more, they are serving to cover for this policy that produces serious harm to the country and the people. The interests of the people can not be subordinated to anyone's personal,
leadership or political ambitions. No one has right to violate the Constitution which forbids extradition of our citizens, nor can anyone agree to commitments [such as this one to deport Yugoslav citizens] in contradiction to the interests of the people.

No one has right to diminish and insult the thousands of victims of the NATO aggression, nor to forgive the mass destruction and grant amnesty to the people responsible for crimes against peace and humanity. The aim
of the DOS decree is, by the surrender of our citizens, to impose collective guilt on the Serbian people for everything that happened in the past. The actions of DOS and of the Soros representatives in the Federal Government are unprecedented in world history. All those who are taking part in it or are agreeing with it must be clear that they bear the responsibility for unforeseeable consequences.
Since they act contrary to the Constitution and to their powers - both they and the so-called International Community must know that Serbian people and our citizens will never recognize the legitimacy of these actions.

The leadership of the Socialist Party of Serbia, on behalf of its highest Party organs and on behalf of its Parliamentary Groups in the Federal and Serbian Assemblies, has sent a letter to the president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Vojislav Kostunica, demanding that this violation of the Constitution be stopped, as well as the system of capitulation derived from the anticonstitutional decree on extradition.

 

(SPS Statement - Transmission from Beograd – June, 23. 2001)

STATEMENT OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF SERBIA

The Socialist Party of Serbia underlines that by today's DOS decree an unprecedented coup has been carried out against the constitutional order of the country. The constitutional protection of all citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and in the first place of the defenders of the fatherland [the Army and police] has been abolished.

The Socialist Party of Serbia, as the largest opposition party, considers this to be a disgraceful fraud against the people, who will never accept the legitimacy of such an act.

The Socialist Party of Serbia decided to send immediately an appeal to the Federal Constitutional Court to judge the legality of the decree of the DOS part of the Federal Government.

The Socialist Party of Serbia expects that the Federal Constitutional Court will :

1. Declare the decree issued by the DOS members of the Federal Government unconstitutional, since the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia explicitly forbid the extradition of their citizens;

2. Issue an injunction against the implementation of any individual act or action that might be based on this unconstitutional decree, since it can lead to irreversible harmful consequences for the interests of the people and state, until a final decision will be made.

 

(SPS Statement - Transmission from Beograd Press office of PCN-NCP – June, 16. 2001)

Milosevic Supporters Rally

About 20.000 supporters of  president Slobodan Milosevic  rallied this Saturday  June 16 to protest the criminal proceedings against the ousted leader and his possible extradition to the U.N. war crimes tribunal.

"Freedom for Slobodan", and "Freedom for Serbia", read two huge banners at the rally in the center of Belgrade. It was attended mostly by patriots and communists, many of whom were bused in from other parts of the country.

Our comrade Zivadin Jovanovic, from the SPS, who was the foreign minister during Milosevic's rule, warned that handing over the ex-president to the U.N. tribunal would be "an ultimate treason".

Jovanovic remains a top official of Milosevic's Socialist party, which organized the rally.

The crowd booed at every mention of the tribunal in fiery speeches by Jovanovic and other Milosevic associates.

Meanwhile, the current quisling DOS prime minister of Serbia, the main Yugoslav republic, warned Saturday that failure to hand over Milosevic to the tribunal would cost the country Western financial support.

American's muppet Zoran Djindjic stressed that Yugoslavia, as a U.N. member, "simply has to cooperate with the U.N. Tribunal", Beta news quoted him as saying. Extraditing Milosevic has been a key condition of the United States for giving support to Yugoslavia's ravaged economy.

On Thursday, Yugoslavia's government adopted a draft law that would enable Milosevic's extradition to the U.N. war crimes court. This law was adopted by the majority (DOS)  of the governement against the minority (SNP – Socialist party of Montenegro).The legislation was submitted to the federal parliament for consideration. 

 

(SPS Statement - Transmission from Beograd Press office of PCN-NCP – May, 31. 2001)

SERB SOCIALISTS CALL 'AID' PROMISES SUCKER BAIT

Socialist Party of Serbia blasts the "Washington-has-Yugoslavia-over-a-barrel" argument.


INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Yugoslav authorities - including Voyislav Koshtunitsa and Zoran Djindjic - are going all out to push a law through the Yugoslav Federal Parliament. That law would legalize cooperation with the notorious Hague War Crimes Tribunal.

The Montenegrin Socialists, who hold the decisive votes in Parliament, have so far held firm against this law.

Meanwhile, many Yugoslavs believe the claim made by the Belgrade authorities that if Yugoslavia does not help railroad Yugoslav leaders to the Hague Tribunal, the U.S. will prevent a June Donors' Conference from giving Yugoslavia much-needed aid.

People are being tricked, says the Socialist Party of Serbia. Here's their scathing refutation of the "we have to do it because we're being financially blackmailed" argument.

****

WE ACCUSE: AID PROMISES ARE A TRAITOROUS LIE !

For the leaders of a country to tell the people in that country that they should extradite patriots in exchange for money from the forces which have bombed that country - is an outrage.

But for leaders of a country to pretend that they are getting money from the bombers when they know perfectly well they are not - to tell the people that they should support the jailing of their patriots in exchange for money which these leaders know does not exist - this is the worst treason.

The present authorities in Belgrade are guilty of treason.

No Donors' Conference has ever given any money to any country. The term "Donors'' is itself a deception. The proper title is ''Creditors' Conference.'' If a "Donors' Conference" takes place in June it will be a meeting of the banks that claim Yugoslavia owes them money. The purpose of that meeting, like the purpose of all Donors' Conferences, will be to plan how to sell Yugoslav property so they can get back the money they claim they are owed as quickly as possible.

To whom will they sell Yugoslav industries to get their money ? To themselves basically.

How much will they sell it for ? Pennies on the dollar.

How much of the so-called Yugoslav debt will get paid in this way?  Very little.

What will happen to the industry that the 'Donors' scoop up in this fashion ? Wherever such industries might compete with some industry from the 'Donor' countries, the factories will be closed down.

Let us take an example that occurred in Hungary, a country whose leaders have more than cooperated with the U.S. The U.S. firm, General Electric, bought the big light bulb factory in Hungary and closed it down. Now Hungarians have to buy light bulbs imported by GE.

This has happened in dozens of countries. Donors' Conferences helped plan the devastation of the economies of :

* Ukraine - went from the bread basket of Europe to being dependant on Western surplus "food".

* Bulgaria - industry stripped and shut down.

* Russia - wages fell almost 90% overnight.

* Vietnam - after the "Donors' Conference" its industry was stripped to raise the money to pay off 'debts'. This was particularly vicious because those 'debts' had been accumulated by the puppet regime of South Vietnam. South Vietnam incurred the 'debts' when it bought weapons
from the U.S. to fight Vietnamese patriots!

That's what a Donors' Conference does.

Sometimes the real work takes place after the official Conference is over, in meetings of the so-called Paris and London Clubs, which are made up, respectively, of big commercial and national banks from the US and Europe.

But one thing no Donors' Conference has ever, anywhere in the world done is give 1 billion dollars - or in fact any money - to a country which supposedly owes these banks money. If they do lend any money on paper they immediately take it away.

That is, a little money may be lent with one hand, but it will be immediately taken away with the other hand, to "repay the debt."

This has already happened with millions of dollars supposedly "given" to Yugoslavia by the international community. As is reported in a text by Dr. Prof. Michel Chossudovsky: "

"The [IMF] Board approved a loan [of] US $151 million under the IMF's policy on emergency post-conflict assistance in support of a program to stabilize the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's economy and help rebuild administrative capacities. Of this amount, the [Belgrade] authorities will draw... US $130 million to repay the bridge loans they received [from Switzerland and Norway] to eliminate arrears with the IMF." (Quoted in "Economic Terrorism," by Dr. Prof. Michel Chossudovsky)

In other words, the authorities in Belgrade borrowed money from Switzerland and Norway to pay money owed to the IMF. Then they borrowed money from the IMF - and that was used to pay Switzerland and Norway!

This is a con game.

Sometimes the truth about the phony "Donors' Conferences" leaks out. Consider this excerpt from a 'Reuters' news dispatch. 'Reuters' lists all the terrible things that will happen if Yugoslavia does not cooperate. The first thing is :

1. "The US will oppose Yugoslav loans and assistance from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. At stake will be a planned $260 million loan from the IMF to back up reform of an economy on the verge of collapse after
years of sanctions and warfare."

NOTE that they speak of loan not gift. No donation here !

And keep this in mind: every country that has relied on these phony loans has suffered. For 8 years we had no loans. But Rumania and Bulgaria which had loans lost all their industry and now their unemployed come to Yugoslavia looking for work. We will always be better off helping ourselves than being saddled with parasites from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank who are in business to strip countries like ours of everything we have sweated to build.

Here's the second 'disastrous' consequence of not cooperating with Washington:

2. "[This will mean putting off] Belgrade's plans to start negotiating a debt settlement with the Paris Club of sovereign creditors and commercial banks of the London Club... Of its total $12.2 billion external debt, Yugoslavia owes some $5 billion to the Paris Club and around $3
billion to the London Club."
('Reuters', April 2, 2001)

The 'Reuters' article talks about the Donors' Conference lending Yugoslavia $260 million. Based on much past experience, this money may never be loaned.

But even if it were actually loaned to Yugoslavia, it would immediately be used to pay back part of the supposed debt. No money would go to the economy or reach ordinary people. And look at what else the article says won't happen if Yugoslavia fails to cooperate :

* Failure to cooperate would mean putting off "Belgrade's plans to start negotiating a debt settlement with the Paris Club of sovereign creditors and commercial banks of the London Club."

How much money is involved in this debt that Yugoslavia would not have the pleasure of starting to repay ?

"Of its total $12.2 billion external debt, Yugoslavia owes some $5 billion to the Paris Club and around $3 billion to the London Club." ('Reuters')

So the "international community" claims Yugoslavia owes it at least $12 billion (US). And if Yugoslavia does not hand over Milosevic it will not have the pleasure of stripping all its industry to repay this debt.

Wouldn’t that be terrible ?

And how does the "international community" figure that Yugoslavia owes it $12.2 billion dollars? This is almost entirely interest on debts supposedly owed by the now nonexistent Yugoslav Socialist Republic. Here is a news report from Dec. 31, 1992, which explains it all :

"From: 'Facts on File World News Digest,' December 31, 1992

"Headline: IMF Revokes Yugoslavia's Membership

"Text: The International Monetary Fund December 15 revoked Yugoslavia's membership and apportioned the country's foreign debt among what the financial institution designated as Yugoslavia's five successor republics.

The IMF took the action on the grounds that Yugoslavia had ceased to exist as a legal entity.

"Yugoslavia's foreign debt was about $15 billion, including $217 million owed to the IMF and $2 billion owed to the World Bank.

"A total of 36.5% of the debt was apportioned to Serbia-Montenegro, the new Yugoslav federation, which the IMF treated as a single republic. Croatia was deemed to owe 28.5% of the debt; Bosnia-Herzegovina, 13.2%; Slovenia, 16.4%; and Macedonia, 5.4%."

So in 1992, the IMF simply decided to say that the Federal Republic owed 5.475 billion US dollars. Since it now says we owe over $12 billion, that means that almost $7 billion of the supposed debt is interest! And when did that interest get charged ?

That interest got charged during the years of sanctions imposed by the same international community that now claims we owe all this interest !

Those sanctions hurt the Yugoslav economy to the tune of billions of dollars U.S.

By what right do these men, who starved Yugoslavia with sanctions, costing us billions, and then bombed Yugoslavia, causing at least $60 billion in damage not to mention the incalculable cost in human death and suffering, the pain of relatives who lost loved ones, the psychological damage to children, forced to hide in shelters from bombs, the long term damage of depleted uranium - how dare these starvers and bombers now claim that Yugoslavia owes them money?

Who are these men ? A Donors' Conference would give no money to Yugoslavia.

The only result would be: devastation of the Yugoslav economy. The Donors would order a forced sale of Yugoslavia's precious industries for pennies on the dollar to the same bankers who make up the Donors' Conference.

And when it was all over, the debt would still be there.

Because the money raised would be too little - as it is always too little, in every country where these bankers have imposed this scam - to pay the debt. Because you see that is the whole idea. They use the inflated debt to get hold of the industry, and when it is all over, they leave the country, stripped of all it sweated for years to build, of everything except - billions of dollars in debt.

We would gain nothing from this Donors' Conference.

But some things would be gone. Our industry would be gone. Our pride would be gone. Our honor would be gone.

And our patriots, they would be gone as well, starting with Mr. Milosevic, but not ending with him. Not ending with him.

Let us not follow this fool's gold chase proposed by the present authorities in Belgrade. Let us rely on ourselves, on our integrity and our own hard work. Let us trade with friends, not with thieves who try to break us with the fake lure of suckers' gold.

When they speak of the urgency of this Donors' Conference, the present authorities in Belgrade speak with passion. Their passion is real.

But it is not because they fear that if we do not go along with their proposals, Yugoslavia will lose money that it needs. On the contrary, they fear that if they do not produce for their masters in Washington, they will be punished.

For Washington has no friends, only future victims. Washington has laid down the law to these Belgrade authorities.

It has told them: you are taking too much time. Give us Milosevic. Give us the patriots of the Yugoslav Army. Give us those who fought us in Bosnia and Croatia. Give them to us NOW. And give us everything of value in Yugoslavia.

Because if you do not we will take you - the DOS leaders - in their place.

 

(Sources : BORBA du 24 mai 01)

Serbia's Socialists Condemn Bill on Cooperation with Hague Tribunal

The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) Main Board has described a bill on Yugoslavia's cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal as "shameful and unacceptable" and said that it represets an attempt at one of the worst national betrayals and humiliations in the history of Serbs.

"The aim of the Hague war crimes tribunal, as a political and anti-Serb institution, is to blame all of the Serbian people for everything that happened in the former Yugoslavia in the past decade as well as to humiliate and punish former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic as a symbol of freedom and independence of his country," the SPS said.

The statement said that "such a political decision is also an attempt to pardon NATO for its aggression and war crimes against our country in 1999."

The main board asked for Milosevic's release pending trial and the cessation of the "political and media persecutions of the Socialist Party of Serbia members and leadership."

The statement also condemned the so-called constitutional frameworks for temporary self-rule in Kosovo-Metohija, which were imposed by UNMIK head Hans Haekkerup, describing them as unacceptable for Serbia and its people, since they clash with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and represent a basis for the independence of Kosovo-Metohija and one step towards a "greater Albania."

 

Yugoslav Left To Call on Patriarch Pavle To Help Milosevic

Yugoslav Left (JUL) spokesperson Dragana Kuzmanovic said on Thursday that JUL would call on Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church to meet with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica in order to make it possible for former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to receive medical treatment "under humane conditions."

JUL will on Thursday send a letter to Patriarch Pavle and will also ask for similar help from Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexey, Kuzmanovic told a press conference.

She said that demands for Milosevic's release pending trial had been sent by 449 Ukrainian social committees, which collected more than half a million signatures, some members of the Russian Federal Assembly Council, 24 renowned Russian public figures and India's Panther party members.

 

Belgrade - SPS Official Bjelica Taken from Prison to Hospital

Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) official Bogoljub Bjelica was transported from prison to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade in a state of unconsciousness on Tuesday, Bjelica's lawyer Branimir Gugl told a news conference for SPS reporters on Wednesday.

Bjelica, who was detained on April 1 for suspected participation in a group of persons committing an act of violence, has been on a hunger strike for the past 30 days since he believes the court proceedings against him are aimed at "the absolute disqualification of persons who hold different political views," Gugl said.

Bjelica was taken to the army hospital in very critical condition, Gugl said, specifying that his blood pressure had been extremely low and that his client had lost 16 kilos since he was incarcerated.

Bjelica's detention was extended until June 1. Meanwhile, 50 suspects and witnesses have been questioned in connection with the incidents outside the residence of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, Gugl said.

Criticizing the practice of making contents of indictments public, Gugl said this neutralizes "possibilities for the defendant influencing witnesses." All reasons for keeping Bjelica in detention ceased to exist 20 days ago, he said.

 

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