The UN war crimes tribunal expressed outrage yesterday after Yugoslavia’s ousted dictator Slobodan Milosevic was re-elected leader of the Serbian
Posted in General on 24. Aug, 2010
The UN war crimes tribunal expressed outrage yesterday after Yugoslavia’s ousted dictator, Slobodan Milosevic, was re-elected leader of the Serbian Socialist party while under an international arrest warrant. The UN war crimes tribunal expressed outrage yesterday after Yugoslavia’s ousted dictator, Slobodan Milosevic, was re-elected leader of the Serbian Socialist party while under an international arrest warrant.
“It’s unbelievable to see someone who is under an international arrest warrant appearing so obviously,” Florence Hartmann, spokeswoman for the chief prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, said.Asked if his recent appearances could increase the chances of him being arrested and taken to The Hague, she said: “Yes. Everyone knows where he is and there is no reason not to arrest him.” Last May, the tribunal indicted Mr Milosevic for war crimes against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.Mr Milosevic, the sole candidate for party leader, got 85 per cent of the votes of 2,300 delegates at the special congress in Belgrade. His appearance at the congressended seven weeks of self-imposed isolation after his unexpected defeat in elections on 24 September and the popular uprising that followed on 5 October. The congress was hastily convened with the aim of analysing the electoral defeat and planning strategy for elections on 23 December in Serbia.The meeting was held behind closed doors, but Mr Milosevic’s congress speech was broadcast on television on Saturday. The former president delivered an anti-Western tirade in which he denounced the Hague-based International War Crimes Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia as a “new Gestapo”.Mr Milosevic also accused his opponents of betraying the nation with the help of Western money.
“Our party is the only guarantor for safeguarding the state and its national interests,” he said. “Thieves are calling honest people thieves.” The media in Serbia was paid by and controlled by foreign intelligence services, he added. Mr Milosevic described the uprising as “a coup”, which had been accompanied by “violence and lawlessness”. The former president called prominent Socialists who left the party after its electoral defeat “cowards”.The congress is seen as the Socialist Party’s first step towards engineering its return to power. But keeping the party united may test all Mr Milosevic’s political skills. Many disappointed party members have sided with two former top party officials who set up their own parties a few weeks ago.The latest opinion polls give Mr Milosevic’s party only 8 or 10 per cent of the vote.
But there are fears that the economic crisis and the unstable situation on the Serbian border with the United Nations-administered province of Kosovo could turn events in his favour. The new Yugoslav government has notresponded with violence against armed ethnic Albanian incursions. Mr Milosevic is expected to capitalise on the tight control over Albanians that he exercised when he was in power.Despite the effort to look as if he was on his old form, Mr Milosevic seemed unwell at the congress. He was ashen-faced and his dark blue suit could not hide the obvious loss of at least 20 pounds (9kg).. The Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, looks likely to win his gamble on a third poll victory in general elections held yesterday.
Mr Chretien called the election two years early to thwart the new leader of the opposition, Stockwell Day, before he and his reorganised Canadian Alliance Party could put down political roots. Mr Chretien also wanted to quell unhappiness in his Liberal Party about his leadership. The Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, looks likely to win his gamble on a third poll victory in general elections held yesterday. Mr Chretien called the election two years early to thwart the new leader of the opposition, Stockwell Day, before he and his reorganised Canadian Alliance Party could put down political roots. Mr Chretien also wanted to quell unhappiness in his Liberal Party about his leadership.
Mr Chretien, 66, was first elected to Parliament in 1963 He has been Prime Minister for seven years. He wants to be the first prime minister since the early 20th century to win three majorities in a row.
Opinion polls on the eve of the election gave the Liberals about 40 per cent, two points more than they got in the 1997 election when they won a narrow majority of the 301 seats. The Canadian Alliance was expected to get between 25 and 28 per cent.A Liberal win will come at a steep political cost in terms of aggravated regional tensions. The Prime Minister said an early election was necessary to decide what to do with burgeoning surpluses produced by vigorous economic growth.Mr Chretien wants reinvestment in health and social programmes and modest income tax cuts. The Canadian Alliance proposes bigger tax cuts by scaling back federal government spending The campaign has degenerated into personal attacks. Mr Chretien was damaged by leaks about his involvement in securing government loans for friends and businessmen. Mr Day was attacked for his born-again Christian fundamentalism.