Belgrade/Brussels, 18 March 2003: Premier Zoran Djindjic was Serbia's
most skilful and realistic politician. In a new report,
Serbia After Djindjic, the International Crisis Group (ICG) says
the great question is whether his murder on 12 March provides a catalyst that
energises the governing coalition. Belgrade must restart the long-stalled reform process
and clean out the interlocking nexus, believed to be behind the killing, of organised crime,
war criminals, and police and army officers hiding behind "nationalist-patriotic" slogans and
organisations. ICG warns against rewarding Djindjic's assassins with any
softening of the international community's terms of conditionality on economic
assistance to Serbia
or its admission to international institutions.
ICG's Europe Program Director Nicholas Whyte said:
"The new state of Serbia and Montenegro must eradicate the poisonous legacy of Milosevic
from its ruling structures before it can be admitted to the Council of Europe, NATO's Partnership
for Peace or begin negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU.
There are, however, real doubts that Serbia's deeply fissured body politic can clean out
these elements on its own".
Serbia After Djindjic* describes the alternate power structures that were
originally created by Milosevic to finance and protect his regime. In order to
unseat Milosevic, Djindjic and his DOS Coalition were forced to make deals with
them. Recently, more confident of his political position, Djindjic had begun to
move against this group with more cooperation with the Hague tribunal, action
against organised crime and state corruption, and economic reform.
There are a number of further concerns raised in the report
about an apparent drift to the nationalist right in Serbia,
an alliance between strongly conservative clerical elements and the security
forces, rising intolerance of minorities and continuing opposition by Belgrade
of the international community's goals in Bosnia and Kosovo.
ICG Serbia Project Director James Lyon said:
"At this crucial time Serbia needs continued and increased international help. There
is no case for drawing down troop levels and financial assistance to the Balkans any time soon.
The international community may well have to devote more, not less resources to
maintaining regional stability."
MEDIA CONTACTS
Katy Cronin (London) +44-(0)20 7981 0330
email: [email protected]
Francesca Lawe-Davies (Brussels) +32-(0)2-536 00 65
Jennifer Leonard (Washington) +1-202-785 1601
*Read the full ICG report on our website:
www.crisisweb.org
