Sandžak parties trade serious accusations

Tensions are running high in Novi Pazar in the wake of the weekend violence that saw four people injured, one suffering from gunshot wounds. The incident centers on a dispute over property rights to use party premises, but the long-standing bitter local rivalry between Sulejman Ugljanin's Party of Democratic Action (SDA)-led Bosniak List coalition and Rasim Ljajic's Sanzak Democratic Party (SDP) has another dimension, considering that both men are ministers in the Serbian government. Sandzak parties trade serious accusations The two parties based in Serbia's southwestern, predominantly Muslim region, on Monday traded fresh accusations. Both SDP's Mirsad Djerlek, who is Novi Pazar's mayor, and Ugljanin, have asked for urgent meetings with President Boris Tadic. Bosniak List MP in Serbia's parliament Esad Dzudzevic asked Ljajic "to reveal who fired the shots" during the incident, since this person was "hired by the city administration". Dzudzevic also asked Ljajic to clarify whether it was "an attempt to murder Ugljanin". He went on to say that Adnan Ganic, shot in the leg during the clashes, is an SDA official "who stood right next to Ugljanina that evening". "Therefore we can ask Ljajic if this was an attempt to organize the murder of Sujeman Ugljanin," said Dzudzevic. At the same time, the SDP is meeting this evening "to reassess its participation in the ruling coalition in Serbia". Deputy party leader Meho Omerovic repeated accusations that Ugljanin has "for years" been a "factor of disturbance" in Sandzak, while he "attempted to place himself above the law during Saturday's incident". Meanwhile, PM Mirko Cvetkovic got involved on Monday, meeting with the pair of his ministers involved in the clash. As he met with Ljajic and Ugljanin, the premier expressed his concern over the weekend's incident. Cvetkovic said he was worried by the fact that "force and firearms were used and citizens injured". He demanded that all the facts be determined and perpetrators found, Tanjug reports. "It is not good that a dispute which is essentially over real estate issues gets transformed into a political problem and causes instability and riots," Cvetkovic stated. He demanded "from the institutions to act in keeping with the law, in an unbiased and conscientious way, and to make the corresponding decisions to resolve the dispute", the Serbian government's public relations office announced. Cvetkovic set out that the current situation in Novi Pazar is under control and called on all citizens and political subjects to contribute to ensure that it remains calm. Earlier today, Ljajic said that his party would make a decision soon on whether to exit the government. His comments came a day after the incident in Novi Pazar. Ljajic also told daily Politika in an interview that the SDP is dissatisfied with the behavior of the government regarding the incident. “I want to be clear that we do not have any intention of bringing down the government. We are not blackmailing anyone. On the other side, that does not leave out the possibility that we could leave the government and continue to offer support in parliament, for draft laws which we think are good,” Ljajic told the newspaper. But he added that the incidents and reactions show that a part of the government supports the "damaging actions" of the Bosniak List leader, Ugljanin. “The fact is that the police in Novi Pazar did not intervene for 33 minutes after the clashes started, shows that Ugljanin has support for his actions in certain circles within the ruling coalition,” Ljajic said. He claims that he had to call Interior Minister Ivica Dacic personally before the police reacted, because it was "obvious" that officers were not going to intervene. “We do not blame him [Dacic], he couldn't have known what was happening in Novi Pazar at the time. But only a few minutes more and several people would practically have been lynched there. The police intervened as soon as I called him,” Ljajic said. He added that the dismissal of the Novi Pazar Police Chief Dragan Terzic and his colleagues is the “least that the SDP can demand after the incidents of Saturday night.” Ljajic claims that besides the Novi Pazar police, Ugljanin was supported during the incident by “at least one more state body.” “That is the only way to explain the fact that the government media office was activated at midnight on Saturday night, and called journalists to suggest to them to call Ugljanin and get a statement from him,” Ljajic said. Now, he continued, the limit to which his party is ready to tolerate the authorities' concession to “absolutely exists.” “They probably think – Rasim is tolerant, he will not cause problems, while Ugljanin is crazy, he can do all kinds of things, lets calm him down. But I say, if we are tolerant, that does not mean that we are fools,” Ljajic said. Meanwhile, Ugljanin himself spoke to Politika and said that he has done everything to calm the tensions in Novi Pazar and make sure that things do not spiral out of control. “We have succeeded in that for now, but it is important to solve this conflict through the state institutions, through a legal framework, and not through armed individuals and groups of supporters and relatives,” he stated. The incident in Novi Pazar was caused when Ugljanin's men tried to access their party premises at a local culture center. The city administration claimed that a contract for the lease of the rooms was invalid. In the scuffles, four people were reported hurt, one with gunshot injuries. A MUP policeman in front of the Novi Pazar culture center (Tanjug)

Sandžak parties trade serious accusations

The two parties based in Serbia's southwestern, predominantly Muslim region, on Monday traded fresh accusations. Both SDP's Mirsad Đerlek, who is Novi Pazar's mayor, and Ugljanin, have asked for urgent meetings with President Boris Tadić.

Bosniak List MP in Serbia's parliament Esad Džudžević asked Ljajić "to reveal who fired the shots" during the incident, since this person was "hired by the city administration".

Džudžević also asked Ljajić to clarify whether it was "an attempt to murder Ugljanin".

He went on to say that Adnan Ganić, shot in the leg during the clashes, is an SDA official "who stood right next to Ugljanina that evening".

"Therefore we can ask Ljajić if this was an attempt to organize the murder of Sujeman Ugljanin," said Džudžević.

At the same time, the SDP is meeting this evening "to reassess its participation in the ruling coalition in Serbia".

Deputy party leader Meho Omerović repeated accusations that Ugljanin has "for years" been a "factor of disturbance" in Sandžak, while he "attempted to place himself above the law during Saturday's incident".

Meanwhile, PM Mirko Cvetković got involved on Monday, meeting with the pair of his ministers involved in the clash.

As he met with Ljajić and Ugljanin, the premier expressed his concern over the weekend's incident.

Cvetković said he was worried by the fact that "force and firearms were used and citizens injured". He demanded that all the facts be determined and perpetrators found, Tanjug reports.

"It is not good that a dispute which is essentially over real estate issues gets transformed into a political problem and causes instability and riots," Cvetković stated.

He demanded "from the institutions to act in keeping with the law, in an unbiased and conscientious way, and to make the corresponding decisions to resolve the dispute", the Serbian government's public relations office announced.

Cvetković set out that the current situation in Novi Pazar is under control and called on all citizens and political subjects to contribute to ensure that it remains calm.

Earlier today, Ljajić said that his party would make a decision soon on whether to exit the government.

His comments came a day after the incident in Novi Pazar.

Ljajić also told daily Politika in an interview that the SDP is dissatisfied with the behavior of the government regarding the incident.

“I want to be clear that we do not have any intention of bringing down the government. We are not blackmailing anyone. On the other side, that does not leave out the possibility that we could leave the government and continue to offer support in parliament, for draft laws which we think are good,” Ljajić told the newspaper.

But he added that the incidents and reactions show that a part of the government supports the "damaging actions" of the Bosniak List leader, Ugljanin.

“The fact is that the police in Novi Pazar did not intervene for 33 minutes after the clashes started, shows that Ugljanin has support for his actions in certain circles within the ruling coalition,” Ljajić said.

He claims that he had to call Interior Minister Ivica Dačić personally before the police reacted, because it was "obvious" that officers were not going to intervene.

“We do not blame him [Dačić], he couldn't have known what was happening in Novi Pazar at the time. But only a few minutes more and several people would practically have been lynched there. The police intervened as soon as I called him,” Ljajić said.

He added that the dismissal of the Novi Pazar Police Chief Dragan Terzić and his colleagues is the “least that the SDP can demand after the incidents of Saturday night.”

Ljajić claims that besides the Novi Pazar police, Ugljanin was supported during the incident by “at least one more state body.”

“That is the only way to explain the fact that the government media office was activated at midnight on Saturday night, and called journalists to suggest to them to call Ugljanin and get a statement from him,” Ljajić said.

Now, he continued, the limit to which his party is ready to tolerate the authorities' concession to “absolutely exists.”

“They probably think – Rasim is tolerant, he will not cause problems, while Ugljanin is crazy, he can do all kinds of things, lets calm him down. But I say, if we are tolerant, that does not mean that we are fools,” Ljajić said.

Meanwhile, Ugljanin himself spoke to Politika and said that he has done everything to calm the tensions in Novi Pazar and make sure that things do not spiral out of control.

“We have succeeded in that for now, but it is important to solve this conflict through the state institutions, through a legal framework, and not through armed individuals and groups of supporters and relatives,” he stated.

The incident in Novi Pazar was caused when Ugljanin's men tried to access their party premises at a local culture center. The city administration claimed that a contract for the lease of the rooms was invalid.

In the scuffles, four people were reported hurt, one with gunshot injuries.