DSS, mayor shift blame in apartment affair

The opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) on Thursday said that none of its officials were given apartments by the state. The practice – ongoing for years – of giving out apartments under privileged prices, based on a government decision, has recently come under scrutiny in what the media dubbed the "apartment affair". DSS, mayor shift blame in apartment affair "For weeks now a relentless witch-hunt has been ongoing against the DSS over the decision to allocate apartments, and now it has become a real showdown of the government with the opposition," said the party, whose leader Vojislav Kostunica was prime minister for two terms since 2004. "This campaign is being led by the Democratic Pasty, which has forgotten that in the previous cabinet, it had the most ministers in the Housing Commission." The DSS statement also points out that "nobody is mentioning that Mayor Dragan Djilas and ministers Dragan Sutanovac and Milan Markovic were in that commission". "Also, nobody is mentioning that the decision on the allocation of apartments was adopted by Zoran Djindjic's government." The party believes that the announced changes to the decision must take into account the housing issues related to a large number of military, police and judiciary officials, who are performing some of the most difficult jobs for the state. Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic reacted to media reports about 288 state-owned apartments sold in this way by ordering the government's general secretariat to investigate and submit its findings by August 21. The controversial decision was adopted in 2002, and was changed on several occasion, last time in 2007. Reacting to the DSS statement, high official of the ruling Democrats (DS) and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas rejected their accusations. "It isn’t the Housing Commission that allocates apartments, this is done by ministries based on their lists. If there are complaints, then the commission, which was presided over by DSS' Radomir Naumov, decides on it," said Djilas. Djilas, who was minister without portfolio in the previous government, said that he is "not surprised that Serbia finds itself in this situation today, considering that the DSS people who led the government for four years to this day have no idea how it works". According to him, "the problem is not that someone who works 20-plus years gets an opportunity to buy an apartment – the problem is that the price is many times lower than the real". "This amounts to pillaging the citizens of Serbia. True, this pillage is much smaller in volume that the one in Kolubara [coal mines], led by DSS cadre when stealing amounted to over EUR 4mn each year," Djilas said, and added that this was a subject "for prosecution and police". "Those who stole tens of schools, hospitals and kindergarten from the citizens of Serbia must end up in prison no matter which party they come from," the DS official was quoted as saying.

DSS, mayor shift blame in apartment affair

"For weeks now a relentless witch-hunt has been ongoing against the DSS over the decision to allocate apartments, and now it has become a real showdown of the government with the opposition," said the party, whose leader Vojislav Koštunica was prime minister for two terms since 2004.

"This campaign is being led by the Democratic Pasty, which has forgotten that in the previous cabinet, it had the most ministers in the Housing Commission."

The DSS statement also points out that "nobody is mentioning that Mayor Dragan Đilas and ministers Dragan Šutanovac and Milan Marković were in that commission".

"Also, nobody is mentioning that the decision on the allocation of apartments was adopted by Zoran Đinđić's government."

The party believes that the announced changes to the decision must take into account the housing issues related to a large number of military, police and judiciary officials, who are performing some of the most difficult jobs for the state.

Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković reacted to media reports about 288 state-owned apartments sold in this way by ordering the government's general secretariat to investigate and submit its findings by August 21.

The controversial decision was adopted in 2002, and was changed on several occasion, last time in 2007.

Reacting to the DSS statement, high official of the ruling Democrats (DS) and Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas rejected their accusations.

"It isn’t the Housing Commission that allocates apartments, this is done by ministries based on their lists. If there are complaints, then the commission, which was presided over by DSS' Radomir Naumov, decides on it," said Đilas.

Đilas, who was minister without portfolio in the previous government, said that he is "not surprised that Serbia finds itself in this situation today, considering that the DSS people who led the government for four years to this day have no idea how it works".

According to him, "the problem is not that someone who works 20-plus years gets an opportunity to buy an apartment – the problem is that the price is many times lower than the real".

"This amounts to pillaging the citizens of Serbia. True, this pillage is much smaller in volume that the one in Kolubara [coal mines], led by DSS cadre when stealing amounted to over EUR 4mn each year," Đilas said, and added that this was a subject "for prosecution and police".

"Those who stole tens of schools, hospitals and kindergarten from the citizens of Serbia must end up in prison no matter which party they come from," the DS official was quoted as saying.