Serbia remembers Đinđić

Five years ago to the day, Serbia’s first democratic prime minister, Zoran Djindjic, was shot dead as he entered the government building. Five years later, Serbia is without a government, and her further European path remains unclear. Serbia remembers Djindjic Nonetheless, one of Djindjic’s political teachers, Dragoljub Micunovic, believes that Serbia today “has not stopped,” but “has slowed down.” A government delegation today laid a wreath at the memorial plaque in the courtyard of the government building. Micunovic said that above all the hope and speed of changes in the immediate aftermath of October 5, 2000, had slowed. “Between October 5 and today, those forces of the former regime have stabilized, but there is something we should not forget – that there is nothing stronger than ideas whose time has come, and the time has come for European union, for the creation of a big economic, cultural, political system, and that’s one of the reasons for our optimism, to hold our hand out to fate and what all other European countries have done, we will do too,” said the Democratic Party official. Zoran Zivkovic, who became prime minister after Djindjic’s assassination, said that “nothing is the same” in Serbia since Djindjic’s death, that his ideas and work have been abandoned, which was why Serbia, as he put it, was moving very quickly and determinedly in the wrong direction. Recalling the late prime minister’s own words, Micunovic said that the world did not move in straight lines, and that we can never be sure that certain things will not happen again. “Unfortunately, it’s well known in history that first time something happens, it's a tragedy, the second time, a farce. But, the fact is that we must stay on our toes. Because there are irrational forces at work in society, and they should not be underestimated in any man,” he warned. Serbian government delegation laying a wreath in Djindjic's memory (FoNet) Family, parties, citizens pay tribute Today, several thousand citizens paid tribute to Serbia's first democratic premier on the fifth anniversary of his death by first visiting the site of his assassination outside the Serbian government headquarters, and then visiting his grave, Beta news agency reported. Candles were lit, among others, by the premier's widow Ruzica Djindjic and his children, Jovana and Luka. President Boris Tadic, the leader of the Democratic Party (DS), was also present. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and the members of his cabinet laid a wreath on the spot where Djindjic was murdered and held a minute of silence to honor the late premier earlier in the day. Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party, headed by party leader and once close aide to Djindjic, Cedomir Jovanovic, also laid wreaths outside the government headquarters and at the cemetery. Several thousand participants in the march dubbed "A Walk for Zoran" walked from the Liberal Democrats' headquarters to the government headquarters, and then to the cemetery, where they laid wreaths, flowers and lit candles. About a thousand students and supporters of the NGO Europe Has No Alternative walked the streets of Belgrade to the cemetery. The commemoration began with a screening of the documentary entitled If Serbia Stops. The event took place without speeches, political banners or slogans. However, the crowd gathered outside the Faculty of Philosophy was showered by flyers signed by the Students' Association of Serbia. The flyers said that "Dignity Has No Alternative," that "Serbia's Future Is in Serbia" and asked, "Are we ready to live in the EU without identity and equality?" Luka, Jovana and Ruzica Djindjic at Zoran Djindjic's grave today (FoNet)

Serbia remembers Đinđić

Nonetheless, one of Đinđić’s political teachers, Dragoljub Mićunović, believes that Serbia today “has not stopped,” but “has slowed down.” A government delegation today laid a wreath at the memorial plaque in the courtyard of the government building.

Mićunović said that above all the hope and speed of changes in the immediate aftermath of October 5, 2000, had slowed.

“Between October 5 and today, those forces of the former regime have stabilized, but there is something we should not forget – that there is nothing stronger than ideas whose time has come, and the time has come for European union, for the creation of a big economic, cultural, political system, and that’s one of the reasons for our optimism, to hold our hand out to fate and what all other European countries have done, we will do too,” said the Democratic Party official.

Zoran Živković, who became prime minister after Đinđić’s assassination, said that “nothing is the same” in Serbia since Đinđić’s death, that his ideas and work have been abandoned, which was why Serbia, as he put it, was moving very quickly and determinedly in the wrong direction.

Recalling the late prime minister’s own words, Mićunović said that the world did not move in straight lines, and that we can never be sure that certain things will not happen again.

“Unfortunately, it’s well known in history that first time something happens, it's a tragedy, the second time, a farce. But, the fact is that we must stay on our toes. Because there are irrational forces at work in society, and they should not be underestimated in any man,” he warned.

Family, parties, citizens pay tribute

Today, several thousand citizens paid tribute to Serbia's first democratic premier on the fifth anniversary of his death by first visiting the site of his assassination outside the Serbian government headquarters, and then visiting his grave, Beta news agency reported.

Candles were lit, among others, by the premier's widow Ružica Đinđić and his children, Jovana and Luka.

President Boris Tadić, the leader of the Democratic Party (DS), was also present.

Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and the members of his cabinet laid a wreath on the spot where Đinđić was murdered and held a minute of silence to honor the late premier earlier in the day.

Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party, headed by party leader and once close aide to Đinđić, Čedomir Jovanović, also laid wreaths outside the government headquarters and at the cemetery.

Several thousand participants in the march dubbed "A Walk for Zoran" walked from the Liberal Democrats' headquarters to the government headquarters, and then to the cemetery, where they laid wreaths, flowers and lit candles.

About a thousand students and supporters of the NGO Europe Has No Alternative walked the streets of Belgrade to the cemetery. The commemoration began with a screening of the documentary entitled If Serbia Stops. The event took place without speeches, political banners or slogans.

However, the crowd gathered outside the Faculty of Philosophy was showered by flyers signed by the Students' Association of Serbia. The flyers said that "Dignity Has No Alternative," that "Serbia's Future Is in Serbia" and asked, "Are we ready to live in the EU without identity and equality?"