Ex-PM slams government's Kosovo policy

Opposition DSS leader and former Serbian PM for two terms Vojislav Kostunica has reacted to yesterday's ruling in the ICJ Kosovo case. It is of paramount importance, he said in Belgrade on Friday, that Serbs continue to live in Kosovo and Metohija. Ex-PM slams government's Kosovo policy "The whole Serb nation knows the truth, which no one will ever be able to denounce - that Kosovo was, and always will be a part of Serbia," Kostunica said. "It is of paramount importance that Serbs continue to live in Kosovo and Metohija, because every Serb who lives in our southern province guards the statehood of Serbia as well," the DSS leader added. According to him, the true reason for the "misery and heavy defeat" that the ICJ ruling brought must be sought in the "cheap, loud, and ill-thought.through propaganda of Serbian authorities that the EU has no alternative". Kostunica was prime minister as Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in February 2008. Several months later, Serbia's new government, led by President Boris Tadic's Democrats (DS), took over, and decided to pursue the ICJ case - something Kostunica's DSS, already in opposition spoke against. The top UN court in its advisory opinion rendered yesterday said that the UDI did not violate international law, "since there is no active provision that limits independence declarations", but would not rule on the right to self-determination or secession. "We were pointing out continuously that we (Serbia) should not seek the ICJ opinion, but that we should sue one of the states (who recognized Kosovo) to this court. That lawsuit, however, was never filed, because that went against the 'EU has no alternative' propaganda, and because Brussels (EU) threatened that the lawsuit would slow down EU integrations," said Kostunica. This government, he continued, "did not sincerely defend the state of Serbia and our Kosovo, and for that reason we are now faced with the result of that devious policy where the EU is more important to us than our own state." "Since I have relinquished power on two occasions voluntarily (as PM and SRJ president), and resigned when I could no longer implement the policy that I stood for, I have the moral prerogative to publicly ask whether there will be any resignations in Serbia because of this humiliation and heavy defeat," Kostunica wondered. "Will the person who is the most responsible for this flawed policy resign, or not? Holding on to power at any cost, new political deceptions and delusions can only lead Serbia to new and harder defeats," warned Kostunica. Vojislav Kostunica (Beta, file)

Ex-PM slams government's Kosovo policy

"The whole Serb nation knows the truth, which no one will ever be able to denounce - that Kosovo was, and always will be a part of Serbia," Koštunica said.

"It is of paramount importance that Serbs continue to live in Kosovo and Metohija, because every Serb who lives in our southern province guards the statehood of Serbia as well," the DSS leader added.

According to him, the true reason for the "misery and heavy defeat" that the ICJ ruling brought must be sought in the "cheap, loud, and ill-thought.through propaganda of Serbian authorities that the EU has no alternative".

Koštunica was prime minister as Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in February 2008. Several months later, Serbia's new government, led by President Boris Tadić's Democrats (DS), took over, and decided to pursue the ICJ case - something Koštunica's DSS, already in opposition spoke against.

The top UN court in its advisory opinion rendered yesterday said that the UDI did not violate international law, "since there is no active provision that limits independence declarations", but would not rule on the right to self-determination or secession.

"We were pointing out continuously that we (Serbia) should not seek the ICJ opinion, but that we should sue one of the states (who recognized Kosovo) to this court. That lawsuit, however, was never filed, because that went against the 'EU has no alternative' propaganda, and because Brussels (EU) threatened that the lawsuit would slow down EU integrations," said Koštunica.

This government, he continued, "did not sincerely defend the state of Serbia and our Kosovo, and for that reason we are now faced with the result of that devious policy where the EU is more important to us than our own state."

"Since I have relinquished power on two occasions voluntarily (as PM and SRJ president), and resigned when I could no longer implement the policy that I stood for, I have the moral prerogative to publicly ask whether there will be any resignations in Serbia because of this humiliation and heavy defeat," Koštunica wondered.

"Will the person who is the most responsible for this flawed policy resign, or not? Holding on to power at any cost, new political deceptions and delusions can only lead Serbia to new and harder defeats," warned Koštunica.