President comments on idea to raise monument to Milosevic

President comments on idea to raise monument to Milosevic

According to Nikolic, such a monument must not divide Serbia, but unite it. He added, however, that "nobody asked him" about this or other monuments raised to "personalities from the past."

The president said this issue was "not within his powers":

"This falls under the authority of the city commission for naming streets and raising monuments. And the answer to that is also given by Vulin's ministry (of labor, and social and veteran affairs)."

As for having any dilemmas about whether Milosevic should be honored in this way, Nikolic said he was "torn, like all of Serbia," and added:

"U supported his struggle and condemned him when he would step back for no reason. A monument must not divide Serbia, but instead unite it. Those who are desecrating everything around Serbia would not leave a monument to Slobodan Milosevic alone, either."

The question of building a monument to the former Serbia and Yugoslav president was raised in the wake of reports that the Hague Tribunal concluded he was not guilty for crimes committed in Bosnia-Herezgovina - something stemming from the guilty verdict against Radovan Karadzic.

Milosevic was the founder and lifelong leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), and this party immediately came out with the idea to build a monument and name a street after Milosevic. The idea is supported by current SPS leader Ivica Dacic.