Mladić operation sparks parliamentary slanging match

SRS MPs’ announcement that Ratko Mladic’s son house was being searched by police sparked a lively debate in parliament. Serb Radical Party (SRS) MPs accused the authorities of state terrorism and said that the "Serbian regime" was continuing to harass the family of a "Serb hero" in order to pander to the Hague Tribunal and EU. Mladic operation sparks parliamentary slanging match Meanwhile, government representatives called for the SRS to be sanctioned for veering from the parliamentary agenda. SRS MP Zoran Krasic discussed affairs in the Serbian Construction Agency, headed by a man close to the Democratic Party (DS), and presented information on the Democratic Party’s (DS) sources of election campaign funding. “I have to say that yesterday, while you were away, I spoke about state terrorism, and today, they’ve immediately proved me right,” Krasic said. "Yesterday I elaborated on everything that would happen given that Operation ‘Testicle’ is led by Miki Rakic, Boris Tadic’s chief-of-staff. This operation is a form of pressure on Ratko Mladic’s family, even though the state has been saying for years that Ratko Mladic is not in this country,” he said, adding that Mladic’s son had now become a target. DS MP whip Nada Kolundzija said that SRS MPs were deliberately breaching the Code of Procedure, that Krasic had reeled off “a string of lies”, and had called on people to resist the law. “We had perfect understanding about addressing issues off the agenda,” she said, calling on the speaker to uphold the Code of Procedure, as “a gentlemen’s agreement requires two sides.” "We have one side that has been listening for days about issues that have nothing to do with the agenda and that are of no interest to anyone in this country, all because the other side claims that they aren’t sufficiently represented… while they’re on state TV for 20 hours a day, until eight ‘o’ clock in the evening, and from 10 ‘o’ clock, it’s their leader’s (Vojislav Seselj) turn. It’s a bit much. That’s not democracy,” she said. SRS MP Vjerica Radeta called on the Justice and Interior Ministries to immediately set about inquiring as to why “the family of Darko Mladic is being harassed” and what the police unit was searching for. Radeta said that SRS deputy leader Dragan Todorovic was present at the Mladic property, attending the search in the capacity of a private citizen. She warned that unless the operation was suspended immediately, SRS MPs would make their way to the house and call on all Belgrade citizens to join them to "protect the rights of all citizens." At one point, Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic was forced to adjourn today’s session of parliament as SRS MPs refused to discuss the agenda, focusing instead on the operation in question.

Mladić operation sparks parliamentary slanging match

Meanwhile, government representatives called for the SRS to be sanctioned for veering from the parliamentary agenda.

SRS MP Zoran Krasić discussed affairs in the Serbian Construction Agency, headed by a man close to the Democratic Party (DS), and presented information on the Democratic Party’s (DS) sources of election campaign funding.

“I have to say that yesterday, while you were away, I spoke about state terrorism, and today, they’ve immediately proved me right,” Krasić said.

"Yesterday I elaborated on everything that would happen given that Operation ‘Testicle’ is led by Miki Rakić, Boris Tadić’s chief-of-staff. This operation is a form of pressure on Ratko Mladić’s family, even though the state has been saying for years that Ratko Mladić is not in this country,” he said, adding that Mladić’s son had now become a target.

DS MP whip Nada Kolundžija said that SRS MPs were deliberately breaching the Code of Procedure, that Krasić had reeled off “a string of lies”, and had called on people to resist the law.

“We had perfect understanding about addressing issues off the agenda,” she said, calling on the speaker to uphold the Code of Procedure, as “a gentlemen’s agreement requires two sides.”

"We have one side that has been listening for days about issues that have nothing to do with the agenda and that are of no interest to anyone in this country, all because the other side claims that they aren’t sufficiently represented… while they’re on state TV for 20 hours a day, until eight ‘o’ clock in the evening, and from 10 ‘o’ clock, it’s their leader’s (Vojislav Šešelj) turn. It’s a bit much. That’s not democracy,” she said.

SRS MP Vjerica Radeta called on the Justice and Interior Ministries to immediately set about inquiring as to why “the family of Darko Mladić is being harassed” and what the police unit was searching for.

Radeta said that SRS deputy leader Dragan Todorović was present at the Mladić property, attending the search in the capacity of a private citizen.

She warned that unless the operation was suspended immediately, SRS MPs would make their way to the house and call on all Belgrade citizens to join them to "protect the rights of all citizens."

At one point, Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović was forced to adjourn today’s session of parliament as SRS MPs refused to discuss the agenda, focusing instead on the operation in question.