Govt. condemns Ilić remarks

The government has vehemently condemned comments made in parliament yesterday by NS leader Velimir Ilic at the expense of Labor Minister Rasim Ljajic. It was stated at a cabinet meeting today that hate speech and inciting intolerance were forbidden under the Constitution.The government called for strict adherence to the Constitution as a guarantee of equal rights for all citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, read a statement. Govt. condemns Ilic remarks Human and Minority Rights Minister Svetozar Ciplic said that Ilic’s comment about Rasim Ljajic and Bosniak minorities violated the Constitution and disgraced Serbia. Ciplic believes that Ilic’s comment disgraced Serbia since he spoke as someone who spreads hate speech and religious hatred, and in doing so offended and insulted Ljajic and the Bosniak community. Ilic announced in parliament yesterday that it was disgraceful that the invitations to the Republic Day celebrations had been signed by Ljajic, a Muslim. The minister said that Ilic had “sent an insulting message to all members of national minorities, of whom Serbia, as a European country, is proud.” “Ilic also insulted members of the majority, because he sent a picture of Serbs as people who neither want nor know how to live in harmony in a civilized world, which is simply not the case,” said Ciplic. He explained that Republic Day was dedicated to the first day that Serbia adopted a modern constitution and emphasized that it was the day Serbia began to assume the hallmarks of a modern European state. Velimir Ilic (FoNet archive) RTS resumes broadcasts, Ilic gets slap on wrist RTS resumed broadcasting parliamentary proceedings after Velimir Ilic and Nenad Canak were issued warnings, and Slavoljub Zivanovic was banned from the chamber. RTS decided earlier to suspend all session broadcasts until parliament took a clear stance on Ilic’s statement yesterday, or until the New Serbia (NS) leader retracted it. The state broadcaster also called for action to be taken against SRS MP Zivanovic after yesterday's punch-up with SNS MP Igor Becic. “MP Velimir Ilic’s comments were filmed and broadcast, legitimizing this serious criminal offense, which insulted all Serbian citizens, and which led RTS to be an accomplice,” it was stated. The state broadcaster “categorically refuses to use Serbian citizen’s money in the future to finance and directly broadcast serious criminal offenses, violating the Constitution, laws and all European conventions on race, faith, gender, nationality and civil equality,” RTS said in a statement. Despite the decision, RTS continued to broadcast today’s parliamentary session. Ilic today tried to explain that he had not meant to say that Ljajic, the minister for labor and social affairs, should not sign invitations because he was a Muslim, but rather because, only the president or prime minister should be signing invitations for Republic Day. "But you've twisted my words to make a special program about it on TV. I've got more friends in Sandzak than the lot of you put together, so stop making mountains out of molehills," said the NS leader. In response, League of Social Democrats leader Nenad Canak called Ilic a “tosser”. “If someone believes that the parliamentary podium is a place where it's OK to say that it’s a disgrace to be a Muslim in Serbia, that means that tomorrow we could come to a situation where people begin to divide and kill each other based on ethnicity,” said Canak. After the latest exchange of insults, Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic ordered a ten-minute break. The session continued at 12:30 CET. Democratic Party whip Nada Kolundzija said yesterday that Ilic was spreading hate and intolerance from the podium because he did not like the fact that the invitations had been sent by someone not of the Orthodox faith. “It is an insult to parliament to use such hate speech, which is exactly what we’ve just heard. What can you have a problem with, besides hate for someone of another religion, if he invites you to celebrate a state holiday. You do not have the right to use hate speech here,” Kolundzija fumed. Democratic Party official Bojan Pajtic also condemned “Minister Ilic’s chauvinistic outburst, who offended in the grossest way not only Minister Rasim Ljajic, but all Serbian citizens that do not belong to the majority.” “Serbia is not only a country of Serbs, but of Bosniaks, Hungarians, Slovaks and all other communities that build, protect and love Serbia,” Pajtic said. In addition to verbal incidents, parliament also witnessed a physical altercation yesterday between, Serb Progressive Party MP Igor Becic and Serb Radical Party MP Slavoljub Zivanovic, which left the former with a bloody nose. The Radicals deny that any such incident took place.

Govt. condemns Ilić remarks

Human and Minority Rights Minister Svetozar Čiplić said that Ilić’s comment about Rasim Ljajić and Bosniak minorities violated the Constitution and disgraced Serbia.

Čiplić believes that Ilić’s comment disgraced Serbia since he spoke as someone who spreads hate speech and religious hatred, and in doing so offended and insulted Ljajić and the Bosniak community. Ilić announced in parliament yesterday that it was disgraceful that the invitations to the Republic Day celebrations had been signed by Ljajić, a Muslim.

The minister said that Ilić had “sent an insulting message to all members of national minorities, of whom Serbia, as a European country, is proud.”

“Ilić also insulted members of the majority, because he sent a picture of Serbs as people who neither want nor know how to live in harmony in a civilized world, which is simply not the case,” said Čiplić.

He explained that Republic Day was dedicated to the first day that Serbia adopted a modern constitution and emphasized that it was the day Serbia began to assume the hallmarks of a modern European state.

RTS resumes broadcasts, Ilić gets slap on wrist

RTS resumed broadcasting parliamentary proceedings after Velimir Ilić and Nenad Čanak were issued warnings, and Slavoljub Živanović was banned from the chamber.

RTS decided earlier to suspend all session broadcasts until parliament took a clear stance on Ilić’s statement yesterday, or until the New Serbia (NS) leader retracted it. The state broadcaster also called for action to be taken against SRS MP Živanović after yesterday's punch-up with SNS MP Igor Bečić.

“MP Velimir Ilić’s comments were filmed and broadcast, legitimizing this serious criminal offense, which insulted all Serbian citizens, and which led RTS to be an accomplice,” it was stated.

The state broadcaster “categorically refuses to use Serbian citizen’s money in the future to finance and directly broadcast serious criminal offenses, violating the Constitution, laws and all European conventions on race, faith, gender, nationality and civil equality,” RTS said in a statement.

Despite the decision, RTS continued to broadcast today’s parliamentary session.

Ilić today tried to explain that he had not meant to say that Ljajić, the minister for labor and social affairs, should not sign invitations because he was a Muslim, but rather because, only the president or prime minister should be signing invitations for Republic Day.

"But you've twisted my words to make a special program about it on TV. I've got more friends in Sandžak than the lot of you put together, so stop making mountains out of molehills," said the NS leader.

In response, League of Social Democrats leader Nenad Čanak called Ilić a “tosser”.

“If someone believes that the parliamentary podium is a place where it's OK to say that it’s a disgrace to be a Muslim in Serbia, that means that tomorrow we could come to a situation where people begin to divide and kill each other based on ethnicity,” said Čanak.

After the latest exchange of insults, Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović ordered a ten-minute break. The session continued at 12:30 CET.

Democratic Party whip Nada Kolundžija said yesterday that Ilić was spreading hate and intolerance from the podium because he did not like the fact that the invitations had been sent by someone not of the Orthodox faith.

“It is an insult to parliament to use such hate speech, which is exactly what we’ve just heard. What can you have a problem with, besides hate for someone of another religion, if he invites you to celebrate a state holiday. You do not have the right to use hate speech here,” Kolundžija fumed.

Democratic Party official Bojan Pajtić also condemned “Minister Ilić’s chauvinistic outburst, who offended in the grossest way not only Minister Rasim Ljajić, but all Serbian citizens that do not belong to the majority.”

“Serbia is not only a country of Serbs, but of Bosniaks, Hungarians, Slovaks and all other communities that build, protect and love Serbia,” Pajtić said.

In addition to verbal incidents, parliament also witnessed a physical altercation yesterday between, Serb Progressive Party MP Igor Bečić and Serb Radical Party MP Slavoljub Živanović, which left the former with a bloody nose. The Radicals deny that any such incident took place.