Milošević’s widow on spat with TV station owner

The widow of Slobodan Milosevic, Mirjana Markovic, had harsh words about Zeljko Mitrovic in her book entitled, "Destierrada e Imperdida" (Exiled and Unlost). Mitrovic, the owner of Belgrade-based Pink TV, was a member of Markovic’s Yugoslav Left (JUL) party in the 1990s and was one of her closest associates. Milosevic’s widow on spat with TV station owner She claims that it was thanks to her that Mitrovic made profit. The reason the two former close allies went separate ways, which has been published in Markovic’s book, was Pink TV owner’s interview given to Zagreb-based daily Jutranji list. Even though Markovic did not state which interview had caused rifts, it is evident from the quoted parts that it was the interview that was published by Jutarnji list in late August 2007. The article was dubbed “Mr. Pink: I am worth around USD 1bn”. Judging from her reactions published in the book that was promoted by her and her husband’s close associates in Belgrade last week, Markovic was especially hurt by Mitrovic’s statement that he was “only a JUL member” and that everything that he did for the party was “done professionally, not politically” and that he had used “policy as an umbrella”. She stressed in the book, however, that the Pink TV owner was much more than just an ordinary JUL member. “He was a candidate for the Main Board member. When names of candidates for the Main Board and names of newly elected Main Board members came on to the screens at the end of the Congress, someone discretely told me that Zeljko's name was not on the screen and that he had stormed out,“ Markovic said in her book. “Of course, it was a mistake. He was very active in the party, an MP and it was logical to be not only a candidate for the Main Board but also a Main Board member. I immediately called his home and I spoke to a devastated man. He was upset and listed all his merits in JUL and his love for the JUL and I accepted everything and invited him to come to my place. I told him it was a mistake and that we would immediately fix it. And we did,” Milosevic’s noted. “Before I got home we called media and asked them to put Zeljko's name on the list of the Main Board members. We arrived to the residence at the same time. He came with his wife. Of course, I do not want to get into visual and verbal details of his desperation. I kept comforting him from the door to the lounge where we sat down. Shortly after, my husband joined us. I explained him what was going on. We spoke a little while longer, joking about the oversight and Zeljko's reaction and then I called several more friends and we went to dinner to a small reastaurant at Ada Ciganlija. Zeljko was comforted,“ Markovic said in her book. In the chapter dubbed “A social and moral atheist”, she described how Mitrovic suddenly started to grow rich thanks to JUL. “In that period he built a big, beautiful and modern villa for himself in Dedinje and a huge TV building, also in Dedinje,” she stressed. “Zeljko got much more from JUL than he gave,” Markovic concluded. Describing his character, she said: “After all these years it is clear – he would join anyone he can benefit from and he would keep his distance from anyone he cannot (benefit from) or who could harm him”. Markovic in the end added that “Zeljko Mitrovic is today in Serbia considered a great friend of Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) deputy leader Aleksandar Vucic”. Mirjana Markovic (file) Jutarnji list

Milošević’s widow on spat with TV station owner

She claims that it was thanks to her that Mitrović made profit. The reason the two former close allies went separate ways, which has been published in Marković’s book, was Pink TV owner’s interview given to Zagreb-based daily Jutranji list.

Even though Marković did not state which interview had caused rifts, it is evident from the quoted parts that it was the interview that was published by Jutarnji list in late August 2007. The article was dubbed “Mr. Pink: I am worth around USD 1bn”.

Judging from her reactions published in the book that was promoted by her and her husband’s close associates in Belgrade last week, Marković was especially hurt by Mitrović’s statement that he was “only a JUL member” and that everything that he did for the party was “done professionally, not politically” and that he had used “policy as an umbrella”.

She stressed in the book, however, that the Pink TV owner was much more than just an ordinary JUL member.

“He was a candidate for the Main Board member. When names of candidates for the Main Board and names of newly elected Main Board members came on to the screens at the end of the Congress, someone discretely told me that Željko's name was not on the screen and that he had stormed out,“ Marković said in her book.

“Of course, it was a mistake. He was very active in the party, an MP and it was logical to be not only a candidate for the Main Board but also a Main Board member. I immediately called his home and I spoke to a devastated man. He was upset and listed all his merits in JUL and his love for the JUL and I accepted everything and invited him to come to my place. I told him it was a mistake and that we would immediately fix it. And we did,” Milošević’s noted.

“Before I got home we called media and asked them to put Željko's name on the list of the Main Board members. We arrived to the residence at the same time. He came with his wife. Of course, I do not want to get into visual and verbal details of his desperation. I kept comforting him from the door to the lounge where we sat down. Shortly after, my husband joined us. I explained him what was going on. We spoke a little while longer, joking about the oversight and Željko's reaction and then I called several more friends and we went to dinner to a small reastaurant at Ada Ciganlija. Željko was comforted,“ Marković said in her book.

In the chapter dubbed “A social and moral atheist”, she described how Mitrović suddenly started to grow rich thanks to JUL.

“In that period he built a big, beautiful and modern villa for himself in Dedinje and a huge TV building, also in Dedinje,” she stressed.

“Željko got much more from JUL than he gave,” Marković concluded.

Describing his character, she said: “After all these years it is clear – he would join anyone he can benefit from and he would keep his distance from anyone he cannot (benefit from) or who could harm him”.

Marković in the end added that “Željko Mitrović is today in Serbia considered a great friend of Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) deputy leader Aleksandar Vučić”.