Milosevic honoured – twice

Milosevic honoured – twice

Socialists Party of Serbia officials gave a minute of silence in honour of their late president Slobodan Milosevic at the beginning of today’s meeting of the Serbian parliament.

The Socialists and members of the Radical Party of Serbia honoured the minute of silence, while all other parties chose not to participate. All other parties, except for the Democratic Party of Serbia, left the hall. According to reports, Milosevic was honour twice in a span of 90 minutes. The first attempt at holding a parliamentary meeting lasted only 15 minutes and was attended only by Socialist Party officials.

Deputy Parliamentary Speaker, Zoran Andjelkovic, started the meeting by escorting 22 Socialist representatives into the hall, who gave a minute of silence for Milosevic. Immediately afterwards, Andjelkovic said that there was no quorum for the meeting to begin and announced a recess. He said that the Socialists “did not insist on anyone standing or make a stage show out if it,” adding that the Socialists made every party aware of their intentions to do this today, and also informed Parliamentary Speaker Predrag Markovic, who gave him permission to let the Socialists in.

No other party officials entered the meeting hall, not even the Serbian Radical Party officials, who stood outside the entire time. Radical leader Tomislav Nikolic said that he did not want to participate in honouring Milosevic, adding that it would be an “immoral act” which would be looked at as a “betrayal of Milosevic after his death.”

“We realised that this is an agreement between the ruling coalition and the Socialists and that it should look like a commemoration, and that it should not provoke the un-Christian customs of the ruling coalition parties.” Nikolic said.

However, after the recess, once the meeting began again, the Socialist Party’s Ivica Dacic, along with the Serbian Radical Party, asked for another minute of silence for Milosevic. At 11:30 am, Socialist and Radical officials held the second minute of silence for Milosevic.

Dacic was asked whether this was done because Radio Television Serbia did not broadcast the first minute of silence at 10 am, but did not answer.

Democratic Party of Serbia officials did not leave the hall, but remained seated during the minute of silence, while members of the G17 Plus, Serbian Renewal Movement and New Serbia parties left the hall.

Nikolic said that the Radical Party participated the second time because “a farce would be played out with the minute of silence” without them.

“There was no quorum for the beginning of the meeting, but since there was a danger that a farce would be played out with the minute of silence, we chose to participate.” Nikolic said.

This is the first meeting of the Serbian Parliament in the last three months, even though there are 40 new laws waiting to be voted on, many of which have already exceeded their legal deadlines.