Borovo Selo Memorial Wall: “He Who Dies In Honesty – Lives Forever”
The events in Croatia during the past week should have marked the diary pages with pride, piety, dignified grieving for the lost lives, and a determined step forward in the direction of achieving final justice for the multitudes of war crimes’ victims, victims of the times of Serb aggression, and which justice includes due pursuits in achieving compensation for victims as well as public property such as buildings, utilities etc. Croatia was devastated by the onslaught of Serb aggression of 1990’s.
Instead of this, the visit to Croatia by Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, caused profound distress especially among those who were the closest to the horrors Serb aggression caused in Croatia during 1990’s. While developing bearable and civilised relations with Serbia is a good thing, in principle, it is not done at the expense of victims and justice they are owed. And this is exactly what was happening in Croatia during the past week.
The past week in Croatia marked:
• The 18th anniversary of the military operation “Flash”, which in 1995 liberated Croatia’s Western Slavonia from brutal Serb occupation. The purpose of the operation was to regain control of Okucani, the centre of the Serb insurgency and terrorist attacks in Western Slavonia. In less than 32 hours, 7,200 Croatian soldiers and policemen took control of 500 square kilometers of occupied territory, including the Zagreb-Lipovac motorway and the main railway line running from Zagreb to Eastern Slavonia. Forty-two Croatian soldiers and policemen were killed and 162 were wounded. (Operation Flash preceded Operation Storm, which followed three months later, when Croatia showed its determination to re-establish its sovereignty over its territory.)
• The 18th anniversary of ruthless surface-to-surface rocket attack against Zagreb by rebel Serbs who retaliated for the defeat they suffered as a result of operation “Flash”. Six people were killed in Zagreb, 39 seriously injured and another 136 received lesser injuries. The first explosions were heard around 10.23 a.m. on 2 May 1995 when several rockets were fired on downtown Zagreb. The rocketing a day later was directed at a children’s hospital, a retirement home and the national theatre building. Serb, Milan Martic was sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for the attack on Zagreb and is currently serving a 35-year sentence.
• The 22nd anniversary when 12 police officers were killed and mutilated by Serb paramilitary forces in Borovo, eastern Croatia. The 12 men were killed in an ambush during the night between May 1 and 2, 1991 after they came to rescue two of their colleagues who had been captured by Serb paramilitaries while on regular patrol. Twenty-one policemen were wounded then.
• The visit to Croatia by Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, who during the times of Serb aggression against Croatia, while Serbs were killing Croatian and non-Serbs and ethnically cleansing of them areas in Croatia, spoke loud and clear that where there are about 20% of Serbs – that was Serbian country – places such as Karlobag, Ogulin, Karlovac, Virovitica … following is video footage of one of Vucic’s speeches in Belgrade, Serbia, during the Serb aggression in Croatia.
It is absolutely unforgivable that Croatia’s government allowed Vucic’s visit to occur in Croatia during the past week. Especially given that Vucic kept saying and reiterating that “the future is more important than the past!” He further said that “ 18 years has passed, the children have become adults. Prospect for development is more important than being buried in political trenches”.
At that point Croatia’s foreign minister Vesna Pusic should have turned towards him, saying:
“Stop! Stop right there!”
One might even be inclined to believe that Vucic bears sincere good wishes for the Croatian people, but when he went on about the importance of pensions in Croatia for Serbs and Serb’s tenancy rights – every hope that Vucic has turned a page away from Greater Serbia ideals has absolutely vanished. He is still the one who roots for the equation of aggressor with the victim – in every sense. He is still the one who wants the past forgotten so that Serbia does not have to answer for its crimes.
The past is important. It’s most important when justice for the victims has not been achieved. But then, it is in Serbia’s interests to bury the past which has not been reconciled. Croatia’s foreign minister Pusic was certainly not protecting the interests of Croatia nor its people by suggesting that a withdrawal of lawsuit against Serbia at the International Court of Justice for genocide might be on the books – if the question of the still missing persons was resolved.
For crying out loud – the lawsuit is not just about the missing persons, it’s about all of the victims.
Neither the government nor minister Pusic have the right to withdraw the court claim that was made in the name of all the victims, that was made because of the victims!
As to how Croatia’s victims feel about Vucic’s visit to Croatia and what transpired between him and Pusic may perhaps be best shown with the contents of the following open letter to Croatia’s Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic by some of the victims of Serb aggression.
“Respected Mrs Pusic,
At the beginning of your mandate in the government of the Republic of Croatia and after you took up the post at the head of the very important ministry, I sent you a request, asking you to hear the testimonies of raped women, victims of Serbia’s and Yugoslav People’s Army aggression against Croatia.
My wish was to provide you with an opportunity to obtain firsthand knowledge about the suffering of victims, especially women, at that time and which knowledge would, I thought, serve you well when as minister, you find yourself in the situation in which Croatia would be attempting to solve the question of war damages with the aggressor country.
You did not respond to our request, you remained without an insight into war happenings and you were, at the meeting with the government official of Serbia, in a totally inferior position. Minister Vucic stated that we need to look into the future, that love is not necessary for future relations, that problems of pensions and tenancy rights of the Serbian minority must be solved, strengthen economic cooperation. Mr Vucic knows exactly what he wants. He will not talk about the war, about the victims, occupation, war damages, the raped, the concentration camps prisoners. Serbia does not want to talk about the lack of its success in the war. It does not confront the consequences.
You, Mrs Pusic, stated that “if the question of the missing is solved, the conditions will be created for the withdrawal of the claim,” (against Serbia for genocide, at International Court of Justice, filed in 1999) as if you had completed a very significant job for the country and the people.
Why is the question about the missing the most important of all the victims of Serbia’s aggression against Croatia?
If the destroyed and devastated country, the killed, the imprisoned, the raped, the deported, about 400 children, have no value in the efforts for justice, compensation.
It’s every public official’s duty to protect the interests of the country and the people he/she represents.
Are you protecting the interests of raped women? Are you protecting their right to feel that their representatives are truly interceding on their behalf so that they may receive compensation for suffering through war horrors at the hands of those who came, armed to their teeth, and made them into war slaves. Try and imagine how it must be to live with the consequences of having had to live through this. How much strength is needed to raise a child, the fruit of someone from that horde.
The claim, I hope, includes their suffering and horrible ordeals. Or, are you pursuing good political relations without any consideration to the victims. The victims arose during the time when Croatia could not protect them with weapons. Today, when everything is being solved around a table why is Croatia not protecting those same victims. This is not a question of volition; it is a debt and the correction of former powerlessness.
I’m writing to you as a minister, more importantly as a woman, engage your efforts for the living, for those who had the fortune of surviving. The claim must be sustained for their rights. Real victims, not to be equated with the criminal. And the important feeling that justice is being sought and that the difference between aggression and defence is being established.
After all minister, politicians are transient. The people remain and the memory of the experiences remains. It is the responsibility of all of you who have taken over the government jobs to realise a just future. For peace’s sake.
I remain at your disposal to relay to you the true testimonies of the women victims of war.
With respect,
Marija Sliskovic, President, Women in Homeland War Association
Zagreb 30th April 2013”
Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb); B.A., M.A.Ps. (Syd)
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Can I just say: I am sick of Croatian government and opposition. Someone should stop them. These idiots have NO RIGHT TO WITHDRAW THE COURT CASE AGAINST SERBIA! They did not lose lives, they did not lose anything at the hands of Serb aggression.
My feeling exactly, Marko L: the government has no right to withdraw the case it only has the responsibility to ensure victims get their deserved justice, in every sense
The friggin lunatics in Croatian politics! Yes, they are that if you look at it from Croatian interests, if you look at it from Serbian interests: Eldorado!
True, true Rozic. Of course Serbia wants everything swept under the carpet, after they’ve attacked Croatia again by peddling myths about how Serbs were deported from Croatia and all that lunacy.
The next move this Croatian government makes towards thinking about withdrawing the lawsuit against Serbia: it’s GODBYE! OUT! CAPUT! PISS OFF!
I thing you’re on the right side Branimir Joost. The words you say are echoing thoughout Croatia, so let’s hope they get to be more than words.
Rape! War Crime! Get the bastards to prison for life!
You’re on the case, Wilkinson. May millions stand with you
Croatian government is Croatian peoples’ worst enemy. Poverty everywhere and yet the government forgives Slovenia the huge debt from Ljubljanska Bank and now its contemplating withdrawing from seeking Serbia pays compensation for war damage. This is just too horrible. Awful! I feel deeply for the victims.
Totally agree with you Sammy
If the lawsuit against Serbia is about truth and justice, then termination of the lawsuit should never be considered. If the lawsuits are about politics, then it really doesn’t matter.
It was filed, Sunman, for truth and justice. Justice for victims above all. It’s the politics that have crept into the mill ever since the Social Democrats Kukuriku coalition got their foot in the door. Just appalling.
Cro won’t stop listening, they are unified once again.
Blame the VOTERS
Yep EPO – voters will have to learn to make an effort
Croatia will never have justice in any sense until we have a Croatia First Policy. Because we have failed to have such a policy it is taken for granted that we are weak and will succumb to those who know they can manipulate the weakness of our government.Croatia can not be a political power house player in Eastern Europe if we continue on like this. I am not understanding why our goverment is afraid of putting Croatia first and being firm in it’s negotiations with other countries and entities. what are we afraid of? With regards to the last conversation do we need a revolution in Croatia I attach this link and you will see that people in america are about to have a revolution soon enough. Croatia is no different and this article should make the Croatian goverment take notice.
http://cnsnews.com/blog/gregory-gwyn-williams-jr/poll-29-registered-voters-believe-armed-revolution-might-be-necessary
I think Croatians at large are not afraid to put Croatia first, Michael, it’s the political elite that keeps getting into government because of flawed electoral laws and remnants from communist oppression and political deals that still have their effect. What else could one expect in a system where many employed have secured their jobs through nepotism or party loyalty etc… yes Croatia First must be the ticket and it should include employment on merit and not on family ties or political loyalty
Michael, the Croatian government is not afraid of putting Croatia first, they simply DO NOT CARE about putting Croatia first. All they care about is furthering their Yugo-communist “ethics” and power. They have never, ever given a damn about Croatia, they’ve only sought to gain power and exploit the nation! Croatian people need to take each and every one of these traitors out of power and hold them accountable for their actions.
I agree with you 100% . I have been saying all along that we need to get rid of the traitors and shame them in public for what they are. What we really need to do is change the constitution and voting laws as quickly as possible before it gets even worse.
Žalosti me što moram ponekad objaviti ovakve priče, ali istina se mora znati…kome krivo, kome drago. TOLIKO. Naši dečki su ležali posvuda, izranjavani, nepokretni. Prilazili su im jednom po jednom i klali, kopali oči i rezali jezike. Pamtim Vučića koji je ranjen ležao na cesti i molio nas da mu ne prilazimo pomoći. Bio je iskusniji, znao je da teroristi samo čekaju da mu dođemo pomoći , pa da nas pobiju. Vučić je odlučnim glasom inzistirao da mu ne prilazimo. A onda mu je prišao jedan od njih i hladnokrvno pucao u njega… Malo tko zna za Vučića i koliki je heroj bio. Malo tko zna i da je jedan od policajaca ležao ranjene noge, sve dok mu nisu prišla dvojica. Jedan ga je primio za jednu, a drugi za drugu ruku. Tad je došao treći sa sjekirom i zabio mu je posred šljema. Sve je trajalo dvadesetak minuta. Dvanaest mučki ubijenih policajaca, svi redom iz Vinkovaca i okolice…http://www.dnevno.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/85871-prezivjeli-policajac-ispricat-cu-vam-pravu-istinu-o-pokolju-u-borovom-selu.html
Translation of comment by CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES: It saddens me for having to publish stries like this one from time to time, but the truth must be known … whoever likes it or doesn’t. THAT’S THAT. Our boys lay everywhere, wounded, immobile. They approached them one by one, killing them, gouging their eyes out, slashing their tongues. I remember a Vucic who lay wounded on the road and pleaded with us not to come near him and help him. He was more experienced that us, he knew the terrorists were waiting for us to come and help him, so they could kill us. Vucic insisted, with a firm voice, for us not to come near him. And then one of them came near him and shot at him in cold blood… Not many people know about Vucic and what a hero he was. Also, not many people know that one of the policemen lay with a wounded leg, all until two of them came near him. One grabbed one of his arms and the other grabbed his other arm. Then came the third one carrying an axe and drove it into the centre of his helmet. Everything lasted about 20 minutes. Twelve slaughtered policemen, all from Vinkovci and the surrounds …
http://www.dnevno.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/85871-prezivjeli-policajac-ispricat-cu-vam-pravu-istinu-o-pokolju-u-borovom-selu.html
Reblogged this on Eyes of the Mind and commented:
Croatia is being betrayed by its own government. Genocide is not something to be swept under the carpet for the sake of a minor concession. Lasting peace requires more than a semblance of justice.
Quoting Mishka Gora: Croatia is being betrayed by its own government. Genocide is not something to be swept under the carpet for the sake of a minor concession. Lasting peace requires more than a semblance of justice”.
It is so very, very sad, that Croatian politicians seem to think that genocide and devastation caused by planning in advance, done on purpose, can be forgotten. While relations can be built between countries IT MUST NEVER BE DONE UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF ABSOLVING A PARTY (Serbia) OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ATONE FOR TERRIBLE SINS, TO PAY THEIR JUST DUE.
Mr. Vucic was in aggressive Serbian Radical Party. Now he changed his political views.
Dr. Franjo Tuđman was a communist……
Shean, I think that it does not matter all that much what someone was or may have been, but it matters whether that someone has abandoned the ways he/she was and demonstrated commitment to new paths…Vucic was younger than Tudjman so I guess he couldn’t have been a communist in the strict sense of the word, but when he got into political party at age of about 22 in 1993 we know which wind he blew – the one that gave wings to the politics of rebel Serbs in Croatia and Serbian support of them to steal land from Croatia. Tudjman abandoned the communist party years before 1993 with heart and soul.
President General Dr. Franjo Tudman was also declared a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International for his role as a dissident in opposition to primitive Yugoslav Communism.
From Facebook: “Ina, this is so SO well written. I can’t comprehend why anyone can lend Vucic – a true and devout SRS radical – even a milligram of trust. Simply put, I wouldn’t let him into the country. Persona non grata.”
I am in total agreement with all the previous commenters – this administration could almost be deemed treasonous! In no way, shape or form, should Croatia be terminating its lawsuit against Serbia – PERIOD! The govt.’s duty is to its citizens – all it’s citizens – both living and dead. They should be advocates, working on behalf of all Croatian victims and their families. Those who suffered and paid the ultimate price deserve respect and gratitude from their fellow citizens and from their enemies, they deserve justice! Unfortunately, for reasons I have yet to understand, Croatia has been steering a course towards the ‘greener grass’ of the European Union ever since it bailed out of Yugoslavia – and I believe it is just that “carrot” that has been partially to blame for some questionable decisions over the past two decades.There is no doubt that every Croatian govt.has been hurling headlong into the EU (even though their voters were not nearly as enthusiastic according to the referendum results),and its precisely this willingness for acceptance into the club, that makes us vulnerable. They pressure us to fulfill their checklists, they expect more of us in some instances than they expect of themselves and yet we blindly follow – happily sliding down the slippery slope, gradually abdicating our own common sense and discernment as to what is right/wrong. The EU requires resumption of trade – we resume trade, they want a normalization of relations – we bend over backwards to do so. We guarantee minority rights – which is as it should be in a free and modern society – but must we do so to such a degree that we are afraid to assert the rights of the majority? Our politicians are eager to present our govt. as a defender of minorities but who will defend and fight for the majority of Croatians? I wonder if our govt. will in the future send a delegation to Serbia to demand minority rights for Croatians living there? Why don’t we demand representation of Croatian minority in the Serbian Parliament?If we are in agreement that this administration – Milanovic, Josipovic, Pusic,et.al. are not serving the Croatian public – then who are they serving?
From Facebook: It’s unfortunate to see that some of those leading present day Croatia are more interested in the views of Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic than its own citizens. One only needs to watch the short youtube clip embedded in Ina Vukic’s article to see why this should concern the Croatian people. We’re not interested in promoting any political agendas or launching a political debate at CNA. We simply want to highlight what most peace loving Croatians care about and in some cases, sacrificed their lives for. That said, we must all work together for the preservation of our culture, and the future of the Croatian people.
It is incredulous how Serbs want the past forgotten when that past shows the crimes committed by Serbs… they did the same for their part in the Holocaust – by mid-1942 they took to slaughter 94% of Serbian Jews and then buried this truth by blaming the occupying forces of Nazi Germany…they rarely speak of Milan Nedic their WWII Prime Minister who was a Nazi collaborator… why even in their Reply to Croatia’s lawsuit against Serbia for genocide in the nineties at the ICJ Serbia slotted in WWII deeds by some Croats. Please give this world a break and push on with the court case – do not withdraw Croatia because, among other things, Serbia’s part in the Holocaust may receive its justice – finally – and truth be revealed for all to see
This is just too damn funny, you blame every Serbian because some morons killed Croatians? You should be ashamed.
Nah:
The problem with your argument is that the overshelming Serbian majority voted for the wars.
QUOTE:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/serbian-presidential-elections-since-1990
Background 01 Apr 12
Serbian Presidential Elections Since 1990
Since the first multi-party elections were held in 1990, Serbia has often had acting heads of state, while many of those elected ended their terms before their mandates expired.
Gordana Andric
BIRN
Belgrade
December 9, 1990
Slobodan Milosevic easily won first multy-party elections in Serbia. | Photo by Beta
Serbia’s first multi-party presidential elections saw the largest ever number of candidates, 32. Slobodan Milosevic, leader of the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia, was the favourite.
Milosevic won, leaving his main rival, Vuk Draskovic, from Serbian Renewal Movement, far behind. Only five candidates won more than 1 per cent of votes.
Of 7 million voters, about 5 million people, or 71.5 per cent of the electorate, cast ballots.
Slobodan Milosevic, Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS – 65.34 per cent
Vuk Draskovic, Serbian Renewal Movement, SPO – 16.40 per cent
Ivan Djuric, Association for Yugoslav Democratic Initiative, UJDI – 5.52 per cent
Sulejman Ugljanin, Party of Democratic Action, SDA – 2.18 per cent
Vojislav Seselj, Group of citizens – 1.91
Blazo Perovic, YU blok – 1.14
December 10, 1992:
Milan Panic lost the elections, despite he enjoyed oppositions’ support. | Source: Wikimedia
In spring 1991 Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia declared independence. In March 1992, Bosnia followed suit. Serbia and Montenegro then formed a new “Federal Republic of Yugoslavia”, SRJ, on April 27, 1992. Federal Parliament on June 15, 1992, elected Dobrica Cosic as the first president of the SRJ. Serbia then called early presidential and general elections.
Although there were seven candidates, this time Milosevic had more serious competition, as the then SRJ Prime Minister, Milan Panic, obtained opposition support to run against Milosevic.
However, Milosevic again won a landslide victory and remained President.
Of 6.7 million voters, about 4.7 million people, or 69 per cent of the electorate, voted.
Slobodan Milosevic, Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS – 53.24 per cent
Milan Panic, Group of citizens – 32.11 per cent
Milan Paroski, People’s Party and Serbian opposition – 3.13 per cent
Dragan Vasiljkovic, Group of citizens – 1.86 per cent
Jezdimir Vasiljevic, Group of citizens – 1.31 per cent
Miroslav Milanovic, Group of citizens – 0.59 per cent
Balzo Perovic, Homeland Democratic Coalition – 0.43 per cent
Election results published by the Republic Election Committee and those published by the Statistical Office showed that thousands of votes went missing, although it would not have made a difference to the final winner.
According to the Republic Election Committee, Milosevic won 2,515,047 votes, while Panic gained 1,516,693. However, according to the Statistical Office, 2,673,375 citizens voted for Milosevic, while 1,604,410 voted for Panic.
September 21, 1997:
Vojislav Seselj was the only politician who managed to beat Socialists’ candidate. | Photo by Beta
After Slobodan Milosevic became President of Yugoslavia in July 1997, Serbian presidential elections were scheduled for September.
As Milosevic had resigned as Serbian President on order to become President of Yugoslavia, Parliamentary Speaker Dragan Tomic from the Socialist Party of Serbia became acting president.
The speaker was obliged to call for early elections.
In the two-round election Socialist Zoran Lilic lost to theRadical Party’s Vojislav Seselj. This was the only time during the Milosevic regime that a Socialist lost a key election.
However, the elections were annulled as not enough people voted in the second round.
First round
Of about 7.1 million voters, 4.1 million went to the polls.
Zoran Lilic, Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS – 37.70
Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Radical Party, SRS – 27.28
Vuk Draskovic, Serbian Renewal Movement, SPO – 20.64
Mile Isakov, Coalition of Vojvodina – 2.43
Vuk Obradovic, Social Democratic Party, SDP – 2.43
Nebojsa Covic, Democratic Alternative – 2.23
Sulejman Ugljanin, List for Sandzak – 1.66
Several opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Serbia and Civic Alliance of Serbia boycotted the elections, saying conditions for fair and honest elections did not exist.
Of 16 candidates, seven won more than 1 per cent of the votes. As none got an absolute majority, the second round of the elections was scheduled for October.
October 5, 1997:
Second round
Of about 7.2 million voters, 3.5 million went to the polls.
Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Radical Party, SRS – 49.10
Zoran Lilic, Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS – 47.89
According to the then law, at least 50 per cent of the voters needed to cast a ballot in order for the elections to be valid. As only 48 per cent of voters cast ballots, the elections failed.
New elections were scheduled for December.
December 7, 1997:
Milan Milutinovic became Serbian president in controversial elections. | Source: YouTube
For the December elections, the Socialists presented a new candidate, Milan Milutinovic. Opposition parties that boycotted the elections in September continued their boycott.
The elections were also organised in two rounds, as none of the candidates won an absolute majority in the first round.
First round
Of about 7.2 million voters, 3.8 cast a ballot.
Milan Milutinovic, Socialist Party of Serbia/Yugoslav Left/New Democracy – 43.43
Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Radical Party, SRS – 33.18
Vuk Draskovic, Serbian Renewal Movement, SPO – 15.41
Vuk Obradovic, Social Democratic Party, SDP – 3.03
Dragoljub Micunovic, Democratic Centre – 2.27
December 21, 1997:
Second round
Of about 7.2 million voters, 3.8 million, or 50.98 per cent, cast ballots.
Milan Milutinovic, Socialist Party of Serbia/Yugoslav Left/New Democracy – 56.46
Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Radical Party, SRS – 35.81
The elections prompted protests by Radicals who accused the Socialists of election theft. These elections are often mentioned as those in which the opposition had most problems placing observers in polling station and in which the most flagrant examples of election rigging occurred.
Zoran Lucic, then director of NGO Centre for Free Election and Democracy, CESID, stated that workers in some public companies received voting papers in which the name of the Socialist candidate was already circled. After the elections they had to bring their empty ballots to prove they had used those they were given, he said.
Regardless, Milan Milutinovic was declared Serbian President in January 1998.
In the federal presidential elections held on September 24, 2000, the candidate of the Democratic opposition of Serbia, DOS, Vojislav Kostunica, won.
DOS also won a majority of seats in the federal general elections and in the local elections. Milosevic was forced to admit he had lost after mass protests overwhelmed the regime on October 5.
After the collapse of the Milosevic regime, the SPS, DOS and SPO reached an agreement for the three parties form a transitional Serbian government while Milutinovic agreed to called early elections.
The leader of Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic, formed a new government in January 2001 and immediately started reforms.
In April Vojislav Kostunica and his Democratic Party of Serbia, the DSS, left the DOS, accusing the rest of coalition of having connections with organised crime.
As Milutinovic’s mandate was to expire in 2003, presidential elections were scheduled for September 2002.
But these elections failed as there were no enough voters. Voters who did participate went to the polls three times.
September 29, 2002:
Vojislav Kostunica became first democratically elected president of Serbia. | Photo by Beta
First round
Of 11 candidates, eight gained more than 1 per cent of votes. Two main rivals were the then President of Yugoslavia, Vojislav Kostunica, from the Democratic Party of Serbia and Miroljub Labus, candidate of a group of citizens. Labus enjoyed the support of the rest of DOS.
Of about 6.5 million voters, 3.6 million cast ballots.
Vojislav Kostunica, Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS – 30.88
Miroljub Labus, Group of citizens – 27.36
Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Radical Party, SRS – 23.24
Vuk Draskovic, Serbian Renewal Movement, SPO – 4.39
Borislav Prelevic, Party of Serbian Unity – 3.82
Velimir Bata Zivojinovic, Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS – 3.27
Nebojsa Pavkovic, Group of citizens – 2.08
Branislav Ivkovic, Group of citizens – 1.17
As none of the candidates won an absolute majority, a second round was scheduled for October 13.
October 13, 2002:
Second round
Of 6.5 million voters, 2.9 million voted. As only 45 per cent of voters cast ballots, the elections failed.
Had they been deemed regular, Kostunica would have won by a substantial margin.
Vojislav Kostunica, Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS – 66.8
Miroljub Labus, Group of citizens – 31.4
Next elections were scheduled for December.
December 8, 2002
These elections had only three candidates. As only 45 per cent of voters cast ballots, the elections failed. Of 6.5 million voters, 2.9 million voted.
Vojislav Kostunica, Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS – 57.6
Vojislav Seselj, Serbian Radical Party, SRS – 36
Borislav Prelevic, Party of Serbian Unity – 3.5
As the mandate of President Milan Milutinovic had expired, parliamentary speaker Natasa Micic from the Civic Alliance of Serbia, part of the DOS coalition, became the new acting president on December 29, 2002.
As the Law on the Election of the President did not set a time limit for Micic to call elections, she decided not to call elections immediately.
The opposition accused Micic of being a pawn of Serbian Prime Minister Djindjic who they said did not want to a strong president, especially not one coming from the opposition.
The assassination of Djindjic in March 2003 further delayed elections, as the country proclaimed a state of emergency.
Micic called elections in September and scheduled them for November 16.
November 16, 2003:
Tomislav Nikolic won annuled elections. | Photo by Serbian Progressive Party
The third attempt to elect a president also failed, as less than 50 per cent of voters cast ballots. Out of 6.5 million registered voters, only 2.5 million voted.
Tomislav Nikolic, Serbian Radical party, SRS – 46.2
Dragoljub Micunovic, Democratic Opposition of Serbia, DOS – 35.4
Velimir Ilic, Democratic organisation for democratic changes New Serbia – 9
Marijan Risticevic, National Peasant Party – 2.8
Dragan S. Tomic, Socialist National Party – 2.1
Radoslav Avlijas, Homeland Democratic Party – 0.8
After the parliamentary elections on December 28, 2003 Dragan Marsicanin from the Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, was elected parliamentary speaker. On February 4, 2004 he replaced Micic as acting President of Serbia.
That month parliament amended the Law on the Election of President, abolishing the threshold of 50 per cent of voters.
In March, Marsicanin became Minister for Finance and Economy in Kostunica’s government coalition government, formed by the DSS, G17 plus, the Serbian Renewal Movement and New Serbia.
To obtain a minister’s seat, Marsicanin resigned as speaker. The new speaker and thus the new acting President of Serbia was Predrag Markovic from G17 plus. In April 2004, Markovic scheduled presidential elections for June 13.
June 13, 2004:
Boris Tadic has been Serbian president since 2004. | Photo by Beta
First round
The two favourites in the elections were Tomislav Nikolic – who became leader of the Radicals after the party’s president, Vojislav Seselj, voluntarily surrendered to the Hague Tribunal – and Boris Tadic who had become the new leader of Democrats after the assassination of Djindjic.
The ruling coalition’s candidate was Dragan Marsicanin.
Of 6.5 million voters, 3.1 million cast ballots. Out of 15 candidates, six won more than 1 per cent votes.
Tomislav Nikolic, Serbian Radical party, SRS – 30.60
Boris Tadic, Democratic Party, DS – 27.37
Bogoljub Karic, Group of citizens – 18.23
Dragan Marsicanin, DSS/G17 plus/SPO/NS – 13.30
Ivica Dacic, Socialist Party of Serbia – 4.04
Jelisaveta Karadjordjevic, Group of citizens – 2.01
As none of the candidates won an absolute majority, a second round of elections was scheduled for June 27.
June 27, 2004:
Second round
Of 6.5 million voters, 3.1 million went to the polls.
Boris Tadic, Democratic Party, DS – 53.24
Tomislav Nikolic, Serbian Radical party, SRS – 45.40
After 18 months under an acting president, Serbians elected Boris Tadic as President.
As the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro dissolved after Montenegro declared independence in May 2006, Serbia adopted a new constitution in November.
According to the Constitutional Law, general elections were to be held in January 2007. Kostunica’s DSS again formed a government. The law also prescribed that presidential elections must be held within a year. The elections were scheduled for January 20, 2008.
January 20, 2008:
First round
Of 6.7 million voters, about 4.1 million cast ballots. There were nine candidates, but only six got won than 1 per cent of the votes.
Tomislav Nikolic, Serbian Radical party, SRS – 39.99
Boris Tadic, Democratic Party, DS – 35.39
Velimir Ilic, New Serbia, NS – 7.43
Milutin Mrkonjic, Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS – 5.97
Cedomir Jovanovic, Liberal Democratic Party, LDP – 5.34
Istvan Pastor, Hungarian Coalition – 2.26
As none of the candidates won an absolute majority, a second round was scheduled for February 3.
February 3, 2008:
Second round
Boris Tadic, Democratic Party, DS – 50.31
Tomislav Nikolic, Serbian Radical party, SRS – 47.97
After winning the elections, Tadic remained Serbian President. Although this was his second term, he was the Democratic Party candidate once again, as he served his first term under the old Constitution and he did not serve out his five-year term.
ENDQUOTE
Not only did the overwhelming majority of Serbian voters vote for war (see in particular 1990-1995), but the Serbian state, military, academic, media and church leaders ALL were in full support of the wars.
In addition, Serbian intelligence coordinated with the cabal of greater Serbian generals within the JNA in carrying out the genocidal RAM (Rampart) Plan authored BEFORE the war, which, in addition to outlining the systematic targeting of civilians to “demoralize the enemies of socialism,” outlined the agitprop / hate speech campaign to mobilize Serbs outside of Serbia into an ultranationalist genocidal frenzy, and to arm them illegally – something that began before HDZ even formed as a political party.
Finally, as Vucic’s visit shows, and as does Cosic’s role as the official and unofficial “Vodz” of Serbia’s academia, and as Serbian politicians of all stripes, and as endless media repitition of entirely discredited wartime agitprop shows, not a single pillar of Serbian society – the state, the political establishment, the Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbia’s academia, or Serbia’s media – have changed their position on the top-down, bottom-up overwhelming voter majority supported genocidal aggression of Serbia in the 1990s, and all still defend and or minimize the genocidal criminality of the joint criminal enterprise of greater Serbian Chetnik fascism and Yugoslav Communism against everything non-Serb, against democracy, and against elementary logic and reason itself.
Croatians will never have good relations with Serbs if these morons do not abandon their greater Serbia policy, accept their past wrongs and take responsibility for them! You do not build better relationships by sweeping MASSIVE problems under the rug and hoping they’ll be forgotten. Those wounds will never be forgotten or healed, while the guilty still refuse to take responsibility. The wounds won’t heal until the guilty are held accountable for their actions. As the comment above says, the Serbian political elite still have not taken responsibility for or been held accountable for their crimes against Jews under the Nedic leadership. And now they just want more of their crimes swept under the rug, buried in history and rewritten, so they can keep on feeding their massive victim complex and their “everywhere a Serb exists is Serbian territory” complex.
It’s sad to admit, but I think that it is becoming increasingly obvious by now that any word, any rational and logical argument, simply won’t reach the pathetic political elite. It goes into one ear and out the other. Their tiny brains simply cannot comprehend ideals of fairness and justice for victims and those who were oppressed.
One minor correction Ina, the attack on Zagreb was a surface-to-surface rocket attack, not artillery shelling.
Thank you Americro for the correction.
Considering that Pusic organized a pow wow of Yugoslav ultranationalist anti-intellectuals from Croatia and Serbia – all of whom were opposed to Croatian independence and any democratic reform save cosmetic changes – during the peak of genocidal greater Serbian aggression in the heart of Zagreb, which Western media of course deified and showered with praise and coverage for their guilt equating, is it any surprise that she is jumping at the opportunity to fight for a better personal history and have Serbia’s lies and propaganda, which she was a standard bearer of, triumph over fact and history, by Croatia dropping its suit (poorly written but that is Nobilo for you) against Serbia’s schitzophrenic, laugh-out-loud macabre historically pornographic counter-suit that doesn’t have a single leg to stand on?
Draga Ina, ovo Ti je jedan od najboljih priloga. Predlažem Ti da napišeš jedan prilog za naš VI Kongres koje pripremamo za lipanj 2013. Bilo bi divno da nam dođeš i budeš special guest, guest of honor, qnote speaker. Jedan Tvoj pristup problemu i vrednovanju žrtve objavio bih i na kongresu i u zborniku radova kojeg ćemo objaviti poslije kongresa, kao što smo to učinili na prošlom kongresu. Srdačan pozdrav i čestitke Tebi Tvoj Zvonimir Šeparović, Predsjednik, Hrvatsko žrtvoslovno društvo
Translation of Zvonimir Separovic comment: Dear Ina, this is one of your best articles. I propose that you write a piece for our Sixth Congress, which we are planning for June 2013. It would be great if you could come and be our special guest, guest of honour, keynote speaker. Your approach to the problem and assessment of what a victim would be presented at the Congress and published in the almanac, which would be published after the Congress, as last time. Best regard and congratulations. Zvonimir Separovic, President, Croatian Society of Victimology.
REPLY: Thank you dr Zvonimir Separovic. I am most honoured with your assessment of this article. Indeed the problem of victims in Croatia from the days of Serb aggression in nineteen-nineties of last Century (as well as the one relating to Communist crimes during and after WWII) is a problem that must be addressed without the intrusion of politics current and past. It is absolutely unacceptable, in human rights terms, that so much remains unattended to in this field. With perseverance justice for the victims will arrive. Your constant dedication to this is most valuable and gives others like myself energy to continue.
Ina, Hoping you accept the invitation to speak…we need the truth spoken and spoken as part of a historical record. Remember, with today’s technology you can be video conferenced (skype, facetime etc.) into the meeting without it affecting your busy schedule. 😉
Good idea Sunman, I’m already preparing my address – if I can’t make it there the address will be delivered. The more people stand behind victims’ rights the better.
There is no hope for present day Croatia without the rise of its citizens. The great number of people in the higher level of the Croatian government are the true traitors. Most of them really can not stand the thought of the free independent Croatia, and one can not expect them to do anything that is in the interest of Croatia and its people. We need to follow in the footsteps of Romania’s people, and trash away this anti-Croatian government, ( the best way would be if they willingly resigned). Croatia needs leaders who love their country and the people that understand the western style of democracy. Croatia, in order to move forward, needs people that have experience in western style politics, education and business. We need to have enforceable laws, where majority rules, not minority, while at the same time, the minority rights are protected and respected,( not elevated above the majority of its citizens), the corruption is punished, not rewarded, and treason is treated as treason, and punished accordingly. We need to stop the blame of the Serbian leaders, because, they are protecting the interest of Serbia and its people. We need to ask whose interest are the Croatian leaders promoting and protecting? As long as there are Croatians like prof. Ina Vukic, and thousands of others that are not mentioned here, the future, while might be bumpy and rough, it is also very bright.