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Protests in Serbia Archive
Serbian Renewal Movement: Protest of Belgrade citizens finished

17th February, 1997

On saturday, 15th February 1997, on the Liberty square, final meeting of the Coalition ZAJEDNO was held.

The leaders of Coalition ZAJEDNO Vuk Draskovic, Vesna Pesic and Zoran Djindjic thanked the citizens for giving them support in the past 88 days. The leaders said that it was only the first aim that was accomplished in the fight for the democratic Serbia and that now the fight for media liberation and fair conditions in republic elections begins.

Coalition ZAJEDNO set 9th March as the deadline for the regime in Serbia to free the media, and announced a celebration on the occasion of constituting the Belgrade Parliament on friday 21st.

Vuk Draskovic, president of Serbian Renewal Movement, concluded that nobody has ever nor anywhere, in this way, gained a victory and that the citizens of Serbia are not yet aware that in the last 88 days they made history.

"We have in the most successful way won the battle for 17th November and on all our future demands we will put deadlines on. Besides the known demands: media liberation and fair electoral conditions, we shall put time limits on resignations and responsibilities" - said Vuk Draskovic and added that Zoran Sokolovic is a minister under whose rule, for the second time, police dirty their hands and boots with blood and that demands responsibility.

"Consiadering the election theft, which we won't forgive and forget, it is expected that at least the Minister of Justice, or the one who gave out the orders, files resignation" -concluded the president of SRM.

Vuk Draskovic invited the citizens to help the students bring their fight to the end., starting from sunday 22nd February.

Coalition ZAJEDNO invited the citizens to continue with the action "Noise in fashion" and every night during the broadcasting of the second News of Radio Television Serbia (at 19.30) to "outshout" the broadcasting of the News by pounding on the pots and blowing the whistles.

Ninety first day of the protest in Nis

At yesterday's meeting in Nis, Vice-President of SRM Milan Komnenic spoke to the gathered citizens who have been protesting for 91 days against the election theft. He said that Coalition ZAJEDNO performed an act of good will and temporarily finished protest in order to provide time for starting a dialogue with the authorities for providing normal life in Serbia. "The authorities have but partly fulfilled our demands for recognizing the election results of November 17th. We informed the authorities that we won't give Novi Beograd, Mladenovac and Sabac and that we will fight for them. If the dialogue about public media liberation doesn't open, we will get out in the streets in great numbers and show the regime that we must be spoken to in a different way then before" - said Milan Komnenic to the gathered citizens of Nis.

Students continue with their protest

Students of the Belgrade University continued their protest until, they say, the electoral will of the people is fully respected. According to them "if 3 months are necessary -three months will be". "There's no new Serbia without Novi Beograd. We will draw left bank of Sava to the right bank of Sava and Kalemegdan (ancient fort on the right bank of Sava)" -was announced at the Students' protest. This was followed by a walk around the city.

On the occasion of Coalition ZAJEDNO finishing the protest, Dusan Vasiljevic, spokesman of the Students' protest, said that this was an excellent opportunity for the SP to show that it had not been started or lasted for this long to ensure the victory of the Coalition in some municipalities. Students started the protest in order to fight for certain democratic principles in this country and they are proving it now.

Vuk Draskovic speaks for Radio Index

Vuk Draskovic, president of Serbian Renewal Movement, in his interview for radio Index today spoke of the present situation in Coalition ZAJEDNO and of oncoming tasks of the Coalition ZAJEDNO concerning the new city Government.

Speaking of Novi Beograd and Mladenovac, the Municipalities that were not listed in the OSCE report, Draskovic said that that was not a mistake of SRM and that SRM did a major part of the job.

President of SRM stressed that for the first time since 1944 Serbian people won something, in the streets.

Answering the questions of the listeners that mostly referred to the distribution of the city Government authorities, Vuk Draskovic said that it must be a matter of agreement within the Coalition and that it was a disgrace that those things are speculated with in public.

"From the newspapers I discover who is to be the manager of the "Studio B", who will be Minister for the finances for the city. We, the Coalition members have not yet discussed that. It is a mistake of certain people from Democratic Party who are promoting themselves by giving out such a statements. This must be stopped immediately" categorically stressed Vuk Draskovic.

According to him the Coalition means togetherness, full cooperation, mutual trust and not interfering in internal affairs of the coalition partner.

We should act in accordance with the capitalists' principle. principle of shares (bonds).

"It is our internal business of the Party who we are going to suggest for what position. And those must be good, honest and accomplished men" - said the president of SRM and added that they must sit down and make a deal, for the people and the West expect the Coalition to become stronger, to become a single party that would come out in the oncoming presidential electionswith just one candidate.

Speaking about the future of the Coaltion ZAJEDNO, leader of the SRM Vuk Draskovic, announced the possibility of forming a mutual political organs of the Coalition. The parties of the Coalition ZAJEDNO would found a presidential Council of the Coalition which would include besides the presidents of the Parties also the respectful members of the Parties and the decisions would be brought by consensus. Common Information Bureau would be formed and all that on the basis of mutual platform that would be in respect with our national and political interests.

Speaking about the on coming presidential elections and the possibility to become the president of the Republic himself, Vuk Draskovic said that he would start immediately to make a declaration about national truce, then abolishing the decree by which the citizenship, property and the crown were taken from the Karadjordjevics. A possibility to show whether they are for or against the monarchy would be given to the citizens of Serbia.

Answering the questions of the journalists who will be new manger of "Studio B", Draskovic said that it should first be returned to the share holders, and then place it under the jurisdiction of the City Hall. But since the president of SRM, Vuk Draaskovic stands for the free journalism, the question of "Studio B" should be left to the journalists of that company.

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