|
|
|
|
 |
||
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
Wednesday, April 4, 2001
Politicians: Extradite Milosevic
Communists stand alone against immediate move to The Hague
By Michael Mainville
With the notable exception of the Communist Party, most political officials here want Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica to send the ousted Serbian leader to The Hague, where a United Nations tribunal is seeking to try him for war crimes stemming from the 1999 occupation of Kosovo.
"The arrest of Mr. Milosevic was only the beginning," President Vaclav Havel's spokesman, Ladislav Spacek, said. "It is now up to the Yugoslav government to make a decision. ... And the court in The Hague is the proper place for dealing with Milosevic."
Michael Zantovsky, chairman of the Senate's foreign-affairs committee, praised the Yugoslav government for the April 1 detention, saying, "the reasons why Milosevic should be arrested would make for a very thick book."
He also said The Hague tribunal would be the most appropriate forum for Milosevic's prosecution.
"It is the Yugoslav government's decision to make, but I think he should be handed over," said Zantovsky, a member of the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), one of four center-right parties that make up the popular Quad Coalition.
Milosevic was jailed early Sunday, after a 26-hour armed standoff with police. Milosevic surrendered to police after negotiations between the government and his Socialist Party.
Milosevic, forced from office in October following massive street protests, has been indicted by the UN tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with atrocities alleged to have taken place during his crackdown on Albanian separatists in Serbia's Kosovo province in 1999.
The United States Congress had threatened to withdraw $50 million in economic aid to Yugoslavia if the country did not begin co-operating with the Hague tribunal by March 31. The Yugoslav government is insisting on trying Milosevic first in a domestic court on charges of corruption and abuse of power, however.
Miloslav Ransdorf, a Communist Party (KSCM) member of the Chamber of Deputies and vice-chairman of the chamber's foreign-affairs committee, praised the Yugoslav government's decision to try Milosevic at home.
"To transfer a person to The Hague without any proof is nonsense," Ransdorf said. "There is no presumption of guilt in a democratic regime, so we should respect this and let the courts [in Yugoslavia] do their job."
Ransdorf said threats from the U.S. and the extradition of Milosevic would actually do more harm than good.
"Any economic pressure against Yugoslavia and the demonization of Slobodan Milosevic could reverse the positive changes that were made," by turning public opinion against the West, he said.
Ransdorf and his party appear to stand alone against extradition.
"When it comes to Milosevic, no one doubts that he should be brought to justice," said Jiri Pehe, a political analyst and director of New York University in Prague.
Most Czechs and many prominent politicians, including Prime Minister Milos Zeman and former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, opposed the NATO airstrikes in Serbia that many say forced Milosevic's forces out of Kosovo in 1999.
But Pehe said that shouldn't be confused with support for Milosevic's regime. "Sympathies with Serbia do not mean sympathies with Mr. Milosevic," he said.
Fall of the mighty
-- Vojtech Saman contributed to this report
Michael Mainville's e-mail address is mmainville@praguepost.cz
|
More news stories Debating Abortion Despite successful protests, local pro-life movement faces uphill battle in nation with liberal, communist-era laws Svoboda is Quad casualty Kuhnl takes over after infighting on shadow cabinet Prague, Vienna pursue detente Nations seek dialogue despite Temelin debate Ambassador looks beyond visas Canadian envoy hopes to educate, dispel stereotypes |