Council for National Security divided
State leadership cannot agree even on condemnation of violence
The Council for National Security only concluded that on February 21 during incidents in front of the American Embassy the police forces had performed their duty well. This conclusion, however, does not refer to the Home Ministry. The President, the Prime Minister, the ministers and chiefs of security services obviously failed to agree as to who was in command of the Police that day and who should bear the responsibility for the violence in which Zoran Vujovic lost his life. Due to this disagreement no press release from the session of the Council for National Security has been issued until so far.
In the absence of official statement, there was unofficial information that the State secretary Mirjana Orasanin is in charge of the Police. Allegedly there was a request made at the session for identification and legal processing of all involved in the violence in Belgrade and for legal responsibility of those that caused such violence to occur. It is also said that it has been decided to ban wearing of military uniforms in all meetings of protest.
It has been further agreed, according this unofficial quotes, that no future diplomatic activity should cause far-reaching damaging consequences for Serbia, either politically or economically.
However, the PM Vojislav Kostunica’s cabinet reacted immediately after that stating that due to ‘numerous misinformation’ that appeared in public, it was important to make an official announcement regarding conclusions adopted by the Council for National Security.
Until the closure of this issue, no such statement was made.
‘The work of the police director Milorad Veljovic and the police action on February 21 were especially praised. The Ministry and the Police are satisfied about the Council’s conclusion’, Mirjana Orascanin, State Secretary at the Home Ministry that attended the session said. She also said to be present there in the capacity of the Police Minister Dragan Jocic deputy as well.
The Secretary for information of public importance Rodoljub Sabic said yesterday that the state bodies should give as many information as possible when their work is concerned and that the Council for National Security is not an exception.
He characterized this case as the worst possible situation when certain information from the meeting leaked and then were followed by a statement bringing in doubt majority of them.
‘The absolute nonsense regarding the DS-DSS coalition could be seen at the session when the top officials failed to agree even about the condemnation of the last week violence’, the announcement issued by the LDP reads.