Family wants state funeral

THE family and supporters of Slobodan Milosevic are pushing for a state funeral for the suspected war criminal.

Legal aide Zdenko Tomanovic said Milosevic’s family wanted a state funeral in Belgrade, apparently resolving an internal dispute over whether he should be buried in Serbia, Russia or Montenegro.

However, Serbian President Boris Tadic has said a state funeral would be “absolutely inappropriate”. It was unclear if Serb authorities would approve a Belgrade funeral.

Milosevic’s Socialist party threatened to topple Serbia’s minority government if the former Yugoslav president was not buried with state honours in Belgrade.

Counting on a huge turnout, the Socialists have said Milosevic should be buried at Belgrade Cemetery’s Alley of Heroes - the graveyard reserved for prominent Serbs. The alternative, they said, would be his birthplace of Pozarevac, some 30 miles east of Belgrade.

The Socialists’ 22 politicians provide critical support for Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica’s coalition government. Party official Branko Ruzic said a Socialist walkout - which could bring down the Cabinet - remained an option.

Milosevic went on trial in February 2002 on 66 counts for war crimes and genocide in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo during Yugoslavia’s violent breakup in the 1990s. He was the first sitting head of state indicted for war crimes.

Milosevic’s widow and son, who both live in Russia, are wanted on international arrest warrants for abuse of power and could be taken into custody upon returning to Serbia.