Milosevic’s party puts high price on democracy

SLOBODAN Milosevic’s Socialists yesterday offered to back a pro-democratic Serbian government but set a high price in return – an end to Serb extraditions to the UN war crimes tribunal.

"We are ready to support new coalition government," said Ivica Dacic, an official of the Socialist Party of Serbia. "We are ready to begin negotiations."

Dacic's remarks in Belgrade came after the pro-western G17 and monarchist Serbian Renewal Movement agreed to join a minority coalition led by Vojislav Kostunica, who succeeded Milosevic as president of Yugoslavia.

The move paved the way for the formation of a Serbian government, ending weeks of deadlock after December elections. Still it left the republic vulnerable if extraditions are halted, western financial and political support may be lost.

The Socialists faded following Milosevic's demise in 2000 and control only 22 seats in the 250 seat parliament. Their support is crucial because there was no clear election winner.

Dacic said his party would support a pro-democratic minority government only if "other parties position themselves along our basic principles", including the demand that no more Serbs be extradited to the war crimes court where Milosevic is on trial for genocide.

Kostunica, who heads the Democratic Party of Serbia and is expected to be Serbia's next prime minister, also opposes the extraditions because he considers the UN court anti-Serb.

The Democratic Party of outgoing prime minister, Zoran Zivkovic, earlier dropped out of talks with other reformist groups and opposes any pact with the Socialists. Zivkovic's party engineered Milosevic's extradition to the UN court in 2001.