They Don't Approve!

The crime chronicles in newspapers which register every murder or attempt at opening a beer bottle with a grenade and the tragic consequences for the environment, did not record (accidently or not) that carpenter Zlatko Miljkovic (38) better know as Sesa was killed on 9 February in the village of Kasidol near Pozarevac. Only the daily Nasa Borba carried the information that Sesa was killed during a fight which erupted over political differences, by Vladislav Stanojevic (72). The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) issued a statement mentioning the political background of the murder.

From that which reached the public, it could be concluded that Stanojevic, a one-time Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) committeeman in the Malo Crnice community fired three bullets into Zlatko Miljkovic's back after a quarrel in a pub. Miljkovic's political leanings were with the SRS. On aiming, the murderer allegedly shouted: "One Radical less!"

Habitues of the Football Club "Sloga" pub in Kasidol where the murder took place, said that Stanojevic and Miljkovic were both from Smoljinaci, a village three kilometers away.

Pensioner Ljubisav Ilicic was witness to the murder and added some new moments to the initial version of the event: "He didn't shoot him in the back but the chest. And there weren't three bullets but five. The murderer and Sesa were sitting at the same table and they weren't quarrelling. As far as I know they didn't mention politics. Before reaching Kasidol, both had had a lot to drink.

The villagers of Smoljinac claim that Sesa was a cheerful man and a good handyman, taking after his father and grandfather who were also carpenters. He had three children. In village pubs he is not remembered as one fond of politics. It is claimed that he had earlier voted for Vuk (Draskovic, Serbian Renewal Movement - SPO leader) and DEPOS, while of late he leaned towards the Radicals. "Sesa" was a family nickname and had nothing to do with SRS leader Vojislav Seselj.

Early this year the village of Smoljinac elected committeemen at local elections to the municipality of Malo Crnice. Two committee places are held by the Socialists and the third was recently won by SRS candidate Zivorad Trifunovic - Murdza, director of the farm cooperative. "The murdered man, Zlatko Miljkovic wasn't a member of our party, just a sympathizer", said Zivorad Trifunovic - Murdza. Zlatko was very active during the local elections at which I beat the SPS candidate. He helped us as much as he could. He talked a lot of his neighbors into voting for us. That's why we allowed him to control the voting, even though he wasn't a member. I don't wish to say anything before the investigation has been completed, but I think that this was a political murder.

Vladislav Stanojevic is not a SPS member as was claimed at first, but a member of the League of Communists - Movement for Yugoslavia (SK-PJ). He used to be the village Communist Party secretary and the longtime head of the local office. That's where he was retired and in his old age joined the new communist party and was on their list for committeeman.

Dragoslav Miljkovic, father of the murdered man, believes that his son is "the victim of a political assassination". He believes that "someone set up the murder". "Zlatko was about to join the SRS", said the father through tears. "He had voted for the SPO earlier, but lately he was closer to the Radicals. He was invited to celebrate the Orthodox New Year in Belgrade. We have never quarrelled with the murderer. On the day of the murder the two of them stopped by our house for a cup of coffee. He killed him for nothing. There are people who claim to have heard him say "one Radical less". The next day in jail he was weeping that he had killed a man who hadn't done him any harm. It's all a set up. Now they'll start writing petitions to free the murderer."

Most of the villagers in Kasidol and Smoljinac do not wish to link this murder with politics. They are more inclined to believe that something else is the cause, and probably not very important.

"Regardless of what it was they differed about, even if it was politics, it is not nice to kill a man. We don't approve", said the villagers.