Protecting the Socialists

LEKIC: We heard that the regional SPO board proposed Vuk Draskovic as the party’s presidential candidate and said he’d accept. The main board is going to decide on April 19. How will you vote?

DRASKOVIC: "I’ll support the proposal, not because I’m his wife but out of political reasons."

LEKIC: What about comments that the SPO’s coalition partners aren’t disputing the candidacy but are saying it’s too early since the elections haven’t been called yet so why should the coalition be the first to name a candidate?

DRASKOVIC: "I think that is stupid to say the least because election campaigns especially for president are run for two years all over the world. We all know the elections are here, that they might happen in June when Milosevic transfers to federal level and in September or December at the latest. So it’s not early, it’s late because there’s very little space left for the campaign."

LEKIC: There are reports that you were one of the greatest advocates of Vuk Draskovic’s candidacy now and that you’re bothered by Zoran Djindjic’s excessive presence in the media which you wanted to cut through in this way. Is that true?

DRASKOVIC: "That’s also stupid. Who would the SPO propose for presidential candidate if not Vuk Draskovic? I know of no other candidate in our party. Vuk isn’t interested in what Djindjic does and why he’s present in the media. Vuk would certainly never ride in buses or clean up Belgrade. He’s in a position to resolve much more important issues, strategically important for Serbia and Belgrade."

LEKIC: You have an agreement in writing on sharing posts with your coalition partners. Will your main board only vote on Draskovic’s candidacy or will you also discuss the things you expect of your partners, what kind of help, support?

DRASKOVIC: "That agreement was superfluous. Considering the balance of forces in Zajedno, I see no one else in the coalition who could put forward a presidential candidate except the SPO which has been fighting for changes for seven years fundamentally and strategically, much longer than anyone else. Formally, under the party statue, the main board should propose a presidential candidate. As for the coalition and support, if there is no very clear and friendly support the coalition will face a crisis because why should we support others politically if they don’t want to support the SPO. Djindjic would never be mayor of Belgrade if we hadn’t truly and honestly pushed him forward."

LEKIC: You said the coalition would be in a crisis. There are people who think it’s in a crisis already. Srpska Rec has published articles saying the SPO should stand alone at the next elections. Does that mean you opinion runs counter to Vuk Draskovic’s who has always advocated a wide and united approach?

DRASKOVIC: Vuk and I and our party want to come to power not for the sake of power but for changes. Those changes are not happening in the places we won with Zajedno because the gentlemen in the Democratic Party (DS) don’t want them. That’s why the coalition is in a crisis and a serious one. We won’t allow the Zajedno coalition to stand behind SPS officials, the ones who did what they did for years and who are now good for the DS and won’t be replaced. You heard the mayor say we won’t change the names of streets and squares in Belgrade because we have more important things to do. Those things are no obstacle to changing names and change the names of streets built by the Karadjordjevic dynasty back to their original names and leave the streets in New Belgrade, which was built by the Communists, the names of Communists. That part of the crisis is strategic which means someone in the coalition wants to change things and someone does not but just wants to take power and use it not for changes and the people but for their own business which we won’t allow."

LEKIC: You were elected only to the commission to change street names?

DRASKOVIC: "Unfortunately."

LEKIC: Are you speaking from experience or are you just assuming that someone is going to oppose you?

DRASKOVIC: "Djindjic opposed me on Studio B when he said we won’t change the names of streets and squares. The fact that he said that means the DS won’t do it and that means a crisis because we want this. There’s also a crisis over public companies. We’re being besieged by the city cleaners, water company, parks company and all other public companies which want to replace their directors as symbols of past times, who have been spending money on various things for their wives and to the DS they’re good personnel. We won’t support that just as we won’t support many other things the DS wants and which aren’t in the SPO program."

LEKIC: Does that mean program issues which others weren’t aware of before or specific situations? I hear the situation in Novi Sad isn’t all that great.

DRASKOVIC: "The same as in Belgrade. Almost all the DS members of the Novi Sad executive board are former Socialists. It all hinges on socialism and the socialists. You’ve seen today’s Nasa Borba where Djindjic said Socialism isn’t bad only it’s not being implemented. We don’t think that. We think it’s very bad and won’t be implemented at least not with us. The essence of our political struggle is a change of the system. They don’t want to change anything but only change places in the authorities. Covic goes, Djindjic comes in and nothing changes. A budget is adopted which is the same as the Socialists’ or even worse because some of the expenses we’re allergic to are increased instead of being lowered and we all swore that things would be different."

LEKIC: We’ve heard the same pessimistic tones from the DS. They say that they reach an agreement with the SPO and nothing is done later. They think this is obstruction.

DRASKOVIC: "I really don’t know what, I’d like to hear an example. I can say that the obstructions in all municipalities in Belgrade come from the DS. They’re not allowing us to change a single municipality chief and we know all of them are Socialists."

LEKIC: How do they explain that?

DRASKOVIC: "They simply say that those people suit them. My opinion, and I wrote this in the latest issue of Srpska Rec, is that this is a silent coalition between the DS and SPS which started while the demonstrations were underway. Djindjic met with Slobodan Milosevic on January 10. The meeting was organized by Milorad Vucelic."

LEKIC: How did you find that out?

DRASKOVIC: "From Nasa Borba reporters. Beta reported that Djindjic and Draskovic met Milosevic. Since Vuk didn’t meet him someone else must have. Nasa Borba investigated and found out that Djindjic and Milosevic met on January 10 and Djindjic confirmed that. That report was written but editor Misa Brkic banned it. If the meeting did happen it was secret, something ugly, against the coalition. The DS behavior proves it."

LEKIC: Speaking of SPS-DS cooperation, is there cooperation between you and the SRS? Recently, many of your stands and Seselj’s stands have been in accord. Especially in the story that the SPO has a monster riding it prior to every election.

DRASKOVIC: "There is absolutely no cooperation and Seselj will confirm that. What he’s saying at the moment is true. The SPO won the most votes in 1990 when it stood alone in the elections. All the coalition have brought us nothing. I see nothing wrong with everyone standing alone in the elections, and I agree with Seselj on that point."