Press Release The Presidency of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) concluded at its August 17 session that the results of the anti-crime struggle, which was one of the principal campaign promises the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) gave to the citizens and one of the key reasons for the Democratic Party of Serbia to participate in the republican elections as part of a coalition, were extremely unsatisfactory. Deeply convinced that organised crime and corruption are the most dangerous enemies of democratic changes in our country and the major obstacles to its full integration into the world of well-organised and law-abiding states, the DSS Presidency warns that not a single chain of organised crime has been broken, nor have its leaders been punished, and that, of a series of murders that have repeatedly shocked the public, not a single one has been solved. Quite the contrary, crime has assumed dramatic proportions, new killings and new abductions have taken place. Not only have the people remained fearful of crime and criminals, but their fears have deepened further. Consequently, the right question is if organized crime enjoys the protection and support of certain segments of the authorities, or the Serbian government is incapable of dealing with it. Instead of coming to grips with the main enemy, the government is covering up its incompetence by seeking the guilty among local and foreign journalists, claiming that it is precisely their writing about organised crime that sabotages the reform process in Serbia. Our voters' hopes have suffered a blow. One side of the Serbian coin is organised crime, while hunger, poverty and social misery make up the other. This is an unambiguous assessment of the work and results of Premier Zoran Djindjic's cabinet and competent ministers. In a bid to justify such poor results of their own activity, some government members have organised an internal political war within the DOS bloc and insulting media campaigns that would make Milosevic's most notorious media executioners green of envy. The DSS shares this popular view, and feels responsible for the work of the Serbian government as much as it has participated in it. However, the DSS is not ready to take part in the government's denial and the deception of Serbian citizens. Such a government work threatens the state of which Serbia is an integral part, its integrity and fundamental national interests. These are the reasons for the Presidency of the Democratic Party of Serbia, a party that has never wanted power for the sake of power, to withdraw Serbian Deputy Premier Aleksandar Pravdic and Minister of Health Obren Joksimovic from the Serbian government. The decision also refers to DSS deputy ministers and assistants to ministers. At the same time, the DSS Presidency has decided to raise the question of the Serbian government's responsibility both within the DOS coalition and before the People's Assembly of Serbia. Belgrade, August 17, 2001 Information Service of the Democratic Party of Serbia ----------------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dss.org.yu Democratic party of Serbia, Brace Jugovica 2a, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia Tel: (381 11) 182 535; 183 525; 638 013; 328 2886 Fax: (381 11) 328 1793
