Press

HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER’s

interview for

“BLIC”

( 30^th July 1999)

A government of national salvation is indispensable for a transitional period. Milosevic has contributed more to the parcelling out of the Serbian territory than NATO. If we do not do something quickly we will become history ourselves.

Aleksandar Karadjordjevic

This is no time to sit idly by

- Never in their modern history have the Serbs been in such a difficult situation as they are today. It is totally clear that the most responsible person for the extremely critical situation in which Yugoslavia finds itself is Slobodan Milosevic who has ruled our country as an autocrat for more than ten years. My message to him is to hand in his resignation immediately in order to help the reconstruction and reform of the country and its return into Europe and into the world. Yugoslavia must become a modern and well ordered democratic European country, but this is impossible under Milosevic. Slobodan Milosevic must go and, the sooner the better. The supreme interest of the people demands his departure. We cannot waste anymore time messing around. We must wake up before we become a sort of North Korea of Europe – Crown Prince Alexander points out in his exclusive interview to the ‘Blic’, making comment on the current situation in the country, as well as the responsibility of the president of the FR Yugoslavia.

Your Highness, you have recently visited Kosovo where you met the Serbian Patriarch Pavle. What is your comment on the demand of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church that the current president should resign and a government of national salvation be formed? What are your impressions of Kosovo?

- I immediately backed the Holy Synod’s request for Milosevic’s resignation and the formation of a government of national salvation. It is well known that I advocated Milosevic’s departure for a very long time now. A government of national salvation is indispensable for a transitional period so that the preparations for a democratic transformation of the country can be carried out. I rejoice that the Serbian Church has so resolutely and so publicly taken a stand on this issue. The other Serbian institutions, like the SANU , should also make public their stand on this issue. My advisory bodies, the Crown Council and Privy Council, have already done so. In the present difficult situation, no one can just sit idly by and watch our people and country suffer in isolation. History will pass its verdict on both individuals and institutions according to their stand and their action at this fateful moment. So again, we must wake up now.

As regards Kosovo, my main impression is a feeling of immense sorrow. The Serbs are suffering now but the Albanians also suffered greatly before. That was very wrong and it should have never happened. There is enough bread and land in Kosovo for both. Patriarch Pavle is a saintly man and thanks to him, to the bishops, priests and monks, the Kosovo Serbs are not quite leaderless, though the Serbian state has completely betrayed them. As I have already said, my stay in Kosovo was very sad, but it was important I was there at Vidovdan time. My wife and I saw the destruction, pain and madness.

Can KFOR, or indeed does it want, to help the Kosovo Serbs? Having gained access to Kosovo will NATO continue to apply pressure and to break up and parcel out the Serbian ethnic area?

- I met in Pec the deputy commander of the Italian sector and urged him to provide more efficient protection for the remaining Serbian population. I believe KFOR would like to protect the Serbs, but it is a big question whether it is has enough troops. For the time being it is simply impossible to protect fully Serbs in scattered villages and in other places too. They are in great danger as shown by the base murder of 14 Serbian farmers in the village of Staro Gracko near Lipljan last week. These innocent people were killed only because they were Serbs. They were not given protection in good time although they had asked for it. Let us hope that the situation will improve when some civilian administration is set up by the UN. It would be very important if the Serb refugees could go back to Kosovo, but they cannot do that unless their protection is guaranteed.

Is it in the interest of NATO to break up and parcel out the Serbian ethnic area as you say? Personally, I think it is not. The NATO attack on Yugoslavia was a terrible mistake which I condemned immediately, but NATO does not benefit very much from being a policeman of the Balkans. In the long run, that will be a huge burden for the West. Milosevic has contributed more to the parcelling out of the Serbian territory than NATO. Our future destiny depends greatly on ourselves, on our determination to respect all citizens in Yugoslavia and implement democratic reforms. We must be capable in having a government that works for all people, regardless of their ethnic or religious origin. If we succeed in that, many problems will be solved gradually to our advantage and then there will be a lasting peace. In the interest of all peoples in the Balkans there must be co-operation and economic development among them in the area. It is necessary to realise this and to work in that direction. I know that the West will help bring this about..

How do you see citizens’ protest meetings in Serbia? What is your message to opposition parties in Serbia? What will your engagement be in all this?

- I have given my full support to the protest meetings and I hope they will bring about changes in the state leadership in a peaceful way. This is no longer a question of politics but of the further existence of Yugoslavia and that is, of course, Serbia and Montenegro. If there are no changes, Serbia will be totally isolated and ruined. However, I do believe that the Serbian people have an inner strength to prevent and avoid total catastrophe. My strong message to the democratic opposition is that they must achieve immediately unity of action to realise their main task: the removal of Milosevic from power. Nothing should be done which may extend the life of his regime.

The interest of the people must be put above personal and party interests. So far as I am concerned, I am always ready to serve the people in the capacity of the defender for democracy, unity and continuity. I am not a politician since the Crown must be above and outside politics. I know, however, I can contribute greatly to the unity of democratic forces and am prepared to work for it. I have always maintained that it is necessary first to crown democracy and only then tackle other problems. I also wish to make it clear that there must be no revenge or inner fighting and only the rule of law.

Your Highness, how do you view the position of the two oldest institutions in our nation, the Church and the Army ? What role should these two institutions play, in your opinion, in the building of Yugoslavia and its future?

- In addition to the Church and Army, the monarchy has been one of the most important institutions in the life of the Serbian people, particularly at the time of their advancement. The role of the Serbian Church is very important since it is the guardian of the Serbian people’s Orthodox spirituality. But its role should be more active in propagating the message of the Gospel, Christian ethics and in establishing a positive and friendly contact with the many other religions.

The task of the Army is the defence of the homeland. The Army must act within the framework of the Constitution and its role is of exceptional importance. Unfortunately, under communism the army was given also a political role and traces of that can still be seen - for instance, from recent statements by two generals who intervened directly in the political debate now going on in Serbia. The Army is a professional institution which must not serve politics but must serve only the nation. I have learnt reliably that the vast majority of officers of the Yugoslav Army share this view. The Yugoslav Army, modernised and well equipped, will have an important role to play in the life and defence of democratic Yugoslavia. In a well organised state each institution has its place and its role. If they interact harmoniously the entire nation benefits. Everyone must put the people first. The people deserve a future in a secure democratic Yugoslavia. So let’s get o with it before we become history.