Kostunica rules out purge of army, police

Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's statement has dismayed some supporters

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (Reuters) -- Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has apparently ruled out personnel changes in the security forces, resisting pressure to dismiss former allies of ousted leader Slobodan Milosevic.

"I am sure that it is not the will of people at this moment to destroy institutions such as the army and police," Kostunica said in an interview with the pro-government daily Politika.

Kostunica's backers, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), responded with dismay and one official close to the leadership forecast a split with the president, who rode to power in September on a wave of popular support.

"This sounds a bit like Milosevic who always used the term people when he wanted to excuse himself for deciding on his own," the official said

Kostunica said it was not "the will of the people to replace everybody in the various institutions just because they were members of Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia."

The 18-party DOS is pressing Kostunica to remove the army's chief-of-staff, General Nebojsa Pavkovic, and the head of state security, Rade Markovic, arguing they were close Milosevic allies in the last two years of his repressive rule.

The DOS and another opposition group, the Serbian Renewal Movement, have said they would boycott Serbia's new transitional government unless Markovic was replaced.

"Some think the most powerful people in the army and police should not be replaced to avoid the destruction of these institutions," Zarko Korac, a DOS leader, said in a television interview late on Saturday.

"But I think the opposite. These people will destroy these institutions. People are watching this and wondering what are they (the DOS) doing now?"

Momcilo Perisic, another DOS leader, denied the president's views would lead to a split -- for now.

"There is no conflict that could lead to a confrontation on the eve of the elections," Beta news agency quoted him as saying.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Democratic Opposition of Serbia

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