Serb minister fired over sex claims

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- One of Serbia's deputy prime ministers has been sacked following allegations of sexual harassment.

Vuk Obradovic, 54, was ousted when parliament voted in support of his own government's proposal that he be sacked.

The former general had repeatedly denied allegations of harassment made against him by women colleagues and had refused to step down.

However, after a heated, day-long debate on Monday, 142 of the 250 deputies in Yugoslavia's main republic voted to remove him.

Obradovic now loses his spot in the government but retains his parliamentary seat pending a lawsuit claiming that he cannot remain party president.

Both Obradovic and his former party colleagues have filed lawsuits against each other.

Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic told deputies the accusations against Obradovic, who had been given the task of leading the government's anti-corruption drive, had also been damaging for the ruling DOS alliance, Reuters news agency reported.

"What we have here is quite simply that a party which is a member of the ruling coalition has encountered problems and is unable to resolve them by itself," Djindjic told parliament.

"The problems went beyond the party itself."

Allegations denied

Although most DOS leaders agreed in an internal meeting last month that Obradovic should quit after the accusations surfaced, a parliamentary vote was required because he refused to step down.

Jelena Milenkovic, a deputy from Obradovic's party, accused him of abusing his power in "the worst possible way" and reiterated in parliament accusations made by other women.

"Obradovic believed he could act like a sultan and that being in power meant he was entitled to take someone else's dignity, integrity and self-respect," she was quoted as telling the chamber by the Beta news agency.

"Imagine having bruises on your neck from resisting Obradovic's attempts to pull your head down towards his genitals. Imagine having your stockings torn apart and his thumb forced into your mouth with your back against the wall, on a business trip," she told the assembly.

Media reports in May said four of Obradovic's female party colleagues had accused him of harassment, Reuters said.

Obradovic, one of seven deputy prime ministers, has dismissed the allegations as part of a plot by those opposed to his efforts to stamp out corruption from the era of former President Slobodan Milosevic.

Addressing parliament twice during Monday's session, he said he was left with a "bitter taste" in his mouth.

"I have said this earlier and I'm saying it again now -- all this is not about a love or sexual affair of any kind," he said.

"I will give myself the harshest sentence if it is proven that Vuk tore a single pair of stockings."