SERBIA: SPS RE-ELECT MILOSEVIC AS PARTY LEADER скачать в хорошем качестве

SERBIA: SPS RE-ELECT MILOSEVIC AS PARTY LEADER

(17 Feb 2000) Natural Sound Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has claimed a victory over Nato at his ruling party's congress in Belgrade. He praised the country's "struggle for freedom and independence". Delegates at the congress, held under the slogan "Reconstruction, Reforms and Development," re-elected him as party leader with only four abstentions. The Socialist party of Serbia (S-P-S), the dominant force in the three-member ruling coalition, held its fourth congress in Belgrade on Thursday. It was opened by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic who was greeted by thousands of Socialist Party supporters who waved flags and chanted "Slobo, Slobo". His supporters were mostly bused in from rural Serbia, Milosevic's stronghold. Inside the "Sava" centre were several thousand delegates and as many guests, including several low-ranking foreign communist and leftist party officials. Greeting the foreign delegations, Milosevic said his party "has been at the helm of the struggle for freedom and independence" from Western domination. Socialists "have succeeded in winning that battle," Milosevic said as he received a standing ovation. But the Serbian opposition has said Milosevic and his party have nothing to celebrate. They say that during the socialists rule, Serbia - the dominant Yugoslav republic - has become a pariah state because of four wars it has started in the Balkans. The economy has crumbled and living standards have dropped to one of Europe's lowest. Serbia has virtually lost control of its southern province of Kosovo after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign to stop Milosevic's crackdown against ethnic Albanians there. All domestic journalists working for major independent media outlets were denied accreditation for the coverage of the congress. Socialist officials and their nationalist government allies have often denounced the independent media for allegedly being pro-Western and working against the state interests. They have been branded "traitors" and heavily fined under Serbia's media law for criticising the government and its officials. Last week, Serbia's Deputy Premier Vojislav Seselj threatened journalists working for independent media with "liquidation." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...