Drecun: Monument is Pristina's provocation

Drecun told the press at the parliament building that it has been observed that armed people in uniforms have been gathering along Serbia's border with Macedonia and along the administrative line with Kosovo, which is worrying.

He said that Serbia needs to prevent any provocation of destabilization and attempts to solve problems by using violence.

According to Drecun, Belgrade's strong political and diplomatic activity and preparation of the platform is not in Pristina's interest.
"Belgrade has taken the initiative and moved from a very passive position to an active one, which noted support even in the major centers of power which support the secession of Kosovo," Drecun stressed.

He expects that political representatives from southern Serbia will soon request that gendarmerie, which is obviously the largest guarantor of security in this part of the Republic, be relocated from this area.
"The state needs to show it has capacity and will not to let anyone impose such serious challenges on it, as it has been the case these days. But, because of the sensitivity of the political situation in the area of Presevo and Bujanovac, a measure that would prevent destabilization should be found," Drecun said, and added that most of the Albanians in the south do not support possible armed clashed, but that there are always individuals.

Meho Omerovic, an MP of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia, stated Thursday that all features that glorify war crimes have to be removed, adding that Serbia needs to show it has instruments and mechanisms and that no one can be stronger than the state.

Omerovic told the press at the Serbian parliament that, on the other hand, all those who have committed war crimes should be treated equally and that all features glorifying war crimes have to be removed, including the Presevo memorial to members of the so-called Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac and the monument to Acif-Efendija in Novi Pazar, but also the monument to Chetnik leader Vuk Kalaitovic in a village near Nova Varos, western Serbia.
"Only then and in that way shall we show that we treat equally everyone who violated human rights and committed crimes," Omerovic concluded.

Head of the SPS-DHSS group in the parliament Aleksandar Jugovic said on Thursday the threats to Prime Minister Ivica Dacic from southern Serbia regarding the monument to the Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja in Presevo were dangerous and implied a possible explosion of new problems.

Jugovic told reporters such threats were dangerous even when someone unimportant was behind them, and even when they were fake.
"Even then, they indicate a potential explosion of new misunderstandings in this region," Jugovic noted.

Head of the United Regions of Serbia group in the parliament Vladimir Ilic said on Thursday the provocations coming from southern Serbia regarding a monument to the so called Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja were an issue of Serbia's sovereignty and the government had to show determination and seriousness and resolve the situation in Presevo in the way expected by the Serbian people.

Ilic told reporters he did not consider the threat a serious one, but that caution was called for.
"The things said at the webiste (where the threats were posted) should not be underestimated. I think the people making decisions and in charge of security are in control of the situation in the fiald and know what they are doing," Ilic noted.