On the day when the police arrested the activists who were throwing eggs at a mural dedicated to Ratko Mladić, the MPs did not do very well, or at least did not receive instructions on what to say. That is why they were better prepared for the next day to give their view on why Serbs or at least the Serbian Progressive Party considered Mladić to be a hero, when the Law on Business Companies was on the agenda.
“Yesterday you saw the savagery in the centre of Belgrade, the savagery of various autochauvinists in Njegoševa street in Vračar because of the mural of General Ratko Mladić; you saw Aida Ćorović and others who present themselves as some kind of civic activists, while they actually are ordinary party activists. Different political options, who all come from the former Democratic Party.”
“And I think Ratko Mladić is Serbia’s favourite, regardless of The Hague verdicts, not because something happened in Srebrenica, because a war crime was committed there, for which I don’t know if he, or someone lower in the hierarchical chain, is responsible. He’s [our] favourite because he led the army of the Republika Srpska, to defend the Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is why we, Serbs, love him, not because he killed someone, or is formally responsible for the crime committed against Bosnians.“
“As a matter of fact, the mural to Ratko Mladić was only abused to put additional pressure on the state of Serbia and to put additional pressure on President Aleksandar Vučić. The police didn’t guard that mural last night and all day yesterday because of the citizens, the police simply maintained public order and peace. “
“When it comes to The Hague tribunal and in relation to the mural to Ratko Mladić, if you’ll allow, I personally, and probably a large number of citizens, we don’t acknowledge The Hague tribunal.” ”…Speaking of Ratko Mladić, I’ll say it, Ratko Mladić is a Serbian hero.“
Even if only these four persons spoke about Mladić, the Speakers did not mind. A deafening silence of all the others reigned. The part of the Serbian people that is ashamed of war crimes does not have its representatives in the Assembly. The MPs from Bosnian, Albanian and even Hungarian parties are not used to interfere in such topics.
For the Open Parliament, Mirjana Nikolić.