Kostunica speech: 'Dear Liberated Serbia'

The following is the text of Yugoslav opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica's address to the hundreds of thousands of people in the centre of Belgrade on the day Yugoslavia's parliament building was stormed:

Source: Live broadcast in Serbian by independent Belgrade-based Radio B2-92, 1630 gmt 5 October 2000

Dear, liberated Serbia! Belgrade! Belgrade is Serbia today, not Serbia in miniature but a big Serbia.

Our great and beautiful Serbia has risen to get rid of one man, Slobodan Milosevic. Serbia is at a standstill until one man leaves.

When he leaves, Serbia will be on the move again, the Serbs will be on the move again.

I am proud that you have elected me President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

But Serbia is not using violence to force him out as he has been claiming and pushing our people for years; we are forcing him out because he has lost the elections.

And for this reason, because of your vote at the elections on 24th September, I am very proud. I am proud that I am a citizen of Serbia and Yugoslavia, I am proud that I belong to our scared church, I am proud because you have placed your trust in me.

Of course, I am proud that you have elected me President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia [FRY]! [Cheers, shouts]

I feel like the president, I am the president thanks to your votes, thanks to the basic rule of democracy: the people decide, a majority of people decide. [Cheers]

This is what happened at the 24th September elections.

The entire population of Serbia and I took part in these elections with one word on our lips, the most commonly heard word at all our rallies, the word I have repeated numerous times from Kosovska Mitrovica to Subotica and that word is peace, [applause, cheers] peace between us, peace between Serbia, Yugoslavia and the entire world, peace between Serbia and Montenegro.

Our weapons are truth and non-violence

But there is a man who has for years been sowing discord, disquiet, fear [deafening boos], who has been installing fear, insecurity into people, a man who has dragged Serbia into unnecessary wars and now wants to wage a war against with his own people just because he lost the elections.

[Crowd chanting] But I am asking you who stole these elections, who violated the constitution, who amended the constitution like a bandit, who has provoked conflict with Montenegro, who wanted elections if not Slobodan Milosevic. [Crowd whistles, boos]

He who does not... know his people has condemned himself to captivity

He wanted the elections, so let him have them ... He set the rules for these elections. He lies, to the people, he gives the most insulting statements about his own people via his own deceitful TV.

We have said let him chose what he wants, let him chose the rules, let him chose weapons.

His weapons are lies and violence, our weapons are truth and non-violence, and that is how we took part in the elections [whistles, chants of "victory"].

But at the same time we said that only until that day, 24th September, you can lie, you can deceive, you can say whatever you like, but from that day our rules apply:

Not a single vote can be lost, not a single vote can be stolen. And this is what we have done. He wanted to [crowd chants "Arrest Slobo"]

He does not need to be arrested, he put himself under arrest a long time ago, he fled from the people a long time ago, he who does not live among the people, who does not dare to be with the people, who does not know his people, so he has condemned himself to captivity.

We know what freedom is ... [Break in transmission]

We have fought for freedom at these elections.

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