Serbia: Democracy in turmoil

BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents was broadcast on Thursday, 10 April, 2003 at 1102 BST.

As regime change is prosecuted in Iraq, Tim Whewell goes to Serbia where four years ago allied planes were bombing another dictatorial regime out of power.

With Slobodan Milosevic in the dock in The Hague and a democratically elected government in power in Belgrade, the West claimed success.

But in March 2003 the prime minister was assassinated in broad daylight.

And when he visited, Tim Whewell found the country in turmoil.

An unholy alliance of organised criminal gangs, war criminals, security forces and extreme nationalist politicians has been taking on the government in a fight for power.

For Crossing Continents Tim asks: Will the vulnerable young democracy survive?

Reporter: Tim Whewell
Producer: Caroline Pare
Editor: Hugh Levinson