Milosevic congress speech: Excerpts

Mr Milosevic castigated top Socialists who had quit the party

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been re-elected leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). The following excerpts from his congress speech at Belgrade's Sava Centre were broadcast on Serbian radio and television.

Now it is clear that they [some senior SPS officials] joined the party because it was in power, that they were in the party only as long as it was in power.

Their noisy departure from our party was done to buy a ticket for some other environment, from which they expect some benefits, mainly financial benefits, and then status, respect and special benefits, and maybe protection of illegal gains...

Large sums of money are being distributed and significant privileges are being given to those who should agree to anything against this country: the loss of independence, the secession of Montenegro, Kosovo and Vojvodina, humiliation and extinction of the Serbian people, the extradition of national heroes to the new Gestapo in The Hague...

The SPS must remain true to all the values it has been committed to since its formation and through this troubled decade. Freedom, independence, economic prosperity, free cultural development, a constant improvement of the citizens' standard of living, ties with the world, co-operation on an equal basis with all peoples and countries.

The SPS also must remain committed to its vision of the development of society adopted at the fourth congress. But it must add to its identity the obligation of analytical, principled, public and reasoned criticism of reality, which today completely contradicts the SPS's commitment and the interests of the people.

I am addressing all the delegates at this congress, all members of the SPS, everyone who can hear or read my words: it is in the interest of our country for it to be free, independent, developed, and to have links with the entire world.

It is in the interest of our citizens to live in peace and freedom, secure in the knowledge that their lives and property are safe, for everyone to have jobs which will allow them to live increasingly well from the fruits of their work...

That is why it is not the size, but the essence of the party that matters. The best party is always the biggest one. The SPS was this for 10 years. May it continue to be that...

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