The Democratic Union for Integration has reacted to what it describes as the glorification of war criminals Ratko Mladić and Draža Mihailović by VLEN’s political partners in the Government. According to DUI, VLEN cannot avoid responsibility merely through public statements, as it is part of the governing authorities and co-governs with the entities it accuses.
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“VLEN’s partners in the Government, whom VLEN has defended and legitimized in every respect, are today glorifying Ratko Mladić and Draža Mihailović,” DUI said in its response.
DUI specifically mentioned the Minister of Local Self-Government, Ivan Stoilković, who, according to the party, is part of the political partnership accepted and defended by VLEN in order to preserve their coalition government.
“Ratko Mladić is not a figure for debate or historical interpretation. He is a war criminal sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, responsible, among other things, for the genocide in Srebrenica, where more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed,” DUI said.
The Albanian opposition party said that Stoilković’s positions and those of the entity he represents do not constitute an isolated case, but have been repeated before.
In this context, DUI recalled previous statements about Srebrenica and said that “this is precisely the political profile and approach to one of the most horrific genocides in post-World War II Europe that VLEN has as a partner in the Government.”
DUI’s response also criticized VLEN’s conduct following these developments. “And what does VLEN do? It behaves as if it were a nongovernmental organization or an opposition party: it waits for the public, the people and other parties to react, and then issues some formal response to wash its hands,” the statement said.
According to DUI, VLEN, as part of the governing coalition, cannot remain in the role of an observer.
“VLEN is not a spectator. VLEN is in the Government and shares responsibility for the partners it keeps in power and for everything it tolerates for the sake of its seats,” DUI said.
DUI linked this situation to the current authorities’ relations with political figures and structures from Serbia and Republika Srpska, claiming that the tolerance of these positions is part of a broader policy.
“They tolerated the arrival of Milorad Dodik and his anti-Western and pro-Russian lectures; meanwhile, VLEN has built economic and energy relations and partnerships with structures from Serbia and Republika Srpska, from Alta Banka to agreements in the energy sector and gasification projects,” the response said.
According to DUI, the glorification of war criminals by VLEN’s partners should be viewed as the result of a political climate characterized by silence and tolerance toward entities that are part of the governing authorities.
“Therefore, the glorification of war criminals by VLEN’s partners is not an isolated incident. It is part of a policy of silence, tolerance and submission to the partners in power,” DUI said.
The party also expressed concern about what it described as the penetration of the “Serbian World” into the country’s political and institutional structures, claiming that concerns over this issue have also been raised in European reports.
Finally, DUI called on VLEN not to hide behind reactions on social media. “VLEN can no longer hide behind a Facebook response. Silence in the face of the glorification of genocide is tolerance, while tolerance in government means shared responsibility,” the statement said.
DUI maintained that VLEN has decided to continue co-governing, regardless of the positions held by its political partners. “For the sake of a few seats, VLEN has chosen to co-govern, remain silent and tolerate,” DUI’s response concluded.
