"Djindjic was mafioso, let's honor Milosevic instead"

Opposition SRS leader Vojislav Seselj says his party will "fight against the decision to raise a monument to Zoran Djindjic."

Seselj, who heads the SRS list in the upcoming local election in the city of Belgrade, said on Wednesday that Djindjic - assassinated in 2003 while serving as Serbia's prime minister - "in no way deserves a monument."

"He has been killed at the height of his mandate, but he was killed by the same ones who brought him to power. As a mafioso, he deserves no monument," Seselj said while visiting Student Square along with the SRS candidate for mayor, Miljan Damjanovic.

He added that monuments should be raised to honor those Serbian greats "who deserve people's recognition" - including former Serbian and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, "who died in The Hague defending Serbian national interests."

Seselj also mentioned other persons whom he thought more deserving of a monument: Dobrica Cosic, Antonije Isakovic, Mladen Markov, Danko Popovic, Milutin Milankovic, Mihailo Petrovic, Josif Pancic.

The monument to Djindjic, named "Strela" ("Arrow") is the work of Mrdjan Bajic and will be installed at the renovated Student Square in Belgrade. According to announcements made last year, the monument will be temporarily placed at this location on March 12 this year, the anniversary of the assassination.