Djindjic successor vows to continue war on crime gangs

Taking swift action to prevent political turmoil after the assassination of Zoran Djindjic, the Serbian Democratic Party nominated his likely successor as Prime Minister yesterday.

Zoran Zivkovic, one of Mr Djindjic's closest aides, was chosen by the national executive of the party barely 24 hours after the Prime Minister's funeral on Saturday.

He pledged to continue the battle against organised crime started by Mr Djindjic, which probably cost him his life. "I will do whatever is necessary to enable the continuity of the good work of the Serbian government," Mr Zivkovic said last night. "There is no dilemma. Djindjic has set short, mid and long-term goals for us." He said he expected the state of emergency imposed immediately after the assassination of Mr Djindjic to be lifted within weeks.

"It should be revoked by the end of the next month ... It was not introduced against the citizens, but against organised crime, in order to find those who killed Djindjic", he explained.

Finding a successor to Mr Djindjic, who was shot dead in Belgrade on Wednesday, is considered crucial for Serbia's stability. His government had embarked on a pro-Western campaign, launching a process of profound economic reform, painful to many Serbs.

Mr Zivkovic, 42, is regarded as pro-Western and a force for democratisation. His nomination will be seen as guarding against a dangerous power vacuum. But his appointment must be approved by the Serbian parliament which is expected to meet this week.

"Our main goal will remain the battle against organised crime" Mr Zivkovic said in an interview. "We have to stabilise the political conditions and finish the process of creating the institutions of the new state, Serbia and Montenegro." He ruled out the need for early elections.

Federal Yugoslavia was dissolved to become the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro last month. The first government of the state union is to be nominated tomorrow.

Serbian police have continued the manhunt for Mr Djindjic's killers, focusing on the leaders of the so-called Zemun clan, named after a suburb of Belgrade.

More than 200 people are behind bars as a result of the investigation, police said. Among them are the Milosevic-era secret police chief Jovica Stanisic and Franko "Frenki" Simatovic, creator of the notorious paramilitary unit known as the "Red Berets", which committed war crimes in Croatia and Bosnia.

All those arrested are believed to be linked to Milorad Lukovic, former commander of the "Red Berets" and head of the Zemun clan. His whereabouts are unknown. Mr Lukovic was allegedly seen in a Jeep in Belgrade on Saturday, but managed to escape a police patrol.

Svetlana "Ceca" Raznatovic, widow of the warlord Zeljko Raznatovic who was known as Arkan, and a popular folk music star in Serbia, was questioned by police yesterday. She is a good friend of Mr Lukovic and is believed to have given him shelter days before Mr Djindjic's death.

Mr Lukovic started his war time career as a member of Arkan's "Tigers" brigade and later joined the "Red Berets".