February 28, 2001 The New York TimesYUGOSLAVIA: ROYAL RETURN Parliament voted to scrap a Communist-era law that stripped the former royal Karadjordjevic family of its citizenship and property, paving the way for the family to return to live in Yugoslavia. The Crown Prince Alexander, left, who has lived all his life in exile in London, has said he wants to return to Belgrade and will apply to have the royal residence, the White Palace, returned to his family. It was used by Slobodan Milosevic as his working residence. Carlotta Gall (NYT)27 February 2001 Radio B92 text web site, Belgrade, in EnglishYugoslav Parliament Gives Property Back To Royal FamilyBelgrade, 27 February: The Yugoslav parliament has passed legislation ordering the return of property seized from the Karadjordjevic family, the Yugoslav dynasty which was deposed at the end of World War II. The legislation also reverses a decree stripping the family of citizenship [which was adopted in 1947]. February 27, 2001 CNN.COM Web posted at: 2205 GMT Yugoslav royal family rights restored
The move means the Karadjordjevics could return to the country and, once their property rights are restored, could claim assets, including the White Palace in Belgrade. The Karadjordjevics fled Yugoslavia for England in April 1941 ahead of the Nazi invasion. Several members of the family are still alive, including Crown Prince Aleksandar, his aunt Princess Jelisaveta and his uncle, also named Prince Aleksandar. The royals were banned from visiting the country during the reign of communist dictator Josip Broz Tito but the crown prince has already announced his family plans to return for good. There have been no legal moves to restore Yugoslavia as a kingdom, but some of the nation's new leaders have said the issue should be tested in a referendum. Former President Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist Party deputies were against the restoration of royal rights because of how the former King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic formed Yugoslavia in 1918 as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. "The ideology of brotherhood and unity with Croats and Slovenes, which was started by the Karadjordjevic, was the biggest evil inflicted on the Serbs," said Ivica Dacic, a close Milosevic aide. Parliament also voted to allow dual citizenship for former Yugoslav citizens, who lost the status after their republics broke away from the country, starting in 1991. It means that tens of thousands of Serbs who moved to Serbia to flee wars in neighbouring Croatia or Bosnia will be allowed to take Yugoslav citizenship while retaining Croatian or Bosnian citizenship. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, February 27, 2001 Yugoslav Royalty Has Honor RestoredThe Yugoslav parliament, controlled by the pro-democracy coalition that ousted Slobodan Milosevic in October, voted out a 1947 bill that stripped the royal Karadjordjevic family of both its Yugoslav citizenship and the property it owned before World War II. With that move, citizenship automatically was restored. A separate bill, still to be introduced, will return property to the royal family. The Karadjordjevics fled Yugoslavia for England in April 1941, ahead of the Nazi invasion. Several members of the family are still alive, including Crown Prince Aleksandar, his aunt Princess Jelisaveta and his uncle, also named Prince Aleksandar. Parliament's move means the Karadjordjevics could return to the country. Once their property rights are restored, they could claim a number of assets -- including the White Palace in Belgrade, which Milosevic used as a working residence until his ouster. The crown prince, who has visited Yugoslavia several times in recent years, already has announced his family plans to return from London for good. The royals were banned from visiting the country during the reign of communist dictator Josip Broz Tito. There have been no legal moves to restore Yugoslavia as a kingdom, but some of the nation's new leaders have said the issue should be tested in a referendum. Milosevic's Socialist Party deputies were against the restoration of royal rights because of how the former King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic formed Yugoslavia in 1918 as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. ``The ideology of 'brotherhood and unity' with Croats and Slovenes, which was started by the Karadjordjevic, was the biggest evil inflicted on the Serbs,'' said Ivica Dacic, a close Milosevic aide and a Socialist deputy. Vladan Batic, the justice minister of Serbia, the dominant Yugoslav republic, told parliament that the restoration of royal rights ``erases the historic injustice'' carried out by Milosevic's regime and its communist predecessors. Parliament also voted to allow dual citizenship for former citizens of Yugoslavia, who lost that status after their republics broke away from the country, starting in 1991. The decision means that tens of thousands of Serbs who came to Serbia to flee wars in neighboring Croatia or Bosnia will be allowed to take Yugoslav citizenship while retaining Croatian or Bosnian citizenship. THE INDEPENDENT (United Kingdom) Yugoslavia To Restore Royal Rights By Vesna Peric Zimonjic in BelgradeAlmost 54 years ago, on 8 March 1947, the country's Communist rulers stripped 10 members of the Royal Karadjordjevic family of their citizenship. The family fled to London in April 1941, when Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia. Three Karadjordjevics are still alive. They are Crown Prince Alexander, his aunt, Princess Jelisaveta, and an uncle, also Prince Alexander. The new administration tabled the bill on the basis that "the times of sanctioning different opinion and forcing people into political exile should be over". A separate bill is expected soon, which will restore property rights. BELGRADE ADOPTS LAW RETURNING PROPERTY, CITIZENSHIP TO ROYAL FAMILY The Yugoslav government approved a bill on 8 February that would allow the country's exiled royal family, the Karadjordjevics, to reclaim its property and citizenship, AP reported. Yugoslav Premier Zoran Zizic said the bill shows that the country's new leadership is determined to follow a "path of truth, justice, and freedom." The legislation must be passed by the Yugoslav parliament before taking effect. The royal family were stripped of their citizenship and their property taken when the communists took power after World War II. PB |
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