Every child received 2,000 dinars. So much bread, butter, cakes... So many pairs of shoes, sneakers, shirts... So many fulfilled childhood dreams...
Auction hammer of the persistent Zemun mayor, Dr. Seselj, auctioned off this happiness. And he sold only the unnecessary. Forgotten items! Tito's statues, old decorations, communist books used for brain washing... Oil paintings, graphics and other works of art were sold for unbelievable amounts of money under the guidance of this amazing auctioneer. The citizens of Zemun bought knowing that money will reach the needy. It was received by the widows of the fallen warriors, heroes, victims. Mothers!
Anonymous collector bought the painting by Milan Konjovic for 40,000 dinars. Another extremely beautiful painting by the legendary Peda Milosvljevic, entitled "Paris", was sold for 60,000 dinars. Thus, the paintings of these two artists, famous for their patriotism and dedication to their nation, were used in the right way. For some new generations for whom Paris is now only a far away, inconceivable shore.
(...)
"If my former husband were alive, he would have been happy because of this. He left four children". Widow Nevenka Begnajic has already raised two of them. She reached Zemun in the last wave of refugees from Knin. Before the war they had lived in Benkovac.
"We were received by relatives. We've been living with them for two years so, fortunately, we don't have to rent an apartment. The elder daughter works, so we've been surviving somehow; hopefully, soon we shall be able to finally resolve the problem with the disability pension. I am grateful to our Seselj for organizing this assistance. That's a lot of money. It wasn't easy to organize this event. It serves him well. People say all sorts of things about him. Let them babble, he hasn't changed. He is incorruptible. If he were in power during the war, it wouldn't have all ended so tragically for the Serb people. Now he has some power and still, they won't let him work. Slanderers. He is a good, honest man.
"First, I'll buy sneakers for my kids. I work for a privately owned company, but cannot earn enough for my children. This money came at the right time," says this middle aged woman.
MIlena Alavanja from Benkovac has been struck a bitter blow by fate. She lost her husband Marko in the war, in 1993. Her elder son Elvis was wounded in an artillery attack. The child lost his arm. Younger Denis is aged seven and will start school in the fall. Milena works from time to time for private firms. The small three member family lives temporarily in Petrovcic.
"The most important thing for me is that my children are alive; somehow, we will figure out everything else. I'm trying to get a disability pension for my Elvis, as a victim of war; that way he would be taken care of for life. With this money, I will buy them sneakers and trousers. I'll dress my orphans.
"I've been counting this money and I can tell you, Seselj is a special person. That's a wonderful gesture! I don't have anyone closer than him. I must tell you that while my husband and I were still in Krajina we put all our hope in Seselj. I was at the front as well. I had to defend my home. I was next to my husband when he died. I know Seselj's units very well. His men were the most disciplined at the front, especially in Benkovac. After my husband's death I took his place in the trenches, I did some sentry duty as well. That was a horrible time. Now, I'm facing a new battle, battle to raise my children. Seselj has been and remains a great man," says moved Milena.
Zorica Milijasevic, widow with three children, received 6,000 dinars. The Milijasevic family, from Zemun, whose father Dusan had died on the Majevica mountain in 1994 as a volunteer, received a few months ago 3,500 dinars from the local authorities in Zemun. Zorica emphasizes that the Serb Radicals provided only assistance to her and children when they needed it the most.
Zorica has three daughters. The eldest one Tamara is celebrating her birthday today, so that her two younger sisters will be very busy and get a lot of presents.
"This means a lot to me. Salaries are not paid on time, there is no help for families with children [guaranteed by law]... Since Dr. Seselj has become the mayor of Zemun he has helped a lot to the citizens. Especially to the children of dead fighters, war invalids and disabled persons. All those who live on the margins of the society, forgotten by everyone. You can only imagine what I think about the man who gave to my child 2,000 dinars while my monthly salary is 180 dinars, plus paid lunch. Seselj is the only candidate for the president of Serbia. If we were only that lucky; this long suffering people would finally have something to hope for," adamantly concludes the widow.
(...)
Zorka Kovacevic, widowed with two children, found a job in the municipal Parks maintenance company. Now this family, originally from Zadar, can count on the mother's small salary. Daughter Mirjana is seventeen and son Miroslav is sixteen. Both of them are A students. Their mother isn't even thinking about sending them to the college. The only worry is how to find enough money to feed them.
The Kovacevics have been struggling for a long time with poverty in Krajina. After they had lost all their property in Zadar, in 1991, (that's when their father and husband Nikola was killed), Desa moved with the children to Knin; four years later, she had to leave Knin in a column of betrayed and sold out Serbs and came to Serbia.
"I have been sharing a house with another family. Neither of us has any legal claim on that property. We are afraid that someone will throw us out on the street. My son is sick. He suffers from hypertension. That's a consequence of our suffering. It's been six years sine Nikola died, and during all that time only Voja [Seselj] has helped. I haven't met him personally. I've only seen him on TV. What a man! He is the only one I trust, because he addresses the poor and refugees. Milosevic has never done that. First, I will buy food for the kids, and then some clothes with what's left after that," sadly speaks Zorka Kovacevic, holding in her hand an envelope with 2,000 dinars.
Svetlana Gasparevic, from Slavonia, is starting a new life in spite of all suffering. Her first love, father of small Aleksandar who is starting school in the fall, was killed at the start of the war in 1991 on the Osijek front near Divos. After that, Svetlana escaped with the child in her arms to Serbia, only to return to the liberated Erdut several months later. After the surrender of this Serb territory to the Croats, Svetlana has again come to Serbia. She works in a private boutique. She emphasizes that even after so much suffering she still hasn't become a chauvinist; nevertheless, she finds the media campaign in some Belgrade media against Dr. Seselj so outrageous and discouraging that she wanted to find some of the journalists who write such articles and ask them: can my Aleksandar attend a school in Osijek with his Yugoslav passport?
"I was really affected by that. Can I go to Osijek? Where is my property? Believe me, I am not a nationalist. But this campaign against the mayor is horrible. He is the only one to offer some hope to the children of the dead fighters. Today, Aleksandar received 2,000 dinars. Last time he also got 2,000 dinars. I also applied for a plot of land and got one for free. Now, I have my own land in Grmovac. I can build a house. That's the future of my son. That's my future. Those attacks on the only man who has helped the poor are horrible. Stop that, in the name of God. That's the persecution of a just man. I passed Dr. Seselj in the street few days ago. He says hello to everyone... He is a real gentleman, he is not arrogant. Dr. Seselj is the cure for this suffering people," says this outraged widow.
(...)