Information Service of OFFICIAL DENIAL REGARDING THE TEXT Novi Sad, January 21, 2002 Daily POLITIKA Dear Mr Misic, I would like to refer to a misinformation in the text which Politika published in its issue of Monday, January 21, 2002, on the page seven, the title of that text being "Serbian Church against Mr Canak". The author of the text, Mr M. Laketic says the following: "The Serbian Orthodox Church opposes the suggestion made by the Mayor of Novi Sad, Mr Borislav Novakovic, that the President of the Assembly of Vojvodina, Mr Nenad Canak, should speak at the marking of anniversary of the razzia in Novi Sad - father Vladan Simic, the Secretary of the Diocese of Backa, said for Politika". Nobody from Politika approached either me personally or anybody else from the office of the Bishop of Backa asking any kind of statement for this newspaper. Therefore, I have not been in the position to utter the words that your journalist attributed to me. The only thing I could have said, had he talked to me at all, is that the Serbian Orthodox Church, namely the Diocese of Backa, does not agree with the attitude of the Mayor of Novi Sad, Mr Borislav Novakovic, that he can change the previously agreed protocol and programme of the marking of anniversary of Novi Sad razzia, in advance, before the session of the Razzia Marking Committee whose head he actually is, without talking previously with the Jewish community and the Diocese of Backa. Hoping that you would publish this denial completely and on the same page of your newspaper, with best wishes do I remain Respectfully yours, |
