Tito's Grandson Elected Head Of Serbia's New Communist Party

NOVI SAD, Serbia -- Josip Joska Broz, a grandson of late Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, has been elected as president of a newly formed Communist Party of Serbia, RFE/RL's Balkan Service reports.

Broz told RFE/RL that the newly formed party has the same political programs as other parties but calls itself communist "because we do not want to hide our political origins."

He said the party's task will be "to restore dignity to and revitalize [the Serbian] countryside."

Broz, who was elected at a party congress in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad on November 21, added that bringing about a revolution is not in the party agenda and said we "want to show we have the will to help people."

Marko Blagojevic, program director of the nongovernmental organization Center for Free Elections and Democracy, told RFE/RL that despite the negative views of communism there is room for a Communist Party in Serbia.

Blagojevic said the party could be relatively successful with those people who are nostalgic for the "old days" of communist rule. But he said that the party should not promote itself by remembering Tito, as its popularity in such a case would be short-term.

Film director Gorcin Stojanovic told RFE/RL that news of Tito's grandson becoming the head of the Communists is "interesting" and "even entertaining."

An RFE/RL poll in Belgrade showed little support for the newly formed Communists. Some residents said they found the idea ludicrous and did not think the party will be successful. They said that the Tito era is over and people have enough horrible memories from that time.

Tito led Yugoslavia from the end of the World War II until his death in 1980.