The chief of the Yugoslav army, General Nebojsa Pavkovic, has been sacked by President Vojislav Kostunica, but is refusing to quit the army.

Mr Kostunica said he had taken the action for the sake of democracy, and civilian control over the military.

He [Mr Kostunica] has practically decided that my service ends as of tomorrow, as if I were the greatest scum in this state

General Pavkovic

"He thought he was above the army and that the army was above the state," he said.

But General Pavkovic accused the president of acting out of "personal vengeance" and treating him like "scum".

He said he would not stage a coup d'etat, but asked for protection from the "highest organs of the state".

Kostunica had been a supporter of Pavkovic's

After meeting on Monday - and reportedly refusing to sack the general - Yugoslavia's Supreme Defence Council is expected to meet again on Tuesday and to issue a statement.

General Pavkovic's sacking comes after pressure to remove him from both within Yugoslavia and from the international community.

He was appointed chief of staff after leading the Yugoslav army during its confrontation with Nato in 1999.

A year later, however, he refused to use troops against demonstrators taking part in protests that led to the overthrow of Mr Milosevic.

Rejection

Shortly before the decision, General Pavkovic had spoken of his imminent dismissal, blaming it on "negative influence of some parts of the US administration".

Milosevic (left) originally appointed Pavkovic

In his first reaction after Mr Kostunica's decree was made public, he said he would not step down.

"He [Mr Kostunica] has practically decided that my service ends as of tomorrow, as if I were the greatest scum in this state," Mr Pavkovic told state television.

He said the decision to remove him from his post was an abuse of power by the president.

However, he later toned down his remarks, saying he would not prevent his replacement, General Krga, his former deputy, from commanding the army.

Changing fortunes

BBC Belgrade correspondent Matthew Price says analysts have seen the sacking as part of an ongoing power struggle between Mr Kostunica and Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.

Mr Djindjic said the sacking of the army chief damaged the respectability of the state.

Mr Kostunica had earlier supported Mr Pavkovic after it emerged that prosecutors at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague - where Mr Milosevic is currently on trial for war crimes - were investigating him over alleged atrocities in Kosovo in 1999.

But in March, when a spying row erupted following the arrest of former Deputy Prime Minister Momcilo Perisic and a United States diplomat, Mr Kostunica turned his back on the general and demanded his dismissal.

Mr Perisic was accused of handing over military intelligence to the US diplomat, an accusation he strongly denied.

General Pavkovic's departure would leave Serbian President Milan Milutinovic as the only close former Milosevic ally who has kept his post since the popular revolt of October 2000.