arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Journal from Belgrade - Monday 16th of October
DOS in coalition against nature with SNP and without elections?

MICHEL COLLON

• Negociations between DOS and SNP
• Voïvodina's: ethnic tension starts. Another split?
• Danube: for whose pockets?

Negociations between DOS and SNP
Representatives of DOS (Djindjic, Korac, Batic)  and president Kostunica (in this order)  have discussed with Socialist National Party of Montenegro problem of Federal government today. They agreed about some main principles. So, we can conclude that SNP is going to establish coalition with DOS, not Serbian leftist on the federal level.  It is true that SNP ask to  include  representatives of SPS in the Federal government, and repeat once again that they were in ethnic coalition with  Serbian leftist. But, DOS refused that.
 There is very important question - people in Montenegro voted for SNP and president M., not for DOS. So, they did not vote for coalition of DOS and SNP. As we wrote before, it could be also political suicide for montenrgin SNP of Bulatovic. They regained at last elections by fighting againt rightist and pro-West Djukanovic's party. How will they explain next year that they fight against Western and rightist party at Montenegrin level and unite with the same kind of party at Jugoslav level?
 There is even less legality and legitimacy on the Republic level. DOS, even without elections and obviously blackmailing SPS, is going to enter the Republic government even before elections this December. One of the strongest party in actual Republic parliament - Serbian Radical Party refuses to take part in this arrangement. They think that they will give legitimacy to all illegal activities of DOS (taking over many institutions and others...) by participation in this   government. And, even more, they are going to share responsibility for politics of DOS till the elections. They even do not  think that early elections are necessary because Republic government has majority in parliament.
 Has SPS accepted negotiation as the only way to keep peace on the streets. Or may be they have some other ideas?

Ethnic tension in Voïvodina
There are some reports of worsening the ethnic situation in Vojvodina. There are more and more Hungarian or  Croatian flags, marking of Serbian houses in multiethnic villages, pressure on Hungarians who are members of non national Hungarian parties, hostility toward Serbian refuges there. I have heard that there are attempts to "keep Vojvodina money in Vojvodia", e.g. not to send taxes to the common Republic budget.
 Previously, we wrote that the programme of DOS was completely contradictory, mixing together separatist and unitarist parties. But the proof comes even sooner than expected.
More on Voïvodina in next issues. I had meetings in Novi Sad a few days ago.
 
Danube: for whose pockets?
At this moment there is only one assistance of EU to remain after all  these promises and a lot of money - cleaning of the Danube. But, new attack on our independence - one Frenchman was chosen as the president of the Commission for that job. There is no doubt that Western company  is going to get that job.