On the Eight Kilometer

Zelenovic's short-lived mandate leads one to belive that the Serbian President is removing "expandable" members of his government quicker than ever before.

The fall of the former rector of the Novi Sad University, and Vojvodina's representative to the Yugoslav Presidency began when he assumed the office of Prime Minister of Serbia at the age of 63. Zelenovic was hand-picked for the office by Slobodan Milosevic, who personaly recomended his appointmentto the Serbian Parliament. Thus, Zelenovic's role was to execute Milosevic's policy, rather than to create them himself. It is widely belived that Zelenovic "chose" his cabinet, without ever having mt his officials, implying that they were chosen beforehand.

However, Zelenovic's employers abandoned him after the March 9th demonstrations.

While Serbian government officials were publicly claiming that the demonstrations were part of a conspiracy against Serbia, Zelenovic was conspicuously absent. Claiming that Zelenovic was preoccupied in late-night Cabinet sessions, Milosevic was "negotiating" with the Opposition, only to mislead both the opposition leaders and Zelenovic. Zelenovic's whereabouts during the March demonstrations remain unknown -- while tanks were roaming Belgrade in an effort to save Serbian socialists, the Premier was supposedly trying to prevent the collapse of a bankrupt firm in Novi Sad.

Zelenovic was perpetually looking for support outside the government ranks: he roamed churces in the cold, crossing himself with both hands. In an interview for "Nin" he alienated members of the Socialist Party when he claimed that he was "a rose among weeds". In an effort to gain support from the private sector, he advised a government economic program, only to see it fail. He was somewhat more succesful with the railroad workers, after traveling back and forth the eight-kilometer track between Pazova and Indjija one hundrad times. Although he tried to create the impression that he had great plans for the economy, his policies only resulted in increased government control of half of Serbia's businesses.

When, in June, the Opposition called for the reconstruction of the government, Zelenovic realized that he was fighting a lost battle -- especially after Budimir Kosutic was appointed as vice-premier and minister of war and interior affairs.

The Prime Minister was constantly being reminded that he bore much responsibility despite the fact that he had little power. He never felt confortable in Serbian political life. Moreover, his Cabinet was labeled the "government of catastrophy", after the economic consequences of Milosevic's war in the name of "the Serbian ideal" were felt. When everything went to hell, Zelenovic was forced to resign. is resignation does not signal a positive change in the Serbian government; rather, it signals the ascension of a more agressive group, or possibly, an artificial "coalition" government.

After his much-flouted appointment as prime-minister a year ago, Dr. Dragutin Zelenovic's exit is one of quiet degradation.