A 'Straight' Government

Judging by the opposition's assessments of mandator Mirko Marjanovic, they hope his term will last more than four years, but not in Belgrade, but in Mitrovica (a jail). It was said in the Assembly that "Progres", the firm headed by Marjanovic, "is a typical state company, with a state monopoly on the import of natural gas, enormous state privileges, and secret funds," and that "finally, according to the secret police principle, Marjanovic first joined the board of the 'Partizan' football club, and then became its president. The club rallies the military, economic, political and secret police elite", (Vesna Pesic, Civic Alliance-GS). It was also said that the territory of the former Soviet Union where "Progress" did a lot of business, was not a market, but a "speculator's paradise". The deputies who were surprisingly well informed, claimed that people close to Marjanovic were co-owners of the domestic, partly private firm "Progres-gas trading" and that they had grabbed business from Serbia's Oil Industry; that a villa is being built for Marjanovic in Dedinje; that his property is estimated at 40 million dinars; that he financed the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) campaign and the rebellion against Russian President Boris Yeltsin with the idea of bringing the Communists back into power (Aleksandar Cotric- SPO).

The man responsible for continuity in Serbia, Minister of the Interior Zoran Sokolovic, fared worse than Marjanovic. The public was reminded that his apartment has been looted three times, and that the thieves were never found. Marjanovic praised Sokolovic briefly and said that he had ensured a "stable security situation in exceptionally complex conditions of war", and that he was working on modernizing the service.

It was underscored that Serbia is riddled with crime. This was corroborated by statistics given by the Ministry of the Interior and by the Police. Crime is on the rise, and there are 54 unsolved murders in Belgrade alone.

Milisav Petkovic claimed that twenty people have been kidnapped in Zvornik and has proof which speaks of Serbian police involvement.

It was repeated several times that the police are protecting criminals. One deputy claimed that as many as two-thirds of all firms pay racket.

If we disregard generalizations to the effect that this is not a government of national unity but one of "mafia unity", the remaining ministers fared somewhat better.

Ministers from the United Left (rallying several Communist-oriented parties) were met joyously - who is putting together a government - Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic or his wife (Mirjana Markovic, the leading light behind the United Left)? One deputy said of Leposava Milicevic (Minister for Health and Social Care) that she had become a minister "because she had measured Mirjana Markovic's blood pressure".

It was said that Radovan Pankov had helped rig the elections in Krajina, and was rewarded with a ministerial post for his effort.

A number of deputies criticized the future ministers and the PM, for holding onto their directorships, something not allowed in Western parliamentary practice. "Half the government is made up of directors who do not think of stepping down from their posts", (Veselin Simonovic).

Marjanovic's program reads more like a list of intentions and is based on returning to a healthy dinar, the balancing of budgetary income and expenditure, and financial discipline.

His cabinet wants to bring the grey economy within the tax system. Big firms have been told not to expect state subsidies.

Marjanovic has announced that the government will insist on an export-oriented economy and "a determined and wise opening towards the world".

The Socialists did not oppose the criticism of the government, which started with social demagogy, feeling that they too might attack Avramovic's program soon. It proved, however, that they were not thinking of making a radical break with a war policy and a war economy. When Vesna Pesic (GS) asked how Marjanovic thought he would cover a 1.5 billion dollar deficit, when President Milosevic had said that "Serbia must be the strongest military force in the Balkans", the usual commotion followed. Ignoring the noise, Pesic continued: "I am asking why? What kind of a plan is it that envisages Serbia as the most powerful state in the Balkans. How many tanks, guns (around Sarajevo)? Will we continue paying for them to stay there and shell the civilian population!" "Gentlemen, what will a Serb defend himself with, if not with a gun?" replied SPS deputy Belic the following day.

A day before the session, the Socialist deputy group had a stormy "all evening" and "all morning" session, during which Marjanovic's list underwent significant changes. This points to indecision over cadres, and the fact that the main resistance to the reform, has always come from the apparatus of authority.

"The situation in Serbia, where this program is being carried out, is such, that unfortunately, we cannot succeed. I don't think that a lot of time will pass before the Socialists abandon Avramovic and his program, and I'm afraid that the opposition will back their candidate once again, just as they did in the case of former Yugoslav President Dobrica Cosic, and former Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic", (Borivoje Radic).

New - Old Ministers

Zoran Sokolovic (56), Minister of Internal Affairs

A veteran minister. Graduated at the Faculty of Agriculture. Sokolovic was the main executioner at the 8th. session of the former League of Communists of Serbia, when Milosevic siezed power in 1987. He was Assembly Speaker in the year when the Constitution giving great competencies to the President of the Republic was adopted. Sokolovic was elected to the post of Interior Minister on May 30, 1991, after Radmilo Bogdanovic's resignation.

At the time when numerous paramilitary formations were roaming through Serbia, Sokolovic refused to answer questions in the Serbian Assembly, because "there never have been and there aren't any armed paramilitary formations in the Republic of Serbia territory."

During the debate on the safety and security of citizens, he told the public that "there were no reasons for fear, insecurity and the feeling of being threatened." At the same time, the Serbian police occupied the building of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Slobodan Radulovic (51), Vice Prime Minister

So far, he has been the director of several firms and held the post of municipal minister of economy. Four years ago he became the director of the firm "C market", a supermarket chain.

Radulovic believes that property owned by future ministers should be written down before they take the oath, "since this would be good for the Government. The time has come for people to leave a Government unsullied."

Radulovic was a deputy in the Serbian Assembly in its second convocation (1993). At the last elections he ran on the Democratic Party (DS) ticket in Belgrade. After entering the Government he lost his DS membership, and according to DS leader Zoran Djindjic, he will be asked to drop his mandate. As "C market" director during the inflation, he managed to preserve the firm's capital. Radulovic views the state as a big firm which must show a profit. He claims that "he will resign without any dilemmas if things are not done according to rules."

Radovan Pankov, Minister for Relations With Serbs Outside Serbia

A teacher, and one of the beneficiaries of the 8th. session of the League of Communists of Serbia. In September 1988 he reached top party and state posts. His upward progress started on October 20, 1990. At the first SPS - Vojvodina branch conference, he was elected to the SPS Main Committee.

Those in the know say that he took a back seat during the war, and was active in the so-called National Council of Slavonija, Baranja and Western Srem, which had its headquarters in territory under Pankov's control - in Backa Palanka. He directed the "spontaneous uprising" of the people from there. Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader Vojislav Seselj among others, speaks of Pankov's role in supplying Serbs across the Drina River with arms.

Pankov was probably recommended to the post of minister by his belief that "Serbia wouldn't exist if had agreed to the CSCE and EC ultimatums. Support of an independent Serbia by some opposition parties, is capitulation and flirting with a Greater Germany".

Ratomir Vico, Minister of Information

Information Minister for a second time. Vico was elected to this post after effecting cadre changes in various editorial offices in the media, following Milosevic's victory. After a short spell as minister, Vico returned to Serbian television, where Milorad Vucelic holds the post of director now. Vico is one of his advisors, but in actual fact is in charge of the distribution of petrol in the house.

Vico's election to the post of Information Minister was one of the main stumbling blocks within the SPS leadership. Those present say that the debate on the cabinet lasted the whole night because of Vico. An order arrived at dawn, from the highest authority, that Vico was to be the candidate, thus putting an end to the debate.

Radoje Djukic, Minister of Entrepreneurship

The second DS member to lose his membership on joining Marjanovic's government. Djukic owns the "Djukic" knitwear company. He was voted 1993 Businessman of the Year. Djukic has known Marjanovic for a long time ("I had the luck to work on some export projects with him"). Djukic worked on petrol and gas export-import deals with Russia via Italy. He is a member of the Novi Beograd municipality (as a DS member), and holds the post of president of the municipal government's Committee for Aid to the Krajinas. Djukic claims that the Novi Beograd municipality is the only one in Yugoslavia which has managed to resolve the question of aid to the Krajinas. The Belgrade daily "Borba" writes that "Djukic likes to attend a working lunch with every PM, and is close to Milosevic."

Ratko Markovic (50), Vice Prime Minister

Markovic took part in the drafting of both Constitutions still valid. He acquired a professorship at Belgrade University thanks to help from comrades in the League of Communists -Movement for Yugoslavia (SK-PJ), after the authors of schoolbooks agreed to add his name to the list of authors, in order that he might fulfill conditions for becoming a professor. As an expert on federalism (the status of provinces), Markovic took part in debates on a "united Serbia", taking Milosevic's side. Markovic was a Constitutional Court judge, and is now a deputy in the Chamber of Citizens in the Federal Assembly.

Svetozar Krstic, Vice Prime Minister

Graduated Law. Owns the "Krstic" holding company. He started his career in the small provincial town of Odzaci, as the director of the local bank. Krstic entered political life as a young communist cadre supporting Milosevic. He was a Central Committee of the Serbian League of Communists (CK SKS) politburo member at one time. When the Communists changed their name to Socialists, Krstic changed teams and joined the New Democracy - Movement for Serbia. During the transformation of the Yugoslav economy, Krstic started a private business. When it was profitable to open exchange offices and savings banks, he did so.