Decision

The Serbian Government has dissolved the assemblies in Topola, Mionica and Djakovica en masse and appointed municipal councils, i.e. introduced receivership. The reason is a universal one and generally applicable - the non-functioning of the municipality bodies, violation of law, abuse of office and the irrational spending of the budget.

Mionica is a specific case, because the Government decided on this radical step at the demand of 16 deputies (of the 45 in the assembly) of the minority Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) group. The impression however, is that the coalition in power is responsible for the action because it didn't manage to agree on Municipality President Momir Rankovic's (Serbian Renewal Movement - SPO) successor. It is thought that the Government hurried with receivership measures in order to anticipate a possible agreement by the opposition. This is borne out by the fact that President of the Municipality Council Radisa Stankovic arrived in Mionica on 23 January with a decision signed by Serbian Vice Prime Minister Ratko Markovic, but with nothing in the square where the file number calling on the Official Gazette should be written in.

The President and the socialists took over authority, and the next day Markovic showed up at a meeting of the old assembly in order to inform the members that their mandates had expired. Apart from Markovic the deputies were introduced to delegate Milan Komnenic and Nikola Koldzic (SPO) and Mirko Jovic (Serbian National Renewal Party - SNO) and Democratic Party (DS) officials Dusan Bajec and Slobodan Vuksanovic. Since they had a quorum without the socialists, the coalition deputies concluded that the assembly was legal and legitimate and assessed the government's decision as a dictatorship suspending all the citizens of Mionica. In the meantime, during the session, the latest issue of the Official Gazette arrived with a picture of Mionica on the front page, and the new President tolerantly told the deputies that they had a right to be angry, informed them of what was written in the paper and went to his office. Before that he ignored Jovic who said: "If I were to kick you in the butt and out of the window, you'd land on your feet and continue with the same old story!"

 

The Fate of Uzicka 15

Even fifteen years after his death, Josip Broz Tito's inheritors still don't know what to do with his inheritance. History will judge the historical aspect of Tito's heritage. However, a concrete problem is posed by the 10 hectares large Memorial Center and its nine buildings, priceless works of art and collections, and finally, the earthly remains of the "greatest son of all our peoples and nationalities".

The Memorial Center includes the complex in Uzicka no. 15 and the Old and White Palaces, the Museums 25 May and 4 July (and the memorial house in Kumrovec and the island of Vanga). Until recently this institution was protected by a special law adopted in 1982. Soon however, (if the proposal is passed by the Federal Assembly) this law will cease to be valid, and a good part of the complex will become an administrative purgatory, before many institutions currently in dispute reach an agreement over who has the competency to decide on its fate and future. This doesn't mean that the garden in Uzicka no.15 (around 3,000 trees and five ares of flowers) will be taken over by weeds or that the peacocks will starve - a little under 2 million dinars were earmarked by the FR Yugoslavia budget to cover the salaries of some 80 employees. The fate of the Old and the While Palaces has been decided - several years ago they received the status of residences, so that visiting dignitaries will now be able to stay in them. The residence in Uzicka 15 in which Tito lived will probably become the official residence of the federal head of state, even though President Zoran Lilic shows no sign of moving in. It is possible, however, that his successor won't mind slipping into Broz's slippers.

 

A Conflict of Interests

After the ignominious disintegration of the first convocation of the Belgrade University Council headed by Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) official, academician Mihailo Markovic, a new Council was constituted several days ago. The University Council is formed according to the 50-50 principle, in order to achieve a division of power between the University on the one hand and the so-called social community on the other. In other words, half the 76 members of the Belgrade University Council are elected by the University and the other half by the Serbian Government.

From the legal point of view if the University were to propose as some of its representatives on the Council persons not linked to the University, i.e. if the Government were to appoint as some of its representatives members of the University, then a conflict of interests would arise.

Unfortunately, at the constituting of the new convocation of the Belgrade University Council, the worst happened. According to the newspapers, among the 38 members named by the Government there isn't a single representative who is a member of a professional association or organization (which would be natural). The Government named as its members eight University professors, three assistants and two students. In this way the Government has put the persons in question in a very delicate situation with regard to their colleagues and brought into question the reputation and legitimacy of the Council as such, and has changed the reason for its existence and structure. This gives rise to the question as to whose interests are being represented by 13 members of the University - those of their University, or current political and party structures in authority?

If this were a moral society, these members of the Council would withdraw on grounds of principle. On the other hand, if this were a state governed by law, this contradictory legal situation would be removed by the competent state body which would proclaim it incompatible for a representative appointed by the government to be a member of the University.

(Excerpt from Stevan Lilic's article in VREME. The author is a professor at the Belgrade School of Law).

 

Warning

In the middle of the biggest restrictions, the electrical supply company has been approved a price increase. Judging by what is happening to consumers, the increase hasn't satisfied producers. All consumers who owed the electrical supply company money received warnings threatening to cut off their supply. All owings, even those of 0.1 dinars were raised to 10.7 dinars, the sum for "sending warning expenses". For households which don't use electricity for heating, this is a hefty sum for a warning. And, since there are very few households which didn't owe some money, it is clear that the Electrical Supply Company made a tidy profit, all the more so as the warnings were sent to cities throughout Serbia. Asked why the warnings were so high, Valjevo Electrical Supply Company director Radovan Maksimovic said that the "tariff had been decided by higher bodies". It is much easier to write out warnings than deliver electricity.

 

Neighbors

The results of a survey carried out by the Belgrade agency Partner on 500 citizens of age in Serbia (minus Kosovo).

Which of the nationalities of the former Yugoslavia would you prefer to have in your neighborhood?

Macedonians 16.4%

Slovenians 6.7%

Croats 0.3%

Muslims 0.8%

None 25%

All 48.6%

Don't know 2.1%

Who would like to have coffee with?

Macedonians 15.8%

Slovenians 5.6%

Croats 1.1%

Muslims 0.9%

None 23%

All 50.9%

Don't know 2.7%

With which of the nationalities of the former Yugoslavia would you like to go on vacation?

Macedonians 17.5%

Slovenians 5.6%

Croats 0.6%

Muslims 0.4%

None 24.5%

All 48.8%

Don't know 2.5%

 

The Movies

Of the 49 films which will be shown at FEST (Belgrade film festival), nine are Chinese, of which three coproductions with Hong Kong and Taiwan. Cambodia has "The Rice Field People"", South Korea "The Life and Death of a Hollywood Guy" and Iran's Oscar contender "Through the Olive Groves" by Emir Kusturica's friend Abaz Karostami. French films make up a large part of the program, but of the 13 films only four are purely French. The others are coproductions with Canada, Cambodia, Poland (Three Colors: Blue), the USA (Roman Polanski's last film), Russia and several European countries.

One of last year's biggest hits was Michael Newel's "Four Weddings and a Funeral", which along with another seven films represent the British production. Germany has a significant number of movies. In the new version of the drama "Mario the Magician" we will be able to see the brilliant actor Klaus Maria Brandauer who produced the film. Spain is present with three films (the biggest hit in '94 Imanola Uriba's "Limited Days" opens the festival). Two documentaries will be shown this year, Germany's entry "The Wonderful, Terrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl" about Hitler's controversial film-maker, and the US entry "Dream Jumps", an Oscar contender.

 

The Japanese

The independent association "White Rose" has launched an initiative for helping the citizens of Kobe, the Japanese city hit by a catastrophic earthquake. White Rose president Radomir Smiljanic said that, "under the genodical sanctions, the Serbs had felt all the warmth of friendship especially of the Greek and Japanese people". This is why he was now calling on the world to help this "honorable and hard-working nation".

Smiljanic's initiative for help is concrete. If the Japanese agree, hospitals, centers for children and rehabilitation centers would be moved from Japan to Serbia. The Vrujci Spa has already offered its accommodation. The second half of aid which would follow as part of "the traditional friendship between our peoples", would be an offer to the Japanese to invest in Serbia and build economic plants which would help the renewal of Kobe, and enable "our businessmen to start the production of goods needed in Kobe", because "everything is much cheaper here than in many other countries". Smiljanic masterminded the erstwhile blockade of the Danube, and he hasn't forgotten the river. He offers the Japanese "a free trade zone on the Danube". This is not all. At the White Rose association they are thinking of suggesting to Belgrade Mayor Nebojsa Covic the "fraternization of Belgrade and Kobe". The Japanese Charge d'Affaires will be informed of all this.

 

Rally

Hall no.1, is the largest object of the Belgrade Fair. As many as 20,000 people attend concerts by folk-stars there. The Spiritual rally devoted to the brothers and sisters in Republika Srpska and Republic of Srpska Krajina, managed to attract only a hundred visitors. The time (Saturday morning), bad weather (-5C), and the press which are in the service of the state and therefore separate from the Church, did not mention the rally, while Dragos Kalajic and other patriots didn't show up.

"A disgrace and a shame", commented priest Philaret. "Where are the refugees, where are the Bosnians, the people of Krajina"!?

Zahumsko-Herzegovina Bishop Atanasije, the only bishop present, was more restrained: "Welcome, no matter how many of you there are. In our free country, the Republika of Srpska Bosnia-Herzegovina, there would have been at least ten times as many present at any rally. But, you are welcome, we know of your difficulties and understand them, perhaps more than you do our problems".

In his speech the Bishop did not depart much from his familiar discourse. He called for mistrust of those who have "lost their calm and the Serbian spirit, be they in Dedinje (exclusive Belgrade residential suburb), in Cetinje, Podgorica (cities in Montenegro) or Geneva... who fear everything and don't fear God". "I'm afraid that in unfortunate Belgrade, in unfortunate Serbia, you have become weak of spirit, short of breath. Many have become defeatists. It is human to be afraid, but it is also human to recover", said the Bishop.

The Montenegrin-Coastal Metropolitan Amfilohije did not come, even though his presence was announced. Bishop Atanasije cited Amfilohije, and said: "God probably has great plans for the Serbian people, that is why he has put us in the center of world events". This led to the longest applause in the freezing hall.