Statesman

Serbian Vice-PM and Minister of Science and Technology Slobodan Unkovic visited Valjevo. The program of the visit foresaw a tour of "Krusik" and the Petnica research station. Unkovic however went straight to his party headquarters (Socialist Party of Serbia - SPS) where he discussed the situation in the region with his party comrades. Only after this did he visit "Krusik" and become acquainted with the M95 mortar - which has a longer barrel, greater range and precision than the one in use now. Unkovic promised that the Ministry would help young talents and held a lecture on the government of national unity of which he is a vice-PM.

 

Priest

Dragisa Bozic, former Serbian Assembly deputy representing the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) from Moravac near Ljig (south of Belgrade), was the victim of some strong-arm criticism of his writing.

In a commentary published in the magazine "Valjevac" Bozic criticized the local priest Zivota Maksimovic, also from the village of Ljig, of having a foreign currency tariff for his services. When Maksimovic conducts the funeral service, the family of the deceased allegedly cross themselves with their right hand, and when he charges his services, then they cross themselves with both hands.

A few days ago, when Maksimovic saw Bozic in Ljig, he asked him to wait a little. After a short altercation about the writing, Bozic turned and started walking down the road, but the priest knocked him out from behind. "I'll fix you", said the priest, hitting the helpless Bozic a few more times. Since Bozic's right hand is hurt, he'll have to cross himself with his left hand, but the way the priest has started, Bozic's family might even have to cross themselves with both hands.

 

Panties

The "Energoprima" trade union (a firm which is part of the Electrical Supply Company of Kosovo) from Crkvena Vodica near Obilic, presented its female workers with different-colored lace panties packed in heart-shaped boxes with artificial flowers, on March 8, Women's Day, said the Belgrade daily "Politika" dated 26 March. The women felt hurt and insulted: hurt because their colleagues in other drives received gold necklaces and silver dishes. They are insulted because their husbands and brothers work in the same drive. The women called a meeting of all employees the next day, wrote a petition and said they would file a grievance against those personally responsible.

This action has helped avoid matrimonial upheavals in patriarchal families, because husbands there are not used to their wives bringing lace panties home, even if they have been given by the trade union.

Radio-television Serbia's "The Earth is turning" program team went to Crkvena Vodica after hearing about the story: journalist Sinisa Savic, TV Pristina cameraman Goran Danilovic and a sound technician. A talk with the women was shot and the incriminated panties filmed. That's when the trouble started: the factory security arrived in fatigues, with pistols and radio and took the team to security chief Jovan Djordjevic where they sat for two hours. Djordjevic demanded to be given the films, and when the RTS team refused, he took it out by force and had it deleted in TV Pristina.

After taking the RTS team around Pristina for five hours, security chief Jovan Djordjevic allowed them to leave.

 

Statehood

Serbia has just celebrated Statehood Day, and the federal state will do the same soon. Montenegro, however, does not have such celebrations. One thing is sure, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic will not have the opportunity of returning the warm greetings that Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic sent him on 28 March. President Bulatovic is obviously not losing any sleep over this, or the fact that the Federal Constitutional Court has declared void the decree of the Law on National Defence under which the introduction of a state of emergency in Montenegro requires that the Montenegrin Assembly must be consulted. Bulatovic is not much concerned because this court is annulling decrees of the Montenegrin tax law, contrary to Montenegrin Constitutional decrees which say that tax policy is solely within the competency of the Montenegrin Republic. After this, it is not clear what Montenegro is going to decide about on its territory, but President Bulatovic will not be inspecting Yugoslav Army units like Milosevic does, nor will he be the commander of the armed forces in Montenegrin territory, something that the Serbian Constitution enables President Milosevic to do.

In an interview to the Montenegrin daily "Pobjeda", with regard to similar issues, Constitutional Court of Montenegro President Blagota Mitric said that it was legal nonsense that Montenegro didn't have a Statehood Day, and complained of the material position and implementation of the Constitutional Court's decisions, concluding that his court was "a blade of grass in the winds". The public, however, believes that games over Montenegro's statehood won't last long, just like those who keep trying to bury it.

 

Film Awards

At the festival of documentary films, Radio B-92 TV production team won three prizes in the video selection: for best film, best production, while Zelimir Zilnik won a special award for his film "Tito for the second time among the Serbs".

The documentary "See you in the obituaries" was voted best documentary film by the jury which included: Svetolik Mitic, Srdjan Ilic and Srdjan Golubovic, who proclaimed the film a saga of Belgrade streets in the Nineties.

"See you in the obituaries" was directed by Janko Baljak, Aleksandar Knezevic and Vojislav Tufegdzic wrote the script, while their book "Crimes Which Changed Serbia" published by B-92 is expected to come out soon.

The film which attracted the greatest attention at the Youth Center speaks of street heroes, and the main protagonists are: Bane Grebenarevic, Mihajlo Divac, Bojan Banovic, Goran Vukovic, Kristijan, Boris Petkov and many other Belgrade underworld figures. The importance of this film and the brutality of the times we are living in, are proved by the fact that three protagonists of the film are dead (Divac, Banovic and Vukovic). "See you in the obituaries" has been invited to participate at the Oberhausen documentary film festival. Only 35 minutes of the thirty hours of footage have been used, so that we can expect a longer version for the domestic market. Part of the team (director Janko Baljak, cameraman Nenad Mladenovic and film editor Jovan Krstanovic) are currently working on a sequel - a story about homes for delinquent minors in Krusevac and Valjevo.

A total of 120 films were entered for the video section and the jury chose 26. At this year's festival B-92 participated with five films, three entered the competition, while two were awarded. This year's biggest production house RTS sent 40 films to the festival. Only one managed to enter the competition for the awards.

 

Milosevic's Statehood Days Messages

1990

All the daily papers recorded in 1990 that Statehood Day in the Republic of Serbia had been marked that first year "in an atmosphere of work and celebrations". In the Serbian capital Belgrade, a concert was held in Republic Square, and several thousand Belgraders turned out to see it. Slobodan Milosevic who was President of the Socialist Republic of Serbia Presidency at the time and other top officials "held a reception for 600 guests". That year Milosevic laid a wreath at the monument of the Unknown Hero and wrote in the book of impressions: "Serbia honors the Unknown Hero on its first Statehood Day, proud of her past and sure of her future which she has confidently taken into her hands, finally and forever. 28 March 1990. Slobodan Milosevic".

1991

Milosevic spent Statehood Day in Split at the first summit of the six presidents of the Yugoslav republics.

1992

Milosevic didn't mark Statehood Day.

1993

Milosevic didn't mark Statehood Day.

1994

Milosevic placed a wreath on the grave of the Unknown Hero on 28 March and wrote in the book of impressions: "To the glory of Serbia! 28 March 1994, Slobodan Milosevic".

1995

On Statehood Day, 28 March, Milosevic placed a wreath on the grave of the Unknown Hero and wrote in the book of impressions: "For peace and Serbia's progress, to become an equal and successful part of its environment, Europe and the world, a developed and humane society. 28 March 1995, Slobodan Milosevic".