The July Showdown

"Gentlemen from the media, this is the only Democratic Action Party so quit the habit of inventing non-existent phantom parties". These words were spoken in Novi Pazar, July 29, where the conference of the Sandzak Democratic Action Party (SDA) was held and the party's fifth anniversary commemorated. The event began with the sounds of the national anthem of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

What the speaker tried to say was that it is not true that there are two factions within the party, and that it is not divided into political currents known as "Ugljanin's" and "Ljaljic's", which can also be defined as "hard" and "soft".

This however was a gathering of Ugljanin's faction, the one which approved of the decision by the party's president Sulejman Ugljanin reached last February to proclaim a state of emergency within the SDA for Sandzak. It was explained at the conference that the president made the right decision, having in mind the fact that the "Serbo- Montenegrin regime" was trying to break SDA and subject it to its own interests. Since the threat is not considered to exist any longer, the state of emergency was removed, and 84 delegates who were present (out of 105 who were invited) unanimously elected various executive bodies, but not the party president. There were no real surprises, unless we count as a surprise the fact that Cazim Lukac, who is himself loyal to the president managed to get 3 out of 83 votes. The old president received the rest.

The voting achieved one of the goals of the conference. The loyalty to the president, who spent the past three years in Turkey where he escaped from the Serbian authorities who hold him responsible for the organized arming of his compatriots from Sandzak, was confirmed. His used up charisma was thus at least partially revived.

The revival of the old political platform and the new mandate of the old president can be considered the only achievements of the conference in Novi Pazar. As far as the speaker at the beginning of the article is concerned- and his attempt to demonstrate existence of one SDA, there is still work to be done.

Although the party's general secretary Rasim Ljajic who broke away from president Ugljanin, was mentioned only once by name, the shadow of division loomed over the meeting on Saturday.

It was technically a very well organized gathering, without going over the top in terms of the set design- a portrait of Ugljanin and a party flag. Nonetheless it was a meeting held in a cramp, intended to demonstrate immediately and on the spot the legitimacy, which did not go as smoothly as the election of the party leader. Boba Tonkovic, the president of the Democratic Union of Croats from Vojvodina, who was the only guest outside the Muslim corps, was certainly not the kind of person who could contribute to the significance of the gathering. The diplomatic missions and international organizations stationed in Belgrade sent courteously worded telegrams stating the reasons why they can not attend. The blood of the delegates was warmed by telegrams from Bosnia- Herzegovina: from the Bosnian embassy in Germany, Mayor of Sarajevo Taric Kupusovic, Bosnian SDA, and finally Sulejman Ugljanin who announced that "this act presents the beginning of the final affirmative phase on the road to final success which is certainly very close".

However the key words of support were missing. Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, whose support and affection both factions of the divided party eagerly await, did not voice his opinion. The support of Izetbegovic who presents an authority for most Muslims from Sandzak would finally solve the dispute over who has the only legitimate right to represent their political and national interests.

The interest in national politics decreased amongst the general population. At the festive commemoration of the party's fifth anniversary people were more indifferent than last year, when the fourth anniversary was commemorated, and this time there were more empty seats in the hall.

In April this year, the same hall was filled to the last seat when Mirjana Markovic visited Sandzak to promote her party- the United Left of Serbia (JUL). The presence of JUL in Sandzak is strong. Some fear it, some undermine it, but it is on almost everybody's mind. Branislav Ivanovic, president of the regional committee of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) for Raska, Novi Pazar and Tutin, sees in JUL's presence an attempt by the regime to find a way to approach the Muslims. "They are redirecting their forces and are advancing in different directions. JUL is moving towards the Muslims so that the Socialist party could maintain the image of a national party". Ivanovic estimates that the chances of a left wing option in Sandzak are pretty weak. Salih Pistevac, member of JUL's district leadership in Novi Pazar requested questions from journalists in advance and in writing. Salih says that he had been "bitten by snakes in the past" and that he dares not communicate otherwise. He of course thinks that the Left has a chance in Sandzak. Such a conclusion is enforced by the fact that pictures of Josip Broz Tito still hang in most privately owned shops in Novi Pazar. "What have those who came after him created: five dwarf- states", one of the salesmen standing under a portrait of Tito told us angrily. "Too much blood has been spilt". This man says that he cried when he heard Yugoslav national anthem at the promotion of JUL. His eyes were moist while he spoke about it.

"I am not sure whether they have a chance", a taxi driver told us. People like what they are saying but are worried that they will be conned in the end. This taxi driver, when emphasizing how good something is uses the word "catastrophe". He does the same when talking about inter-ethnic relations: "Serbs and Muslims are getting on very well here. They are getting on great. Catastrophe!"