Yugoslavia to Karlovac and Virovitica

Cosic to Jovic: "There is no force that can unite us."

Plans of the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) for a military coup; Slobodan read and at the end inquired whether the Army shall protect the government in Serbia; How Cosic and Milosevic were plotting to leave out Slovenia and Croatia (without the Krajinas); Strike the Slovenians forcefully and back off to the borders of the future Yugoslavia: Karlovac, Plitvice, Osijek, Vinkovci, Neretva

Borisav Jovic has published his diary which he kept during the period May 15 1989 through June 8 1992, while he was a member of the Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ). Titled "The Last Days Of SFRJ", he chronologically publishes a number of plastic details on the decision-making technology in the Serbian government, his conversations with Milosevic and Kadijevic, endless prolonging and quarrels in the Presidency of the time, the constitutional conflicts, interventions in Kosovo, Croatian and Slovenian separatism, conflicts of Serbia - Slovenia, the Spegelj scandal, the Army's intentions to organize a military coup, plans for cutting up Croatia, the war, mobilization and disorganization. It's a thriller which confirms from inside what some of us managed to see from the outside. If you failed to believe VREME, you'll believe Jovic.

The News Digest Agency publishes in this issue Petar Lukovic's reactions to a certain item of interest from the diary. The most interesting parts of the diary shall be translated into English and can be ordered from the News Digest Agency. The number of copies is limited!

Dr. Borisav Jovic, journalist

What the President of the Presidency of the SFRY of the time wrote in Politika under the initials S.L. about Ante Markovic

"I wrote a series of articles 'The Truth About Ante Markovic' and forwarded them to Slobodan. They shall be published on the 5th, 6th and 7th of August in installments under someone's pseudonym. We have to uncover him, because the people are gravely mistaken about who he is and what he is."

This is what Dr. Borisav Jovic notes in his diary on August 2, 1990; and really - Politika did in three installments (August 5, 6 and 7 as Dr. Borisav promised) publish his text entitled: "The Reformer With a Short Memory", "Against Yugoslavia By a Veto", "Holding Back on His Ustasha Days". That is how we, finally, found out that the former President of the Presidency of SFRY dabbled in journalism, we found out that he forwarded his own texts to Slobodan (Milosevic) who, later, distributed them To The Right Place, finally, we found out that Dr. Borisav's signature were the initials S.L., which could be interpreted as Official Person (Sluzbeno Lice) or Slobodan Personally (Slobodan Licno).

FIRST ARTICLE: The series of articles on the criminal activities of Ante Markovic, were joined by Jovic the journalist under a common sub-title - "Facts and Reminders: Who Was Really for Reform Changes in the Country". Trying to answer this delicate question, Dr. Borisav philosophically warns at the very beginning:

"We use this occasion to remind you of just some facts which speak of Ante Markovic as being either a person who adorns himself with someone else's feathers or who accepts other people's credits as his own. His case shows that it is not sufficient in life to be ambitious and hard working. A lot more than that is required."

What things in life are needed besides ambition and hard work was not specified by Dr. Jovic; he most likely jealously kept the secret of success to himself. However, he disclosed the following things to the readers of Politika: "Ever since he started heading the Federal Executive Council (SIV) in the spring of 1989, until late fall, Ante Markovic persistently refused any possibilities for a hasty inflation cut-down... That is how Ante Markovic brought us to a galloping inflation of 2.600 percent... The Presidency of SFRJ had, on two occasions, towards the middle of 1989 and in the fall of the same year, demanded of SIV an energetic cut-down of inflation. Ante Markovic remained silent, but remained firm in his stand."

Jovic the journalist continues his writing and states how the Presidency of SFRJ (whose President, behold, is Jovic himself) "bypassing the wishes, and even the consent of SIV, called as their guest an American professor, Jeffrey Saks, who spent seven days in Belgrade and gave his appraisal of the situation as well as a proposal of a program for decreasing inflation."

How did SIV come to accept that program?

"That program was gladly accepted by SIV which proclaimed it as their own."

Who does Ante Markovic listen to?

"It seems as though Ante Markovic listens to himself only."

What did the Presidency then say in Borisav Jovic's paper?

"The Presidency of SFRJ, in Borisav Jovic's paper, read in the SFRJ Parliament on May 28 of this year, said that the most important steps for the future program of economic reforms is to stop the recession and insure economic growth."

That is how Borisav Jovic the journalist in his first installation modestly looked for verbal support to the President of the Presidency of SFRJ, Borisav Jovic; every man for himself.

SECOND ARTICLE: Twenty-four hours later, Jovic's new article is published in Politika - this time centered on Ante Markovic's career. For example: "With the help of Milka Planinc, Markovic managed to make the National Bank of Yugoslavia clear Croatian foreign debts as high as 800 million US Dollars... Ante Markovic was a forceful advocate of the system with nine national banks (which no country in the world has) and a divided tax system."

The journalist/President Jovic concludes: "Who forced whom towards reforms is quite clear. As whose program is implemented is quite clear. We only need to read all the items of the Committee for Reforms of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Serbia and the Communist League (SK) of Serbia and compare them to the stands of the SK of Croatia, whose member he, Ante Markovic, was (and probably still is) and which he crucially influenced, for it to become clear where whose roots lie and what whose interests are."

And was Ante Markovic in the first lines of combat for changes?

"Ante Markovic was never in the first lines of combat for changes."

How did Ante Markovic make use of his moment?

"Ante Markovic, as an inter-republic compromise man, always hungry for success and power, knew how to make use of his moment well."

But...?

"But, if he knew how to use it, he must know that the orientation towards reforms matured for a decade and that he wasn't the one who created it."

THIRD ARTICLE: The last installation of his written session was dedicated by Jovic the journalist to the political, that is anti-Serbian activities of Ante Markovic. Precisely: "All his deeds work in accord with the strivings of Croatia and Slovenia to, little by little, achieve a confederal position in Yugoslavia and to realistically, in an unconstitutional manner change it's constitutional system... His relation towards separatistic tendencies is very obvious when dealing with the Kosovo issue... It wasn't so long ago when he turned with all his forces on a purely political declaration of the Socialist Alliance of Working People (SSRN) of Serbia on the break of all economic relations with Slovenia, even though, in a formal-legislative way, neither the Constitution nor legislation were involved."

The finale of Jovic's last article states the following: "The Serbian people easily uncover not only those who work against their historical interests, but also those who, mildly put, support them."

Therefore, that is what Dr. Borisav Jovic wrote five years ago, as Politika's anonymous contributor.

 

Tennis

In March of 1991 no one understood the accusations that the demonstrations in Belgrade were run from a certain tennis court.

Now it is possible to decode that sentence:

February 27, 1991

(...)

Pera Gracanin informs me that the Austrian Ambassador in Belgrade has accepted a "tennis match" for March 9 of this year in Ljubljana at which a whole bunch of leading figures will take part from Slovenia, Croatia, Austria and - Macedonia (!). One leading figure next to the other (Kucan, Tudjman, Racan, Mesic, Drnovsek, the Austrian Ambassador and some others from Austria) and - imagine - Tupurkovski! The Macedonians have definitely turned against Yugoslavia. Tennis, what a laugh! They are coming to an agreement for the collapse of Yugoslavia.