Protocol

Another victory of war has come just in the nick of time when all the cards opened to let us into the 21st century. This victory was expected for two years, the time it took to redecorate the Valjevo (Central Serbia) post office but the success was celebrated in style. According to protocol. Even the Serbian post office protocol chief Milorad Jaksic came there in person to pick the girls who should greet and welcome guests. The working celebration could begin in the presence of republican traffic minister Aleksa Jokic, Jaksic, the minister's deputies and assistants, parliament members, management board members, several mayors, businessmen, police and army representatives. In that order and everyone with their associates. On behalf of the huge success, Jaksic gave the orphans home a check for 10,000 dinars. Then all the guests and their associates went off to have a good time at the Grand hotel whose performance was overseen by Jaksic.

The postmen were generous to the orphans and decided to spare no expense for themselves. The festivities lasted till six the next morning and the bill stood at 70,000 dinars. After a bill of that size postal links will communicate or disappear.

Laureates

As VREME reported, Tanjug's traditional award for the best photograph of 1995 went to Nasa Borba photographer Nenad Stojanovic's Road. Naturally, the Serbian state TV showed an interest in the award by the "kindred" news agency but the morning show did not include Stojanovic or second placed Ranko Cukovic (the army press center in Banja Luka) but did feature Vecernje Novosti's photographer who won third prize. The innocent young anchor was obviously at a loss: how could she explain why the third placed photographer is there without the men who won the first two prizes. She didn't say that Vecernje Novosti are politically suitable while Nasa Borba isn't. Perhaps her editor helped her think up a reason: the first two photographs are of refugees, i.e. the topic is war, while the third celebrates peace. So push the third placed photo forward. Who said that Serbia was at war, anyway.

Concert

Start from the end: on January 26 a big rock concert was held in Belgrade Pionir sports hall in front of at least 7,000. The acts included all the groups and singers that make up rock 'n' roll in Belgrade. Everything would have been OK if the Young Socialists hadn't spoken up all of a sudden (they were ending their consultations at the time) and said they had organized the concert.

Musicians said they had been told the concert was to mark the anniversary of a popular Radio Belgrade show. It turned out that it wasn't a celebration but that Adria agency and the sponsors (Radio S, the RTS, Student newspaper) were fronts for the Young Socialists who proudly strutted around the sports hall with huge SPS badges. Regime media said "young people had a good time, dancing and singing" as part of the SPS youth program.

Most of the bands told VREME that they would never have come if they had known who had organized the concert. On the other hand, the Young Socialists haven't commented events after the concert, obviously happy at the way they used Belgrade rockers.

Arrest

One of the few surviving criminals portrayed in the movie See You In The Obituaries, Kristijan Golubovic was arrested last week in Athens on robbery charges. Two years ago he fled to Greece amid the wave of killings in the Belgrade underground.

Like many others, now dead Belgrade criminals, Golubovic claimed the Serbian police had drawn up a list of people to kill which included most prominent underworld figures.

Killing Off Parishes

Banja Luka Archbishop Franjo Komarica accused the Croat Defence Force (HVO) of forcing Croat families to leave western Bosnia, radio Sarajevo reported. In a letter to Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Komarica said political and military HVO members ordered 100 Croat families out of the village of Majdan, near Mrkonjic Grad by January 27. He condemned the practice and reminded Granic of his promise to do everything to prevent the departure of the last Catholics from Bosnia and the dying of their parishes.

Tuzla, Sarajevo Residents in Belgrade

Members of the Tuzla Residents Forum and Circle 99 (independent intellectuals) from Sarajevo will come to Belgrade on February 1-10 as well as other cities in Serbia and Montenegro. The 12-member delegation will visit Belgrade Living In Sarajevo group, the multi-national association of Bosnians, the Women In Black, Center for Anti-War Action, Cultural Decontamination Center, Helsinki Human Rights committee, Nezavisnost union, independent media and Bosnian refugees. They will also talk to the Serbian Civil Alliance, Serbian Renewal Movement and New Democracy. They will speak at meetings of the Belgrade Circle on February 3 and 10, and take part in a round table on February 8 and hold a press conference at the International Press Center on February 9.

The Cultural Decontamination Center will host the Sarajevo-Tuzla exhibition on February 3. The Bosnians will also visit Subotica, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Novi Pazar, Podgorica and Cetinje.

Blaskic in the Hague

The decision by the Croatian authorities to hand over General Tihomir Blaskic is in accord with the Dayton agreement, the International War Crimes Tribunal said in a statement. Tribunal spokesman Christian Chartier, quoted Croatian media reports that Croatia's deputy Prime Minister said Blaskic, commander of the HVO, will be handed over.

He said the Tribunal has no formal confirmation but added that he has no doubts about the report since it is in accord with earlier Croatian statements and the Dayton agreement.

Chartier said the decision by the Yugoslav authorities to open Tribunal offices in Belgrade resulted from talks Tribunal president Antonio Cassese had in Belgrade. Chief prosecutor Richard Goldstone welcomed Belgrade's decision and voiced hope that this is just the first step. He added that the Tribunal expects Dejan Mihov, liaison officer, to get a visa soon.

I Recognize Only the Hague Tribunal

Major General Nikola Mladenic, now serving a 10 year prison sentence in Lepoglava, Croatia, wants to be tried by the Hague Tribunal. Split-based Feral Tribune weekly reported that Mladenic was deputy commander of the naval district for civilian affairs and negotiator with the Split crisis command when the Yugoslav National Army was in Croatia. In his letter from prison where the Croatian authorities put him, he called the Tribunal to judge him and warned that he returned to Croatia voluntarily from Montenegro after retiring. He said that he refused to be exchanged for captured Croatian troops and that the sentence was passed based on the biased testimony of Admiral Sveto Letica.

Airing the Sports Center In Kula

From St., Sava to Wednesday, January 31, 130 Krajina Serb refugees were moved out of the sports center in Kula where they found refuge six months ago.

After living in impossible conditions, including no heat on weekends and modest meals in a restaurant a kilometer away, they face a new exodus. Most of the 130 are children, women and mainly sick old people. They grouped around family and relatives in the sports center trying to create a semblance of their old environment.

On St. Sava they were offered housing in various places, mainly reception centers in Kosovo and the Sandzak and about 20 of them accepted. The rest left to stay with family and friends in groups in other refugee centers in Vojvodina.

The Kula center is being hurriedly cleaned and disinfected.