Jovan Zebic, Deputy PM for Life in Various Socialist Governments

There are three key reasons: first, London papers have allegedly discovered that his name was written in the form as Director during the registration of the firm Meta Trading Ltd, with the remark that his profession is "Finance Minister of Serbia-Yugoslavia". This firm, one of the many owned by Mr. Zoran Tancic (and derived from the local firm Jugometal) is suspected of making donations to the British Conservatives during the sanctions; second, he replaced Governor Avramovic as the co-ordinator of all Yugoslavia's talks on reviving co-operation with international financial institutions and succession of ex-Yugoslavia's property; and, third, he began dying his grey hair at the moment he began fighting Avramovic, prompting Democratic Party leader Zoran Djindjic to remark he was being made-up for new Governor.

Is there a connection among these three reasons?

Zebic himself might think there is. For, during his polemic with Governor Avramovic in the Yugoslav Parliament, he raised the classical first question every "conspiracy theory" proponent does: "We don't know now under whose influence the Governor is working, giving precedence to Croatia's and Slovenia's interests over Yugoslavia's, halting the process in London". Maybe these "secret forces" behind the ex-Governor are now paying him back? The hair-dying problem remains, for he seems to have forgotten to wash it after his secret mission in London, where he traded state reserve metal instead of Mr. Nikola Sainovic.

Who is Jovan Zebic?

Born in Runjane, near Loznica in 1939. Graduated from the Belgrade College of Economy in 1964. Began his clerk career in the Federal Economic Secretariat, rose to head of Economic Department of the Belgrade Stari Grad municipality (1978-1985). He has since always been in the upper echelons, but never the "first". First a deputy Governor of the Serbian National Bank, under late Governor Borislav Atanackovic, then a Serbian minister in the governments of Desimir Jevtic and Stanko Radmilovic, deputy Prime Minister in the governments of Dr. Dragutin Zelenkovic, Dr. Radoman Bozovic and Nikola Sainovic, and now a deputy Prime Minister in Radoje Kontic's Federal Government. One of the 185 members of the Socialist Party's Main Board.

His references, and reasons why were they unknown to the public? Became famous when he "took over the monetary system" of ex-Yugoslav PM Ante Markovic in late 1990 together with Borislav Atanackovic and Nikola Stanic, helping Serbia seize 1.5 billion dollars worth of dinars. So far he was considered merely a lever, because his career seems to consist only of following other people's orders. On the eve of the 1993 hyper-inflation, for instance, he was sitting next to Kontic and saying a shock inflation therapy was a ridiculous adventure; several weeks before Avramovic's Revival Program was launched, he "edited" another "controlled inflation program" at the Federal Economic Council. He later fervently supported monetary shock-therapy, defending the Program from those who were criticising and undermining it.

However, as soon as he "replaced" Dr. Avramovic in talks with IMF and on succession, he began writing platforms on continuity (for Paris), ripping up National Bank delegation's travel orders (to New York), and saying he would take part in the talks only when they were elevated to a high level:

So far, he took over only after high-level talks.

Can Zebic continue representing Yugoslavia in international talks even after the London scandal?

Of course he can, because it will be proven after a while that he had been a victim of a special war against Serbia, while his very appointment as co-ordinator of these talks shows how urgent the matter is and how Yugoslavia's reintegration in the world will be "gradual". Anyway, there he was on Monday, opening a number of fair shows in Leskovac at once (Metsem '96). He is probably more concerned by the fact that Mirko Marjanovic did not include him in the Socialist Party's 30-member Economic Council recently. Although, he has finally linked his ministerial and directorial posts through metal, albeit in an unclear scandal.