Who'll Dupe Whom

"Those who don't have a falcon are happy with a cuckoo", cited the Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic a national proverb at the election convention of DPS (Democratic Party of Socialists) in Pluzine, as an illustration of his claim that the coalition "National Harmony" is starting to feel fear "so that these days they have started collecting certain 'refuse' parties which are headed by people whom even their next of kin wouldn't follow". He was answered by Novak Kilibarda at the rally held in Bar with the story that he, while still a child, used to combat his fear of darkness with a song, and afterwards concluded that the leaders of "DPS resemble a child who is afraid of the dark, therefore dragging musicians and singers with them all over Montenegro in order to help them combat their fears with songs and music".

Bulatovic, Djukanovic and Svetozar Marovic are everywhere and on every occasion stressing that their victory is a certainty, minimizing the strength of "National Harmony". However, the scope and manner in which they are dealing with "National Harmony" on DPS rallies may be the best illustration of the trepidations and even fear in the top circles of the Montenegrin government. To the people who have heard enough at the past elections on the efforts of DPS to defend peace and the former Yugoslavia are now being presented with the same story from which the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovenians, Croats, mujahedins, ustashas, international plots and similar have been deleted, and the battle for the federal unity of Montenegro and Serbia with "National Harmony" as the greatest threat against peace, progress, integration into the international community and the future as a whole are inserted. "There can be no progress and development in Montenegro unless DPS wins - the party which guarantees safety", is one of the conclusions of the President, Momir Bulatovic. On the other hand, Svetozar Marovic asks himself how can those who stand "for Yugoslavia and against it, for a sovereign Montenegro and against it, those who are for the Serbian Orthodox Church and for the autonomous Montenegrin Church" be together. Those questions are followed by answers provided by those who had posed them, and which predict chaos, desperation, a repetition of the occurrences in Bosnia and similar. Sugar and salt don't mix is the clear message from the DPS rallies. Those who do not believe in this are convinced by the authorities in a different way: DPS activists are giving their citizens the option to put their signatures on a list which acts as proof that they are members or sympathizers of the ruling party. The indecisive ones are told that there are lots of unemployed people and similar.

In any case, by being present at the conventions is the way to express your loyalty to the ruling party. Organized buses brought people to the premier convention in Podgorica. In that way, almost half of the Moraca sports center was filled up, in which around 5000 citizens gathered. If it is known that employees of the government agencies in Podgorica had to have been there, that ten present people were controlled by one plainclothes or uniformed policemen (whose stations were making it impossible to hear the singers and speakers), we then come upon the logical question - how many people had come of their own free will.

The same picture at promotion rallies in other Montenegrin cities. The leading four men are seen everywhere, the whole government, while even the President of the Constitutional Court of Montenegro Blagota Mitric was present at Pluzine to demonstrate, on the spot as his opponents say, the independent of the judiciary system. One of the central figures at the promotions is also the state prosecutor Vladimir Susovic who couldn't restrain himself from answering the cutting accusations of the opposition, primarily of Visnjic's radicals, with an official announcement which was taken as a serious threat in the midst of the election campaign. Otherwise, certain ministers have excelled at defending the government, like Radovan Bakic, who has, in his native Andrijevici, unleashed his fury at the opposition and called all citizens not to gamble with their future.

At the "National Harmony" rallies they remind people of the inferior performance of the DPS government and of the unprecedented theft, and conclude with promises that Bulatovic and Djukanovic shall have fair trials. No organized buses bring people to the rallies and promotions of "National Harmony". Only local citizens appear, whose presence without doubt alarms the DPS government which, at least at the moment, is not helped to a great extent even by the state media, and even less so by certain small parties whose duty is to fire all weapons at "National Harmony".

The glistening DPS promotions could produce a counter-effect at the time when the citizens are emptying their pockets just to buy a loaf of bread. The presence of Claudia Schiffer in Montenegro who has unexpectedly joined the DPS campaign is regarded in the same sense. It was announced that she was to be the promoter for Montenegrin tourism, but at the press conference Schiffer remarked in surprise that she didn't know that there was an election campaign in Montenegro at the moment and that she has arrived here following directions given by her agency for her usual work for which she was well paid. The unexpected arrival of a world diva is connected with the activities of Ratko Knezevic, the newly appointed head of the Montenegrin trade mission in America, who also popped into Milocer. Regardless of that, Claudia neither confirmed nor denied that she was to be the promoter for Montenegrin tourism.

DPS is "relying on its falcons", Bulatovic, Djukanovic, Marovic and Milica Pejanovic-Djurisic, yet it has not closed it's doors to possible coalition partners. "We do not intend to have any relations with large opposition parties", they announced loudly and clearly, yet it is not known whether they will enter into a coalition with JUL. A distinguished Montenegrin, who has agreed to appear on the JUL ballot, is justifying such an act by stating that coalition with DPS is a certainty. It wasn't possible to verify that claim with DPS and it sounds impossible after the latest notes in Mrs. Markovic's diary in which she has rated the activities of one of the leaders of this government as well as the complete economic program of Montenegro more severely than the opposition. It is unlikely that a coalition can exist between water and fire, but nothing is impossible anymore.

A common language, however, was found by the leaders of the five communist parties: SKJ PJ (which refused to join JUL), the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia, CK of Montenegro, the Democratic Party of Communists and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. These parties are to appear on a joint ballot under the name of "Communists of Montenegro".

A coalition was made between SDA and DS, but the Democratic Alliance of Albanians refused to admit the Democratic Union of Albanians, therefore this party shall try for a coalition with SDP of Montenegro, naturally unless Rakcevic's social democrats don't join "National Harmony". Officially, Rakcevic is commencing his promotions under an independent slogan.