The 41st Annual Books Fair

A 19th century Russian writer, Chernyshevsky, once wondered what was more important to a man: Shakespeare or sausages ? The question whether real or spiritual food is dominant in a country whose population has had periods in which it lacked one, the other or both could stir some interesting debates. Serbia, however, is another matter. That is quite apparent from what can be seen at the 41st annual Belgrade book fair, ceremoniously opened on Tuesday, October 22. There are plenty of new books, considerably cheaper than in the city's book shops, but there is no shortage of sausages either, sold at "discount prices"- some 30 percent higher than in town.

Shakespeare was also mentioned by Ognjen Lakicevic, the managing director of the Yugoslav publishers' association, who opened the fair with an appropriate speech. The ceremonial part of the opening was entrusted to Vladimir Volkov, a French writer of Russian origin whose inspired speech proved that only "ascertained allies of the Serbian nation" are eligible for such honors.

Disagreements about an agreement

The Macedonian parliament has ratified a trade agreement with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia without consulting the authorized foreign policy committee. Members of the committee sharply criticized the government for allowing the implementation of the agreement before it was made official by the highest legislative body. Prime minister Branko Crvenkovski's cabinet was scorned for "subjecting law to common politics" and "violating the constitutional order". Among the critics were members of the ruling party, the SDSM. When the committee was given one of the documents related to the disputed agreement, two of its members from the opposition Liberal party angrily abandoned the meeting because the document was in Serbian. Their act resulted in no quorum for approving or disapproving the trade agreement. However, no one found a single objection to the agreement nor was its implementation opposed by any of the deputies at the subsequent parliamentary session.

Public Transport

Boris Burden should thank heaven that his book "The Barricade" did reach this year's annual Belgrade Fair on time. Thirty copies were being transported in a public bus crammed with nervous passengers. When the courier tried to find his way out he was intercepted by a tough old lady who accused him of stealing her white plastic bag. The unfortunate lad tried to explain he was carrying books, but the old lady refused to part with the big white bag until another one was somehow found under one of the seats. She apologized to the courier who got past the unlikely barricade to reach the fair on time.

Safari

Citizens looking for entertainment, sport and recreation have something to look forward to - says the daily Vecernje Novosti. The monthly Kalibar and the "Safari Club" of Nis have launched a rally involving shooting, a sport which - as the daily puts it - "is quite popular in America and Europe and stands to gain many supporters in Yugoslavia".

Assistance is expected from the Nis municipal assembly, special army and police forces, paratroopers, Belgrade police SQUAT teams, anti-terrorist units, commandos and civilian volunteers. The safari rally should become international next year and an annual event if all goes according to plan.

A step into the 22nd century

Mihalj Kertes, a member of the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) in charge of the Federal Customs department won the Backa Palanka annual October award by a landslide. The ingenious Kertes was given the award for beating the deadline for a project called "Backa Palanka - a step into the new century".

Speaking about Kertes's "charitable mind and deeds" materialized in a number of "infrastructural objects", the Backa Palanka mayor Ljubomir Novakovic said the project was worth no less than 250 million dinars. The triumphant Kertes pointed out the speed with which the project was completed and promised in revolutionary fashion that all future goals, whatever they are, will be accomplished "and more" before they are even set. "We have gone ahead of plan, but we must go even further", he told his admiring supporters after receiving the award.

Over the Top

The managing director of the Tamnava - Zapadno Polje mining basin, Milovan Zunic, is among the winners of this year's Belgrade October awards. Zunic, who also happens to be a socialist deputy in the republican parliament and the chairman of the SPS in Lazarevac, received the award for his contribution to the opening of the basin, coal mining and production plant in Tamnava - Zapadno polje.

However, it seems that Zunic was credited with other things which helped him win the award. Lazarevac was the first town with membership in the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia running into four figures, and this fact was revealed by Zunic with some pride. Employment in the basin was conditioned on membership in the ruling party, and the unemployed population didn't need a second invitation. When asked whether there was any relation between employment in the basin and party membership, Zunic said the entire issue rested on "the fact that the SPS had a lot to offer".

The Zunic-led town of Lazarevac has thus climbed the ladder of success in tremendous fashion - it has left behind New Belgrade, not to mention the villages of Cicevci and Leposavici, in the number of SPS members per capita.