The Muddied River Moraca

Does this mean that cleanup at the top can no longer be done in party meetings? Everyone interprets the dramatic conclusion of the Head Committee meeting of the Democratic Socialist Party in their own way. DPS and Montenegro are divided, and opinion suggests that the Djukanovic opposition is largely broken up and to all intents and purposes leaderless. Pray to God that both leader and party be carried away by the muddied River Moraca.

The last meeting of the Head Committee of DPS is barely concluded, as President Bulatovic is refusing to open discussions on two concluding questions, his and the one formulated by Svetozar Marovic in the name of the opposition. Bulatovic is confronted by the reality that the majority he had at the March 24 meeting no longer exists. "Sveto and Milo aren't going to prop up no Bulatovic," states a Montenegrin source for "Vreme". The requests for resignations are being narrowed down to the resignation of the Head of SDB (Montenegrin Intelligence), Vukasin Maras. Minister of Police Filip Vujanovic is accusing Bulatovic of undermining Montenegro’s security as well as its Constitution.

According to our sources, President Bulatovic took Djukanovic to account for his role in the freeing of the hostage ships: "It's not your job; it’s for Slobodan Milosevic". And when the Prime minister returned from Greece, he was reportedly upbraided: "It's not your job to be putting Montenegro in the red". The meeting took an ugly turn when President Bulatovic suggested to Djukanovic and Marovic that not only can he not stand them politically, but also personally. After a debate in which Djukanovic told Bulatovic that he did not need the support of Belgrade, resolutions were adopted which were supposed to keep the public at bay. Bulatovic’s camp took account of a mass exodus to Djukanovic’s camp in which Bulatovic feels most hurt, according to our sources, by the change of heart of Milica Pejanovic-Djurisic, the third Party Vice President, and also, one assumes, by that of Predrag Bulatovic.

In the "Nedeljni Telegraf" interview, Djukanovic did not elaborate on his conflict with Bulatovic beyond saying that the political differences between them have been "packed away and hidden under common interests", which the voters recognized with their support more than once. "Essentially there are virtually no differences between myself and Bulatovic, even on the question of implementation of the elected programs of DPS; however, differences cropped up and escalated with the question of the constitutionality and opportunism of GO DPS, and its President’s Party reshuffling". As he states, Djukanovic does not wish to accept that anyone, even the President of the Republic, unconstitutionally usurp the power of the Government and its Prime Minister, because such steps would, in his opinion, create an autocratic regime with extra-institutional powers.

Djukanovic has revealed that talks on this question between him and Bulatovic have lasted for some time, and that Bulatovic, convinced that Djukanovic would refuse orders, called on the Party for support. Firmly resolved to prove that he is not "the British Queen", but a President who has the power to force resignations, Bulatovic was counting on the support of the Party. He announced that in the interest of calming the waters he will restructure the party, taking care not to cut the branch on which he is sitting, and making efforts to undertake restructuring that is in the interest of solving bigger problems in Montenegro, rather than being based on mere whim. On top of that, he categorically denies wanting to replace Vukasin Maras (that is a question to be decided by the Government, which is pleased with his work so far). Djukanovic suggested this even before the release of the Report by the Government Committee entrusted with examining "with due speed" the workings of SDB, and before the restructuring of the DB Service and the Republican President’s insistence on the submission of the Government Committee and the Parliamentary Council. Could this lead to the ultimate break-up of DPS, given that the two allies of President Bulatovic have already suggested that at the last meeting of party's GO?

Djukanovic does not fear the intervention of the Yugoslav Army, which was suggested by some press reports, stating that "playing war in Montenegro with the Army is tantamount to insanity". The question, however, is whether he is taking into account the growing impatience of workers and unions who are planing strikes in Podgorica, on Thursday, April 24, at a minute before twelve. The Unions are asking that the Government pay out the promised winter subsidies, transportation vouchers, and back pay, and that it fulfill a host of other promises. They are willing to wait three more months, after which period, if their demands are not met, they will begin an initiative for calling a new elections. The same unions supported Djukanovic in March when he was working on speedily improving international relations and securing foreign capital for stimulating industrial production.

Information from Bulatovic’s camp suggests that he is trying to pick up from where he left off in the last meeting of GO, by carefully collecting information on the financial business dealings of his political rivals. The state media in Serbia have long been involved in such fact-finding. We also learned that Bulatovic’s direct line to Belgrade is not operating well lately: Milosevic is especially angry with Bulatovic following the unsuccessful excursion to Athens. "He’s not in at the moment; could you leave a message", is the most frequent answer Bulatovic gets when calling Milosevic, according to our sources.

To the news from Washington that the freeing of Montenegrin ships is contingent with the result of the conflict between Milo Djukanovic and Slobodan Milosevic, who is seeking to bring Montenegro under control, he reacted by citing the official press release from the Bureau of Information: "The USA Finance Department, responsible for the management of foreign property, stated in an official Government journal that the ships ‘Moslavina’, ‘Zeta’, ‘Lovcen’, ‘Durmitor’ and ‘Bar’ will be taken off the list of captive ships on May 19, 1997. With this decision by the American Administration, the registry of the ‘outer wall’ of sanctions against SRY will for the first time be modified".

In spite of Belgrade’s obstruction with stories about criminal activity, Djukanovic has apparently become a very frequent guest of foreign capitals. It is difficult to divine how much his conflict with the conjugal couple Milosevic, and how much his reformist course have to do with this.

While the conflict persists, Djukanovic is investigating the costs of highway construction from Montenegro to Belgrade, which is scheduled to begin this year.