Unification of the Two Ruling Parties of Serbia and Montenegro?

The fact that Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) general-secretary Milomir Minic persistently claims that "all conditions have been met for the integration" of the ruling parties of Montenegro and Serbia, while Svetozar Marovic, general-secretary of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and several members of the DPS top leadership insist on denying that such a possibility had even been discussed, not only annuls the jointly-worded conclusion that "all misunderstandings which had existed between the two parties in the past have been removed", but seems to indicate that new, fiercer conflicts are about to break out. In the long run this could result in new cracks in the foundations of the joint state.

A dress rehearsal of the Podgorica episode took place some ten days earlier at a press conference held by the Young Socialists in Belgrade. In the presence of SPS vice-president Goran Percevic, it was announced that SPS and Young Socialist branches would be opened in the Serb Krajinas and Montenegro. An integration with the DPS was also announced. This information shocked the public, and led a top DPS official to say that the matter referred to "unrealistic and idle wishes, and a calculated, but politically unacceptable goal for us". The talks in Podgorica had been initiated by the DPS with the aim of discussing improvements of the federal parliament's work. They were held behind closed doors, and during recess, a statement was issued and a press conference held. The statement signed by both public relations sectors says: "There are exceptionally good conditions and a readiness by the leaderships to seek and set up forms of integration between the two parties and in this regard, concrete solutions have been proposed". When Minic brought up the integration of the two parties, Marovic cautioned that the matter was not one of integration, but a seeking of forms of cooperation. Minic agreed with this. The public was informed of the efforts being made by the two parties at uniting the Left in the country in the face of an onslaught by the Right. Talks in Belgrade were announced. However, at the press conference in Belgrade, Minic reiterated that integration was a fait accompli, and that "it was expected that a committee which would work out the organizational problems concerning integration would be set up the following week". Member of the DPS main committee secretariat Predrag Bulatovic replied from Podgorica, saying that there had been no talks of integration between the two parties, only of strengthening the Left in Yugoslavia".

"The issue pertains to forms of cooperation aimed at integrating the two parties' political actions, since they define themselves as democratically-Left oriented parties, fighting for social justice and democratic socialism, and not the founding of some new party," said Bulatovic. He claims that it is logical that the DPS and SPS should have initiated such an idea, as regardless of similarities, the two parties differ on the issues of private property and ownership transformation. Bulatovic goes on to say that cooperation and a coordination of views are dictated by a "mutual wish for preserving the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a union of republics enjoying equal rights".

The idea of creating a single party under Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's control is nothing new. The DPS leadership in Montenegro was threatened with a new party last year, ahead of elections.

A DPS official talking to VREME claimed that: "The SPS leadership came with a ready proposal for the founding of the Socialist Party of Yugoslavia, something we would never agree to, since we believe that this would be the fulfillment of all of Belgrade's wishes which it had failed to achieve so far. We do not want to allow the centralization of party authority, as this would inevitably lead to the creation of parties along the line of the former League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ), trends towards a unitary state, and the creation of a stronger federation in which Montenegro and its attributes of statehood would disappear. We keep repeating, and the people decided by referendum, that a joint state of totally equal members is our lasting commitment, and that nothing else will be taken into consideration."

The crucial question is whether this is an attempt at disciplining the authorities in Podgorica. Some find the key to this claim in a statement by Percevic, who said that the founding of a Socialist Party of Yugoslavia "was a big step towards the country's stabilization, one which gave the lie to stories and speculation regarding Montenegro's secession." If this statement is regarded within the context of accusations levelled against the Montenegrin authorities of being hand in glove with secessionists, and of conducting a secessionist policy, including the fact that they put Italian macaroni before the fate of the Serbian people, then it is realistic to expect that if the DPS remains firm in rejecting integration or unification, that a series of serious new problems will arise.