Issue 123 - January 31, 1994

After the second round of elections, Mile Martic, has finally become the President of Krajina. If he hadn't won this time, he would havein the third, fourth or fifth round. This is why there are no complaints as to irregularities. There are, however, greetings and congratulations. Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic sent their greetings. Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's envoys who rooted wholeheartedly for Krajina's former Minister of Police during promotional visits in villages and on Radio Television Serbia, can rest awhile now. Croatian President Franjo Tudjman can also relax.

Citing a very highly placed source, the Zagrebbased weekly ``Globus'' claimed that Croatian President Franjo Tudjman suggested that Parliamentary Speaker Stipe Mesic resign, but the latter refused to comply

By entering into negotiations with the 3D (the three opposition parties of democratic orientation: the Democratic PartyDS, the Democratic Party of SerbiaDSS and the Democratic Movement of SerbiaDEPOS), Milosevic's ruling Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) did something which annulled the 3D's fragile agreement with Vojislav Seselj's Radical Party of Serbia (SRS), even without any proof that they really wished to reach an agreement

Dealers have disappeared from Belgrade streets. Their job has been taken over by the state.

It is easy to notice that the business banks have met the implementation of the program of "the reconstruction of the monetary system'' with fear and without exultation. They are expected to play a crucial role in return of the hard currency capital in the central bank, take the first blow of the insolvent economy and pull it out of the standstill. Too many tasks for the Yugoslav business banks, which have been completely devastated by the economic policy over the years.

"The road of salt and corn'' is a humanitarian attempt at bringing food to the starving inhabitants of Tuzla and Posavina

Three and a half years ago, in an Adriatic summer resort, eighteen year old Bakir, A Muslim from Sarajevo, met Natasa, a Serb from Belgrade. They fell in love. Then she left to study abroad, and he went to do his military service in the Yugoslav people's army. The war broke out, and was caught in the fighting in Vukovar. Upon his return home, Bakir was stuck in the part of Sarajevo controlled by Serb forces, quite close to the front. These are the excerpts of the letters which Bakir sent Natasa's mother in Belgrade between July and November last year. The letters stopped arriving afterwards. Some names have been changed, but everything else is authentic. All efforts to find out whether Bakir is still alive or where he is today have so far been futile.

Rajko Jelusic, the Judge of the Military Court in Belgrade, has decided not to allow the exhumation of the body of soldier Srdjan Djeric who, according to the official report, was killed on the training ground of the garrison in Subotica last May. The judge has also refused to initiate the investigation to establish why Srdjan's parents happened to receive two certificates for their son's death (according to one, he died in Subotica, and according to the other, in Belgrade).

Years of isolation and banishment from the international community have cost Yugoslavia several score diplomatic posts, from Washington to Tokyo. The majority of world capitals with which the former Socialist Yugoslavia had maintained diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level, have now been reduced to Charge D'Affaires. The staff has, logically, also been reduced.

Bosnian refugees in Serbia capable of military service, permanently afraid of the long hand of their fatherland, are now starting to panic. In the last few weeks, many potential fighters have received slips from Defense Ministry of the Serb Republic in BH, reminding them that it is their turn to fulfill their patriotic duty. They were asked to immediately report to the nearest military district or the Yugoslav army barracks, in Zajecar, Novi Pazar or Belgrade, so that they could do their service in the Army of the Serb Republic in BH.