Issue 283 - March 8, 1997

Eighteen months following Dayton, Milosevic suddenly remembered how apt it would be to rebuild relations with Republika Srpska

"We are talking about a different evaluation of the situation in Serbia, the quality of the government and the technology of rule. I believe things don't stand too well there"

Why did Washington wait four whole days before saying anything is the only mystery after the signing of the agreement on special relations between the FRY and Bosnian Serb Republic (RS) in Belgrade on February 28. The answer to that question might hide the key to the puzzle which is bothering the Serbian opposition: who in the West still wants Milosevic as the main figure in Belgrade?

The scene at the Belgrade university (BU) rectorate building was unrealistic: Professor Dragutin Velickovic, the rector who thousands of students turned their backs on 100 days ago, whose resignation has been demanded in writing by 3,400 BU teachers, 28 of the 30 university colleges and all eight institutes, and who was finally dismissed by the BU assembly, finally spoke out to demand the dismissal of his deputy, the protector, 13 deans and the directors of all eight institutes.

NIN's independent union has set a strike date for March 10, citing the reason as the replacement of the editor in chief, Dusan Velickovic.

"I will put forward a proposal that our town, Nis, should comprise of five municipalities. We would thus solve the problem of redundant workers who should become Nis citizens and private entrepreneurs rather than social welfare cases," said Zoran Zivkovic, the Nis city mayor.

"The market is generally divided into winners and losers. However, this classification does not result from market competition, but is derived from the gained privileges"

Assembling the broken pieces between Belgrade and Tel Aviv

"We cooperated with a government which was not very friendly but we managed to get good things for the city because we were protected by the law"