[ALBSA-Info] Milosevic concedes but wants to stay in politics

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Milosevic concedes but wants to stay in politics

By Philippa Fletcher

BELGRADE, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Slobodan Milosevic, who presided over the 
destruction of Yugoslavia, on Friday accepted election defeat at the hands of 
president-elect Vojislav Kostunica in what appeared to be a bloodless 
transition of power. 

Addressing the Yugoslav nation on the only major television station still 
under his control, Milosevic congratulated Kostunica on his election victory 
and said his Socialist Party would be strong in opposition and he would play 
a part. 

Looking weary and drawn before the TV cameras, Milosevic made his address 
just an hour after meeting Kostunica alone in their first ever face-to-face 
encounter. 

``I congratulate Vojislav Kostunica on his election victory and I wish our 
nation success over the next term,'' Milosevic said in a brief recorded 
statement to Yu-Info television. 

``I've just got official information that Vojislav Kostunica won the 
elections,'' he said, adding that a ruling by the Constitutional Court 
confirming Kostunica's victory had to be respected. 

Kostunica is expected to be sworn in as president by the new parliament, 
elected at the same time as the president, on Saturday afternoon. 

The meeting between the two men in a government building in Belgrade began 
with the words ``Good Evening.'' They introduced themselves and shook hands 
before retiring behind closed doors for talks lasting almost an hour. 

The events appeared to diffuse remaining tension in Yugoslavia, where 
opposition supporters feared Milosevic and his backers would use violence to 
keep hold of power. 

But in a city rife with rumour, unconfirmed reports said two buses packed 
with police loyal to Milosevic were headed for the capital after nightfall, 
suggesting confrontation. 

None of these reports could be substantiated. But the rumours coincided with 
an opposition statement which warned that Milosevic was trying to use the 
police to provoke civil war to regain power. 

The statement was later withdrawn and then re-released in almost the same 
form in the name of just one of the opposition leaders. 

Adding to the fresh uncertainty, a leading Serbian economist Mladjan Dinkic, 
tipped to be the next governor of the Yugoslav central bank, said Milosevic 
was attempting to fly the country's dwindling state gold reserves out to 
China. 

``A DC10 bound for Beijing and scheduled to take off at 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) is 
still at the airport. It will soon take off. Tonight we fear there is an 
attempt to take the gold out,'' Dinkic told Reuters by telephone. 

Opposition supporters working at the National Bank of Yugoslavia crashed the 
bank's central computer earlier on Friday to halt what Dinkic said was an 
attempt by a clique surrounding Milosevic to spirit foreign currency reserves 
to their bank accounts abroad. 

If any doubts remained over other security forces, the head of Yugoslavia's 
army, embroiled in four wars since the old Yugoslav federation began to 
crumble in 1991, said the armed forces would respect the will of the people. 

``Members of the Yugoslav army, strictly respecting constitutional rulings, 
did not take part in the political struggle, are ready to accept the people's 
will and all the legitimate decisions of the electoral institutions,'' 
Lieutenant General Nebojsa Pavkovic said in comments read out on Yu-Info. 

The army said later that conditions were fulfilled for working relations with 
the new president. 

IVANOV KEY TO DAY'S EVENTS 

Tens of thousands of people thronged Belgrade on Thursday to back Kostunica's 
election victory in a popular uprising which saw parliament torched and other 
key buildings occupied by opposition activists. 

On Friday morning, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov flew to Belgrade to 
meet Milosevic, whose whereabouts had been unknown during Thursday's revolt, 
and then spoke with Kostunica. 

Ivanov said Milosevic had agreed not to use force to retain his position as 
president and implied he was planning to step down by saying he would 
continue to remain active in political life through his Socialist Party. 

He said his party would form the opposition and he would play a part after he 
had spent time away from the political cauldron with his grandson. 

But Milosevic's future was still unclear. He is wanted by the U.N. war crimes 
tribunal in the Hague for his conduct of the conflict in Kosovo last year and 
the United States said on Friday it would not support any continuing role for 
him in Yugoslavia. 

Speculation circled around whether the master tactician aimed to remain in 
some form of office in order to enjoy immunity, was planning his escape or 
would stay around as a brooding presence.