[ALBSA-Info] Milosevic Plans Could Spell Trouble

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Milosevic Plans Could Spell Trouble

By SLOBODAN LEKIC

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) - Slobodan Milosevic's plans to remain active in 
politics could spell trouble for Yugoslavia's newly elected president and the 
victorious pro-democracy coalition. 

The disgraced autocrat's Socialist Party and its neo-communist allies 
appeared to be on the verge of collapse after massive and violent protests 
led them to acknowledge victory by opposition challenger Vojislav Kostunica 
in last month's presidential vote. 

Party activities have been suspended since Thursday, when pro-democracy 
demonstrators stormed federal parliament, the state television building and 
other centers of Milosevic's power. 

Milosevic, who has been indicted by the international war crimes tribunal in 
The Hague, Netherlands, cannot leave Yugoslavia without risking arrest and 
extradition. Kostunica has pledged not to extradite him. 

But Milosevic appears to retain enough residual power to block Kostunica's 
reforms and - through proxies who still control Serbia's police - 
Yugoslavia's reintegration into the world. 

``I think he is preparing positions for a stab in the back by consolidating 
the police (and) creating chaos,'' Zoran Djindjic, head of the Democratic 
Party, told The Associated Press. 

After initial speculation that he was hiding out, a visibly shaken Milosevic 
appeared on TV late Friday to concede defeat and congratulate Kostunica on 
his victory. 

``I intend to rest a little and spend some more time with my family and 
especially with my grandson, Marko, and after that to help my party gain 
force and contribute to future prosperity,'' he said. 

Other deposed leaders have managed to stay home and stay alive. But in 
countries like Chile and Indonesia, the old autocrats have been troublesome 
to new democratic regimes, sabotaging their efforts to overcome the legacy of 
authoritarian rule. 

Despite massive defeats in the presidential ballot and local council 
elections, the Socialists still have a majority in the state legislature of 
Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic, where they are allied with the 
ultranationalist Radical Party. 

The president of Serbia, Milan Milutinovic, is one of Milosevic's closest 
cronies. He is also an indicted war criminal, and his fate depends on 
Milosevic's own political survival. 

The Serbian presidency has sweeping powers, including direct control over the 
state's 100,000-strong police force. Its powers are much more substantial 
than those of the federal president, even though Milosevic beefed up the 
post's stature under his tenure. 

``Milutinovic occupies a very strong post and he will remain unswervingly 
loyal to Milosevic,'' said Braca Grubacic, a Belgrade political analyst. 
``This presents Milosevic with unlimited possibilities to block any reforms 
initiated by Kostunica.'' 

Even on the federal level, Milosevic retains significant clout. His leftist 
coalition controls 46 of 178 seats in the federal parliament. Together with 
an allied party from Montenegro, Yugoslavia's smaller republic, his allies 
could conceivably form the new federal government, sidelining Kostunica. 

Ultimately, however, Milosevic's ability to play any political role will 
depend on his ability to rally his badly shaken party. Stunned by the extent 
of their electoral defeat, members were reported to be deserting in droves. 

Some opposition leaders are convinced Milosevic's power will ebb quickly, now 
that he has lost control of the government media he used as his propaganda 
mouthpiece during 13 years of iron-fisted rule. 

Milosevic also remains vulnerable to criminal prosecution for running one of 
Europe's most corrupt regimes. Some have accused him of orchestrating a spate 
of assassinations in which some of the country's most senior politicians and 
underworld figures have died. 

``In the end, Milosevic may even prefer extradition to The Hague rather than 
stay here and face our justice,'' said opposition leader Zarko Korac.