Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-05-13

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVES SECURITY SERVICES MEMBERS

[02] WORLD ENVOYS MEET WITH BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT

[03] U.S. SUPPORTS YUGOSLAVIA'S INTEGRATION IN EUROPE AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

[04] SERBIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY ORGANS ENSURE SECURITY

[05] BULATOVIC: EXECUTIVE POWER MUST OBSERVE PARTY STANDS

[06] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES PREMIER AND ASSOCIATES

[07] MONTENEGRIN PREMIER DECIDES TO RESHUFFLE CABINET

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVES SECURITY SERVICES MEMBERS

Tanjug, 1997-05-12

On the occasion of May 13, Day of Security Services and Organs, Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic received a delegation of the Security Administration and Intelligence Administration of the Yugoslav Army General Staff and the Yugoslav Interior Ministry.

The Yugoslav Presidential Office said that the delegation was headed by the Head of the Security Administration General Aleksandar Dimitrijevic, Head of the Yugoslav Army General Staff Intelligence Administration Major- General Branimir Milovanovic and Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Sokolovic.

President Lilic praised the security services for ensuring peace and security of the Yugoslav citizens and protecting the State's territorial integrity and security.

The preservation of Yugoslavia under difficult circumstances and material conditions is the biggest success of all Yugoslav citizens, primarily those who are in charge of it and it will remain our most important task in the future, Lilic said.

What lies ahead of us is the economic restoration and the improvement of the citizens' living standards, Lilic said and added that only the countries which enjoy a high level of internal stability could count on the influx of foreign capital and realisation of major investment projects.

Therefore it is very good that steps are being made to coordinate the Republican and the Federal constitutions in all fields, including security, Lilic said and added that this process should be sped up in order to establish a constitutional and legal framework for strengthening Yugoslavia's unity and stability.

A united and strong Yugoslavia, whose political life is based on the European standards of legal state and democracy, will be able to prove to the international community that different attempts, ostensibly aimed at promoting the civic and national freedoms and the freedom or media, sometimes hide efforts aimed at disintegrating Yugoslavia and hampering its economic prosperity and the welfare of its citizens, Lilic said.

[02] WORLD ENVOYS MEET WITH BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT

Tanjug, 1997-05-12

(Bosnian Serb) Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic met in Banja Luka late on Monday with the International Community's High Representative Carl Bildt and other world envoys.

The delegation included Supervisor for Brcko Robert Farrand, Commissioner of the International Police Training Force (IPTF) in Bosnia-Herzegovina Manfred Seitner and Deputy Commander of the NATO-led peace Stabilisation Force (SFOR) Gen. Monsouix of France.

The meeting was attended by the Republika Srpska's Vice President Dragoljub Mirjanic, Premier Gojko Klickovic and Interior Minister Dragan Kijac.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Bildt said they had discussed some things that had happened recently and could not be taken lightly.

He said that any demonstration of ill will or inability to implement the Dayton Peace Accord could have negative consequences, both for the Republika Srpska and for the Muslim-Croat Federation.

He said he was worried by checkpoints mushrooming in both Entities in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Farrand, for his part, said that the eyes of the international community were on Brcko and that his job was clear - to see that all obligations undertaken by the signatories at Dayton, Ohio, USA, in November 1995 should be discharged.

Speaking about the economic situation in the Republika Srpska, Bildt deplored that economic assistance to the entity in 1996 had been meagre but blamed this on the Republika Srpska's political leaders.

[03] U.S. SUPPORTS YUGOSLAVIA'S INTEGRATION IN EUROPE AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Tanjug, 1997-05-12

A U.S. diplomat said in Belgrade on Monday that the United States was committed to supporting the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's integration in Europe and in international organisations. U.S. Charge d'Affaires Richard Miles added that the U.S. Administration expected the Belgrade Government to persevere in the implementation of the Dayton Accord.

Miles was a guest speaker at Belgrade's Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, where he spoke about the future of U.S. - Yugoslav relations.

He said that all former Yugoslav republics were expected to join European integration processes in the near future. He said that the integration would depend on full acceptance of the democratic principles, the rule of law, respect for human rights and the establishment of an open market.

Miles reiterated that the United States respected the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He added, however, that the current strained and artificial situation that had developed in the Kosovo-Metohija Province of the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia served no useful purpose, and described it as unacceptable.

He spoke also about the South European Cooperation Initiative (SECI), saying that Washington expected to see Yugoslavia, too, in this programme.

[04] SERBIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY ORGANS ENSURE SECURITY

Tanjug, 1997-05-12

The security situation in the Republic of Serbia was favourable in 1996 and 1997 and the Interior Ministry has focused on protecting the constitutional order, fighting crime, protecting the State border, preserving public law and order, promoting safety in traffic, protecting from fire and engaging in other forms of protection of the citizens's security, Serbian Interior Minister and Vice Premier Vlajko Stojiljkovic has said.

In a statement to Tanjug's Acting Director and Editor-in-Chief Zoran Jevdjovic and Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Belgrade daily Politika Hadzi Dragan Antic on the occasion of Security Day, May 13, Minister Stojiljkovic said that the Ministry had carried out its tasks under altered social circumstances.

Namely, the war in the neighbourhood ended, the unjust economic sanctions, which were a several-year pressure, were lifted, bilateral relations with the majority of countries and economic relations with the E.U. members were normalised, the stability of prices and the national currency, the dinar, was preserved and production and exports grew.

The overall crime rate continued to drop and there was a rise in the solving of serious economic crimes, which are a consequence of business operations under the economic embargo and blockade of funds abroad.

Through extreme efforts, the stability of the public law and order was basically preserved in the Republic and there were no serious or mass violations of the public law and order except in late 1996 and early 1997, during the Zajedno (Together) coalition's protest rallies in Belgrade and some other cities in the Republic.

As for the preservation of the Republic's security, the priority engagement was aimed at a timely prevention of organising, arming and carrying out of ethnic Albanian separatists' terrorist operations and discovering the arms smuggling bases and channels.

In 1996 and 1997, the arrest took place of a number of terrorist group members who had helped organise and carry out a large number of terrorist attacks against Interior Ministry members and citizens in Kosovo and Metohija.

The illegal operations of other extremists aimed at destabilising the security situation in the Republic, provoking conflicts between nations, manipulating with the social dissatisfaction and carrying out different forms of non-institutional actions were discovered and thwarted in time.

A total of 145,970 acts of crime were committed in the Republic in 1996, about 4% less than in 1995. Early this year, the number of crimes dropped by over 10% in comparison with 1996. However, the crime solving efficiency dropped in comparison with previous years and special attention must be devoted to this in future.

The Serbian Interior Ministry will focus on discovering and severing drug smuggling channels and taking comprehensive measures aimed at finding and seizing firearms, explosives and ammunition in illegal possession.

The Ministry will carry out its legally determined obligations in fighting and uncovering economic crimes, bearing in mind that the country's economic recovery has started and that we are continuing the process of economic reforms and ensuring the economic and political stability and linking of our companies and banks with foreign partners.

This is why the Ministry will focus on uncovering serious economic crimes and all forms of abuse and corruption, tax evasion, black foreign currency market, forging of official documents, the abuse of official position and business frauds.

Authorised officials were hampered and prevented from exercising their authority and taking official measures and actions in 885 cases, eight people were killed in 1996 and one in 1997 and 25 people were seriously injured in 1996 and five in 1997.

The murder of the Deputy Minister and Head of the Public Security Department is the most brutal and insolent attack on the security of our country, aimed at its destabilisation, regardless of who the perpetrator is.

The care to constantly equip police, secure adequate salaries and create conditions for solving the employees' housing problems in accordance with the country's economic possibilities, are in the service of promoting the security of the Republic of Serbia and all its citizens.

We specially stress that the Ministry and its members are part of the society that surrounds them. Therefore we must bear in mind that the citizens must cooperate with Ministry members in protecting security.

[05] BULATOVIC: EXECUTIVE POWER MUST OBSERVE PARTY STANDS

Tanjug, 1997-05-12

Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic, in an extensive interview for the Belgrade daily 'Demokratija' published on Monday, said that the Yugoslav Army was carrying out its constitutional obligations and will continue to do so in the future, despite all temptations.

Responding to a question about the defense capabilities of FR Yugoslavia, Bulatovic said that the strength of a country was not only in its military manpower, although it constituted its most important part. Defense strength depends, among other things, on economic and demographic potentials, on constituent and patriotic stands and relation of all its citizens.

Referring to patriotism which is directly linked to the country's defense, Bulatovic said that the notion 'has lately had different uses, and misuses.'

'In the last 4-5 years the budget possibilities of the Federal State have dwindled, affecting directly the funds set aside for the Yugoslav Army. The defense budget for this year is 6.5 billion dinars, far less than the real needs put at 9 billion.

That sum could not be sustained by the economic capacity of Yugoslavia, so that measures of maximum rationalisation are carried out within the Yugoslav Army in order to secure the fighting capability of units. That is not easy and is affecting the level of individual and general standards, of soldiers on military service, of professional army members and of those who worked in the army.

'The public is informed that the Supreme Defense Council has approved a new concept of organization and modernization of the Yugoslav Army, adapted to the essentially different geostrategic and geopolitical circumstances in Europe and in the world. It is our goal and obligation to build a modern system of defense of the country and, at the same time, to give our full contribution to the strengthening of peace, confidence and stability in the Balkans and in Europe,' Bulatovic said.

On the implementation of the provisions of the Florence Agreement on the reduction of arms, or the sub*regional control of arms, Bulatovic said that the Agreement was the result of Dayton and Paris Peace Agreements and the Vienna talks within OSCE, on the basis of the Agreement on conventional armed forces in Europe.

Signed on June 14 last year in Florence, the Agreement is intended to reduce considerably heavy arms and secure a balance of military manpower between our country, Croatia the Muslim-Croat Federation and Republika Srpska. Our assessment is that the Agreement has an essential deficiency, as it takes into consideration only quantity, and not the fire power of arms, Bulatovic said.

FR Yugoslavia has consistently and responsibly carried out all its obligations from the first phase, and we will do everything to complete the second phase as agreed, he said.

Referring to frequent comparisons made in the public about the position of the army and the position of the police where it is usually concluded that the army is at a disadvantage, Bulatovic said that 'such comparisons are not well-intentioned and that they have another background.'

Bulatovic said that the 'obligations of both were determined precisely by the Constitution and Laws.' 'If salaries were to be compared, there would be no misunderstanding,' Bulatovic said.

The Defense Minister stressed there was no truth in the observation that the difficult position of the Yugoslav Army implicitly meant the weakening of the Federal State.

'There has been such thinking, but it lacks logic as it is the orientation of the citizens of Serbia and of Montenegro to develop and strengthen the Federal State, and one of the most important integrational factors is the oneness of defense functions, or the existence of a strong Yugoslav Army.'

Bulatovic stressed that Montenegro will support Slobodan Milosevic if he runs for President of Yugoslavia. 'That issue will not be the subject of dispute: if Serbia suggests President Milosevic, Montenegro will support the candidacy in the Federal Parliament. The Constitution does not determine whose representative's turn it is to head the Federal Republic, or the Federal Government. The Constitution only says that, as a rule, the President and the Prime Minister of a Federal State can not be from the same Republic.'

Bulatovic also answered a question about relations in the Main Council of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) of Montenegro. 'I do not know that any party, ruling or opposition, has not suffered from setbacks'.

The essence of the dispute, or misunderstanding, within DPS is the relation between party and executive power. In a parliamentary system, power is won by a party, on the basis of its program and electoral choice of voters. Executive power must respect the stands of its party, as only then it enjoys legality and legitimacy. It does not exist by itself and for itself, or outside the electoral and original program, the Yugoslav Minister said.

'Executive power can not function without observing the stands of the party which won the trust of citizens, and ignoring party stands in the carrying out of power would mean negating the party and deviating from the electoral program,' Bulatovic specified.

Responding to a question whether someone from the Montenegrin leadership was breaking up Yugoslavia, Bulatovic stressed that such indications existed, assessing that 'even if someone had a hidden wish to break up the Federation he does not dare articulate it publicly, as he knows very well that he would not obtain the support of the people and that would mean political suicide.'

The dispute in DPS, Bulatovic said, 'can be solved by legal means, in DPS bodies, the Parliament and Government of the Republic of Montenegro. I consider that none of the members of the Main Council, or deputies, will take sides in this dispute according to the personalities involved, but according to the program, statute, laws and the constitution. The real question to be posed is: who supports the original principles of DPS, and who does not.'

The reason for insisting on certain personnel changes in the Government was, above all, because of the assessment of the Main Council that certain statements have harmed DPS electoral program, Bulatovic said, and denied the accusation that the dispute in DPS was dictated from Belgrade.

'When I hear that I remember 1988 and 1989 when the Montenegrin Government at the time tried to scare the citizens of Montenegro by an invasion and aggression from Serbia, which would cause Montenegro to lose its identity.' The Serbian leadership has absolutely no influence in the dispute in DPS, Pavle Bulatovic said.

Asked about accusations against the Montenegrin Prime Minister 'that he operated in the past few years on the border of legality,' Bulatovic said that in conditions of sanctions and 'lack of payments operations with foreign countries it was not possible to do business legally' and 'in such conditions a number of citizens have made huge fortunes over a short period of time.'

Investigating and prosecuting organs must operate more efficiently. They must not allow the irregular and criminal behaviour of citizens to become a rule from which everyone washes their hands and turns their heads, Bulatovic said.

[06] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES PREMIER AND ASSOCIATES

Tanjug, 1997-05-12

Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic on Monday received Premier Mirko Marjanovic, Minister Coordinator Dragan Tomic and Head of the Government's team for preparing the Law on ownership transformation Milan Beko.

It was said that reform laws were being successfully prepared. A Bill on concessions should be reviewed by Parliament on Tuesday and a public debate on the concept of the ownership transformation Law will end soon.

It was assessed as positive that the reform laws are being prepared while the prices and the national currency are stable, production and employment rate are growing and economic processes are positive.

Milosevic said that everything going on in the sphere of norms and finances should be in the service of the realisation of the economic development goals - the growth of production, employment rate and exports - i.e. living standards.

The growth of budgets and funds, which started in late March, should enable a speedy payment of pensions and salaries in the social activities as a direct result of positive economic trends.

[07] MONTENEGRIN PREMIER DECIDES TO RESHUFFLE CABINET

Tanjug, 1997-05-12

Montenegrin Premier Milo Djukanovic said late on Monday that he would be submitting to Parliament a proposal for a Cabinet reshuffle.

Appearing in a special Montenegrin television programme, Djukanovic said he had taken the decision in view of political tension in that Yugoslav Republic over the past month or two, so as to help stabilise the political situation.

The reshuffle proposal would be submitted when Parliament convened on May 15, he said. He added he reserved the right to propose how this should be done, but would accept any decision taken by the only body competent to decide the matter, viz., Montenegro's Parliament.

Djukanovic said he would be taking care that the reshuffle should enhance the performance of the Cabinet and allow it to deal with problems with greater efficiency.

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