BELGRADE, Sept 9 (Hina) - Internal turmoil the Yugoslav-Serbian ruling coalition DOS has been going through for the last month, shook the coalition between the DOS and the Montenegrin Socialist Peoples' Party (SNP) as well, thus
practically paralysing Serbia and Yugoslavia's parliamentary life. DOS' attempts to find a solution to the crisis during the two presidency sessions proved futile. The differences between the two opposed sides - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's Serbian Democratic Party (DSS) and the Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic's Democratic Party (DS) - are becoming more profound each day. That was reflected in the Montenegrin block's refusal last week to abolish parliamentary immunity for the Slobodan Milosevic regime's officials, namely the former Interior Minister Vlajko Sojiljkovic and the former Health Minister Milovan Bojic, who are suspected of numerous embezzlements
BELGRADE, Sept 9 (Hina) - Internal turmoil the Yugoslav-Serbian
ruling coalition DOS has been going through for the last month,
shook the coalition between the DOS and the Montenegrin Socialist
Peoples' Party (SNP) as well, thus practically paralysing Serbia
and Yugoslavia's parliamentary life.
DOS' attempts to find a solution to the crisis during the two
presidency sessions proved futile.
The differences between the two opposed sides - Yugoslav President
Vojislav Kostunica's Serbian Democratic Party (DSS) and the
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic's Democratic Party (DS) - are
becoming more profound each day. That was reflected in the
Montenegrin block's refusal last week to abolish parliamentary
immunity for the Slobodan Milosevic regime's officials, namely the
former Interior Minister Vlajko Sojiljkovic and the former Health
Minister Milovan Bojic, who are suspected of numerous
embezzlements.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back, Serbian government
deputy president Zarko Korac said, because it meant the SNP sided
with DSS and President Kostunica's office, which is protecting the
former regime's officials.
PM Djindjic's reaction to SNP's refusal was to call on DSS, asking
them to decide whether they were the ruling, or the opposition
party, and for Kostunica to present the evidence on Serbian
government's alleged wrongdoings.
DSS, on the other hand, accused the Serbian government of passing
illegal decrees, like the one on cigarette sale, which Kostunica
labelled as "legalisation of the cigarette smuggling, bringing a
profit of 130.000 German marks daily to the tobacco Mafia".
Kostunica and his party were also quite vocal in criticising the
Serbian Interior Ministry, labelling it incompetent, and its head
Dusan Mihajlovic, who, they claim, has organised crime
connections.
What is really behind all these claims, analysts say, is Kostunica
and his party's shuffling for better positions ahead of the general
elections, to be held next spring, which, DSS projections say, they
have good chances of winning.
However, Djindjic stated DSS' "math is wrong", while Yugoslav
parliament lower house speaker Dragoljub Micunovic pointed out DOS
won the two third majority of votes at the last elections because
"it was united".
Analysts agree that DOS has no serious opposition in Serbia, which
makes it probable the future government will be formed from its
members. However, the current crisis might endanger the country's
credibility in the eyes of the international community, donors and
possible foreign investors.
(hina) js