Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

GOTOV JE (He's Finished)! Part 1

By Vladimir Sukalovic - posted Sunday, 15 October 2000


This is a first-hand account of the events leading to the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic as President of Yugoslavia. Vladimir Sukalovic, a research assistant completing a PhD in computer modelling, broke net publishing ground last year when he wrote two despatches for On Line Opinion from Belgrade, at the same time that it was being bombed by the NATO forces.

Now he returns with a street level perspective of the change of government. Future postings will bring the rest of Vladimir's story in his own words.

Sometimes I dream about life in another country. I wake up, have breakfast, go to work, come back home, kiss my wife, have lunch, read papers, go out, go to sleep ... and again, and again, same story, different day. And then I wake up, because this is Yugoslavia, and that means you'll never know what another night or day will bring.

Advertisement

HISTORY

Slobodan Milosevic ruled Yugoslavia for the past 10 years. He came to power by the will of the people and promised he would rule for the people. But he introduced a phony democracy in Yugoslavia, and became a dictator. The results of his pathetic leadership were the breaking-up of the former Yugoslavia, war in Croatia and Bosnia, and last year's NATO aggression that ended with the occupation of Kosovo.

During those years people suffered from a poor economy, almost non-existent health care, corruption at all levels of society and organized crime. Instead of democracy, we had dictatorship, instead of economic progress we had hyperinflation, and instead of peace we had war. We still remember 9 March 1991, when Slobodan Milosevic used the army to break up demonstrations in Belgrade.

In 1996 the democratic opposition formed a coalition called TOGETHER (ZAJEDNO) and won elections at the local level. But acting on the orders of Milosevic, the Supreme Court and election committee proclaimed the elections irregular, and denied victory to the democratic opposition. People all over the country protested, and that protest turned into day-by-day, night-by-night protest walks all over the country.

After three months Slobodan Milosevic gave up and granted victory to the opposition. But he remembered to punish all who challenged his power. University, news agencies, TV stations, and even individuals suffered when the Republic Assembly (in which he always had majority) voted for the new "University law", "Law about informing" and many other laws made to protect his power. The University lost its autonomy and all university deans were appointed by his order. Freedom of speech was denied and those who dared to speak against Milosevic, were fined, jailed and even killed.

In 1999, NATO forces tried to bring an end to Milosevic and his regime. They bombed and killed civilians, destroyed bridges, houses, factories. They even bombed the TV station, hospital and Chinese embassy in Belgrade. War ended with the occupation of Kosovo. But NATO forces failed because their war only strengthened Milosevic in this country.

The loss of Kosovo was the drop that filled the glass, and the democratic opposition raised its voice and demanded that Milosevic should go. But those voices were weak, and Milosevic used every possible means to shut them up. During the war, Slavko Curuvija, owner of the local newspaper, was killed because he knew too much.

Advertisement

Assassins attacked opposition leader Vuk Draskovic two times but failed. What started with targeting small news agencies and local TV and radio stations ended with the closing of major opposition radio station Radio station "B92" and Free Belgrade television "Studio B". Yugoslavia was left blind and mute.

But the people were waiting for the right moment and right leader to lead them to victory. For 10 years, Vuk Draskovic tried to unite opposition and win elections but he failed every time. In 1993. Milan Panic, tried to conspire with the army and police generals, and that cost him his place as Yugoslavia's Prime Minister. Zoran Djindjic was another leader who walked the streets of Belgrade asking Milosevic to step down, only to face special police anti-riot squads. Students formed the "OTPOR" resistance organization, and many of those who joined were put in jail, beaten and harassed by the police. The list of others who tried to bring Milosevic down is long, but all of them failed.

Safe in his house on the Dedinje hill in Belgrade, Milosevic ruled what was left of Serbia. He was convinced that opposition no longer existed, and decided to hold elections for the National Assembly and local level.

The decision to have elections a year before the due day (he had the power to call elections any time he wants), caught the opposition in a state of chaos. Different parties tried to push their leaders into the position of candidate for the President. In the first few weeks it seemed to me that all was lost, since there was no sign that the opposition could unite, let alone choose one man who would win the support of dozens of different parties.

After long days and nights of negotiations the opposition united, apart from Vuk Draskovic's party SPO (the Serbian movement for reconstruction – it's sometimes nonsense to translate names of our parties). SPO pushed their man for the presidential run, and the rest of opposition united as DOS (Democratic Opposition of Serbia, not Disk Operating System) and chose Vojislav Kostunica as its candidate.

Vojislav Kostunica is a man who in the past 10 years did nothing. He was present on the political scene of Serbia, first as a member of Democratic Party but later he decided to follow his ideas and formed the Democratic Party of Serbia.

By doing so he had a chance to speak his mind, and he did so every time he had a chance. During his days in opposition he never organized any rally, demonstration or walk. He never tried to challenge Milosevic on the "street" in a way many other opposition leaders did. But most of all he never gave any promise he couldn't fulfill, and he never changed his mind once he spoke it. Kostunica was not weak by any means. He waited for the right time to win power in a lawful way, as he always said. His moment came on September 24th 2000.

Presidential campaigning in Yugoslavia was impossible. Milosevic ruled all media, and since freedom of speech was suppressed, Kostunica had to walk around Serbia and introduce himself and his ideas to the people. He traveled many miles, talked for hours, and visited every place in Serbia, including those where he was not welcomed. In doing so, his popularity rose rapidly and in a matter of weeks people started to talk about him as the right man for our new president.

Milosevic tried to stop this trend, and attacked Kostunica on TV and in the papers, calling him and DOS NATO servants, traitors of the state, and many other things. Milosevic's attacks went so far that he ordered his goons to throw rocks, paint and dead cats on Kostunica during one of his public speeches. Every night one could see a mob, going trough the town, tearing down Kostunica billboards and posters, beating people who protested against them.

The student's resistance organization OTPOR, which became people's resistance organization was quick to react, and operation "HE'S FINISHED!" (GOTOV JE!) was born. Using black spray cans, people went trough cities all over Serbia, and inscribed the words HE'S FINISHED! on the houses, streets, city squares, and other places. Billboards can be destroyed, posters can be torn down, but graffiti is almost forever.

In fear of the Milosevic special police and hired gangsters, but with great hope for a victory, people waited for 24 September.

On that day I went to vote, and waited almost half an hour before doing so. It seemed to me that everyone with the right to vote was there, and that gave me great hope that this time we would have a new president,a new government and a normal life. And I was right, as results started to come from all over the country saying only one thing – HE'S FINISHED! Kostunica won by a large majority. Serbia celebrated. Slobodan Milosevic and his men were terrified and in shock.

The first reaction of the now-defeated Milosevic was to organize another theft of the elections, by dissolving the State Election Committee responsible for counting the votes. Representatives of DOS, SPO, and other parties were thrown out of the assembly building. By doing so, Milosevic bought some time, to open "virtual" voting places, most of them in occupied Kosovo, print some extra voting papers and circle his name on them, turning Kostunica's victory into a draw. He asked for a runoff (second round of elections), but DOS went out in public with the true figures of the number of votes.

People went out in the streets of Belgrade almost every day and night, as Kostunica promised that victory was going to be defended. From 24 September to 4 October we walked the streets of Belgrade and held meetings in the city square almost every day. The same thing was happening in cities all over the country, and even in those that had supported Milosevic for a long time.

Our requests to count the votes again and publish the truth about the elections were in vain. On 2 October the State Election Committee, without representatives from opposition parties, issued a statement that there would be a runoff. DOS and Kostunica objected and appealed to the Supreme Court, who overruled their appeal to proclaim the presidential elections nullified because of the number of errors found in the work of the State Election Committee. That was on 4 October. People were angry, revolted, and determined to go to the bitter end. We had cast our votes, we knew who won the election; there was no one who possibly could steal our voices and our victory. We decided the time had come to "push" our new president Vojislav Kostunica into the assembly building.

P.S. I'm sorry for the delay, but Yugoslavia is still in chaos. It's still unclear who is in control of the Army and Police forces, and the prices of food and fuel are going up every day. There is no government on any level, and DOS is in constant talks with left-wing parties. We experience power shortages, and water restrictions on a daily basis, and because the police are divided between those who are for Milosevic (Secret police, anti terrorist teams, etc) and those who are for Kostunica (regular street police, traffic police, etc) crime has reached terrible levels. So, please, start with this and I will write the rest of story in one of two days, if we have power. (13/10/00)

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. All

Part two of this story is available here.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Vladimir Sukalovic lives in Belgrade and works as a Research Assistant while completing a PhD project on "Computer Aided Modelling of Dopamine Receptor Ligands". He was born in 1971.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Vladimir Sukalovic
Related Links
About War and Peace (June, 1999)
The last 'victory' (July, 1999)
Photo of Vladimir Sukalovic
Article Tools
Comment Comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy