Milosevic party agrees power-sharing deal

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Slobodan Milosevic's party has signed an agreement to share power in Serbia with supporters of President Vojislav Kostunica until early elections are held in December.

The agreement, signed by aides to Kostunica and representatives of the pro-Milosevic Serbian government, represented an important advance for the pro-democracy movement in its efforts to sweep the old order from all remaining positions of power.

Under the deal, reached after more than a week of negotiations, Milosevic's Socialist Party will keep the office of the prime minister.

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But the prime minister will only be able to make decisions in consensus with two deputy prime ministers, one from Kostunica's camp and the other from the Serbian Renewal Movement, another opposition group.

Vuk Draskovic, a reformist party leader, announced after a meeting between the two sides at the Serbian presidency building in Belgrade that the elections would be held on December 23.

"I think we have performed a very important task today," he said, flanked by other senior reformers and officials from Milosevic's Socialist party.

Kostunica aide Zoran Djindjic said he was satisfied with the deal. "We accomplished two results, early elections and a joint government until that period," he said.

"The important thing is that ... the people get through winter," he said, alluding to the financial and economic ruin left in Serbia in the wake of Milosevic's 13 years of rule.

The Serbian ministries of police, information, justice and finance will be shared among two appointees, from the Socialist party and from Kostunica's Democratic Opposition of Serbia, according to the agreement.

The Serbian parliament, now dominated by Milosevic's Socialists, is to be dissolved later this month.

The agreement, signed by negotiators from the three parties, as well as Kostunica and Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, made no mention of what happens to the Serbian presidency.

The term of Milutinovic, a Milosevic crony, does not run out until 2002. It appeared he would be allowed to serve out his time in office.

Socialist negotiator Zoran Andjelkovic suggested his party bowed to overwhelming public sentiment in the wake of Kostunica's stunning victory over Milosevic in the September 24 federal presidential election.

Serbian legislators and the Serbian presidency were not included in that ballot.

"The Democratic Opposition of Serbia was also included into this agreement," he said. "The citizens must decide who will run Serbia and in what way in the future."

Draskovic, head of the Serbian Renewal Movement, said the agreement meant "the end of Serbia as a country of organized terrorism."

A mass uprising forced Milosevic to accept defeat in Yugoslav presidential elections last month, but his allies retained control of the parliament and government of Serbia, the real seat of power in Yugoslavia.

A key stumbling block in talks had been over how power should be shared out in key ministries in the transitional government.

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National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
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