Kostunica seeks Montenegro support

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Yugoslavia's new president Vojislav Kostunica is on his way to Montenegro in a bid to secure a third political boost to his leadership following two major success on Monday.

He is to visit the Montenegrin capital Podgorica in an attempt to secure support from the leadership of the smaller of the two republics in the Yugoslav federation, his aides said.

Kostunica has already secured a power-sharing deal in Serbia with supporters of former President Slobodan Milosevic, pending early elections in December.

He has also won the support of the Army Chief of Staff General Nebojsa Pavkovic, once considered a close ally of Milosevic. Pavkovic now says the the army is loyal to the new president.

Under the constitution, if the Yugoslav president is, like Kostunica, from Serbia, the prime minister must be from Montenegro. But the only elected member from Montenegro is a supporter of Milosevic's Socialist party.

Montenegro's leaders, who boycotted the elections, are baulking at the prospect of the prime minister's post going to a pro-Milosevic party that took part in the poll.

Kostunica and his associates convened in Belgrade with representatives of Montenegro's Socialist People's Party late on Monday.

Though officially still in a coalition with Milosevic's Socialists on a federal level, the party appears ready to change alliances in return for the post of Yugoslav prime minister and seats in a federal government.

The talks adjourned, however, after the Montenegrins demanded that Milosevic's Socialists be given at least one federal Cabinet post.

Kostunica has said he is ready to appoint members of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic's reformist party to federal Cabinet jobs if they agreed to allow the federal prime ministership to go to their rivals.

Without the support of the Djukanovic rivals, Kostunica would be unable to form the federal government.

But he also cannot afford to alienate Djukanovic's party, which has threatened to call a referendum on independence for the republic if its demands on transforming Yugoslavia into a loose confederation are rejected.

The U.S. opposes Montenegrin independence, fearing a breakup of the shaky Yugoslav federation would further destabilise the Balkans.

Supporters of Kostunica have consolidated their hold on power with the deal, securing early elections and a role in government in Serbia.

The reformers announced an accord on Monday which sets Serbian parliamentary elections for December 23 and provides for a transitional power-sharing government.

The agreement, signed by aides to Kostunica and representatives of the pro-Milosevic Serbian government, represents 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.

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.

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 army chief of staff also strongly affirmed support for Kostucina. Pavkovic said all contact with Milosevic had now been severed.

He added: " The Yugoslav Army is surely dedicated to the new president. It has proved, after these recent events, that it is dedicated to the Constitution and laws and, if you remember all the things that we from the army have said, the Army would not leave its constitutionally-defined frames."

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National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Center for Reconstruction & Development

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