By Jack A. Smith
President Clinton characterized last week’s right-wing coup in Yugoslavia against the government of President Slobodan Milosovic as a great triumph for democracy and human rights. In our opinion, the events leading up to the assumption of power in Belgrade last Saturday by Vojislav Kostunica stemmed from U.S./NATO intervention, an extension of last year’s 78-day bombing campaign.
In addition to promises to end punishing sanctions and to help rebuild what it destroyed last year, Washington spent an estimated $100 million to insure Milosovic’s defeat, scapegoating him for every problem that has plagued Yugoslavia for the past decade. Its major success was to bribe the 18 warring opposition parties to finally unite against the government as the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), with Kostunica as the candidate. Kostunica (heretofore a minor nationalist player in Serb politics) won the September election 49% to 39%. According to the election rules, a runoff election would be held Oct. 8 if no candidate won at least 50%. Kostunica himself had demanded that stipulation. But, with strong backing from Washington and NATO governments, Kostunica refused to participate in the runoff, insisting--without ever producing proof--that he had won the election in the first round.
Within days, hundreds of thousands of people supporting the DOS arrived in Belgrade to take possession of the Parliament building and government-owned media. Milosovic refused to order the army and security forces to fire at the demonstrators (to prevent loss of life, a civil war, and U.S./NATO military intervention). Recognizing the coup was a success, Milosovic stepped down and Kostunica was sworn in as president.
Why did the U.S. prefer a rightist coup to a runoff election?
Milosovic may have lost the first round, but his SPS/SNP coalition did well--obtaining 74 of 138 seats in the Yugoslav Parliament, which means it was in a position to influence the election of the prime minister and cabinet and to interfere with inevitable privatization schemes. (Not even the DOS challenged the firm parliamentary election results.) One theory, advanced by the International Action Center’s Sara Flounders, is that Washington hoped the mass demonstrations in Belgrade would provoke a civil war, leading to the overthrow of the entire left-leaning government, not just the head of state. The Milosovic government may have presided over the dismantling of much that was left of socialism in Yugoslavia, but unlike other European former communist states, it retained certain left social programs and remained distant from NATO. Washington's objective is to install a government of the right in Belgrade which will rid itself of remaining traces of socialism and shed its antipathy to NATO.
Now, Kostunica will have to govern with an opposition parliament as well as an extremely shaky coalition that could break apart at any time. In this regard, the U.S. is now doing everything possible to prevent Milosovic from returning to politics in Yugoslavia because it realizes he still has a strong following.
Another theory, put forward on by Michel Chossudovsky and Jared Israel, et al, in that “the DOS didn't want to participate [in the runoff because] they were worried about the 40% of the electorate that abstained in round one. Most of these people are nationalists, firmly opposed to NATO. Under no circumstances would they vote for DOS which they see as connected to NATO. So Kostunica could well lose a runoff election.”
At this stage, all the facts of the matter have not come out. As such, it is premature, to say the least, to stand with the Clinton administration and NATO--as have some on the left--and applaud recent events in Belgrade as though they represented a people’s victory.
--- For alternative, progressive articles and analysis about the Yugoslavia situation, we recommend these websites: the International Action Center, www.iacenter.org; the Emperor’s New Clothes, www.emperors-clothes.com; Jay’s Leftist and progressive internet Resources Directory, www.neravt.com/left/frontpage.html; Workers World newspaper, www.workers.org. (end)