From: malenovi@plains.NoDak.edu (Nikola V. Malenovic )
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia
Subject: Aleksandar Bakocevic, a Speaker (VREME NDA 6.Apr 1992)
Date: 6 Apr 92 15:02:04 GMT
Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo


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     "Vreme" News Digest Agency                       No. 28, April 6 1992.
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    Aleksandar Bakocevic, a Speaker
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                     THE POWER OF THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES


           The  present  MC  in  the  Serbian  parliament  probably
           doesn't even  remember himself when  he began, how  many
           offices he changed and of all what he has been director,
           president,  chief  and  manager.  Digging  into  such  a
           biography  is  the  work  of  a  bird  of prey, dull and
                                  unpleasant

    "Shame on  you!". It is high  time someone in Serbia,  especially in its
    parliament, said  this. There is a  serious lack of people  here who can
    say this, and if things weren't as they are, it would be normal that the
    person  able to  do so  be the  President of  the Parliament.  But, when
    Aleksandar  Bakocevic thus  rebuked an  MP of  the Democratic Party, the
    part of  the public still  capable of feelings  of aversion, were  given
    good reason. Because it was a case of the youngest member of parliament,
    who has  the least reason  to be ashamed  of anything, and  on the other
    hand, an  official who amongst  those in any  of the previous  communist
    countries surely has the least right to pass such moral judgement.

    According to a  metaphorical statistic, a person in  power spoils at the
    rate  of 6  percent a  year. The  present MC  in the  Serbian parliament
    probably doesn't even  remember himself when he began,  how many offices
    he changed  and of all what  he has been director,  president, chief and
    manager. Digging  into such a biography  is the work of  a bird of prey,
    dull and  unpleasant, even when  the subject of  the biography owns  the
    face  to take  up by  far the  most television  time and  who, with  his
    unfounded  dignity,  irritates  the  public  so  much.  It  is enough to
    remember all  the communist reversals  and ruptures, when  almost entire
    teams were  replaced, which couldn't  have been survived  by anyone with
    any kind of  point of view, or one  who simply did not feel  in time the
    change in the balance of power. Then, it should be understood, there was
    no mention of  what was shameful or not. The  person to come through all
    this and  in the end  appear as  the  one to preside  over a multi-party
    parliament, must be immortal.

    It  is  thought  that  parliament  as  a  form  of  government was first
    instituted  in  Iceland,  far  from  the  Balkans.  No-one here has much
    experience with the handling  of this sensitive instrument, particularly
    in a  multi-party system, the only  one recognized as legitimate  by the
    world. The government in Serbia didn't want parties, elections or such a
    parliament.  It gave  in under  pressure,  but  it is  as if  many still
    believe that  such a thing  is not  for  Serbia, that it  is a temporary
    institution which  should not be  perfected but compromised  so that the
    people themselves realize that it's of little use.

    It has turned  out that direct television coverage  from the Parliament,
    which was  something the opposition  had to work  hard for, serves  just
    this  purpose,. Contrary  to expectations,  the presence  of the cameras
    seems to  exhilarate instead of  inhibit a good  portion of the  MPs and
    some,  like Vojislav  Seselj, primarily   look to  ridicule the  idea of
    parliamentary debate with each appearance.

    Professor Unkovic, the first president  of this parliament, succeeded in
    preserving some dignity and seriousness,  which, I believe, was the main
    reason  he was  removed. Milosevic  had an  idea worthy  of Caligula, to
    replace him with Bakocevic. And even if the opposition were much greater
    in number, it would be neutralized  and repressed just by having to show
    respect for him, listen to his lectures and threats and accepting him as
    arbiter. In this way they are deprived of any eventual moral precedence.
    Because if Bakocevic can admonish  someone, then anyone can, i.e. no-one
    can. All  differences are eliminated,  all become accomplices,  all lose
    dignity and the parties and parliament itself are slowly deprived of any
    sense.

    In  this  general  degradation  the  people  themselves  are compromised
    because  the MPs  are their  chosen representatives.  People lose  their
    orientation; they don't know for what and whom they first voted, nor for
    whom they should vote next time. And to crown it all, they are all aware
    of  the fact  that the  power is  in the  hands of  the President of the
    Republic,  and not  in the  parliament where  the MPs  can squabble  and
    insult as  much as they  like. Only the  President remains clean  in all
    this.

    In the British Parliament, the function carried out by Bakocevic carries
    the name of Speaker. In the  long history of this institution there were
    many speakers who  paid with their heads because  they annoyed some side
    and there is a whole wall  in the speaker's residence decorated with the
    portraits  of these  unfortunates. For   this reason  the election  of a
    speaker, who has a great deal of power, is given much thought and it has
    to  be a  person of  indisputable moral  integrity. But  the custom  has
    remained for a newly elected speaker to be dragged to his dangerous seat
    by representatives of the parliamentary  majority and minority, while he
    resists.

    All those who  are worried by Serbian discord should  first think of how
    to find a person for the role of parliamentary arbiter who is acceptable
    to  all and  of undisputed  public reputation.  Bakocevic, however, is a
    living symbol of  the continuity of the regime. He  did not preside over
    the  meeting  when  Seselj  promised  the  expulsion  of all Croats from
    Serbia, but  there is no reason  to hope that he  would have behaved any
    differently from Vice-President Jokanovic. Because he earlier allowed to
    be heard the equally scandalous  and unconstitutional proposal to forbid
    the return of  all those who left the country  to remove themselves from
    the  war.  And  Seselj  himself   has  become  a  special  parliamentary
    institution of  false opposition, like  a devil's advocate,  which makes
    the whole moral mess even livelier. Apart  from the fact that he acts on
    the part  of the government  in warring with  the democratic opposition,
    his extremism hides  the extremism of the leading  party, which can then
    show itself as moderate. The problem  exists in that Seselj is extremely
    efficient  in  this,  the  media  give  him  a  hand,  the atmosphere of
    lawlessness  is spreading  in Serbia,  and he  is becoming  a threat  to
    Milosevic, because he promises even easier, quicker and shorter roads.

    The time is coming when we  shall see how shortsighted and dangerous the
    compromising of the parliament in Serbia has been. At the breaking point
    of  a  policy,  in  military  defeat,  in  the  dizzying acceleration of
    economic  and  social  collapse,  when  help  cannot  be  expected  from
    anywhere,   the   country   is   practically   without  a  parliamentary
    alternative.  As   much  as  Bakocevic  and   Seselj  have  blocked  the
    opposition, so has  it harmed itself by its stubborn  presence in such a
    parliament. The space is now almost  totally empty, all are more or less
    discredited and all is left in the hands of God.
                                                              Stojan Cerovic


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     "Vreme" News Digest Agency                       No. 28, April 6 1992.
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