From: pshane@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Ana M. Shane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia
Subject: Re: Serbian elections
Date: 25 Dec 92 21:38:44 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

josip@eng.umd.edu (Josip Loncaric) writes:

>The Washington Post, Dec. 22, 1992, front page:

>               DEFIANT SERBIANS REELECT MILOSEVIC
>         Opposition, Observers Cite Vote Irregularities

>  [...] Milosevic [...] apparently has won reelection easily.
>  [...] Voters [...] also gave surprisingly strong backing to an
>  ultranationalist party called the Serbian Radicals, a fascist group
>  that advocates violence to rid Serbia of its large non-Serb minority.
>  [...] Strong voter support for Milosevic and Seselj is a measure
>  of "suicidal tendencies in this society," said Desimir Tolic, a leader
>  of the moderate Democratic Party, which was trounced in Sunday's vote.
>  [...] A senior Western diplomat here said the election will force
>  "a new phase in the West's relations with Yugoslavia.  "There was a
>  faint hope that Serbia and Montenegro would be capable of changing
>  themselves internally," he said.  "This really casts doubt on that." [...]

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------

>The above news is not encouraging... although it should not have surprised
>diplomats and other people who ought to know...

>There ARE Serbs who are appalled by what Milosevic and Seselj leadership
>has done, but these voices of reason are weak and few.  Sad.  I'd much rather
>see Serbia reformed from within than see it pursue a path of death and
>destruction.  Unfortunately, Milosevic, Seselj & Co. follow the ideology
>of militant Serbian nationalism, whose basic premise is simply crazy.

Several questions:

1) Does anyone know what percentage of the eligible voters actually
voted in the elections?

2) The percentage of "Serbs" living in Serbia is about 64% (right?)
One would think that other nations (cca 35%) see better where Milosevic 
& Seselj are leading and vote against them. Together with the Serbs for
Panic, the "non-Serbs" in Serbia could have easily
thrown Milosevic off their backs. Right? Why didn't they?

3) It is known that the Albanians from Kosovo didn't vote. In the
light of the previous question, why didn't they, when their voice
could have been decisive? Panic clearly promised to reinstitute
the autonomy of Kosovo and Metohija. Is it in their interest also
that the war spreads?

4) Or, if the Albanians were somehow prevented to vote (by the
Serbian army and police) - would that not be a reason to annul these
elections and disregard them?

5) I have heard that the refugees in Serbia (from Croatia and Bosnia & 
Herzegovina) were also allowed to vote. Is that correct? 
But the Serbian refugees in other countries (the
ones who left Serbia because they either evaded the draft or left because of
economic and other reasons) were not "allowed" to vote, i.e. 
there was nothing organized for them like absentee ballots in consulates, 
embassies or other Serbian centers throughout the world. Isn't this a clear 
handicap (like in horse races - you put weights on a horse who would otherwise 
win)?

At any rate, in my mind I cannot see these elections as just, fair and
legal. Not to mention the tampering with the vote count and voters'
lists. Not to mention the unfair campaign conditions and bias of the
media.

After these elections, it is even more clear that Serbian people
are in the claws of evil "Serbian" rulers. That is why I suggest to
stop calling those rulers "Serbian" - since they clearly don't think any
good to the Serbian people.


>-Josip


  With hopes for peace

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Ana M. Shane                              voice: (215)-843-2909
334 Winona St.
Philadelphia, PA 19144      e-mail: pshane@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.yugoslavia