(21 Sep 2000) Serbo-Croat/Nat
XFA
Montenegro's pro-Western leader predicted on Thursday that President Slobodan Milosevic will proclaim victory in the upcoming elections, even if he loses to the leading opposition candidate.
President Milo Djukanovic said he doubted Milosevic would concede defeat at the ballot box.
He predicted that Serbia's opposition candidate, Vojislav Kostunica, would be the real winner in Sunday's vote but added that it wouldn't surprise him if Milosevic would declare victory after the polls closed.
He said he was convinced that Milosevic would use force to ensure his political survival.
However, Djukanovic sought to calm tensions in Montenegro, Serbia's junior partner in the two-state Yugoslav federation, itself bitterly split between Milosevic supporters and opponents.
Many fear Milosevic, indicted by The Hague war crimes tribunal for atrocities in Kosovo, could turn against Montenegro, using Yugoslav army troops still stationed in the small republic.
Although his pro-Western government has proclaimed an election boycott, Montenegrins who back Milosevic will be allowed to vote, chiefly in private homes turned into makeshift polling stations.
Montenegro's government is boycotting the elections called by Milosevic after the autocratic ruler in July changed the country's constitution to strip Montenegro of its status as equal partner in the two-member federation.
Djukanovic promised fellow Montenegrins that his government would "endeavour to evade all of Milosevic's ... provocations, as it has done successfully in the past."
"If, however, Milosevic provokes armed conflict, we shall have no option but to defend ourselves, our freedom and statehood," he concluded.
Western governments, who support Djukanovic and his refusal to work with Milosevic, are carefully watching Montenegro this weekend, fearing possible military clashes between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Friday explained why it cannot monitor the elections.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo Croat)
"I don't think anybody doubts Kostunica's real political advantage compared to Milosevic, ahead of the elections, but I also don't believe that anybody doubts Milosevic's trying with all means to use the force and to manipulate the election results in order to stay in power. I believe these are the real assumptions - Kostunica will be the winner and Milosevic will declare victory."
SUPER CAPTION: Milo Djukanovic, President of Montenegro
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"Is this democracy that somebody threatens somebody for voting? That is my duty - there are so many of them (candidates) so everybody can choose."
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"We are not going to go out and vote but we wish them luck. We wish luck to those who go out and vote. They should keep the peace in Yugoslavia."
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"No way I'm going to go and vote. I don't recognise these elections. These are not our elections and it is not the Montenegrins' choice."
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"In the case of the federal elections, no invitation has been forthcoming from the authorities in Belgrade. OSCE made it clear to the authorities in Belgrade that it was prepared to send a technical assessment team in August to assess the frame work in order to make a judgement about possible observation, but there was no positive response from Belgrade to that and, in those circumstances OSCE could not observe."
SUPER CAPTION: Julian Peel Yates, Head of OSCE in Podgorica
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
