EXPULSION OF THE CROATS FROM TIVAT

Press review: the MONITOR

(AIM, Podgorica, Dec. 17)

The People's Party of Montenegro, although it does not have a majority in the Municipal Assembly of Tivat, practically rules in this municipality, and it's rule is best illustrated by the most recent case of ethnic cleansing disclosed by the local Radio Tivat. The MONITOR holds the ruling party of Montenegro, the Democratic Party of Socialists, responsible for the dangerous moves of the municipal authorities with Ljubo Samardzzija at its head. In this context, the problem of a systematic expulsion of the Croats is especially emphasized, and the figure of about 250 citizens of Croatian nationality who have already moved from Tivat is stated. The authorities who are members of the People's Party, have made a number of moves which "drove the Croats into a deadend". According to the MONITOR, all the managers of public institutions who happened to be Croats were dismissed. A single Croat remained as "the last of the Mohiccans", the Director of the Tivat Sports Centre. The situation is especially alarming in the military Maintenance Institute in Tivat, where all the Croats who were civilians employed in the Army of Yugoslavia who were among the management, were dismissed and transferred to lower rank posts. In the past six months, 136 workers were left without their posts, 90 of them being of Croat nationality. Matko Petkovicc, a Croat and a deputy in the municipal Assembly, warns that the situation is threatening to become even more complicated, because ten families have announced their plans to leave.

(AIM, Podgorica, 17.12.)