SPIRIT OF TOLERANCE IN A BALANCE OF HELPLESSNESS

AIM, Beograd, 26. 1

Session of the Serbian Parliament

Nor during the third session day did the Serbian Parliament elect its president. Socialist Party and 4 opposition parties (DEPOS, DS, DSS i DZVM) made an agreement to look for the exit from the balance of helplessness in a political compromise in the next 5 days and to continue the session on Tuesday, February the 1. Serbian Radical Party is not going to take part in the announced negotiations. It thinks that opposition is making a coalition with the socialists it will eventually regret: it will get a littl e of real power and will take over the responsibility for catastrophic situation in Serbia that should be carried by Socialists only.

The third working day in the Serbian parliament was characterized by a pause longer than working hours. After SPS candidate for the Parliament president Zoran Arandjelovicc had failed in two repeated votings, SPS put up a new candidate - Dragan Tomic, a director of oil company "Jugopetrol" and a chief of socialist MP's. The opposition was expected to give its counter-proposition but Vuk Drasskovicc, the president of the strongest opposition force, refused to do that - in the first speech he delivered in the Parliament, he called for a political consensus. His appeal was accepted. During a 5-hour brake, SPS and 4 opposition parties agreed to continue political talks and thus overcome the parliamentary blockade.

Zoran Djindjicc, who in the name of the opposition negotiating group asked the MP's for 5 days parliamentary break, did not reveal the content of the agreement already achieved. He referred however to a compromise that will require concessions from both sides. The field of negotiations is still to be defined. Judging from the first reactions of leaders of Depos and Democratic party, however, it is clear that they hope for comprom ise on leading positions in the Parliament, government and television.

In regard to topics that should be negotiated with socialists DSS leader Vojislav Kosstunica had a somewhat different opinion. He insisted that first the issue of the Parliament president be solved, than other problematic issues. SPS representatives also referred only to parliament structure as an agreement subject, but they stressed a spirit of tolerance and mutual trust among political parties as the main result of the agreement so far.

"Bringing of a new spirit in the Parliament" ,and a "search for effective consensus" - as it was named by DEPOS leaders, was called trade between the opposition and SPS which is not going to end up in a good way bu SRS representatives. The Radicals already have the experience of dealing with socialists, said Tomislav Nikolic, vice-president of SRS: SPS and Milossevicc are very generous when promising, but very stingy when giving. He accused the opposition leader of already settling some agreements r private talks with president Milossevicc before the Parliament session started and making today a parliamentary theater only to present these deals as the success of the opposition.

Although after the disagreement between Depos, DS and SRS, the opposition can not count on common acting, its new position Vuk Drasskovic characterized as a significant success: so far the opposition was not asked about anything. From the object of satanizing, it became the subject of decision-making.

J. Matic