OBEY ORDERS - STILL THE ORDER OF THE DAY

The Autumn of Montenegro

Summary: In keeping with the moves of the "sister" ruling party in Serbia, the Montengrin Socialists have also decided to adopt new Rules of Procedure in Parliament and introduce "order, work and discipline" in this supreme body. The opposition has left the voting and Parliament until further notice. Bulatovic follows Milosevic in returning to the tradition of the communist party which they have succeeded - most often by celebrating numerous liberation days. Loyalty to the (new) homeland, FRY, is demonstrated on minorities, and the stance towards the national and state status of Montenegro in the future on unsuitable figures of "Montenegro's identity". Thus,a member of the jury which last year awarded the "Risto Ratkovic" prize to Radovan Karadzic was elected the new director of the Montenegrin National Theatre, and the deputy dean of the Academy of Music is a guest from Belgrade who, in parallel, organizes a School of Music at Mt. Pale!. The more arrogant the authorities, the more united the opposition, even those on the opposite end, such as the Liberals and members of the Popular party. Kilibarda said to the "Monitor", for the first time, that he would not incite to war if citizens opted for a sovereign Montenegro at a referendum.

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Montenegrins are narcissistic and do not lightly decide to beg publicly. At the last session of the Republican Parliament, opposition representatives, nevertheless, almost to a man, publicly begged their colleagues from the ruling party to give up the new draft Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of Montenegro. But the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists is hardhearted. From now to eternity, skeptics claim, deputies of the people in Montenegro's Parliament will be forbidden to utter rude words; to stick their noses in other people's business; the number and length of speeches and replications has been reduced; and most "importantly", they have been rid of the right to propose laws!.

The president of the Assembly will keep vigil over the implementation of all the correctional and educational measures, with royal authority to judge what is polite and what insults the refined taste of the Montenegrin people. For example: if it should cross a rude deputy's mind to make public that the President and Prime Minister have moved into a beautiful villa on top of Gorica (a posh residential district in Podgorica like Dedinje in Belgrade), furnished, despite the embargo, with furniture from Greece, the President of the Assembly, armed with the new Rules of Procedure, can simply have him thrown out. All the opposition parties left the Assembly when the masterpiece of the House Rules was being adopted. 45 deputies from the ruling party remained. Not a single traitor, not a single waverer - and the new Rules were adopted.

Shortly before this historic session the Montenegrin Government informed the electorate of yet another liberation achievement. The Government proposed and Parliament decided (let those against just utter a sound ) to transfer the entire criminal legislation in the jurisdiction of the Republic to the federal state. Since small Montenegro was long ago rid of the heavy burden of state worries about defence and security, it has all the time in the world to devote to ecological and public utility innovations.

Needless to say, it also has its glorious traditions. Since the reintroduction of anti-fascism here in the spring, official Montenegro has been doing nothing else but celebrating. As this ancient state does not have a shortage only of history, during the whole summer and autumn its leaders have been celebrating their own rule. At the celebration to mark five centuries of the printing shop in Obod, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic knocked everyone down with a touching story about the glorious Montenegrin past, and then with carefully picked words reminded of the fresh fruits of a "wise, prudent and tolerant" policy. He went on to interpret the main result of that classical wisdom : "As opposed to similar situations in history when the Montenegrins, often without tangible interest, rushed from war to war, this time, despite a war psychosis in our neighbourhood, we have preserved peace".

Not a word about Konavle and Herzegovina, as if nothing happened there. Most interesting, at the celebrations, is the distribution of roles among the leaders: Prime Minister Djukanovic, as a rule, plays a Montenegrin, President Bulatovic always a Serb, the state ideologue, Svetozar Marovic expounds all this from philosophical heights, and the less well-known Vice-President of the Government, Zoran Zizic is in charge of climbing mountains and penetrating forests. There he tirelessly explains to the villagers that their region is an example of what an ecological state should look like. And they, merry anyhow because electricity has just reached them

• applaud him. Local gossip zealously intereprets the speeches from the celebrations and, lacking tangible proof, tells the fortune to see who of the best comrades ("comradeship" is still valued here) and to which extent is a Montenegrin. This skill has greately advanced so that even among the sympathizers of Montenegro's sovereignty it may be heard more and more often that "Milo is one of us", and Momir is not. They conveniently forget that every decision by which Montenegro's statehood was torn to shreds also passed through the Prime Minister's hands.

Since Zeus became angry with Karadzic and the Montenegrin President dubbed him insane, self-oblivion in promoting the ruling peacemaking image has assumed undreamt of proportions. At a gala, organized to mark one of the numerous celebrations of the anniversary of the state Radio and Television, Predrag Bulatovic, chief of the deputy club of the ruling DPS in Parliament, almost shed tears because war-mongering parties and their media menials were disturbing Montenegro's serenity. Only those who watched this television when unarmed people set out to correct the borders, know how Karadzic's Order of the Nemanic Dynasty rightfully went to Momir Bulatovic. In tradition obsessed Montenegro, the daughter-in-law is the epitome of obedience. Cruel mothers-in-law have for some time now, when their daughters-in-law make a mistake, been threatening - you will be obedient just like state television. Naturally, if Milosevic pardons Karadzic tomorrow, Bulatovic will, at an appropriate celebration immediately rename Karadzic's insanity to lucidity.

The Montenegrin authorities are not only successful when it comes to celebrations, they are equally productive in respect of other current jobs. In finding state enemies, in particular. Their zealousness in this is especially demonstrated by the trial of the SDA (Party of Democratic Action) leadership for Montenegro, which is standing trial in Bijelo Polje on charges of having wanted forcibly to dissolve Montenegro and Serbia and create a new state - Sandzak. The always awake competent organs have, among others, caught Ibrahim Zikic. This 100 % invalid, a blind man who needs an escort, and who, needless to say, never did military service - was found out in time by the guards of FRY - he was preparing, they claim, and organizing sabotage operations, planning the blowing up of bridges and railways, masterminding various terrorist attacks, just like in the movies.

Three men from Pljevlja were accused of intending to amputate by force this commune from FRY. They set out against the barehanded state with two bombs, one rifle and two licenced guns. Legendary article 204 of the Criminal Code on illicit trade in and possession of firearms is popularly called the "Moslem article": raids in their villages, when the foundations of houses and bones are dug up as a rule, are just a matter of routine. When any festival is celebrated in Podgorica, more shots are fired from weapons of different calibers, in front of the police themselves, than SDA leaders could, at this pace, collect in one hundred years.

They are much more gentle towards the Croats, perhaps because there are less than 3% of them in Montenegro. The problem of the Information and Documentation Centre in Tivat, which has become the metaphor of the status of the Croat population in this town has been eliminated by the authorities. There is no more Radio in Tivat, and the number of Croats is decreasing. Officers of the Army of Yugoslavia and refugees are breaking into their empty homes. At present, it is much more interesting in Kotor. Leaflets are circulating through this ancient town. "A group of Yugoslavs" in a timely fashion warns that the citizens and authorities should jointly prevent the return of the "genocidal Roman Catholic priest, war-mongerer and war criminal", Branko Sbutega. In all likelihood, Croats will become a very rare phenomenon in Boka in the foreseeable future.

It is interesting that Montenegrins - advocates of the sovereignty of their own state are not yet being massively persecuted - they are being "brought to their senses". All the leading people in national institutions, if they have accidentally made it known that with their name they do not need someone else's surname, were relieved of office in due time. By some accident, this five-year long investigation was "survived" only by the most responsible people in the National Theatre and Academy of Music of Montenegro. However, that task has been completed recently too.The hitherto director of the National Theatre of Montenegro, Blagota Erakovic, was told in the street that he had been replaced. One Stevan Kordic was installed, known to the Montenegrin cultural public only by the fact that, as a member of the jury, he awarded the once renowned "Risto Ratkovic" award for literature to Radovan Karadzic last year, for his poetry. A state of emergency has been introduced in the Academy of Music, and the main role is intended for a gentleman who occasionally comes here from Belgrade and simultaneously organizes music life at Mt. Pale. All in all, the results of the authorities are imposing: there is not a single institution in Montenegro, where their hand can reach where someone advocating a sovereign Montenegro holds an executive position.

There are no regular public opinion polls here and it doesn't pay to assess the extent to which the mood of the voters has changed, after all these feats. "Damar", the public opinion poll agency from Podgorica recently published data permitting the conclusion that passionate love towards Bulatovic and Djukanovic is waning, but that it is still too early for changes. Among the pollees, the number of dissatisfied with both of them is growing (34% with each), the number of satisfied (with Bulatovic 25%, with Djukanovic 26%)is lower, and a considerable number is "partially satisfied" (30%) with both leaders.

Experience shows that "partially satisfied", after terrific media pressure in the election campaign, nevertheless vote "for". Disbelief in quick change is supported by more "tangible" proof. There are over 70 thousand pensioners in Montenegro, which are almost completely under the material and media control of the DPS; the vast number of employed in state enterprises, despite the "unjust sanctions" are not virtually starving only thanks to the properly rationed charity of the Government; officers and their families, all kinds of secret and public police, the enormous state and parastate apparatus - the nouveau riche who acquired their wealth by smuggling with the blessing of the authorities - are all together a rather stable electoral base of the ruling party. The disunited opposition, according to the same poll, has to fight for a bit over 20% of those who now claim that they will not come to vote.

The story about the mood of the public opinion was incited these days by Slavko Perovic, leader of the Montenegrin Liberals and Novak Kilibarda, leader of the Serbian-oriented Popular Party: both are demanding extraordinary elections. The heads of the two strongest opposition, mutually confronted parties, have recently made a truce of sorts, and attack the authorities in a synchronized fashion. Their joint press conference, after the latest humiliation incurred on the opposition by the ruling party in Parliament was a specific media attraction. The most interesting thing is that both leaders have a lot of trouble in explaining to their sympathizers that they have not been recruited by the other side.

That too is Montenegro. It is still too early to assess what this cooperation will lead to, only the intentions of the Liberals and Populists are quite clear. They are trying to frustrate one of the strongest mainstays of the ruling party - fear that war would break out in Montenegro if "one of the two extremes" should win.The main rivals of the Democratic Party of Socialists, which has proclaimed itself the "fair measure", have resolved , by concerted efforts, to turn it into a fair to middling party. Perhaps the most interesting piece of news from Montenegro is : Dr. Novak Kilibarda, in an interview to the latest issue of the "Monitor" has for the first time publicly stated that if a sovereign Montengro is decided on by referendum, he would set his teeth and congratulate the opponent. "We are not crazy to cause a civil war if the other side wins", said the first among the Montenegrin Serbs. For a long time now, good news have been belated in arriving from Montenegro.

Esad KOCAN