RUMOURS AND COLLECTIVE PARANOIA

macedonia

AIM Skopje, December 18, 1995

Those who are nowadays at the top in Macedonia - the "peace oasis" - and crazy politicians who have ruled the SFRY in its last years have something in common.

British TV serial "Death of Yugoslavia" which is just re-run in Macedonia, a book written on the basis of gathered material and published in instalments in the weekly "Puls", a series of published memoirs or books which deal with them starting from the former (Serb) Yugoslav politicians (Ivan Stambolic, Borisav Jovic...), to foreign ones (Comerman, Owen...), who were in some way or the other involved in that which is called "the Yugoslav crisis", "dissolution of Yugoslavia" or simply disappearance of the former SFRY, apart from having demystified and revealed how they had all "done their jobs", have also shown the bitter truth about their "qualities". Spicy stories brought out in the open resemble something "deja vu": in that which is called anti-Utopia, in ceratin film-making schools (such as the ex-Yugoslav, Czech, Hungarian). The most obvious question that followes is: "What kind of people have headed that state?" And the only logical answer is - No wonder it fell to pieces. The tragedy and the farce of dissolution of the SFRY are maybe interesting for all those who are now living in its former space and who deserve to be called "Yugoslav nostalgics". But, comparison with the way in which the new authorities in the new states are acting should also instruct them that it would be highly recommendable to draw a lesson from everything that has happened. That is why the curiosity to see, hear or read about everything that has been happening can be more readily undrestood if the bad experience of the previous state is not reflected in the new. Simply, the ease with which the last SFRY power-wielders ruled can be recognized in the behavior of the current leaders. To say the least, actions and effects of such "ruling" can be instructive for the new rulers. All that one needs to do is to replace the "figure and work" of ex-Yu- power wielders with the current ones who resemble them the most.

After the last elections in Macedonia in October last year, thanks to the victory of the newly-established coalition called the Alliance for Macedonia and its triumph, the rulers manifested their self-satisfaction with an "ease" of ruling rarely seen. The attempt on President Gligorov's life, however, uncertainty about his health immediately after the explosion of the car-bomb downtown Skopje, seemed to have "sobered up" the Macedonian leadership for a moment, especially the politicians in power who had already been called "rascals from the street". A favourable course of events, an evident quick recovery of Kiro Gligorov appear to have returned things back to "normal". And yet, (ir)rationality of the situation cannot but strike you. But, at the same time, certain unbelievable things have happened: the coalition which is founded on an agreement of the Social Democratic Alliance (SDSM) and the Liberal Party continued to split concerning the issue of the possible successor of President Kiro Gligorov. Rumours (again!) speak about the approaching transfer of the chairman of the parliament into the office of the President of the Republic immediately after the attemted assassination, and about panic-stricken membership of the SDSM on account of that. In the editorial of the pro-government weekly "Puls" whose motto is "never so many speculations, so much gossip, candidacies and self-candidacies, and so few clear and official reactions", certain spicy detailed were mentioned: about the possible new president of the Socialists whose first president has recently passed on and speculations about this post being offered to Vasil Tupurkovski (whose recent meeting with Sali Berisa in the capcity of the President of the Macedonian Olympic Committee was interpreted by the authorities as the first step in the agreement between the Macedonians and the Albanians!), indirectly reproaching Andov for his silence concerning allegations of Belgrade and Athens that Gligorov would withdraw and that he would succeed him...

But let us start from the trifles which life consists of. Macedonian state TV and its management, in the spirit of the protector of (mental) health of the population decided not to advertise some of the journals as they wish. Certain titles in the magazine "Zbor" and the weekly "Fokus" which were obviously not at pleasure of the state leaders proved to be sufficient reason for them to be simply erased and replaced by "general statements" although the advertisement was duly paid. Although it is possible to discuss the delicacy of these titles, there was nevertheless nothing insulting or slanderous in them. The titles and articles in the mentioned journals in one way or the other were just critical about the current authorities. The paradox od such censorship of advertisements was brought to the verge of absurdity, because it seems that the decision about implementation of the policy of "ideological hygiene" was made by the first man of the Macedonian state Television, Saso Ordanoski, who was once, as deputy editor-in-chief of the journal "Mladi borac" which had played a significant role in the process of democratization of Macedonia in the end of the eighties, faced with an identical problem: the management of the Macedonian Radio-Television at the time refused to advertize titles from "Mladi borac" because they allegedly disturbed the public!

A journalist of a respectable American daily visited Macedonia in order to establish what was happening in the "peace oasis" after all the recent developments which attracted attention to it. As appropriate, he had contacts with the politicians of both the opposition and the "position", discussed their stances concerning all kinds of things and naturally insisted on the background of the attempt on Gligorov's life. According to the testimony of the journalist himself, he heard many interesting views. But, he experienced a true shock at the meeting with the Minister of the interior, Ljubomir Frckovski, who had allegedly shown him a couple of documents which linked a notorious economic-financial group whose seat is in a neighbouring state with local firms in Macedonia. Some of these firms support the Liberal Party (their directors and owners are even among its leadership) which is part of the ruling coalition and its president is the Chairman of the parliament, Stojan Andov! It therefore, turns out that indirectly he stands behind the attempt on the President's life or, God forbid, that someone of his supporters had ordered it! At the same time, another echelon of the ruling set has the opportunity to brag that it had a juicy "secret report" about a famous group of firms, services, countries at its disposal, which offers ground to all kinds of conclusions.

The weekly "Puls" recently revealed that five Macedonian journalists, obviously eligible and trustworthy according to the assessment of the competent or the Prime Minister, were nominated into an investigation team - they were included in the circle of people who had access to a "secret" document (by the way, "Puls" published a a part of the document signing it with "investigation team"!). Does not this resemble the practice of the former League of Communists to have "very important", "confidental" papers read at sessions of leaderships and basic organizations of the party held behind closed doors?

Intolerance between the leaders of the Liberal Party and the mentioned Minister is very well known, and it can even be presumed what one thinks of the other, but such speculations illustrate the "state of the spirit" of immediate players in the political game. Or, there is the completely different example linked to the attempt on the President's life and the Ministry which conducts the investigation. Right after this major incident, a leading journalist of a newspaper which is not a favourite of the authorities demanded information on how the President of the state was guarded and similar. After that, well-informed journalists (those who often meet with the politicians in power or who are "briefed" by them) started rumours that this journalist was making enquiries only fifty minutes before the attempt of Kiro Gligorov's life! The matter would have remained on the level of a gossip, if this journalist had not been informed that his enquiries by phone had not been quite seriously evaluated in the course of the investigation on the attempt on Gligorov's life and that only recently it was rejected as not suspicious at all! But, again, some well-informed people started new rumours that the journal led by this same journalists was supported by the notorious economic-financial group which assists its survival by means of "various" fondations. And again, this would not be worth mentioning if the people who are starting such rumours were not in high places and in direct contact with key ministers in the Government. In the differentiation of (un)healthy forces in Macedonian state media, these same people made a classification according to which many "unhealthy" persons were actually recruited by various secret services.

On the other hand, cases of mildly speaking arrogant behavior of the police or local politicians who are within the current authorities are increasingly appearing in the public. In the case of recent arrests of many persons allegedly in connection with racketeering, the police used more force than necessary. Testimonies about it which have managed to be publicized have provoked no reactions of the competent authorities. They simply did not find it fit even to comment on the allegations of those who were subjected to their maltreatment.

It might sound too strict, but the listed examples seem to speak in favour of the thesis that the former crazy politicians who were at the head of the SFRY and these new ones who are leading the new state have something in common. The people are not aware of qualities (and weaknesses) of those they entrusted to lead the state. Simply everything is possible if the source of information is a man at an important post. And this cannot be doubted, because such a man simply "knows", as the post he holds guarantees that. That is how rumours, manipulations of them become the truth based on which policy is created! However crazy it may sound, paranoid actions are acquiring proportions of an epidemy. The old communist detection of conspiracies, internal and external enemies of the working class, its avant-garde and leadership, of the state, has transformed into its "pluralist" variant. The only good thing about it is that slowly but surely things are coming out in the open and speak best of those who are doing them. And those who elect them will hopefully be capable of using this.

ISO RUSI