BAN OF PUBLIC GATHERING IN SANDZAK

Pre-Election Scene of Sandzak

AIM Belgrade, 17 September, 1997

Sulejman Ugljanin and his supporters were not given the opportunity to gather their sympathizers at a pre-election rally yesterday in Novi Pazar. The central pre-election manifestation was postponed twice, and then finally banned. Leaders of the coalition called "List for Sandzak - Sulejman Ugljanin" asked to be permitted to present their candidates in an open space, but the Municipal Council insisted on letting them have the old municipal or cinema hall for the purpose. This is probably possible only in Serbia of Slobodan Milosevic: first to raise charges against a man for threatening integrity of the state (criminal proceedings were instigated against Ugljanin last year), and then to allow that same man to run for president of the state of Serbia and have the central electoral commission accept his nomination, and in the end, to ban public gathering in which he would state his political program.

In a statement for AIM, Kasim Zoranic, president of LBO, one of the five parties of Ugljanin's coalition, given on the occasion of the latest pre-election scandal, says: "The Bosniacs-Muslims are discriminated by this state, that is, by the regime, in all spheres of life. We are deprived of the fundamental human right to elect and be elected. We are not permitted to express our stands and present our political program. These people simply are not free. With such bans of gathering, since 10 July when winners of last year's elections (the party of Sulejman Ugljanin) were deprived of the municipality which was forcibly reclaimed by the Socialists, to this day, the regime is actually depriving us of all our civil rights. The people here have the right to hear what political parties have to offer them. In the case of the 'List for Sandzak' they were prevented to do so".

The hall offered for the promotion gathering could hardly hold leaders of political parties-members of this coalition and most certainly would not make any considerable impact on the voters, what the election campaigns exist for.

Apart from the scandal caused by the mentioned ban, the only novelty on the election scene of Sandzak is the decision of the "Sandzak" coalition, that is the SDA of Rasim Ljajic, to run in the elections.

"There are only three per cent of us in this state and if we, with our three per cent, try to oppose the state with the population of ten million people, but especially in the state which has a monstrous political and national ideology, then it is clear that we do not stand a chance in such an opposed concept. With the current authorities in Serbia, not only do we stand no chance to achieve our political goals, but, should things continue as they are, soon none of us will be left. They not only wish that to happen, but are doing their best to bring that about. That is why we must seek political partners in Serbia and in Montenegro in the sense of a change of the political system in this state. That is what we found our cooperation on with the friends from coalition Voivodina, coalition Sumadija, and I believe, other similar regional coalitions which will sooner or later be formed", said president of the SDA, Rasim Ljajic, at the promotion of coalition Sandzak held three days ago in Novi Pazar.

As concerning the elections, everything is almost absolutely the same as last year, to the extent that even the posters are the same. The "List for Sandzak - Dr Sulejman Ugljanin" held several pre-election gatherings in the past few days - in Brodarevo, Prijepolje, Priboj, Tutin and Sjenica. Contrary to the previous elections, these gatherings have not produced a major visible effect due to the already mentioned decision of the municipal council of Novi Pazar to ban public gatherings outdoors.

Besides Kosovo, Sandzak has become the only region of the state of FRY where, with the exception of football games, gathering of more than a hundred people is undesirable. And this number is just by measure of the Yugoslav United Left (JUL). That is why the Supervisory Board for monitoring pre-election activities received a letter from coalition Sandzak in which it asked that this coalition be enabled to hold its public promotive gatherings in the city square and to be enabled regular pre-election activities "like all the other political parties, registered for September elections, which unhindered hold gatherings in all the cities of Serbia".

A day after promotion of Ljajic's party which was attended by representatives of coalition Voivodina and Sumadija, a promotive gathering in by far more luxurious environment (cinema hall covered with posters, TV cameras, free pens and cigrette lighters) was held by the coalition SPS-JUL-ND. The wife of the presidential candidate of the left coalition, Ljubica Lilic, appeared as a guest, along with Jugoslav Kostic, minister in the government of FR Yugoslavia. In a very inspired moment, the latter declared that Serbia is nowadays a big construction site, the greatest in Europe". A candidate for deputy caused great confusion when from the platform he greeted "the first lady of Serbia". Not used to the idea that anyone else but Mirjana Markovic could be the first lady, some of the people present glanced at the front row. In the seat where they had expected to see the "flower in the hair", Ljubica Lilic was seated.

Candidates for deputies mostly stressed their own merits and efforts made for development of the economy of Novi Pazar, strong feelings that they cherished for the citizens of Novi Pazar, but especially powerful odium for "nationalists who have misled the people, especially the Muslims". Briefly, the Muslim part of the electorate must know and recognize the essence of the political options offered them. Deputy minister of environment protection in the government of Serbia, Ferid Hamidovic, said about the special status of Sandzak demanded by leaders SDA that it was "just another enclosure" and that he did not wish to see Novi Pazar which would be avoided by everybody and that there was no future in an isolated Sandzak: "We should first be citizens, then citizens of Novi Pazar, citizens of Serbia, Yugoslavia, and if God permits, some day, citizens of a future greater Yugoslavia..."

The forthcoming elections will show whether the regime has mistaken again in its evaluation of Sandzak. If one should judge by mentality, the latest gesture of the Municipal Council of Novi Pazar on the ban of public gathering of Ugljanin's sympathizers could have a major effect on the voters. This would mean that the ruling left block, like in the last elections, could at least in Sandzak come away empty-handed, this time of republican deputies.

Enes Dazdarevic

(AIM)