Early Elections Key to Democracy in Balkans

Prominent political opponents of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic agreed last night that free elections and other trappings of democracy are essential to stabilizing the fractious Balkan region.

At an ARCO Forum panel, Crown Prince Alexander, the son of Yugoslavia's last king, current Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro Dragisa Burzan and several other opposition leaders said early elections held the best chance of ousting Milosevic.

"Milosevic has to be removed, but in the most democratic way possible," Burzan said.

Prince Alexander, who was born in exile in the United Kingdom, said he fully supports attempts to remove Milosevic, but says he has no plans to be involved in Balkan politics in the future.

"I am not a politician," Alexander said. "I am not seeking office."

Last week, Alexander hosted a two-day meeting in Greece to organize support for early elections. He said he hopes they'll occur by the end of this year.

Dr. Milan Protic, president of "Defense," a Serbian opposition group, said he believes elections will finally give the area a chance to contest the legitimacy of Yugoslav government.

"We have never had an election with an unpredictable outcome," Protic said. "All elections have been organized by Milosevic."

"These upcoming elections offer a chance for the people to choose by free will," he added.

Protic said that inconsistencies in the stance of the international community--as well as in the Serbian opposition--have helped sustain Milosevic's power.

"It was a pretty confusing message to the people," Protic said of the continually shifting political positions of Serbian and international leaders.

The panelists last night also criticized NATO for last year's bombing of Yugoslavia.

"I think the bombing was counterproductive," Alexander said. "I would hoped diplomacy would have been the answer."

Dr. Zoran Djindjic, who is the president of the Serbian Democratic Party, said Milosevic's removal alone will not bring stability to the Balkans.

"We need strong democratic institutions and a free market economy," he said.

Dr. Vesna Pesic, vice president of the Serbian opposition group Civic Alliance for Change, said she agreed focusing only on removing Milosevic is counterproductive.

"We talk too much about Milosevic," Djindjic said. We have to look to solutions."

"We want a normal life for Serbia," Pesic added. "We have to build a real political alternative for people who want changes."

She condemned the international community for turning its back on the Balkans.

"The international community closed us in a cage, left us inside with a beast and said, 'Now you beat the beast,'" Pesic said, referring to the international sanctions against Yugoslavia that left Milosevic in power. "Now we want the cage unlocked."

The leaders agreed international support is needed to carry out any change.

"The international community must work very closely with opposition forces in Serbia," Burzan said. "They have to give them substantial support because this task is not easy."

Alexander also said he believes the local media should pay more attention to the opposition movement so the civilian population will be informed about the drive for early elections.

"If we have a meeting, people need to know about it," Alexander said. "Without knowledge, people are in the dark."

While all of the leaders affirmed last night they supported ousting Milosevic, Burzan said he believes the opposition forces cannot allow renewed conflict to override following a democratic process.

"We know that political maneuvering is a better thing--whether it takes one or two years--than getting involved in conflict," Burzan said.

"The progression of democracy will solve everything," Alexander added.

"The task is to get rid of the last dictatorship in Europe."

Despite their hopes for the future of the former Yugoslavia, the leaders said they realized that opposition to Milosevic will not be easy.

"Milosevic will not accept the results of these elections," Djindjic said. "We have to be prepared for action after the election. We need unity of all the democratic forces in Serbia."

"We can't lose the election, he added. "It's a question of survival for us."