www.glas-javnosti.co.yu
Glas Javnosti daily, Belgrade
June 20, 2008
Whoever betrays Kosovo is betraying Serbia!
by Dr. Kosta Cavoski
At this time when there are so many sycophants and lickspittles on our
political scene circling around their foreign masters, it is very difficult
to
talk about (Serbian) democracy. Because there actually is no real democracy
(in Serbia), and what we have today is a political particracy: rule by
oligarchic party leaderships that do not care for election results, the will
of the people or the country, let alone for the fate of the nation to which
they belong. Such a particracy is also an outcome of our electoral system.
You probably remember that the Dayton Agreement was signed in Dayton, and
that the foreigners were especially insistent on implementing an electoral
system using proportional representation in Republika Srpska and in all of
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Because proportional representation fragments parties,
and makes it possible for a large number of parties to take part in
elections. The key goal for the foreigners at that time was to reduce the
influence of Karadzic's Serbian Democratic Party, to make it impossible for
it to (keep getting) an absolute majority. By the second elections, they
succeeded.
(In Serbia) proportional representation giving detrimental results is used
because it is supposedly more just, enabling parties that represent minority
interests to also appear in parliament. The majority system where, as a
rule, two, sometimes three and occasionally, exceptionally, a fourth party
manage to get into parliament is a guillotine for small parties.
The majority system is good because it makes it possible for a single party
to form a government, and for a country to have an accountable government.
In such an electoral system, there is the government on one side and the
opposition on the other, and as the English saying goes, 'The opposition
need do nothing except oppose, never propose.' That is, to catch the
government's mistakes, to criticize it publicly and, of course, to possibly
win in the next elections.
The proportional system practiced (in Serbia) has enormous deficiencies. No
party, not even the Radicals, who had a respectable relative majority, had
more than 30 percent or was able to form a government. Therefore,
governments had to be built on coalitions. We have had coalitions that have
been unprincipled and based on interests, marriages of convenience. Hence,
the government could hardly conduct consistent policies.
When the second government of Vojislav Kostunica came with the external
support of the Socialists, the Socialists' condition was that Hague
indictees not be arrested. As a result that government, if you remember,
managed to convince some to turn themselves in; and when General Lukic was
arrested in hospital and sent to The Hague against his will, the Socialists
simply - stayed silent.
Now Zupljanin has been arrested. Because of Slobodan Milosevic, the
Socialists do not recognize the Hague Tribunal. That is why they should have
said something, communicated that they will form no coalition or government
with those arresting indictees and sending them to The Hague. But look: they
are ready to enter a coalition including the Democratic Party, which is
nothing but the extended arm of the foreign occupiers in this country. We
must ask ourselves how the Socialists - who have endured such blows as
having the head of their party arrested, sent to The Hague and subjected to
juridical murder - can even think about cooperating with those who sent
Milosevic to The Hague!
Corruption is the other face of coalitions such as these. Corruption will
never be completely eradicated. As long everyone respects people who are
rich more than people who are knowledgeable, everyone will aspire to be be
rich. Especially those close to the government or in power themselves. But
when the system is a two-party one, the opposition is constantly catching
the government's mistakes. And when a coalition is in power, then there is a
silent agreement among the coalition associates to overlook things in
matters of corruption. This is why everyone is stealing but no one is
accusing anyone of stealing; it is simply ignored.
Today those in power are trying to funnel enough money to permit them to
live to the end of their lives. Unlike today's socialists, the ones of the
past believed that the system would last and ensure their security. So they
did not take too much, figuring they would be taken care of in their old
age. Today this has changed radically and it is none other than coalitions
that are making corruption possible.
During the election campaign we heard the parties telling us how there are
two camps (in Serbia), how some are in favor of keeping Kosovo and Metohija
as a part of Serbia and against joining the EU if that meant Serbia without
Kosovo and Metohija, while others claimed that we must join the European
Union at any price because that is the only way we can get new money and new
jobs. As if the past eight years had not been enough to do this, and we
needed the next eight.
Therefore, the camps were sharply divided. Now we have a small, three-member
coalition with Palma consisting of only three deputy seats that is claiming
we can join Europe and preserve Kosovo and Metohija, too. And how is it
possible to do all these things? How, when 20 members of the EU - out of a
total of 27 - have already recognized Kosovo and Metohija as an independent
state? Because they will keep it in mind during ratification. In other
words, God forbid that a new government of Socialists and "yellows" is
formed, we can expect Brussels to tell us, 'Until you establish good
relations with your neighbors - meaning diplomatic relations with Pristina -
we will not be able to continue talks on entering the EU.'
They are not saying anything about this for now in order to form their
coalition, but when it is formed, it will be said publicly. And our people,
being like they are, will say: what can we do, the hornless are no match for
the horned (a Serbian proverb). However, those of us who know all this well
and see it happening have a duty to warn that a great deception is taking
place. Our people are being tricked. Worst of all, a betrayal of our
national interests is in progress.
All those who reject the possible coalition of the Serbian Radical Party,
the Democratic Party of Serbia, New Serbia and the Socialists are, in fact,
accepting the truncation of Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia, the
independence of Kosovo and Metohija, and entry into the EU without that
central part of our country and our national survival. They are, dear
friends, traitors and we must not allow this to happen. This must not pass!
(Translated on June 21, 2008 by sib)
Glas Javnosti daily, Belgrade
June 20, 2008
Whoever betrays Kosovo is betraying Serbia!
by Dr. Kosta Cavoski
At this time when there are so many sycophants and lickspittles on our
political scene circling around their foreign masters, it is very difficult
to
talk about (Serbian) democracy. Because there actually is no real democracy
(in Serbia), and what we have today is a political particracy: rule by
oligarchic party leaderships that do not care for election results, the will
of the people or the country, let alone for the fate of the nation to which
they belong. Such a particracy is also an outcome of our electoral system.
You probably remember that the Dayton Agreement was signed in Dayton, and
that the foreigners were especially insistent on implementing an electoral
system using proportional representation in Republika Srpska and in all of
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Because proportional representation fragments parties,
and makes it possible for a large number of parties to take part in
elections. The key goal for the foreigners at that time was to reduce the
influence of Karadzic's Serbian Democratic Party, to make it impossible for
it to (keep getting) an absolute majority. By the second elections, they
succeeded.
(In Serbia) proportional representation giving detrimental results is used
because it is supposedly more just, enabling parties that represent minority
interests to also appear in parliament. The majority system where, as a
rule, two, sometimes three and occasionally, exceptionally, a fourth party
manage to get into parliament is a guillotine for small parties.
The majority system is good because it makes it possible for a single party
to form a government, and for a country to have an accountable government.
In such an electoral system, there is the government on one side and the
opposition on the other, and as the English saying goes, 'The opposition
need do nothing except oppose, never propose.' That is, to catch the
government's mistakes, to criticize it publicly and, of course, to possibly
win in the next elections.
The proportional system practiced (in Serbia) has enormous deficiencies. No
party, not even the Radicals, who had a respectable relative majority, had
more than 30 percent or was able to form a government. Therefore,
governments had to be built on coalitions. We have had coalitions that have
been unprincipled and based on interests, marriages of convenience. Hence,
the government could hardly conduct consistent policies.
When the second government of Vojislav Kostunica came with the external
support of the Socialists, the Socialists' condition was that Hague
indictees not be arrested. As a result that government, if you remember,
managed to convince some to turn themselves in; and when General Lukic was
arrested in hospital and sent to The Hague against his will, the Socialists
simply - stayed silent.
Now Zupljanin has been arrested. Because of Slobodan Milosevic, the
Socialists do not recognize the Hague Tribunal. That is why they should have
said something, communicated that they will form no coalition or government
with those arresting indictees and sending them to The Hague. But look: they
are ready to enter a coalition including the Democratic Party, which is
nothing but the extended arm of the foreign occupiers in this country. We
must ask ourselves how the Socialists - who have endured such blows as
having the head of their party arrested, sent to The Hague and subjected to
juridical murder - can even think about cooperating with those who sent
Milosevic to The Hague!
Corruption is the other face of coalitions such as these. Corruption will
never be completely eradicated. As long everyone respects people who are
rich more than people who are knowledgeable, everyone will aspire to be be
rich. Especially those close to the government or in power themselves. But
when the system is a two-party one, the opposition is constantly catching
the government's mistakes. And when a coalition is in power, then there is a
silent agreement among the coalition associates to overlook things in
matters of corruption. This is why everyone is stealing but no one is
accusing anyone of stealing; it is simply ignored.
Today those in power are trying to funnel enough money to permit them to
live to the end of their lives. Unlike today's socialists, the ones of the
past believed that the system would last and ensure their security. So they
did not take too much, figuring they would be taken care of in their old
age. Today this has changed radically and it is none other than coalitions
that are making corruption possible.
During the election campaign we heard the parties telling us how there are
two camps (in Serbia), how some are in favor of keeping Kosovo and Metohija
as a part of Serbia and against joining the EU if that meant Serbia without
Kosovo and Metohija, while others claimed that we must join the European
Union at any price because that is the only way we can get new money and new
jobs. As if the past eight years had not been enough to do this, and we
needed the next eight.
Therefore, the camps were sharply divided. Now we have a small, three-member
coalition with Palma consisting of only three deputy seats that is claiming
we can join Europe and preserve Kosovo and Metohija, too. And how is it
possible to do all these things? How, when 20 members of the EU - out of a
total of 27 - have already recognized Kosovo and Metohija as an independent
state? Because they will keep it in mind during ratification. In other
words, God forbid that a new government of Socialists and "yellows" is
formed, we can expect Brussels to tell us, 'Until you establish good
relations with your neighbors - meaning diplomatic relations with Pristina -
we will not be able to continue talks on entering the EU.'
They are not saying anything about this for now in order to form their
coalition, but when it is formed, it will be said publicly. And our people,
being like they are, will say: what can we do, the hornless are no match for
the horned (a Serbian proverb). However, those of us who know all this well
and see it happening have a duty to warn that a great deception is taking
place. Our people are being tricked. Worst of all, a betrayal of our
national interests is in progress.
All those who reject the possible coalition of the Serbian Radical Party,
the Democratic Party of Serbia, New Serbia and the Socialists are, in fact,
accepting the truncation of Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia, the
independence of Kosovo and Metohija, and entry into the EU without that
central part of our country and our national survival. They are, dear
friends, traitors and we must not allow this to happen. This must not pass!
(Translated on June 21, 2008 by sib)
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