Reporter, Banja Luka, Republika Srpska
Issue 126, September 20, 2000

Kostunica in the south of Serbia

Kosovo rain of rocks

"He who throws a rock at a part of his own people is against our church," the
evangelical Vojislav Kostunica said, attempting to calm the incensed residents
of the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica some of whom were, from a safe
distance, throwing rocks, eggs and tomatoes at the presidential candidate of the
Democratic Opposition of Serbia.

It was as if he had invited them to throw more. Some of the more inventive ones
dig through the nearby trash containers and take out bags of garbage, throwing
them toward the stage. They are quickly stopped by the "guardians of the
bridges" and supporters of the opposition who, gathered around the stage,
attempt with their bodies to protect Kostunica, several local Democratic Party
of Serbia (DSS) officials and members of the electoral committee from the
humiliating treatment.

Behind the stage Rebeka Srbinovic, spokeswoman of New Democracy (Nova
demokratija), silently watches the spectacle and weeps. Sorrow is the only
emotion one can feel looking at the remaining Kosovo Serbs as they lustily lunge
at each other due to political differences.

Spite: On the very entrance to Kosovo, it was obvious that this visit by
Kostunica to the southern Serbian province would not be the same as earlier
ones. At the (border?!) crossing at Jarinje, the convoy of ten odd vehicles
carrying reporters and members of Kostunica's electoral staff was held for
approximately one and a half hours. Every vehicle was thoroughly searched and
individual travelers were frisked.

The most frequently heard explanation at the crossing was that the reason for
this degree of control was the visit of the presidential candidate of the
Radicals, Tomislav Nikolic, and his entourage several days earlier who bore
personal weapons which they did not want to turn over.

Already at that crossing one could see to what extent the Serbs in Kosovo are
divided. Some greet the column with three raised fingers [in a traditional Serb
sign of greeting], while others glare and comment sardonically on the "NATO
mercenaries". At times the effect is absurd. From a dark blue Audi 80 without
license plates in which three young men are waiting for KFOR to allow them to
pass, one can hear the verses of Djordje Balasevic's song "...the local children
are travelling, buying youth by the barrel, Slobodan...". Seeing the Belgrade
license plates of the vehicles in Kostunica's convoy and the member of KFOR
approaching them, they begin to chant "Slobo, Slobo". "Who can win against the
king," they tell the reporters spitefully, without turning off the radio:
"...the truth will win, Slobodan..." If one were to base the decision solely on
spite, the Kosovo Serbs are definitely the purest Serbs.

(In)famous times: Despite the fact that he was running almost two hours late, in
Leposavic Kostunica was greeted in front of the municipal building by several
hundred supporters who chanted "Vojo is Serb", "He is finished" and sang "Save
Serbia and kill yourself, Slobodan."

Local activists of the opposition were passing out DOS flyers and a text by
ethnologist Dragomir Antonic entitled "Did Tarabic prophesize Kostunica" with
underlined text from one of the versions of the Kreman prophecy on "a man of the
people who as his last name will bear the name of the village whence he comes"
and who will "bring calm to the people, and after all manner of marvels and
devastation, a glorious time will commence". At the end of the text which
reminds of some earlier prophecies by foreign and domestic prophets, there is a
discreet warning that folk traditions should not be casually disregarded.

A few people on the side sardonically commented that Kostunica had come to
Kosovo because he was given to do so but their voices were almost drowned out by
the second verse of the already well-known melody "Save Serbia from the
madhouse, Kostunica."

On the road to Zvecan, a yellow sign which says "NATO checkpoint" confirms the
extent to which "NATO criminals have not trod on holy Serbian land". In the
center of Zvecan, several hundred people have assembled to welcome Kostunica.
Masses hang out of windows and on balconies. An old lady peeks out from a
half-lowered blind and almost shyly greets the column of automobiles with three
raised fingers.

Where is Slobo: Differing opinions can be heard. A stocky, middle-aged man flies
out of a nearby cafe and runs after the column, swearing at the traitors. He
manages to catch up with them in front of the church in the middle of the town
which Kostunica is exiting at that very moment.

"Where were you while they were bombing us?! Where were you?" he bellows
drunkenly at the top of his voice, revealing several black remaining teeth.

"And where was your Slobo? Hiding in a bunker the entire time. Where is your
Slobo now, why doesn't he come here," Kostunica's supporters fire back. The
toothless man continues to swear, ignoring the question asked of him. Several
young men attempt to push me away but several more Slobists speak up and warn in
threatening tones: "Don't touch him." During this time, individuals are walking
up to Kostunica and shaking his hand. The column of automobiles with Kostunica
departs, accompanied by applause and rude comments.

Ten odd automobiles accompanied by several KFOR vehicles sets out for Kosovska
Mitrovica, where Kostunica is scheduled to speak. The enmity with which the
residents of Mitrovica met the convoy led some reporters, who were visiting the
city for the first time, to believe that they had entered the southern, Albanian
part of Mitrovica. The column of automobiles stopped in the center of the city,
surrounded by incensed citizens who, ignoring the presence of a significant
number of members of KFOR, surrounded the vehicles and began to kick them and
beat on the windows. It appeared that everyone in the automobiles was going to
get it good. The KFOR guys calmly observed the scene from their armored
transporters.

"You came here to divide us", "Gypsies", "Fuck you and fuck NATO", "Serbian
pussies" are just some of the epithets to which Kostunica, the members of his
electoral staff and reporters were treated.

Hypnotized masses: Accompanied by several "guardians of the bridges", Kostunica
managed to make his way to the stage. The stage was surrounded by citizens
chanting Kostunica's name and "Slobo, you pussy, you betrayed Kosovo". At
exactly the same moment, as if a command had been issued, several rocks, eggs
and cans flew at Kostunica. Several people on the stage were injured. Without
making any great effort to avoid the projectiles, Kostunica called on the
citizens to remain unified, calling Slobodan Milosevic "the greatest traitor of
the Serbian people" and "a coward who does not dare to come to Kosovo".

Kostunica reminded everyone of Milosevic's words at Gazimestan more than a
decade ago and of the statement of the mayor of the southern part of Mitrovica,
Redzepi, who said that the Albanians would prefer that Milosevic win but to no
avail. He also condemned KFOR for seeking weapons where there were none, instead
of among Albanian terrorists and criminals, to no avail. Some of the residents
of Mitrovica continued chanting, as if hypnotized, "Slobo, freedom" ["Slobo,
slobodo"] and throwing everything they could get their hands on at him.

The only person who seemed to know the answer to the million dollar question
where is Slobo and why doesn't he come to Kosovo was a woman in a blue blouse
who explained that "Slobo would be arrested the moment that he crossed the
border, not protected like their man Kostunica". When several people observed
that it was Slobo's signature that brought both SFOR and KFOR here and that he
could at least send Mira [Markovic, his wife], she responded with curses which
apparently take the place of arguments in Kosovska Mitrovica.

"Cops' ruse": Even though Kostunica was protected by the "guardians of the
bridges", it remained unclear why their leader, Oliver Ivanovic, the president
of the executive board of the Serb National Council of Kosovska Mitrovica, did
not appear on the stage but only later in the offices of the Democratic Party of
Serbia, from where he escorted the DOS presidential candidate to Zubin Potok.

A hour after the incident on the central city square, it became clearer that
Kostunica's welcome was anything but spontaneous. According to local residents,
on the eve of Kostunica's arrival the city was covered with election posters of
the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Yugoslav United Left. Only a day before,
claim residents of Mitrovica, there was hardly one. Local officials of the
Democratic Party of Serbia quickly advised of the names of the organizers of the
"welcome". According to them, responsible are Ljubisa Marovic, a local official
of the SPS, police major Delibasic, his deputy, Rajko Sekularac and a certain
Gisa Ilic, who is purported to be an intelligence agent.

One of the members of the Mitrovica SNC said that KFOR knew that an incident was
being prepared and offered security but it was refused. "If you accept, you are
immediately considered to be a traitor," he explained with a note of
resignation.

"It was all a cops' ruse. If only any of them had thrown a rock at the Shiptars
on the bridge. But no. They all ran away like pussies for fear that they would
be arrested and sent to The Hague. Now that things have calmed down, after we
found apartments for them here, this is how they pay us back. For a salary of
3,000 dinars," he says.

Welcome egg: Led by Ivanovic's Opel Omega with Titograd (!?) [former name of the
Montenegrin capital Podgorica] license plates, the column of vandalized
automobiles, now without license plates revealing their Belgrade point of
origin, headed toward Zubin Potok. On route to this town there were only two
election posters: one, crumpled and thrown on the ground, showing officials of
the Belgrade government and the slogan "Forever for Belgrade" and a second with
Kostunica's eyes pasted onto the side of house at the entrance to a hamlet. This
region has as many posters of the political left as there are Albanians.

Despite poor telephone connections, they already know in Zubin Potok what
happened in Mitrovica. While the column of automobiles passes through the center
of village, a woman from a shop mockingly calls out to her friend across the
way: "Do you have an egg or two to welcome them?"

With three hours delay, the gathering began in the Cultural Center in Zubin
Potok with the playing of the anthem "God grant us justice" ["Boze pravde"]. A
full house. There are some members of KFOR. They appear indifferent when
Kostunica condemns the NATO aggression and look around them confusedly when
people begin to applaud at the mention of Milosevic's name. They obviously do
not understand a word of what Kostunica is saying about his opponent. Two men
with moustaches thoughtfully nodded their heads in confirmation of the
assessment that Serbia is not being reconstructed by Milosevic and the SPS "but
by all of us and our money".

During this time, a group of people is gathering in front of the Cultural Center
who are dissatisfied with the fact that opinions differing from the officially
proclaimed version are being aired. They call on "the traitors to go home". At
about the same time, the bishop of Raska and Prizren, Artemije, also arrives at
the Center where he has scheduled a public forum on the topic of "Martyrdom: The
Christian Syndrome of the Second Millennium". The socialistically predisposed
residents of Zubin Potok shout insults and throw eggs at the bishop and two
monks from Sopocani and they withdraw. These days on holy Serbian soil men of
the cloth do not get much respect.

Divided: Eggs are now flying toward the young men standing in front of the
entrance to the Center. They angrily lunge to get at the egg-throwers. The
calmer among them hold them back. Two camps are formed which shoot dirty looks
and curses at each other. An occasional egg comes flying from the socialist
camp. The most aggressive again lunge at each other and the first blows fall.
Members of KFOR continue to ignore the situation. The important thing is that
the conflict is not interethnic. Only when all the fighters have returned to
their respective camps do two armored transporters easily slide between them.

Three young women are standing to the side and observing the scene with concern.
Their husbands and relatives are in those two camps.

"We are embarrassing ourselves for no reason," says one of them quietly.

"And the black men just watch and laugh at us," adds another, nodding her head
toward the KFOR troops.

Ivanovic's men are trying to calm the passions. "Easy does it, people; you are
neighbors, tomorrow you will still be living next to each other."

"What do you mean, neighbors? He brought me a Shiptar for a neighbor. This
gentleman sold his house and now he's here to tell me who's the traitor," says a
young man sardonically, pointing a finger at the camp from which eggs are still
flying.

The gathering ended without major incidents and Kostunica and his escort left
the village. The culmination of cynicism would come after his exit from Kosovo,
not far from Kraljevo, where more than 10,000 citizens waited for him. The
column of visibly damaged vehicles was stopped by a traffic patrol and detained
for almost half an hour while they verified documents and engine serial numbers.
The only thing missing was to have them pull the cars from the road for
technical irregularities.

At the gathering in Kraljevo, Kostunica said that the incident in Mitrovica "was
caused by a handful of unfortunates paid by Milosevic". Whether they were paid
or not, they certainly are unfortunates. Unfortunate people who 12 years ago
used yogurt to start a revolution throughout the former Yugoslavia, and now
attempted to defend its legacy - with tomatoes.

By MILORAD VESIC

Translated by Snezana Lazovic (Sept. 20, 2000)


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