DATE=8/7/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=YUGO OPPOSITION (L-O)
NUMBER=2-265214
BYLINE=STEFAN BOS
DATELINE=BUDAPEST
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Fifteen Serbian opposition leaders have chosen
nationalist Vojislav Kostunica as their challenger to
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in next month's
election. Mr. Kostunica is the opposition parties'
second candidate. As Stefan Bos reports from
Budapest, this is expected to undermine their chances
of winning the vote and unseating Mr. Milosevic.
TEXT: After lengthy crisis talks in Belgrade, party
officials told reporters the opposition coalition had
failed to agree on one candidate to run against
Yugoslav President Milosevic.
Fifteen leaders, representing a variety of anti-
Milosevic groups, had hoped to convince Serbia's
largest opposition party, the Serbian Renewal
Movement, to withdraw its candidate for president,
Vojislav Mihajlovic.
Critics say Mr. Mihajlovic, the current mayor of
Belgrade, has a poor record as mayor, does not have a
national reputation and lacks charisma.
That is why all of Serbia's other opposition parties
announced Monday they are joining forces to support
Vojislav Kostunica, whose nationalism is said to
reflect popular opinion in Serbia.
The choice of Mr. Kostunica surprised observers in
Belgrade, because the candidate had said he would not
run unless he could lead a united opposition. He also
wanted authorities in Montenegro - Yugoslavia's
second, smaller republic - to drop plans to boycott
the presidential election on September 24th.
Opinion polls show Mr. Kostunica with a strong lead
over Mr. Milosevic. But in an interview, the
opposition candidate said he faces three major
problems:
/// KOSTUNICA ACT ///
The regime of Slobodan Milosevic [operates]
under very unfair conditions - media conditions
and others. We are now running against the
decision of Montenegro not to participate [in
the vote] and, unfortunately, also against the
decision of the Serbian Renewal Movement, the
party of Mr. [Vuk] Draskovic, which will have
its own candidate for the president of
Yugoslavia. So we are having three obstacles
instead of only one in this election.
/// END ACT ///
Analysts say a divided Serbian opposition gives Mr.
Milosevic a better chance to win re-election. They
add, this could help the Yugoslav leader avoid a U-N
tribunal's attempt to try him for alleged war crimes.
But Serbian opposition leaders say voters who want to
end Yugoslavia's international isolation are likely to
reject Mr. Milosevic, in favor of a candidate who
would be more welcome in the West. (SIGNED)
NEB/SJB/WTW/RAE
07-Aug-2000 14:40 PM EDT (07-Aug-2000 1840 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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