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U.S. Official Sees No Doubt Milosevic Will Try to Steal Election

Speaks after Albright's lunch for Southeast European ministers
By Ralph Dannheisser 
Washington File Correspondent
New York -- A senior State Department official declared flatly
September 12 that Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) President
Slobodan Milosevic "will try to steal the election" in Serbia
September 24.
In a media briefing at the department's Foreign Press Center here, the
official also said, in answer to questions, that the United States
would not push efforts to remove the FRY from United Nations
membership before the election.
The official briefed reporters after attending a luncheon for
Southeast European foreign ministers hosted by Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright.
Albright, in New York for the opening sessions of the 55th United
Nations General Assembly, has been keeping a crowded schedule of
meetings, both one-on-one and multilateral, with her counterparts from
nations around the world.
The State Department official said Milosevic "has already started
preparations" to steal the election. "He has suppressed all the
independent media.... He has also begun to increase intimidation of
activists throughout Yugoslavia.... In addition, we see signs that he
has begun to work up fraudulant ballot boxes, attempting to skew the
count."
Tampering with the election could potentially lead to Milosevic's
downfall, the official suggested, adding that the people of Serbia and
Montenegro -- which make up the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia --
"should feel cheated if Milosevic declares victory, and they will have
the opportunity to express that directly.
"In every situation around the globe, dictators leave when their
people get tired, too tired of the dictatorship to be afraid any
more."
On the matter of the FRY's continued membership in the United Nations,
the official restated the U.S. position that the successor states to
the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia all should apply
for membership anew -- something the FRY has not done.
It is the U.S. view that "in the aftermath of these elections, if
Milosevic attempts to remain in power by fraud or violence, the
international community will find it inappropriate that he continues
to have a presence" in the United Nations, the official said.
Albright had told reporters earlier in the day that the FRY's
continued U.N. membership as a successor state, without a renewed
membership application, amounts to "an anomalous situation here at
this time."
Asked when the United States might seek U.N. action to reconsider the
status of the FRY's membership, the official replied, "The Yugoslav
election is in 12 days...(and) the General Assembly is busy." Asked
again whether this meant that no action would be sought before the
election, the official said, "Yes."
Attending the luncheon hosted by Albright were the foreign ministers
of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania,
Slovenia, and Turkey -- all participants in the Southeast Europe
Cooperative Initiative.
The official said the attendees generally expressed the view that
their grouping "gives a direction and a focus for the democratic
forces in southeast Europe" but that, as one minister said, the FRY
represents "a hole in the region."
The official discussed being "struck by the expressions of support for
Montenegro" at the luncheon meeting.
As for the United States' own position on Montenegro, the official
said, Secretary Albright "has been very clear, on the record, that
Milosevic should keep his hands off Montenegro."
"It would be a mistake for Milosevic to believe that we would fail to
act in accordance with our interests," the official added.
In answer to a question, the official said the United States is not
encouraging Montenegro itself to apply for United Nations membership:
"We... respect the territorial integrity of the FRY."
Noting that Montenegro has been "very prudent in avoiding any
provocation to Milosevic," the official said the United States
encourages the Montenegrin authorities to continue "to take only very
prudent, careful steps in order to avoid giving Milosevic any excuse
for violence."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)