Military

DATE=10-21-2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-268263

TITLE=Yugoslavia-Milosevic (L-only)

DATELINE=Stefan Bos

DATELINE=Budapest

CONTENT= ///RE-ISSUING WITH CORRECT TEXT NUMBER///

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Ousted Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has re-emerged on that country's political scene for the first time since he was forced to step down more than two weeks ago. Stefan Bos reports from Budapest that the former leader attended a meeting of his Socialist Party.

TEXT: An official of Mr. Milosevic's Socialist party told reporters in Belgrade that the deposed Yugoslav President had chaired a tense meeting of his party's executive board late Friday. No details were given, but Mr. Milosevic reportedly accused Socialist officials of being "traitors and spies", after some of them openly called for Mr. Milosevic and other top party officials to quit.

Mr. Milosevic stepped back onto the political stage indicating that the former leader appeared to be sticking to his pledge to make a political comeback, despite an indictment by the United Nations Tribunal in The Hague for alleged war crimes.

As news about the former Yugoslav President's latest activities surfaced on Saturday,his allies and their opponents failed to reach agreement on a power-sharing government in the main republic of Serbia.

Supporters of Yugoslavia's President, Vojislav Kostunica, objected to at least one Socialist Cabinet nominee, and demanded the removal of several top pro-Milosevic officials from the proposed-cabinet. Mr. Milosevic's socialist party dominates the government and partliament of Serbia, Yugoslavia's strongest republic.

The parliament of Serbia is scheduled to discuss the matter again on Monday.

Despite the political infighting, President Kostunica has made clear he still hopes to form a Serbian Government soon. But analysts warn that Mr. Kostunica may face an uphill battle when it comes to the formation of a federal Cabinet for Yugoslavia, because there are still many disagreements about its composition. (SIGNED)

NEB/PT