Serbia: a Big Step, but Miles to Go

The resounding victory of Vojislav Kostunica’s democratic coalition in Serbia’s parliamentary elections last Saturday completes a peaceful transfer of power that no one would have thought possible six months ago.

The victory gave Belgrade its first non-Socialist government since the end of World War II. Dismantling the system in Serbia--as in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe a decade ago--was the easy part. Turning Serbia from a thoroughly corrupt dictatorship to a society based on law will prove far more difficult. A good starting point for Kostunica would be the arrest and prosecution of Slobodan Milosevic and his Serbian forces, responsible for a decade of internecine warfare.

The winning electoral coalition of 18 political parties gives Kostunica’s supporters control of nearly two-thirds of the parliament. That’s enough--if the coalition doesn’t split apart--to rewrite Milosevic’s constitution and enact liberal legislation. Milosevic’s Socialists scored a paltry 13% in the elections and won’t pose much of a problem in parliament, but they remain in charge of much of the economy and are the paymasters of the nation’s police force. This combination must be dismantled if democracy is to prevail.

Since winning the Yugoslav presidency last October, Kostunica has been cautious in rebuilding Yugoslavia’s shattered economy and restoring public confidence in the authorities; too cautious, in the view of Serbia’s new prime minister, Zoran Djindjic, an advocate of rapid reforms and a decisive crackdown on corruption and organized crime. A majority of Serbs, while giving Kostunica high marks, still remain skeptical about his regime’s political will.

Kostunica rightly refused to defy NATO over growing violence by ethnic Albanians in the Kosovo security zone, seeking instead a negotiated solution. Cooperation with NATO will win him the acceptance of the international community. But he must act decisively against the leaders of the old regime if he doesn’t want to squander the anti-Milosevic outrage that swept him into power.

While he may not please all the factions in his coalition, Kostunica has broad public support, and the authorities have enough evidence to arrest Milosevic and dozens of other war criminals and gangsters. They should not hesitate to use that power.