New Laws Tighten Milosevic’s Grip

Lawmakers on Monday gave President Slobodan Milosevic the legal opening to extend his autocratic rule while weakening the power of Montenegro, Serbia’s bitter junior partner in the Yugoslav federation.

The federal parliament approved legislation that Milosevic’s own Cabinet wrote, giving him the option to run for two more four-year terms after his current one expires in July 2001.

The legislation also allows the president to be elected by a simple majority of the popular vote, regardless of election turnout. That’s an important change in a country where the opposition has threatened an election boycott.

The opposition was quick to criticize the new laws.

“The outcome of this will be the uncontrolled power of an individual,” said Vladeta Jankovic, an opposition deputy who accused the ruling party of treating Milosevic as a “deity, like in primitive religions.”

Other changes involve the way legislators for the upper house of the Yugoslav parliament, the Chamber of Republics, are elected. Currently, separate assemblies in Montenegro and Serbia, the much larger Yugoslav republic, each select 20 of the chamber’s 40 deputies. Under the new system, the deputies will be elected by popular vote.

That takes away the ability of the small Montenegrin republic’s pro-Western government to control its representatives and will make it easier for Milosevic to push Montenegrin politicians who are loyal to him.

“In a shady, clandestine way, Milosevic has prepared an election infrastructure to solidify his power and extend his dictatorship,” said Miodrag Vukovic, a top official in Montenegro, who reiterated the republic’s threat to boycott the elections.

Yugoslav officials defended the legislation, which followed up on constitutional changes written by Milosevic’s government and adopted by parliament earlier this month.

“The new laws ensure more freedom and full legality of our election system,” said Yugoslav Justice Minister Petar Jojic, a Milosevic supporter.

Western leaders had warned Milosevic not to crack down on Montenegro’s breakaway leadership or attempt to force the tiny republic back under his control.