Serbian opposition leaders decided yesterday to set up what they called a "crisis committee for Yugoslavia" to take over powers in governing Serbia, an opposition source told reporters.
The decision to form the committee was taken after opposition supporters took control of Belgrade's streets on Thursday in a popular and bloodless
revolution, which appeared to have swept aside President Slobodan Milosevic in favour of Vojislav Kostunica.
The committee's main task would be to provide and secure public order and peace in the country, the opposition source said.
"So the crisis committee will take over the functions of governing Serbia," the source said after the meeting.
He said the opposition expected an answer by 11am (10pm NZT) yesterday from politicians in Montenegro, Serbia's Western-leaning sister republic, on whether it wanted to take part in the committee.
Kostunica said on Thursday he had convened the first session of the newly elected Yugoslav parliament for later the same evening.
"We invited deputies from Montenegro to come to this session," he told reporters.
But Zoran Djindjic of the opposition Democratic Party later told the independent Beta news agency that the session would be held on Friday instead.
He did not give details on the timing.
The opposition bloc won 55 seats in the 138-seat lower chamber and 10 seats in the 40-seat upper chamber of the Yugoslav parliament in parliamentary elections on September 24 coinciding with the presidential poll.
Milosevic's Socialists have 46 seats in the lower chamber and seven seats in the upper chamber. Dragoljub Micunovic, who will chair the first session of the newly elected federal assembly, told Belgrade BK television on Thursday that deputies had been urged to come to the parliament to "save it".
Earlier on Thursday, Serb demonstrators protesting at Milosevic's refusal to accept opposition calls for him to hand power to Vojislav Kostunica seized the Yugoslav parliament building and set ground floor rooms on fire.
The opposition source said police and state security officials had held meetings provincial Serbian towns, saying they would be loyal to Kostunica.
He mentioned the towns of Kragujevac, Nis, Cacak and Kraljevo, all opposition strongholds.
"The security forces said they will be loyal to the new president," the source said.
The state news agency Tanjug reported earlier today that the top Yugoslav army leadership was meeting in Belgrade and a statement was expected after the session.
- REUTERS
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Serbian opposition leaders decided yesterday to set up what they called a "crisis committee for Yugoslavia" to take over powers in governing Serbia, an opposition source told reporters.
The decision to form the committee was taken after opposition supporters took control of Belgrade's streets on Thursday in a popular and bloodless
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