Kostunica takes helm, people rejoice

BELGRADE - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has his first full day in office today, taking charge of a nation economically crippled and internationally isolated after 13 tormented years of rule by Slobodan Milosevic.

Kostunica, a 56-year-old constitutional lawyer, took power yesterday at a joint session of Parliament that marked an historic shift towards democracy for Yugoslavia.

"Everything is peaceful and Yugoslavia and Serbia have joined the community of democratic nations," an exhausted but elated Kostunica said in a brief statement to assembled lawmakers and dignitaries.

The simple swearing-in ceremony ended two weeks of high drama, which saw Milosevic thrown out of office by a wave of public protests after he had desperately tried to cling to power despite losing last month's presidential elections.

Yugoslav newspapers, reflecting the newly hopeful mood of the country beaten down by years of sanctions and economic decline, feted the dramatic shift in power.

"Yugoslavia entered the ranks of democratic peoples," the formerly pro-Milosevic Ekspres Politika said in its front-page headline. "Democracy is the only way," echoed Vecernje Novosti.

A big question mark hung over Milosevic's future.

The former Yugoslav strongman has said he wants to carry on in politics, while the West wants him extradited to face charges rising out of the Kosovo conflict. He was indicted along with four other officials of his leadership for alleged war crimes against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

Kostunica has said he will not hand Milosevic over to the United Nations war crimes tribunal in the Hague and said yesterday that he had other things to worry about than his predecessor's fate.

He stated that his first priority would be improving relations between Yugoslavia's two remaining republics, Serbia and Montenegro, which have been pushed to breaking point by Milosevic's hardline, nationalist rule.

He also said Yugoslavia needed to strengthen its sovereignty over Kosovo, a message bound to infuriate the province's majority ethnic Albanians, who are pushing for independence.

"There will be many economic difficulties and political hardships ahead," he warned.

In Belgrade, thoughts of future problems were set aside as thousands of people still milled through the streets, visiting the sites of last Thursday's revolt when crowds stormed the federal Parliament building and state television offices.

"We were all in tears when Kostunica was sworn in. Everything that has happened was a shock. What is completely normal in the rest of the world is always a state of emergency here," said Olga Paukovic, a member of Kostunica's party.

Kostunica, a moderate nationalist who galvanised Serbia's fragmented opposition parties for the September 24 presidential poll, said he was relieved that he had ousted Milosevic without a bloodbath.

"There was violence, but thank God that violence was kept under control so that I think we are really starting a new era in our political life and in our lives generally," he said.

Milosevic had gone on television on Saturday to concede defeat and said his Socialist Party would be strong in opposition and he would play a part.

But Milosevic's future is unclear. He is wanted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal in the Hague for his conduct of the Kosovo conflict last year.

Many of his opponents in the streets of Belgrade at the weekend said they would not be happy until he went into exile.

"It's not clear to me how he can stay here after such a reaction against him. said Vesna, a 35-year-old political scientist. "As long as he is here there is danger in this country. We do not need him."

- REUTERS

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