26 March 1999 – The massive air strikes on Yugoslavia are not only hitting military facilities. They also take away human lives and destroy the economic infrastructure of our impoverished nation. However, in the long run, the biggest “collateral damage” will be the diminished prospects for democracy in Serbia. We fear that the only long-lasting result of this undeclared war will be a constant state of emergency, both legal and psychological, this time with the support of the confused majority, which always gathers around the government in moments of extreme misery and danger. (more…)

Massive air strikes against Yugoslavia do not only destroy army installations. They also take human lives and ruin the economic infrastructure of our impoverished country. In the long run, however, the biggest collateral damage will be the shattered possibilities for democracy in Serbia. We fear that the only durable result of the undeclared war will be a permanent state of emergency, legal and spiritual, this time with the support of the bewildered majority, which has always sided with the government in times of extreme adversity and danger. (more…)

The government of Serbia, headed by Mirko Marjanovic, of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) of President Milosevic, has submitted to the Parliament of Serbia a restrictive draft bill on universities. The draft came as a surprise to the faculty and students of Serbian universities, neither of whom had been consulted by the drafters, whose names remain unknown. It is very likely that the draft will be adopted already on 26 May 1998 by the Parliament, which is dominated by SPS and its coalition partners the United Yugoslav Left (JUL) of Mirjana Markovic and the Serbian Radical Party of Vojislav Šešelj. Most democratic parties have boycotted the latest elections in Serbia. (more…)

On 26 May the Government of Serbia will ask of the National Assembly to adopt the new University Law. Milosevic’s socialists and Seselj’s extreme nationalists announced that they will adopt the new Law. The new University Law will practically completely abrogate the autonomy of the University. The University will be held as a state-owned enterprise.  The Rector of the University and all deans of the faculties will be directly appointed by the government. Candidates for professors will need the authorisation from the Ministry of Education for becoming  professors of the University. The Government will also form a Main Board and a Supervisory Board. (more…)

The Yugoslav Telecommunications Ministry has announced the results of the latest frequency tender. The Telecommunications Ministry granted temporary licenses to 247 radio and television stations in Serbia and Montenegro. From those 247 radio and television stations only three are the members of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM): one radio station and two television stations out of the 21 radio and 17 television stations from the ANEM network. (more…)

The Centre strongly condemn the stubborn insistence of the regime in Yugoslavia to solve the problem of Kosovo solely by police repression while refusing to engage in any reasonable dialogue. They should have known that naked violence could result in terrorism. Fight against terrorism is justified but should not result in loss of innocent lives. Terrorism cannot be an excuse for lawlessness and disrespect of humanitarian norms. (more…)