However, let us put aside elementary human concerns and focus instead on the professional codex, which implies truthful reporting about people and events. Belgrade journalists, as well as the Serb opposition, which disunited and weak for years held meetings and forged agreements in Montenegro, and even reached the victory in the elections mostly from here, are not obliged to return that debt by going easy on the official Montenegro. But if they care about togetherness and equality, they are obliged to understand and take into account Montenegrin state interests.
However, the political elite in Serbia still hasn't managed to cross that threshold. They like only those Montenegrin authorities that are prepared to subordinate the interests of Montenegro unconditionally to the interests of Serbia. By appointing Zoran Zizic for the Prime Minister of the Federal Government, Vojislav Kostunica consistently continued Milosevic's policy of ignoring the will of most citizens of Montenegro. By referring to the dubious principle of legality (he has himself emphasized several times that the elections had been conducted on the basis of unconstitutional amendments) Kostunica proved that he is not a democrat. Because, democracy is the will of a majority, and barely a fifth of citizens of Montenegro support Zizic. Putting aside the even more absurd fact that Kostunica without flinching declares himself for the president of Yugoslavia, although he received less then ten thousand votes in one of the federal units.
Kostunica and the DOS have decidedly rejected the SNP request for SPS participation in the Federal Government. They say they promised to their voters that they will in no circumstances enter a coalition with the SPS and JUL. At the same time they requested form the DPS to participate in the government led by a man from the SNP. The double standards are the least that can be said for the unbelievable political insolence of the new democratic authorities in Belgrade towards those who on September 24 helped them to prevent the SNP from stealing the planned 200,000 votes for Milosevic. But, as we said, let's leave debts for another time.
The refusal of the official Montenegro to be reduced to an ordinary region, for virtuous quills of "reformed and liberated" Belgrade publications is nothing else but separatism, open, precipitous, brutal, and for Kosta Cavoski even akin to that of Basques in Spain. Because of such people in Serbia, and even more because of those in Montenegro who support such policy, the following should be clearly stated. There is no essential difference between Milosevic's policy that reduced Montenegro to the 27th electoral district and the political pragmatism that suggests to Montenegro or imposes on her the reconciliation with such status.
The Montenegrin authorities must be, however, criticized for blaming for far too long the problems on the relation Podgorica-Belgrade on Milosevic's regime, failing to sufficiently and sufficiently early point out their systematic nature and historical roots. In that, a part of the current ruling coalition [The People's Party] has not yet experienced political emancipation from Belgrade and sees the basic Montenegrin role as a non-stop Mojkovac battle for the protection of Serbia. The fate of king Nikola and his message, belated and based on personal experience, should serve as a lesson to such individuals: the highest interest of Montenegrins is Montenegro.
The author is the deputy editor-in-chief of TV Montenegro, a state-controlled TV station
Recently, we came to believe that that manner has definitely disappeared from our region. But, unfortunately, it is strong, and, as we can see, inclined to renewal and resuscitation.
The commentary of Darko Sukovic, the deputy editor-in-chief of TV Montenegro, broadcast in the main news program of this TV situation on Tuesday, which received a lot of publicity, hardly leaves the framework of such reporting.
Besides already mentioned overestimation, our colleague dissects the Serbian political scene and its attitude with respect to Montenegrin politicians exactly using the manner of the SPS media, and the commentary is "strengthened" by the words such as "quarter" and similar linguistic tools used by everything hollow to try to prove the thesis given in the first sentences. "Judging by the headlines you're watching [on the screen] very few individuals would conclude that Slobodan Milosevic is not in power in Belgrade any more. Even under Kostunica and the DOS, the Belgrade press continues to quarter and satanize the Montenegrin authorities, the president of the Republic especially."
We do not want to be malicious and to wonder regarding this commentary how the state-controlled media report under Djukanovic's DPS and why is their intonation similar to Milosevic, Bulatovic and Milanovic [TV Serbia director under Milosevic].
It is sad that the Belgrade press and even our newspaper are accused of ingratitude for Montenegrin hospitality at the time we were persecuted, as well as that it is arrogantly claimed that "the weak Serb opposition for years held meetings in Montenegro."
However, for us Sukovic's commentary is above all the reason to repeat: we have neither abandoned out independent and unbiased policy, nor the relation with respect to "federal" issues and Montenegro. The fact that after these and such elections and the lack of participation of Montenegrin political subjects their situation ended up being complicated, so that our unbiased and analytical attitude with respect to these facts appears to be different to some, speaks more about them than about us.
At the time Veseljko was with us, at our service, as our colleague, friend, as a ray that penetrated the darkness of medieval Serbia from Montenegro. And what is now happening to us at the time when to our, and I believe Veseljko's happiness, changes have taken place in Serbia at last?
What sort of editorial could overnight erect a wall between friends with similar views, and did that happen? I believe that this event is a symptom, or an indicator, on a smaller level, of what is happening in the relations between Serbia and Montenegro. Mutual extreme sensitivity of small differences, or something similar? I have been reading recently letters from our readers, as well as sharp criticism from Montenegro regarding the writing of Belgrade media; I am listening as on both sides slowly that well-known hellish machine of divisions to them and us, to the exclusive truth of ones and lies of others, is rearing its ugly head. I am witnessing as overnight peoples of two states with so much in common, for the sake of some "higher", actually political goals, are becoming total strangers to each other, and I tell you once and for all: I refuse to participate in that. I refuse to allow politics to take away our Veseljko.
Politicians never saw moral imperatives as a barrier to achieve their goals. As far as I know none among the known saints of any religion came from the ranks of politicians and that, I guess, makes sense. Politics is too much of this world, too dirty, not at all saintly and not at all clean. I see, however, from the reactions of my friends, our readers and other people close to me, that we are again on the way to assure that politicians are more important than the human in us, than the feeling of goodness, love towards our brothers and sisters, morality, and even customs. In my article published last week, "Milo, Do as you Please", I said - either opt for a referendum that would reveal the will of the Montenegrin people, or for cooperation in formation of vital institutions without which everything could go to hell. I see that even that, you'll allow me to claim, very liberal attitude, in the total hysteria was interpreted as anti-Montenegrin!
That that artificial creation of anti-situation is a total nonsense can be surmised from the possibility that yours truly, the offspring of two pure Montenegrin families, somehow ended up in the middle of the debate whether there is anti-Montenegrin attitude in Serbia (sic!).
Because of such narrowing down of the space for dialog, because of mutual offense as soon as someone dares criticize, because at the point where tolerance stops also stops the chance that at least a small part of somebody else's opinion is adopted as principled, rather than ill-intentioned attack on one's own belief system, and above all because of the situation in which, obviously, politicians are inciting and encouraging this artificially created conflict, let us say enough, before we end up ashamed of ourselves. I still respect only two basic tenets: starry skies above me and the moral law within me. You will realize that that does not belong to either Zabljak or Milosevic's ad hoc Constitution. That is why our Veseljko Koprivica will always be more important to me than either Serb or Montenegrin fake emperors, but only the truth will be more important than Veseljko.
Only Montenegrins and Serbians can stop new political passions from becoming something new and disgusting that could happen to us again. Politicians for now do not want to stop that. On the contrary.