FROM MISHA GLENNY IN BELGRADE VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA has said that he intends organising elections for a constituent assembly in a year or so, but before then he must overcome some very awkward political obstacles - not least the fact that he has allies who are likely to become rivals quickly. The movement that destroyed Mr Milosevic is a broad front in which cracks are already appearing. The new President is overwhelmingly the most popular figure in Serbia but he could not have swept aside Mr Milosevic without the assistance of several key figures. The most important of these is Zoran Djindjic, whose Democratic Party was the backbone of the protest movement. According to insiders, the two men distrust each other and both have real political ambition. The suave and attractive Mr Djindjic played the key role in organising the general strike and people's protest on Thursday that eventually brought Mr Milosevic down. A born politician, he has built up a very forceful political machine that controls many regions at local level. A former student activist and leftwinger, Mr Djindjic has had a successful career both as a businessman and in politics. Many say that his ambition knows few bounds, but his decision not to seek the Opposition's presidential candidature, stepping aside for Mr Kostunica instead, was crucial for the success of Thursday's revolution and a sign that Mr Djindjic is prepared to sacrifice his ambition for the common good. With the Democratic Party under his control, however, he will not make life easy for Mr Kostunica. Mr Kostunica will also have to beware two other snakes in the grass. One is Vuk Draskovic, the maverick opposition figure who was suspected by many of being in Mr Milosevic's pocket. The other is the arch-nationalist Vojislav Seselj, the most troublesome of all. His Radical Party is in a coalition with Mr Milosevic's Socialist Party. Neither man is going to make life easy for Mr Kostunica. Although Mr Kostunica's overwhelming popular support gives him considerable political capital for the moment, he may well find that his old friends will start to make life very difficult for him, as he tries to make sense of the constitution, tackle the country's chronic economic problems and reconcile Yugoslavia with the Balkans and the West. It is Yugoslavia's great fortune that Mr Kostunica is a constitutional lawyer. The constitutional order with its multiple parliaments is a shambles, made exceptionally complicated by curious relationship between Serbia and its tiny sister republic, Montenegro. In order for Yugoslavia to start functioning properly, it needs to be knocked into shape quickly lest the country descends into a miasma of confusion. Mr Kostunica's actual powers as Federal President are quite limited and Mr Milosevic's coalition is the most powerful force in the parliament. For this reason, Mr Kostunica and his allies are trying in a very short time to strike a deal with the SNP - the Montenegrin party that once supported Mr Milosevic - in an attempt to block the influence of Mr Milosevic's alliance in parliament when it meets for the first time later today. The Times 07.10.00 _______________________________________________ Crashlist resources: http://website.lineone.net/~resource_base To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/crashlist
