March 3, 2000

Full Text of the Platform Adopted by The Serbian Democratic Opposition

The democratic opposition of Serbia is convinced that, once the authoritarian regime is replaced in elections, it will be necessary to embark on democratic reorganisation of the state without any political revanchism, which includes the following:

1. Resolution of the national status:

1. A new Serbian constitution is to be adopted in order to define the republic as a democratic state with separated legislative, executive and judicial powers, in which its parliament should be given a particularly important role and citizens guaranteed all rights and freedoms. Serbia will be organised as a democratic and decentralised state, with strong local and regional self-governments (e.g. Sandzak, that is the Raska region) and full respect to the historically formed modes of autonomy in Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija.
2. Sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and Yugoslavia in Kosovo and Metohija can no longer be of nominal character only, as it is today. It is necessary to secure full implementation of provisions included in the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244 stipulating that international civil and security presences are to establish viable conditions for the return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes in Kosovo and Metohija. The return of the non-Albanian population, the Serbs in the first place, is the major prerequisite for the establishment of democratic, multi-ethnic institutions in the area.
3. Relations between Serbia and Montenegro are to be redefined in accordance with the popular will in both federal units.
4. New, democratically elected authorities in Serbia, together with the Montenegrin authorities and newly-elected federal authorities, will seek to normalise relations with all states, including those formed on the soil of former Yugoslavia as well, and secure the inclusion of Yugoslavia into international institutions and its integration into European structures as soon as possible.

2. The definition of national interests and national policy:

1. The national interest of Serbs has to be determined through democratic institutions and public life, while short-term and long-term national policies are to be defined in accordance with the national interest and political circumstances. Although all parts of the Serb national corps are not in a single state structure they should build a common cultural and spiritual space, which is the responsibility of the mother state.
2. The state has to solve the problem of refugees and displaced persons, not only by using the instruments of social policy but also a programme that would begin with the resolution of their status.
3. Minorities will be guaranteed all rights they are entitled to in line with the highest standards of the United Nations, the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe, including the right of ethnic communities to organise themselves in order to preserve and develop their identity, particularly in the fields of education, information and ulture.
4. Mechanisms of positive discrimination will be established in typical multi-national communities to ensure that provincial, regional and local institutions reflect the national composition of such environments.
5. Special agreements should be signed with neighbouring countries that host Serb minorities and have minorities of their own in Yugoslavia in order to secure reciprocal protection of the ethnic groups.

3. Law-abiding state

The work of the new authorities will be responsible and open to public scrutiny. They will fight decisively against organised crime, corruption and all forms of misuse. The new authorities will secure the rule of law, legal equality for the citizens, independent judiciary and free media. Only such authorities will be able to break off the links between the state and crime, eliminate smuggling organised or encouraged by the state and speculations with hard-currency and gyro exchange rates. In a word, Serbia and Yugoslavia will be law-abiding in all aspects, ranging from the electoral process to the execution and control of power.

4. Economy

Serbia's economic life will be based on free entrepreneurship, free trade unions and private property, while state-run property may remain in strategic sectors. Privatization carried out secretly and illegally, or to the detriment of general social interests, will be annulled. Legal regulations will include special incentives for local and foreign investor. Denationalisation will be carried out wherever possible.

5. Social Policy:

Appropriate taxation and budgetary policies will make it possible for the state to secure special social benefits for the two most vulnerable categories - pensioners and unemployed people. It will also make a special programme to rehabilitate the health-care system.

Democratic Alternative, Nebojsa Covic
Democratic Party of Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica
Democratic Centre, Dragoljub Micunovic
Sandzak Coalition, Rasim Ljaljic
Vojvodina Coalition, Dragan Veselinov
League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, Emil Fejzulahi
New Democracy, Dusan Mihajlovic
Movement for Democratic Serbia, Momcilo Perisic
Reform Democratic Party of Vojvodina, Mile Isakov
Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Jozef Kasa
Alliance for Change, Vladan Batic
Social Democratic Union, Zarko Korac
Social Democracy, Vuk Obradovic
Serbian Renewal Movement, Ognjen Pribicevic
Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija, Momcilo Trajkovic