Thursday, February 10, 2000

Democratic Party of Serbia

www.dss.org.yu

dr Vojislav Kostunica, president of the Party photo: FreeSerbia

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) is the political party founded in 1992 by the faction of the Democratic Party (DS). The faction was determined to join forces with the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) and intellectuals in setting up the Democratic Movement of Serbia (DEPOS).

At the time, after the United Nations imposed economic sanctions on the newly founded Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ), the waves of student and citizen protests forced Milosevic to schedule a general election. The opposition succeeded in changing the electoral system to proportional system with nine election districts, but it was also necessary for the opposition to establish its strategy: joining forces against the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and uniting in one ballot - the DEPOS.

The Democratic Party voted against joining in, but it was a very close vote. Dissatisfied members of the party led by Vojislav Kostunica, the vice-president of the party and a dissident in the old communist system, at first formed a faction of the party and then, after troubles with registration, established the Democratic Party of Serbia. Out of fifty seats in the republic parliament won by the DEPOS, the Democratic Party of Serbia got nineteen (the parliament has a total of 250 seats). On December 1992, mostly out of disagreement on the way of creating the new federal state, the DSS refused to take part in the federal election and to recognize the federation.

The year of 1993 was the year of discord in the DEPOS over the political stance toward militant Bosnian Serbs and Radovan Karadzic (former Bosnian Serb leader). That was the reason why the Democratic Party of Serbia participated in the December 1993 republic election independently and won just about 220 thousand votes. But it was only seven seats in the republic parliament because in a number of voting districts the party won just slightly less than the five-percent limit.

During the following years, unlike most of political parties in opposition, the DSS did not give in to the temptation of cooperating with the regime. It was against almost every Milosevic's decision, but then also against the collaboration of political parties in opposition, against peace efforts in Bosnia and functioning of the federal state...

However, the Democratic Party of Serbia did have allies on some issues and it did occasionally collaborate with other political parties in opposition. It even made alliances with some of them, then again they were never made real: the Parallel Parliament in 1995 with all the opposition except for the Civic Alliance of Serbia (GSS); the coalition with the Democratic Party (DS) and the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) for the 1996 local election; the Democratic Alliance, also in 1996, with the DS, the Parliamentary People's Party (SNS; leader - Slobodan Rakitic), the Serbian Liberal Party (SLS; leader - Nikola Milosevic) and the Serbian Democratic Party of Serbian States (SDSS; leader - Rasa Smiljanic).

Though still not recognizing the federal state, the DSS made the agreement on cooperation with the People's Party of Montenegro (NSCG) and its leader Novak Kilibarda (Montenegro together with Serbia form the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). Additionally, the DSS participated in the 1996 federal election within the Coalition "Zajedno" with the SPO, the DS and the GSS. The DSS won four seats in the federal parliament. In the 1996 local election, it participated independently and won a small number of seats but participated in the local government formed by the coalition "Zajedno". The DSS boycotted the 1997 republic and presidential elections.

The Democratic Party of Serbia through its activities insists on combining nationalism and democracy. This original concept supports a broad policy - from coexisting with other nations and different beliefs, to giving special prominence to Serbian values.

The party considers its policy a successor of that of Knez Mihailo Obrenovic (prince of Serbia in 1839-42 and in 1860-68; modern Serbia's most enlightened ruler; instituted the rule of law by reforming the judicial system and revising the electoral laws; attempted to found a Balkan federation aimed to unite all South Slavs against the Ottoman Empire), Ilija Garasanin (pro-Western oriented statesman and administrator of Serbia; prime minister in 1852 and in 1861-67; the author of a memorandum called the "Draft Plan" in which he called for a general rising of Christians under Turkish rule and the unification of all Serbs in their restored medieval empire) and Ljubomir Davidovic (prime minister of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes - later called Yugoslavia - in 1919-20 and in 1924; leader of the Democratic Party formed in 1919; the advocate of a federalist state organization based on Serbian-Croatian-Slovene agreement and a parliamentary constitution). The DSS has a reputation of a consistent opponent of the regime and a constant critic of Milosevic. But it is also consistent in the anti-Americanism verging upon xenophobia, and especially in passing judgements on the policy of the international community toward ex-Yugoslavia and the Balkans.

However, the Democratic Party of Serbia wasn't always like that. Its original supporters in 1992 recall its moderateness, politeness, and appreciation of civil society and its support of cooperation with the international community.

For the moment, the DSS persistently pursues its principles - keen criticism of the NATO intervention in Kosovo. The Radio-television of Serbia (pro-government national TV station) always broadcasts the party's statements against the UN mission in Kosovo. The DSS insists on participating in elections independently or in a coalition of parties of the same political orientation. It still has the support of its loyal followers and a considerable vote of confidence among the voters with a tendency to increase their share of the vote at the expense of the Serbian Radical Party's supporters.

Trivia

Dedicated observers of the party's activities have noticed that Kostunica (the president of the DSS) never smiles in public or on press conferences. However, the candid eye of a camera noted one such occasion. The photo was published in the weekly paper "Vreme" in 1998 when Kostunica visited Kosovar Serbs during the offensive of the Serbian police forces against armed Kosovar Albanians. The photo depicts Voja (the nickname Voja is short of Vojislav and it was given to him by his admirers), who is usually in a sulky mood, now smiling and holding a machine gun around his neck. He was advocating the defense of the country, but malicious persons noticed that he even held the Kalashnikov improperly.