Writes: Dusko JOVANOVIC, a representative in the Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro (22nd October 2000. “DAN”)

The governing coalition in Montenegro has more problems day by day.
Aside that the dividing of the political power and influences in Federative Republic of Yugoslavia is not successful for them; the biggest problems are the expected consequences which are caused by their policy in the everyday Montenegrin economy.
In fact, it is completely sure that the International Community has no intention to stimulate financially the Montenegrin “vertical majority”.
It is absolutely sure that the stimulations won’t be as rich as before.
It can be expected that the same International Community won’t keep their eyes closed in front of economic and politic coalition of the “politically official” and “unofficially mafia’s” Montenegro.
The government in Montenegro, in the lack of the financial means, will make some moves which will first regards on slowing down and then probably on stopping the small investments in the Republic.
Then the number of employees in some state institutions, especially in the Ministry of Interior Affairs will be decreased.
That does not mean that tenths or hundreds of employees will be fired it means that the number will be in thousands.
Milo Djukanovic’s problem is not the fact that these people will lose their jobs, but how it will politically regard at his own and his party’s rating. Conscious of that fact he said in one of his first statements after the “happening” in Serbia that all members of the Seventh Battalion had to return their weapons that they had to return to their homes and to lose their jobs.
Milo Djukanovic is asking for his political alibi and an excuse for the future movements. In fact, it will be much less “painful” if the fires are not just from the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Montenegro, but also from the Yugoslav Army.
Or even better, if Milo Djukanovic makes the Yugoslav Army to dismiss the military police, it will be much easier then to fire thousands of men from the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the Republic of Montenegro.
High costs of the governing coalition “For a Better Life” are the citizens’ burden.
This time that has been done by raising the fuel price.
The Montenegrin regime considers that the fuel price of 1, 5 DEM is extorted.
The fuel price had been raised on the world market, said the “vertical ones”.
Instead of real explanation, the Government of Montenegro sends their message over the minister of economy, to the citizens of Montenegro:
“Keep walking as much as you can”.
On the same day when that message arrived in daily “Vijesti”, Belgrade’s “Blic” published an analysis on the Republic of Serbia’s providing with the fuel, and possible fuel supply for needs of Serbia, by the price which for the Serbian citizens, on the private petrol stations wouldn’t be more than 1 DEM per liter.
What remains incomprehensible is how the “world market” can influence that the fuel price in Montenegro is 1, 5 DEM and in Serbia half of one DEM less.
There is a job for Ramo Bralic and his reformist Montenegrin Government. Ramo will buy cheap fuel from Serbia by the price of 1 DEM from the world market and than he will sell the same in Montenegro by the price of 1, 5 DEM which are higher because of the world market.
The Montenegrin “world market” are situated in the Milo Djukanovic’s office until further.
***
The “democratic” changes in Serbia betrayed the wishes of the Government of Montenegro and its Minister of Trade.
The expectations that the “border” for the transport of all goods will be opened in both ways between Serbia and Montenegro were unrealistic.
In fact, the special permission from the ministries in the Government of Serbia is still needed for the food transport from “democratic” Serbia to “democratic vertical” Montenegro, and for the goods which come from Montenegro to Serbia it is needed just to pay the custom difference.
The claims of the Montenegrin officials, that the “control station” from Serbia to Montenegro was just a political measure and the measure of the pressure on Montenegro, failed.
The united Yugoslav market cannot and won’t function, not even the adventures of that market can be used, without the united goods and the financial control of that market.
Milo Djukanovic and the official Montenegro know that, as well as they know that “crying” in Prijepolje won’t help him to get a German mark more from America or European Union.
This is because the main reason disappeared in the same International Community, because it was tolerating and closing its eyes in front of Milo Djukanovic’s unprincipled, un-commercial, illegal and unconstitutional “crying” from Prijepolje.
When Montenegro “returns” the robbed authorities (Customs Service, National bank, payment operations) than, only than can again return united Yugoslav market and stop the need for the control stations, as the one in Prijepolje.
For the new Federal Government, which will be helped by the same International Community for returning the official Montenegro to the law respecting, it will be a bit easier.
***
“Brewery” from Niksic “spoke” finally and “accused” the incumbent Montenegrin Government that the “disloyal competition” had been the cause of “Niksicko beer’s” sale failing, as well as the biggest problem was providing the market for the presentation of their products, and again thanks to the Montenegrin regime’s “movements” (“Pobjeda” 19th October 2000).
As if all that was recently.
Everybody knows that for the imported goods, even if it is beer nothing is paid to the state, as it refers to Montenegro.
The border is opened.
And when it isn’t, then the guilty is on the side of the Yugoslav Army.
For the border “closure” towards Albania, Herzegovina and Italy, the official Montenegro is asking for the resigns of the generals of the Yugoslav Army. And when all that is politically “narrated” all over Montenegro we are at the beginning again.
The brewery “Trebjesa” Niksic cannot “work” if there isn’t order on the border.
Who will do that?
Among the rest, the Yugoslav Army.
The incumbent Montenegrin government and its experts understand the things and behave in a very strange way.
All that can be sold in Serbia, and if can be earned well from that sale, it can be imported to Montenegro without any problem with paying mediator’s services and “partialities”.
Why would the beer be an exception?
The “Brewery” in Niksic can’t expect the entire Montenegrin new “economy” to “disappear” for its “symbolic” production and three hundred workers.
The struggle against the economic and any other criminal in Montenegro can’t be partial.
We can prevent it or not prevent it.
One thing is completely clear.
A few Montenegrin remained factories produce the final products. Among them is the Brewery “Trebjesa” and it is under the economic strike in the conditions made by incumbent Montenegrin economic and state authorities.
The Brewery “Trebjesa” can be helped by the Federal government only if it:
- provides absolute and complete control of the State border, on all crossings as well as outside them;
- provides the equal conditions for the offer of all the products on the territory of FRY and abroad;
- provides equal customs services, tax and other obligations for all the goods in FRY;
- provides the complete financial control of the united Yugoslav market.
In that “economic” Yugoslavia there is no place for the “For a Better Life” Montenegro and its smuggler’s economic programs.