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USAID/OTI Serbia and Montenegro Field Report
January 2002
Program Description
The United States Agency for International Development, Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) launched the Democratic Transition Initiative (DTI) in Serbia and Montenegro in early 2001 to consolidate the political gains achieved through elections in September and December 2000. DTI's strategy in 2002 is to work at both the local and republic levels to promote activities and engage citizens in increasing the pace of reform, including a judicial reform package, local self-governance legislation, anti-corruption issues, an economic reform package, and minority rights promotion. In addition, DTI work to increase awareness and knowledge of human rights issues, expand the truth and responsibility dialogue, support electoral processes, and respond to possibly destabilizing issues as they arise. OTI's implementing partner in Serbia and Montenegro is Creative Associates International, Incorporated.
Country Situation
REFERENDUM? - On January 30, in contrast to earlier statements, Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic stated that a referendum on the independence of Montenegro was one of a number of solutions to decide the future of the Yugoslav Federation. Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica indicated that he and Djukanovic had agreed that they would resolve this issue by the end of February. These statements followed European Union-sponsored talks, mediated by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, which involved negotiating teams from the two Yugoslav republics.
"OMNIBUS" LAW PASSES - Following abstention by members of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and discussion of more than 100 amendments, the Serbian Parliament adopted the Vojvodina "Omnibus" law, restoring much of the autonomy Vojvodina experienced prior to 1989. The law gives Vojvodina more autonomy in the provision of health services, education and pensions. According to a January survey of 1000 residents of Novi Sad conducted by "NS Media" Agency, 41% of respondents believe that credit for the passage of the "Omnibus" law should go to Vojvodina Assembly Speaker, Nenad Canak. The poll revealed that 88% of those surveyed were aware that the law was before Parliament.
OBSERVERS IN THE PARLIAMENT - Parliament Speaker, Natasa Micic, granted members of the NGO, Otpor, access to Serbian Parliament sessions. Otpor first appeared in parliament on January 22 to observe the commencement of the discussion on the Vojvodina "Omnibus" law. The group has said that it would attend sessions "when they feel that it is necessary and when topics involving corruption are discussed." Otpor reached a similar agreement with the Belgrade Mayor, Radmila Hrustanovic, to attend city government and assembly sessions.
HATE SPEECH FROM ABROAD...AND AT HOME - Cacak Mayor Velimir Ilic's discriminatory comments made during a mid-January visit to Australia were much discussed by the Serbian media but condemned publicly by only a few. Ilic asserted that there had been no reform in Serbia because the energy portfolio in the Serbian Government is held by a Croat, Goran Novakovic, and because the Mayor of Belgrade, Radmila Hrustanovic, is married to a Muslim. Ilic's comments followed a Radio Television Serbia (RTS) interview in which Jews were vilified.
CORRUPTION TAUGHT IN SCHOOL - Police detained four teachers from a technical school in Vranje (Southern Serbia) to investigate allegations of accepting bribes. The teachers were accused of accepting cash or in kind payments to give students passing grades. Payment included firewood, automobile parts, cigarettes, liquor, and in one case an alleged gravesite. A recent Transparency International report indicated that Serbia now ties South Korea for third place in developing anti-corruption programs and institutions; previous ratings had Serbia languishing in the bottom 20 countries for anti-graft efforts. The report also noted that Serbia still lacks an auditor general and a comprehensive national corruption-fighting strategy. Serbian Minister of Finance Bozidar Djelic commented that the government's recent creation of an Anti-Corruption Council and local anti-corruption teams had helped boost Serbia's ranking.
MONTENEGRO'S CHURCHES - Following the Orthodox Christmas clashes between members of the Serbian and Montenegrin Orthodox Churches in the northern Montenegrin town of Berane, the police minister banned a pro-federation Together for Yugoslavia coalition Orthodox New Year's celebration in Podgorica's main square. Instead, the celebration was held at the St. George Church in Podgorica. The clash between the two Churches reflect the political divisions within Montenegro, with the pro-Yugoslav coalition supporting the Serbian Orthodox Church and the pro-Independence coalition supporting the Montenegrin Orthodox Church.
SPS RESURFACES IN THE SOUTH - In a poll of citizen perceptions of TV Grk in Prokuplje, citizens were also asked to vote/comment on the most popular citizen in Prokuplje. A prominent SPS member, well-known for his energetic defense of Milosevic on the night of his arrest, garnered the most votes. The current DOS mayor and other municipal officials received far fewer votes. During a January 23 municipal assembly session in Merosina (a small municipality in Nis), the assembly members voted to remove the current DOS president and replace him with an SPS representative.
ALBANIAN LANGUAGE BROADCAST IN BUJANOVAC - The Bujanovac municipal radio station agreed to start broadcasting their program in both Serbian and Albanian. Because office space for Albanian journalists remains an issue, the Albanian language program is not expected to start until March.
OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
For the launch of its umbrella reform campaign, "the future is Europe" (buducnost je evropa) Otpor distributed holiday greeting cards to 500,000 citizens in Serbia. DTI supported the mailbox delivery of over 200,000 cards to Belgrade citizens, and the distribution of the remainder to citizens in communities with local Otpor offices. Placed throughout Serbia on January 15, teaser billboards picturing a one-way road-sign arrow and the phrase "a better tomorrow" echoed the reform theme of the greeting cards. These initial billboards were replaced February 1 with billboards featuring the same arrow, only filled in with the EU flag, and the phrase, "Laws today...Europe tomorrow." DTI is supporting the media/community outreach components of the Otpor campaign.
DTI Project Development Officers (PDOs) spent the month of January preparing for the launch of the February anti-corruption campaigns. Given the differing numbers and capacities of NGOs, experienced media outlets, and active leaders in the various regions of Serbia, PDOs have had to use several different approaches to develop effective reform campaign strategies in their respective areas of responsibility (AOR). In the Vojvodina AOR, DTI established cooperation with a coalition of 14 NGOs, media outlets, and a design studio, to work on all five DTI reform issues over the coming months. Central Serbia will attempt to reach citizens through three different local anti-corruption campaigns, one of which includes members of the healthcare sector. Due to the lack of NGOs in the municipalities east of Belgrade, the PDO covering that AOR worked throughout January to establish a network of media outlets interested in reporting on reform issues.
DTI cooperation with the Canadian development agency (CIDA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will provide support to critical communities within the former Southern Serbia Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) on the border with Kosovo. The UNDP partnership is unique in that it provides for a community works component that includes salary reimbursement for work on several of the community impact projects (CIPs) for which DTI will provide materials. This is intended to provide productive activities for combat-aged males in these communities.
As part of DTI's efforts to assist the citizens of the Presevo Valley feel more a part of Serbia, DTI funded the expansion of Otpor's anti-corruption campaign to the four Southern Serbia municipalities of Bujanovac, Presevo, Vranje and Trgoviste, to begin in February. The campaign will promote the slogan "unroot corruption...without anesthesia" used by Otpor elsewhere in Serbia. All materials will be in three languages: Albanian, Serbian, and Roma.
B. Indicators of Success
DTI helped to demonstrate to citizens that the international community is concerned about local communities in Serbia. Four of the Serbian Socialist Party (SPS) municipal assembly members from Zlot declared earlier this year that they would resign if international assistance was provided to their community. Following the completion of a DTI-supported electrification project, all four municipal assembly members resigned. Following their resignations, elections were called for March 3, 2002 in Zlot. The outcome of these elections will effect the tight political balance of the municipality which includes 19 SPS (following the resignations), 22 DOS, 1 independent, and 1 SPO.
Following DTI's engagement of Paracin municipal officials in community impact projects (CIP), the municipal officials have successfully attracted several other international donors. They have also been successful in promoting much of this assistance through local media to their citizens. To mark their one year anniversary in government, the officials polled citizens' (500 urban and 100 rural) knowledge of foreign assistance. In response to the question, "Which of the international organizations, in your opinion, has assisted the municipality of Paracin the most?" 72% of the citizens responded in favor of USAID.
C. Grants Activity Summary
In January, 8 grants were delivered and 24 grants, valued at $623,215, were approved. The following chart indicates the total grant activity since October 1, 2000.
| Civil Society Org. Support |
29 |
18 |
$750,598 |
$192,798 |
$943,396 |
| Community Impact Activities |
166 |
109 |
$4,727,691 |
$4,776,064 |
$9,503,755 |
| Election Processes |
55 |
54 |
$1,643,464 |
$272,950 |
$1,916,414 |
| Media |
90 |
50 |
$1,532,903 |
$366,527 |
$1,899,430 |
| Reform Issues |
20 |
2 |
$605,329 |
$4,390 |
$609,718 |
| Grand Total ** |
360 |
233 |
$9,362,763 |
$5,612,728 |
$14,872,713 |
** Grand Total -- This total includes RONCO grants approved between October 1 - December 22, 2000.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
Priorities for the month of February include:
- Launch of anti-corruption campaign activities throughout Serbia;
- Preparation/finalization of grants for March's economic reform focus in Serbia; and
- Launch of the Montenegrin reform campaign strategy.
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