Who is afraid of G17 PLUS?

The State Department finds that G17 PLUS might bridge the gap between Vojislav Koštunica and Zoran Đinđić. If they fail to achieve this, G17 PLUS would become a new favorite of the American admonistration in this region.

     Rumors that G17 PLUS might stand for the folowing elections provoked panic in the Democratic Opposition of Serbia. The ruling Serb coalition estimated that if the DOS members participated individually at the following elections, only a few of them would succeed to enter parliament and G17 PLUS would profit from their division.

     Is that the cause for the increasingly friendly relationship between the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Serbia? Although they deny it, it seems that the result will be the return of DSS into the Serbian Government, but this time with six ministers.

      However, members of G17 PLUS claim that they do not want the elections since there are more important things to be done, but they have not decided whether to participate in them, and they are not afraid of them.

      However, just like some fifty years ago those who wanted to know what was happeninig in the country listened to Radio London, nowadays it is advisable to pay attention to what is said about us in the West. The State Department observes G17 PLUS as an organization which might bridge the gap between the key figures on our political stage, Vojislav Koštunica and Zoran Đinđić.

      In case they fail to achieve that, G17 PLUS would become a new favorite of the American administration in this region. According to unofficial information from Washington, the White House planned the aid of $4 million for G17 PLUS. The money should be spent on staff training, seminars, campaign and necessary equipment.

      Milan Pajević, president of G17 PLUS Executive Board laughed when we asked him to comment on this information.

      "It's not true. It's impossible. Even before 5th October we obtained aid mostly from European states. The former American administration didn't like us because we explicitly opposed sanctions and air raids," he said.

      According to Mr. Pajević, G17 PLUS has the only contact with America concerning a project which is being carried out by the G17 PLUS offices in Vojvodina. The American State Agency for International Development (USAID) finances that project, although it is being executed by ADF (American Development Fund). Mr. Pajević adds that he would have to know about the mentioned money, since he is in charge of international contacts and also a coordinator of the Stability Pact for southeast Europe, as well as a foreign politics adviser of the vice president of the Federal Government, Miroljub Labus.

      According to unofficial information from Washington, Yugoslav Prime Minister, Miroljub Labus, who is also a member of G17 PLUS leadership, allegedly negotiated about the mentioned sum of money. Pajević denies this information and adds: "I'm afraid that some foreign aid that came with the help of Mr.Labus was misinterpreted. He would rather let the ceiling fall onto his head than use something like that for G17 PLUS", says Pajević. In his oppinion, the information about millions of dollars was invented because of the stories that G17 PLUS would transform into a political party and participate in the following elections.

      "Somebody is beginning to pump that story, just like during the Milosević's regime when they spoke that we had millions and billions, while we barely managed to survive", adds Pajević.

      In September, "Medium" agency carried out a survey, which showed that G17 PLUS would get 10% of votes at the elections, and get an enviable number of seats in Serb parliament. According to Srbobran Branković, director of "Medium" agency, the percent would increase if G17 PLUS officially announced its participation in the elections and started with the campaign. He adds that G17 PLUS would win over some voters sympathizing the Democratic Party (out of 10% of DOS followers 4% are sympathiyers of the Democratic Party); other 4% are the votes of citizens who would otherwise abstain from voting if the DOS divided; it is interesting that only 1% of the mentioned 10% of votes, would be sympathizers of the Democratic Party of Serbia. All in all, individual participation of G17 PLUS in the elections would mostly harm Đinđić's Democratic Party.

      Since Serb citizens don't observe political parties through their programmes but through their leaders, unbelievable popularity of three economic musketeers of G17 PLUS (Mlađan Dinkić, Miroljub Labus and Božidar Đelić) might be of vital importance. According to recent surveys, these three men are among six persons whom Serb citizens trust most. Moreover, their popularity doesn't oscillate: it is constantly increasing. It is not difficult to explain this fact. Namely, members of G17 PLUS have negotiated with the foreign states about financial arrangements; they do not meddle in party conflicts within the DOS; they are active in revealing extra-profiteers and have informal attitude in contact with the public.

      According to the latest surveys of "Strategic marketing" agency, Miroljub Labus and Mlađan Dinkić enjoy trust of 49% polled persons, while 37% of citizens have a positive opinion about Božidar Đelić; 56% of polled persons trust Vojislav Koštunica; 47% of citizens have a positive opinion about Goran Svilanović, and 38% about Nebojša Čović.

      "Leading persons of G17 PLUS have not been connected with any affair. Moreover, both domestic and world public recognize their expertise", Srbobran Branković says, adding that the best electoral slogan for G17 PLUS would be "Expertise and honesty".

      However, Predrag Marković, president of the Political Council of G17 PLUS thinks that that popularity is not a reason for entering an agressive political campaign for elections. According to Marković, G17 PLUS does not long for the elections because the DOS must perform a reform of the system, and also because it is "a little absurd to constantly invite citizens who clearly expressed their will to come to elections over and over again".

      G17 PLUS holds a great part of power, and that's one of the reasons for their not insisting on elections. Namely, it's representatives are at the key positions in the state, and are in charge of financial transactions and negotiations on foreign aid for Serbia and Yugoslavia.

      "There are no rational reasons for the elections", estimates Marković. However, he does not exclude irrational reasons, either because some people still did not feel a part of the opposition when promises were given and responsibilities taken over, and therefore don't consider it to be their responsibility, or because there are personal and ideological conflicts among the parties. Marković says that if someone participated in the elections out of such reasons and risked losing 75% seats in Serb parliament, he would jeopardise conditions for changes in the state.

      "We certainly would not tolerate that. In May G17 PLUS said that it would participate in the elections in such a hypothetical situation in order to protect people who are focused on radical reforms and not on ideological differences", Marković explains.

      President of the Political Board of G17 PLUS claim that this organization is ready to go to the elections if it be necessary. However, he adds that only a part of the organization would participate in the elections.

      "I don't think that the entire organization is necessary for a victory at the elections", he says, and adds that at those elections G17 PLUS would be represented by the "ones who care about it and are interested in taking part".

      Marković emphasizes that G17 PLUS does not intend to make a political campaign, because it wants to do its part of the job by the end of the irrational conflict. The fact is, however, that recently, texts about G17 PLUS and their potential participation at the elections are more and more frequently printed, although the leaders of this organization keep on repeating that they would not take part in the elections unless things should go the way they are going right now.

      "This is the general attitude, known for months, and strangely enough, now it seems especially interesting. It assumes the promptness of this organization to face elections, since there is no reason to fear them", says Marković.

      According to the valid Election Act, political parties and groups of citizens can stand for the elections. However, Marković claims that there is no reason for G17 PLUS to become a political party, since it already gathers 20% of the people who belong to different political parties.

      "We want to demonstrate how various experts can be gathered. I have said on several occasions, that I would not be operated on by a like-minded surgeon, but by the best surgeon, whatever his ideological profile be", adds Marković.

      Political Board would be the one to decide on the potential participation in the elections. It comprises most of the Executive Board of G17 PLUS, which coordinates the work of the whole organization.

      "We do not think that it is something complicated. There are enough experienced people here who will menage to complete any task. It is essential that it should be clear to the citizens", he adds.

      It is not evident whether, in that case, that part of the organization would somehow be separated from the NVO part. It is primarily because of the always existing possibility to take the money from the humanitarian projects and use it for the political campaign. However, Marković replies that there is no money in G17 PLUS except the money which links somebody who needs aid and the one who provides that aid. The organization itself, he says, does not have its own money, and the expenses are usually covered by the jobs connected with monitoring aid and by what members of G17 PLUS personally provide.

      "So, it is neither state money, nor public money, nor is it some kind of donation. Simply, we do not have that kind of problem. Well, for Heavens sake, we are not the poorest, we'd manage to get money for a single campaign. That's indisputable", says Marković.

      According to Marković, there is no reason to reach any kind of decision in that sense, since no elections have been scheduled yet, and before any elections, a new electoral law has to be passed, because it is incumbent on DOS. G17 PLUS does not have a dilemma "a coalition or individual participation in the elections" especially in the case of DOS division. Marković finds that elections would be a good opportunity for each party to weigh its influence at the political scene. He thinks that misunderstandings exist because not a single DOS member has weighed its power at the elections for years, or if it did, it had a negligible number of sympathizers.

      We asked Marković, how would Đinđić look at, say, Đelić as a possible G17 PLUS candidate at the elections, if he criticized the work of his government at some meeting, and Marković answered with a question: "Why do you think he would take part at a meeting where the work of the government would be criticized?"

      "That assumption is based on the impudence customary in this area, to share power, and use it for criticizing power", says Marković, emphasizing that people from G17 PLUS never do that, nor do they ever misuse their position in power. As he says, it differentiates them from all the rest, just like the fact that everyone from G17 PLUS immediately abandoned all executive positions in this organization before they came to power. However, their withdrawal does not mean that they have lost all the influence in the organization. It is adequate to all the non-executive functions, since they are members of the leading bodies which determine the rules.

      "It has never occured to anybody to meddle with the work of the state bodies. I don't know what is happening in NBY and I don't think I should. On the other hand, Labus has not the slightest intention to influence my editorial job", he says.

      Commenting on Božidar Đelić's making public the fact that Bogoljub Karić has to pay about DM70 million tax on extraprofit, just a day before the government session, Marković says: "Honestly, I don't know. He did it as a minister. Personally, I think that 'Karić cases' are present for more than a decade".

      Objections to the work of G17 PLUS, mostly directed towards Mlađan Dinkić and Predrag Marković, were made last week by the Republic Minister for foreign economic relations, Goran Pitić. Namely, he criticized the guvernor of NBY for finding fault with the others, who are lagging behind with the reforms when compared to himself. Pitić also criticizes the Federal Government,that is, particularly Federal Ministry for foreign economic relations, for not informing the Republic Government about working on the Draft law on foreign investments, with the help of USAID, although the Bill has already been finished on the republic level.

      "It is a new, pleasant aspect in minister's demeanour, to keep on making public the fact that people from the government are not informed about his actions, nor is he informed about theirs", says Marković, and adds: "Even Pitić himself is a nice man. I remember him from the time he used to sing, when he had a good voice. I have not heard him for some time. I suppose he's still a great singer."

      According to him, many people who have something to say in favour of their work, very often say it using arguments, but they also criticize others.

      "That is not bad. I suppose if Mr Pitić has acomplished anything so far and has arguments for it, he will soon make it public. It would be fair, both to the public and to himself, because it is possible that he is doing something that is not publicly known", says Marković.

      To summarize, members of G17 PLUS do not publicly talk about participation in the elections. However, they don't miss any opportunity to say that they are ready for them, if they, by any chance, decide to measure their popularity among voters. Their tactic is absolutely understandable if we take into consideration the fact that, whatever happens, they are not at loss. Representatives of G17 PLUS are currently at the key positions in Serbia and Yugoslavia. Their popularity is increasing, and delays of the elections actually suit them. The question is: Is the Democratic Opposition of Serbia aware of that fact?

G17 PLUS is the most practical

     "Everyone chooses allies and partners according to their affinities and wishes, and that's how it is with political groups in Yugoslavia and their partners in USA", says for 'BlicNews' an anonimous source close to American administration, commenting on unofficial information that besides Đinđić and Koštunica's stream, leading people from G17 PLUS have also found allies in Washington.

     It is known that the Serb government chose independent consultant Jim Denton for its lobbyist in the USA, and that the government makes the main contacts with the help of the Peace Institute, whose guests have recently been Đinđić and Đelić. On the other hand, Koštunica's team chose Kato Institute, which organized the Yugoslav president's visit to the USA. According to our source, representatives of G17 PLUS proved to be very practical when they chose the American Agency for Development USAID and National Endowment for Democracy for its partners, which are known for their generous donations and financial aid.

     Forty years ago, John Kennedy founded the USAID as an independent agency in the American government, the aim of which is to help the states in development. Although the sum it spends for its programmes is only 0.5% of the American budget, it amounts to several hundreds millions of dollars. Some of the millions ended in Yugoslavia before 5th October. It is said that the USAID sent the aid of $41 million to the opposition parties, independent media and non-government organizations in Yugoslavia in 1999. and 2000.

     The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) was founded in 1983. It has a smaller budget than the USAID but it has a huge influence. It is enough to look at the current board of directors to understand what it is all about. Besides Morton Ambramović and Richard Hawlbrook, honorary membership belongs to Wesly Clarke, who was until recently commander-in-chief of the NATO forces in Europe. The NED also participated in toppling Milošević's regime, and according to Paul Macarty, who is in charge of Yugoslavia in NED, over $4 million has been asigned for Serbia from the coffer of this organization.

     "In contrast to G17 PLUS, Koštunica made a mistake when he chose the Kato Institute for its main partner in the USA", our collocutor says, emphasizing that although Kato Institute and Hartridge Foundation represent a pro-Serb wing in the American non-government sector, it does not have a big influence on the American administration. Đinđić's Peace Institute is in a somewhat better position, since, as they say, the doors of the White House and State Department are wide open for it, and it also has a great influence on administration.

     "The main difference is that the USAID and NED dispose of cash and they can give aid to their proteges, while the Kato Institute and Peace Institute can offer only advice and services", concludes our source close to the American administration.