Hardline Generals in Federal Army Fail to Force Slovenia Into Submission

Hardline generals Feuding neighbours burn in federal army fail their remaining bridges "IT will never be the same erful magnet. Slovenia, unlike The republic, along with again," said Mr Rudi Jugovar. some of the attempts at inde- neighbouring Croatia, had He and four colleagues were pendence by either the Baltic attempted, in a document to force Slovenia standing at a quiet mountain states, or Croatia, has pursued drawn up last December, to pass not far from the Austrian a measured road to indepen- persuade the federal govern- border. The road was blocked dence which first started last ment into creating a loose con- by trees felled by Slovenia's December when its citizens federation of sovereign states territorial defence units (TDU). voted to break away. aimed at weakening the power into submission Mr Jugovar, recruited into of Serbia, and speeding up the TDU last week, said he did reforms. By Judy Dempsey in Ljubljana and Anthony Robinson in London not think he would be return- Sentiments inside "We were blocked by the ing to his job as a clerk for the Slovene republic army, by Serbia and by the fed- IF the hardline communist generals At least, this seems to be the conclusion some time. "We have received eral government," said Mr who control the Yugoslav army hoped to be drawn by recent events. no order to return to base," he have hardened as Kacin. to force Slovenia into submission they For a start, Mr Vejko Kadijevic, the said. Mr Jugovar believes the For months, Slovenia had appear to have failed in their purpose. defence minister and member of the action by the federal army the war of nerves kept Mr Ante Markovic, the Instead the army's threat to use all special co-ordinating council set up by "has burned all its bridges intensifies, reports federal premier, informed, and force at its disposal to secure a ceasefire Mr Markovic which helped fill the polit- with Slovenia. It would be a even asked for formal negotia- appears to have hardened the resolve of ical vacuum caused by collapse of the tragedy for us if we dared Judy Dempsey tions with the federal govern- this small Alpine republic. collective presidency on May 15, has renounce our independence. ment to discuss its moves Mr Milan Kucan, the Slovene presi- hardly been seen or heard since the We will go it alone to Europe, Since then, the parliament, towards independence. dent, declared at the weekend: "Slo- military moved to seal off Slovenia's even if the west does not recog- dominated by a loose coalition "There was no response from venia can no longer be an integral part frontiers with Austria, Italy and Hun- nise us." of social democratic, christian Markovic," said Mr Ovcirk. of Yugoslavia. It could be forcibly gary on Wednesday. These were sentiments liberal and green parties, have Mr Markovic visited Slovenia annexed back to Yugoslavia, but such Mr Markovic had relied on Mr Kadi- expressed by many Slovenes worked hard on drafting a new last week in an attempt to an act would not put a stop to the jevic to keep a tight rein on the army yesterday, as the federal army constitution, and drawing up cajole the republic into post- democratic processes here." He added: and restrain the hardline communists waged a war of nerves against political and economic laws poning independence. When "Due to the current aggressive inter- and Serb nationalists. this small Alpine republic of aimed at reaching a divorce that failed, the army moved in. ventions of the army against Slovenia, Instead it was General Marko Nego- 2m people. Their dogged deter- with the federal government. The army occupation also it will not be possible to discuss the vanovic, a former head of the army's mination to implement their "We really have no place in represented a clear warning to possibility of establishing a new com- political department who went on Bel- declaration of independence is a Yugoslavia which is domi- Croatia that similar legal steps munity of sovereign states on the terri- grade television on Saturday to now the driving force which nated by the republic of Serbia, adopted in the future by that tory of former Yugoslavia." threaten Slovenia that the army would steers the Slovene government. or in a country which has republic would not be toler- drop its relative restraint and "declare During an emotional meet- slowed down any economic ated. a mobilisation" unless Slovenia hon- ing of the parliament which reforms," said Mr Joze Men- But Croatia's declaration of Control of the military oured the ceasefire agreed on Friday lasted into the early hours of cinger, an economist at Lju- independence last week was appears to have passed night between the federal government yesterday morning, interrupted bljana University. symbolic. Unlike Slovenia, it and the EC troika. It was also Gen by gunfire and threats by the "Of course it will be difficult had not taken any significant to about 200 officers Negovanovic who announced that a federal army to bomb Lju- to be truly independent. It will measures to distance itself around the general staff general mobilisation of all armed forces bljana, it issued a statement take time," said Mr Andrija from the federation. was in its final stages on the territory which defied the federal gov- Ovcirk, the deputy prime min- However, Croatia is in a of Croatia. Hard information is patchy, ernment - and western gov- ister. more difficult position. It must The agreement on a ceasefire by the but control of the army appears to have ernments. "We have to draw up a new decide how it can establish a federal army and Slovene forces, moved into the hands of a group of 200 The parliament stated that fiscal policy, create a central modus vivendi with the ethnic reached by the troika of EC foreign communist officers around the general "the republic of Slovenia bank, build up reserves and Serbs, who make up 11 per ministers and federal and republican staff. This group, set up earlier this insists on the adopted indepen- eventually establish our own cent of the republic's 4.5m pop- ministers on Friday night, hinged on year, has nothing but disdain for west- dence documents and charges currency. But there is no going ulation and who want no place Slovenia accepting a three-month sus- ern governments and the democratic all state authorities of the back," he explained. in an independent Croatia. pension in implementation of its decla- process. Its views were reflected in a A Slovene militiamen in Ljubljana yesterday checks a motorist's identity as the city waited fearfully for air attacks republic to continue imple- ration of independence. It also required document drawn up by last January menting the adopted decision." which criticised what it called western AUSTRIA Serbia to accept the appointment of Mr become a confederation run against the multi-party, free market democracy last This amounted to a snub to Stipe Mesic, a Croat, as federal presi- attempts at interference in Yugoslavia, HUNGARY and went on to spell out its vision of a fact that such a state cannot exist. year. the European Community dent. Serbia had blocked his appoint- Yugoslavia can be only a unified federal Yesterday, hundreds of Slovene para- troika of foreign ministers who Ljubljana ment on May 15. But the "peace agree- new Yugoslavia. The main points of the state. military troops, armed with rifles, pis- asked the Slovene government v SLOVENIA document were: ROMANIA ment" was already in tatters when the • "Every effort has to be made to tols and grenades, and backed by armed on Friday night "to postpone troika returned to Luxembourg on Sat- • "The west is aiming to divide Yugo- ensure that the League of Communists/ civilians, waited for air attacks and Slo- the execution of the declara- CROATIA VOJVODINA urday morning. slavia by attacking the communists. Movement for Yugoslavia, to which the vene television broadcast a video telling tion of independence for three Although Mr Ante Markovic, the fed- The functioning of the federal state senior officers belong, becomes the its citizens about air-raid shelters. Fear months". eral prime minister, met Croat and Slo- must be secured. . . if the west imposes major political force in Yugoslavia over engulfed the Slovene capital of Lju- "We want to be part of vene leaders yesterday to seek a new its will it would be difficult to avoid the next five or six months. bljana, a city of 350,000 people. Europe, and we will," said Mr YlU G O S L A (V I A I BELGRADE political agreement, events over the last bloodshed. . . Even if the army does return to bar- As for the federal army, it appeared Jelko Kacin, Slovenia's minis- \ BOSNIA TV, few days indicate that the real power • "Socialism is not finished and has racks today in line with an agreement surprised by the determined resistance ter of information. v \ HERCEGOVINA \ SERBIA behind the attempt to keep Yugoslavia not been brought to its knees, Yugo- announced last night in Ljubljana of Slovenia's inexperienced territorial "The EC troika made a grave as a federal state, by force if necessary, slavia though paying a high price has between Mr Markovic and Mr Kucan, defence units, and frustrated by the mistake. They played into the is not the weak and divided federal gov- managed to overcome the first strike of Slovene and Croat government officials restraint urged by some federal army hands of the federalists, and ernment but the federal army. ILGARIA the anti-communist hysteria wave. A believe the crisis will continue. Events commanders. confirmed the position of ADRIATIC SEA By giving the army the go-ahead in real possibility to preserve the country in Slovenia, they feel, are likely to lead Even so, the loss of life, the strafing Serbia and the army. That is KOSOVO/ Slovenia, Mr Markovic has damaged his as a federative and socialist society has to a chain reaction in other parts of the of blocked traffic, and the destruction of their mistake. There is no credentials as a prime minister commit- been preserved. country where the potential for inter- frontier posts and of vital tourist facili- going back for Slovenia," he MACEDONIA ted to the democratic process and his • "The army as an institution must be ethnic conflict is infinitely greater than ties such as Ljubljana and Maribor air- said in an interview. He added: credibility with the international com- included in discussions on the future of in small, ethnically homogeneous Slo- ports and passenger aircraft on the "Sooner or later, Europe will ITALY munity. In effect the generals appear to Yugoslavia. venia which voted overwhelmingly to ground, have left a bitter taste which recognise us." have pulled off a virtual military coup. • "Suggestions that Yugoslavia should reject communism and create its own will be hard to remove. Europe is the republic's pow- /ALBANIA TV-' GREECE