THE OPPOSITION GATHERS STEAM

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005445144
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2010
• Case Number: F-2009-00733
• Publication Date: September 28, 2000

28 September 2000
0730 EDT
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The Opposition Gathers Steam
The Federal Election Commission on Thursday morning issued final results denying
Kostunica a first round victory. Press reports indicate that the commissioners cheated
Kostunica out of 600,000 votes by simply subtracting that number from aggregate vote totals
they had reported on Tuesday.
? This transparent fraud became rhetorical fodder as Kostunica and other
opposition leaders called on supporters to return to the streets. Djindjic
demanded "total civil disobedience" and today called for a general strike.
? Nis Mayor Zoran Zivkovic predicted publicly that street protests will not last long
and boasted that the opposition will take power within the next few days.
? In part, the opposition's rejection of a second round of voting on 8 October
reflects its growing confidence that civil resistance will topple the regime much
sooner than that. In a strong show of support, the influential Serb Orthodox
Church-a longtime opponent to Milosevic-today addressed Kostunica as the
FRY'S "elected president'
Milosevic could face a challenge to his control over the government of the Republic of
Serbia. Local press reports claim Vuk Draskovic, former leader of the Serbian Renewal
Movement (SPO), has called on Vojislav Seselj's Serbian Radical oarty (SRS) to call a
? The SPO, which refused to cooperate with Kostunica's DOS coalition, is a
major loser in the election and Draskovic likely is desperate to recover some
credibility. For his part, Seselj distanced himself from the regime in the last
weeks of the campaign and might well sell out a weakening Milosevic.
Together, these parties could muster a majority in the Republican Assembly.
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 the Montenegrin press. We cannot verify any version of this tale--Markovic has
been on television at least once since Sunday's election, according to
Montenegrin press.
? Numerous rumors are circulating in public about officials in the government and
Milosevic's Socialist Party who su osedl have quit their jobs or fled abroad.
Today, there are rampant rumors that
Milosevic and his family has fled or is planning to flee Serbia.
? Deputy leader of the pro-Belgrade Montenegrin Socialist People's Party (SNP)
today stated publicly that the party is not sure w ether it would stay in n
with Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS)