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The personal advisor of the President of SPO, Ognjen Pribicevic, said the decision made by the rest of the opposition, to take part in elections scheduled by the Serbian Government, is wrong and favours Milosevic.

"This decision is very wrong and favours Milosevic, since he will have no mercy towards the opposition with oncoming elections under these circumstances", said Pribicevic after the opposition meeting. He believes that "even the minimum of conditions necessary for fair elections are not satisfied with the current level of repression, state terrorism, murders of citizens and crackdown on media"

Democratic Party President Zoran Djindjic said today's opposition meeting was a victory of concrete action over rhetoric.

"Today we have finally become a pragmatic and realistic opposition force which is what Milosevic fears most. Deals inside the opposition cannot and must not postpone the campaign expected by all our activists and citizens wanting change", said Djindjic at a press conference right after the opposition meeting. When asked by a journalist whether the opposition agreement from January 10. has been broken, Djindjic answered that the opposition had to adjust their rhetoric according to the current situation.

He said the agreement has been modified, since the deadline for general elections in the document has expired. "We still demand elections at all levels under democratic conditions, but we will participate in any scheduled elections", said Djindjic. "We have made an agreement today to prepare ourselves for all future elections, while further events will determine whether we will actually take part in them", he added and confirmed that they have started to discuss the list of opposition candidates for the forthcoming local elections.

Otpor Activist Vladimir Pavlov said they have received verbal support at today's opposition meeting, but their boards will have to confirm the support in practice by carrying out the proposals made by Otpor they have adopted.

"We expect the public to be informed tomorrow about the civil solidarity network mentioned in the opposition statement", said Pavlov. He added that Otpor expects the opposition party leaders will inform their supporters all over Serbia that disobedience should erupt every time the regime takes repressive measures that have marked the last few days".

Belgrade Mayor Vojislav Mihajlovic said he did not expect state authorities to introduce Martial Law in Belgrade. "They have done their most to cut financial support to the city, to obstruct the administration from doing its job and make sure the whole city suffered so thy could put the blame on us, but I think they have no intention to take over and run the town itself", said Mihajlovic in an Interview to NIN weekly.

Yesterday the Hungarian company "Mol", in charge of transporting Russian gas to Yugoslavia stopped delivery on account of unpaid bills, as "Danas" disclosed.

The president of the Managing board and the general manager of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS), Zivko Sokolovacki and Milan Djakovic, the only persons authorized to give official information were unavailable, since they are currently in Moscow.

FRY President Slobodan Milosevic accused several European governments of "blind obedience to the American administration" and said "this kind of policy is seriously damaging the European continent, especially the Balkans".

"The logical step of European governments would be to look after the interests of their own nations, not the interests of the American administration and its crazy ideas to rule the world", said Milosevic during discussions with President of the Board of Foreign Affairs and Defence of the Greek Parliament, Karlos Papulias, former Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, report Belgrade media.

"The Greek diplomat expressed the support of the people of Greece and congratulated Yugoslavs on their successful revival after the NATO aggression". According to these media he also added that "the policy of pressure that FRY has been subjected to is wrong and contradicts the common goals of peace and stability supported by Yugoslavia and Greece alike.

The police in Gornji MIlanovac town took in three members of the Otpor movement from this town on Thursday, because they were transporting propaganda material from Kragujevac, the Otpor movement informs Beta.

Otpor activists Dusan Brdjovic, Ivana Petrovic and Ivana Bogicevic were arrested just before 13:00 today while taking part in an organised event called ''Folks, resistance will pay off'', that took place at the Plato in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.

Prominent Otpor figure, Vukasin Petrovic, was also arrested after he came down to the police station to make inquiries about his detained mates.

They were all released around 16:30 after four hours of questioning. Ivana Petrovic told Beta agency there would be criminal charges brought against herself, Ivana Bogicevic and Dusan Brdjovic, since they were distributing the banned magazine from Banja Luka, the ''Reporter''. She added that the police asked them the usual questions concerning financial sources and activities of their organisation.

The penal council of the Military Court in Nis is to rule on the demand by the defense of Miroslav Filipovic, “Danas” and AFT correspondent from Kraljevo, for release from custody. According to Zoran Ateljevic, member of Filipovic’s defense team, the investigative magistrate acted according to article 198 of the law on penal proceedings, demanding the consensus of the military prosecutor for the release from custody.

“It is the opinion of the investigative magistrate that there is no reason for incarceration, considering the relevant facts put forth in our proposal, while the military prosecutor thinks otherwise denying our request” said Ateljevic for “Danas”

A group of journalists in Nis working for domestic and foreign media appealed to local judiciary organs to urgently release Danas daily and AFP correspondent Miroslav Filipovic. The letter emphasises that Filipovic did not try or have any intention to leave the country and escape legal proceedings started against him.

The journalists also appealed to the military court not to succumb to political pressure coming from people who accuse journalist that do their job professionally of being the Fifth Column, foreign agency servants, mercenaries, traitors, even murderers.

These politicians will be gone one day, but Serbia will still have its judges, prosecutors and journalists. When that time comes, everyone will have to bear their own cross and answer for what is happening today".

Dragoljub Pavic from Varvarin filed a complaint demanding disciplinary measures against Dragan Tatarevic, the police commander in Varvairn, with the Secretariat of Internal Affairs in Krusavac, the Beta news agency informs.

Pavic stated in the complaint that the police took his underage son N. in for questioning, for shouting “Bu, red gang! You should be ashamed – it’s all your fault!” at the commemoration marking the anniversary of the NATO bombing of the bridge on the Velika Morava. The boy did not attend the gathering voluntarily, but was taken there with his school, said Pavic adding that his son was kept by the police for more than two hours. According to Pavic the police commander in Varvarin Tatarevic demanded that the boy tell him who put him up to it and threatened “to break both his legs”.

Pavic warned the police in Krusevac that he would not permit anybody, even the police harassing his child. “The right to defend and protect a child is a holy right” said Dragoljub Pavic from Varvarin.

Russian press, namely Moscow daily issues of "Komersant" and "Izvestja", estimate that the recent arrests of Vuk Draskovic's bodyguards is a reprisal of Milosevic's regime against the Serbian opposition after their visit to Moscow.

Izvestja says the arrests are another blow to the Yugoslav opposition after the recent murder of Goran Zugic, personal advisor of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. The article titled 'Double Blow' claims that Milosevic made a prompt reaction to the opposition visit.

The article also emphasized that the official explanation is ridiculous, since it was well known that Draskovic's bodyguards are always armed and no one had ever raised the matter prior to the arrests, especially after several bodyguards were killed in an assassination attempt on Draskovic. "On the other hand, Draskovic is unlikely to get an reaction from official Moscow supporting him, since the Russian leadership had clearly distanced itself from their Serbian guests during their visit", concludes Izvestja.

The increased repression of the government in Serbia against its political opponents and critics represents the “direct preparation for elections” said Mladjan Dinkic, executive manager of G17 Plus at a discussion in Gornji Mladenovac on Thursday.

One Serb was killed yesterday, and three wounded by fire from an automatic weapon in the village of Klokot on the Urosevac-Gnjilane road, Serb sources from Kosovo tell.

A group of armed Albanians opened fire on Serbs working in fields near the Orthodox cemetery in Klokot yesterday afternoon, as radio-amateurs inform the Beta news agency. Lepterka Marinkovic (67) was killed, while Petar Tomic (33), Dobrivoje Radic (50) and Mladen Mirkovic (68) were wounded and transported to the American base Bondsteel near Urosevac.

Nine Serbs have been killed and about twenty wounded in Klokot in a series of incidents since the arrival of Kfor. The most severe incident in this village took place on August 17 last year, when two Serbs were killed and six wounded in a mortar attack.

KFOR spokesman, major Scott Slayten, said a 17-year-old Albanian was killed in Urosevac today, while the murderer has been located. He added that the Albanian was shot in the back.

Slayten further disclosed that four people were injured in an explosion in Pasjane village last night. Preliminary results of the investigation indicate that the explosion was set off by an elderly man who activated a homemade explosive device.

Father Sava, observer for the Serb National Council at the Interim Administrative Council and Kosovo Transitional Council said it was quite possible that the Serbs will suspend their membership in these international bodies before the three-month period ends. Father Sava told Srna agency that Serbs do not wish to leave IAC and KTC, but the current situation might result in a decision to suspend membership at the next meeting Serb National Council.

Father Sava said they have demanded at today's IAC and KTC meetings that the crimes against Serbs be given their real name, international terrorism, with appropriate measures against them and their instigators according to international laws. "The Serbs are victims of a moral scandal, since America is not prepared to do anything to help them", stressed Father Sava and added that the Serb National Council accepted the role of an observer in order to prove that Serbs are not to blame for the crisis in Kosovo.

UN Spokeswoman Suzanne Manuel stated that today's incident in which two Kosovo Serbs lost their lives when their vehicle struck a land mine is just one in a series of unsettling Albanian attacks on Serbs. "The murders are done in cold blood. Some of them seem to be planned in advance and there is no discrimination between men, women and children".

The UN are uncertain what is the background of escalating attacks, but the probable reason is the first anniversary of international administration over Kosovo and hints of resettlement of Serbs who were driven out of the region.

Momir Bulatovic, the Yugoslav Prime Minister stated on Thursday that the Montenegrin government can organize a referendum regarding the independence of this republic “without fear of intervention” by the federal government, Yugoslav Army or Serbia. He also said that according to his knowledge the Otpor movement was not registered because their political motives were not clear, as well as the means this movement intends on using in fighting for their beliefs.

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