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Representatives of the Montenegrin Government and the largest opposition parties and coalitions from Serbia, who met in Sveti Stefan today, have decidedly rejected the amendments to the Yugoslav Constitution and agreed that new constitutional solutions will have to be conceived based on the Montenegrin proposal to reform relations inside the Yugoslav federation.

A joint statement read by Montenegrin Prime Minister, Filip Vujanovic, said that changes in the political system and government and Serbia are vital for a democratic and equal community of Serbia and Montenegro.

"Democratic forces in Serbia and Montenegro are decided to provide their citizens with material and any other security, as well as equality, but all this requires changes in the political system and the government of Serbia", says the statement.

Discussions also produced the conclusion that democratic reforms in Serbia were a must if Kosovo is to stay inside Serbian and Yugoslav legal borders.

"Democratic forces in Serbia and Montenegro will work together on upholding a democratic community, despite the forces who wish to destabilise the country and the region", says the statement, read by Prime Minister Vujanovic. Vujanovic did not agree to answer questions to journalists.

Democratic Party official Cedomir Jovanovic stated today that the democratic opposition was considering three presidential candidates for the forthcoming elections. He told a press conference that prior to further action the opposition has to reach an agreement with Montenegrin authorities regarding participation and monitoring of elections. Jovanovic stressed, on the other hand, that the discussions concerning presidential candidates were still vague and it would be irresponsible to reveal their names at this time. He also emphasized that there is no point in participating in elections that cannot be monitored and added that the Serbian opposition understands the attitude of Montenegro, which sees no sense in taking part in federal elections.

"We understand the Montenegrin leadership, but we also expect them to understand our need to bring changes to Serbia through political battle", said the Democratic Party official. Jovanovic said that any kind of elections were a problem for Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and a chance for the opposition which can define the future of Serbia and Montenegro in a common state.

Dusan Vukovic, father of 21-year-old Aleksandar, who was killed in Kosovo last year as a member of the Yugoslav army, announced today that he would sue the highest state officials, since they were responsible for a false article regarding his son published in a book.

"I'm preparing a lawsuit against FRY President Slobodan Milosevic, Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic, the Yugoslav Army High Command and journalists who published the photograph of my son and a false article about him in the book 'Heroes of the Fatherland' without the consent of his family," said Vukovic to reporters. Vukovic explained that the book said how "Albanian terrorists killed his son", but this has not been proved yet. Vukovic repeated his doubts concerning his sons death. He also announced charges against the superiors in the Third Army, who handed the Medal for contributions in the field of defence and security of the first degree, which was granted to his son after his death, to an individual unauthorised to receive it.

"The officers who gave this medal to my father Radomir, member of the Socialist Party of Serbia, and not Aleksandar's parents, have committed a criminal act", said Dusan Vukovic. Vukovic tore up the certificate and broke and trampled over the medal that was granted to his son post mortem. The medal was received by Radomir Vukovic, the grandfather of the deceased soldier, at the Mija Stanimirovic army barracks in Nis. Aleksandar's father refused to accept the medal in December last year, when he sued the Yugoslav Army and the Yugoslav sate, demanding five million dinars (200,000 DEM) of compensation.

Solicitor Borivoje Borovic, member of the team of solicitors representing Serbian Renewal Movement President Vuk Draskovic, stated for Blic that only after the suspects are questioned regarding the assassination attempt will we know whether they were handed over to the Montenegrin police in a legally proper manner.

"Only after the three suspects give their statements shall we know whether they were briefed in order to direct the investigation or if the Serbian police acted in a professional manner at the demand of the Montenegrin police", said Borovic. The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs stated yesterday that they had handed the suspects for the assassination attempt on SPO leader Vuk Draskovic to the Montenegrin police.

The Serbian Minister of Justice and high-ranking official of the Yugoslav Left, Dragoljub Jankovic, called Otpor a "fascist organisation" and added that "people who were not active in terrorism" have no reason to fear the announced anti-terrorism bill.

"Only people who make acts of terrorism should fear the law and people who don't should remain indifferent", said Jankovic at a JUL conference in the Belgrade district Cukarica and emphasized that it was his party, headed by Yugoslav President's wife Mira Markovic, that initiated the adoption of this bill.

Minister Jankovic also said he had recently read "some kind of statute" of the organisation called Otpor and stressed that he was convinced, after reading the document, that it was a fascist organisation and that many who joined Otpor don't know what they are about.

A family of four members needed 5,245.60 dinars (250 DEM) to buy 61 basic food products in June this year, which 5.9% higher than last year, reveals the Federal Department for Statistics. The consumers basket in May was 4,954.55 dinars, or 2.26 average wages per capita (2,186 dinars). Data on paid wages for June has not been published yet. For the average wage in May (2186 dinars) after all the taxes are paid, a citizen could buy 370 kilos of bread or 453 litres of milk or 131 litres of cooking oil. This means that the average Yugoslav worked 27 minutes for a loaf of bread, 22 minutes for a litre of milk and 17 minutes for a litre of oil. The average wage could also pay for 11 kilos of coffee. An average citizen would have to work one 31 hours for one kilo of this product.

To buy a domestic middle-sized colour TV an average citizen would have to work 4 months and 17 days, or pay 4.8 average wages. For a domestic car, Yugo 45, the same citizen would have to work 93 months and 11 days or hand over 93.5 monthly wages.

State Department Spokesman Richard Baucher told reporters that the American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, talked to Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic over the phone during a recess in the Israeli-Palestinian summit in Camp David. On that occasion she promised Djukanovic that USA would raise their aid to Montenegro by 16 million dollars.

"She told him that we will be able to send 16.5 million dollars of additional aid to Montenegro for democracy and economic reforms after consulting the Congress", said Baucher. Albright also discussed the current situation in the Balkans with Djukanovic, including the recent amendments in the Yugoslav Constitution. The State Department Spokesman said that the basic idea of this telephone conversation was to give support to democracy in Montenegro and the moderate policy conducted by Djukanovic.

Steady withdrawal of the Yugoslav national currency, the dinar, from the Montenegrin monetary system is continuing. Only one percent of the total amount of money on Montenegrin bank accounts is in dinars. Milojica Dakic, the Vice Governor of the Montenegrin National Bank said that the dinar participates with only 5% in cash circulation. The rest of it are German marks.

Dakic explained that the current ratio between the dinar and the mark was the result of the monetary policy in which the citizens opted for a stable currency which, in turn, marginalised the dinar. Dakic conditioned the formal exit of the dinar from Montenegrin economy with decisions that have to be made by the Montenegrin Government. The conversion of the remaining dinars, after they are withdrawn, Dakic estimated as a simple task, since there was a small amount of the currency in circulation.

KFOR revealed today that one boy was wounded from a firearm and men were arrested in the last 24 hours, while a search for weapons was conducted in Ljubisa and Vitina. KFOR spokesman Scott Slayten said at a regular briefing for journalists that a fifteen-year-old Albanian boy was shot at by mistake and wounded in the leg. UN police arrested a suspect who later found out that the boy was the wrong target. International forces arrested two men yesterday for illegal possession of arms. They were arrested while walking around with two hand grenades and a gun.

Slayten said the UN police asked for the assistance of KFOR early this morning in the arrest of an escaped prisoner in the North of Kosovo, who was earlier suspected of murder.Soldiers and UN policemen entered the southern districts of Mitrovica during the operation and arrested the suspect with two other individuals.

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