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Parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia today adopted new election laws which introduce federal presidential and upper house representatives' elections by popular vote.

The new legislation written by Milosevic's own cabinet, is giving him the option to run for two more four-year terms after his current one expires in July 2001. It also allows the president to be elected by a simple majority of the popular vote, regardless of election turnout.

Upper house of the parliament adopted the new laws without any parlamentary discussion, after only 35 minutes - with 25 votes for and none against. Lower house had a bit longer session - it lasted three hours, few opposition deputies managed to get some discussion.

"The outcome of this will be the uncontrolled power of an individual," said Vladeta Jankovic, an opposition deputy who accused the ruling party of treating Milosevic as a "deity, like in primitive religions."

Yugoslav officials defended the legislation. "The new laws ensure more freedom and full legality of our election system, said Yugoslav Justice Minister Petar Jojic, a Milosevic supporter.

And in the end, the outcome was the same as in the Chamber of Republics - legislation was adopted by 88 votes for and 6 against.

Other changes involve the way legislators for the upper house of the Yugoslav parliament, the Chamber of Republics, are elected. Currently, separate assemblies in Montenegro and Serbia, the much larger Yugoslav republic, each select 20 of the chamber's 40 deputies. Under the new system, the deputies will be elected by popular vote.

That takes away the ability of the Montenegrin government to control its representatives and will make it easier for Milosevic to push Montenegrin politicians that are loyal to him.

"In a shady, clandestine way, Milosevic has prepared an election infrastructure to solidify his power and extend his dictatorship," said Miodrag Vukovic, a top Montenegrin official.

Parliament also reshuffled electoral districts in Serbia, mostly because Serbia's southern province of Kosovo. Parliament's decision means that voters from Kosovo can cast their ballots in two districts inside Serbia proper. Because Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority is certain to continue its boycott of elections organized by Belgrade, the likely voters in Yugoslav elections would be the more than 100,000 Serbs who fled Kosovo.

As a consequence, some two dozen seats for deputies from Kosovo could easily be filled by Milosevic loyalists, effectively helping the strongman retain control in the 138-seat lower chamber and 40-seat upper chamber of Parliament.

Reporters of a number of independent media were prohibited from following the session of the Yugoslav Parliament today, with the explanation that they were not accredited. Reporting from the Parliament was denied to the Beta news agency, newspapers Blic, Glas Javnosti and Danas, and the VIN TV production.

Beta sent regular accreditation for today's session, but was not on the list of accredited media. A number of Beta reporters have permanent accreditation for the Federal Parliament and can enter the parliament daily, but for parliamentary sessions reporters need additional accreditations. This is the first time that the Beta news agency has been disabled from directly following the work of the Yugoslav Parliament. The Agency was unofficially told that "it was a decision from the higher place".

Reporters were also prohibited from reporting from the last session of the Serbian Parliament on July 12. The parliament security turned them back at the entrance explaining that it is done by order of the Serbian Radical Party.

The president of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) Vojislav Kostunica stated that the Serbian opposition must unite, and that the "greatest problem at the moment in this direction is the Serbian Renewal Movement and its leader Vuk Draskovic, which are dividing the opposition". In an interview for the Vienna "Der Standard" Kostunica confirmed that the opposition has unsuccessfully been trying to unite for a decade, adding that it is now clear w ho wants to unite and who wants to divide.

"Many of the opposition leaders used to be part of the establishment, e.g. former Belgrade mayor Nebojsa Covic or Yugoslav Army Chief of Staff Momcilo Perisic. They have changed sides because of their convictions and I respect that. On the other side there are parties that have cooperated with Milosevic" said the leader of the DSS, emphasizing that the opposition has no choice but to unite, since that is the "only way they can threaten the regime".

Dragan Veselinov, president of the "Vojvodina" coalition told Voice of America that the opposition has no other choice but to participate the elections, regardless of the unfavorable election laws. "If we boycott, what should we do - take guns and take to the wood, or demonstrate?"

Democratic Party of Serbia president Vojislav Kostunica said that the opposition must "keep in mind the intention to prevent internal tension, conflict and civil war in the country"

The president of the Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic told Belgrade daily Blic that control of the elections is still possible and that there is no reason for a boycott.

"The Government is irresponsible, but the survival of FRY now depends on the Serbian opposition. If it boycotts the elections it will be guilty for its demise, because those would then have been the last federal elections", Miroljub Labus, G17 Plus official said commenting the new election laws.

The opposition demanded early elections and they will get them, notices Labus, only it will be presidential elections. They also wanted a fair pre-election atmosphere and after they were denied, they should have fought for it through amendments on the election bills. This is the last chance to explain to citizens what this opposition demand actually means.

Labus claims in front of G17 Plus that the Serbian opposition has a good chance of winning presidential elections and a good result at federal elections, regardless of whether Montenegrins participate or on the decision of the international community whether to recognise the results. Furthermore, Milosevic admitted that the Socialist Party is weak after being shoved to the side by the Yugoslav Left, so the elections are a huge risk for them. This, as well as many other analyses show that the opposition has solid chances under the condition that they put forward one common presidential candidate actively supported by the whole opposition.

Labus feels that the motto "One list against the communists" is the best political idea by Vuk Draskovic dating several years back. He also thinks that the counter-candidate to Milosevic must be from Serbia and a good choice would be Vojislav Kostunica (DSS), who should be supported by the whole opposition whole-heartedly.

Nicolas Hill, the American diplomat in charge of the FRY and first secretary of the American embassy in Budapest stated on Sunday that the statement given at the G-8 summit "does not propagate boycott of the elections in thee FRY, nor is it suggested that the boycott of the elections would be the proper course".

The American diplomat told Belgrade Radio Index that "the decision on participating in the elections is completely a matter for the Serbian opposition". The statement at the end of the G-8 summit expresses the concern of the most developed countries for the motivation behind the revision of the FRY Constitution, as well as the consequences of these revisions", said Hill.

He appealed to the government in Belgrade to refrain from further attacks that would result in the escalation of violence and requested that the opposition in Serbia support the peaceful and democratic development of the situation in Yugoslavia. He added that the American administration still thinks that the boycott of the elections would "represent a problem for a large number of political parties".

Radio Free Europe correspondents in Serbia stated they will continue working despite the refusal of the Federal Ministry of Information to register a branch office of the organisation in Belgrade and threats voiced by Minister Goran Matic towards those individuals who choose to work for Free Europe without proper authorisation.

"We do not accept Matic's claim that our media house creates propaganda and promotes colonial goals of the USA. We are not supporting any side in particular, rather a timely and truthful piece of information", said Milica Lucic-Cavic, head of the Belgrade Bureau of Radio Free Europe at today's press conference in Nis.

The executive manager of the Expert League and former judge Bozo Prelevic stated that the group of recently dismissed judges did not suit the government not because of their alleged political action, "but because they fought for independence [of the juridical system] and legalism". Prelevic said in a statement for "Glas Javnosti" that "the newly elected judges will not have to be changed by the regime", but added that at least among the newly elected judges that he knows there is "a number of good experts".

Prelevic said that this is happening because people are not ready to be harassed, and that the whole problem is founded on threatening the survival of judges and intellectuals, and pushing them into poverty through their salaries. "Then people become slaves. The situation is no better in other professions and judges are traditionally not likely to show solidarity. I don't expect greater protests from judges because of the dismissals, but it is certain that a large number of them will themselves request to leave the justice system" said Prelevic for "Glas", Beta reports.

The crew of a military patrol vessel shot at a police boat on the Skadar lake, but the graver consequences of this were miraculously avoided, report the Podgorica "Vijesti".

The police boat carrying a three-member crew was attacked at about 9.30 a.m. during a regular patrol of the lake close to the Albanian border. Rounds of 12.7 mm caliber were shot from a military patrol boat about four kilometers away. One shot hit the bow of the boat, and the police officers heard another shot and stopped the vessel. The crew of the military boat later said that they had not seen the boat well, and that the passing of the police boat had not been announced.

The police patrol had started its regular patrol of the lake around 8.30 and a military helicopter flew over them a couple of times before the attack.

Fishermen near the police boat during the shooting witnessed the attack.

The graves of fourteen Serbs killed on July 23, of last year in the village of Staro Gracko near Lipljan in Kosovo have been desecrated, the Beta news agency reports quoting radio-amateurs. The families and friends of the killed Serbs visited the cemetery on the anniversary. The group was killed last year while working in the fields, and representatives of the international community then "harshly condemned" the massacre and announced a "swift and efficient investigation". Nobody has been arrested in this case, nor has the investigation ended.

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