Darko Sukovic looks at the political role of Montenegrins in Belgrade in the October 3, 1997 issue of Podgorica weekly "Monitor".In more peaceful times, if they come out in public, 'Belgrade Montenegrins' usually preach about authentic Montenegrin interests and issue simplistic and falsified lessons on 'joint' history.
Worried generals, managers, academics and so on, present themselves then as some form of guardians of spiritual health of Montenegro, and explain the reason of its existence. And the 'reason' could most easily be defined as - serving the interests of Serbia. According to them, only such Montenegro deserves to be something more than a geographical term on the map. But, when the things 'get out of control', this group becomes nervous, and its vocabulary militant and threatening. Their foaming 'patriotism', according to a set scheme, boils over, first of all, across the Belgrade regime press, and then spilled as printed poison on top of Montenegro. The typical example of such 'discovery' is a message of a certain Milija Zecevic, a typical example of the negative selection process of communist cadres. This manager, concerned with the 'separatist policies' of Milo Djukanovic, is sending a message, in a more than threatening tone that 'three million Montenegrins do not want to enter Montenegro with a passport'.
The mentioned statement is puzzling due to a number of reasons. First of all, - how come there is three million Montenegrins in Serbia, when Momir Bulatovic states that 'up to second generation' there are 'only' million and 200 thousand, while official statistical data speak of 140 thousand ? Secondly, who mentioned passports for Serbian citizens on this side of the borders ? Thirdly, who is Milija Zecevic, after all ?
The falsifying of numbers is a favorite sport of those giving orders to people like these. The point of this hyper bole is to threaten those who, supposedly, sunk in the 'separatist' waters, which is, as a cause for a political indictment, proven with supplanting of 'passports' and similar 'proof'of guilt.
The supposed combat against separatism, in essence, is a battle of these circles to retain decades long economic and political inferiority of Montenegro in relation to Serbia. Moreover, this is their feverish fight to retain good positions which they have gained in Serbia, and with which the authorities there hold them in their fists.
This trag-comical discourse of anti-Montenegrin politics of "Belgrade Montenegrins" does not in any way lessen its realistic danger. In all the truth, their protagonists are not bringing bombs from Belgrade anymore, as at the beginning of the century. But it is not a good condition for Montenegro, that at this moment at its helm is a President, which, instead of trying to prevent this interventionism, actually counts on the effects of an intervention from the outside. Momir Bulatovic is probably the only president on the planet who is in a panic fear that the state he is ruling could become sovereign !The break with inferior relation of Podgorica towards Belgrade would mark the definitive failure of the current leaders of 'Belgrade Montenegrins', and would put under a big question mark their current positions there. Combat gainst economic and political emancipation of Montenegro, for them then, is a fight of life and death.
Source: Podgorica weekly "Monitor" , October 3, 1997
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