Democratic revolution

IN THE past, when Western journalists would dismiss Serbia as a dictatorship, seasoned observers would correct them by saying that it was a democracy ­ albeit fragile ­ with an autocratic leader. Yet when Slobodan Milosevic, in an apparently desperate bid to keep power, attempted to nullify the recent verdict of voters to replace him in office, it appeared he finally tried to turn the country into his personal dictatorship.

In the event, in a swift and dramatic gesture, Serbs took to the street to restore their democracy. Mr. Milosevic's unrelenting grip on power appears finally to have failed him, and his future is in doubt. Although Serbia's President-elect has rejected the demand of the West that he be turned over to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, it is not certain he will have the stomach to resist Western pressure forever.

Not to mention Western enticements. With the fall of Milosevic, sanctions on Serbia will loosen, and the economy may finally have a chance of growing again. Anxious to shake the hold of Milosevic's clique on power, Serbia's new government may want to cement its links with western Europe quickly.

All the same, it would probably be mistaken to assume that any enemy of Mr. Milosevic is automatically a friend of the West, as antipathy within the Serbian opposition to NATO and Western governments remains high.

However tentative or shaky this democratic revolution may prove to be, it is a testament to the commitment of ordinary Serbs to democracy, who deserve to be applauded.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.

Back to Commentary