AFTER 46 days of silence, Serbian Orthodox Church leaders yesterday condemned the Socialist authorities for election fraud which has prompted nationwide unrest.
"The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church at today's extraordinary session. . . strongly condemned the regime which has flagrantly trampled on the will of the people," the synod said.
"The Serbian Orthodox Church strongly condemns the forging of people's votes, stifling of political and religious freedoms. .. and especially the beating up and murder of people on the streets" the statement said.
The Serbian opposition launched mass protests after the authorities annulled November 17th local election results that showed the opposition had won 15 of Serbia's 18 largest towns, including Belgrade.
Demonstrations were peaceful until December 24th, when the ruling Socialists of President Slobodan Milosevic organised a counter rally in Belgrade which led to street fighting in which one person was killed and more than 50 injured.
Yesterday's was the church's first public stand on the crisis. Its leader, Patriarch Pavle, last month refused to receive and bless a delegation of protesting Belgrade students.
The church has lost much of its popular support in Serbia for its nationalist stance on the wars in Bosnia and Croatia since 1991.
As thousands of protesters took to the streets yesterday for the 46th consecutive day, Mr Vuk Draskovic, one of the leaders of the pro democracy opposition, warned that Serbia's wave of unrest might turn violent under police pressure.
Mr Draskovic, of the Zajedno (Together) coalition, claimed in a television interview that Mr Milosevic was plotting bloody repression with the help of shadowy militia gangs.
"Mr Milosevic is in the process of forming an alliance with (Serbian) paramilitary groups previously involved in the war in Bosnia and Croatia to set up terrorist attacks against the opposition," he said.
Mr Draskovic said Zajedno's principle of non violence remained intact but, if police attacks worsened, "nobody can give guarantees" people would not employ self defence.
"Unfortunately this could be the beginning of bloodshed and civil war," said Mr Draskovic, who in 1992 was badly beaten during a spell in police detention.
"I have no wish to topple Milosevic in the street. I want to defeat him in democratic elections," he added.
About 25,000 protesters assembled in central Belgrade yesterday but were blocked by riot policed - when they tried to sweep out of a pedestrian mall towards a major street. They dispersed later. No clashes were reported.
State television aired footage of New Year street celebrations in many cities abroad but ignored the huge outdoor festival organised by Zajedno in Belgrade.