Television news puts the seal on Milosevic's tardy capitulation over polls

THE DESPISED main evening news on Serbian TV (RTS) finally confirmed Slobodan Milosevic's historic climbdown. The programme which had pretended there was no crisis, which played down demonstrations of up to half a million people and whose bulletins gave more prominence to events in Peru than the turmoil on the streets of Belgrade, finally last night admitted defeat.

President Milosevic, the woman announcer said, had asked the (Prime Minister to introduce a parliamentary bill recognising the victory of the opposition Zajedno Together) coalition in 14 of the 18 cities and towns in elections held last November.

Mr Milosevic's cancellation of the opposition's electoral successes led to daily demonstrations. These were peaceful until last Sunday, when out-of-town riot police rounded on demonstrators, beating them with clubs and making no distinction between young men and elderly women.

The main evening news ignored almost everything during the 77 days of protest, to the extent that it became the symbol of Slobodan Milosevic's dictatorship.

Each night for 2 1/2 months at 7.30 p.m. every street in Belgrade was filled with protesters, young and old, armed with whistles, dust-bin lids, drums and assorted noise-making equipment to show their disgust at a "national news" which ignored the nation.

Last night at 7.30 p.m. all was silent. Mr Milosevic's announcement, reported earlier on the state news agency, Tanjug, was only half-believed by the people. If RTS admitted defeat in front of the nation it meant that Mr Milosevic's game was up.

The fair-haired young newsreader read the words of capitulation. Mr Milosevic appeared in the form of a black-and-white still photograph. And then the news came through that in neighbouring Bulgaria the ex-communists had given in to demands for elections in April.

Then there was noise on the streets again: it was all so similar to the East European events of 1989 and 1990 when governments toppled and walls came down.

But then came the voices of caution. Opposition leaders still doubted their victory. Mr Vuk Draskovic of the Serbian Renewal Party said he would not be satisfied until RTS became a free TV service. Mr Zoran Djindjic of the Democratic Party called for another demonstration today and for continued protests until the words of Mr Milosevic were turned to deeds.

When words become deeds Mr Djindjic will be mayor of Belgrade, Mr Draskovic will be favourite for the presidential elections later in the year and the third leader of the coalition, Ms Vesna Pesic of the small liberal-democratic Citizens' Party, will have risen from the ranks of political obscurity to become an important force.