Madam, - For the second time in less than two weeks, Mentor Agani (September 17th) argues against the partition of Kosovo, and blames Serbia for the break-up of former Yugoslavia.
In two most ridiculous statements, which I have read since 1991, he states that the reason for the break-up was the "decision by Serbia to transform Yugoslavia into a place where Serbs would dominate and all other peoples of the region would be ethnically subjugated. . .due to the oppression of other national groups within this region by an ultra-nationalist Serbian government, they were left with no other option than to seek independence".
For the information of your readers, Yugoslavia was governed by the federal parliament, in which each republic had equal representation. What Milosevic tried to introduce was a "one man, one vote" system, which would bring proportionality to the different national representations.
With 40 per cent of the population, Serbs would have formed the largest block, but this would still have left 60 per cent with non-Serbs to provide a blocking majority against any attempt by Serbia to impose its dominance.
The unilateral declaration of independence by Slovenia and Croatia led to the start of the conflict, but it was the decision of the EU (then EEC), led by Germany, to recognise the independence of any republic which wanted it that led to the intensified war in Croatia, and the bloody conflagration in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
It should be noted that, at the end of the Yugoslav wars, no partition was allowed for Serb Krajina in Croatia (the problem was solved by the expulsion of 200,000 Serbs from the region), nor was the Republic of Srpska allowed to break away from Bosnia-Herzegovina. And yet it is expected that Serbia should agree to the partition of her sovereign territory in order to placate Albanian nationalist aspirations.
This will, no doubt, come about, but Serbia has every right to demand that those parts of Kosovo with a Serbian majority should be partitioned and allowed to remain within Serbia.
The independence of Kosovo (a second Albanian state in the Balkans), partitioned or not, will be a signal for the Albanians in Macedonia and the Montenegro to demand partition as well. The Balkan cauldron is simmering towards the next eruption.
- Yours, etc,
ZIVKO JAKSIC, Hermitage Lawn, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.