Global Policy Forum

By Katarina Kratovac

A law enabling extradition of war crimes suspects like former President Slobodan Milosevic is likely to be approved by the Cabinet despite opposition by Montenegrin coalition partners, Yugoslavia's president said Wednesday.

After a late-night meeting with Montenegrin government officials, President Vojislav Kostunica said he had persuaded them to review the draft law on cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal at the next Cabinet session. A date for the session has not been set. ''I have every reason to be satisfied,'' Kostunica said. ''If the law is then adopted by the Cabinet and all chances are that it will be so the legislation subsequently goes to the federal parliament for approval.''

But the Montenegrin delegation said late Tuesday it remained opposed to any law calling for extradition of Yugoslav citizens. Differences over the disputed law, which outlines Yugoslavia's cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, have triggered the most serious government crisis since Milosevic was ousted as Yugoslav president in October.

Yugoslavia is made up of two republics, Serbia and Montenegro.

Montenegrin lawmakers have adamantly opposed a clause that allows extradition of Yugoslavs to the tribunal, which they consider biased.

The government includes 16 members 14 Cabinet members, the prime minister and his deputy prime minister. Nine of the members come from Serbia. Even if the Cabinet approves the law by a simple majority of Serbian ministers, support of the Montenegrin deputies would be needed to push it through the 178-member federal parliament, where Milosevic's Socialists and their allies still hold a substantial number of seats. Montenegro's lawmakers once were allied with Milosevic but switched sides after he lost elections last year.

Kostunica cautioned that it was possible for the draft to ''undergo certain alterations and amendments'' at the Cabinet session but predicted the finished version would be similar to that proposed by Serbian officials.

''This law will not only give legal foundations to our cooperation with The Hague tribunal, it will also enable our country to have normal relations with the international community,'' Kostunica said, adding that it was much better to have a law to work with than to cooperate with The Hague in a ''wild, random manner.''

Predrag Bulatovic, head of the Montenegrin delegation, stressed that his camp would oppose the law in parliament. ''We support cooperation with the international community and punishment for all war criminals ... but we want Yugoslavs to be tried for war crimes in our country,'' Bulatovic said.

Milosevic is in a Belgrade prison pending investigation into allegations of corruption and abuse of power during his 13-year rule. Authorities have suggested the investigation may widen to include war crimes charges.

The U.N. tribunal indicted Milosevic and four top aides in 1999 in connection with atrocities committed by Serb troops in Kosovo during a crackdown against rebellious ethnic Albanians.