Serbs Mark Uprising That Ousted Milosevic

Hundreds of Serbs gathered in front of the Yugoslav parliament to celebrate the first anniversary of Slobodan Milosevic’s downfall and sound a warning to the reformers who replaced him.

Participants had a clear message for the new authorities: Serbs are bitter over the slow pace of democratic reforms and miserable living standards.

Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica admitted that economic reforms have been insufficient. But at a briefing, he told reporters: “Last October, we conquered freedom by breaking with the past. . . . I am sure that we will never again live in a non-democratic society.”

President Bush sent a letter to Kostunica, pledging to help the country turn “toward a brighter future.”