PUT DO SRPSKOG OKTOBRA - komunikacija

Priroda poretka i oktobarski prevrat 55
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The Nature of the Order and the October Overthrow in Serbia
Summary: In Serbia democratic institutions – political parties,parliament,multiparty
elections – were introduced in 1990,so it would be an oversimplification to call this order
authoritarian. At the same time,Serbia’s political order did not ensure an “equal arena”
for mutual contest to all political parties; therefore it cannot be called democratic either.
Hence the political order in Serbia is most accurately classified as the quasi-democratic
type analyzed by Larry Diamond. This definition held until 1998 when the regime started
increasingly to resort to violence against opposition parties,independent media and
NGOs. In this way the type of order was essentially changed: quasi-democracy degenerated
into a pure authoritarian type. After the defeat in the September 2000 elections this
type of order in Serbia responded first by attempted fraud and then,when citizens in response
to this organized protests,by violence; on 5 October citizens manifested readiness
to strike back. Facing this,the apparatus of repression (police,army) withdrew,
which marked the beginning of the implosion of the ruling order. The readiness of citizens
to react to violence (i.e. the presence of potential force) was an essential factor in toppling
the authoritarian order in Serbia.
Key words: democratic institutions,quasi-democracy,authoritarian regime,potential
force,transfer of power.