BELGRADERS are cautiously coming to terms with their victory, but coming to terms with it all the same. They were on the streets, a full 24 hours after President Slobodan Milosevic finally recognised the opposition's victory in 14 of Serbia's largest cities and towns in local elections held in November.
The official news agency, Tanjug, reported last night that Mr Milosevic's government had approved a draft law endorsing the election results which is expected to be considered by parliament next Tuesday.
Mr Milosevic's cancellation of the results led to 77 straight days of street protests, with almost half a million people filling the streets of Belgrade for the biggest demonstration, to mark the Orthodox New Year last month.
Yesterday the demonstrators were back on the streets again. About 20,000 students set the scene in the afternoon led by a young man carrying the icon of the Virgin of Hilandar, the Serbian monastery on Mount Athos, and with an ambulance bringing up the rear just in case the riot police launched an attack on the marchers as they did on Sunday and Monday.
But there was no violence last night and on the streets the protesters were beginning to believe in their victory. "It is very difficult to trust Mr Milosevic, he has made so many false moves so far, but this time it looks as if we have won," said Milan (28), who works in financial services.
In the headquarters of the Serbian Renewal Movement the atmosphere was similar. Bronislav, an activist in his 20s, precisely echoed Milan's feelings, adding that he would miss the daily demonstrations. "It really brought life to the city and it showed the world that Serbs are decent people we want democracy.
Today, the three leaders of the Zajedno (Together) coalition which won the local elections and organised the main protest will travel to Paris at the invitation of the French Foreign Minister, Mr Herve de Charette.
The demonstrations have brought the Zajedno leaders closer together than they were before the elections. Until then the only thing they had in common was opposition to Mr Milosevic. In strict political terms, however, there are great differences among them.
Mr Vuk Draskovic president of the Serbian Renewal Movement, the largest party in the coalition, is a long haired, bearded poet turned politician. But his poetry does not match that of Seamus Heaney, just as his politics do not match those of Vaclav Havel. A strong Serbian nationalist, he has moderated his stance to support the Dayton peace accords, but is regarded as a man whose political stance can be strongly swayed by emotion.
Mr Zoran Djindjic of the Democratic Party has previously been associated with the Bosnian Serb leader, Dr Radovan Karadjic, but as the most professional politician of the three has quickly changed his image to that of moderate and democratic.
The third member of the leadership, Ms Vesna Pesic of the Civic Alliance party, has consistently avoided nationalist rhetoric, has always pursued an anti war policy, was imprisoned for her views, but has failed to gain much support at the polls.
