The people of Serbia breathed a cautious sigh of relief last week. President Slobodan Milosevic finally agreed to honor the results of democratic elections held three months ago. The elections had given Milosevic's opponents control of 14 of Serbia's largest cities, including the capital, Belgrade.
Milosevic had stubbornly refused to give up any of his power. His reversal is a hard-fought victory for his opponents. For 77 days straight, they had held noisy protest demonstrations in Serbia's cities.
Earlier last week the peaceful rallies turned ugly. Riot police attacked demonstrators with batons, water cannons and tear gas. Said a trembling protester: "I ran like never before in my life."
To Milosevic's surprise, his announcement has not stopped the demonstrations. "It is great to see him weak and backing down," said an opponent. "But what I really want is to see him resign."