[Linda Stouffer, Cnn Anchor:] After 13 years of iron-fisted rule and 12 days of refusing to admit defeat at the polls, Slobodan Milosevic is now stepping aside. Vojislav Kostunica is now ready to be sworn in as Yugoslavia's new president. CNN's Brent Sadler joins us live now from Belgrade with the very latest on this. Hello, Brent.
[Brent Sadler, Cnn Correspondent:] Hello, Linda. Good morning. Yes, another momentous event expected today after a dramatic turnabout in Slobodan Milosevic's 13 rule, years of autocratic rule here. Mr. Vojislav Kostunica, the president elect of Yugoslavia, expected to be sworn in in just a few hours from now. Some procedural things to take place between now and then, a constituent assembly of the federal parliament assembling to verify mandates from the September 24 election and also possibly by the end of today, although unlikely, we understand at the moment, a new federal parliament. But certainly by the end of the day the opposition is expecting the president elect, Vojislav Kostunica, will be the new president of Yugoslavia. This was clear very much in the sense of the opposition's minds after the overnight announcement by Slobodan Milosevic that he was finally admitting defeat on that September 24 election, that he was stepping aside, acknowledging the victory of Mr. Kostunica. But Mr. Milosevic made it clear he was not bowing out of politics altogether. He said he was going to take a little bit of time off, be able to see his son Marc, or rather his grandson Marco and then he intended, he said, to return to the political scene as head of the Socialist Party of Serbia and to be a main voice in the opposition to Mr. Kostunica'expected new administration. Now here to discuss this more I'm joined by the editor of "Nin " magazine here in Belgrade, Mr. Stevan Niksic. Isn't Mr. Kostunica going to be very able to very quickly be able to get a parliament that will work with him?
[Stevan Niksic, Political Analyst:] I hope so. As you can see, everything was quickly in the last few days and there's no reason for this kind of speed to be not to continue in that fashion. Everything will function in just a couple of days.
[Sadler:] What about the situation with regards to the Montenegrins? What if he fails to get the support he needs from Montenegrin politicians?
[Niksic:] The Montenegrins are now, they find themselves in a completely different situation. They have realized now that in Serbia Mr. Kostunica had a victory and they would have to adjust to that new situation.
[Sadler:] All right, thank you very much, indeed, Mr. Niksic for joining us. That's the latest here in Belgrade. I'm Brent Sadler, CNN, reporting live from Belgrade.
[Stouffer:] Brent, thank you very much. Well, the unfolding events in Yugoslavia have brought a smile and a frown to President Clinton. CNN's John King joins us live from the White House this morning with more on the President's mixed reaction. John, what can you tell us?
[John King, Cnn Correspondent:] Good morning, Linda. Well, the President likens this to a dark cloud being lifted not only from over Yugoslavia but from over all of Eastern Europe, he says. The United States on the one hand applauding the Russians, giving the Russian government some credit here for convincing Mr. Milosevic to step down, clear the way for the new president to be inaugurated. However, President Clinton and the entire U.S. administration also raising concerns that the Russians appear to be open for a continuing role for Mr. Milosevic in Yugoslav politics, something the White House says is unacceptable.
[William J. Clinton, President Of The United States:] I think it would be a terrible mistake for him to remain active in the political life of the country. That is not what the people voted for. And I believe that we cannot ignore the action of the War Crimes Tribunal. I think we have to continue to support it.
[King:] Now, with the inauguration of the new president today, do not look for an immediate warming in U.S. relations with Yugoslavia. Mr. Kostunica was a fierce critic of the Kosovo air war. He has been critical of the Hague War Crimes Tribunal, Mr. Milosevic under indictment before that tribunal. Still, U.S. officials say, with this democratically elected government, the United States will join the movement of the European nations to lift most of the economic sanctions imposed against the Milosevic regime Linda.
[Stouffer:] Well, John, if Mr. Milosevic does not go completely away, how will that affect all these sanctions decisions from the U.S. and the European Union?
[King:] It will make the decision, especially by the United States, the United States expects the European countries to move rather aggressively to lift sanctions. The United States will face a tricky thing in that it has told democracies in the past that they must turn over any indicted war criminals and it is apparently not going to be the case. Still, though, economic sanctions expected to be lifted. Look for these sanctions to stay in place, those on businesses controlled by chronies of Mr. Milosevic. The United States worried that as he loses power, they may try to loot the country as they move out Linda.
[Stouffer:] But, John, what could come next? How far would the U.S. go in order to see Mr. Milosevic tried on war crimes?
[King:] Publicly, the U.S. position will be that he must be turned over and turned over as soon as possible. However, privately they say priority number one is to remove him from power. That has been done. The key priority now will be to make sure that he does not assume any role in a new government or even a leadership role in the Serbian Nationalist Party, the Socialist Party, excuse me, in Yugoslavia. Still, they must make the public case for him to be turned over. However, they see no prospect in the short-term that he will be.
[Stouffer:] OK, John King at the White House, thank you very much, and we'll be seeing you a little bit later because if you have any questions about the situation in Yugoslavia, you can e-mail CNN's John King at wam, that's at cnn.com. Now, he'll answer your questions in the nine o'clock Eastern hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING so we invite you to stay tuned to that. Well, there is a historic upheaval in the Balkans. The world is watching with awe and some apprehension as Yugoslavia moves toward democracy. Well, to put all of these changes in a bit of perspective, we're joined this morning by Stojan Cerovic, a Balkans expert with the U.S. Institute of Peace. We appreciate you being with us today, sir. And first of all, I'm hoping you can tell us in the coming days what will this new president have to do?
[Stojan Cerovic, U.s. Institute Of Peace:] Well, he will be doing many things. It's in the first place, he has to restore law and order, to stabilize the country, to get control of the military and the police and he will make sure that Milosevic is out of the political life. I don't believe that Milosevic will be able to play any role in the political life of Serbia in the future, although I'm not sure that he'll be handed to Hague very soon. But then I don't think that there is any room that he'll be able to keep any kind of power in Serbia. I think that he's definitely out.
[Stouffer:] But do you think Mr. Milosevic maybe saved himself by conceding when he did yesterday?
[Cerovic:] No. I think that he'll be simply forced out. He may have some ambitions to play some role in the future. He may he still is the president of his Socialist Party and legally or in theory, if you like, he really might try to keep some impact on the events. He surely still enjoys the loyalty of some people probably in the police and in his parties. But then this was really a sort of revolution and things are going very quickly in this situation and we just get a new rules of the game before just changing their minds very quickly and Milosevic will simply lose any impact, any influence. I think, that is, we'll see in time the new Serbia and no room for Milosevic in this situation.
[Stouffer:] And Mr. Cerovic, I'm hoping you can give us some perspective on the people of Yugoslavia. After all the euphoria of the last few days, when will the people start to see real changes in their every day lives?
[Cerovic:] Well, it will take some time and it will for the people to feel real change in their every day life, it will take probably a year. But I do believe that these sanctions lifting and some support from abroad can make a change and can contribute to get some sense of stability and even slow prosperity. I think the Serbs really do need something like that in the moment and that's why this lifting of sanctions really are important. I think that the people really need some sense that they immediately benefited out of this, I would say, heroic accomplishment of the last few days.
[Stouffer:] And the world will be watching to see what happens. Stojan, Cerovic, we appreciate your time and perspective today. Thank you.
[Cerovic:] Thank you.
[Stouffer:] And coming up in our next hour, a different perspective on the political upheaval in Yugoslavia from Prince Alexander. He's the crown prince of Yugoslavia and he plans to join us from New York.