Days Preceding The Session
Milošević's handling of Kosovo situation had split the Serbian Communist Party into two groups. One was the pro-Pavlović/Stambolić group, who were in favour of peaceful negotiations with the Albanian leaders. The other was the pro-Milošević group, which demanded quick and rapid action to end the "Kosovo problem". Pavlović made comments which, even though they did not directly point a finger at Milošević, were clearly directed at Milošević, accusing him of being anti-Albanian, nationalist and offering fake solutions to the Kosovo situation. These remarks were seen as an attack on Milošević by the Milošević camp. Milošević, together with his senior allies, planned to expel Pavlović from the Communist party, but Pavlović was staunchly supported by Stambolić, a very influential leader. Pavlović's expulsion from the party would effectively mean toppling Stambolić. Stambolić dispatched a written letter to Pavlović asking the members of the Belgrade Communist Party to stay out of it if the question was raised about Pavlović. This was a huge mistake as later this letter would cost Stambolić dearly. Also this letter raised many eyebrows among the Belgrade Party itself, who thought of this letter as unnecessary pressure by Stambolić. Milošević's supporters among the members of the Belgrade Communist Party, led by Dušan Mitević, were particularly angry at this.
On 18 September the Presidency of the Serbian Communist Party met. Stambolić tried hard to forge a compromise between the two groups, but now Milošević officially turned against Stambolić by calling Pavlović a threat to "ideological unity". But Milošević did not have any forces at that moment to outmanoeuvre Stambolić. He was bailed out of this situation by Dušan Mitević. Mitević, along with some members of the Belgrade Communist Party, drafted a letter to Milošević saying that the Belgrade Party committee had been pressurized by Stambolić into supporting Pavlović; they also sent Milošević the original letter by Stambolić. Next day, in front of about fifty members of the Communist Party, Milošević read the letter aloud. Members of the party, even those who were opposed to Milošević, were shocked at this revelation, even though plots were not uncommon among the party. In this case, however, Milošević had a written letter which he claimed was the proof of Stambolić putting personal interests ahead of those of the party. Stambolić felt betrayed by the same man who was once his best friend and whose rise to the top in the Serbian Communist Party he had engineered.
Read more about this topic: 8th Session Of The League Of Communists Of Serbia
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