We claim that Slobodan Milosevic remains the de facto head of state of Serbia until January 1, 2004, according to a consensus of major European news organizations, excluding those in Serbia itself. For the purpose of this claim, "Serbia" is defined as the nation-state in de facto control of Belgrade. (Currently this nation-state also goes by the names "Yugoslavia" and "Serbia and Montenegro".)
For the purpose of this claim, to "remain" in power does not mean to be in continuous control for the entire 4+ years. Rather, it means that he should be absent from power for no period longer than four months. Conceivably if he were ousted just before the deadline the claim would carry over for another four months (until April 30 at the latest) to see if he comes back. The claim can be settled early if he dies or loses control for other irreversible reasons.
In the event there is no consensus among the major European news media concerning who represents the legitimate authority in Belgrade I may delay judgement of this claim.
