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OMRI Daily Digest, Vol. 2, No. 95, 96-05-16
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 2, No. 95, 16 May 1996
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] UZBEK-IRANIAN RIFT?
[02] SITUATION IN NORTH TAJIKISTAN STABILIZES.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[03] KARADZIC FIRES HIS MODERATE PRIME MINISTER.
[04] COAL MINERS STRIKE IN CENTRAL BOSNIA.
[05] RUMP YUGOSLAV BANK GOVERNOR OUSTED.
[06] WAR CRIMES OFFICE TO OPEN IN BELGRADE.
[07] MAGUREANU WILL QUIT IF ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE INVOLVED IN TELEPHONE
BUGGING.
[08] MOLDOVA SETS DATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
[09] ROMANIA-LINKED FASCIST ORGANIZATION IN MOLDOVA.
[10] PRIVATIZATION A SUCCESS IN MOLDOVA.
[11] BULGARIAN PREMIER GAINS SHOW OF SUPPORT . . .
[12] . . . AS GOVERNMENT SELECTS 64 FIRMS FOR CLOSURE.
[13] ALBANIAN ELECTION WRAP-UP.
[14] ALBANIA, FRANCE SIGN MILITARY COOPERATION AGREEMENT.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] UZBEK-IRANIAN RIFT?
Uzbek President Islam Karimov's criticism of Iran at the recent Economic
Cooperation Organization (ECO) meeting in Ashgabat has elicited a response
from that country's conservative daily, the Tehran Times, AFP reported on 15
May. At the meeting, Karimov had threatened to withdraw Uzbekistan from the
organization if member states continued to "politicize" it, referring to
Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's condemnation of the U.S. and
Israel. The Tehran paper reponded that "Uzbekistan should think twice before
it acts or speaks," and suggested that the country bring its policies into
line with those of other ECO states. Uzbekistan has been trying to improve
ties with the U.S. and has cordial relations with Israel. The presidents of
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have expressed support for Karimov's
criticisms, calling the "politicization trend" in the ECO unacceptable. --
Roger Kangas
[02] SITUATION IN NORTH TAJIKISTAN STABILIZES.
Government officials have made several concessions to thousands of
demonstrators in the northern Tajik cities of Khojent and Ura-Tyube, Russian
and Western sources report. In Khojent, demonstrations continue, even though
the head of the Leninabad regional militia has been relieved of his post as a
concession to the protesters, and other officials are expected to lose their
jobs in the near future. In Ura-Tyube, order has been restored after a
demonstration there turned into a riot. The Tajik Interior Ministry now claims
that three people were killed--not five as earlier reported--when troops
opened fire on the rioters. Meanwhile, the newly appointed UN special envoy to
Tajikistan, Dietrich Merrem, met with Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov on 15
May in an attempt to restart the negotiation process between the government
and the United Tajik Opposition, ITAR-TASS reported. -- Bruce Pannier
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[03] KARADZIC FIRES HIS MODERATE PRIME MINISTER.
Bosnian Serb leader and indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic has dismissed
Prime Minister Rajko Kasagic, international and local media reported on 15
May. Kasagic was regarded and promoted by the West as a moderate alternative
to Bosnian Serb hard-liners. He recently called on Bosnian Serb leaders to
respect all aspects of the Dayton peace agreement, which includes the handover
of war criminals. Karadzic said Kasagic was discharged for being "not up to
his task," AFP reported. The international community immediately slammed
Karadzic for sacking his premier, and NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana
said the decision was "null and void," adding that he will nevertheless meet
with Kasagic in Banja Luka on 16 May as planned. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[04] COAL MINERS STRIKE IN CENTRAL BOSNIA.
Thousands of coal miners in the central Bosnian town Kakanj on 14 May went on
strike over pay and working conditions, international and local media
reported. Management urged them to return to work the next day after their
union leaders met with the federal Energy Minister Enver Kreso and agreed to
raise salaries. The government promised a 60% salary raise for both April and
May, increasing the average salary from 80 German marks ($52) to about 300
marks per month, Oslobodjenje reported on 16 May. The mine is the Kakanj
thermal power plant's main coal supplier, but the miners claim the plant has
never paid for the coal. Some 6,000 demobilized soldiers are miners in central
Bosnia. More problems are expected in this sector. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[05] RUMP YUGOSLAV BANK GOVERNOR OUSTED.
Rump Yugoslavia's federal legislature on 15 May dismissed Dragoslav Avramovic
as National Bank Governor, Nasa Borba reported on 16 May. Avramovic, who had
in recent weeks publicly run afoul of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's
ruling Socialist Party of Serbia, left the legislature "teary-eyed" following
the decision. Avramovic, who in January 1994 was credited with halting the
country's hyperinflation by introducing the so-called "super-dinar" valued at
an exchange rate of 1:1 with the German mark, came to openly resist Belgrade's
calls for a return to polices that likely would have resulted in renewed
inflation. Already on 15 May, Nasa Borba's coverage of the rift between
Avramovic and the authorities hinted that Avramovic had reconciled himself to
the inevitable, quoting him as saying "if the legislature relieves me of my
duties, I'll just take my hat and go." -- Stan Markotich
[06] WAR CRIMES OFFICE TO OPEN IN BELGRADE.
The rump Yugoslav government on 15 May announced officially that an office
representing the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
will be opened in Belgrade, AFP reported that same day. While details on the
office's opening still must be approved by both Belgrade and the Tribunal,
Belgrade is on record as saying the office "will be able to receive anyone who
wishes to make a declaration relating to war crimes" and that its chief
officer will have diplomatic immunity. Rump Yugoslavia's "slowness" in
cooperating with the Tribunal compelled Tribunal President Antonio Cassese as
recently as last month to call for the re-implementation of sanctions against
the country, AFP added. -- Stan Markotich
[07] MAGUREANU WILL QUIT IF ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE INVOLVED IN TELEPHONE
BUGGING.
Virgil Magureanu, director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), told
journalists on 15 May that he will resign if the involvement of the SRI in the
telephone-bugging scandal is proved by the investigation now underway,
Romanian media reported on 15-16 May. He said he would be "the one to blame"
in this case, since telephone tapping requires his personal approval. One day
earlier, however, SRI spokesman Nicolae Ulieru said the tapping had been legal,
which seems to contradict Magureanu's assertion. Magureanu also said that the
SRI captain who had revealed the existence of the tapes had been dismissed
from the service. -- Michael Shafir
[08] MOLDOVA SETS DATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
The Moldovan parliament on 15 May decided that the presidential elections will
be held on 17 November, Moldovan agencies reported. According to the draft
election law, the Constitutional Court will have to confirm the results of the
elections on the last Saturday of November, or third Saturday of December if a
second round of voting is needed on 1 December. The parliament also decided
that presidential candidates must be Moldovan citizens not younger than 35,
who speak the "Moldovan language" and have lived in Moldova no less than 10
years. The president will be elected for a four-year term and cannot hold
office for more than two terms. President Mircea Snegur's term expires on 15
January 1997. His most likely challengers are Parliament Speaker Petru
Lucinschi and Prime Minister Andrei Sangheli. -- Matyas Szabo
[09] ROMANIA-LINKED FASCIST ORGANIZATION IN MOLDOVA.
The Moldovan National Security Ministry has taken unspecified measures against
"a fascist group which intended to stage extremist actions," BASA-press
reported on 15 May. Reference was made to a "nest" of the fascist Legionary
movement, better known as the Iron Guard. In interwar Romania, the "nests"
were the fascist organization's basic cells and the one active in Chisinau is
called "The Captain" after the Legion's leader, Corneliu Zelea Codreanu. In
his 1995 report to the Romanian parliament, SRI Director Virgil Magureanu
mentioned the "nest" in Chisinau and other cells set up in Romania by Serban
Suru, a high school teacher involved in attempts to rehabilitate the Legion.
The Moldovan report links the "nest" in Chisinau to the Moldovan Student
League, which was active in organizing last year's student strike. The league
is also known to have ties with the Movement for Romania, another extremist
Romanian organization modeled after the Legion. -- Michael Shafir
[10] PRIVATIZATION A SUCCESS IN MOLDOVA.
Ceslau Ciobanu, the Moldovan Minister of Privatization, said at a conference
in Prague that "we lost three years in political debate" over how to implement
the privatization law adopted in July 1991. However, a Czech-style scheme was
eventually selected, and "national patrimony" bonds issued, which 3.1 million
citizens have used to buy shares or their apartments. Beginning in July 1994,
1,200 companies were sold in 15 auctions, with assets worth 10 billion lei
($2.5 billion), about one-third of the state's former property. The private
sector now generates some 60% of the GDP, and 14,000 private farms have been
established. -- Peter Rutland
[11] BULGARIAN PREMIER GAINS SHOW OF SUPPORT . . .
Bulgaria's severe financial crisis has forced the ruling Bulgarian Socialist
Party (BSP) to show unity and demonstrate support for Zhan Videnov, premier
and BSP party leader, Reuters reported on 15 May. Kontinent had published a
report saying that factions within the BSP were working to remove Videnov from
his party and government posts for his low competence and ineffectiveness as a
manager, which Videnov later said was false. Even some of Videnov's open
critics are now demonstrating support for him. Independent trade union leader
Konstantin Trenchev, for instance, told Trud on 15 May that Videnov is
rightly seen as a "guarantee of reform." -- Stan Markotich
[12] . . . AS GOVERNMENT SELECTS 64 FIRMS FOR CLOSURE.
In a bid to satisfy conditions laid down by the IMF for receiving new credits,
the Bulgarian government on 15 May produced a list of 64 enterprises slated
for liquidation, Bulgarian and international media reported. The list
perplexed trade union officials and enterprise managers, who noted that some
of the firms were profitable and that others had already been privatized,
leading them to suspect that the closures would enrich businessmen close to
the ruling Socialists. Another 70 companies are to be cut off from state-owned
bank loans and given one year to devise restructuring plans. An official of
the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions noted that the list was compiled
without consulting the unions, 25,383 jobs would be lost, and no provision was
made for settlement of wage arrears going back as far as 1993. -- Michael
Wyzan
[13] ALBANIAN ELECTION WRAP-UP.
A car taking Democratic Alliance leader Neritan Ceka to a public party meeting
in Divjake was stopped on 15 May by Democratic Party supporters near
Rrogozhine. They forced the car open, searched it while threatening violence,
and stole a camera and party posters, Koha Jone reported. Meanwhile, the
electoral commission announced that about 400 election observers--including 33
OSCE monitors, 35 EU monitors, and over 100 observers from various European
leftist parties--will oversee the ballot on 26 May as requested by the
Socialists, Reuters reported on 15 May. -- Fabian Schmidt
[14] ALBANIA, FRANCE SIGN MILITARY COOPERATION AGREEMENT.
Albanian Defense Minister Safet Zhulali and his French counterpart, Charles
Millon, signed a military cooperation agreement on 14 May at the end of
Zhulali's three-day visit to Paris. The agreement calls for training Albanian
soldiers in France, exchange programs, joint maneuvers, and French equipment
supplies to Albania. France is one of the last major European powers to sign
military agreements with Albania, but Millon attributed this to internal
developments in France, ATSH reported. Millon praised Albania's careful policy
towards the Yugoslav war and the Kosovo conflict. He added that France
supports autonomy for Kosovo. -- Fabian Schmidt
Compiled by Victor Gomez and Deborah Michaels
News and information as of 1200 CET
This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media
Research Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in
Prague, Czech Republic.
For more information on OMRI publications please write to [email protected].
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