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OMRI Daily Digest, Vol. 2, No. 132, 96-07-10
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 2, No. 132, 10 July 1996
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] NINE CANDIDATES TO CONTEST ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
[02] TAJIK PRESIDENT, OPPOSITION LEADER TO MEET IN MOSCOW.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[03] BOSNIAN SERBS AGAIN DEFY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
[04] CLINTON LAUNCHES "EQUIP AND TRAIN" PROGRAM FOR BOSNIA.
[05] BOSNIAN UPDATE.
[06] SERBS AND CROATS STILL BLOCKING MOSTAR ELECTION COMMISSION.
[07] ACCUSED SERB WAR CRIMINAL HEADS "PEACE" PARTY.
[08] BELGRADE TO RESTORE PHONE LINKS WITH SARAJEVO.
[09] ROMANIA SEES "PLOT" IN U.S. CONGRESS DELAY.
[10] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT PRAISES IFES WORK.
[11] INFLATION SOARS IN BULGARIA.
[12] ALLEGED BULGARIAN CRIME BOSS ARRESTED.
[13] SOUTH BALKAN COUNTRIES TRY TO CONTAIN HOOF-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.
[14] OSCE FAVORS NEW ALBANIAN ELECTIONS.
[15] RUMP YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER CONSIDERS TALKS ON KOSOVO.
[16] ALBANIAN SOCIALIST SPOKESMAN FACING GENOCIDE CHARGES?
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] NINE CANDIDATES TO CONTEST ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
The Armenian Central Electoral Commission on 9 July formally registered nine
candidates for the 23 September presidential election, Noyan Tapan reported.
One person was refused registration for failing to submit the required minimum
of 1,000 nomination signatures. Of the nine candidates, Rafael Hambartsoumian
of the Society for National Unity, and Paruir Hairikyan of the Union for
National Self-Determination have both said they doubt the election will be
free and fair. Hairikyan has called for an emergency parliament session to
amend the election law and may withdraw his candidacy if this is not done. --
Liz Fuller
[02] TAJIK PRESIDENT, OPPOSITION LEADER TO MEET IN MOSCOW.
Russian Foreign Minister Yevgenii Primakov on 9 July announced that Tajik
President Imomali Rakhmonov and opposition leader Said Abdullo Nuri have
accepted his proposal that they meet face-to-face in Moscow, ITAR-TASS and AFP
reported. The idea was proposed at the Tajik peace talks, currently under way
in Turkmenistan, but no date has been set. One opposition leader at the talks,
Ali Akbar Turajonzoda, said the two sides need time to prepare for the
meeting. The two leaders have met twice before. -- Bruce Pannier
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[03] BOSNIAN SERBS AGAIN DEFY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
The Pale parliament on 9 July voted to set up a consultative senate after the
14 September elections. It also elected indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic
as president of that new body, the BBC reported. The Dayton agreement bars
those indicted from holding public office, but Karadzic has resisted the
international community's attempts to force him out of public life. He has
handed over his duties as president of the Republika Srpska to his deputy, and
he will not run for president in the September elections. But he continues to
lead his Serbian Democratic Party and will hold government office as president
of the senate. Meanwhile, the international community's High Representative
Carl Bildt dared Karadzic to appear before the Hague-based war crimes tribunal,
Onasa reported. -- Patrick Moore
[04] CLINTON LAUNCHES "EQUIP AND TRAIN" PROGRAM FOR BOSNIA.
The U.S. will begin a $100 million military program to enable the Croat and
Muslim federation to defend itself, U.S. President Bill Clinton announced on 9
July. The Dayton agreement calls for establishing a military balance in the
region, but so far the Serbs heavily outgun Bosnian government forces.
Communications equipment, small arms and ammunition, main battle tanks,
armored personnel carriers, light anti-tank weapons, and utility helicopters
will be provided, AFP reported. Clinton said the program can begin in a few
days, now that foreign Islamic fighters have left the country and the Croats
and Muslims have agreed on a defense law setting up a joint defense ministry
and joint command. American mediator James Pardew clinched the agreement on 5
July and the parliament passed it on 9 July. An additional $40 million will be
provided by countries such as Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Kuwait, and the U.A.E. --
Patrick Moore
[05] BOSNIAN UPDATE.
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic has indirectly criticized OSCE election
commissioner Robert Frowick's plans to ban Karadzic's party from the elections
as long as the indicted war criminal remains its leader. Milosevic said, "It
is vital that all parties be able to compete equally in the elections," Tanjug
reported on 9 July. Meanwhile, near Srebrenica, experts continued to exhume a
mass grave believed to contain the remains of Muslim males killed almost a
year ago, international media reported. In Split, a Croatian tribunal said
Bosnian Croat Zlatko Aleksovski will be sent to The Hague to answer charges of
crimes against Muslims in the Lasva valley in 1993. The Muslims have meanwhile
arrested five Bosnian Croats for alleged war crimes; some Croats say this
could be the start of a wave of arrests, Slobodna Dalmacija reported on 10
July. -- Patrick Moore
[06] SERBS AND CROATS STILL BLOCKING MOSTAR ELECTION COMMISSION.
The president of the election commission on 9 July asked the EU administration
to announce the official election results, Onasa reported. The Croat and Serb
commission members continue to block the commission's work by filing
complaints about ballot irregularities in western European cities. The Muslim-
dominated List of Citizens for a United Mostar gained an overwhelming majority
in ballots in Bonn, Stockholm, Oslo, and Bern. The Croats criticized a
decision by ombudsman Konstantinos Zepos to declare the ballot valid despite
discrepancies in the Bonn ballot box. -- Fabian Schmidt
[07] ACCUSED SERB WAR CRIMINAL HEADS "PEACE" PARTY.
Accused war criminal and internationally wanted felon Zeljko Raznatovic, known
as "Arkan," said his political party is a "centrist" organization with "a
European orientation," Onasa reported on 5 July. The news agency, citing Beta
reports, quotes Arkan, "We stand for peace because we know well what war is."
His Party of Serbian Unity (SSJ) plans to field candidates in Republika
Srpska's September elections. -- Stan Markotich
[08] BELGRADE TO RESTORE PHONE LINKS WITH SARAJEVO.
The rump Yugoslav telecommunications agency PTT is expected to restore phone
links with Sarajevo, severed by Bosnian Serb forces during the 43-month siege
of the Bosnian capital, SRNA reported on 9 July. PTT said the communications
links could be restored within a few days. Some diplomatic observers say
"restoration of phone links with Yugoslavia would be a small step toward
reconciliation between Serbs, Muslims, and Croats," Reuters reported. -- Stan
Markotich
[09] ROMANIA SEES "PLOT" IN U.S. CONGRESS DELAY.
The government newspaper Vocea Romaniei on 10 July reported an "anti-
Romanian plot" in the U.S. Congress's decision to postpone discussions on
granting Romania permanent most-favored-nation status. The daily printed an
article from the Budapest-based Uj Magyarorszag that reported on a campaign
allegedly staged by the Hungarian lobby in the U.S. Vocea Romaniei said the
"U.S. Congress and America in general are the victims of a horrible anti-
Romanian informational war, conducted from Budapest with the direct help of
the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania." Evenimentul zilei noted
a letter from 25 congressmen addressed on 26 June to the chairman of the House
of Representatives demanding that the MFN debate be delayed until after
Romania's presidential elections this fall. -- Dan Ionescu
[10] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT PRAISES IFES WORK.
Mircea Snegur on 9 July said the International Foundation for Electoral
Systems (IFES) has helped the democratic process in the Republic of Moldova,
BASA-press and Infotag reported. Snegur spoke with IFES Chairman Richard
Soudriette, who is visiting Chisinau. Snegur recalled IFES's assistance in the
February 1994 parliamentary elections, the country's first on a multi-party
basis. Snegur also praised the organization's contribution to preparations for
the upcoming presidential elections, scheduled for 17 November. Those
elections will be a "political maturity test" for the Moldovan electorate, he
said. -- Dan Ionescu
[11] INFLATION SOARS IN BULGARIA.
Consumer price inflation soared to 20.3% in June, the second highest level
since March 1991, Pari reported on 10 July. The inflationary burst is a
result of the lev's collapse--the Bulgarian National Bank's (BNB) fixing fell
from 70.7/dollar at end-1995 to 181.36 on 10 July, a 61% decline. Some 5% of
June's inflation is due to May's increase in liquid fuel prices. The average
monthly wage is now about $65, its lowest level since October 1991, and the
real value of personal savings has been halved in the last three months. The
immediate cause of the lev's decline is the BNB's inability to intervene in
the market to support it. The bank's foreign reserves had dwindled to $600
million by 31 May, with large foreign debt service payments looming, including
$150 due on 17 July. -- Michael Wyzan
[12] ALLEGED BULGARIAN CRIME BOSS ARRESTED.
Dimitar Dzhamov, head of the "Zora nis" insurance company and "Zora" holding,
was arrested on 9 July, Kontinent and Standart reported. Dzhamov is
considered one of the founding fathers of crime rings controlled by "the
wrestlers," mostly former athletes and secret policemen. He worked with Ivan
Iliev, who headed "insurance" and "security" firms and was killed last year
under unclear circumstances. Zora holding controls two reservoirs leased from
the state; fishermen complain they are forced to pay "taxes" to wrestlers.
Newspapers connect Dzhamov's arrest to the seizure of six tons of marijuana in
Varna on 7 July. Zora nis allegedly was hired to guard the drugs through
Bulgarian territory. Dzhamov's lawyer said his client was arrested for car
theft, illegal possession of firearms, and possession of a forged passport. --
Stefan Krause
[13] SOUTH BALKAN COUNTRIES TRY TO CONTAIN HOOF-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.
Macedonian authorities have slaughtered about 1,400 cattle to contain a
further spread of hoof-and-mouth disease, local and international media
reported. Several hundred animals will be killed this week. Meanwhile,
Macedonia received some 240,000 EU vaccines to protect cattle. In Albania,
where the epidemic is believed to have originated, several thousand cattle
have been slaughtered and 130,000 vaccinated. Rump Yugoslavia has tightened
its border controls for goods from Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. At the
only one of three border-crossings between Macedonia and rump Yugoslavia that
remains open, all vehicles and passengers coming from Macedonia are being
disinfected. Macedonia has stepped up security on its border with Albania. --
Stefan Krause
[14] OSCE FAVORS NEW ALBANIAN ELECTIONS.
The OSCE parliamentary assembly on 9 July recommended that Albania consider
new elections, "in better conditions and in the presence of international
observers." The suggestion was included in a declaration on global security at
the request of the U.S. and Sweden. The Albanians opposed that and said the
next elections will take place in 2000, Rilindja Demokratike reported on 10
July. According to Koha Jone, delegation head Genci Pollo said the U.S.
delegation was linked to the "Greek extremist lobby." OSCE parliamentary
assembly president Javier Ruperez said he would seek talks with the Albanian
authorities to pursue the matter. -- Fabian Schmidt
[15] RUMP YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER CONSIDERS TALKS ON KOSOVO.
Radoje Kontic said his government should meet with Albanian representatives in
Kosovo, but ruled out a role for the Albanian government, Reuters reported on
9 July. He reacted to Albanian President Sali Berisha's calls for three-party
talks between Serbia, Kosovo. and Albania. However, Kontic said Kosovo is an
internal matter, "a problem of separatism and not one of national minorities."
-- Fabian Schmidt
[16] ALBANIAN SOCIALIST SPOKESMAN FACING GENOCIDE CHARGES?
Kastriot Islami was detained and interrogated by police on suspicion of
participating in "communist genocide," Albania reported on 10 July.
Reportedly, the charges are based on testimony from former president Ramiz
Alia and deputy Interior Minister Zylyftar Ramizi. After his release, Islami
went to an embassy of a "friendly country" and requested political asylum, the
daily reported. Border controls have been ordered to prevent him from leaving
the country. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party agreed to hold a party congress on
24 August. -- Fabian Schmidt
Compiled by Victor Gomez and Maura Griffin Solovar
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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