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OMRI Daily Digest, Vol. 2, No. 210, 96-10-30
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 2, No. 210, 30 October 1996
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] KARABAKH LEADER SAYS ELECTION WILL BE HELD.
[02] OPPOSITION LEADERS ON ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT.
[03] NAZARBAYEV REPLACES DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, SECURITY CHIEF.
[04] TAJIK OPPOSITION MAKES NEW DEMANDS.
[05] FOUR CENTRAL ASIAN STATES ATTEND TEHRAN CONFERENCE.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[06] WAR CRIMINALS SERVE OPENLY WITH BOSNIAN SERB POLICE.
[07] BOSNIAN WRAPUP.
[08] BOSNIAN FEDERAL PARTNERS AGREE ON FLAG AND COAT OF ARMS.
[09] SERBIAN POLICE "CRUSH" LOCAL TRANSIT STRIKE.
[10] KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY THREATENS TO KILL ETHNIC ALBANIAN COLLABORATORS.
[11] THIRD OF CROATIAN SERBS GRANTED AMNESTY REARRESTED.
[12] FEDERAL YUGOSLAV AND CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET.
[13] SLOVENIAN UPDATE.
[14] ROMANIAN ELECTORAL ROUND-UP.
[15] MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN MOSCOW.
[16] FINAL RESULTS OF BULGARIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS . . .
[17] . . . CAUSE SOCIALISTS TO MULL OVER THEIR POOR SHOWING.
[18] BRITAIN RETURNS ALBANIAN GOLD AFTER 50 YEARS.
[19] FINAL ALBANIAN LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] KARABAKH LEADER SAYS ELECTION WILL BE HELD.
Robert Kocharyan, the president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-
Karabakh, said on 28 October that the presidential election in Karabakh will
be held despite criticism from Azerbaijan and Russia (see ), Noyan
Tapan reported. Kocharyan predicted that the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
negotiations will drag on "for years" and did not expect any progress from the
upcoming OSCE summit. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department expressed its
concern over the planned election and warned against "complicating the outcome
of the OSCE's Minsk Group peace process," Turan reported on 29 October. --
Emil Danielyan
[02] OPPOSITION LEADERS ON ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT.
Paruyr Hayrikyan, the leader of the Union of National Self-Determination, said
he hopes that the Armenian Constitutional Court will rule in favor of the
opposition candidate Vazgen Manukyan and annul the results of the 22 September
presidential elections, Noyan Tapan reported on 29 October. According to a
leader of the Scientific-Industrial and Civic Union, Suren Zolyan, the court
cannot be trusted because "it is not independent." Zolyan alleged that the
judicial branch did nothing to prevent human rights violations in Armenia, and
therefore "leadership cannot be changed through elections." -- Emil
Danielyan
[03] NAZARBAYEV REPLACES DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, SECURITY CHIEF.
Deputy Prime Minister Garry Shtoik has been removed by Kazakstani President
Nursultan Nazarbayev, ITAR-TASS reported on 28 October. Shtoik was replaced by
Dyusembai Duseinov, an industry official. The following day Nazarbayev
appointed Beksultan Sarsekov as secretary of the country's Security Council,
replacing Baltash Tursumbayev. Continuing his changes, Nazarbayev on 30
October signed a decree restructuring the country's executive branch,
disposing of several committees, among them the State Committee on Cooperation
with CIS states, RFE/RL reported. -- Bruce Pannier and Merhat Sharipzhan
[04] TAJIK OPPOSITION MAKES NEW DEMANDS.
The United Tajik Opposition (UTO) insists that the National Reconciliation
Council that the UTO has proposed be comprised 40% by the Movement for the
Islamic Revival of Tajikistan, 40% by other opposition groups, and just 20% by
government representatives, ITAR-TASS reported on 28 October. The next round
of talks between the Tajik government and UTO, to be held in Moscow, are not
expected anytime soon, a spokesman for the UTO said. -- Bruce Pannier
[05] FOUR CENTRAL ASIAN STATES ATTEND TEHRAN CONFERENCE.
A conference on the situation in Afghanistan opened in the Iranian capital
Tehran on 29 October, ITAR-TASS and IRNA reported. Iranian Foreign Minister
Ali Akbar Velayati said "the countries in the region ... are obliged to do
their utmost to put a stop to outside interference in Afghanistan's internal
affairs." Representatives from all the Central Asian CIS states except
Uzbekistan were at the conference as well as Russia, Turkey, India, and envoys
from the UN and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Pakistan and Saudi
Arabia did not attend though Velayati noted "they were invited." -- Bruce
Pannier
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[06] WAR CRIMINALS SERVE OPENLY WITH BOSNIAN SERB POLICE.
Colum Murphy, a spokesman for the international community's High Representative,
Carl Bildt, said on 29 October that his office has known for some time that at
least four indicted war criminals work for the Republika Srpska police. The
men are Mladen Radic, Miroslav Kvocka, Nedjelko Timarac and Zeljko Mejakic,
Reuters said. They are serving in the Prijedor-Omarska area and are wanted for
war crimes allegedly committed in the Omarska or Keraterm concentration camps.
Murphy said, "We have sent letters. We have spoken to the leadership in Pale
on the subject," but added that war criminals should be arrested only "by
those who have the ability to do so," Onasa noted. Critics, however, have
charged that IFOR is concerned primarily with self-preservation and turns a
blind eye to war criminals. -- Patrick Moore
[07] BOSNIAN WRAPUP.
Meanwhile in Athens, Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic said that her
government has no intention of turning over indicted war criminals Radovan
Karadzic and Gen. Ratko Mladic to the Hague-based tribunal, AFP reported on 29
October. In Sarajevo, the Defense Ministry warned the U.S. not to apply
pressure on Bosnia to fire Deputy Minister Hasan Cengic, who has close links
to Iran, Reuters reported. -- Patrick Moore
[08] BOSNIAN FEDERAL PARTNERS AGREE ON FLAG AND COAT OF ARMS.
Muslim and Croat partners in the Bosnian Federation agreed on 25 October on a
flag, coat of arms and power-sharing in Sarajevo, Oslobodjenje reported the
next day. They also agreed on how to merge their police forces. One of the
agreements sets out how Sarajevo will be governed. Organization of the city
will be designed in three levels: as a nine-unit canton, as the four-
municipality city, and as the state district governed by Bosnia-Herzegovina's
government. In addition, the ruling Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ), which
threatened to boycott the newly elected federation parliament unless it got a
bigger share of power than the 4.7% of the vote it won in Bosnia's general
election, was given 20% of the seats reserved for Bosnian Croats in the
regional parliament. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[09] SERBIAN POLICE "CRUSH" LOCAL TRANSIT STRIKE.
Belgrade police officers broke up a strike by municipal transportation workers
on 29 October, Nasa Borba reported the following day (see ). According to
Beta accounts, police, including special units from the interior ministry and
officers in full combat gear became violent, beating up workers and forcibly
apprehending and arresting Dragoljub Stosic, an opposition candidate for the 3
November municipal elections in Belgrade and head of the local Belgrade City
Transportation Company trade union. Stosic's whereabouts and condition
reportedly remain unknown. One trade union official summed up the police
action as "most likely crushing the drivers' job action." Trade Union leaders, however, have vowed to stage a major protest at city hall on 30 October if Stosic is not released. -- Stan Markotich
[10] KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY THREATENS TO KILL ETHNIC ALBANIAN COLLABORATORS.
The mysterious Kosovo Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the killing
of a Serb police officer and a civil servant on 25 October near Podujevo,
BBC reported on 30 October. The group, reportedly also threatened to attack
ethnic Albanian collaborators with the Serb administration of Kosovo. Since
January the group has taken responsibility for the killing of nine Serbs. --
Fabian Schmidt
[11] THIRD OF CROATIAN SERBS GRANTED AMNESTY REARRESTED.
Of the 94 Croatian Serbs recently released from prison under the new amnesty
law 27 have been rearrested, international agencies reported on 29 October
quoting Hina. Forty-five left for Serbia-Montenegro immediately upon release,
while those staying in Croatia were later arrested and charged with arson,
rape, or murder. Deputy Justice Minister Tomislav Penic said the amnesty law
does not apply to those charged with war crimes or criminal acts committed
during the war. But the Croatian Helsinki Committee accused Croatian
authorities of manipulating the amnesty law in order to intimidate remaining
Serbs and scare others from returning. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[12] FEDERAL YUGOSLAV AND CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET.
Mate Granic of Croatia and Milan Milutinovic of Serbia-Montenegro on 29
October met in Zagreb to discuss the further implementation of the agreement
on normalizing relations between the two countries, Croatian and Serbian media
reported. The two ministers signed an agreement abolishing visa requirements
for diplomats and government officials. But federal Yugoslav citizens will
still need visas to enter Croatia, and Croatians must pay border-crossing fees
and deposit their passports at the border when they cross into Serbia-
Montenegro. Granic and Milutinovic announced a number of agreements regulating
internal affairs, social, and economic issues will be signed at the end of the
year. Commissions for railway and road restoration will start next week.
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman discussed with Milutinovic peaceful
reintegration of eastern Slavonia into Croatia. Tudjman said Croatia could not
accept the six or 12 month extension of the UNTAES mandate but only a "three
plus three" extension, because of pressure by the general public. -- Daria
Sito Sucic
[13] SLOVENIAN UPDATE.
In the latest survey by the daily Delo, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDS)
of Premier Janez Drnovsek continues to lead in voter popularity ahead of the
10 November election, Reuters reported on 28 October. Delo showed the LDS
with 11.6% of respondents' support, while a poll by Dnevnik showed the party's
popularity increasing from 12.7% of voter support to 15.7%. Meanwhile, the
rightist Social Democrats led by former Defense Minister Janez Jansa continue
to hold second place in many polls, hovering around the 7% mark in popular
support. Up to about 39% of the electorate remains undecided. -- Stan
Markotich
[14] ROMANIAN ELECTORAL ROUND-UP.
Several newspapers on 29 October published the results of a poll commissioned
by the ruling Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), which shows the
PDSR and President Ion Iliescu in serious decline over a period of 40 days.
The confidential poll was conducted by the IRSOP polling institute, and only
partial results were made public. Ziua, however, considers the results just
another attempt to influence public opinion and placate the opposition.
Meanwhile, Evenimentul Zilei accused the national TV station of sabotaging
the electoral campaign of the opposition Democratic Convention and its
presidential candidate, Emil Constantinescu, by airing its electoral spot
under poor technical conditions. -- Zsolt Mato
[15] MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN MOSCOW.
A parliamentary delegation headed by Chairman Petru Lucinschi is in Moscow on
an official visit, BASA-press and Infotag reported. Lucinschi, presidential
candidate in the 17 November election, is scheduled to meet with Russian
Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian Security Council Secretary Ivan Rybkin,
the chairmen of the two chambers, and other senior officials. On 28 October,
Lucinschi discussed with managers of the Russian gas monopoly, Gazprom,
Moldova's debts for gas deliveries and the possibility of increasing gas
supplies this winter. Political talks focused on the much-delayed ratification
of the Moldovan-Russian basic treaty and other bilateral documents, as well as
on the situation in Moldova's breakaway Dniester region. Earlier this month,
two other main presidential candidates, Premier Andrei Sangheli and incumbent
President Mircea Snegur, paid visits to Moscow. -- Dan Ionescu
[16] FINAL RESULTS OF BULGARIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS . . .
The Central Electoral Commission announced on 29 October the final results of
the 27 October elections, national media reported. The united opposition
candidates Petar Stoyanov and Todor Kavaldzhiev, with 44.07% of the vote and
the Bulgarian Socialist's Party's (BSP) candidates Ivan Marazov and Irina
Bokova with 27.01%, will compete in 3 November runoffs. Coming in third were
the Bulgarian Business Bloc's Georges Ganchev and Arlin Antonov with 21.87%.
Independent candidates Alexander Tomov and Gen. Liudmil Marinchevski won 3.16%
of the vote while comedians Christo Boichev and Ivan Koulekov garnered 1.34%.
The united opposition won almost the share of votes it received in 1995 local
elections, while the BSP lost about one million supporters, Pari reported on
30 October. -- Maria Koinova
[17] . . . CAUSE SOCIALISTS TO MULL OVER THEIR POOR SHOWING.
"The electoral results are retribution for the [politics] of the Bulgarian
Socialists Party," announced Alexander Lilov, former chair of the BSP consul
during a plenum meeting on 28 October, Demokratsiya reported on 30 October.
Several other BSP party members and deputies, meanwhile, alleged that the
BSP's constituency boycotted the policies of the government. For his part,
Premier Zhan Videnov declared on 29 October that the results are a vote
against the "social hardship that people suffer." He went on, denying rumors
that BSP's executive bureau demanded his resignation. He said that he will
initiate calls for an emergency BSP congress, should an election post mortem
suggest the need for such action. -- Maria Koinova
[18] BRITAIN RETURNS ALBANIAN GOLD AFTER 50 YEARS.
Britain on 29 October agreed to return 1.5 tons of gold worth $19 million, AFP
reported. The money was looted from the Albanian central bank by the Nazis in
WWII and kept by the Bank of England. Britain had blocked the gold because of
a dispute over the sinking of a British warship and the severe damage of
another in the Corfu straits in 1946. Britain had charged Albania with laying
the mines that sunk the warship and demanded compensation for the death of 44
British sailors. Communist Albania had denied responsibility despite an
International Court of Justice ruling in 1949. It agreed in 1992 to pay $2
million in compensation. Approval also had to be obtained from the U.S. and
France, which were members of the Tripartite Commission. The U.S. gave its
approval in 1995 and France in February 1996. -- Fabian Schmidt
[19] FINAL ALBANIAN LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS.
The Democratic Party won 58 of the 64 town halls, and 268 of the 309 communes,
international agencies reported on 29 October. The Socialist opposition won
only four town halls and 14 communes. The coalition of the National Front
Party and the monarchist League of the Right won the town hall in Shkoder and
the National Front won another four communes. The Human Rights Union Party,
representing the ethnic Greek minority in southern Albania, won one town hall
and nine communes. The Republican Party won in six communes, the Social
Democratic Union in two and the Christian Democrats in one. Independent
candidates won in five communes. Overall the Democratic Party won 52.5% of the
vote for the party lists, followed by the Socialists with 31.3%, the
Republicans with 3.5% and the Center Pole with 3.1%. The turnout was about
70%. -- Fabian Schmidt
Compiled by Valentina Huber and Pete Baumgarntner
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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