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OMRI: Daily Digest, Vol. 2, No. 225, 96-11-20
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 2, No. 225, 20 November 1996
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] GAMSAKHURDIA LIEUTENANT SENTENCED TO DEATH.
[02] NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEGOTIATION UPDATE.
[03] ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HEARINGS INTERRUPTED.
[04] PROTESTS OVER BEATING OF AZERBAIJANI JOURNALIST.
[05] KAZAKSTANI FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS OIC OFFICIAL.
[06] KYRGYZSTAN OFFERS TO HOST AFGHAN CONFERENCE.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[07] U.S. RESUMES ARMS SHIPMENTS TO BOSNIA.
[08] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PRIME MINISTER SAYS MLADIC TO RESIGN TODAY.
[09] UPDATE ON CROATIAN PRESIDENT.
[10] RESULTS OF BELGRADE LOCAL ELECTIONS.
[11] SERBIAN OPPOSITION LEADER CHARGES LOCAL ELECTION FRAUD.
[12] MACEDONIAN OPPOSITION CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS.
[13] BUCHAREST MAYOR DESIGNATED NEW ROMANIAN PREMIER.
[14] RULING PARTY SUPPORTS LUCINSCHI IN MOLDOVAN PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF.
[15] MAIN BULGARIAN OPPOSITION GROUP TO BECOME PARTY.
[16] WERE ARMS SHIPPED FROM ALBANIA TO RWANDA?
[17] ALBANIAN JOURNALIST FINED FOR LIBEL.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] GAMSAKHURDIA LIEUTENANT SENTENCED TO DEATH.
The Georgian Supreme Court in Tbilisi on 19 November handed down a death
sentence on Vakhtang "Loti" Kobalia, a commander of informal military
formations and ally of former President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Western
agencies reported. After a trial lasting one year, Kobalia was found guilty
of treason, banditry, and the 1993 murders of five soldiers and a TV
journalist. Three other Gamsakhurdia associates, including his former chief
bodyguard, Djambul Bokuchava, received prison sentences of between eight
and 15 years. Some 1,500 Gamsakhurdia supporters gathered outside the court
to protest the sentences. Speaking on Georgian Radio on 18 November,
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze hinted that he would decide before
the end of this year whether to abolish the death penalty. -- Liz Fuller
[02] NAGORNO-KARABAKH NEGOTIATION UPDATE.
Acting Armenian presidential spokesman Levon Zurabyan said that Azerbaijan
has refused to participate further in drafting a joint declaration of
principles on a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, RFE/RL
reported on 19 November. The declaration was due to be presented at the
OSCE's December summit in Lisbon. Zurabyan said Armenia will not sign any
documents at the summit unless all sides agree on them in advance.
Meanwhile, another round of Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks sponsored by the
OSCE Minsk group began in Helsinki on 18 November, Noyan Tapan and Turan
reported. -- Emil Danielyan
[03] ARMENIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HEARINGS INTERRUPTED.
The Armenian Constitutional Court on 19 November interrupted its hearings
on the opposition's appeal of the recent presidential polls after the
proxies of defeated candidate Vazgen Manukyan staged a walk-out, RFE/RL
reported. Shavarsh Kocharyan, Manukyan's representative to the court, said
the proxies were protesting the court's refusal to demand access to all of
the precinct-level voting protocols from the Central Electoral Commission
and to listen to complaints of alleged voting irregularities from
opposition witnesses. Kocharyan said the opposition will not attend the
hearings unless its demands are satisfied. -- Emil Danielyan
[04] PROTESTS OVER BEATING OF AZERBAIJANI JOURNALIST.
Reporters sans frontieres and the independent Azerbaijani journalists'
organization Yeni Nesil have both protested the 17 November beating of
journalist Taptig Farkhadoglu by a group of plainclothes police officers,
Turan reported on 19 November. The incident took place shortly after
Farkhadoglu interviewed Party of National Statehood Chairman Nemat Panahov,
who had himself been detained by security officials on 15 November and
warned against holding a planned demonstration in Baku on 17 November. --
Liz Fuller
[05] KAZAKSTANI FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS OIC OFFICIAL.
Kazakstani Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokaev discussed the situation in
Afghanistan with Ibrahim Saleh Bakr, the deputy secretary general of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), in Almaty on 17 November,
Kazakhstanskaya pravda reported on 18 November. The OIC, which has been
trying to arrange peace negotiations involving all opposing forces in
Afghanistan, is currently looking for the support from various Asian
states. -- Slava Kozlov in Almaty
[06] KYRGYZSTAN OFFERS TO HOST AFGHAN CONFERENCE.
Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev forwarded a letter to the UN on 18 November
offering Bishkek as a venue for Afghan peace talks that would involve
representatives of the UN Security Council, RFE/RL reported. On the same
day, 18 countries, including Russia and the CIS Central Asian states, met
at the UN behind closed doors to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
Kabul Radio, controlled by the Taliban rebel group, commented that the UN
meeting "runs counter to the interests of the Afghan people," ITAR-TASS
reported. -- Bruce Pannier and Naryn Idinov
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[07] U.S. RESUMES ARMS SHIPMENTS TO BOSNIA.
James Pardew, the envoy supervising Washington's Train and Equip military
aid program to the mainly Croatian and Muslim Federation, said that light
and heavy weapons worth $100 million will be unloaded soon in the Croatian
port of Ploce. The ship arrived weeks ago but put out to sea again amid a
messy public dispute between Sarajevo and Washington. The Americans
insisted that the Bosnian government sack a deputy minister of defense with
close ties to Iran (see Pursuing Balkan Peace, 19 November 1996), the VOA
noted on 20 November. A face-saving formula was reached whereby not only
the Muslim deputy but also the ethnic Croat defense minister left office.
Now the Croats are unable to agree among themselves on the choice of a new
minister, Oslobodjenje reported. -- Patrick Moore
[08] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PRIME MINISTER SAYS MLADIC TO RESIGN TODAY.
Gojko Klickovic said on 19 November that cashiered Gen. Ratko Mladic has
finally agreed to accept his dismissal, the BBC reported. Klickovic added
that the indicted war criminal "will benefit from special treatment and
will be able to get involved in the defense affairs of the Serb state," AFP
noted, quoting SRNA. Mladic's staff has not confirmed the statement, and it
is unclear what is meant by any future role for him in defense matters. It
nonetheless seems certain that neither Pale nor Belgrade will allow him to
be taken to the Hague-based tribunal, since he knows too much and could
incriminate many important people if he feels he has nothing to lose. --
Patrick Moore
[09] UPDATE ON CROATIAN PRESIDENT.
The state-run media continue to stress that Franjo Tudjman is in fine shape
and that his treatment is moving along well at Washington's Walter Reed
Army Hospital. Slobodna Dalmacija wrote on 20 November that the president
"is working as though he were in Zagreb," while Vecernji list said that
he will visit the Croatian embassy on 21 November and return to Zagreb two
days later. That same daily on 19 November hinted that opposition political
figures and independent papers have unkind motives in speculating about
Tudjman's health and a possible succession crisis. The independent daily
Novi List quoted Ambassador Miomir Zuzul as denying media reports that
Tudjman has cancer and that he has undergone surgery. -- Patrick Moore
[10] RESULTS OF BELGRADE LOCAL ELECTIONS.
The Belgrade Electoral Commission has announced that the opposition
Zajedno coalition won 60 of the 110 seats in the municipal assembly, RTS
reported on 20 November. The ruling Socialist Party of Serbia and its ally,
the United Yugoslav Left, have 23 seats, Vojislav Seselj's ultranationalist
Serbian Radical Party 15, and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) two. Ten
seats will be contested in a second round, slated for 27 November. Parties
may still contest the returns. At a19 November press conference, DSS head
Vojislav Kostunica announced that his party will back Democratic Party and
Zajedno leader Zoran Djindjic as candidate for Belgrade mayor. -- Stan
Markotich in Belgrade
[11] SERBIAN OPPOSITION LEADER CHARGES LOCAL ELECTION FRAUD.
Vuk Draskovic, head of the Serbian Renewal Movement and a leader of the
Zajedno coalition, told some 35,000 demonstrators in Nis on 19 November
that the ruling Socialists were responsible for election breaches during
the 17 November local election run-offs, Nasa Borba reported. He added
that some irregularities are so serious that a third round of balloting
will have to take place in some districts. Violations allegedly range from
falsification of ballots to the theft of ballot boxes. Meanwhile, Nasa
Borba reported that the authorities are mobilizing police and military
reserves with the likely intent of at least intimidating those attending
opposition rallies. -- Stan Markotich in Belgrade
[12] MACEDONIAN OPPOSITION CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS.
The nationalist opposition, led by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization (VMRO-DPMNE), has said it will use its strong showing in the
17 November local elections to try to force early parliamentary elections.
The VMRO-DPMNE claimed victory in some of the country's biggest towns and
in three of Skopje's four districts. The opposition had boycotted the
second round of the 1994 parliamentary elections, charging fraud. Meanwhile,
an OSCE observer mission said that reported irregularities did not put the
validity of the local ballot into question. Council of Europe observers,
however, estimated that as many as 25% of voters may not have appeared on
electoral lists, Reuters reported. -- Fabian Schmidt
[13] BUCHAREST MAYOR DESIGNATED NEW ROMANIAN PREMIER.
The National Peasant Party Christian Democratic has named Victor Ciorbea as
prime minister-designate, Romanian media reported on 19-20 November.
Ciorbea's nomination has to be approved by the parliament, which is
expected to give its consent. The Democratic Convention of Romania (CDR) is
now consulting legal experts over the fate of the Bucharest mayoralty. It
is most likely that new elections for that post will take place in the next
few months, with a CDR deputy mayor temporarily replacing Ciorbea. In other
news, Libertatea reports that outgoing President Ion Iliescu will
probably be elected chairman of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania. --
Michael Shafir
[14] RULING PARTY SUPPORTS LUCINSCHI IN MOLDOVAN PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF.
The Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova (PDAM) is backing parliamentary
chairman Petru Lucinschi in the run-off against incumbent President Mircea
Snegur scheduled for 1 December, Infotag reported on 19 November. Premier
Andrei Sangheli, the PDAM candidate, lost in the first round with only 9.5%
of the vote. Radio Bucharest reported that Lucinschi will likely also be
endorsed by the Communists' party, whose candidate, Vladimir Voronin, also
lost in the first round. Meanwhile, Vasile Nedelciuc, deputy chairman of
the Party of Democratic Forces, said his formation is still considering
whether to back President Mircea Snegur. Snegur told a press conference in
Chisinau on 19 November that Moldova was "in danger" and must "unite in the
struggle against communist leftism." -- Michael Shafir
[15] MAIN BULGARIAN OPPOSITION GROUP TO BECOME PARTY.
The National Executive Council of the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) on
19 November proposed that the SDS transform itself from a coalition into a
party, Bulgarian media reported. The council will present this proposal to
the next SDS national conference. SDS Chairman Ivan Kostov said talks with
leaders of the SDS member organizations started on 18 November. The SDS was
formed in December 1989 as an umbrella organization of anti-communist
organizations. Fifteen parties and movements ranging from monarchists to
Social Democrats currently belong to the coalition, while two more have
observer status. The platform of the new SDS still has to be worked out,
but Kostov said it will be close to the "principles of [European] people's
parties but [will] include social-democratic and liberal elements."
According to 24 chasa, seven SDS member parties are opposed to the
council's proposal. -- Stefan Krause
[16] WERE ARMS SHIPPED FROM ALBANIA TO RWANDA?
According to documents found in a camp abandoned by Hutu militia in eastern
Zaire, a British-registered company shipped mortars, rifles, and heavy
machine-gun ammunition from several countries, including Albania, to the
former Rwandan government during the 1994 genocide. The Albanian Defense
Ministry denied the allegations, saying Albania has never violated the UN
arms embargo against Rwanda, which took effect in May 1994, Reuters
reported on 19 November. The British government has set up a commission to
investigate the company, identified as Mil-Tec Corporation Ltd., AFP
reported. -- Fabian Schmidt
[17] ALBANIAN JOURNALIST FINED FOR LIBEL.
A Tirana court has ruled that Koha Jone journalist Arban Hasani must pay
a fine of $2,160 or face seven months in prison on charges of libel. The
SHIK secret service and the patriotic organization Kosova accused Hasani of
publishing false information when he was editor in chief of Populli Po,
Gazeta Shqiptare reported on 19 November. Hasani had alleged that many
current SHIK employees had worked for the communist-era secret service. The
Association of Professional Journalists has sent an appeal to President
Sali Berisha protesting the sentence and calling for an amnesty. -- Fabian
Schmidt
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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