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OMRI: Daily Digest, Vol. 3, No. 10, 97-01-15
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 3, No. 10, 15 January 1997
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN YEREVAN.
[02] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER IN U.S.
[03] ALIEV ON "OIL WEAPON."
[04] BOYCOTT OF KAZAKSTANI MEDIA TENDER FAILS.
[05] KILLERS OF AMERICAN JOURNALIST IN KAZAKSTAN CAUGHT?
[06] EXCHANGE OF TAJIK POWs BEGINS.
[07] PROSTITUTION, CORRUPTION AND CRIME IN TURKMENISTAN.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[08] SERBIAN ELECTION COMMISSIONS RECOGNIZE OPPOSITION VICTORIES.
[09] CROATIAN CHIEF JUSTICE FIRED.
[10] CROATIAN-UN UPDATE.
[11] ANOTHER ETHNIC ALBANIAN KILLED IN KOSOVO.
[12] DEMONSTRATIONS AT SKOPJE UNIVERSITY.
[13] ROMANIAN-UKRAINIAN NEGOTIATIONS ON BASIC TREATY.
[14] MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT FAILS ONCE AGAIN TO ELECT SPEAKER.
[15] EARLY ELECTIONS IN BULGARIA, BUT WHEN?
[16] PROTESTS CONTINUE IN SOFIA.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN YEREVAN.
Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagarashvili on 14 January met with his
Armenian counterpart Aleksandr Arzumanyan, ITAR-TASS and Noyan Tapan
reported. The two agreed that prospective gas pipelines from Russia to
Turkey running via Georgia and Armenia and from Iran to Armenia and Georgia
are in their countries' interests. "We are ready to do everything for the
realization of these two projects," Menagarashvili said. The ministers said
they reached "complete mutual understanding" on all the issues discussed
during the talks. Menagarashvili praised Armenia for its "absolute support"
for Georgia's efforts to settle the Abkhaz conflict, and added that the
dispute concerns all three Transcaucasian states as it hampers their
communication with the outside world. Menagarashvili was also received by
Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossyan. -- Emil Danielyan
[02] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER IN U.S.
During his two-week visit to the U.S., Armen Sarkisyan met with U.S. Vice
President Al Gore and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, RFE/RL
reported on 13 January. According to State Department spokeswoman Ann
Johnson, Talbott urged Armenian authorities to hold early parliamentary
elections and discussed with Sarkisyan the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Sarkisyan assured U.S. officials and the Armenian-American community that
he and President Levon Ter-Petrossyan are committed to "strengthening
democracy" and economic reforms. Sarkisyan also met with World Bank
President James Wolfensohn. -- Emil Danielyan
[03] ALIEV ON "OIL WEAPON."
Azerbaijani President Haidar Aliev, speaking about resolving the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict, said "the great powers which make use of our oil...can
use their influence to persuade Armenia to negotiate," AFP reported on 15
January. Aliev was speaking at the conclusion of his state visit to France.
The day before, Russian media reported that French President Jacques Chirac,
following talks with Aliev, emphasized the need to respect Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity. This statement was interpreted to mean Aliev had
made progress in securing traditionally pro-Armenian France's support in
the dispute over the break-away ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-
Karabakh. -- Lowell Bezanis
[04] BOYCOTT OF KAZAKSTANI MEDIA TENDER FAILS.
Though some of Kazakstan's independent stations tried to organize a boycott
of the tender of broadcast frequencies, 20 of 27 private and commercial
radio and television stations plan to take part, ITAR-TASS reported on 14
January. Independent stations had hoped to delay the tender but when it
became clear the Transport and Communications Ministry intended to hold to
the 13 January deadline for proposals many independent stations chose to
take part. Licenses are due to be issued on 24 January. -- Bruce Pannier
[05] KILLERS OF AMERICAN JOURNALIST IN KAZAKSTAN CAUGHT?
Law enforcement officials in Kazakstan say they have apprehended three
suspects in the murder of American journalist Chris Gehring, RFE/RL
reported on 15 January. Authorities say one of the suspects, a known drug
addict, admits to stealing the keys to Gehring's apartment and giving them
to the other suspects. A computer, believed to be Gehring's, was found in
the basement of a building where one of the suspects lives. Kazakstani
authorities still maintain that Gehring surprised the thieves as they were
robbing his flat and then the robbers tied his hands and feet, tortured him,
and cut his throat. -- Bruce Pannier and Merhat Sharipzhan
[06] EXCHANGE OF TAJIK POWs BEGINS.
In another hopeful sign that the latest ceasefire agreement will work, the
Tajik opposition on 14 January released 35 government soldiers captured in
fighting in central Tajikistan in late November and early December,
according to RTR and Reuters. The government had freed six opposition
prisoners on 11 January. Another 20 government soldiers held in Garm will
be released soon, the opposition says. The Tajik government noted that,
while this step is encouraging, there are possibly hundreds of government
POWs being held and not all the groups holding them are allied to the
United Tajik Opposition. Some may have been captive for more than one year.
-- Bruce Pannier
[07] PROSTITUTION, CORRUPTION AND CRIME IN TURKMENISTAN.
A glimpse of Turkmenistan's social problems was provided by a crackdown on
prostitution in Ashgabat, RFE/RL reported on 14 January. President
Saparmurat Niyazov said prostitution has become a widespread problem and
noted that girls as young as 12 or 13 were engaged in the vice trade. He
also charged law enforcement officials with deep involvement in the
business, citing a report of the Presidential Security Council, as well as
involvement in the drug trade. Niyazov noted there was a 16% rise in major
crimes nationwide, 19% in Ashgabat itself and 22% in Tashavus. -- Lowell
Bezanis
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[08] SERBIAN ELECTION COMMISSIONS RECOGNIZE OPPOSITION VICTORIES.
Local election commissions on 14 January recognized the opposition
coalition Zajedno's wins in second round of the 17 November local
elections, Nasa Borba reported. The commission authorities concluded that
the coalition won in Belgrade, Nis, and 12 other municipalities. But
opposition leader Vuk Draskovic said the implications of the commissions'
ruling was unclear, stressing there were no guarantees that the ruling
Socialists and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic would honor it. The
Socialists have 48 hours in which to challenge to the ruling. They have
already hinted that they may not do so. Meanwhile, Milosevic seems to have
responded to the ruling by purging high-ranking party members who held
unequivocal points of view on the municipal returns. Belgrade Mayor Nebojsa
Covic, who had maintained from early on that the opposition wins should be
recognized, was sacked. But so were Belgrade party boss Branislav Ivkovic
and his Nis counterpart, Mile Ilic, both hard-liners who had argued that
under no circumstances should concessions be made to the opposition. --
Stan Markotich
[09] CROATIAN CHIEF JUSTICE FIRED.
The state judicial committee on 14 January announced it has sacked Supreme
Court head Krunoslav Olujic, AFP reported. Olujic was suspended in November
on charges of discrediting the court by allegedly associating with
criminals and having sex with minors. Olujic claims a politically motivated
smear campaign is being waged to get rid of him because he defends the
independence of the judiciary. The authorities earlier tried to coax him
out of office by offering him an ambassadorial post. Critics of the
governing Croatian Democratic Community charge that the moves against
Olujic are part of a broader effort by that party to take control of all
aspects of public life. -- Patrick Moore
[10] CROATIAN-UN UPDATE.
The UN Security Council has extended the mandate for UN monitors on
Croatia's Prevlaka peninsula until 15 July, news agencies reported on 14
January. Belgrade has laid claim to that territory because it offers direct
access to the Bay of Kotor, where federal Yugoslavia's chief naval base is
located. Meanwhile, details are emerging of Croatia's recommendations to
the UN on reintegrating eastern Slavonia. Zagreb will exempt ethnic Serbs
from military duty for two years, during which a long-term policy will be
hammered out, Vjesnik wrote on 15 January. The government also plans to
reserve two seats for Serbs in the upper house of the legislature, as well
as advisory positions for Serbs in the Ministries of Internal Affairs,
Justice, Education, and Culture. Voting rights will be extended to all
Serbs who have obtained Croatian papers. Jacques Klein, UN administrator in
Slavonia, has praised the Croatian proposals. -- Patrick Moore
[11] ANOTHER ETHNIC ALBANIAN KILLED IN KOSOVO.
Another ethnic Albanian has been shot dead in northern Kosovo--the second
such incident within four days, international agencies reported on 14
January. A spokesman for the Democratic League of Kosovo claimed that the
47-year-old Fazil Hasani, who was killed near Srbica, had cooperated with
the Serbian police. The Kosovo Liberation Army is believed to be behind the
murder. That group took responsibility for the killings of policeman Faik
Bellopoja last month and Socialist Party of Serbia member Maliq Sheholli on
9 January. It also issued a statement on 14 January saying that Sheholli's
murder was a "warning to all other collaborators and national traitors."
Meanwhile, Adem Demaci has resigned as head of the Kosovo Human Rights
Council following his elections as leader of the Parliamentary Party,
Deutsche Welle's Albanian-language service reported. -- Fabian Schmidt
[12] DEMONSTRATIONS AT SKOPJE UNIVERSITY.
Ethnic Albanian students at Skopje University staged a demonstration on 14
January calling for instruction in the Albanian-language at the pedagogic
faculty, Flaka and Nova Makedonija reported. At the same time, ethnic
Macedonian students demonstrated against Albanian-language instruction. A
draft law providing for classes in the Albanian language was drawn up last
year and is supported by University Dean Radmila Kiprijanova. Education
Minister Sofija Todorova, meeting with Macedonian students on 14 January,
asked them to present their concerns to the parliamentary education
commission. The parliament will discuss the draft law next week. Meanwhile,
special UN envoy Elisabeth Rehn, in Skopje for a two-day visit from 13-15
January, expressed concern about the "intolerance of Macedonian students"
who were protesting against Albanian-language instruction at the
university. -- Fabian Schmidt
[13] ROMANIAN-UKRAINIAN NEGOTIATIONS ON BASIC TREATY.
Another round of talks on the Romanian-Ukrainian basic treaty ended in
Bucharest on 14 January, Romanian media reported. The negotiators agreed to
resume talks in Kyiv after examining proposals submitted by each side.
Before the meeting, Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Severin said that
Bucharest would propose a "compromise package" to settle unresolved issues.
Romania wants the treaty to include a condemnation of the 1939 Ribbentrop-
Molotov pact, which ceded Romanian territories to the then Soviet republic
of Ukraine. It also wants guarantees for the 400,000-strong ethnic Romanian
minority living in Ukraine. Romania appears to be under pressure to
finalize the treaty before the July NATO summit, at which the first
countries to join the alliance are expected to be named. Settling disputes
with all neighbors is a condition for NATO integration. -- Zsolt Mato
[14] MOLDOVAN PARLIAMENT FAILS ONCE AGAIN TO ELECT SPEAKER.
For the third time in less than a week, the parliament has failed to elect
a new speaker, Infotag reported on 14 January. The main contenders to
replace Petru Lucinschi in that post are Dumitru Motpan, chairman of the
ruling Agrarian Democratic Party, and Deputy Speaker Dumitru Diacov, a
close associate of Lucinschi. However, the parliament has allowed Diacov to
open and preside over the presidential inauguration ceremony, scheduled for
today. Some deputies have warned of a parliamentary crisis if the issue is
not resolved soon. Motpan, who chaired the 14 January session, said that
later this week, the parliament will launch procedures to designate a new
premier. He singled out Ion Cebuc, head of the State Accounting Office, as
a possible candidate for that post. -- Dan Ionescu
[15] EARLY ELECTIONS IN BULGARIA, BUT WHEN?
The ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party on 14 January agreed to hold early
parliamentary elections, RFE/RL reported. But it committed itself only to
holding the vote by the end of this year. Following a meeting the same day,
leaders of the BSP and its coalition partners--the Bulgarian Agrarian
People's Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" and the Political Club Ekoglasnost-
-said the parliament should vote in a "government of professionals of
international reputation." They also said they will prepare a 500-day
government program. The opposition, for its part, has decided to open talks
with the BSP on early elections. It demands that the parliament be
dissolved by March and early elections held by May. Meanwhile, Pari cited
legislators from the New Democracy party as saying that outgoing President
Zhelyu Zhelev will not give the BSP a mandate to form a new government
until tensions subside. -- Stefan Krause
[16] PROTESTS CONTINUE IN SOFIA.
Some 20,000-30,000 people continued to protest in Sofia on 14 January,
RFE/RL and AFP reported. Students from several Sofia universities joined
the demonstrations. Meanwhile, the parliament reconvened today for its
first session since the violent clashes several days earlier between
protesters and police (see OMRI Daily Digest, 13 January 1997). The
building was heavily guarded by riot police, and only BSP deputies and some
Bulgarian Business Bloc legislators attended. Union of Democratic Forces
Chairman Ivan Kostov said the protests will continue until a date for early
elections is set. The major trade unions have staged nationwide one-hour
warning strikes today to back the opposition's demands. Meanwhile, the BBB
has announced it will not support a new BSP government. BBB Chairman
Georges Ganchev said his party will not seek a coalition with any party
represented in the current parliament. -- Stefan Krause
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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