Voice of America, 29 October 1995

From: [email protected] (Ioannis Bousnakis)

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] CROATIA ELECTIONS (L) BY DOUGLAS ROBERTS (ZAGREB)

INTRO: CROATIAN VOTERS WENT TO THE POLLS SUNDAY TO ELECT A NEW PARLIAMENT. THE RULING DEMOCRATIC UNION, LED BY PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN, IS WIDELY EXPECTED TO GARNER THE MOST VOTES. AND ANALYSTS SAY IT COULD REACH ITS GOAL OF A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY IN THE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SEVEN SEAT LEGISLATURE. FROM ZAGREB, VOA'S DOUGLAS ROBERTS FILED THIS REPORT.

TEXT: THE WEATHER WAS COOPERATIVE, AND THERE WAS A BRISK TURN-OUT OF VOTERS HERE ON A WARM AND SUNNY AUTUMN DAY. ELECTORAL OFFICIALS IN ONE ZAGREB CONSTITUENCY SAID NEARLY FORTY PERCENT OF THOSE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE HAD CAST THEIR BALLOTS BY NOON.

THERE WERE NEARLY A DOZEN CANDIDATES VYING FOR EACH SEAT IN THE LEGISLATURE, REPRESENTING MORE THAN TWENTY POLITICAL PARTIES. BUT ANALYSTS HERE SAY ONLY THE DEMOCRATIC UNION AND A HANDFUL OF OPPOSITION GROUPS STOOD ANY REAL CHANCE OF WINNING SEATS IN THE LOWER HOUSE, KNOWN AS THE SABOR.

PRESIDENT TUDJMAN CALLED THESE ELECTIONS A YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, CLEARLY HOPING TO CAPITALIZE ON HIS GOVERNMENT'S SOARING POPULARITY IN THE WAKE OF THE CROATIAN ARMY'S VICTORIES OVER REBEL SERB FORCES EARLIER THIS YEAR.

BUT VOTERS INTERVIEWED AT RANDOM OUTSIDE ONE ZAGREB POLLING STATION INDICATED THEY WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

THE ISSUE WAS MONEY, SAID ONE MAN, AFTER CASTING HIS BALLOT -- HIGHER SALARIES FOR WORKERS AND BETTER PENSIONS FOR THE RETIRED. ALL THE PARTIES PROMISED REFORMS, HE ADDED, AND THE QUESTION IS WHICH ONE WILL DELIVER.

A ZAGREB HOUSEWIFE ECHOED THAT SENTIMENT. WE ALL HAD TO MAKE SACRIFICES BECAUSE OF THE WAR, SHE SAID, BUT NOW IT IS TIME TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE.

MANY OF THOSE INTERVIEWED MADE IT CLEAR THEY HAD NOT CAST THEIR BALLOTS FOR THE DEMOCRATIC UNION. ZAGREB IS A TRADITIONAL STRONGHOLD OF THE OPPOSITION. BUT ANALYSTS SAY THE RULING PARTY'S NATIONALIST CAMPAIGN MESSAGE WAS CERTAIN TO DRAW BROAD SUPPORT ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.

THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN, PRESIDENT TUDJMAN HAS REMINDED VOTERS THAT CROATIA'S FOUR-YEAR-OLD QUEST TO LIBERATE SERB-HELD TERRITORY IS NOT YET OVER.

REBEL FORCES CONTINUE TO HOLD EASTERN SLAVONIA, A NARROW STRIP OF LAND ALONG THE BORDER WITH YUGOSLAVIA. U-S AND U-N MEDIATORS HAD HOPED TO PRODUCE A PEACE SETTLEMENT BEFORE THE ELECTIONS HERE. BUT SERB LEADERS HAVE SO FAR REFUSED TO ACCEPT A COMPROMISE PLAN PUT FORWARD BY THE MEDIATORS, AND THE ISSUE HAS NOW BEEN LEFT TO THE BALKAN PEACE CONFERENCE DUE TO BEGIN LATER THIS WEEK IN THE UNITED STATES.

PRESIDENT TUDJMAN HAS WARNED REPEATEDLY THAT HE WILL ORDER THE CROATIAN ARMY TO RETAKE EASTERN SLAVONIA UNLESS SERB LEADERS AGREE TO A PEACEFUL HANDOVER BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH. AND ANALYSTS SAY THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE BULK OF THE CROATIAN ELECTORATE WOULD SUPPORT ANOTHER MILITARY OFFENSIVE.

AMID THE NATIONALIST FERVOR HERE, NONE OF THE OPPOSITION PARTIES HAS DARED CRITICIZE THE GOVERNMENT'S CONDUCT OF THE WAR. BUT OPPOSITION LEADERS HAVE ACCUSED THE RULING PARTY OF RESORTING TO UNFAIR TACTICS IN THE RUN-UP TO THE ELECTIONS.

OPPOSITION CANDIDATES WERE NOT GIVEN EQUAL ACCESS TO THE STATE-CONTROLLED TELEVISION NETWORK. AND THE DEMOCRATIC UNION USED ITS MAJORITY IN THE OUTGOING PARLIAMENT TO PUSH THROUGH AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTORAL LAW THAT ANALYSTS SAY FURTHER TIPPED THE BALANCE IN ITS FAVOR.

ONE OF THOSE AMENDMENTS GAVE VOTING RIGHTS TO NEARLY HALF A MILLION CROATS LIVING OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY; MOST OF THEM IN BOSNIA WHERE THERE IS NEAR UNIVERSAL SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT TUDJMAN AND HIS GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE CROAT COMMUNITY. (SIGNED)

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29-Oct-95 2:15 PM EST (1915 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] U-S/BOSNIA/HOLBROOKE (S ONLY) BY VICTOR BEATTIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: U-S ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE WARNS THERE WILL BE NO PEACE IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA IF THE BOSNIAN SERBS INSIST THEY BE ALLOWED TO SECEDE. V-O-A'S VICTOR BEATTIE REPORTS MR. HOLBROOKE -- DURING A TELEVISION INTERVIEW (CNN-SATURDAY) -- DOWNPLAYED A POSSIBLE BREAKTHROUGH IN TALKS, BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, AT WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE IN DAYTON, OHIO.

TEXT: THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE IS PARTICULARLY ALARMED AT A RECENT RESOLUTION, APPROVED BY THE BOSNIAN SERB PARLIAMENT, AFFIRMING ITS RIGHT TO SECEDE. HE SAYS THE VOTE CONTRADICTS BOSNIAN SERB SUPPORT OF U-S/MEDIATED EFFORTS:

THEY ARE A MISREPRESENTATION OF THE GENEVA-NEW YORK INTERIM (PEACE) ANNOUNCEMENTS AND IF THEY (THE BOSNIAN SERBS) CONTINUE TO HOLD TO THOSE POSITIONS THERE IS NO CHANCE FOR PEACE IN DAYTON.

HE SAYS THE AGREED-TO POSITION REMAINS A SINGLE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND TWO ETHNIC ENTITIES -- ONE BOSNIAN SERB -- THE OTHER A MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION.

THE U-S ENVOY ALSO SAYS HE DOUBTS CROATIAN PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN WILL USE FORCE TO RECAPTURE THE SERB-HELD EASTERN SLAVONIA REGION BEFORE A U-N MANDATE IN HIS COUNTRY EXPIRES NOVEMBER 30TH.

TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF SLAVONIA, INVOLVING THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT AND REBEL SERBS, WERE POSTPONED SATURDAY. IF THE SLAVONIA ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED, MR. HOLBROOKE SAYS IT, TOO, WILL BE DISCUSSED IN DAYTON BECAUSE A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN BOSNIA IS NOT POSSIBLE OTHERWISE.

MR. HOLBROOKE -- PLAYING DOWN EXPECTATIONS THAT PEACE IS AT HAND -- SAYS THE TALKS IN DAYTON WILL DETERMINE IF THE WARRING PARTIES ARE SERIOUS ABOUT STOPPING THE FIGHTING. (SIGNED)

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28-Oct-95 9:15 PM EDT (0115 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America