RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 3, No. 205, 99-10-20

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From: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>

RFE/RL NEWSLINE

Vol. 3, No. 205, 20 October 1999

CONTENTS

[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA

[01] ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IN MOSCOW

[02] THREE ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES WANT CATHOLICOS ELECTION

[03] AZERBAIJAN'S MUSLIM LEADER ACCUSES MOSCOW OF GENOCIDE

[04] LAWYERS SAY CLOSURE OF AZERBAIJANI TV COMPANY ILLEGAL

[05] RUSSIA TO EXTRADITE SUSPECT IN GEORGIAN ASSASSINATION BID

[06] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT CONDEMNS ATTACK ON JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

[07] CONSORTIUM LEADER ENDORSES AZERBAIJAN OIL EXPORT PIPELINE

[08] KAZAKH OPPOSITION LEADERS DEPLORE 'CRISIS'

[09] KAZAKHSTAN'S PREMIER SPELLS OUT ECONOMIC PRIORITIES

[10] SOME COSSACKS READY TO MOVE FROM KAZAKHSTAN TO CHECHNYA

[11] KYRGYZ MEDIATOR OPTIMISTIC ON RELEASE OF JAPANESES HOSTAGES

[12] OSCE APPEALS TO TAJIK OPPOSITION TO RESUME COOPERATION WITH

[13] SOUTH KOREAN COMPANY TO SUSPEND PRODUCTION IN UZBEKISTAN

[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

[14] 'SERBIAN ADOLF' NOT GUILTY OF GENOCIDE

[15] MORE CRITICISM OF TUDJMAN'S STATEMENTS ON BOSNIA

[16] GRANIC WARNS CROATS AGAINST SELF-ISOLATION

[17] GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER LAUDS SLOVENIA, ALBANIA

[18] SLOVENE EX-MINISTER FACES YEAR IN PRISON

[19] MONTENEGRO IN 'NO HURRY' TO INTRODUCE OWN CURRENCY

[20] CONTROVERSY CONTINUES OVER SERBIAN CANTON PROPOSAL IN KOSOVA

[21] SERBIAN REGIME SUES YET ANOTHER NEWSPAPER...

[22] ...THREATENS DOMESTIC OPPONENTS

[23] SERBIAN STUDENTS PROTEST COLD CLASSROOMS

[24] SERBIAN OPPOSITION MEETS FROWICK

[25] BOSNIAN SERB TV FOR SERBIA

[26] WHAT IS THE 'SERBIAN LIBERATION ARMY'?

[27] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT WELCOMES PROPOSAL TO INVITE FORMER KING

[28] GREECE PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR ROMANIA EU ACCESSION

[29] U.S. TO URGE RUSSIAN TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM MOLDOVA

[30] STABILITY PACT COORDINATOR IN BULGARIA

[31] EU INSPECTS BULGARIAN NUCLEAR PLANT

[C] END NOTE

[32] OSCE EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER ELECTIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA

[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA

[01] ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IN MOSCOW

the first time since his election in June as parliamentary

chairman, Karen Demirchian met with Russian Foreign Minister

Igor Ivanov, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Federation

Council chairman Yegor Stroev on 18-19 October, a

correspondent for RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. Ivanov

characterized bilateral relations as "developing in a spirit

of strategic partnership," according to ITAR-TASS. Demirchian

told both Putin and Stroev that he hopes for a reversal of

the decline in bilateral trade and, in particular, for more

Russian investment in Armenia. Demirchian also met with

Russian Atomic Energy Minister Yevgenii Adamov to discuss

Armenian payment for fuel supplies to the Medzamor nuclear

power station. Armenia plans to sell electricity to other

countries to pay for those shipments, ITAR-TASS reported. LF

[02] THREE ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES WANT CATHOLICOS ELECTION

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-

Dashnaktsutyun on 18 October issued a statement advocating

postponing the election of a new Catholicos, which is

scheduled for later this month, Noyan Tapan reported. The

Self-Determination Union issued a similar statement the

following day. Both parties argued that the allegations by

some senior clerics that the Armenian authorities are seeking

to secure the election to that post of a specific candidate

may undermine Church unity and reflect adversely on whichever

candidate is elected. On 19 October, National Democratic

Union Chairman Vazgen Manukian told RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau

that he thinks the election should be delayed for a couple of

years and that Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian should continue

to head the Church during that period. LF

[03] AZERBAIJAN'S MUSLIM LEADER ACCUSES MOSCOW OF GENOCIDE

Muslims of the Caucasus, has written to Russian President

Boris Yeltsin to protest what he terms Moscow's deliberate

policy of genocide in Chechnya, Turan reported on 19 October.

He charged Russia with masterminding the August incursion

into Daghestan in order to provoke a violent reaction from

Chechnya that could be presented as terrorism and banditry

and thus serve as the rationale for a new war against

Chechnya. Pashazade expressed concern that Moscow could also

accuse Azerbaijan and Georgia of aggression against Russia.

LF

[04] LAWYERS SAY CLOSURE OF AZERBAIJANI TV COMPANY ILLEGAL

statement on 19 October asserting that the Azerbaijan's

Justice Ministry's 9 October decision to close the station

was illegal and must be revoked, Turan reported. The station

rejected the ministry's claim that under Azerbaijani law,

media outlets may not be owned by foreign nationals. Also on

19 October, 34 employees of the company, including its

president, Rasul Rauf, began an indefinite hunger strike to

protest the imposition by the Baku City Court of a 250

million manat ($62,000) fine on the company for insulting the

honor and dignity of a government official. LF

[05] RUSSIA TO EXTRADITE SUSPECT IN GEORGIAN ASSASSINATION BID

Zdanovich said in Moscow on 19 October that Russia will hand

over to Georgia Nugzar Khuchua, who the Georgian authorities

believe participated in the February 1998 attempt to kill

Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, Caucasus Press

reported. Khuchua was apprehended in North Ossetia last month

on suspicion of involvement in the bomb attack on the

Vladikavkaz central market in March 1999 (see "RFE/RL

Newsline," 27 and 29 September 1999). LF

[06] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT CONDEMNS ATTACK ON JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

official have all condemned the 17 October assault on the

Tbilisi offices of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Caucasus Press

reported two days later. A group of Georgian Christians who

support a priest excommunicated for his disagreements with

the leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church broke into the

offices, beat up several members of that sect, and destroyed

religious literature. Representatives of the Georgian

Patriarchy called on the country's leadership in July to ban

Jehovah's Witnesses, terming their activities "anti-state and

anti-national." LF

[07] CONSORTIUM LEADER ENDORSES AZERBAIJAN OIL EXPORT PIPELINE

Amoco, the senior partner in the 11-member Azerbaijan

International Operating Company engaged in extracting

offshore Caspian oil, has signaled its backing for plans to

route the main export pipeline for Azerbaijan's Caspian oil

from Baku to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, Dow

Jones reported on 19 October. The AIOC had earlier voiced

doubts that it would ever extract large enough volumes of oil

to render that project economically viable. But BP now hopes

to reach the required 1 million barrels a day by using that

pipeline to transport oil from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

BP has a 9.5 percent stake in the Kazakh OKIOC consortium.

AFP on 19 October quoted Turkish President Suleyman Demirel

as saying in Baku the previous day that Turkey and Azerbaijan

could sign a final agreement on building the pipeline at the

November OSCE summit in Istanbul. Turkey has agreed to cover

construction costs in excess of the estimated $2.4 billion.

LF

[08] KAZAKH OPPOSITION LEADERS DEPLORE 'CRISIS'

Committee chairman Ghany Qasymov, who unsuccessfully

contended the January presidential elections, told

journalists in Almaty on 19 October that Kazakhstan is facing

"a systemic total crisis," Interfax reported. He called for

changes to the constitution to strengthen the role of the

parliament and ensure that the party that wins parliamentary

elections is able to form a government and its leader become

prime minister. At a news conference in Almaty the same day,

Orleu (Progress) party chairman Seydakhmet Quttyqadam

similarly characterized the present situation as "a deep

social and economic crisis," RFE/RL's correspondent in the

former capital reported. Quttyqadam argued that presidential

elections should be held next year and that the country's

1993 constitution should be revised and reinstated. LF

[09] KAZAKHSTAN'S PREMIER SPELLS OUT ECONOMIC PRIORITIES

his policies are aimed at implementing "the long-term

strategy of the head of state," Interfax and ITAR-TASS

reported. He said the cabinet will pursue an austerity course

aimed at boosting budget revenues and reducing the country's

trade deficit. Toqaev said he hopes an agreement with the IMF

on terms for a new loan can be reached by the end of this

year. He added that he opposes any renationalization of

privatized enterprises. LF

[10] SOME COSSACKS READY TO MOVE FROM KAZAKHSTAN TO CHECHNYA

official in Stavropol Krai as saying that some Semirechie

Cossacks from southern Kazakhstan have volunteered to settle

in Chechnya on the left (northern) bank of the Terek River.

Two rival organizations in Kazakhstan claim to represent the

Semirechie Cossacks. The leader of one of those organizations

has said the entire Cossack community may emigrate if the

Kazakh authorities continue to discriminate against them (see

"RFE/RL Newsline," 5 and 11 August 1999). Stavropol Krai

official Vassilii Belchenko told ITAR-TASS on 19 October that

two companies of Cossacks from Stavropol will be sent to

Chechnya's Nauri and Shelkovo Raions, which are under federal

control, to keep the peace and protect civilians there. LF

[11] KYRGYZ MEDIATOR OPTIMISTIC ON RELEASE OF JAPANESES HOSTAGES

Bishkek on 19 October that the Islamic Movement of

Uzbekistan, whose members are holding four Japanese

geologists they seized two months ago, may release those

hostages soon, ITAR-TASS and Reuters reported. Tajikistan's

Minister for Emergency Situations Mirzo Zieev, who helped

Bakir Uulu negotiate with the Uzbek guerrillas in Tajikistan

the release of several Kyrgyz hostages, similarly expressed

optimism that the Japanese will be freed by the end of this

week, Reuters reported. Zieev denied media reports that the

guerillas are demanding a $2 million ransom for the four

Japanese. In Bishkek, parliamentary deputy Baiaman Erkinbaev

told an RFE/RL correspondent on 19 October that he, too, is

engaged in talks with the guerillas aimed at securing the

hostages' release. He did not elaborate. LF

[12] OSCE APPEALS TO TAJIK OPPOSITION TO RESUME COOPERATION WITH

Meeting in Dushanbe on 19 October with United

Tajik Opposition chairman Said Abdullo Nuri, head of the OSCE

mission in Tajikistan Marin Buchoara handed over a letter

from several OSCE member states asking that he reconsider the

UTO's decision to suspend participation in the work of the

National Reconciliation Commission, ITAR-TASS reported. The

UTO had recalled its representatives on that commission to

protest the government's refusal to convene an emergency

parliamentary session to discuss the 6 November presidential

election (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 October 1999). Nuri

rejected the OSCE request, accusing the Tajik government of

seeking to undermine the UTO's efforts to implement the 1997

peace agreement. LF

[13] SOUTH KOREAN COMPANY TO SUSPEND PRODUCTION IN UZBEKISTAN

of household appliances in Uzbekistan, Interfax reported on

19 October, quoting an Uzbek official. The decision was

prompted by problems in ensuring the regular import of

components owing to the non-convertibility of Uzbekistan's

currency. LF

[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

[14] 'SERBIAN ADOLF' NOT GUILTY OF GENOCIDE

crimes tribunal ruled on 19 October that Goran Jelisic, who

calls himself the "Serbian Adolf," is not guilty of genocide.

The tribunal nonetheless convicted him on 31 counts of

torture and murder of Muslim and Croatian inmates of the Luka

prison camp near Brcko in 1992. The three judges noted that

Jelisic was a killer and enjoyed killing, but they stressed

that there was no evidence to suggest that his violence was

part of a premeditated, orchestrated campaign of genocide.

Observers noted that the case shows how difficult it will be

for the tribunal to convict indicted persons of genocide.

Jelisic has admitted to killing 12 people. One witness said

that Jelisic bragged at the camp that he killed up to 30

Muslims each day before breakfast, AP reported. PM

[15] MORE CRITICISM OF TUDJMAN'S STATEMENTS ON BOSNIA

envoy James Pardew said that Croatian President Franjo

Tudjman's call for a separate Croatian "entity" in Bosnia is

not acceptable, VOA's Croatian Service reported on 20 October

(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 October 1999). In Sarajevo,

"Oslobodjenje" noted that officials of the OSCE as well as of

the international community's high representative's office

have criticized Tudjman's remarks as being incompatible with

the 1995 Dayton agreement, which he signed. PM

[16] GRANIC WARNS CROATS AGAINST SELF-ISOLATION

Minister Mate Granic said in Zagreb on 19 October that

participation in the EU's Stability Pact for Southeastern

Europe is a condition his country must meet if it is to join

NATO's Partnership for Peace and eventually the Atlantic

alliance itself. Granic conceded that the idea of

participating in a project encompassing the Balkan region may

be distasteful to many Croats, who fear that the Western

powers may force them to join a revived Yugoslav state or

regional federation. The minister warned, however, that

Croatia will be as isolated as Serbia if it does not join the

pact, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. In Geneva,

Vladimir Drobnjak, who is Croatia's chief "coordinator" for

the pact, said that Croatia's participation will depend on

whether it receives sufficient concrete benefits for doing

so, "Vecernji list" reported on 20 October. PM

[17] GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER LAUDS SLOVENIA, ALBANIA

Scharping said in Ljubljana on 19 October that Slovenia is a

"certain candidate for NATO and the EU." He added that "it is

realistic to expect that Slovenia will become a NATO member

soon." Asked by journalists about possible Slovenian plans to

buy the German Roland missile system, Scharping said that

talks will begin once the Slovenian parliament has finished

its debate on the annual budget. Later in Tirana, Scharping

stressed that Albania's stability "contributes to the peace

of the Balkans," AP reported. He met with President Rexhep

Meidani, Prime Minister Pandeli Majko, and Defense Minister

Luan Hajdaraga. Germany is the Albanian army's "first

partner," Hajdaraga noted. PM

[18] SLOVENE EX-MINISTER FACES YEAR IN PRISON

Ljubljana formally charged Alojz Krapez on 19 October with

abusing his position as defense minister before his sacking

in February. Krapez had sold his own flat and sought to move

into one reserved for uniformed military personnel, AP

reported. If convicted, Krapez faces one year in prison and

will be the first prominent politician convicted for abuse of

office in independent Slovenia. Scandals involving top

officials are no rarity there, however. PM

[19] MONTENEGRO IN 'NO HURRY' TO INTRODUCE OWN CURRENCY

Affairs Minister Predrag Drecun said in Podgorica on 19

October that the government will not "hurry" to introduce a

Montenegrin currency independent of the Yugoslav dinar (see

"RFE/RL Newsline," 3 August 1999). He added that the

government nonetheless understands citizens' fears of a new

wave of inflation of the Yugoslav currency. In Belgrade,

Yugoslav National Bank Governor Dusan Vlatkovic denied a

recent statement by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav

Seselj that the bank has put into circulation an additional

printed $400 million in dinar notes (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"

19 October 1999). PM

[20] CONTROVERSY CONTINUES OVER SERBIAN CANTON PROPOSAL IN KOSOVA

cleric in Kosova, told the private Beta news agency on 19

October in Mitrovica that setting up Serbian cantons is the

only way to preserve multi-ethnicity in the province (see

"RFE/RL Newsline," 19 October 1999). Artemije argued that

local Serbs will leave unless they have their own self-

governing communities. In Prishtina, the former Kosova

Liberation Army's Hashim Thaci called the proposal to

establish the cantons and a Serbian defense force

"unacceptable." His colleague Mehmet Hajriz warned that

cantonization could "lead to conflict," AP reported. PM

[21] SERBIAN REGIME SUES YET ANOTHER NEWSPAPER...

tobacco company in Nis is suing the independent "Niske

Novine" because of a story that the newspaper printed about

the salaries of the company's directors. The Belgrade-based

Association of Independent Electronic Media said in a

statement on 19 October that the legal action against "Niske

Novine" and a similar suit against the publisher ABC Grafika

show that the regime is determined to use the courts to shut

down independent publications (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18

October 1999). PM

[22] ...THREATENS DOMESTIC OPPONENTS

Dragoljub Ojdanic said at a Belgrade ceremony to mark the

55th anniversary of the end of German occupation of that city

that opposition parties demonstrating on the streets of the

capital are allies of NATO. He stressed that "Belgrade and

Serbia will prevail in a struggle against those who promote

their own interests and fool our citizens." The general added

that the government will resist any attempt to separate

Kosova from Serbia. PM

[23] SERBIAN STUDENTS PROTEST COLD CLASSROOMS

high schools students in Uzice staged street protests to

complain about the lack of heating in their schools, the

Frankfurt-based Serbian daily "Vesti" reported on 20 October.

Similar protests took place in Bor, according to AP. PM

[24] SERBIAN OPPOSITION MEETS FROWICK

Obradovic and several other leaders of the Serbian opposition

held what Obradovic called "long and ample talks" with U.S.

Balkan envoy Robert Frowick at an unspecified place in the

Republika Srpska on 18 October. Obradovic later told

reporters that the Americans made it clear that "there will

be no substantial aid to Serbia so long as [Yugoslav

President Slobodan] Milosevic is in power," AP reported. PM

[25] BOSNIAN SERB TV FOR SERBIA

with Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik in Banja

Luka, "Vesti" reported on 20 October. Dodik promised them

that Bosnian Serb television will broadcast a program on the

activities of the opposition. Alliance for Change leader

Vladan Batic said that the opposition will seek to

rebroadcast the program within Serbia. It is unclear how

often the program will be aired. PM

[26] WHAT IS THE 'SERBIAN LIBERATION ARMY'?

group calling itself the Serbian Liberation Army (OSA)

recently sent a letter to the Montenegrin weekly "Glas

Crnogoraca" claiming responsibility for the 3 October car

accident that killed four aides of the Serbian Renewal

Movement's Vuk Draskovic. On 18 October, the Bosnian Serb

news agency SRNA carried the statement, in which the

organization declared itself to be in the monarchist-

nationalist Chetnik tradition. The statement said that

nationalist leaders like Draskovic "are worse than the open

enemies of the Serbian people" because people like Draskovic

"lead the people astray." "Vesti" two days later carried a

photo of men in Chetnik dress, which the newspaper said the

OSA allegedly sent to the "Belgrade media." PM

[27] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT WELCOMES PROPOSAL TO INVITE FORMER KING

Chairman Ion Diaconescu welcoming a proposal by a group of

deputies that former King Michael I be invited to address the

parliament on 1 December, Romania's national day, Rompres

reported on 19 October. VG

[28] GREECE PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR ROMANIA EU ACCESSION

President Costas Simitis told his visiting Romanian

counterpart, Radu Vasile, on 19 October that Greece supports

Romania's bid to enter the EU as part of the effort to

integrate the Balkans into European structures. During the

talks, Vasile asked for a relaxation of Greece's visa policy

toward his country, according to a Rompres report cited by

the BBC. Vasile asked for "the greatest possible relaxation"

of visa restrictions on so-called "low emigration risk"

categories of travelers, such as entrepreneurs. He added that

the two countries have agreed to create joint committees

composed of Foreign Ministry representatives. VG

[29] U.S. TO URGE RUSSIAN TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM MOLDOVA

Ambassador at Large Stephen Sestanovich on 19 October said

his country will support Moldova in its bid to secure the

withdrawal of Russian troops from the breakaway region of

Transdniester, Infotag and BASA-Press reported. Sestanovich,

who was on a one-day visit to Moldova, said the U.S. will

urge Russia to meet its obligations on troop withdrawals at

the November OSCE meeting in Istanbul. On 19 October,

Moldovan President Petru Lucinschi urged Romania to support

its attempts to have the Russian troops withdrawn, according

to ITAR-TASS. Sestanovich also praised Moldova's economic

transition, calling it a "reform leader in the post-Soviet

area." VG

[30] STABILITY PACT COORDINATOR IN BULGARIA

coordinator of the Balkan Stability Pact, Bodo Hombach, said

on 19 October in Sofia that Western donors should specify

concrete investment projects for the region by the end of

1999 or early 2000. In the meantime, Hombach said donors will

send recipient countries in the Balkans an "investment

charter" outlining the main impediments to foreign investment

in their countries. Hombach emphasized that countries in the

region must address crime and corruption. VG

[31] EU INSPECTS BULGARIAN NUCLEAR PLANT

experts inspected four nuclear reactors at Bulgaria's

Kozloduy plant on 19-20 October. The EU team is checking

whether recent upgrades at the plant meet the specifications

of international watchdog agencies. VG

[C] END NOTE

[32] OSCE EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER ELECTIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA

The OSCE says it expects to issue this week a new report

on the 10 October parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan that

will be sharply critical of some aspects of the way the

ballot was conducted.

A senior OSCE official, who spoke on condition of

anonymity, told RFE/RL that the OSCE election mission

reported several instances of falsification of results. It

also cited a lack of transparency in vote counting and other

breaches of international standards.

On 17 October, Kazakhstan's Central Election Commission

said that preliminary results indicated that the OTAN party--

which is closely identified with Kazakhstan's power

structures--had garnered nearly 31 percent of the vote. Its

closest rival was the Communist Party with nearly 18 percent,

followed by the Agrarian Party (some 13 percent) and the

Civic Party (about 11 percent).

The election commission has said that the majority of

districts in the country will hold a second round of voting

on 24 October.

An interim report issued by the OSCE immediately after

the elections pointed to several areas in which the first

poll failed to meet international standards. However it said

the election was an improvement on the heavily criticized

presidential vote last January.

In its interim report, the OSCE noted what it called

"serious violations" in vote counting, despite new rules by

the Central Election Commission intended to make the process

more transparent. The interim report was particularly

skeptical of vote counting in the Almaty constituency. It

said that in one case, forged returns were uncovered in

Almaty reflecting different results for the same polling

station. This took place in clear view of international

observers.

The OSCE also complained about the lack of neutrality

among commissioners administrating the elections. It said

that in many cases the commissions were directed by regional

and local government authorities and were made up of

individuals who were dependent on the favor of those

authorities for their livelihood. It added that many members

of the election commissions were affiliated with the OTAN

party.

The OSCE also said it is disappointed in the

preparations for the 6 November presidential elections in

Tajikistan and the parliamentary elections there early next

year. A senior OSCE official told RFE/RL on 19 October that

if there is no improvement, the OSCE will drop plans for a

full-scale election-monitoring team in Tajikistan even though

opposition parties have requested such a mission.

The official said that despite this appeal, the OSCE

might send only one expert to assist the local OSCE mission

in monitoring the vote. Tajik Foreign Minister Talbak Nazarov

visited OSCE headquarters in Vienna last week to urge it to

send a mission.

On 15 October, the main opposition group, the United

Tajik Opposition (UTO), said the presidential election should

be postponed because of irregularities in the way it was

being conducted. In particular, the UTO complained that

opposition candidates have been prevented from collecting

signatures required to register. Earlier last week, the

election commission had ruled that three opposition

candidates failed to meet the requirement, thereby leaving

incumbent President Imomali Rakhmonov as the sole candidate.

The UTO also wants a new Central Election Commission to

be formed and has urged that all presidential candidates have

equal access to state media.

Meanwhile, the OSCE has expressed concern about the

preparations for elections in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. An

assessment team left for Uzbekistan on 19 October to see

whether the conditions for the 5 December parliamentary

elections sufficiently meet international standards for the

OSCE to send a full election team.

Uzbekistan has formally asked the OSCE to send a full-

scale monitoring team for the elections. In a visit to that

country last month, OSCE Chairman Knut Vollebaek told

President Islam Karimov that the OSCE is not satisfied with

some of the preparations for the elections.

Vollebaek later told journalists that there are "flaws"

in the process and cited election laws. He also pointed to

the whole area of human rights, including "freedom of speech

[and] freedom of religion where we see clear shortcomings."

But he told Karimov that the OSCE did not expect that

countries in transition--like those in Central Asia--would be

able to conform immediately with international standards on

elections. He also said that the assessment mission will make

an "objective assessment" of whether a full observation team

should be sent to the elections.

Meanwhile, an assessment team is scheduled to travel to

Turkmenistan on 8 November to examine whether a monitoring

team should be sent for that country's 12 December

parliamentary elections. President Saparmurat Niyazov urged

the OSCE to do so when he met Vollebaek last month. But OSCE

officials are already skeptical of whether conditions will

permit the presence of a monitoring team.

There are no political parties in Turkmenistan. Niyazov

told the OSCE last month that political parties will appear

when the people want them, adding that there is not sign of

that.. He also denied that there are any political prisoners

but said he is planning another amnesty for some other

prisoners shortly before the election.

OSCE officials in Vienna said it could be years before

conditions for democratic elections appear in Turkmenistan.

Niyazov told Vollebaek during last month's visit that he

hopes to introduce what he called a "new, democratic society"

by the year 2010. But he did not spell out what sort of

society he has in mind.

20-10-99

Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
URL: http://www.rferl.org

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