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OMRI Daily Digest, Vol. 2, No. 201, 96-10-16
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 2, No. 201, 16 October 1996
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS CRITICIZE ARMENIAN ELECTION.
[02] SHEVARDNADZE MEETS WITH DIRECTOR OF WORLD BANK.
[03] NEW AZERBAIJANI OIL CONSORTIUM CREATED.
[04] MIXED RETURNS ON UZBEK HARVESTS.
[05] IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ALMATY.
[06] PROTESTERS SURROUND KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT BUILDING.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[07] CROATIA REPORTEDLY ADMITTED TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE.
[08] NEW AGREEMENT ON BOSNIAN REFUGEE RETURN.
[09] BOSNIAN BUS DELAYED AT SERBIAN BORDER.
[10] NATO WARNS CROATIA OVER BOSNIAN PEACE.
[11] LITTLE HEADWAY IN TALKS ON FORMER YUGOSLAVIA'S ASSETS.
[12] MORE WARRANTS ISSUED FOR SUSPECTED KOSOVAR TERRORISTS.
[13] ANTI-SEMITIC TONES IN THE ROMANIAN ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN.
[14] OSCE REPRESENTATIVES NOT ALLOWED TO CHECK ARMS IN DNIESTER REGION.
[15] RUMORS ABOUT BULGARIAN COALITION GOVERNMENT INTENSIFY.
[16] PROTESTERS DEMAND BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT'S RESIGNATION.
[17] ALBANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ACCUSED IN $5 MILLION SCANDAL.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS CRITICIZE ARMENIAN ELECTION.
The U.S.-based International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), an
international election observer group, issued a report on Armenia's 22
September presidential election, citing numerous irregularities and describing
the ballot as "flawed," Reuters reported on 15 October. IFES urged the
Armenian government to investigate the irregularities. IFES is the second
international organization after the OSCE to question the election results.
Meanwhile, Armenian presidential spokesman Levon Zurabyan acknowledged
"numerous shortcomings" in the election process and said the authorities will
"punish the guilty," Noyan Tapan reported on 15 October. Paruyr Hayrikyan, one
of the leaders of the opposition National Accord bloc, said the opposition
plans to resume its protest rallies on 18 October, RFE/RL reported. -- Emil
Danielyan
[02] SHEVARDNADZE MEETS WITH DIRECTOR OF WORLD BANK.
Meeting in Tbilisi on 15 October with the managing director of the World Bank,
Peter Steck, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said that the World Bank's
backing for reforms in his country "guarantees political and economic
stability," ITAR-TASS reported. Steck praised the Georgian leadership's
"correct and constructive economic policy." -- Liz Fuller
[03] NEW AZERBAIJANI OIL CONSORTIUM CREATED.
Representatives of the British company Ramco, Mobil, and Total have formed a
consortium to carry out exploratory work in the southern Caspian Sea, Turan
reported on 15 October. Representatives of the three constituent companies
have held talks in Baku with Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev and the head
of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR. -- Liz Fuller
[04] MIXED RETURNS ON UZBEK HARVESTS.
The Uzbek government announced that grain harvests are well below expectations
for the second year in a row, according to an 8 October Uzbek Radio report
monitored by the BBC. The 1996 harvest currently stands at 2,669,000 metric
tons, well below the target figure of 4.5 million tons. Only seven regions
were able to meet their quotas, with the rest blaming poor irrigation, bad
weather, and a lack of fertilizer for the shortfalls. At the same time, the Central Council of the People's Democratic Party called on Uzbek citizens to participate in the cotton harvest, which is expected to be higher than last year (see ). Regional party leaders are even offering prizes for the most "active" volunteer--a practice reminiscent of the Soviet era--Golos Uzbekistana reported on 11 October. -- Roger Kangas
[05] IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS ALMATY.
Ali Akbar Velayati went to Kazakstan on 15 October where he discussed the
situation in Afghanistan with his Kazakstani counterpart, Kasyzhomart Tokaev,
Kazakstani media reported. The two ministers issued a call for a special
emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the Afghan situation,
AFP reported. Analysts suggest that an additional hidden motive for the
meeting was to coordinate positions on the status of the Caspian Sea, in view
of an upcoming international meeting on the issue. The Caspian littoral states
disagree over how to divide access to the sea and its resources: Iran and
Kazakstan disagree with Russia's wish to define it as an lake, whose resources
must be shared. Velayati also met Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev in Bishkek on
15 October and traveled on to the Tajik capital Dushanbe on 16 October. --
Slava Kozlov in Almaty
[06] PROTESTERS SURROUND KYRGYZ GOVERNMENT BUILDING.
A crowd of about 1,500 people demonstrated in front of the Kyrgyz government
building in Bishkek on 15 October, RFE/RL reported. The demonstrators were
protesting rising costs and declining living standards. Some in the crowd
claimed their monthly wage was 150-200 som ($12-18) and their monthly gas bill
alone was 500-700 som. Officials from the government met briefly with leaders
of the demonstration, organized by the unregistered Citizen's Council, and
were handed a letter of demands signed by more than 4,000 people. -- Bruce
Pannier and Naryn Idinov
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[07] CROATIA REPORTEDLY ADMITTED TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE.
Reuters on 16 October quoted diplomats at the Council of Europe saying that
body's Council of Ministers had voted to admit Croatia. That country is now
slated to become the 40th member of the Strasbourg-based organization on 6
November. Croatia's admission has been delayed over concerns about press
freedom, minority rights, democracy, and Croatia's role in the Bosnian peace
process. The Council now apparently feels that Zagreb has made sufficient
progress on most of these fronts to justify approval. Recent weeks have seen a
judge throw out a government-backed slander suit against critical journalists
(although the state prosecutor has appealed that ruling), and the passing of
an amnesty law for Serbs who took up arms against Croatia but did not commit
war crimes. The organization's delay in accepting Croatia angered not only the
government but also many in the opposition, who charged that Croatia was being
forced to meet tougher standards than were some other countries. -- Patrick
Moore
[08] NEW AGREEMENT ON BOSNIAN REFUGEE RETURN.
A plan put forward by international mediators to enable refugees to go back to
their homes in areas now controlled by another ethnic group was accepted by
the interior ministers of the Croat-Muslim federation and the Republika Srpska
in Sarajevo on 15 October. Prospective returnees will now have to apply to the
UNHCR, after which other organizations will determine whether the applicant
indeed has property in the area. The returnees must be civilians and will have
to accept the authority of the side now in control of the area. There will be
financial aid for reconstruction and provisions for UN police to supervise
local police when the latter send out patrols of more than three men,
Oslobodjenje and news agencies reported. The new measures are aimed at
preventing unnecessary tensions from arising when refugees try to go home,
while at the same time ensuring their right to do so. -- Patrick Moore
[09] BOSNIAN BUS DELAYED AT SERBIAN BORDER.
A regular bus link between Sarajevo and Belgrade began operating on 14 October,
with the first Serbian bus safely arriving in Sarajevo. But two Bosnian buses
making the first Sarajevo-Belgrade run in four years arrived in Belgrade on 15
October only after being blocked for six hours by Serbian border police,
international agencies reported. The buses left Sarajevo for the inaugural
trip of the new intercity service, seen as a move toward normalization between
the two capitals. Passengers said Serbian police demanded they pay $40 for
tourist visas, although visa-free travel between the two countries was agreed
on at the recent Paris meeting between Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Alija
Izetbegovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Reuters reported. They also said that
military conscripts could not enter the country, only women and children. The
bus was allowed to continue only after telephone calls to various ministries
in Sarajevo and Belgrade. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[10] NATO WARNS CROATIA OVER BOSNIAN PEACE.
During a 15 October meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa, NATO
Secretary General Javier Solana warned Croatia to fully back implementation of
the Croat-Muslim federation in Bosnia and the normalization of the situation
in Mostar, according to a NATO official cited by AFP. Solana also stressed the
importance of establishing a common army for the federation and a return of
refugees, and complained of Croatia's stiff taxes on military vehicles and
material crossing its territory, international and local agencies reported.
Matesa said Solana supported Croatia's plan for the peaceful reintegration of
eastern Slavonia, Hina reported. But the NATO official cited by AFP said
Solana made a "very firm" warning to the Croatian government not to provoke an
exodus of Serbs. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[11] LITTLE HEADWAY IN TALKS ON FORMER YUGOSLAVIA'S ASSETS.
The latest round of talks on the division of the former Yugoslavia's assets
and debts began behind closed doors in Brussels on 14 October, but made little
or no headway, Nasa Borba reported on 16 October. In a related development,
the Bosnian Serb leadership launched a protest on 14 October complaining about
being excluded from the discussions, SRNA reported. Momcilo Krajisnik, Serb
representative in the Bosnian collective presidency, said "Muslim
representatives" were not empowered to speak for all parties in Bosnia, AFP
reported. -- Stan Markotich
[12] MORE WARRANTS ISSUED FOR SUSPECTED KOSOVAR TERRORISTS.
The state prosecutor's office has issued 12 more arrest warrants for suspected
members of the mysterious Kosovo Liberation Army, international agencies
reported. The ethnic Albanians are suspected of committing a number of bomb
attacks earlier this year. Three suspects have been arrested recently.
Meanwhile, Kosovar shadow-state Prime Minister Bujar Bukoshi called on Germany
to ensure "the rights and dignity of ... Albanians [to be expelled to Kosovo
from Germany] be respected," AFP reported. Shadow-state President Ibrahim
Rugova has called for international supervision of the refugees' return. The
Serbian paper Jedinstvo, meanwhile, alleged that Albanian terrorists,
trained by separatist organizations abroad, would infiltrate Kosovo during the
refugee return. The paper demanded detailed identity checks and selective
repatriation "in order to prevent our country admitting ... enemies." --
Fabian Schmidt
[13] ANTI-SEMITIC TONES IN THE ROMANIAN ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN.
Anti-Semitic leaflets targeting Social Democratic Union (USD) presidential
candidate Petre Roman were discovered at the USD head office in Timis county,
the daily Cronica Romana reported on 16 October. The leaflets call on voters
not to allow the country to be led by "a kike." Earlier, graffiti urging
voters not to cast their ballot for a "first non-Romanian president" were
reported from Brasov. Roman, who is partly of Jewish descent and is the son of
a former communist official, was also obliquely attacked by the director of
the electoral campaign of the ruling Party of Social Democracy (PDSR) in
Romania, Ovidiu Sincai, the daily Adevarul reported. He accused the
candidate's father, Valter Roman, of having intended to set up an independent
state in Transylvania. This falls in line with allegations that Roman
represents "Judeo-Communism," often aired by formations such as the Greater
Romania Party. The pro-opposition dailies Ziua and Romania libera
recently attacked U.S. Ambassador Alfred Moses, accusing him of supporting the
PDSR in exchange for legislation providing for restitution of Jewish
property confiscated by Romania's fascist and communist regimes. -- Michael
Shafir
[14] OSCE REPRESENTATIVES NOT ALLOWED TO CHECK ARMS IN DNIESTER REGION.
Dniester and Russian representatives in the Joint Control Commission,
the Russian-sponsored peacekeeping body in Moldova, did not allow an OSCE
visit to alleged military sites in the Dniester region, BASA-Press reported on
15 October. The OSCE mission wanted to visit the fortress of Tighina and
the Pribor factory in the same city. Officials from Moldova claim the fortress
is supplied with Grad jet-rocket equipment produced in the factory (see ). --
Zsolt Mato
[15] RUMORS ABOUT BULGARIAN COALITION GOVERNMENT INTENSIFY.
Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) spokeswoman Klara Marinova and deputy faction
leader Stefan Gaytandzhiev said on 15 October that the party wants to form a
coalition government after the presidential elections, Standart reported.
The daily said that both a party coalition and a government of experts
seem possible, but added that participation by the opposition in a
government including Prime Minister Zhan Videnov seems out of the question.
According to Novinar, the BSP's Nikola Koychev, chairman of parliament's
Economics Commission, has already been chosen as future prime minister of a
broad coalition government. The daily said the coalition will be formed after
the Union of Democratic Forces wins a no-confidence vote in Videnov with
the support of several BSP deputies. -- Stefan Krause
[16] PROTESTERS DEMAND BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT'S RESIGNATION.
Between 5,000 and 20,000 people rallied in Sofia on 15 October and demanded
the government's resignation, international and national media reported. The
meeting was organized by the two major trade unions in the country, the
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions and the Confederation of Labor-
Podkrepa, and was joined by students. Protesters lit bonfires and burned
electricity and telephone bills to protest the government's economic policy.
Others shouted "resignation" and "red garbage" in front of the government
building. Podkrepa leader Konstantin Trenchev urged opposition deputies to
boycott parliament after the 27 October presidential elections and all
Bulgarians to depose the government "by force if necessary." -- Maria
Koinova
[17] ALBANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ACCUSED IN $5 MILLION SCANDAL.
About $5 million given by two state-owned banks to the Albanian Defense
Ministry trading company MEICO has dissapeared, Koha Jone reported on 15
October. According to the paper, Defense Minister Safet Zhulali agreed to give
the former premises of the Military Studies Institute to the banks as
compensation. MEICO failed to return one-year credits of $3 million from the
Albanian Savings Bank and $2 million from the National Bank it received in
1993. In a meeting with Zhulali, Finance Minister Ridvan Bode, and National
Bank Governor Kristaq Luniku, Albanian President Sali Berisha insisted on a
quick resolution of the scandal, before local elections on 20 October. --
Dukagjin Gorani
Compiled by Victor Gomez and Pete Baumgartner
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 info@omri.cz.
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