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OMRI: Daily Digest, Vol. 3, No. 57, 97-03-21
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 3, No. 57, 21 March 1997
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] KOCHARYAN NAMED ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER . . .
[02] . . . AMID AZERBAIJAN'S CONDEMNATION.
[03] NAZARBAYEV TEMPERS STATEMENT ON PRIME MINISTER.
[04] UZBEK DISSIDENT WRITER IN FINLAND.
[05] NEWSPAPER QUESTIONS RUSSIAN ROLE IN TAJIKISTAN.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[06] ITALY: NO MILITARY INTERVENTION IN ALBANIA.
[07] DEMOCRATS MAINTAIN STIFF CONTROL OVER MEDIA.
[08] ALBANIAN REBELS TARGET PRESIDENT.
[09] MOSTAR CROATIAN POLICE OFFICERS GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCES.
[10] EASTERN SLAVONIAN SERB PARTY MERGES WITH CROATIAN SERB PARTY.
[11] FEDERAL YUGOSLAVIA GETS NEW GOVERNMENT.
[12] YUGOSLAV ROUNDUP.
[13] CONSTANTINESCU RECEIVES OPPOSITION LEADERS.
[14] ROMANIA GETS G-24 AID.
[15] ROMANIA'S FIRST PROTEST AGAINST CIORBEA GOVERNMENT.
[16] NEW MOLDOVAN CHIEF OF STAFF.
[17] EUROPEAN COURT SENTENCED BULGARIA ON BEHALF OF LATE PRIME MINISTER.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] KOCHARYAN NAMED ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER . . .
Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossyan on 20 March appointed Robert
Kocharyan, the leader of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh,
as Armenia's new prime minister, international media reported. Kocharyan
said he is confident that despite the appointment his supporters will
implement his "program to strengthen Nagorno-Karabakh's statehood and
defense capability." Kocharyan, an engineer by training, was one of the
leaders of the 1988 movement for the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with
Armenia and is respected by many opposition groups, including the banned
Dashnak party. It appears that his appointment is aimed at easing the tense
internal political situation in Armenia caused largely by the controversial
22 September presidential election. The deputy speaker of the Armenian
parliament, Ara Sahakyan, one of the closest figures to Ter-Petrossyan,
said Kocharyan will "play a consolidating role in Armenian society." --
Emil Danielyan
[02] . . . AMID AZERBAIJAN'S CONDEMNATION.
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said that Kocharyan's
appointment may sour already strained relationship between Baku and Yerevan
and slammed the move as a "provocation," Russian Public TV (ORT) reported
on 20 March. Azimov added that Kocharyan should abandon "Azerbaijani
citizenship and resign from the post of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian
community leader." According to Western agencies, the U.S. State Department
spokesman Nicholas Burns expressed the hope that the appointment of the
Karabakh leader as prime minister of Armenia is not an attempt by Yerevan
to "annex" the region. -- Emil Danielyan
[03] NAZARBAYEV TEMPERS STATEMENT ON PRIME MINISTER.
Kazakstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 20 March withdrew his threat
to sack Prime Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin if he didn't show progress in
addressing the wage and pension arrears problem by 10 April, Reuters
reported. Nazarbayev said "as long as reforms continue, the premier will
retain his post." Foreign investors were alarmed by the earlier statement
concerning the reformist prime minister's possible ouster. Kazhegeldin is
largely seen as the guarantor of market reforms in Kazakstan. Concerning
the matter of arrears, Finance Minister Aleksander Pavlov said on 20 March
that the state pension fund is bankrupt. The government plans to establish
a private pension fund but the chairman of the National Securities
Commission, Grigory Marchenko, said the fund could atake up to 30 years
before it becomes effective. -- Bruce Pannier
[04] UZBEK DISSIDENT WRITER IN FINLAND.
Uzbek writer Albert Musim, who was detained and eventually released by
authorities in Moscow in February in connection with an extradition request
from the Uzbek government, arrived in Finland on 18 March seeking political
asylum, RFE/RL reported. Musim was wanted in Uzbekistan for criticizing the
government. According to a 19 March broadcast by Radio Finland as cited by
the BBC, Musim is the first writer to be granted asylum in Finland. --
Bruce Pannier
[05] NEWSPAPER QUESTIONS RUSSIAN ROLE IN TAJIKISTAN.
The Russian daily Segodnya on 20 March shed some light on the myths and
realities of politics in Tajikistan. The article claimed the Tajik
government is not in control of events, and questioned the wisdom of
continuing to prop it up. On the Islamic threat in Tajikistan, the paper
said "only people holding the most primitive notions" of Tajikistan make
this statement, noting that the leader of the Ismaili Muslims in Gorno-
Badakhshan, the Aga Khan, advocates a secular state. As to the "Dushanbe
regime" being pro-Russian, the article questioned the allegiance of a
country which owes millions dollars to Russia yet the leading trade
partners for Tajikistan are now Switzerland, Holland, and Turkey. The paper
argues that Tajikistan is disintegrating economically and politically, and
the country is a "black hole" into which the Russian taxpayers are throwing
their money. -- Bruce Pannier
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[06] ITALY: NO MILITARY INTERVENTION IN ALBANIA.
Italian Defense Minister Beniamino Andreatta on 20 March ruled out
unilateral military intervention in Albania, AFP reported. The same day,
Italian Marines returned some 400 Albanians, including 45 children, to a
beach near Durres. They had rescued them from a ship adrift in rough seas.
Italy also expelled 50 Albanian suspected criminals. In Brindisi, police
arrested Despoti Clirimi, who was photographed pointing a rifle at crowds
of frightened people in Durres. Meanwhile, more than 2,200 U.S. Marines
were stationed off the Albanian coast to evacuate foreigners. -- Fabian
Schmidt
[07] DEMOCRATS MAINTAIN STIFF CONTROL OVER MEDIA.
The Democrat-controlled Albanian legislature refused to transfer its
authority over state radio and television to the government. It also
refused to allow newspapers to resume uncensored publishing. Reports
indicate that criminal gangs have taken control of various southern cities.
At least 121 people have been killed since 28 February. Political leaders,
now part of the all-party government charged with organizing elections by
June, have come out against using force to remove Berisha, saying the
democratic process will decide. "We do not support any military move to
overthrow Berisha. We think he can and should be removed by legal, peaceful
means," Social Democratic Vice Chairman Paskal Milo said. -- Fabian Schmidt
[08] ALBANIAN REBELS TARGET PRESIDENT.
In the south, an unidentified rebel leader proposed sending armed men to
Tirana to put President Sali Berisha under house arrest, Reuters reported
on 21 March. AFP reported that Gjoleke Malaj, head of the "citizens'
committee" in Tepelena, said that a 50-man unit had been sent to Tirana to
kill Berisha if he refuses to resign. Insurgent commander Gen. Xhevat Kociu
was less threatening, saying: "All we want is to force Berisha to resign.
That's why we took weapons in our hands--not to kill but to force his
removal." He warned, however, that the insurgents' support for the
caretaker government may be short-lived if Prime Minister Bashkim Fino
fails to help their cause. -- Fabian Schmidt
[09] MOSTAR CROATIAN POLICE OFFICERS GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCES.
Croatian authorities in the divided city of Mostar on 20 March gave
suspended sentences to three policemen named by the UN police as
participants in the 10 February shooting at a Muslim crowd. An initial
report by a UN official was critical of the trial, saying that some
witnesses lied and the room was packed with armed police officers, AFP
reported. In other news, Bosnian Presidency Chairman Alija Izetbegovic on
20 March left for a five-day visit to the U.S., where he will be given an
award for democracy development from the U.S. Center for Democracy in
Washington, Oslobodjenje reported. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[10] EASTERN SLAVONIAN SERB PARTY MERGES WITH CROATIAN SERB PARTY.
Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS), led by eastern Slavonian Serb
leader Vojislav Stanimirovic, merged with the Independent Serbian Party
(SSS), led by Milorad Pupovac, ahead of next month's elections, AFP on 20
March reported, quoting Novi List. The SDSS represents Serbs who will
remain in the region when it reverts to Croatian control, and the SSS
represents Serbs in the rest of Croatia. The combined party would bear the
name SDSS and would be led by Stanimirovic, according to Novi List. --
Daria Sito Sucic
[11] FEDERAL YUGOSLAVIA GETS NEW GOVERNMENT.
Parliament on 20 March approved a cabinet headed once again by Prime
Minister Radoje Kontic in a reshuffle stemming from the 3 November
legislative elections. The government now has 20 members, up from the
previous total of 14, AFP and Nasa Borba noted. Among the old faces are
Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic and Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic.
Key additions include Interior Minister Zoran Sokolovic, who is the
outgoing Serbian interior minister and a close aide to Serbian President
Slobodan Milosevic, and Deputy Prime Minister Vladan Kutlesic, who was
Milosevic's adviser. The appointments reinforce the widely held belief that
Milosevic is building up the federal government as a prelude to his own
assumption of the federal presidency later this year. -- Patrick Moore
[12] YUGOSLAV ROUNDUP.
Some 20,000 Belgrade students held boisterous celebrations on 20 March to
celebrate the removal of Dragutin Velickovic as rector of the university,
AFP and Nasa Borba reported (see OMRI Daily Digest, 20 March). Their
chants included: "Slobo, you are next," which echoes opposition demands for
the ouster of Milosevic. Also in the capital, the Serbian Renewal Movement
(SPO) blasted the government for ignoring demands for a round table with
the opposition and suggested that mass demonstrations could start again.
Finally, the head of the Montenegrin trade delegation in the U.S. blamed
the Yugoslav embassy for being behind an embarrassing letter allegedly
written by Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic to two members of
Congress (see OMRI Daily Digest, 19 March). -- Patrick Moore
[13] CONSTANTINESCU RECEIVES OPPOSITION LEADERS.
President Emil Constantinescu on 20 March received the leaders of the
opposition parliamentary groups boycotting debates in the legislature and
discussed ways to overcome the crisis, Radio Bucharest reported. Greater
Romania Party leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor said Constantinescu agreed to
mediate in the conflict over the lifting of Tudor's parliamentary immunity,
adding that if that decision is not reversed he will no longer participate
in Senate debates. The leader of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania,
former President Ion Iliescu, said his party will return to parliament and
support the budget law "with some modifications." The Party of Romanian
National Unity said it will participate in the debates but continue its
protest. -- Michael Shafir
[14] ROMANIA GETS G-24 AID.
Minister of European Integration Alexandru Herlea announced after a meeting
in Brussels of the joint Romania-European Parliament commission that
representatives of the G-24 countries have agreed to grant Romania some
$145 million to cover its trade deficit, Radio Bucharest reported the same
day. Several industrialized countries also promised substantial additional
help: Japan and Switzerland will grant $50 million each, Sweden $4 million.
The EU has agreed to release the second installment of an $80.5 million
loan granted in 1996 and frozen because of the previous government's
economic policies. The IMF and the World bank will also extend help. --
Michael Shafir
[15] ROMANIA'S FIRST PROTEST AGAINST CIORBEA GOVERNMENT.
Energy workers on 20 March demonstrated against the economic measures of
the Victor Ciorbea government in Bucharest and other Romanian cities,
RFE/RL and international agencies reported. In Bucharest, the workers
called for the resignation of the government and demanded new contracts and
higher salaries. The workers also protested against the planned
privatization and restructuring of the energy sector, predicting massive
layoffs. -- Michael Shafir
[16] NEW MOLDOVAN CHIEF OF STAFF.
President Petru Lucinschi on 20 March appointed Col. Vladimir Dontul chief
of the General Staff and first deputy defense minister, BASA-press
reported. Col. Anatol Guboglo was appointed deputy defense minister. Dontul
was commander of an artillery brigade and Guboglo was commander of a
motorized infantry brigade. -- Michael Shafir
[17] EUROPEAN COURT SENTENCED BULGARIA ON BEHALF OF LATE PRIME MINISTER.
The European Court of Justice in Strasbourg sentenced Bulgaria to pay the
family of Andrey Lukanov a fine plus legal costs amounting to $12,000,
Kontinent and Pari reported on 21 March. Lukanov, the Socialist prime
minister in 1990, was detained for six months in 1992 after being deprived
of his parliamentary immunity following allegations that he was involved in
giving money from the state budget to communist parties in Third World
countries. He was murdered in October 1996. According to Novinar, justice
would be better served if those guilty of detaining Lukanov paid the fine,
rather than the current Bulgarian government, which is facing an economic
crisis. -- Maria Koinova
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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