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Serbia Today, 97-02-10
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] CNN: MILOSEVIC HAS THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE
[02] NATO AGAIN SPILLS DANGEROUS CHEMICALS OVER THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
[03] FINAL COUNT-DOWN WITH MUSLIM EXTREMISTS ANNOUNCED
[04] PARTNERS BLOCK THE WORK OF FEDERATION
[05] FROM ALL THE PROMISES TO THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA - NOT EVEN A CENT
[06] RUMANIAN AMBASSADOR ON THE EVENTS IN YUGOSLAVIA
[07] ERDUT AGREEMENT - BASIS FOR THE STAY OF SERBS
[08] GOVERNMENT SHOULD BELONG TO THE ONES WHO WON THE ELECTIONS
[01] CNN: MILOSEVIC HAS THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE
"If the elections are to be held now in Serbia, President Milosevic would
win again". This is how the CNN reporter Christian Amanput started her
latest report on the situation in Serbia. In spite of sanctions, economic
problems and several weeks of rallies in the streets of Belgrade, "Slobodan
Milosevic still remains the most popular politician in Serbia", says this
reporter. The same TV network in its recent report from London broadcasted
the opinion of some British analysts, who are saying that the main cause of
the present situation of crisis in Serbia are the long years of isolation
of this country which was pressed with the sanctions of the international
community. Such reports of the most popular American TV network are the
continuation of the writings in the American press over the past few days,
which are more and more underlining that the Serbian opposition has no
program which it can offer as the solution for the coming out of the
crisis.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Borba, 1997-02-08
[02] NATO AGAIN SPILLS DANGEROUS CHEMICALS OVER THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
There are all the signs that the county of Doboj in the Republic of Srpska,
its people and the entire flora and fauna have been transformed into a
large experimental testing site, where NATO, in the name and on behalf of
the United Nations, is testing chemical substances. NATO has recently, in
late January, from the helicopters which were in a low flight cruising
above the villages in the vicinity of Doboj, spilled from the air by
special sprinklers, some sort of a chemical substance. Afterwards, in
several places, some strange probes have been discovered which came on
earth from the air by means of small parachutes. Along the river valley of
the rivers Spreca, Bosna and Uspora a characteristic unpleasant smell was
registered, and inhabitants from the villages over which the helicopters
were flying, started showing signs of massive choking, difficulties in
breathing, headaches, watering of the eyes, malaise, vomiting, fatigue and
drowsiness. The first large-scale chemical experiment, sprinkling of
chemicals from the air, NATO executed in June last year above the Doboj
county village of Boljanici. The helicopter also on that occasion left a
trace of an unknown substance of unpleasant odor, from which immediately,
from its very source, the river Krusicka started to foam, and in its calmer
flow the layers of foam were reaching up to half a meter in thickness. On
the window panes some sort of a greenish film was formed, in the villages
chickens started dying rapidly and the just grown beans and pumpkins dried
completely out. It is already evident that the effects of "chemical"
activities of NATO helicopters are being combined with the effects caused
by NATO air strikes from August 10 to September 13, 1995, when both
military and civilian targets in the Republic of Srpska were bombarded,
especially in the county of Doboj. At that time the armament used had some
sort of a milder nuclear charge. From the air bombs and missiles the
craters remained from which there is a constant spreading of radioactive
radiation.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-02-10
[03] FINAL COUNT-DOWN WITH MUSLIM EXTREMISTS ANNOUNCED
The city mayor of Mostar Ivan Prskalo warns in his announcement that in
Mostar "there is a war going on" in which the Muslim extremists in the
eastern part of the city are attacking everything that is Croat in the
western part of the city. "An end must finally be put to these savage
rampaging of Muslims in Mostar", said Prskalo and added: "If the
representatives of the international community are not prepared to do this,
then we shall have to do it ourselves, we who wish to live in this city".
However, Muslim media are reproaching the city mayor of Mostar that not
once he had raised his voice when there were daily lootings and crimes in
which the Croat policemen in disguise were plundering and harassing
citizens of Muslim nationality.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-02-10
[04] PARTNERS BLOCK THE WORK OF FEDERATION
The project of the Muslim-Croat Federation has found itself once again,
according to the opinion of the media, in one of its most critical phases,
because once again the work of the highest federal bodies of the government
is blocked. Therefore, an urgent meeting is expected to take place again
between the leaders of the Muslim Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and of
the Croat Democratic Community (HDZ). But no one really believes any more
in the success of this meeting, because the negotiators are the same
persons who have failed for three years already to establish the
federation. The substantial differences still remain unsurpassable, because
the Croat side sees the Federation as a sum of national territories, while
the Muslims keep insisting on the constitutional provision according to
which it is a Federation of the cantons. If one is to add here the
obstructions in the joint governmental bodies, then it becomes clear that
Bosnia-Herzegovina after the September elections is now in the phase of a
critical political de-stabilization.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Politika, 1997-02-10
[05] FROM ALL THE PROMISES TO THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA - NOT EVEN A CENT
Economic enterprises in the Republic of Srpska have drafted a study with
close to 3,000 production programs, competing in this way for the
allocation of the funds from the total amount of 1.4 billion US dollars,
the amount that the international financial organizations have promised for
their reconstruction and development. However, international organizations
until now have neither rejected nor accepted any of the programs from the
Republic of Srpska, which means that these enterprises did not received
even one cent from them. Therefore, many official representatives of the
authorities in the Republic of Srpska are expressing their doubts in the
sincerity of the international community and claim that Serbs are
discriminated even in the questions of economic resources, and that the
promises of aid were given for purpose of achieving some other targets.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-02-10
[06] RUMANIAN AMBASSADOR ON THE EVENTS IN YUGOSLAVIA
Ambassador of Romania in Belgrade, H.E. Panait Lefter, stated in his
interview for the Novi Sad magazine "Nedeljni dnevnik" that the relations
with Serbia and Yugoslavia are especially favorable also due to the fact
that between Serbs and Rumanians there has never been in history the
unresolved matters and no conflicts whatsoever. This had always supported
the development of the bilateral relations, said Ambassador Lefter and
recalled that last year Romania and Yugoslavia have signed the agreement on
good neighborly relations, cooperation and friendship, which is marking a
new phase in the development of traditionally good relations. In the view
of Ambassador Lefter, the question of minorities is perhaps the highest
point of the Rumanian-Serbia friendship. Regarding the actual political
situation in our country, Lefter pointed out that the stand of his country
is that this is an interior affair of Yugoslavia, but that Romania is
interested in the stability in the region.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Borba, 1997-02-09
[07] ERDUT AGREEMENT - BASIS FOR THE STAY OF SERBS
Federal Government at its latest session, debated the information regarding
the presidential communique of the UN Security Council on the Srem and
Baranja Region, and qualified as positive the fact that the international
community and the Security Council had devoted their special attention to
the consistent implementation of the Erdut Agreement, to the creation of
the conditions for safety and full equality of all the citizens, to the
measures for confidence building and prerequisites for a lasting stay of
Serbs in this region. Government is expecting that the most responsible
international factors will continue to care for the consistent
implementation of the Erdut Agreement. This especially pertains to the
lasting protection of the status and rights of Serbs, elaboration and
implementation of the cultural and educational autonomy, establishment and
functioning of the council of municipalities and council of Serbs, in
accordance with the international standards and obligations undertaken by
Croatia.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Politika, 1997-02-08
[08] GOVERNMENT SHOULD BELONG TO THE ONES WHO WON THE ELECTIONS
President of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic gave his interview
to the Greek weekly with the highest circulation "To Vima", commenting
extensively on the situation in Serbia and the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, on the causes and effects of the war in Bosnia, the Dayton
Accords, and relations with Greece. Recalling the set of economic,
political and social consequences caused by the difficult years between
1991 and 1996, President Milosevic also spoke of his vision of the new
Yugoslavia at the transition into the new century. "Yugoslavia has the
conditions to develop very fast and successfully in every respect, if it is
not obstructed by pressures from the outside and interference of the
foreign powers into its internal life. It is true that to such pressures
and interferences are also exposed almost all of the Eastern European
countries and many others, both big and small, in Europe, Asia, Africa and
South America. Regarding the Balkan countries, they must through joint
efforts, win their equitable position. They also must through joint efforts
put an end to mutual squabbles which they had in the past". When asked
about the local elections and the latest conflicts with the opposition,
President Milosevic answered as follows: "At the federal elections, as is
well known, the block of left and democratic parties won the elections -
Socialist Party of Serbia, Yugoslav Left and the New Democracy. At the
elections for the local authorities this block also had an enormous
majority. In some of the cities in Serbia and in some of the municipalities
in Belgrade the government was won by the Radical Party and Coalition
"Zajedno" ("Together"). These are the facts and I do not see why those
facts should be a matter for consideration. The government should belong to
those who have won the elections. This applies also to all the future
elections. The balance of power between the political parties may change -
no advantage is permanent - ones are going out, the others are coming in,
new parties are being formed, old parties dissolved, and multi-party life
should be dynamic, unrestricted and should express the main reason for its
existence: the opportunity for citizens to chose that concept of
development of the society which they think is the closest to their
interests. What is inadmissible is reducing parliamentary life and the
multi-party system to a fight for power, neglecting the development concept,
causing multi-party conflicts which are blocking the society in its
development, and making threats of violence and committing violence itself.
Also the interference of foreign factors in the life of the country, with
the aim through their financial and political support to faster and easier
win the power", said, among others, President Milosevic in his interview
for the Greek weekly.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-10 ; Politika, 1997-02-10
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