Voice of America, 2-3 March 1996

From: "Ioannis V. Bousnakis" <ivb19@nfi.com>

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] ASIA/EUROPE SUMMIT WRAP (L) BY DAN ROBINSON (BANGKOK)

TEXT: IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SO MANY LEADERS OF ASIA AND EUROPE SAT DOWN TOGETHER SPECIFICALLY TO DISCUSS PROBLEMS IN THEIR RELATIONS -- AND POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE.

A JOINT STATEMENT SAYS THE SUMMIT ESTABLISHED THE GROUNDWORK FOR WHAT IT CALLS A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR GREATER GROWTH IN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RELATIONS.

ON THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE SUMMIT, THE LEADERS RECOGNIZE AN URGENT NEED TO INCREASE TWO-WAY INVESTMENT. THE DECLARATION SAYS BOTH REGIONS SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND OPEN TRADE LIBERALIZATION CONSISTENT WITH THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.

IN A NEWS CONFERENCE, FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC CALLED THE BANGKOK SUMMIT IMPORTANT AND SUCCESSFUL. HE SAID THE CRITICISM OFTEN HEARD FROM ASIA THAT EUROPE IS A PROTECTIONIST FORTRESS IS NOT ACCURATE. // END OPT //

THE SUMMIT STATEMENT TREATS CAREFULLY THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS. IT MENTIONS THE NEED TO PROMOTE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS, BUT ALSO CALLS FOR NON-INTERVENTION IN EACH OTHER'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. E-U COMMISSION PRESIDENT JACQUES SANTER DENIES THE SUMMIT SOUGHT TO AVOID HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS:

ON THE SENSITIVE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES DESPITE SOME OF THE COMMON IDEAS WE SHARE. WE ARE NOT SWEEPING THEM UNDER THE CARPET, BUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE, CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES WILL NOT BE SOLVED BY SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER.

ON OTHER ISSUES, THE LEADERS SUPPORT EARLY CONCLUSION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY, PROHIBITION AND NON-PROLIFERATION OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, AND REFORM OF THE UNITED NATIONS.

E-U AND ASIAN OFFICIALS SAY THE VALUE OF THE SUMMIT WILL BE CONFIRMED IF GOVERNMENTS ARE ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE COMMITMENTS MADE IN BANGKOK.

ANALYSTS ALSO POINT TO AN UNDERLYING CONCERN DRIVING THE EUROPEAN EFFORT FOR A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH ASIA -- EUROPE'S FAILURE TO KEEP PACE WITH THE UNITED STATES IN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE.

THE NEXT ASIA-EUROPE SUMMIT IS SET FOR LONDON IN 1998, AND SOUTH KOREA IN THE YEAR 2000. (SIGNED)

NEB/DR/GPT
02-Mar-96 8:30 AM EST (1330 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[02] SPAIN/ELECTION (L ONLY) BY GIL CARBAJAL (MADRID )

INTRO: IN SPAIN, POLITICIANS AND VOTERS TOOK A DAY OF REST BEFORE GOING TO POLLS FOR SUNDAY'S ELECTIONS. FROM MADRID, GIL CARBAJAL SAYS ALL SIGNS POINT TO VICTORY FOR THE RIGHTWING POPULAR PARTY AND AN END TO THE 13-YEAR RULE OF THE SOCIALISTS LED BY FELIPE GONZALEZ.

TEXT: PUBLIC OPINION POLLS ARE FORBIDDEN IN SPAIN IN THE WEEK PRECEDING ELECTIONS, BUT THE LATEST AVAILABLE POLLS GAVE THE POPULAR PARTY LED BY JOSE MARIA AZNAR A RESOUNDING 42 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. IF THIS IS THE WAY SUNDAY'S VOTE GOES, MR. AZNAR SHOULD OBTAIN A NARROW MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT.

A HAGGARD AND NEARLY HOARSE MR. GONZALEZ CLOSED HIS CAMPAIGN IN HIS HOMETOWN OF SEVILLE FRIDAY PLEADING FOR ALL LEFTWING SPANIARDS TO UNITE BEHIND HIM.

LAST WEEK'S PUBLIC OPINION POLLS GAVE THE SOCIALISTS 31 PERCENT. THE COMMUNIST-LED UNITED LEFT COALITION WAS PREDICTED TO WIN 12 PERCENT. MR. GONZALEZ IS HOPING FOR SOME OF THE COALITION SUPPORTERS MOVING OVER TO HIM TO PREVENT A RIGHTWING GOVERNMENT FROM TAKING COMMAND.

BUT UNITED LEFT LEADERS POINTED OUT THAT MR. GONZALEZ MADE THE SAME APPEAL IN THE LAST GENERAL ELECTION, YET WENT ON TO MAKE AN ALLIANCE WITH CONSERVATIVES IN THE CATALAN REGION.

IN HIS LAST CAMPAIGN SPEECH, MR. AZNAR DISMISSED ATTEMPTS BY THE SOCIALISTS TO LINK HIS PARTY WITH THE OLD DICTATORSHIP OF FRANCISCO FRANCO. HE PROMISED AN HONEST AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT TO REPLACE WHAT HE CALLED THE CORRUPTION AND SCANDAL THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE GONZALEZ GOVERNMENT FOR YEARS.

ANALYSTS SAY THAT WHOEVER WINS, NO SUBSTANTIAL POLICY CHANGES ARE EXPECTED IN SPAIN. BOTH THE SOCIALISTS AND THE POPULAR PARTY ARE FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE EUROPEAN UNION, OPPOSE THE U-S TRADE EMBARGO ON CUBA, AND ARE COMMITTED TO REDUCING SPAIN'S 23 PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE -- THE HIGHEST AMONG LEADING INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES. (SIGNED)

NEB/GC/DW/GPT
02-Mar-96 3:24 PM EST (2024 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[03] TURKEY POLITICS (L) BY EDWARD DE MARCO (ISTANBUL)

INTRO: TURKEY'S CENTRIST PARTIES HAVE AGREED TO FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT. THE DEAL SHUTS OUT THE ANTI-WESTERN ISLAMISTS, WHO HAD WON THE LARGEST SHARE OF VOTES IN DECEMBER'S GENERAL ELECTION. EDWARD DE MARCO REPORTS FROM ISTANBUL.

TEXT: CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER AND HER TRUE PATH PARTY AND THE MOTHERLAND PARTY, LED BY FORMER PRIME MINISTER MESUT YILMAZ, HAVE ANNOUNCED THEY WILL FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT.

THE COALITION IS A MARRIAGE OF NECESSITY RATHER THAN ONE OF CHOICE. IT EXCLUDES THE ISLAMIST WELFARE PARTY, WHICH HAD WANTED TO STEER TURKEY AWAY FROM THE WEST. THE WELFARE PARTY'S OPPONENTS HAD FEARED THE ISLAMISTS WOULD UNDERMINE THE PRINCIPLE OF SEPARATION OF THE STATE AND ISLAM--A KEYSTONE OF TURKEY'S DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM.

THE WELFARE PARTY HAS DENOUNCED THE COALITION AGREEMENT AND VOWED THAT IT WILL ONE DAY COME TO POWER.

UNDER THE COALITION AGREEMENT, MRS. CILLER WILL TURN OVER THE PRIME MINISTER'S POST TO MR. YILMAZ FOR THE NEXT TEN MONTHS. THEN MRS. CILLER WILL RETAKE THE POSITION FOR TWO YEARS. MR. YILMAZ WILL RETURN TO THE TOP JOB IN THE FOURTH YEAR AND THEN THE TRUE PATH PARTY WILL TAKE OVER THE POSITION FOR THE FIFTH AND FINAL YEAR OF THE COALITION GOVERNMENT. ON SUNDAY, THE COALITION PARTNERS PLEDGED TO BOLSTER THE SAGGING ECONOMY BY FIGHTING INFLATION, BROADENING THE TAX BASE AND SPEEDING UP PRIVATIZATION. THE COALITION ALSO VOWED TO CONTINUE TO PRESS A MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST KURDISH MILITANTS IN SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY.

THE COALITION DEAL ENDED MORE THAN TWO MONTHS OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY AS NEGOTIATIONS DRAGGED ON AMONG THE MAJOR PARTIES. MOTHERLAND AND TRUE PATH AREN'T FAR APART POLITICALLY. BUT PERSONAL BITTERNESS BETWEEN MRS. CILLER AND MR. YILMAZ KEPT THEM FROM JOINING FORCES UNTIL NOW.

TALKS BETWEEN THE MOTHERLAND AND TRUE PATH PARTIES RESUMED A WEEK AGO AFTER THE MOTHERLAND PARTY FAILED AT THE LAST MOMENT TO FORM A GOVERNMENT WITH THE ISLAMISTS. THOSE TALKS DEADLOCKED OVER CONTROL OF ECONOMIC AND RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS.

THE ROTATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S JOB WILL WORK ONLY IF THE MINORITY COALITION CAN WIN SUPPORT OF THE COUNTRY'S SMALLER PARTIES IN PARLIAMENTARY CONFIDENCE VOTES ALONG THE WAY. THAT MAY NOT BE EASY. THERE'S ALSO THE CHANCE THAT ANIMOSITY BETWEEN THE COALITION'S TWO LEADERS, MRS. CILLER AND MR. YILMAZ, COULD FLARE UP AGAIN.

IN ITS FIRST WEEKS, THE NEW GOVERNMENT MUST GRAPPLE WITH HUGE PAYMENTS ON TURKEY'S 100-BILLION DOLLAR PUBLIC DEBT AND RISING TENSIONS WITH GREECE TRIGGERED BY A TERRITORIAL DISPUTE IN THE AEGEAN SEA. (SIGNED)

NEB/EDM/SKH
03-Mar-96 4:58 PM EST (2158 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America