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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 2, No. 73, 98-04-16Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 2, No. 73, 16 April 1998CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] ARMENIAN DEPUTY PROPOSES MORATORIUM ON KARABAKH MEDIATIONHovannes Igitian, chairman of the Armenian parliamentary Commission on International Affairs, suggested on 15 April that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Minsk Group should suspend its efforts to mediate a settlement of the Karabakh conflict until after the Azerbaijani presidential elections in October, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan, Igitian accused the OSCE of trying to impose a "quick settlement" whereby Nagorno-Karabakh will be returned to Azerbaijani control. Igitian is a member of the leading minority Hanrapetutiun parliamentary faction, which supported former President Levon Ter-Petrossian. LF[02] ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT DISCUSSES NEW DRAFT ELECTION LAWSLawmakers on 15 April began debating three draft election codes, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. The drafts are composed of separate laws on the procedure for electing the parliament, president, and local councils. The first draft, prepared by the Commission on State and Legal Affairs, provides for 50 of the total 131 deputies to be elected in single-seat constituencies and the remainder from party lists. The other two drafts, authored by former State and Legal Affairs Commission chairman Vigen Khachatrian and the Communist faction, put the ratio at 30:101. The drafts also differ in their provisions on the composition of electoral commissions. The final assessment by the OSCE of last month's pre-term Armenian presidential elections called for a "fundamental review" of the existing election legislation, which, it said, "does not guarantee transparency in the election process." LF[03] TURKISH CHIEF OF STAFF IN BAKU ...Meeting in Baku on 14 April with Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev, General Hakki Karadayi said that the Karabakh conflict must be resolved in such a way that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is preserved. Aliev termed the conflict a threat to Turkey. The two men also discussed the possibility of deploying NATO forces to protect oil pipelines in the Transcaucasus, Interfax reported. Karadayi praised Azerbaijan as "the star of the future in economic, commercial, and military terms," the "Turkish Daily News" reported on 16 April. He refused, however, to comment on reports that Azerbaijan is seeking to buy F-16 aircraft from Turkey, according to Turan. LF[04] ...AND TBILISIKaradayi held talks in Tbilisi the next day with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze and Defense Minister Vardiko Nadibaidze, Caucasus Press reported. The talks focused on Turkish financial and technical support for the Georgian military and on the ongoing training program Turkey is offering Georgian army officers. Shevardnadze and Karadayi noted their "common interests" in exporting Caspian oil and gas via Georgia and creating a regional security system. LF[05] OSCE CHAIRMAN VISITS ALMATY...Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, the chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), met with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 15 April, ITAR-TASS reported. Geremek said he appreciated Kazakhstan's efforts to promote stability in Central Asia, particularly in Tajikistan. Nazarbayev replied he was disappointed the OSCE did not play a more active role during the five-year Tajik civil war. He added that the OSCE pays too little attention to Central Asia in general. Meeting with Foreign Minister Kasymjomart Tokayev, Geremek said the understanding reached between Boris Yeltsin and Nazarbayev on the division of the Caspian Sea and its resources "largely eliminates apprehensions" that the sea will cause problems in the region, Interfax reported. BP[06] ...AS DOES BELGIAN PRIME MINISTERBelgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene was also in Almaty on 15 April to meet with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, ITAR-TASS reported. At a press conference, they said an agreement has been signed on avoiding double taxation. Dehaene said the agreement paves the way for Belgian investment of up to $1 billion within the next few years. There are currently seven Kazakh-Belgian joint ventures including Almaty Power Consolidated, the company responsible for supplying energy to the former Kazakh capital. ITAR-TASS noted that trade between the two countries amounted to $53.5 million in 1997. BP[07] KYRGYZ OFFICIAL WANTS INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF GOLD INDUSTRYMamat Aibalaev, the head of Kyrgyzstan's parliamentary commission on corruption in the gold industry, told RFE/RL correspondents in Bishkek on 15 April that the government should ask a foreign company to conduct an audit of the industry. A four- member parliamentary commission requested information on the gold industry from the Kumtor joint venture in February but has only just received it. The Kumtor facility had far exceeded its budget in January, while Apas Jumagulov's sudden resignation as premier in March followed media reports alleging that Jumagulov was involved in illegal sales of Kyrgyz gold through a company in Austria. BP[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[08] WESTENDORP REMINDS BOSNIANS OF HIS POWERSCarlos Westendorp, who is the international community's chief representative in Bosnia, said in Sarajevo on 15 April that "it is for the institutions of this country, for the authorities of this country, to take decisions that are permanent decisions. But for the time being, if they are not capable of doing that, then somebody has to take the responsibility-- and if the authorities prefer that I take this responsibility, I do it voluntarily." His remarks follow the refusal of the Bosnian Serb mayor of Banja Luka to allow the reconstruction of a mosque that Serbian paramilitaries blew up in 1993 (see "RFE/RL Bosnia Report," 15 April 1998). The Sarajevo-based Serbian Civic Council and some other non-nationalist Serbian organizations have condemned the mayor's decision. PM[09] CROATIA PLEDGES STIFF GUN CONTROL LAWPrime Minister Zlatko Matesa said in Zagreb on 15 April that he will propose a "radical law on possession of firearms, with severe punishments. We know that the post-war period has its problems but we also think there has come a time to collect weapons from Croatian homes and store them in places where they are properly kept." Matesa's statement came in response to an incident the previous day in which a bar patron in Slavonski Brod gunned down seven other patrons without warning or provocation. The gunman then blew himself up in his car. On 15 April, a veteran of the 1991-1995 war shot and wounded himself in front of the Defense Ministry to protest what he called the government's neglect of war veterans. PM[10] ISRAEL BACKS CROATIA OVER SAKICEytan Ben-Tsur, the director-general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said in Zagreb on 15 April that Israel "fully supports" Croatia's request that Argentina extradite to Croatia suspected World War II war criminal Dinko Sakic (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15 April 1998). Ben-Tsur and President Franjo Tudjman issued a joint statement saying the improvement of bilateral relations is in the interest of both countries. Tudjman added that "the development of relations between Croatia and Israel...will help break certain stereotypes about Croatia, which are the result of anti-Croat propaganda." Tudjman hopes to visit Israel this year, but many Israelis regard him as an anti-Semite and oppose the trip. Israel has recently promoted good relations with Croatia in hopes of securing key arms contracts. PM[11] 'MACEDONIAN CLINTON' BLASTS ALLEGATIONS OF ADULTERYMacedonian President Kiro Gligorov told Skopje's "Dnevnik" of 16 April that a 20-page special issue of the weekly "Denes" the previous day was an "unscrupulous attempt" aimed at discrediting him in the runup to the fall parliamentary elections and at forcing a presidential vote ahead of the 1999 deadline. In an article headlined "The Macedonian Clinton," "Denes" charged that the 81-year-old president is having an affair with Katerina Kocevska, an actress who is half his age and also his cultural adviser. Gligorov's wife of 60 years also denied the "Denes" report and called it "the ultimate insult." Kocevska was not available for comment. PM[12] SESELJ TELLS SERBS TO BE READY FOR WARSerbian Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj said on 15 April that the possibility of "war [in Kosova] cannot be excluded, so we must be ready for that option, but also do everything to avoid it," Belgrade's BETA news agency reported. He added that "some Western forces constantly encourage Albanian separatists to [prepare for] open war," but the Kosovars "know what they can expect in a possible war in which they have no chance, since they can lose everything." PM[13] BELGRADE SAYS KINKEL DESTROYING YUGOSLAVIABelgrade's state-run Tanjug news agency said in an editorial on 15 April that German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel "favors and protects" Kosova's Albanians. "It is obvious that Kinkel, and those behind his policy, wish to break up Yugoslavia into pieces. That is the reason for the blatant, ruthless, and unprecedented interference in the internal affairs of Serbia and Yugoslavia." In recent months, Germany has been one of many countries calling on Belgrade to grant autonomy to Kosova and urging the Kosovars to forget about independence. Kinkel is currently visiting the successor states to the former Yugoslavia. PM[14] ROW OVER INCIDENT AT TIRANA YUGOSLAV EMBASSYA high school student on 15 April jumped over the walls of the heavily- guarded federal Yugoslav embassy in Tirana, climbed onto the balcony, and tore down the Yugoslav flag, ignoring warning shots fired by police. The boy, who said he acted out of "hatred for the Serbs," was arrested. The embassy protested the incident. In Belgrade, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Albanian charge d'affaires to protest "the attack," Tanjug reported. The ministry demanded that the Albanian authorities again increase security for the embassy (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 March 1998). FS[15] ALBANIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES NEW GOVERNMENT...The center-left parliamentary majority has approved the new government nominated by Prime Minister Fatos Nano (see "RFE/RL Newsline" 15 April 1998). In a last-minute move, Nano named the non-party painter Edi Rama to replace the Socialist Arta Dade as culture minister. Media reports suggest that Dade angered Nano by signing a cultural agreement with the Kosovar shadow- state government without the premier's permission. Former Interior Minister and Minister of Local Government-designate Neritan Ceka unexpectedly voted against the new government, arguing that procedural rules were violated. President Rexhep Meidani must still approve the new cabinet, "Koha Jone" reported. FS[16] ...WHILE DEMOCRATS WALK OUT OF PARLIAMENTDemocratic Party leader Sali Berisha told a press conference in Tirana on 15 April that his party will again boycott the parliament, this time to protest the government changes. He argued that parliamentary speaker Skender Gjinushi violated house rules by rushing through the vote within one day, rather than giving the opposition three days to discuss the new cabinet, "Albania" reported. Berisha also said the new government is not legitimate, predicting that it "will be short-lived" and calling for new elections. The Democrats have frequently boycotted the parliament since it lost the June 1997 elections. FS[17] ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES NEW GOVERNMENTBy a vote of 317 to 124, the bicameral parliament on 15 April endorsed Radu Vasile's cabinet, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. The opposition Alliance for Romania voted in favor of endorsing the government. Vasile told legislators that the cabinet and its program are "the only alternative to early elections, which...would be an unforgivable waste of time and energy." He stressed that the coalition is committed to democratic and economic reforms and that no one should be surprised about "elements of continuity" between the cabinet he heads and that of his predecessor, Victor Ciorbea. MS[18] ROMANIAN PREMIER ON DANGERS AHEADIn an interview with RFE/RL on 15 April, Vasile said Romania "has no more than 10-12 months to prove it is serious about economic reforms." He warned that both reform and democracy are endangered by the decline of living standards, which, he said, could provoke a resurgence of extremism. The state bureaucracy's opposition and its functioning on the basis of personal and political favors also pose a danger, as does the "lack of responsibility of politicians." Vasile pledged that the state bureaucracy, starting with the government itself, will be "drastically reduced." He said the participation of representatives of the Hungarian minority in the government is "beneficial" and that Romania will never face inter-ethnic and religious conflicts such as those in former Yugoslavia. MS[19] SMIRNOV ON CONSTITUTIONAL CRISISIgor Smirnov, the leader of the separatist Transdniester republic, said on 15 April that the Supreme Soviet and its chairman, Grigori Marakutsa, have violated the constitution and "abused power." Last week, the parliament sacked Oleg Natakhin, the chairman of the National Bank, Security Minister Vladimir Antyufev, and Finance Minister Nina Voinarovskaya, saying they were responsible for the three-fold devaluation of the Transdniester ruble (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 and 7 April 1998). Smirnov named Eduard Kosovski to replace Natakhin, but the separatist leader stressed that only he has the right to sack cabinet ministers, unless the legislature twice votes no confidence in them. Sources close to Smirnov say he has no intention of dismissing Voinarovskaya and Antyufev, who is considered particularly close to Smirnov. MS[20] EBRD AGREES TO LATER SHUTDOWN OF BULGARIAN NUCLEAR REACTORSCharles Frank, chairman of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, told BTA on 15 April that the deadline for the closing the aged nuclear reactors at Kozloduy can be extended and that a new date will be discussed later this month. The Bulgarian government in 1993 agreed to shut down the reactors by the end of 1998 and received from the EBRD $26 million in financial assistance for improving the safety of the reactors. Bulgaria has received a total of $180 million from different sources to upgrade the reactors' safety, RFE/RL's Sofia bureau reported. MS[21] BULGARIA HANDS DOWN FIRST SENTENCES TO CD PIRATESThree persons have been given suspended sentences by a court in Nessebar for distributing illegally produced compact discs, an official of the Ministry of Culture told Reuters on 15 April. These are the first sentences handed down for CD piracy in Bulgaria, which has been placed by the U.S. on a piracy "watch list" and was threatened with trade sanctions for production of pirated discs, estimated at 15 million annually. MS[C] END NOTE[22] ALBANIANS SPLIT OVER KOSOVAby Michael J. JordanThe battle lines in Kosova seem clear-cut. The Albanian minority wants independence. Serbia--which, along with Montenegro, makes up postwar Yugoslavia-- steadfastly rejects it. And the West prefers something in between: autonomy reinstated to the Serbian province, where Albanians outnumber Serbs by nine to one But to neighboring Albania, the situation is far from black-and-white. Indeed, it finds itself in an unenviable pinch: sandwiched between its utter dependence on the West for financial aid and its loyalty to the Kosova Albanians. Seemingly everyone in northern Albania has a cousin across the border. Those blood ties may drag the state into war with Serbia. Yet so far, pragmatism has won out over idealism: Albania toes the diplomatic line on the Kosova question. "I haven't seen them say 'no' to the West on anything," says a Western observer who heads a nongovernmental organization in Tirana. But Albania's leaders--former Communists elected last summer after anarchy swept the country--are quick to defend their foreign policy as sovereign. "We are not supporting the ideas of the West because we are weak or in crisis--we think this is the best solution now," Foreign Minister Paskal Milo says. "The Kosova Albanians need to understand that in politics there are compromises. And when you have two extreme positions, it's impossible to work without compromise." Milo insists that theirs is a well-intentioned attempt to introduce a "new philosophy" to an Albanian nation with no tradition of democracy, only of iron-fisted leadership. Yet Western-style diplomacy has elicited mixed reactions among ordinary Albanians. Far from the Kosova border, in central and southern Albania, is a public occupied again with its poverty, not the perpetual problem of Kosova. Already Europe's poorest country, Albania sank even deeper when several huge pyramid-investment schemes collapsed a year ago. The violent backlash left some 3,000 dead. "We Albanians have many problems of our own to solve first before we start fighting again," says one young woman in Tirana. But the mood is different in the rugged mountains of northern Albania. In the city of Kukes, 14 miles from the Kosova border, locals do not appreciate the moderate language of Prime Minister Fatos Nano. Albanian "patriotism," they say half-jokingly, is gauged by how much you hate Serbs. Widespread joblessness fuels that enmity; the bustle of daytime street activity is actually restless men moving from one cafe to another. One senses that war would give them something to do. Albanians here want Tirana to take a harder line with Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic following the massacre of some 80 Kosovar "terrorists" by Serbian police more than a month ago. If their Kosovar brethren continue to die in large numbers--and Tirana resists intervention--those well-armed northerners vow to rush in. The 500,000 restive Albanians in Macedonia have pledged to do the same. "If war starts, one man from every family would go fight; the bloodshed would affect everyone here," says Jonuz Hallaci, a journalist with Radio Kukes. "[The Serbs] have done so many bad things to us over the years that you couldn't resist revenge, no matter how big a heart you have." Capitalizing on such sentiment is Sali Berisha, who was seemingly down and out last year. The charismatic former president is again surging in popularity, attacking Mr. Nano's policies with nationalist rhetoric. If violence in Kosova escalates, Berisha, a northerner, could be the spark that galvanizes Albanians against Serbia. Milo and other Albanian officials concede they have so far failed to effectively communicate the importance of diplomacy over saber-rattling. Albania, they note, also has no tradition of regard for public opinion. Being forced to rein in the hotheads of Kukes is a worrisome prospect for Tirana. With its army and police still recovering from last year's anarchy, the state has requested stepped-up cooperation with NATO. A civilian monitoring group from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is also being set up. And in Macedonia, a United Nations force including 350 US troops is watching for spillover. Albania will likely continue to take cues from Washington and the EU: the state could not survive without their economic and political support. And turning up the heat are Italy, Greece, and Germany. War would likely unleash a wave of refugees, who would pause only briefly in Albania before heading West. Thousands of Albanians washed onto Italy's shores last year. Officials in Tirana try to put the best face on their situation. Autonomy, while far from an ideal solution, could be a means to an end, says Nano spokesman Ben Blushi. In words that would make Serb nationalists blanch, Blushi says: "If we go for autonomy, 10 years later who knows? It may lead to a better, self-determined solution." At least that's the line Tirana officials will whisper into Kosovar ears. But backing the Western powers is a gamble. They showed less than total resolve to stamp out the war in Bosnia or punish Iraq's Saddam Hussein for violating UN agreements. If the West fails with Kosova, at best it will cost Nano and his cohorts popular support; at worst, it will likely mean another war in the Balkans. As one Kosova Albanian puts it, "We have to fight for independence. Autonomy comes with no guarantee: They gave it to us once and took it away [in 1989]. Why wouldn't they do it again?" The author is the Budapest-based correspondent for the "Christian Science Monitor." 16-04-98 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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