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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 26, 00-02-07Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 4, No. 26, 7 February 2000CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] ARMENIAN PRESIDENT PROPOSES 'NEW IDEAS' ON KARABAKHSETTLEMENT...During talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Heidar Aliev, on the sidelines of the world economic summit in Davos last month, Robert Kocharian suggested two "new ideas" for resolving the Karabakh conflict, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported on 4 February, quoting presidential spokesman Vahe Gabrielian. Gabrielian did not say what those ideas were, but he did comment that despite "some positive movement," the Davos talks did not yield "major progress" on resolving the conflict. On 3 February, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a note saying that the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's decision to demand entry visas from foreigners was a violation of Azerbaijan's sovereignty, ITAR-TASS and Turan reported. Baku warned that foreigners whose passports contain such a visa will be barred entry to Azerbaijan. LF [02] ...MEETS WITH PARTY LEADERSKocharian on 4 February met withthe leaders of Armenia's political parties to brief them on his recent visits abroad and to discuss economic issues, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. The domestic political situation was not discussed. "Orinats yerkir" leader Sergo Yeritsian said the meeting "marked the beginning of a political dialogue" between the president and other political forces. National Democratic Union Chairman Vazgen Manukian, who last month suggested that Kocharian was not in control of the political situation and should therefore resign, told journalists after the 4 February meeting that he had subsequently held a separate meeting with Kocharian, but he gave no details. LF [03] SON OF SLAIN ARMENIAN LEADER INHERITS POPULAR SUPPORTStepanDemirchian, younger son of murdered Armenian parliamentary speaker Karen, pledged last week to continue the People's Party of Armenia's (HHK) cooperation with the Republican Party, its partner in the majority Miasnutiun parliament bloc, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Last month, Stepan Demirchian was elected acting chairman of the HHK, which his father had founded in 1998. Demirchian told RFE/RL on 3 February that "serious and competent people" continue to join the HHK. Touring towns in central Armenia the following day, he told supporters that the HHK will not do anything to split Miasnutiun. The HHK is perceived as the junior member of that bloc. Demirchian also said the HHK does not support calls by some opposition parties for new presidential elections. LF [04] RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN CONDEMN TERRORISM, SEPARATISMVisitingBaku on 3-4 February, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo held talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ramil Usubov, and with President Aliev, Turan and Russian agencies reported. Rushailo and Usubov signed agreements on preventing terrorism and on deepening cooperation in preventing the smuggling of arms and narcotics across their shared border. Usubov thanked Moscow for extraditing more than 500 wanted criminal to Azerbaijan over the past three years. Aliev termed Rushailo's visit "politically important" and a step forward in the development of bilateral relations, according to Interfax. He characterized the Russian and Azerbaijani positions on the prevention of terrorism and separatism as similar, noting that those phenomena pose a threat to all democratic states. LF [05] GEORGIA, ABKHAZIA EXCHANGE FIRST HOSTAGESTwo days aftersenior Abkhaz and Georgian government officials signed an agreement in Sukhum (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 February 2000), Georgia handed over the bodies of three Abkhaz customs officials shot dead last month, Caucasus Press reported. In exchange, the Abkhaz authorities released three Georgian hostages. A group of Georgians continues to block the Georgian side of the bridge over the Inguri River, which forms the internal border between Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia, to demand the release of five Georgians held by the Abkhaz, Caucasus Press reported on 7 February. Tbilisi says those five are all civilians, while the Abkhaz authorities claim that some of them have been convicted for war crimes committed during the 1992-1993 fighting, according to AP. The Georgian authorities, for their part, continue to hold two Abkhaz. LF [06] GEORGIA, SLOVAKIA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENTSVisitingSlovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan and Economy Minister Lubomir Harach held talks with the Georgian leadership in Tbilisi on 4 February. Kukan and Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili signed a protocol on cooperation between their respective ministries. Meeting with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, the Slovak ministers discussed the possibility of Slovak participation in the construction of a thermal power station in western Georgia. Shevardnadze described the overall situation in the Caucasus as "problematic" given the numerous unsolved conflicts. He expressed the hope that it will prove possible to conclude a Caucasus stability pact analogous to that forged last year for the Balkans, TASR reported. LF [07] GEORGIA'S UN VOTING RIGHT AT RISKForeign MinisterMenagharishvili told journalists on 4 February that Georgia risks losing its voting right at the UN unless it pays at least part of the $6 million it owes in membership dues, Caucasus Press reported. He expressed confidence that the Finance Ministry will release the necessary funds to pay at least part of that sum. Armenia, by contrast, has no outstanding debts to the UN and has already paid its $410,000 membership dues for 2000, Groong reported on 2 February, citing Snark. LF [08] KAZAKH ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF ACQUITTED IN MIG SALE TRIALAKazakh military court on 4 February acquitted acting Chief of Army General Staff Bakhytzhan Ertaev of abuse of office in connection with last year's illegal sale to North Korea of some 40 obsolete MiG fighter aircraft, Russian agencies reported. Ertaev had told the court last month that in giving the go-ahead for that sale, he was merely obeying orders from his superiors, including Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbaev, whom he demanded be summoned as a witness (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 and 12 January 2000). Ertaev, who was hospitalized last month after suffering a heart attack in the court room, may sue the National Security Committee for damages, according to Interfax. His co-defendant, businessman Aleksandr Petrenko, was found guilty of participating in the sale but was immediately amnestied, according to dpa on 4 February. LF [09] ANOTHER KYRGYZ OPPOSITION PARTY BARRED FROM ELECTIONSABishkek district court ruled on 5 February that the congress convened in early January by the Party of the Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan (PDMK) to select the party's candidates for the 20 February parliamentary elections was illegal, RFE/RL's bureau in the Kyrgyz capital reported. The court maintained that only 57 delegates attended that gathering, while 59 are required for a quorum, and therefore ruled that the party cannot participate in the poll. But PDMK chairman Jypar Jeksheev told RFE/RL that of a total of 83 delegates selected, 71 did attend the congress. Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights chairman Ramazan Dyryldaev condemned the court ruling as politically motivated. As a result of the ruling, the number of political parties that will contend the poll has dropped to nine. Moreover, former Bishkek Mayor and Ar-Namys party chairman Feliks Kulov, who topped the list of PDMK candidates to contest the mandates to be distributed under the proportional system, is now precluded from running. LF [10] TAJIK BUS EXPLOSION CASUED BY ANTI-PERSONNEL MINETajikSecurity Ministry experts told ITAR-TASS on 4 February that the explosion in a Dushanbe city bus the previous day was not caused by a bomb or a faulty gas cylinder but by a foreign- made anti-personnel mine. Seven people died in that explosion (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 February 2000). LF [11] KISS OF DEATH FOR THE TRANS-CASPIAN PIPELINE?Relationsbetween Ankara and Ashgabat have cooled after a Turkish singer accompanying a Turkish delegation to the Turkmen capital rejected the amorous advances of President Saparmurat Niyazov, according to the "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" of 4-5 February. The lady has reportedly been asked by the Turkish authorities not to divulge details of the episode to the Turkish press. LF [B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[12] CROATIA ELECTS ITS PRESIDENTVoters began casting theirballots at 7:00 a.m. local time on 7 February in the second round of the Croatian presidential elections. Stipe Mesic of the smaller four-party governing coalition is pitted against Drazen Budisa of the larger two-party coalition. The latest public opinion polls give Mesic a slight edge over Budisa, but most observers agree that the results are too close to predict. Unofficial results are expected at midnight. The inauguration is slated for 18 February. The election campaign centered primarily on the candidates' styles and personalities because there are hardly any differences between them on political issues of substance. Budisa stressed his honesty and integrity. Mesic presented himself as a counterbalance to the two-party coalition that dominates the government and as a man close to ordinary people. He was not friendly toward the Herzegovinians, an approach that may win him some votes in Croatia proper but is likely to cause the Herzegovinians to vote en masse for Budisa. PM [13] DEFEATED PARTY ABOUT TO SPLIT?"Jutarnji list" reported on 7February about an imminent split in the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ), which governed from 1990 until its overwhelming defeat in the 2000 parliamentary and presidential elections (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report, 16 November 1999). A moderate wing led by former Foreign Minister Mate Granic and Vesna Skare-Ozbolt plans to form the Croatian Christian Democratic Party. Other prominent HDZ politicians likely to join the new party are Nikica Valentic, Vlatko Pavletic, Pavao Miljavac, and Ivan Jarnjak, the daily added. Observers note that if the split takes place, the HDZ would be left primarily in the hands of two hard-line factions. One of those factions is led by Vladimir Seks, while the other is headed by Ivic Pasalic and consists primarily of Herzegovinians. PM [14] TENSIONS CONTINUE IN DIVIDED KOSOVSKA MITROVICAViolenceinvolving ethnic Albanians and Serbs, as well as Albanians and French and Italian peacekeepers, continued on 4 and 5 February (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 February 2000). AP reported on 6 February that some 10 people died in the violence and that dozens were injured, including 16 French peacekeepers. Some 2,000 Albanians and an unspecified number of Serbs staged rival protests on 6 February, but no clashes were reported. Bernard Kouchner, who is the UN's chief civilian administrator in the province, broke off a fund- raising trip to Japan to return to Mitrovica. He suggested that "extremists" are seeking to "blow up the progress we've made." He vowed: "They will not succeed. We will not give up." PM [15] DEL PONTE WANTS NATO TO SET UP UNIT TO CATCH WAR CRIMINALSCarla Del Ponte, who is the Hague-based war crimes tribunal'schief prosecutor, wants the Atlantic alliance to form a special unit to arrest indicted war criminals, "Vesti" reported on 7 February. She told the Copenhagen daily "Politiken" that one reason why more war criminals have not been brought to justice is that NATO has not made catching them a priority. Del Ponte added that alliance officials in Brussels reacted "positively" to her suggestion. PM [16] FORMER SERBIAN COMMANDER CALLS FOR COUPRetired GeneralStevan Mirkovic, who is a former chief of the Yugoslav Army General Staff, said that "a military coup is the only way out of the current crisis between Serbia and Montenegro," "Vesti" reported on 6 February. He added that it is "possible" that Yugoslavia will face a civil war unless the military takes action "as it did in Pakistan." Mirkovic declined to say precisely who he thinks might lead a coup. The former general was one of the founders of the small League of Communists- Movement for Yugoslavia, which is widely regarded as a collection of political dinosaurs. It is headed by Mira Markovic, the wife of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. PM [17] SERBIAN MINISTER SLAMS WESTERN 'MEDIA CAMPAIGN'InformationMinister Aleksandar Vucic said in Belgrade on 5 February that the U.S. and other Western countries are waging a "media campaign" against the Serbian authorities. He charged that virtually all independent media in Serbo-Croatian and in Albanian are "funded and controlled" by Washington, "Danas" reported. Vucic added that the Hungarian Embassy in Belgrade is the Western powers' main direct contact with the independent media. PM [18] ROMANIAN DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION PARTNERS TO RUN ALONE IN LOCALELECTIONSThe leaders of the National Peasant Party Christian Democratic (PNTCD) have agreed to a demand by the National Liberal Party (PNL), their main partner in the Democratic Convention of Romania (CDR), that the two parties run on separate lists in this summer's local elections, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported on 4 February. The two formations will run on joint lists in the fall parliamentary elections. A new protocol for the CDR is to be signed by 15 February. The PNLCD and the PNL said they will both back incumbent President Emil Constantinescu in the upcoming presidential elections. MS [19] ROMANIAN NATIONAL PARTY HAS NEW-OLD LEADERA 6 Februaryextraordinary congress of the Romanian National Party (PNR) has elected former Romanian Intelligence Service chief Virgil Magureanu as the party's new chairman and decided that the position of deputy chairman will "for the time being remain vacant." Magureanu, who was a driving force behind the PNR, took over the post of acting chairman after former chairman Viorel Catarama was forced to "withdraw" last year (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 September 1999). The PNR said it represents a "Third Way" in Romanian politics between the left and right. It will run alone in the local elections and seek to forge alliances with other formations for the parliamentary elections. MS [20] MOLDOVA MAY INITIATE DUAL CITIZENSHIP AGREEMENT WITHROMANIA...Ion Ieseanu, chief of the Consular Directorate at the Moldovan Foreign Ministry, told RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau on 5 February that his country may soon initiate an agreement with Romania whereby Moldovan nationals would be granted dual citizenship. Thousands of Moldovans have besieged the Romanian embassy in Chisinau recently inquiring about how to acquire Romanian citizenship, following the beginning of negotiations between Bucharest and Brussels on Romania's accession to the EU. Moldovans fear that Romania may introduce visa requirements for Moldovan nationals in the near future. They also believe that Romanian citizens will soon be allowed to travel freely within the "Schengen space." Romanian Ambassador to Chisinau Victor Barsan emphasized that Foreign Minister Petre Roman has recently said Romania has no intention of imposing such requirements and that Moldovans will continue to be allowed to cross the border by presenting their ID cards only. MS [21] ...AS ROMANIAN SENATOR SAYS THIS MAY REQUIRE MOLDOVA'S'DISTANCING FROM RUSSIA'Romanian Senate Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Gheorgi Prisacaru told RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau on 5 February that under Romanian legislation, it is easier to grant citizenship to Moldovan nationals than to nationals of other countries. Prisacaru said granting citizenship may depend on two factors: EU demands and "Moldova's distancing from Russia." MS [22] BULGARIA WORRIED ABOUT AUSTRIAN COALITIONBulgarianPresident Petar Stoyanov on 4 February said Sofia is "concerned" that the new Austrian government "may hamper the EU's enlargement policy and thus [harm] Bulgaria's national interests," BTA reported. Stoyanov said the EU's enlargement is "vital" for Bulgaria, and he noted that his country subscribes to the EU's "philosophy and system of values," which he added are "based on the principles of tolerance and European solidarity." Bulgaria therefore can only support the stance taken by the EU toward the new Austrian government, whose policies must be "followed closely," Stoyanov said. MS [C] END NOTE[23] WHAT FUTURE FOR KOSOVA'S SHADOW-STATE?By Fabian SchmidtA 31 January session of the Kosovar shadow state parliament has caused a great deal of controversy. On that day, a deadline was due to pass for all parallel state structures in Kosova to cease to exist. But rather than disbanding, the parliament vowed to meet again within 10 days. The shadow-state was created by moderate Kosovars in 1989 after Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic abolished the province's autonomy. In particular, it succeeded in setting up comprehensive health and education systems. Funds came primarily from "taxes" paid by Kosovars working abroad. The Kosovar shadow-state, an excellent example of self-help and passive resistance, has been called "the world's most successful NGO." During the Serbian crackdown in 1998 and the full-blown conflict the following year, however, moderates who until then had advocated non-violence attributed primary political importance among Kosovars to those prepared to take up arms and defend the ethnic Albanians from Serbian forces. After those forces left in June 1999, the UN set up a civilian administration in the province and called on the various self-proclaimed government structures among Serbs and Albanians alike to dissolve themselves and join new bodies sponsored by the UN's UNMIK. Shadow-state President Ibrahim Rugova and his main rival, former Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) leader Hashim Thaci, committed themselves in a 15 December 1999 agreement with UNMIK to disband their respective rival underground governments by the end of January 2000. In exchange, representatives of their respective political parties--the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) and the Party of Democratic Progress of Kosova (PPDK)--as well as representatives of other parties were to receive positions as heads of administrative departments. These departments will be equivalent to ministries and will form part of the Interim Administrative Council, overseen by the UNMIK administration. They were created after weeks of difficult negotiations. But at the 31 January session, the shadow-state parliament not only failed to disband itself and its government. It also decided that its mandate and that of Prime Minister Bujar Bukoshi will expire only when new elections are held. The smaller parties in the legislature-- including the Liberal Party of Kosova and the Christian Democrats--had rejected any dissolution of the legislature, arguing that the parliament gained full legitimacy through underground elections in 1992 and 1998. Rugova's LDK, which is the largest party within the shadow-state parliament and has a majority of seats there, apparently shied away from overruling its smaller long-standing political allies. UNMIK spokesman Jock Covey responded by announcing that UNMIK has given the shadow-state another 10 days to disband, noting that this delay is preventing the council from beginning its work. The delay, moreover, has triggered harsh reactions from several Kosovar observers. Journalist Baton Haxhiu, for example, wrote in a commentary in the leading Prishtina daily "Koha Ditore" on 2 February that "everybody was skeptical when the [15 December 1999] agreement was signed between UNMIK and the [ethnic] Albanian political parties. Everybody believed that the newly created structures would fail.... Often [international officials] asked: 'Who would possibly go against the views of international community, against the future of Kosova, against the institutional life of Kosova...? Now it is the parliament of Kosova that has done so." Haxhiu added that the shadow-state failed to protect its citizens and quickly collapsed during the 1999 war: "The question remains: are these [legislators] the same people who have been silent for ten years..., who have lied to their own people, pretending that [the people] have a parliament, that they have a president, that they have a government, that they have free elections and state institutions?" The journalist stressed, moreover, that all other parallel Kosovar structures had respected the commitment to disband: "The UCK has agreed to be transformed into the Kosova Protection Corps, and [Thaci's] Provisional Government of Kosova ceased to exist on [31 January, as it said it would do] in a press statement.... However, the president and the prime minister of the [shadow-state] Republic of Kosova continue to exist. Their armed structures continue to exist. These imitations of the UCK, which never took part in the war, can continue their activities, while those that fought [that is, the UCK] have surrendered their arms. "UNMIK has pedantically criticized the parallel structures that were created after the [February 1999] Rambouillet negotiations [namely Thaci's government]. It has searched every suspicious house and every person it suspected of potentially seeking to destabilize Kosova. And it acted well. But falling silent and tolerating what happened on [31 January] will not promote the stabilization of Kosova.... Where is UNMIK now?" Meanwhile, Rugova said in Prishtina on 2 February that the shadow-state has indeed been dissolved. It is unclear, however, whether he can claim to speak for the parliament. In any event, much of the press reacted with skepticism to his claims. 07-02-00 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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