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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 5, No. 159, 01-08-22Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 5, No. 159, 22 August 2001CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS SYRIAFollowing the successful completion on 18 August of the second stage of Russian-Armenian joint military maneuvers (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 August 2001), Serzh Sarkisian flew to Damascus for talks on 20 August with his Syrian counterpart, First Lieutenant General Mustafa Tlas, and with Chief of Army General Staff Ali Aslan on the prospects for developing bilateral military cooperation, according to Noyan Tapan and SANA, as cited by Groong. LF[02] IS THERE A SEPARATIST THREAT IN NORTHERN AZERBAIJAN?Events since last fall in the northern raion of Zakatala are part of an effort by "domestic and foreign enemies of an independent Azerbaijani state" to fan tensions within Azerbaijan, Zakatala district council head Rafael Medjidov told journalists on 21 August, Turan reported. Medjidov said that efforts are being made to mobilize members of the Avar and Tsakhur minorities, which together account for over one-third of the raion's 110,000 population, to demand the transfer of the Zakatala and Belokany raions to neighboring Daghestan, where Avars are the largest ethnic group. Medjidov said the 17 August destruction of a monument in Zakatala to Imam Shamil and the shooting attack two days later on five police officers (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 20 August 2001) were preceded by an attempt to destroy the monument last October, and the distribution of leaflets among the local population containing unspecified threats to the Avar and Tsakhur populations. While Medjidov said he does not believe the Russian government is encouraging separatist sentiments in Zakatala, "525 gazeti" on 21 August blamed both Russia and Iran for rising tensions in the district. The independent newspaper "Zerkalo" on 21 August characterized the situation in Zakatala as "uncontrollable," according to Turan. "Kommersant-Daily" reported on 22 August that tanks and spetsnaz troops have been deployed in the town of Zakatala. LF[03] MARCH TO COMMEMORATE FORMER AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT BANNEDThe Baku municipal authorities have rejected a request by the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party for permission to hold a mass march and demonstration in the city to mark the first anniversary on 22 August of the death of former President Abulfaz Elchibey, Turan reported on 21 August. Fazil Gazanfaroglu, who heads a committee to organize the anniversary commemoration, said the march will take place despite the ban. LF[04] AZERBAIJANI MUSLIM CLERIC DROPS COURT CASE AGAINST JOURNALISTSheikh-ul-Islam Allakhshukur Pashazade has withdrawn the libel case he brought against Etibar Mansaroglu, the editor of the independent newspaper "Etimad," after Mansaroglu apologized for publishing an article that has been widely construed as a slur on the cleric, Turan reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 and 16 August 2001). It is not clear, however, whether the Baku district court also reversed its ruling to close "Etimad." LF[05] IMPRISONED AZERBAIJANI EX-MINISTER ENDS HUNGER STRIKEFormer Interior Minister Iskender Hamidov has abandoned the hunger strike he began last week to demand improved prison conditions, his lawyer Yavar Husein told journalists in Baku on 21 August, Turan reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 August 2001). Hamidov has been moved to the medical unit of the Gobustan prison and promised a single cell, but his request to be allowed to receive food parcels from his family has been turned down. Hamidov was sentenced in 1995 to 14 years imprisonment for embezzlement of state property and abusing his official position. LF[06] WILL GEORGIAN MAJORITY PARLIAMENT FACTION SPLIT?Several leading members of the majority Union of Citizens of Georgia (SMK) parliament faction have suggested in recent days that the faction is likely to split, Caucasus Press reported. If so, President Eduard Shevardnadze, who heads the SMK, will be constrained to choose whether to support the younger, reformist-minded wing that includes parliament speaker Zurab Zhvania, Justice Minister Mikhail Saakashvili, and parliament Defense and Security Committee head Giorgi Baramidze, or the "old guard" headed by former Minister of State Niko Lekishvili (see "RFE/RL Caucasus Report,"Vol. 4, No. 30, 17 August 2001). Parliament Human Rights CommitteeChairwoman Elene Tevdoradze was quoted on 21 August by "Svobodnaya Gruziya" as predicting that at least nine members of the reformist wing will quit the SMK by October to establish a new faction, and that others will join them. Several deputies originally elected on the SMK ticket quit that faction last year and subsequently founded the "New Right Wing" faction. Shevardnadze, who began a 10-day vacation on 17 August, has not commented on those predictions. LF[07] MALARIA EPIDEMIC IN GEORGIAThe incidence of malaria in Georgia has reached the point that officially qualifies as an epidemic, Caucasus Press reported on 22 August, quoting a senior health sector official. A total of 176 cases have been registered to date both in eastern and western Georgia, and new cases are reported daily. LF[08] FORMER KAZAKH PREMIER'S BODYGUARD FEARS ATTEMPT TO KILL HIM IN PRISONSummoned on 21 August to testify in the ongoing trial of former Kazakh Premier Akezhan Kazhegeldin, his former bodyguard Satzhan Ibraev said that one attempt has been made recently to kill him in prison, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported. Ibraev was sentenced in April 2000 to 3 1/2 years imprisonment on charges of illegal possession of weapons, which he claims were politically motivated (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 26 April 2000). Ibraev said he fears a further attempt will be made to kill him and to create the impression that he committed suicide. LF[09] TAJIK INTERIOR MINISTRY REVIEWS OPERATION TO ARREST SANGINOVAt a press conference in Dushanbe on 20 August, senior Interior Ministry officials sought to portray in the most favorable light the operation to locate and capture the armed groups headed by Rakhmon Sanginov and Mansur Muakkalov, Asia Plus-Blitz reported the following day. That operation lasted from late June to mid-August, during which time the ministry twice prematurely claimed to have wiped out the entire force (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 25 and 26 June and 9 and 31 July 2001). On 20 August, First Deputy Interior Minister Abdurahim Qahhorov said 26 members of the armed gang and nine government troops were killed during the operation; on 13 July, weeks before the final gunfight in which Sanginov was reported killed, an Interior Ministry spokesman told Asia Plus-Blitz that 41 militants and 19 police had already been killed in the hunt for him. Criminal charges have been filed against 94 detained members of Sanginov's force. LF[10] TURKMEN PRESIDENT DISCUSSES CASPIAN WITH U.S. DIPLOMATSaparmurat Niyazov and U.S. Charge d'affaires in Ashgabat Eric Schultz on 20 August discussed the problems arising from the absence of a formal agreement among Caspian littoral states on the legal status of that body of water, Turan reported on 21 August. The agency quoted Turkmen sources as saying that the two men agreed that disputes over the ownership of specific hydrocarbon deposits should be resolved through negotiations. Turkmenistan claims ownership of several oilfields that Azerbaijan is already exploiting. LF[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[11] NATO MAKES MACEDONIAN MISSION OFFICIALMeeting in Brussels on 22 August, the North Atlantic Council authorized the deployment of 3,500 troops to Macedonia for Operation Essential Harvest, AP reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 August 2001). Their task will be to collect weapons voluntarily surrendered by the guerrillas of the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (UCK) following the conclusion of a political settlement by the two leading Macedonian and two largest Albanian political parties. The mission is slated to last 30 days from the date that the entire force is in place. Full deployment is expected to last 10 to 14 days. The council made its decision the previous day. It then gave member governments 24 hours to object under NATO's "silence procedure" rule, according to which a measure is considered to come into effect unless a member state objects. PM[12] ITALY TO SEND TROOPS TO MACEDONIAIn Rome on 21 August, Italian authorities said they will provide 700 troops for the force, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. The major question mark is Germany, which requires legislative approval for the deployment of its troops abroad. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has repeatedly said that Germany will fulfill its obligations to its allies and send 500 soldiers (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 August 2001). Many conservative legislators say, however, that the cash-strapped military is in no position to take on new obligations. Some deputies to the left of center oppose the deployment of German forces abroad. Others say that it will be impossible for Essential Harvest to fulfill its mission within 30 days, which will lead to an ill- defined, longer-term commitment. Britain will supply 1,800 troops, with the rest coming from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. Crack Czech and British units arrived on 17 August as part of a 400-strong vanguard mission (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 August 2001). PM[13] NATO MACEDONIAN MISSION CONSISTS OF THREE PHASESThe first phase of Essential Harvest is deployment, AP reported from Brussels on 22 August. The mission will be based in Skopje, with individual battalions located northwest of the capital and at Petrovec airport, Kumanovo, and Krivolak. The second phase involves weapons collection and will begin once collection sites are set up. There will be several locations, which will change frequently. The weapons will then be taken to a central collection point and to Greece for destruction. It is not yet clear how many weapons NATO expects to collect. At the end of the operation, the third phase -- withdrawal -- will begin. PM[14] 'SECRET ARMS SUPPLIES FOR MACEDONIA'This is the headline of an article in "The Times" on 22 August. It notes that "huge planeloads of arms from Ukraine and Russia are being delivered secretly at night to Petrovec airport in...Macedonia as part of a buildup of arms by the government, according to [unnamed] Western defense sources." The article adds that the Macedonian security forces are not expected to disarm as the UCK is, and they are "rapidly increasing its stockpile of weapons." Ukraine, which is a major arms supplier to Macedonia, had promised the U.S. to "consider suspending" its arms deliveries during peace negotiations, "but since the settlement was signed, giant Antonov transport planes have been spotted landing at night at Petrovec" (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 31 July 2001). PM[15] MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENT, REBELS HAIL NATO MISSIONStevo Pendarovski, an adviser to President Boris Trajkovski, said in Skopje on 22 August: "We have big expectations [for] NATO's mission. The NATO forces will launch a rather delicate mission with a high degree of responsibility. Macedonia [intends to comply] with the cease-fire agreement and...provide NATO all necessary preconditions for successful completion of its mission," AP reported from Skopje on 22 August. A UCK spokesman called on NATO to be "even-handed" and not be "manipulated" by the Macedonians. He warned that the Albanians will resort to arms again if they do not get their rights. UCK political spokesman Ali Ahmeti had earlier said that the Albanians have no more reason to take up arms (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 and 20 August 2001). PM[16] ALBANIAN MACEDONIAN PARTIES ASK NATO TO STAY LONGERLeading officials of the Democratic Party of the Albanians (PDSH) and the Party of Democratic Prosperity (PPD) told the Albanian-language daily "Fakti" on 22 August that they want NATO troops to stay beyond 30 days, dpa reported from Skopje. The officials said that they want NATO to protect ethnic Albanians from the Macedonian security forces and paramilitaries until enough Albanian police are trained. PM[17] SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER SLAMS 'INQUISITION'Zoran Djindjic said in Belgrade on 21 August that Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) is behaving like an "inquisition" in demanding a vote of confidence against his government, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 20 and 21 August 2001). Djindjic stressed that "now is not the time to talk about a cabinet reshuffle." Elsewhere, Serbian Interior Minster Dusan Mihajlovic slammed the DSS for suggesting that crime has flourished since he came to office. And police official Dragan Karleusa told journalists that Momir Gavrilovic, the security official recently murdered after a visit to Kostunica's office, had contacts to the criminal underworld and was "involved" in some killings himself. Observers note that Kostunica and his backers have countered charges arising from the Gavrilovic case with a flurry of accusations against Djindjic and his supporters. PM[18] TALKS HELD ON FUTURE OF VOJVODINAMembers of the steering committee of the governing Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition -- albeit without Kostunica -- held talks in Novi Sad on 22 August with Vojvodina political leaders about the province's future, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 August 2001). PM[19] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT KOSOVA IN INTEGRATED EUROPERexhep Meidani told Reuters in Tirana on 22 August: "I believe the last step [in Kosova's political development] -- when conditions have matured there in terms of democracy, having the right institutions, entirely respecting human rights, and creating a normal multiethnic society -- I believe the right solution will be independence." Meidani added that EU membership for the Balkan countries may seem like "a fantasy...but this fantasy could be a reality quite soon. For that we need open-minded people and we need to overcome the barriers of the past." He stressed that "through this process of democratization and progress in society, and the process of integration and accession of our region to the European Union, the conditions will be entirely [ripe] for an independent Kosova as a part of the European Union." He dismissed concerns in Serbia and elsewhere about changing borders, arguing that borders will cease to be very important in an integrated Europe. PM[20] HAGUE TRIBUNAL TO INVESTIGATE HERZEGOVINIANSCroatian Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic said in Zagreb on 21 August that The Hague-based war crimes tribunal is seeking information from the government regarding war crimes committed by ethnic Croats in the Mostar area, "Jutarnji list" reported. Among the 30 persons about whom The Hague has requested information are General Slobodan Praljak and former Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic. PM[21] OSCE LOOKS INTO BOSNIAN SERB MEDIAA spokesman for the OSCE said in Banja Luka that his office and that of High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch are conducting an investigation of the Banja Luka daily "Glas Srpski" and the news agency SRNA, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. The spokesman added that the investigators are concerned that the daily and the news agency are not independent of the Bosnian Serb authorities. Observers note that "Glas Srpski" and SRNA were founded during the 1991-1995 war as mouthpieces of nationalist leader Radovan Karadzic. Neither is particularly known in the journalistic profession for objectivity or reliability. PM[22] ROMANIA, IMF RESUME TALKSAn IMF delegation on 21 August resumed talks with government officials on the cabinet's draft budget for 2002, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. Romania is seeking a new standby agreement following the suspension of the previous agreement in 1999 due to the previous cabinet's failure to respect its terms. Finance Ministry officials said the talks are focusing on the cabinet's commitments to reduce some $2.6 billion in arrears to the budget by state-owned companies and a freeze on civil service wages. Prime Minister Adrian Nastase recently revealed that Neven Mates, the chief IMF negotiator for Romania, has criticized his cabinet for not eliminating several thousand public service posts and for having raised wages in the public service sector. MS[23] ROMANIAN PREMIER SAYS 'BALL IN BULGARIAN COURT'Commenting on recent Bulgarian statements denying that a "tandem approach" for accessing EU and NATO was agreed upon during his 14 August visit to Sofia, Premier Nastase on 21 August said that the formula he proposed in Sofia was considered by Bulgarian officials to be "reasonable." If the authorities in Sofia are now reluctant to embrace it, Romania "has enough resources of its own" to "pursue the accession path by itself," Nastase said. He added that "the ball is in the Bulgarian court" (see "RFE/RL Newsline", 20 and 21 August 2001). MS[24] ROMANIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER FORCED TO EAT HIS WORDSChamber of Deputies' Chairman Valer Dorneanu told journalists on 21 August that his recent statement that ethnic parties might be outlawed was "cited out of context" and "misunderstood," RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 20 August 2001). Dorneanu said that he had merely raised a "theoretical issue" but that his Social Democratic Party (PSD) does not intend to propose the outlawing of ethnic parties as an amendment to the constitution. "The Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania is our ally and we trust the leadership of that party. Hence, we could not back the outlawing of such parties," he said. The PSD leadership had discussed his statement at a meeting on 20 August. Dorneanu also said that if no agreement is reached with Budapest on the Status Law approved by the Hungarian parliament, the Romanian legislature will have to discuss measures aimed at "countering the effects of that law." MS[25] POLICE QUESTION FORMER ROMANIAN PREMIER OVER PRIVATIZATION AFFAIRFormer Premier Radu Vasile was questioned by police for three hours on 21 August over alleged illegalities committed in the 1998 privatization of RomTelcom, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. More than 30 former officials have been investigated thus far by police, including several ministers. Vasile refused to answer journalists' questions upon leaving the premises. MS[26] MOLDOVA MAKES RUSSIAN OBLIGATORY IN SCHOOLSThe teaching of the Russian language will again become obligatory in Moldovan primary schools as of the second half of next year, Flux reported on 21 August, citing Education Ministry sources. The obligatory teaching of Russian in those schools was discontinued several years ago. Russian- language classes were optional in some schools or were taught as one out of several foreign languages on offer. On the other hand, Romanian Ambassador to Moldova Adrian Balanescu said at a meeting with Moldovan writers on 21 August that Nastase's cabinet is allocating five times more funding than the previous government for the two countries' "cultural and spiritual integration." MS[27] BULGARIANS SUPPORT GOVERNMENT'S ECONOMIC PLANSMore than 85 percent of Bulgarians back tough economic measures, AFP reported on 21 August, citing a poll conducted by the MBMD institute. Almost 60 percent said the economic program recently outlined by Premier Simeon Saxecoburggotski will boost economic growth, while 17 percent said the program will not help. However, 75 percent criticized the planned 10 percent hike in electricity and heating fuel prices and only 20 percent said they accept that measure. Seventy percent said they agree with plans to reduce the number of positions in the state administration (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 20 August 2001). MS[28] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT CANCELS SLOVAK VISITPresident Petar Stoyanov's office on 21 August announced that he has canceled a planned visit to Slovakia "owing to a tight schedule and numerous other engagements at that time," BTA reported. Stoyanov was to visit Slovakia in September to attend a summit of European leaders together with 10 other heads of state. MS[C] END NOTE[29] SLOVAKIA'S SCHUSTER MAY FIND REAL ADVENTURE AT HOMEBy Kathleen KnoxUpon landing in the Slovak capital Bratislava on 22 August, President Rudolf Schuster may well wish he was back with the anacondas and black panthers of Brazil's Amazonian rain forests and Pantanal wetlands. The 67-year-old head of state began his jungle trek in the middle of last month at the end of an official visit to Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. The trip traced the expedition that Schuster's father Alojz made in 1927, when he was part of the first Slovak team to the Pantanal region that borders Bolivia. Alojz Schuster wrote a book about his travels. Rudolf -- who has already directed television documentaries on various countries, including Brazil -- reportedly plans to do the same. He'll certainly have plenty of material for an explorer's tale. During his travels Schuster reportedly stayed with a family of Amazonian Indians on a reservation and dropped in on a tribe his father had visited. Then there were the unplanned dramas. Schuster was briefly hospitalized in the town of Cuiaba for suspected food poisoning and dehydration after he fainted during a boat trip on the Paraguay River. And earlier this month he had to be rescued from a burning boat on the Rio Negro after the engine caught fire. Schuster took his wife Irena and his adult children Peter and Ingrid with him on his expedition. Though they're covering the bulk of the cost themselves, the state will have to pay an estimated $19,000 for the three bodyguards who accompanied the family, the daily "Sme" calculated. No official figure has been given yet -- Schuster's advisers says they will tally the cost after he returns. Critics say Schuster's trip was reckless in light of his recent health problems. Last year he underwent two life-saving operations following a ruptured colon. But the more serious criticism has centered on the president's absence while trouble was brewing at home. Floods struck eastern Slovakia and the governing coalition of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda came under severe pressure. In a typical editorial last week, the daily "Novy Cas" said Schuster is not paying enough attention to public affairs and is trying to pass himself off as an object of public interest instead. The daily "Narodna obroda" said people are indifferent to whether Schuster was able to film five-meter-long anacondas. It said a president who does not enjoy broad authority will find himself impotent in trying to resolve problems such as the government crisis. Dzurinda leads a coalition of parties that joined forces in 1998 to oust Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, whose administration was often criticized for backsliding on democratic reforms. With a European Union-friendly government installed, Slovakia was invited to start EU accession negotiations. The country has also been angling for an invitation to join NATO. But it was never going to be easy to hold together a coalition that spans much of the political spectrum -- from right-of-center Christian Democrats to reformed communists and ethnic Hungarians. The Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) looks certain to decide to leave the government following a disagreement with its coalition partners over the recently passed law on regional reform. The SMK will make its official decision on 25 August at an extraparliamentary congress. The row started when two other ruling coalition parties voted with the opposition for a law establishing eight new administrative regions instead of a government- proposed bill for 12 regions. The SMK argues that the changes do not go far enough and that they discriminate against ethnic Hungarians by ensuring they are not in the majority in any region. The SMK's planned departure will leave the government without a majority in parliament and has sent alarm bells ringing in Western governments. Diplomats have warned that the SMK's exit could harm Slovakia's image abroad. And even if the SMK continues to vote with the coalition, this blow to the country's image could hamper Slovakia's efforts to join the EU and NATO. Robert Kotian, a commentator for the Slovak daily "Sme," said the winners in the situation are two left-of-center coalition parties -- the reformed communists, or Party of the Democratic Left; and the Party of Civic Understanding, which Schuster founded. "This is a signal for the reforms that the government wanted to follow -- tax, social, and pension reforms," Kotian said. "The positions of the prime minister and [Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ivan] Miklos will be weakened, so it will be harder for them to push through their plans. That's the domestic aspect. The foreign aspect is that it was seen abroad as very positive that the SMK joined the government and their departure cannot be a positive signal. Next year NATO will have its summit in Prague and Slovakia will pay dearly for this. I'm worried that the level of our top politicians will lead to early elections," he said. The SMK's move also comes in the run-up to regional elections that could be an important test before the country goes to the polls next year to elect a new parliament. December's regional vote is likely to confirm the coalition's decline in popularity -- and the rise in Meciar's fortunes. Kotian says Meciar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) party is consistently popular, but it is pulling ahead of the coalition parties. The regional election could be a landslide victory by the HZDS over Dzurinda's SDKU, currently trailing behind the HZDS, a new party called Smer, and the SMK. According to Kotian, the coalition's current problems can only boost Meciar further. "The style of government now has erased the differences between Meciar's and Dzurinda's governments," Kotian said. "People's high moral and democratic expectations have not been fulfilled and...this is really unfortunate." Whatever the outcome of the government coalition crisis, Schuster is planning at least one more adventure. Next month he intends to climb Slovakia's highest mountain, Gerlach, when nine central European presidents gather for a summit -- if he's fit enough, his advisers say. Kathleen Knox is an RFE/RL correspondent. Daniel Butora of RFE/RL's Slovak Service also contributed to this report. 22-08-01 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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