Voice of America, 96-11-11

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA HUMAN RIGHTS (L ONLY) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (UNITED NATIONS)

[02] EAST EURO ELECTIONS BY BARRY WOOD (PRAGUE)

[03] EURO STOCKS (S ONLY) BY JACK HUIZENGA (LONDON)

[01] BOSNIA HUMAN RIGHTS (L ONLY) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (UNITED NATIONS)

INTRO: A SENIOR UNITED NATIONS OFFICIAL HAS CALLED FOR STRENGTHENING HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL IQBAL RIZA SAYS CIVILIAN POLICE MUST BE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE VIOLATIONS WHEN INTERNATIONAL TROOPS EVENTUALLY LEAVE THE COUNTRY. V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT ELAINE JOHANSON REPORTS:

TEXT: MR. RIZA WARNED THE SECURITY COUNCIL RECENTLY THAT BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA IS HEADING TOWARD PERMANENT DIVISION. HOWEVER, HE SUGGESTED BOSNIA WOULD HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF REMAINING ONE COUNTRY IF MEASURES ARE TAKEN PROMPTLY TO SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS.

U-N OFFICIALS BELIEVE A LACK OF RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IS AT THE ROOT OF BOSNIA'S PERSISTENT PROBLEMS. A REPORT JUST ISSUED TO THE CURRENT SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONCLUDES THAT BOTH SIDES -- THE MUSLIM/CROAT FEDERATION AND THE SERB REPUBLIC ARE GUILTY OF PERSECUTING MINORITIES. THE REPORT SAYS PERVASIVE ETHNIC INTIMIDATION IS HINDERING THE RETURN OF REFUGEES TO THEIR VILLAGES.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL RIZA BLAMES DAYTON. HE SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS WERE TREATED ALMOST AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT IN THE DAYTON PEACE ACCORD THAT ENDED BOSNIA'S 43 MONTHS OF WAR:

IN MY OWN PERSONAL VIEW THE HUMAN RIGHTS MANDATE IN DAYTON (AGREEMENT) IS NOT VERY STRONG AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE STRENGTHENED. WITHIN THAT STRENGTHENED MANDATE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE BUILDING OF NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO MONITOR HUMAN RIGHTS -- BECAUSE EVENTUALLY THE INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE -- THE CIVILIAN POLICE CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE. BUT YOU CANNOT JUST HAVE THE POLICE ACTING IN A CERTAIN WAY IF THE BROADER MANDATE IS WEAK.

INTERNATIONAL MONITORS IN BOSNIA HAVE REPORTED MANY CASES WHERE MINORITIES ARE SUBJECTED TO ARSON, LOOTING, BEATINGS AND DEATH THREATS. THEY SAY LOCAL POLICE AND MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS OFTEN FAIL TO INTERVENE, AND IN SOME CASES ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE VIOLENCE.

U-N OFFICIALS WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROPERLY-TRAINED CIVILIAN POLICE FORCE EMERGE. THEY SAY WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE, LOCAL ENFORCERS WOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE A KIND OF HUMAN RIGHTS CULTURE THAT WOULD SUSTAIN THE COUNTRY WHEN THE NATO-LED MILITARY FORCE FINALLY LEAVES. (SIGNED)
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11-Nov-96 4:10 PM EST (2110 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] EAST EURO ELECTIONS BY BARRY WOOD (PRAGUE)

INTRO: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS TOOK PLACE SUNDAY IN TWO OF EASTERN EUROPE'S TRANSFORMING DEMOCRACIES, LITHUANIA AND SLOVENIA. V-O-A'S BARRY WOOD REPORTS THAT IN LITHUANIA THE CONSERVATIVE HOMELAND UNION HANDILY DEFEATED THE FORMER COMMUNISTS WHO HAD TAKEN POWER IN 1992.

TEXT: IT IS A STUNNING COMEBACK FOR THE HOMELAND UNION AND ITS LEADER VYTAUTAS LANDSBERGIS, WHO PRESIDED OVER LITHUANIA'S RESTORATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN 1991.

THE MUSICOLOGIST TURNED POLITICIAN HAD SEEN HIS PARTY UNCEREMONIOUSLY REJECTED BY VOTERS IN 1992. NOW, WITH AN ECONOMY STILL UNSTEADY FROM A BANKING SCANDAL AT THE BEGINNING THE YEAR, LITHUANIAN VOTERS HAVE TURNED AGAIN TO THE HOMELAND UNION.

RESULTS FROM THE SECOND ROUND OF VOTING SHOW THE UNION WITH 70 SEATS IN THE 141-MEMBER PARLIAMENT. THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS, DESIGNATED COALITION PARTNERS WITH THE UNION, WON 16 SEATS. THE FORMER COMMUNISTS, THE DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY, SUFFERED A HUMILIATING DEFEAT, GETTING JUST 12 SEATS.

AT A MONDAY NEWS CONFERENCE, MR. LANDSBERGIS SAID THERE IS NO TIME TO CELEBRATE AND MUCH WORK TO DO. MR. LANDSBERGIS IS EXPECTED TO BECOME SPEAKER OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT AND THEN CONTEST A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 1998.

ANALYSTS SAY THAT ON FOREIGN POLICY THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HOMELAND UNION AND THE OUTGOING GOVERNMENT. BOTH FAVOR LITHUANIAN MEMBERSHIP IN WESTERN INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY NATO AND THE EUROPEAN UNION.

FOREIGN INVESTORS ARE REACTING CAUTIOUSLY TO THE RETURN OF THE CONSERVATIVES. SOME BANKERS ARE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE UNION'S PLAN TO ALTER THE SYSTEM FOR SETTING THE EXCHANGE RATE OF THE CURRENCY.

THE ELECTION OF THE LITHUANIAN FORMER COMMUNISTS IN 1992 SET A PATTERN THAT WAS TO BE FOLLOWED IN POLAND AND HUNGARY WHERE FORMER COMMUNISTS RETURNED TO POWER IN 1993 AND 1994. SLOVENIA, THE RICHEST AND SMALLEST OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLICS, HELD ITS SECOND ELECTION SINCE DECLARING INDEPENDENCE IN 1991.

THE CENTER-LEFT LIBERAL DEMOCRATS OF PRIME MINISTER JANEZ DRNOVSEK WON 27 PERCENT OF THE VOTE. THAT IS AN INCREASE OVER THE PARTY'S SHOWING FOUR YEARS AGO. HOWEVER, CONSERVATIVE PARTIES LINKED IN A SLOVENIAN SPRING ALLIANCE WON JUST ABOUT HALF OF THE 90 PARLIAMENTARY SEATS.

ANALYSTS EXPECT MR. DRNOVSEK TO BE ASKED TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT BUT THEY EXPECT HIM TO HAVE DIFFICULTY PUTTING TOGETHER A COALITION. SLOVENIA'S RIGHT WING PARTIES ARE NATIONALISTIC AND SKEPTICAL ABOUT PERMITTING FOREIGN FIRMS TO BUY SLOVENIAN ENTERPRISES. SLOVENIA'S ECONOMY IS PERFORMING WELL AND HAS REGISTERED GROWTH FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS. (SIGNED)
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11-Nov-96 12:20 PM EST (1720 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] EURO STOCKS (S ONLY) BY JACK HUIZENGA (LONDON)

INTRO: SHARE PRICES ROSE A BIT IN TRADING MONDAY ON MAJOR EUROPEAN MARKETS. V-O-A'S JACK HUIZENGA HAS THE CLOSING MARKET REPORT FROM OUR BUREAU IN LONDON.

TEXT: STOCK MARKETS IN WESTERN EUROPE SHOWED GAINS -- BOOSTED BY A STRONG OPENING ON WALL STREET.

ON THE LONDON EXCHANGE, EUROPE'S LARGEST, PRICES WERE IN THE MINUS COLUMN IN EARLY TRADING -- WITH TRADERS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT BRITISH INTEREST RATES. BUT WALL STREET'S SHARP EARLY ADVANCE BOOSTED PRICES IN LONDON, WITH THE FOOTSIE-100 INDEX ENDING THE DAY FRACTIONALLY HIGHER.

IN AMSTERDAM, THE DUTCH MARKET SURGED TO A RECORD HIGH.

IN FRANKFURT, WHERE FLOOR TRADING ENDS BEFORE WALL STREET OPENS, THE DAX-30 INDEX ENDED THE DAY DOWN ABOUT ONE-TENTH OF ONE PERCENT. THE PARIS MARKET WAS CLOSED FOR THE ARMISTICE DAY HOLIDAY.

ON EUROPEAN CURRENCY MARKETS, THE U-S DOLLAR LOST A LITTLE IN VALUE AGAINST THE JAPANESE YEN AND THE GERMAN MARK. BUT THE DOLLAR GAINED A LITTLE AGAINST THE BRITISH POUND.
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11-Nov-96 1:41 PM EST (1841 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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