![]() |
Compact version |
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
|
![]() |
Thursday, 15 August 2024
![]() |
||
![]() |
![]() |
|
RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 3, No. 195, 99-10-06Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 3, No. 195, 6 October 1999CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] ARMENIAN LOCAL ELECTIONS IN JEOPARDYArmenia's CentralElectoral Commission on 5 October issued a warning that local courts risk sabotaging 24 October local elections by registering candidates who are not eligible to participate, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. The commission has ruled that a provision in the election law stating that only candidates who have lived in a community for at least one year may be elected to its local government bodies has already taken effect. The author of that law argues that the ruling takes effect only in March 2000. Under the latter interpretation, local courts have reinstated dozens of candidates whom local electoral commissions had refused to register. On 4 October, members of the Yerevan Municipal Election Commission failed to agree on how to interpret the residency requirement and consequently failed to register any candidates for the poll in two Yerevan districts before the deadline for doing so expired that evening. LF [02] ARMENIAN PREMIER REPORTS ON NEW WORLD BANK LOANVazgenSargsian told journalists in Yerevan on 5 October that during his talks last week in Washington with World Bank President James Wolfensohn, the latter pledged a further $238 million to fund development projects in Armenia over the next three years, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. The World Bank also agreed to disburse the third and final tranche, worth $23.5 million, of a structural adjustment credit aimed at helping offset the country's budget deficit. Sargsian said that in return, the Armenian government will submit to the bank a medium-term program outlining economic policy priorities. He added that talks with the IMF were similarly fruitful and that the fund is likely to approve the final $28 million tranche of a three-year loan later this week. Sargsian confessed to being "very ashamed" by Western leaders' perceptions of the extent of corruption in Armenia. He vowed to crack down on it more effectively. LF [03] ARMENIAN OPPOSITION AGREES ON VENUE FOR DEMONSTRATIONFollowing talks with the Baku city administration on 5October, Azerbaijani opposition representatives accepted Mayor Rafael Allakhverdiev's proposal to hold their planned 9 October demonstration at the motor sports stadium on the northern outskirts of Baku, Turan reported. Last month, the opposition had rejected holding a mass rally at the stadium (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 27 September 1999). The 9 October demonstration is intended to protest the Azerbaijani leadership's stated willingness to accept a compromise solution of the Karabakh conflict. Smaller demonstrations will be held in seven other cities. LF [04] AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION CONDEMNS RUSSIAN BOMBINGOF CHECHNYAThe Democratic Bloc, which is composed of 20 opposition parliamentary deputies, issued a statement on 5 October condemning the "inhuman" bombing of Chechen towns and villages and calling on the Russian leadership to put a stop to the attacks, Turan reported. The deputies advocated talks between the Russian and Chechen leaderships in order to preclude further civilian casualties. They noted that the Russian government had responded inappropriately to the invasion of Daghestan by armed groups not subordinate to the Chechen leadership. And they condemned "all acts of terrorism connected with the conflict in the North Caucasus." The same day, parliamentary deputies adopted a statement addressed to the Russian State Duma protesting the 1 October bombing by a Russian aircraft of Azerbaijan's Zakatala Raion and reprisals against ethnic Azerbaijanis in Moscow, Turan reported. LF [05] AZERBAIJANI CABINET APPROVES 2000 BUDGET INDICATORSAzerbaijan's cabinet on 1 October endorsed the parameters ofnext year's budget, Interfax reported three days later. The 2000 budget foresees GDP growth of 8 percent, increases in industrial output and agricultural production of 3 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, a 10.5 percent increase in investment, 3 percent annual inflation, and a budget deficit equivalent to 2.6 percent of GDP. LF [06] GEORGIAN RULING PARTY UNVEILS ELECTION PROGRAMOn 4 October,Georgian Minister of State Vazha Lortkipanidze and President Eduard Shevardnadze outlined the main tenets of the Union of Citizens of Georgia's program for the 31 October parliamentary elections, Interfax and Reuters reported. Lortkipanidze affirmed that "we have overcome crisis and stopped collapse." In an apparent contradiction, he went on to pledge that "we will finally get over the economic crisis, create an effective fiscal system, increase wages to 200-230 lari ($127) and increase pensions three-fold," Reuters reported. The current minimum pension is 10 lari. LF [07] CHEVRON EXPRESSES INTEREST IN INCREASING STAKE IN KAZAKH OILCOMPANYKenneth Derr, outgoing chairman of the U.S. oil company Chevron, told journalists in Astana on 5 October after a meeting with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev that Chevron may acquire part of Kazakhstan's equity share in the Tengizchevroil project if the Kazakh government decides to sell part of its 25 percent stake, Interfax reported. He added that Kazakhstan is considering selling a 5 percent or 10 percent stake and has received offers from several companies. "Vedomosti" had reported on 4 October that the only company that has officially expressed an interest in acquiring a share is Russia's LUKoil, which together with ARCO already has a 5 percent stake in Tengizchevroil. LF [08] KYRGYZSTAN ANTICIPATES NEW INCURSION...Kyrgyzstan's SecurityCouncil Secretary General Bolot Djanuzakov told journalists in Bishkek on 5 October that "international terrorist groups" based in Afghanistan and Pakistan are ready to enter Kyrgyz territory in order to regain control of drug-smuggling routes, Interfax reported. He added that Kyrgyz troops have closed in on the base where ethnic Uzbek guerrillas are believed to be holding hostages in the south of the country, leaving the guerrillas no option but to retreat into neighboring Tajikistan. LF [09] ...EXPANDS SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERSHIPAlso on 5 October,the composition of the Security Council was broadened to include the mayor of Bishkek and the heads of the country's seven oblasts, RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau reported. The former Batken Raion of Osh Oblast was granted oblast status the same day and will incorporate the Lyalyak and Kadamjai Raions of Osh Oblast. Kyrgyzstan's President Askar Akaev on 5 October charged Djanuzakov with overseeing government actions to strengthen the guarding of the country's borders, reforms in the army, fighting against organized crime and international terrorism, and monitoring the religious situation in the country. LF [10] BOMBING RAIDS ON TAJIKISTAN CONTINUEUnidentified aircraftdropped bombs on the Djirgatal district of eastern Tajikistan on 5 October for the fourth consecutive day, Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 and 5 October 1999). National Reconciliation Commission spokesman Akhmadsho Kamilzoda told the agency that the aircraft in question belonged to Uzbekistan and that the death toll in those raids has risen to five. United Tajik Opposition leader Said Abdullo Nuri issued an official statement on 6 October condemning the bombing and demanding that Uzbekistan stop such attacks, Asia Plus-Blitz reported. ITAR-TASS quoted an unnamed senior Tajik government official as saying the previous day that Tajikistan "will respond in an appropriate way" once an investigation into the raids is completed. LF [11] TAJIK PRESIDENT IN MOSCOWReturning from the U.S., where headdressed the UN General Assembly last week, Tajikistan's President Imomali Rakhmonov made a stopover in Moscow for talks on 4 October with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on regional security and military cooperation, Asia Plus- Blitz reported. Rakhmonov also met with St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir Yakovlev to discuss establishing trade, economic, and scientific ties. LF [12] RUSSIA WARNS TURKMENISTAN OVER MERCENARIESRussian ForeignMinistry spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin told journalists in Moscow on 5 October that Russia hopes Turkmenistan is taking measures to prevent Afghan mercenaries transiting its territory en route for the North Caucasus, Interfax reported. Rakhmanin said that Moscow has received a note from the Turkmen Foreign Ministry protesting reports in several Russian newspapers of an alleged plan to create a "window" on the Afghan-Turkmen border to enable Afghan mercenaries to cross into Turkmen territory. LF [13] UZBEKISTAN'S PRESIDENT VISITS SOUTH KOREAMeeting in Seoulon 5 October, Islam Karimov and his South Korean counterpart, Kim Dae-Jung, pledged to expand trade and economic cooperation between their countries, AP reported. South Korea is one of the leading foreign investors in Uzbekistan, focusing primarily on the automobile and textile industries. The two presidents also agreed to expand cooperation in other fields, including culture, education, sport, and tourism. LF [B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[14] ONE DEAD, SEVERAL INJURED AFTER CLASH IN DIVIDED KOSOVARTOWNOne Serb was killed and 15 peacekeepers injured after fighting broke out in Mitrovica between Serbs and ethnic Albanians on 5 October, AP reported. The clash occurred when a group of Serbs drove by a memorial service for 18 ethnic Albanians found in a mass grave last week. The service was attended by several thousand ethnic Albanians, who clashed with the Serbs upon leaving the funeral. A Serbian man was stoned to death. Four Russian and at least 10 French peacekeepers were injured trying to separate the sides. Officials from the former Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) arrived at the scene and restrained the ethnic Albanians. The northern part of Mitrovica is controlled by the Serbs, while ethnic Albanians are in the southern part of the town. French peacekeepers separate the two. PB [15] UCK PRESS ORGAN ACCUSES KOSOVAR PUBLISHER OF SPYINGKosovapress, the Prishtina-based press service of thedisbanded UCK, accused two prominent ethnic Albanians of being spies for Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on 5 October. Publisher Veton Surroi, a member of the Kosova transitional council, and Aton Haxhiu, the chief editor of the Kosovar daily "Koha Ditore," were called "dregs" for "spying and cooperating with Milosevic's regime." Surroi said the accusation comes after he recently said that "fascists are in power in Kosova now and what is being done to the Serbs [in Kosova] is a form of fascism." Surroi and his newspaper, "Koha Ditore," have consistently spoken out against the treatment of Serbs in Kosovar since the return of ethnic Albanians after NATO troops took control of the province. Surroi said the condemnations are "an invitation to kill both me and Haxhiu." PB [16] SEVERAL HUNDRED PAY RESPECTS TO OPPOSITIONIST KILLED IN ROADACCIDENTSeveral hundred people attended the funeral on 5 October of Veselin Boskovic, the adviser and brother-in-law of Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic, AP reported. Boskovic was killed in a traffic accident on 3 October, which Draskovic and other members of his Serbian Renewal Movement have termed an assassination attempt (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 October 1999). Draskovic said at the service that President Milosevic's government has "destroyed our state and caused the death of millions...let them be damned, the devils who have built their happiness on other people's misery for 10 years." Three other people were killed in the accident. Neither the owner nor the driver of the truck that veered into the cars carrying the SPO members has been identified. PB [17] ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN BELGRADE DWINDLINGSeveralthousand people took part in opposition led protests against the government on 5 October, the 15th straight day of marches, Reuters reported. The crowd was one of the smallest since the protests began on 21 September. Some 10,000 people protested in Novi Sad and about 5,000 in Nis, the country's second-and third-largest cities. Demonstrations were also held in more than a dozen other towns. Around 400 employees of the Zastava Namenska weapons plant in Kragujevac walked off the job and rallied to demand higher wages and the resignation of the Yugoslav government. PB [18] SERBIAN MINISTER FILES SUIT AGAINST OPPOSITION LEADERSSerbian Deputy Premier Milovan Bojic filed suit against theleaders of the opposition movement the Alliance for Change (SZP) on 5 October, AFP reported. Bojic complained that he had been ridiculed at a mock trial held during a Belgrade demonstration and is suing 11 people for 10 million dinars ($1 million) for the "moral damage" inflicted on him. Vuk Obradovic, an SZP official who is being sued, said he will not appear at court on 7 October because the proceedings are illegal and he has not been allotted the eight days usually given to prepare a defense. Vladan Batic, another SZP leader, said "we should be the ones suing the regime for all the insults and humiliation, not the other way around." PB [19] UN ENVOY WARNS THAT TROUBLE BREWING IN SANDZAKJiriDienstbier, the UN special commissioner for human rights in the former Yugoslavia, said on 5 October that there is a "certain danger" in the mostly Muslim region of Sandzak that Yugoslav President Milosevic could exploit, CTK reported. Dienstbier, speaking in the Sandzak capital of Novi Pazar, said Milosevic could use the Sandzak Muslims in his political struggle against Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. He noted that while 80 percent of the city's residents are Muslim, about 95 percent of the police force is Serbian. Similar proportions exist in other spheres, including health care, according to Dienstbier, adding that "there are 1,000 little things which, if put together and incited, could lead to a conflict." The same day in Podgorica, Montenegrin Premier Filip Vucanovic rejected a call from a Sandzak group for the region--which lies partly within Montenegro--to be given a special status. PB [20] MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT GETTING IMPATIENT WITH BELGRADEMiloDjukanovic said on 5 October that Montenegro can only wait so long for Belgrade to respond to Podgorica's call to redefine federal relations, dpa reported. Djukanovic said the government has set a deadline and that if Serbian authorities fail to address the issue soon, Montenegro "will democratically go its own way." He added that he "knows the majority [of Montenegrins] is for independence, but there are also 40 percent opposing it, and there are warmongers on all sides." He said "our democratic consciousness obliges us not to ignore this minority." In Washington, the U.S. State Department said that Montenegrin leaders have used a "measured and rational approach" to political and economic reforms in Yugoslavia but that the U.S. opposes independence for Montenegro. PB [21] CROATIA GETS WORLD BANK LOANThe World Bank has approved a$29 million loan to Croatia, an RFE/RL correspondent reported on 5 October. The loan will be used to improve the country's health care system, including training, technical assistance, and purchasing of medical equipment. It is the 18th loan the bank has made to Croatia since 1993. PB [22] PETRITSCH ORDERS RADICAL PARTY TO RE-REGISTER WITHOUT TOPCANDIDATESWolfgang Petritsch, the high commissioner for Bosnia-Herzegovina, ordered the Serbian Radical Party to reapply to participate in next year's elections without its top three candidates, AP reported. The decision in effect bars former Republika Srpska President Nikola Poplasen and two of his aides, Mirko Blagojevic, and Ognjen Tadic, from participating in politics. The elections are scheduled for 8 April 2000. Petritsch's office said the decision was made because the three officials have obstructed the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement. PB [23] FORMER ALBANIAN PREMIER ACQUITTED OF CORRUPTION CHARGESFatos Nano was acquitted of charges of corruption and abuseof power by a Tirana court on 5 October, dpa reported. A court spokesman said the court decided that a 12-year sentence given to him five years ago was not "based on facts." Nano was arrested in 1993 and sentenced a year later for allegedly misusing funds given by the Italian government in 1991, when he was premier. Nano has claimed the charges were politically motivated. He served three years in prison and was appointed premier again in July 1997, although he resigned following unrest in the fall of 1998. PB [24] RECONCILIATION PARK HIGHLIGHTS EMBITTERED ROMANIAN, HUNGARIANRELATIONS...The foundation stone of the Romanian-Hungarian reconciliation park is being laid on 6 October in the presence of a low-level delegation from either side, Romanian Radio reported. Shortly after Prime Minister Radu Vasile's decision not to attend, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban arrived in Arad on 5 October, where he attended a ceremony commemorating the 13 Hungarian generals executed by the Austrians in 1848 and a play on the generals staged by the Oradea Hungarian-language theater. Orban said Vasile's cancellation was prompted by the desire to avoid a "confrontation" with Arad local council members who are opposed to the park. He, too, decided not to take part in the 6 October ceremony and delegated Justice Minister Ibolya David to attend as a "fittingly appropriate" representation. On learning of Orban's decision, Deputy Premier Valeriu Stoica, who was to have represented Vasile, also opted not to be present. MS [25] ...AS FATE OF CONTROVERSIAL SCULPTURE GROUP REMAINS UNCLEARAccording to a Hungarian-Romanian decision, thereconciliation park is to include the "Hungarian Liberty" group of statues of the 13 generals. The monument was dismantled in 1925 and kept in storage until recently. Speaking on Romanian Radio on 5 October, Victor Chiujdea, governmental state counselor for bilateral relations, said no decision has yet been taken on displaying the monument in the park. Romanian nationalists object to such a move, claiming the monument represents the "executioners" of Romanians in Transylvania. The Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania rejects such an interpretation. Party of Social Democracy in Romania Chairman Ion Iliescu on 5 October said he "warned" Vasile to stay away from the ceremony, since the Hungarians are "setting a trap" to make claims on Transylvania. The Party of Romanian National Unity and the National Romanian Party have demanded that the generals' monument does not go on display. MS [26] TRANSDNIESTER SEPARATISTS LOOK FOR ALLIES IN ABKHAZIATheTransdniester separatists are seeking to establish relations with other breakaway territories in the former Soviet Union and is focusing in particular on Abkhazia, Flux reported on 5 October. The agency said delegates from Abkhazia participated in the ceremonies last month marking the ninth anniversary of Transdniester "independence." Two Transdniester Supreme Soviet deputies were present as "observers" during the recent Abkhaz presidential elections. MS [C] END NOTE[27] OSCE SEEKS RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS, FAIR ELECTIONSBy Roland EgglestonOn his tour of Central Asia, OSCE Chairman Knut Vollebaek has urged the five countries to continue their progress toward full democracy. He asked the governments to free all those jailed for political offenses. And he called on them to implement the pledges they have repeatedly made to make elections fairer. Fair elections were Vollebaek's main theme in Kazakhstan on 4 October, the last day of his tour. He expressed the OSCE's concerns about preparations for Kazakhstan's parliamentary elections on 10 October. Vollebaek spoke with reporters in the capital, Astana, about his talks with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and other Kazakh officials. Those talks followed a meeting with non- governmental organizations (NGOs) active in Kazakhstan that have been critical of the government. "We discussed the election, the election laws, the amendments made, but in maybe a little bit more general terms with the president," Vollebaek said. "But some of the specific criticism that came up in the meeting with the NGOs I raised with the chairwoman of the Central Election Commission [on 3 October] when I met with her, the minister of justice and the acting prime minister." Vollebaek said that during his trip, he told all five governments that the OSCE insists on the right of every citizen to express political opinions without fear of repression: "No government is happy to have its actions criticized. But unless political opponents commit a criminal offense, they should not be penalized for their opinions." Vollebaek said he had told government leaders that democracy requires a multi-party system and laws that allow all parties to freely seek election. Vollebaek said the OSCE is not disheartened at the slow progress toward these goals in some Central Asian countries and that the organization will continue its programs to educate citizens about how democracy works. In Uzbekistan, Vollebaek asked President Islam Karimov about reports of repression against Islamic activists. He also handed over a list of about 12 people whom the OSCE considers to have been unfairly convicted. He asked for their cases to be reviewed and for information about four people who disappeared in recent years. Vollebaek received reports of other human rights problems, including the status of women, at a meeting in Tashkent with members of Uzbek non-governmental organizations. Among those present was the chairman of the Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan, Talib Jakubov, who was denied an exit visa to attend an OSCE conference in Vienna this month. Jakubov told Vollebaek that among the political parties now banned from participating in elections are some that played an important part in winning democratic elections for Uzbekistan after the breakup of the Soviet Union. He said there was a return to the Soviet model in the 1994 election. Vollebaek told the meeting that the OSCE mission in Uzbekistan will continue to assist political parties whose activities have been suspended. In Turkmenistan, the OSCE chairman had a long meeting with President Saparmurad Niyazov. Niyazov told Vollebaek there are no political prisoners in the country and no instruments for oppressing political opponents. According to people attending the meeting, Vollebaek told Niyazov the OSCE has details of several cases of people imprisoned for what appear to be political crimes. Vollebaek also asked for details about the death of Khoshali Garaev, who was found dead in his cell last month. Garaev was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment in 1995 on charges of conducting anti-state activity. For almost a year, the OSCE and Turkmenistan have been discussing an agreement that would allow greater OSCE activity in the country, including election monitoring. OSCE officials said shortly before Vollebaek arrived in Turkmenistan that they thought they have an acceptable agreement, but the government rejected it at the last moment. OSCE officials said Turkmenistan does not want the OSCE's department for democratic institutions, known as ODIHR, to initiate any projects in the country. In other Central Asian countries, ODIHR holds seminars on the rights of the voter, the right of all political parties to campaign, and similar topics. OSCE officials said it is unlikely that monitors will be sent to the parliamentary elections in Turkmenistan in December because the elections do not meet the minimum OSCE standards of democracy. Despite the differences, Niyazov told journalists accompanying the OSCE mission that Vollebaek's visit had been worthwhile. He said 2010 is his personal target date for introducing what he called a new democratic society in Turkmenistan. In Tajikistan, Vollebaek conferred with government and opposition leaders about upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. The elections are part of the implementation of a peace agreement that ended years of civil war. Vollebaek said Tajikistan will remain stable only if the elections are seen to be fair. He said OSCE monitors have found many flaws in the conduct of the 26 September referendum on constitutional changes. Opposition parties have requested an OSCE presence at the elections. But Vollebaek said he has not yet decided whether to send monitors because of doubts whether the elections will be conducted in accordance with OSCE standards. At a private meeting, the main opposition leader, Said Nuri, accused the government of trying to create difficulties for his group, the United Tajik Opposition. Vollebaek said his discussions convinced him that the OSCE must pay more attention to the problems of the Central Asian states, including their considerable economic problems, and find ways to offer practical assistance. He added that Central Asia will be an important issue at the OSCE summit in Istanbul in November. The author is a Munich-based RFE/RL correspondent. 06-10-99 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |