Voice of America, 00-04-05

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CONTENTS

[01] ETHIOPIA/ AID APPEAL (L-O) BY BARBARA SCHOETZAU (NEW YORK)

[02] EUROPEAN COMMISSION / PRODI (L ONLY) BY RON PEMSTEIN (BRUSSELS)

[03] ISRAEL / EUROPE (L-ONLY) BY MEREDITH BUEL (JERUSALEM)

[04] NY ECON WRAP (S & L) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (NEW YORK)

[05] TURKEY / POLITICS (L-ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN (ANKARA)

[06] TURKEY / POLITICS (L-ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN (ANKARA)

[07] WEDNESDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ERIKA EVANS (WASHINGTON)

[01] ETHIOPIA/ AID APPEAL (L-O) BY BARBARA SCHOETZAU (NEW YORK)

INTRO: Humanitarian aid groups are urging the international community to take immediate action to avert widespread human suffering in Ethiopia. Correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports from New York.

TEXT: The humanitarian groups say that after three years of drought Ethiopia is heading to a point that could rival the disastrous famine of 1984 and 1985. The southern region of the country is particularly hard hit. One local Ethiopian welfare group says 14 children die every day from famine. Ponds and wells have dried up. Cattle, which provide most southerners with their livelihood, are dying by the thousands. Humanitarian groups working in the region say the lives of eight million people are currently at risk. But they say immediate and massive help from the international community can still prevent a full-scale famine. The humanitarian group Save the Children and the U-S Agency for International Development recently airlifted about 40 tons of food and nutritional formula to Ethiopia. The United States has pledged to meet half of the requirements outlined by the Ethiopian government. And the European Union is planning on sending 800-thousand tons of food aid. Rudolph von Bernuth of the group Save the Children says attention has begun to focus over the last week on the seriousness of the situation in Ethiopia. But getting help to the people in time presents relief workers with another set of problems.

[02] EUROPEAN COMMISSION / PRODI (L ONLY) BY RON PEMSTEIN (BRUSSELS)

INTRO: The European Commission -- the executive of the European Union -- has held an unusual private meeting to deal with reports of a supposed attempt to replace Commission President Romano Prodi. V-O-A Correspondent Ron Pemstein in Brussels reports the Commission's repeated denials mask a conflict between the E-U's leaders and their executive commission.

TEXT: When the German newspaper, the Frankfurter Allegemeine, reported an imminent power struggle within the European Commission, the Commission was quick to denounce the report as a "pure fabrication." The German newspaper described what it called the ineffective leadership of Romano Prodi, who has been Commission president for six months. Fabrication or not, Mr. Prodi was quick to take action. While in Cairo at the European-African summit meeting, he asked for -- and received -- pledges of support from French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and the current rotating president of the European Union, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres. Mr. Prodi followed those pledges by returning to Brussels to hold an unusual closed-door meeting with his commission with no aides or interpreters present. Afterward, Mr. Prodi's spokesman, Ricky Levi, was told to inform the press there would be no changes in people or policies.

[03] ISRAEL / EUROPE (L-ONLY) BY MEREDITH BUEL (JERUSALEM)

INTRO: The European Union's chief envoy, Christopher Patten, says officials in Syria are still open for discussion about peace talks with Israel, but he indicates there does not seem to be much optimism that such negotiations will resume. Mr. Patten talked about the prospects for peace talks (Wednesday) after meetings in Damascus and Jerusalem. V-O-A Correspondent Meredith Buel has details.

TEXT: European Commissioner for External Relations Christopher Patten is on a regional tour of the Middle East that includes stops in Damascus, Jerusalem, Beirut and Amman. Mr. Patten arrived in Jerusalem after meetings in Damascus with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara. He says the Syrians have not closed the door on resuming peace negotiations with Israel. Mr. Patten adds, however, the Syrians are very disappointed that a recent meeting between President Clinton and Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad in Geneva did not result in a resumption of the talks.

[04] NY ECON WRAP (S & L) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (NEW YORK)

INTRO: U-S stock prices were mixed today (Wednesday). The Nasdaq market remained especially volatile, with a lot of buying and selling of those beaten-down technology stocks. VOA correspondent Elaine Johanson reports from New York:

TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 130 points, just over one percent, closing at 11-thousand- 33. The Standard and Poor's 500 index, which measures the broad market, dropped seven points - a loss of one- half of one percent. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq composite - up nearly three percent during the session - was gripped by a wave of late-day selling. It still closed up, but only about 20 points, or one-half of one percent. Many experts predict the Nasdaq market will see more volatility for a while, both up and down. But overall, they believe technology investors are starting to be more selective in what they buy, looking more closely at a company's fundamentals and profit-making capacity.

[05] TURKEY / POLITICS (L-ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN (ANKARA)

INTRO: The Turkish parliament began voting (eds: voting scheduled to last for many hours) on a constitutional amendment package aimed at extending the term of President Suleyman Demirel by at least five years. As Amberin Zaman reports from Ankara, the outcome of Wednesday's ballot will likely have a profound impact on the future of Turkey's coalition government and on political and economic reforms.

TEXT: The atmosphere was tense in Turkey's 550- member parliament as deputies took turns casting their ballots secretly in small cubicles. The first two articles that the lawmakers will vote on would make it more difficult to ban political parties and to raise their own salaries. The two items were intended by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to persuade parliament to approve the most crucial amendment of all - one that would allow Turkish President Suleyman Demirel to remain in office. The amendment would reduce the president's term from seven to five years, but would allow for a second term. Mr. Ecevit has staked his political credibility on passage of the amendment, saying that President Demirel needs to stay for the preservation of Turkey's stability. Mr. Ecevit maintains that the power struggle that would likely erupt between the five parties represented in the Turkish legislature would likely derail a crucial economic stabilization program that is being backed by the International Monetary Fund. During his seven years in office, President Demirel has been widely credited with acting as a crucial buffer between the politicians and the country's interventionist generals. But the signs so far have not been auspicious for Mr. Demirel, who has also served as prime minister a record seven times. In a first round of balloting, which took place last week, at least 100 lawmakers from Mr. Ecevit's three-party coalition voted against the package together with opposition members of the pro-Islamic Virtue Party. At least 367 votes are needed for a constitutional amendment. If anything, say observers, Mr. Ecevit's pressure tactics, which include threats to drop one of his coalition partners, the Motherland, from his government have backfired. Mr. Ecevit appeared almost resigned to defeat ahead of the vote saying he was unable to predict its outcome. But most observers say that Mr. Demirel's staying power should not be underestimated. (Signed)
NEB/AZ/GE/KL 05-Apr-2000 10:53 AM EDT (05-Apr-2000 1453 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[06] TURKEY / POLITICS (L-ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN (ANKARA)

INTRO: The Turkish parliament began voting (eds: voting scheduled to last for many hours) on a constitutional amendment package aimed at extending the term of President Suleyman Demirel by at least five years. As Amberin Zaman reports from Ankara, the outcome of Wednesday's ballot will likely have a profound impact on the future of Turkey's coalition government and on political and economic reforms.

TEXT: The atmosphere was tense in Turkey's 550- member parliament as deputies took turns casting their ballots secretly in small cubicles. The first two articles that the lawmakers will vote on would make it more difficult to ban political parties and to raise their own salaries. The two items were intended by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to persuade parliament to approve the most crucial amendment of all - one that would allow Turkish President Suleyman Demirel to remain in office. The amendment would reduce the president's term from seven to five years, but would allow for a second term. Mr. Ecevit has staked his political credibility on passage of the amendment, saying that President Demirel needs to stay for the preservation of Turkey's stability. Mr. Ecevit maintains that the power struggle that would likely erupt between the five parties represented in the Turkish legislature would likely derail a crucial economic stabilization program that is being backed by the International Monetary Fund. During his seven years in office, President Demirel has been widely credited with acting as a crucial buffer between the politicians and the country's interventionist generals. But the signs so far have not been auspicious for Mr. Demirel, who has also served as prime minister a record seven times. In a first round of balloting, which took place last week, at least 100 lawmakers from Mr. Ecevit's three-party coalition voted against the package together with opposition members of the pro-Islamic Virtue Party. At least 367 votes are needed for a constitutional amendment. If anything, say observers, Mr. Ecevit's pressure tactics, which include threats to drop one of his coalition partners, the Motherland, from his government have backfired. Mr. Ecevit appeared almost resigned to defeat ahead of the vote saying he was unable to predict its outcome. But most observers say that Mr. Demirel's staying power should not be underestimated. (Signed)
NEB/AZ/GE/KL 05-Apr-2000 10:53 AM EDT (05-Apr-2000 1453 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[07] WEDNESDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ERIKA EVANS (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: Several international issues are drawing attention in today's U-S press. The topics include U- S aid to Colombia, bringing justice to Bosnia and better trade opportunities for Africa. There is also more comment on Monday's court ruling in the Microsoft case. Now with a closer look and some excerpts, here is _________________ with today's U-S Editorial Digest.

TEXT: U-S officials say Colombia is one of the major sources of all the illegal drugs seized in the United States. The Clinton administration says the only way to stop the influx of narcotics from Colombia is to help strengthen that country's armed forces. But the St. Petersburg Times in Florida argues that providing Colombia with 1.7 billion dollars in aid, as the administration proposes, is not the answer to the nation's drug problem.

VOICE: For a country that has touted capitalism around the globe, our leaders don't seem to understand the laws of supply and demand. Trying to reduce the supply of illicit narcotics without eradicating demand will be ineffective. Even if the Colombian military is successful in closing down large coca farms, the economic incentives in drug trafficking are just too great for there to be any serious interruption in the flow of cocaine and heroin to the United States. Narcotics traffickers will simply shift locations, as they did in moving to Colombia after a crackdown occurred in Peru and Bolivia. .The Colombian Aid package now faces review in the Senate. If it doesn't get waylaid there, the United States will spend more than a billion dollars to be drawn into a morally ambiguous foreign civil war to advance a drug war that is a proven loser.

TEXT: With this week's arrest by NATO forces of Momcilo Krajisnik, a former Bosnian Serb political leader, the international war crimes tribunal seems to be closing in on those responsible for killing Muslim civilians during the war in Bosnia in the mid- nineties. The New York Times believes the recent arrest will help settle ethnic tensions.

VOICE: For the past four and a half years, NATO troops have kept the guns of Bosnia silent. But NATO has been hesitant to pursue the top officials responsible for the slaughter, fearing reprisals or even a renewal of ethnic warfare. .Bosnia now has perhaps the best chance since the Dayton agreement to begin the difficult process of ethnic reconcilliation. .The arrest of Mr. Krajisnik and others indicted for war crimes rightly assigns accountability for the horrors of 1992-95 to leading policy makers rather than to the entire Bosnian Serb population. /// OPT