Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 3 PM), February 13, 1997

    E-mail: odrazb92@b92.opennet.org, beograd@siicom.com
    WWW:    http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/, http://www.opennet.org/b92/
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    All texts are Copyright 1997 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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    NEWS BY 3 PM
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    TEACHERS PROTEST IN FRONT OF SERBIAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING

    About 15,000 teachers gathered in front of the Serbian Government
    building on Thursday while their negotiating team met Serbian
    Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic inside. Jagos Bulatovic, of the
    independent teacher's trade union, said that no concrete deal had
    been made and negociations will continue on Friday at 8 a.m. The
    teachers will again protest during the Friday meeting.


    MOSCOW SALUTES RECOGNITION OF ELECTORAL RESULTS

    The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed the passing of
    the law recognizing the local electoral results in Serbia and
    commented that it provided an opportunity for national
    reconciliation, Reuters reports. The Russian Foreign Ministry said
    it was essential that the next step is talks on further
    democratization. Moscow urged that the mass protests stop and that
    the tensions in Serbia subside. It warned that the two sides
    should refrain from making new demands and from mutual
    accusations.


    WASHINGTON SALUTES DECISION OF SERBIAN PARLIAMENT

    Spokesman for the US State Department Nicholas Burns on Wednesday
    welcomed the Serbian Parliament's decision to recognize the
    results of local elections. Mr. Burns warned however that the US
    opposed any possible attempt by the Serbian Government to limit
    the powers of local government bodies, specifically referring to
    funding and control of local services and local media, Reuters
    reports.

    Mr. Burns called on the Serbian Government to open up a dialogue
    with the opposition on the beginning of democratization. He stated
    that the US Assistant Secretary John Shattuck's visit to Belgrade
    is under consideration but not yet definite.


    ROME BELIEVES TIME HAS COME FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND
    OPPOSITION

    Now that Zajedno's election victories are recognised, the time has
    come for the Serbian Government and the opposition to establish a
    dialogue on democratization say the Italian government, Reuters
    reported from Rome on Thursday.


    MARKOVIC: MAJORITY SYSTEM IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR OUR MENTALITY

    The Serbian government is planning to change electoral law,
    according to reports in Belgrade's state media. Ratko Markovic,
    the vice president of the Serbian government, said that a
    proportional system with reduced rights of appeal should replace
    the current majority vote system which provides extensive rights
    of appeal ``in the light of our mentality.''  Under the new system
    one body would have 48 hours to discuss any irregularities, after
    which a winner would be announced.


    NEWS FROM BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA AND CROATIA
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    AFP: BRCKO REMAINS UNDER SERB CONTROL

    The international arbitrators have decided that Brcko will remain
    under Serb control, AFP reported on Thursday quoting ``diplomatic
    sources'' in Rome. The Italian Foreign Ministry announced on
    Wednesday that the decision of the Arbitration Commission on the
    fate of Brcko would be made public on Friday.


    ELECTIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA ON APRIL 13

    The elections in Eastern Slavonia will be held on April 13,
    simultaneously with the elections in all Croat districts, cities
    and municipalities, Jacques Klein, Chief of the UN Interim
    Government for Eastern Slavonia announced on Wednesday, Beta
    reports. Mr. Klein said the set date allowed enough time for the
    local Serb population to get their papers from Croatia entitling
    them to vote. It also allows time for an electoral register to be
    compiled and election campaigns organized.


    AGREEMENT ON MOSTAR REACHED

    UN Deputy High Commissioner Michael Steiner stated on Wednesday
    that an agreement with the representatives of the Muslim-Croat
    Federation intended to solve the Mostar crisis had been reached,
    Reuters reports. Mr. Steiner said that representatives of the two
    sides, including Alija Izetbegovic, President of the Presidency of
    Bosnia Herzegovina, and Kresimir Zubak, President of the Muslim-
    Croat Federation, condemned the recent violence in Mostar and
    expulsions of its citizens. The Croats opened fire on Muslim
    pilgrims to a cemetery in the western part of the town on Monday,
    killing one and wounding 22.

    Mr. Steiner stressed that the two sides agreed to accept and
    implement the report of the international police forces on that
    case and to arrest and prosecute the culprits.


    THREE EXPLOSIONS IN MOSTAR ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT

    The spokesman for the SFOR [NATO-lead Stabilization Force],
    Vincent Dalmau, told AFP on Thursday that there were 3 loud
    explosions in Mostar on Wednesday night, two of in the Western
    Croat-controlled part of the town, and one in the Eastern Muslim-
    controlled part. Mr. Dalmau said that there were no casualties,
    FoNet reports.

    Prepared by: Marija Milosavljevic
    Edited by: Mary Anne Wood

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    E-mail: odrazb92@b92.opennet.org, beograd@siicom.com
    WWW:    http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/, http://www.opennet.org/b92/
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