Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 10 PM), February 21, 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 10 PM
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    MOUNTAINEERS REMOVE COMMUNIST STAR

    Mountaineers on Friday evening climbed the dome of Belgrade City
    Hall to remove a five pointed star which was put there by the
    Communist government after the Second World War.

    It took the mountaineers four hours in total to scale the city
    hall and remove the star.


    CITY COUNCIL ELECTS EXECUTIVE BOARD

    The new, opposition-controlled Belgrade City Council elected
    members of the Executive Board by a majority on Friday. Members of
    the Socialist Party, the Yugoslav United Left and the Serbian
    Radical Party voted against the new line-up of councillors, FoNet
    reported.


    FIRST REGULAR SESSION OF BELGRADE'S NEW CITY COUNCIL

    The first regular session of Belgrade's newly elected City Council
    followed immediately after the Council's founding session. During
    that session the Council replaced the Managing Board of Belgrade
    Radio Television Studio B television.

    Before the official debate had started, President of the Serbian
    Radical Party (SRS) and member of the Assembly Vojislav Seselj
    called the reasons for holding the session ``unconvincing,'' and
    demanded that all city taxes be abolished.

    The Radical Party councillors then left when the majority of
    Council members rejected Mr. Seselj's complaint. The council also
    concluded that the new Managing Board of Studio B should be all-
    party, FoNet reported.


    DJINDIC ORDERS AUDIT OF COUNCIL FINANCES

    Belgrade's new Mayor Zoran Djindjic said on Friday that the first
    priority of the new Council will be to carry out an independent
    audit of the accounts of the out-going Socialist Council.

    Mayor Djindjic added that the second priority will be to establish
    mechanisms to ensure the independent financing of Radio Television
    Studio B television. Mr. Djindjic explained that financial
    independence was key for editorial freedom at the local TV.

    Major Djindjic concluded that the third priority will be to review
    public services in order to make them more efficient. He explained
    the Council would employ local experts, and seek financial support
    from international foundations, in order to achieve that. Mr.
    Djindjic commented that the current number of employees,
    approximately 35,000, was excessive and that some changes were
    essential.


    DRASKOVIC: WE MUST WORK LIKE MINERS

    Opposition leader Vuk Draskovic told Belgrade's new Council on
    Friday that celebrations were premature and that councillors
    should instead ``work like miners.'' ``Up until now, we have asked
    bus drivers to strike in protest against their miserable salaries.
    But they are on the payroll of the City Assembly. Tomorrow they
    may strike against us. While the Socialists ruled the city, they
    had access to central government finances which they used to meet
    pay demands and prevent massive strikes; we will not have that
    option. Instead we will be forced to be extremely thrifty. We must
    cut back on all unnecessary public sector expenditure and rely on
    our own internal financial resources, as well as aid from the
    democratic world in order to balance budgets. This is our only
    chance -- I hope we will not waste it,'' Mr. Draskovic told fellow
    councillors.


    SESELJ: DJINDJIC STARTS HIS CAREER AS MAYOR A THIEF

    On Friday President of the Serbian Radical Party Vojislav Seselj
    accused Belgrade Mayor Zoran Djindjic of launching his new career
    as a thief. ``The Democratic Party has shown today that it will be
    worse than the Socialists were,'' stated Mr. Seselj and added that
    his party would not form any alliance with other parties in
    Belgrade's new City Council.


    SOCIALIST PARTY OF SERBIA: WE WANTED AN HONEST MAN FOR MAYOR

    One representative of the Socialists in Belgrade's new City
    Council stated on Friday that his party had abstained from voting
    for Belgrade's new Mayor because ``there was only one candidate,
    and we wanted an honest man to be Mayor.''


    EUROPEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS PUT BALKANS ON AGENDA

    Greece has requested that the current dramatic political and
    economical situation in many Balkan countries, including Serbia,
    be put on the agenda for the next session of the European Council,
    FoNet reported on Friday. Greece's Foreign Minister is expected to
    suggest some kind of ``new EU initiative'' for the Balkans, the
    details of which are still not known.

    Prepared by: Goran Dimitrijevic
    Edited by: Julia Glyn-Pickett

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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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