Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 4 PM), February 25, 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 4 PM
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    MEDIA PROTESTS

    Zajedno and Serbian Renewal Movement spokesman Ivan Kovacevic on
    Tuesday announced that Zajedno would continue its street protests
    if the state media have not been liberated by March 9. Mr.
    Kovacevic commented that the recent statements of Montenegrin
    Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic had been reasonable, as Montenegro
    wanted a market economy and cooperation with the economically
    advanced countries. He added that Zajedno has been talking for a
    long time about the matters which MrDjukanovic has raised.


    HEALTH WORKERS: ONE HOUR STRIKE AS WARNING

    All health care institutions in Serbia held a one-hour stopwork on
    Tuesday as a warning to Serbian authorities, reports Radio B92.
    Doctors, nurses and other employees of the health institutions are
    demanding salary increases.


    EUROPEAN UNION

    Radio B92's London correspondent, Paul Beaver, reports that there
    were strong hints that the European Union and its commissions
    wanted to clarify two matters. The first was political stability,
    which meant that all future elections must be democratic.
    Secondly, the economies of the former Yugoslav Republics,
    especially Croatia and Yugoslavia must be kept in order, i.e.
    without hyper-inflation, and with a rapid process of
    privatization. The long term strategy is to include both countries
    in the EU.

    The question of Kosovo is one of the conditions, and must be
    resolved by the autonomy of tha province within Yugoslavia, with
    full respect for human rights. The EU is in favour of the recent
    victories of Serbian opposition in the local elections. Despite
    this, Mr Milosevic remains one of the key players in relations
    between Serbia and EU as does Croatian President Franjo Tudjman.
    However, from the EU's point of view, both of them are yesterday's
    politicians, says Radio B92's London correspondent, Paul Beaver.


    YES MINISTER

    The Serbian Minister of Information, Radmila Milentijevic, at a
    Monday evening news conference in Washington, announced the
    adoption of the new law on information which would provide full
    opening of the media in Serbia, FoNet reports. She said that the
    critics of the state-run RTS television ``were partly right'' but
    that Serbian President, Slobodan Milosevic, had ordered the
    liberation of all media from state control.

    According to Ms Milentijevic, the new law on information will be
    based on similar laws in advanced western countries, and will also
    draw on the experience of Spain and Portugal, as countries which
    transformed themselves from dictatorships into democracies. Ms
    Milentijevic criticised the American media's coverage of current
    events in Serbia, saying that Mr Clinton's administration could
    not have a better ally than Serbia in the process of stabilisation
    in the Balkans.


    SOCIALISTS SUPPORT GOVERNMENT OVER TEACHERS

    A statement by the central committee of the governing Socialist
    Party of Serbia says that the demands of striking teachers are
    unreal, and that teachers wante to bring politics into the
    education system, which would damage children.

    The SPS gave its full support to the Serbian government and its
    efforts to ensure the implementation of the law and normal
    functioning of the schools.


    WAR CRIMES TRIAL FOR BOSNIAN SERB

    Bosnian Serb, Novislav Gajic (34), is standing trial for war
    crimes in Munich. The trial began on Tuesday. Gajic is accused for
    participation in the killing of 27 Muslim civilians. The accused
    has lived in Germany since 1993, and was arrested in January this
    year. His lawyers deny the moral right of the German court to try
    the Bosnian Serb. Court officials have said that they are ready to
    hand the accused over to the Hague Tribunal if asked.

    Prepared by: Goran Dimitrijevic
    Edited by: Steve Agnew

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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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