Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    Odraz B92 vesti (by 9 PM), December 29, 1996

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    All texts are Copyright 1996 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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    NEWS BY 9 PM
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    OFFICERS SUPPORT PROTESTS

    Military officers from Nis, Vranje, Pirot, Zajecar, Urosevac,
    Pristina and the airborne brigade stationed in Nis sent an open
    letter to President Milosevic today, calling on him to exercise
    some ``presidential dignity and sensibility, as one most
    responsible for Serbia and its people,'' and to side with the
    interests of the Serbian people as they, the officers, have
    resolved to do.

    Copies of the open letter have been sent to the students of the
    University of Nis as well as to Momcilo Perisic, commander-in-
    chief at the FRY Army Headquarters. The letter, a copy of which
    has been obtained by the coalition Zajedno Information Center,
    blames the Serbian President for the recent wars in the region and
    warns Milosevic that ``this is the last chance to save the country
    from a disaster.''


    A PEACEFUL MARCH AFTER ALL

    Dozens of thousands of Belgraders gathered for their 40th straight
    protest in the capital's Republic Square today at subfreezing
    temperatures. After the usual address by the Zajedno leaders, the
    demonstrators went for a walkabout despite the ban and the heavy
    presence of police forces. Opposition demonstrators divided into
    two columns and walked up and down Knez Mihajlova Street (a
    pedestrian zone, closed to traffic), one side cheering ``We love
    you'' and the other replying ``I love you too!,'' in a sardonic
    spoof of the Serbian President and his sympathizers' ``love-in''
    at Milosevic's December 24 counter-rally.


    ZAJEDNO INVITES BELGRADERS TO CELEBRATE NEW YEAR'S EVE TOGETHER

    The coalition Zajedno has invited Belgraders to join in the
    celebration of the New Year's Eve in the capital's Republic
    Square. Zajedno will organize various programs, beginning with a
    fancy-dress party for children, followed by a New Year's protest
    march under the auspices of the Student Protest '96, and ending in
    New Year's a party in which many of Belgrade's top actors and
    musicians will take part.


    DRASKOVIC EXPRESSES DISSATISFACTION WITH GREEK GOVERNMENT POSITION

    In an interview to the Thessalonike daily ``Angelioforos'' Vuk
    Draskovic, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, speaking in the
    name of the coalition Zajedno, said they are not satisfied with
    the position of the Greek government towards Slobodan Milosevic
    and his actions, reports for FoNet Slobodan Markovic. Draskovic
    urged the Greek government to condemn Milosevic's dictatorial
    regime.


    NIS ELECTORAL COMMISSION'S RULING INAPPROPRIATE

    A statement by the Serbian Ministry of Justice said today that the
    decision the Nis Electoral Commission made almost 2 months after
    the elections to hold runoffs in some polling stations in Nis is
    inappropriate. The ministry stressed that the outcome, whatever it
    might be, cannot reverse the order by Serbian President Milosevic
    to establish the truth concerning the Nis electoral minutes, the
    copies of which students of UofN had submitted to him earlier this
    month. A ruling on the minutes is expected also to establish the
    truth about the local electoral results in Nis.


    STUDENT PROTEST IN NIS

    Students of the UofN went for their 39th straight protest march
    carrying shooting targets on their heads to protest the
    authorities' attempt to provoke unrest in Belgrade. UofN students
    are protesting the recent events on Belgrade, where the
    authorities have been trying to suppress the opposition
    demonstrations by the use of police brutality and attacks on the
    citizens participating in Belgrade's peaceful campaign of civil
    disobedience.


    TOMIC: OSCE CANNOT ARBITRATE

    Chairman of the Serbian Parliament Dragan Tomic said in his
    statement today that the OSCE's report on the local electoral
    results in Serbia has a preliminary character and that it could be
    taken both as an information document and a as recommendation. In
    his opinion, OSCE can in no way function as an arbiter since, he
    underlined, even the head of the OSCE mission Felipe Gonzalez has
    confirmed its purely advisory role. According to Tomic, the report
    carries three key points: that the electoral law of Yugoslavia,
    i.e. Serbia, corresponds to the OSCE principles, that the left
    coalition's victory in the elections is undisputed, and that the
    opposition parties won majority in a few cities and several
    municipalities.


    FRY PRESIDENT'S NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE

    In his New Year's message to Yugoslav citizens, President of FR
    Yugoslavia Zoran Lilic said today that now is not the time to
    impose personal and group interests on the general national and
    state interests, and these, the message said, are peace, economic
    recovery, development of democracy, the defense of a law-abiding
    state and human rights, and equality with the other states in the
    region and the international community as a whole. The letter also
    carries assurances that no individual is more important than the
    will of the people. It pinpoints dialogue and political discussion
    as the only way to further democracy in Serbia.


    WASHINGTON: THE BALL IS IN MILOSEVIC'S COURT

    Mainly silent on the current crisis in Serbia, the US
    Administration said during the weekend that the ball was now in
    Milosevic's court, reports for FoNet Slobodan Pavlovic.
    Unofficially, the Belgrade authorities have been given the next
    few days to find a way to put into effect the OSCE recommendations
    made public last Friday. The US Administration has already warned
    Milosevic that he faces renewed international isolation if he
    fails to allow the elected opposition representatives to assume
    their offices in the local governing bodies, as well as to open up
    a dialogue with the democratic opposition and free the media
    before the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in
    Serbia.


    MILOSEVIC SHOULD ACCEPT OPPOSITION VICTORY

    Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic should recognize the
    opposition victory in the local elections in the major cities if
    he wants Serbia to become once again a part of Europe, said
    Swedish Foreign Minister Lena Hjelm Wallen. She stressed that
    Milosevic should not ignore the OSCE's report confirming this
    victory, for it was he who had invited the OSCE mission to
    Belgrade, reports AFP.

    Prepared by: Aleksandra Scepanovic
    Edited by: Vaska Andjelkovic (Tumir)

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