OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 179, 14 September 1995

From: "Steve Iatrou" <siatrou@cdsp.neu.edu>

Open Media Research Institute Directory

CONTENTS

  • [1] HAS JAJCE FALLEN?

  • [2] CROATS, BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT TROOPS ADVANCE.

  • [3] GENERAL SMITH STAYS TOUGH ON SERBS.

  • [4] KARADZIC CLAIMS FEW CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.

  • [5] HOLBROOKE MEETS WITH MILOSEVIC.

  • [6] ROMANIAN FOREIGN POLICY.

  • [7] CHOLERA IN ROMANIA, MOLDOVA.

  • [8] NO BREAKTHROUGH IN CHISINAU-TIRASPOL TALKS.

  • [9] TRANSDNIESTRIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW ELECTION LAW.

  • [10] BULGARIAN LOCAL ELECTION LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

  • [11] GREECE, MACEDONIA SIGN ACCORD.

  • [12] U.S. SUPPORTS ALBANIA'S STAND ON KOSOVO.

  • [13] ALBANIAN OPPOSITION WALKS OUT OF PARLIAMENT.

    •

    OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 179, Part II, 14 September 1995

    SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

    [1] HAS JAJCE FALLEN?

    Croatian media on 13 September reported that Croatiansoldiers were in control of Jajce, in central Bosnia, as well as Sipovo and Drvar. A Bosnian Serb statement called the story "disinformation" and insisted that Serbian lines were holding. But AFP on 14 September quoted UN envoy Yasushi Akashi as saying that NATO intelligence suggested the Croats' reports were true. If that is the case, the road to Banja Luka will be open to Croatian and Bosnian troops, which are advancing on the Serbian stronghold from several directions. Jajce has a key hydroelectric station and its fall would have a significant practical as well as psychological impact on the Serbs. The BBC said that 40,000 Serbs were now in flight in the area. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

    [2] CROATS, BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT TROOPS ADVANCE.

    A UN military spokesman told news agencies on 13 September that Bosnian government forces have scored important gains in the Mt. Ozren area and that claims of successes by the Bosnian and Croatian forces seem "likely." He denied charges that NATO air strikes made the changes on the ground possible, pointing out that the raids have been mainly in eastern Bosnia whereas the land action has been to the west. Another UN official, however, urged caution on the ground at a time when diplomatic initiatives are under way and protested that the government's advance has sent Serb civilians fleeing. Meanwhile in London, the Foreign Office again singled out Croatia for blame. A spokesman told Reuters: "We would condemn what Croatia is doing in western Bosnia." The BBC on 14 September added that the UN Security Council and the U.S. have also called for a halt to the advance. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

    [3] GENERAL SMITH STAYS TOUGH ON SERBS.

    The Guardian and some other media on 13 September suggested that NATO and the UN might allow the Serbs to keep some of their big guns around Sarajevo. This would be "to reassure their own population," in keeping with statements made by Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. Some observers have suggested that Bosnian Serb commander General Ratko Mladic has been holding out against the air strikes in the hope that Western politicians will lose heart and opt for just such a compromise. UNPROFOR commander Lt.-Gen. Rupert Smith, however, thinks otherwise. As his spokesman told Reuters, he argued that: "Our line remains we're into peace enforcement here. Peace enforcement is not negotiating. . . . We've seen that. It has failed over years here. We are saying if you do not do this, no conditions, you continue to get bombed." -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

    [4] KARADZIC CLAIMS FEW CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.

    Visiting one of the areas under attack from allied Bosnian and Croatian forces, Karadzic said that "we have had very few civilian casualties from NATO aircraft and from enemy artillery." This contradicts a Russian statement that claimed that the Serbs were a victim of "genocide" because of the air strikes, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung pointed out on 14 September. The internationally wanted war criminal was seeking to bolster sagging Serb morale. The BBC, however, quoted his "foreign minister" as telling an international audience that the air raids had produced great damage and heavy civilian casualties, which has generally been the Serbian line to date. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

    [5] HOLBROOKE MEETS WITH MILOSEVIC.

    U.S. envoy and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke concluded talks with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in the early hours of 14 September, Tanjug reported the same day. Milosevic and Holbrooke spoke at length about regional peace prospects. Rump Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic also participated in the meeting. Meanwhile, AFP on 13 September reported that at least "several hundred" protesters gathered around the U.S. cultural center in Belgrade the same day to protest NATO actions in Bosnia and the U.S.'s "involvement in the Bosnian crisis." The rally was organized by Serbia's opposition Democratic Party. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [6] ROMANIAN FOREIGN POLICY.

    Foreign Ministry spokesman Mircea Geoana, at a press conference on 13 September, reiterated his country's position on NATO enlargement, saying that the matter concerns only NATO and the countries that have asked to become members. Radio Bucharest quoted Geoana as also saying Romania welcomes the Geneva agreement on the former Yugoslav countries and considers the agreement "an important step" toward "mutual recognition among the three states." He said Romania was "satisfied" with the renewal of contacts between Greece and Macedonia. Finally, Geoana expressed "full support" for Moldova's rejection of "any parallel" between the conflict in Bosnia and the Transdniester (as alleged in Igor Smirnov's speech before deputies of the Russian State Duma). Romania believes the conflict in "eastern Moldova" must be solved "exclusively through peaceful means." -- Michael Shafir, OMRI, Inc.

    [7] CHOLERA IN ROMANIA, MOLDOVA.

    A statement released by the Ministry of Health and carried by Radio Bucharest on 13 September says the number of cases of cholera in Romania has reached 70. BASA-press reported the same day that the number of cholera cases in Moldova has now reached 235. Thirteen cases were reported in the capital, Chisinau -- Michael Shafir, OMRI, Inc.

    [8] NO BREAKTHROUGH IN CHISINAU-TIRASPOL TALKS.

    International agencies on 13 September reported that the summit meeting between the Moldovan and Transdniestrian leaders ended with no progress reported. A press release by the Transdniestrian side said the "discussions were tense" and differences persisted. Infotag said Mircea Snegur and Igor Smirnov failed to achieve any progress in defining the legal status of the breakaway region but that it was agreed negotiations would continue. A member of the Moldovan delegation told Infotag that Tiraspol is "taking its time" to await the results of the Russian parliamentary elections in December. He said Transdniestrian "stubbornness" about insisting on the recognition of its independent status prevented solving "simpler matters" of an economic nature or the question of restoring bridges over the River Dniester destroyed during the fighting. -- Michael Shafir, OMRI, Inc.

    [9] TRANSDNIESTRIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW ELECTION LAW.

    The breakaway republic's parliament on 12 September passed a new election law, Infotag reported the next day. The law provides for a mixed system of party lists and single-constituency representation. Elections are due on 24 December, but Infotag cited Igor Smirnov as saying the timing of the elections may yet be decided in a referendum in which other issues, among them the region's constitution, will be voted on. -- Michael Shafir, OMRI, Inc.

    [10] BULGARIAN LOCAL ELECTION LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

    The Constitutional Court on 13 September ruled that the local election law partly violates the constitution, Reuters reported the same day. The court overruled a provision that reporters of state-run media are not allowed to express their personal opinion about elections to be held in late October. Constitutional Court judge Ivan Grigorov said reporters "have the right to express opinions in their reporting of the local elections" and that this right "in turn guarantees every Bulgarian's right to be kept informed." But the court did not reject two other provisions--that soldiers can vote only in their home constituency and that mayoral candidates are not allowed to have dual citizenship. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [11] GREECE, MACEDONIA SIGN ACCORD.

    The foreign ministers of Greece and Macedonia, Karolos Papoulias and Stevo Crvenkovski, on 13 September signed an agreement in New York aimed at normalizing relations between their countries. The signing came after more than two years of mediation by the UN and the U.S. Under the accord, Greece recognizes Macedonia's sovereignty and will lift its embargo, while Macedonia will change its flag and amend its constitution to stress that it has no claims on Greek territory. Each side will set up liaison offices in the other's capital and will recognize the common existing border. Greece and Macedonia have 30 days to implement these measures, and the agreement will remain in effect for seven years or until a definitive accord is signed. However, the name issue has yet to be settled; negotiations are scheduled to start later this year. According to AFP, UN mediator Cyrus Vance said the agreement will have a ""positive effect . . . in the region." UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali and U.S. President Bill Clinton also hailed the accord. The U.S. established full diplomatic relations with Macedonia only hours after the accord was signed. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [12] U.S. SUPPORTS ALBANIA'S STAND ON KOSOVO.

    Albanian President Sali Berisha on 13 September said the U.S. was watching Serbia's treatment of the ethnic Albanian majority in Kosovo and that U.S. President Bill Clinton "will insist" on the restoration of Kosovo's autonomy, Reuters reported the same day. Berisha asked Clinton to initiate negotiations between the Kosovar leadership and the Belgrade government under international mediation. Berisha said U.S. support, such as the U.S. contingent in the UNPREDEP force in Macedonia, would have a stabilizing effect. Earlier that day, Boston University President John Silber abruptly canceled plans to award an honorary degree to Berisha after Nicholas Gage, a best-selling author of Greek ancestry, alleged that Albania fails to provide proper education to its Greek minority. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

    [13] ALBANIAN OPPOSITION WALKS OUT OF PARLIAMENT.

    The Albanian opposition walked out of the parliament on 13 September to protest government attempts to unseat Supreme Court Chief Judge Zef Brozi. The government, claiming that Brozi has violated the constitution in some rulings, asked the Constitutional Court to convene a hearing on Brozi's conduct in office on 14 September. The government, however, has not specified its charges. If the Constitutional Court dismisses Brozi, he will be prevented from reviewing Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano's case on 20 September. Brozi is expected to release Nano, who is serving a disputed prison term for misappropriation of Italian aid funds. Nano's release might reduce the ruling Democrats' chances of winning the upcoming elections in early 1996, international agencies reported. Prime Minister Aleksander Meksi earlier ignored an opposition request to explain police actions outside the Supreme Court on 6 September (see OMRI Daily Digest, 7 September). -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

    This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in Prague, Czech Republic.
    For more information on OMRI publications please write to info@omri.cz

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