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OMRI Daily Digest, Vol. 2, No. 147, 96-07-31

Open Media Research Institute: Daily Digest Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>

Vol. 2, No. 147, 31 July 1996


CONTENTS

[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA

  • [01] CONFUSION SURROUNDS ABKHAZ TALKS.
  • [02] ARMENIAN BANKS IN CRISIS.
  • [03] BAKU DEMONSTRATORS DISPERSED.
  • [04] FOOD RIOT REPORTED IN TAJIK CITY.
  • [05] DEMONSTRATION OVER LIVING CONDITIONS IN KAZAKHSTAN.

  • [B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

  • [06] REFUGEE CAMP FOR BOSNIAN MUSLIMS TO BE CLOSED IN CROATIA.
  • [07] BOSNIAN OPPOSITION ACCUSES RULING PARTY OF UNFAIR PLAY.
  • [08] UPDATE ON FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN BOSNIA.
  • [09] CROATIAN PREMIER CALLS FOR ELECTIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA.
  • [10] CENTRIST UNION FOUNDED IN ROMANIA.
  • [11] TOP ROMANIAN DIPLOMATS SUMMONED TO BUCHAREST.
  • [12] BULGARIA ANNOUNCES ANTI-CRIME MEASURES.
  • [13] BRITISH DEFENSE SECRETARY IN BULGARIA.
  • [14] ALBANIAN OPPOSITION LAYS DOWN CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.
  • [15] FOUR ALBANIANS ON TRIAL FOR REVIVING COMMUNIST PARTY.

  • [A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA

    [01] CONFUSION SURROUNDS ABKHAZ TALKS.

    The virtual news blackout imposed on the UN/Russian-mediated talks in Moscow between Georgian and Abkhaz representatives on renewing the mandate of the Russian peacekeeping force in Abkhazia continues to give rise to unverifiable rumors. ITAR-TASS on 29 July again reported that a compromise had been reached on the peacekeeper issue. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze similarly stated on 29 July during his weekly radio broadcast that some progress had been made. BGI on 30 July quoted Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili as confirming that Shevardnadze had met on several occasions with his Abkhaz counterpart Vladislav Ardzinba but failed to reach an agreement; Shevardnadze's press secretary Vakhtang Abashidze had told RTR on 19 July that no meeting between the two presidents had taken place. On 30 July Noyan Tapan cited Caucasus Press as reporting that the Moscow talks have been suspended indefinitely at the initiative of the Russian mediator, Deputy Foreign Minister Boris Pastukhov. -- Liz Fuller

    [02] ARMENIAN BANKS IN CRISIS.

    The deputy chairman of the Central Bank, Armen Darbinyan, told a conference in Yerevan on 30 July that up to one-third of Armenia's 36 banks may close over the next year, Noyan Tapan reported. The banks are owed a total of 20 billion drams ($48 million) and have authorized capital of only 5.5 billion drams ($13 million). Speaking on 27 July, the president of the Armenian Banks Association, Tigran Sarkissyan, had urged the government not to go ahead with its plan to remove privileges for foreign investors, since this would choke off the inflow of private investment. -- Peter Rutland

    [03] BAKU DEMONSTRATORS DISPERSED.

    A group of demonstrators in front of the Russian embassy in Baku on 26 July was broken up by baton-wielding police, Noyan Tapan reported as monitored by the BBC. The demonstration, organized by 10 youth groups, was protesting the police actions in Moscow which in the name of fighting crime and terrorism are often targeting "persons of Caucasian nationality." (See .) -- Peter Rutland

    [04] FOOD RIOT REPORTED IN TAJIK CITY.

    Five people were killed and 11 injured when a riot broke out over food prices on 30 July in the eastern Tajik city of Khorog, according to the opposition's Radio Voice of Free Tajikistan as monitored by the BBC. The trouble apparently began when a shipment of meat, which has been a scarce commodity in the city recently, arrived and a dispute developed over pricing and distributing it. Three of those killed were policemen. -- Bruce Pannier

    [05] DEMONSTRATION OVER LIVING CONDITIONS IN KAZAKHSTAN.

    Some 2,000 people gathered in the southern city of Zhanatas on 28 July to protest living conditions, Kazakh Television First Channel reported as monitored by the BBC. The demonstrators also demanded the resignation of the head of the city administration and the formation of a special commission to correct the "ruinous social and economic situation in the city." Those at the illegal rally said they would meet again on 11 August if their demands were been met. -- Bruce Pannier

    [B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

    [06] REFUGEE CAMP FOR BOSNIAN MUSLIMS TO BE CLOSED IN CROATIA.

    The Croatian government has set 31 July as the deadline for 2,000 Bosnian Muslim refugees to leave the Kuplensko camp, Onasa reported. They have been given the choice to move to other refugee camps in Croatia, to go to a third country, or to return to Bosnia. The refugees are the last of the 20,000 followers of the Muslim kingpin Fikret Abdic who fled to Croatia last year when Bosnian army forces pushed them out of Velika Kladusa, their stronghold in northwestern Bosnia. Most of the refugees have already returned to their homes in Bosnia, but those who remain in Croatia fear political persecution if they return. UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko supported this fear, saying that the bridge blast on 29 July near Velika Kladusa may have been "an attempt to prevent refugees from the camp returning [to Bosnia]," AFP reported. -- Daria Sito Sucic

    [07] BOSNIAN OPPOSITION ACCUSES RULING PARTY OF UNFAIR PLAY.

    Bosnian opposition parties have accused the ruling Muslim Party of Democratic Action (SDA) of replacing the managers of state-run companies in Tuzla with party candidates, AFP reported on 29 July. In the first prewar elections, Tuzla was the only town in Bosnia-Herzegovina where national parties did not win a mandate. It remains the only town where the SDA is not the dominant party. Opposition spokesman Jasmin Imamovic said the state has the right to administer the companies but only in accordance with federal law. -- Daria Sito Sucic

    [08] UPDATE ON FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN BOSNIA.

    A Serbian mob armed with iron bars, sticks, and stones have attacked a UN bus carrying passengers from the Bosnian Federation, AFP reported on 30 July. UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski said the attack, which took place in the Serbian stronghold of Banja Luka, was "clearly orchestrated" by the Bosnian Serb authorities. He added that the UN was holding Serbian Premier Gojko Klickovic "personally responsible" for the safety of passengers and drivers in the Republika Srpska. In other news, the first train since the beginning of war in April 1992 set out on 30 July from Sarajevo via Mostar to the port of Ploce, on the Adriatic coast, Oslobodjenje reported. Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic said the renewed rail link to the sea marked "the second lifting of the Sarajevo siege," identifying a tunnel dug three years ago under the city's airport as the first one. -- Daria Sito Sucic

    [09] CROATIAN PREMIER CALLS FOR ELECTIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA.

    Zlatko Matesa on 30 July said he will send a letter to Jacques Klein, head of the UN Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES), demanding that local elections be held in the last Serb-held enclave of eastern Slavonia, Croatian radio reported on 30 July. The elections are the last condition to be met before Zagreb can take over jurisdiction and the UN depart from the enclave. Reuters quoted Matesa as saying there is "not a single important reason not to hold the elections in December." Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mate Granic, during his visit to Rome on 29-30 July, met with his Italian counterpart, Lamberto Dini to discuss taxation policies, tourism, and minority rights. Dini said the meeting was constructive and that Italy will support Croatian efforts to become a member of the Council of Europe. -- Stan Markotich

    [10] CENTRIST UNION FOUNDED IN ROMANIA.

    The Democratic Agrarian Party, the Ecological Movement, and the Humanist Party on 30 July signed a protocol founding a National Centrist Union (UNC), Radio Bucharest reported. The document stresses that the parties' complementary platforms facilitate the setting up of the new alliance, whose goals and structure will be determined following further negotiations. The union plans to nominate a joint candidate for this autumn's presidential elections and will welcome the membership of groups with similar political leanings. -- Dan Ionescu

    [11] TOP ROMANIAN DIPLOMATS SUMMONED TO BUCHAREST.

    Heads of Romania's diplomatic missions, consular offices, and cultural centers attended a conference in Bucharest on 29-30 July to discuss the country's policy for joining European and Euro-Atlantic structures. Radio Bucharest reported. Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu, who presided over the meeting, described integration with the West as Romania's "strategic" foreign policy goal, noting that the present period was "crucial" for achieving that goal. President Ion Iliescu also addressed the participants, saying that Romania's image abroad has improved over the last year but should be further "consolidated" by stressing both the country's internal stability and its contribution to regional stability. -- Dan Ionescu

    [12] BULGARIA ANNOUNCES ANTI-CRIME MEASURES.

    The Interior Ministry on 30 July announced a package of measures to fight crime and terrorism, Reuters and Bulgarian newspapers reported. Security is to be stepped up at airports, ports, railroad and bus stations, border crossings, important public buildings, and key strategic installations. The ministry will also tighten control over the production, transport, storage, and sales of arms, ammunition, explosives, and poisonous substances. It noted that there were 173 bombings in Bulgaria last year and 92 in the first half of 1996, adding that foreign criminal organizations might use Bulgaria as a transit route for illegal arms trade. Opposition deputies said they support the package, adding that they conform with existing legislation. -- Stefan Krause

    [13] BRITISH DEFENSE SECRETARY IN BULGARIA.

    Michael Portillo, arriving in Sofia on 30 July for a two-day visit, met with his Bulgarian counterpart, Dimitar Pavlov, Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, and Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski, Bulgarian and Western media reported. After those talks, Portillo commented that Bulgaria's "special relationship" with Russia could contribute to European security and build a bridge between the West and Moscow. He told Trud that it is entirely in Bulgaria's hands whether it wants to join NATO. Bulgarian politicians are divided over this issue. -- Stefan Krause

    [14] ALBANIAN OPPOSITION LAYS DOWN CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.

    Nine opposition parties on 30 July said they will participate in the October local elections only if the ballot is free and fair, international media reported. In a joint statement, the groups called for an improved local election law, international monitoring, equal TV air time, and a review of the genocide law, which bans many opposition from political office until 2002. The groups also demanded that the ruling Democratic Party immediately start a dialogue with the opposition to discuss early parliamentary elections. Other demands included an independent judiciary, free electronic media, civilian control over the police and secret service, a neutral presidency, and independent local government. Finally, the opposition groups proposed that a constituent assembly be elected to draft a new constitution. A basic law drafted by the Democrats was rejected in a 1994 referendum. -- Stefan Krause

    [15] FOUR ALBANIANS ON TRIAL FOR REVIVING COMMUNIST PARTY.

    Four Albanians have gone on trial on charges of founding a communist party and conspiring to overthrow the government, Reuters reported on 30 July. Three of the accused said they had attempted to create a communist party but denied they had supported violence or anti-constitutional measures. The fourth refused to comment. All four face up to five years in prison if convicted. The prosecution claims that they tried to establish contact with communist parties and associations abroad, including the Cuban government, while the secret police says it possesses incriminating faxes sent by the four to the Cuban embassy in Rome. The Albanian parliament declared all communist organizations illegal in July 1992. -- Stefan Krause

    Compiled by Victor Gomez and Jan Cleave
    News and information as of 1200 CET


    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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