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OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 2, 3 January 1996

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

Open Media Research Institute Directory

CONTENTS

  • [1] ADMIRAL SMITH SAYS "BANDITRY" IS NOT IFOR'S BUSINESS.

  • [2] IFOR DEPLOYMENT GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.

  • [3] IZETBEGOVIC ANGRY OVER NEW YEAR'S FESTIVITIES.

  • [4] CROATIAN OPPOSITION TRIUMPHS IN ZAGREB LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

  • [5] SERBIAN OPPOSITION AHEAD . . .

  • [6] . . . OR IS IT?

  • [7] FLOODS CONTINUE IN ROMANIA.

  • [8] SIX BULGARIAN POLICEMEN CHARGED WITH MURDER.

  • [9] FORMER BULGARIAN PREMIER CRITICIZES VIDENOV.

  • [10] GREEK SOCIALISTS CALL FOR PAPANDREOU'S REPLACEMENT.

  • [11] ALBANIAN SOCIALIST PARTY TAKES NANO OFF ITS CANDIDATES LIST.


  • OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 2, Part II, 3 January 1996

    SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

    [1] ADMIRAL SMITH SAYS "BANDITRY" IS NOT IFOR'S BUSINESS.

    AFP quoted a U.S. State Department spokesman as calling the reports of the abductions of 16 Muslims (see Top Story) "troubling." But IFOR's commander, Admiral Leighton Smith, told Bosnian Serb television on 2 January that dealing with missing persons and freedom of movement are the functions of the yet-to-be-established police force, not of his troops. Some observers suggested, however, that IFOR's mandate is so tough that Smith could make the abductions his business if he so chose. The BBC said that the Serbs are testing the will of the international community, and that if they can get away with a little bit in Sarajevo now, they will get away with much more in the towns and valleys later. Reuters reported the next day that NATO and Bosnian Serb representatives will meet to discuss the abductions. -- Patrick Moore

    [2] IFOR DEPLOYMENT GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.

    Hina noted on 3 January that the arrival of U.S. forces is moving along on or ahead of schedule. Some 3,500 American troops have arrived in Bosnia to date as the countdown proceeds to the 19 January deadline for the separation of hostile forces. Reuters noted that the various armies are busy removing up to seven million land mines in keeping with the Dayton agreement. In his confidence-building press conference on Bosnian Serb television, Admiral Smith said that the foreign Islamic fighters backing the Bosnian government were leaving in large numbers. Reuters also discussed the problems of post-traumatic stress disorder among Sarajevans. -- Patrick Moore

    [3] IZETBEGOVIC ANGRY OVER NEW YEAR'S FESTIVITIES.

    Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic said he felt "uncomfortable" watching pictures of revelry in restaurants and cafes on state-run television. These included behavior and symbols "strange to our people," such as Christmas trees, Santa Claus figures, and ornaments on tables sinking with food and drink. AFP on 3 January quoted him as saying that the hard partying was limited to a tiny minority: "only a few impudent and callous ones dared to get plastered and to grimace in front of the cameras as if nothing has happened while the graves and wounds are still fresh." He also attacked broadcasters for allegedly approving of "European vices such as alcohol, drugs and pornography." Religious conservatives around Izetbegovic may find it difficult to convince the Bosnian Muslims -- a secular European people -- to continue the habits of wartime austerity now that peace has returned. -- Patrick Moore

    [4] CROATIAN OPPOSITION TRIUMPHS IN ZAGREB LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

    Opposition parties on 2 January succeeded in electing Goran Granic of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) mayor of the capital and Zdravko Tomac of the Social Democratic Party (the reformed communists) as speaker of the county assembly. This followed over a month of obstruction by President Franjo Tudjman and deputies from his Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ). Nasa Borba wrote on 3 January that it was unexpected that the HDZ legislators ended their boycott and let the government get on with its work. The HDZ is a minority in both bodies but has enough votes to block a quorum. Its leaders apparently realized they had no hope of persuading the HSLS to join them in a coalition or in improving their standing by forcing new elections. Tomac told the Feral Tribune that the future of Croatian democracy would be made or broken in Zagreb. -- Patrick Moore

    [5] SERBIAN OPPOSITION AHEAD . . .

    A survey conducted in November and reported in Nasa Borba on 3 January showed that opposition leaders and their parties are most popular with rump Yugoslav youth who plan to vote in upcoming elections. In the poll of some 1,200 college and university students, 26.8% of respondents chose Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Zoran Djindjic's Democratic Party (DS) gained 22.8%, Vojislav Seselj's ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) 17.5%, and Vuk Draskovic's Serbian Renewal Movement 11.5%. Only 6.6% said they would vote for Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), while a mere 2.8% intended to back Mirjana Markovic, Milosevic's wife and head of a small leftist party. -- Stan Markotich

    [6] . . . OR IS IT?

    Serbia's youth, however, appear to be out of step withbroader public opinion. Also conducted in November, and reported in Nasa Borba on 19 December under the banner "There's Nothing New in Serbia," a survey of some 2,000 people revealed that most of the public favored the status quo. Milosevic remained among the most popular political figures for 50.9% of respondents. Also topping the list were accused war criminals, with Bosnian Serb military leader General Ratko Mladic receiving approval from 50% of respondents, and his civilian counterpart, Radovan Karadzic, 36%. The most unpopular figures were opposition leaders Seselj (65.9%), Draskovic (60.7%) and Djindjic (57.3%). The ruling Socialist Party of Serbia remained the party of choice for most voters. -- Stan Markotich

    [7] FLOODS CONTINUE IN ROMANIA.

    Heavy rains have continued to provoke floods in various Romanian provinces, Radio Bucharest reported on 2 and 3 January. The rivers Mures, Crisul Alb and Crisul Negru have flooded hundreds of hectares of agricultural land, dwellings, and local roads in southern Transylvania and the Banat. Floods were also registered in southern Romania, especially in the Dambovita, Prahova, and Olt counties. Hundreds of families had to be evacuated, while an eight-year- old boy reportedly drowned. Meanwhile, the Danube is expected to reach critical levels on 3 and 4 January. -- Dan Ionescu

    [8] SIX BULGARIAN POLICEMEN CHARGED WITH MURDER.

    Bulgarian newspapers on 3 January reported that six policemen from Sofia were charged with the murder of 22-year old Hristo Hristov. Hristov was arrested for theft on 5 April 1995 and died a few hours later in police custody. The autopsy then showed that he died of a massive hemorrhage; he had a torn aorta and several broken ribs as a result of severe beating. The six policemen were arrested the following day and later placed under house arrest; if convicted, they face up to 30 years in prison or the death penalty. According to Duma, the indictment was issued on 27 December. -- Stefan Krause

    [9] FORMER BULGARIAN PREMIER CRITICIZES VIDENOV.

    Andrey Lukanov of the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), in an interview with RFE's Bulgarian Service on 2 January, accused "a group of people" within the BSP and the government of waging a campaign against him for "clearly materialistic reasons." Lukanov said they unjustly accuse him of being hungry for power and of wanting to become prime minister again. He named people in the government's press center and the financial group Orion, which is said to be close to the government, as being behind this campaign. Lukanov said that "the government has to put its house in order" and said he expects Prime Minister Zhan Videnov to take a clear position. Orion Chairman Nikola Krivoshiev, in an interview published by 24 chasa on 3 January, said Lukanov and others in the BSP have failed to help Videnov ever since the BSP returned to power. He accused Lukanov of wanting to use economic power to achieve political power. Until September 1995, Krivoshiev held a 49% stake in the BSP daily Duma. -- Stefan Krause

    [10] GREEK SOCIALISTS CALL FOR PAPANDREOU'S REPLACEMENT.

    Senior members of the governing Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) on 2 January called for the immediate replacement of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, Reuters reported the same day. They said a new premier has to be elected in order to avoid a power vacuum both in the government and in PASOK. Papandreou has been in hospital since 20 November 1995, and his lung and kidney functions are supported by machines. Government spokesman Tilemachos Hytiris said any move to elect a new prime minister is unacceptable and unconstitutional; the premier can be replaced only if he dies or resigns. Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis and former Industry and Trade Minister Kostas Simitis are seen as the strongest contenders to succeed Papandreou. -- Stefan Krause

    [11] ALBANIAN SOCIALIST PARTY TAKES NANO OFF ITS CANDIDATES LIST.

    The Socialist Party scheduled its pre-election party congress for 23 March 1996 and decided to take imprisoned party leader Fatos Nano off the candidates list for June's parliamentary elections, ATSH reported on 27 December. At a previous meeting, the party leadership reportedly decided that a number of other legislators, who held office before 1991 and are banned from running for parliament by the "genocide law" adopted in September, will not attempt to stand again. They include Party General Secretary and former Interior Minister Gramoz Ruci, transition government Prime Minister Ylli Bufi, former Parliamentary Speaker Kastriot Islami, former Finance Minister Leontiev Cuci, former Health Minister Sabit Brokaj, former member of the Albanian Workers' Party's Central Committee Dritero Agolli and former Culture Minister Moikom Zeqo. -- Fabian Schmidt

    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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