Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 3 PM), March 1, 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 3 PM
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    BELGRADE BUDAPEST COOPERATION

    The Mayors of Belgrade and Budapest, Zoran Djindjic and Gabor
    Demski on Saturday signed a memorandum of intent on cooperation
    between the two capitals. The memorandum calls for a conference to
    be held in Belgrade with experts from Budapest. Another expert
    meeting on urban planning and development, city government and
    administration is to be held in Budapest. The two Mayors are to
    sign the Agreement on Cooperation of the two capitals during the
    Mayor of Belgrade's visit to Budapest.


    DRASKOVIC DEMANDS URGENT CANCELLATION OF CITY TAX

    Vuk Draskovic, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), on
    Saturday demanded that the new Belgrade city government ugrently
    abolish the additional 3% sales tax introduced in Belgrade last
    year by the Socialist city government. Mr. Draskovic demanded this
    on the grounds that the opposition must keep the promises it had
    made to the electorate during the campaign for the local
    elections.

    Mr. Draskovic also stressed that the Belgrade city government must
    demand that the Serbian Government reverse its decision reducing
    the city's tax revenue from 51 to 25%.

    Milan Bozic, Belgrade City Council's Vice-President has confirmed
    that the city government would drop the additional 3% sales tax.


    YES MINISTER

    Serbian Minister of Information Radmila Milentijevic told the
    daily 'Nasa Borba' on Saturday that Serbian President Slobodan
    Milosevic was ``absolutely and decidedly'' determined to lead
    Serbia towards further democratization. She also said that the
    main problem in relations between the Government and the
    opposition was was that the opposition leaders lacked democratic
    behaviou, having no respect for the opinions of others, or for the
    fact that Slobodan Milosevic was the elected President of Serbia.

    Minister Milentijevic once again reiterated that Serbia had
    absolute freedom of the press, and that while the situation with
    the electronic media was ``somewhat different'' it was not as bad
    as the world was trying to present it.

    The Minister said that the draft of the new law on media wold be
    prepared within about ten days and presented to all political
    parites and registered media. She claimed that the new law would
    guarantee absolute freedom of the media, adding that the image of
    President Milosevic as opposed to the freedom of the media was
    false. The minister claimed that that this image was a result of
    the fact that foreign journalists who visit Serbia are only
    interested in talking to the opposition.


    GERMANS RETURN 41 ALBANIANS

    German police discovered a group of 41 Kosovo Albanians hidden in
    a Hungarian truck at the Germany-Austria border on Saturday. The
    police stated that it had turned the Albanians back to Hungary as
    they had no grounds to seek political asylum in Germany or
    Austria, according to Beta.


    ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN UNDER WAY IN CROATIA

    The campaign for the local elections in Croatia begun on Friday
    midnight and will last until April 11 midnight. The Croatian
    Electoral Commission will announce lists of candidates on
    Saturday. Representatives of the Croatia's eight opposition
    parties on Friday signed an agreement establishing a joint
    commission to supervise the elections.

    Prepared by: Marija Milosavljevic
    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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