Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 8 PM), February 8, 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 8 PM
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    VUCETIC: BILL SHOULD BE REPHRASED FOR SAKE OF JUSTICE

    Constitional Court judge Slobodan Vucetic told Radio B92 on
    Saturday that gross legal violations, which occurred as a result
    of the November election theft, could not be corrected by a Bill
    which was considered unconstitutional by virtually all local legal
    experts.

    Mr. Vucetic stressed however that the Bill could be made
    constituational, if changed during Tuesday's parliamentary
    session.

    Mr. Vucetic explained that the part of that Bill that said the
    preliminary results of the local elections would be final in
    accordance with the Gonzalez report was unconstitutional.

    Mr. Vucetic said that instead the Bill should state that the
    November 17 results would be pronounced final in accordance with
    the original documentation of the electoral commission.

    Mr. Vucetic warned that failure to do this would make the law
    vulnerable to constant appeal through the Constitutional Court of
    Yugoslavia.

    Mr. Vucetic also stressed that, in its original form, the Bill did
    not admit electoral theft, but was instead an attempt to satisfy
    the demands of Europe and solve the political crisis in Serbia.


    RASTKO KOSTIC WILL CONTINUE TO ATTEND PROTESTS

    Rastko Kostic, a student who suffered head and other injuries
    during violent clashes with police on February 2, told Radio B92
    on Saturday he would sue the Serbian Interior Ministry.

    Mr. Kostic, who works for a student magazine, will base his law
    suit on the fact that he was beaten while working as a journalist.
    Mr. Kostic explained that police started to attack him when they
    saw his press card and that they broke his fingers while
    attempting to destroy the portable cassette recorder he was using
    to record events in Republic Square. In spite of that attack, Mr.
    Kostic stressed that he would continue to attend the peaceful
    protests.


    PANIC: ZAJEDNO LEADERS SHOULD VISIT MOSCOW

    On Saturday, former Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic advised
    Zajedno leaders to establish direct contact with Moscow, FoNet
    reported. Mr. Panic stressed that this would facilitate good
    relations with representatives of the Russian government and help
    them to better understand the protests in Serbia. Mr. Panic's
    statement follows his own recent meetings with several prominent
    Russian officials in Moscow.


    PROTEST MARCH IN VRACAR AND ZVEZDARA NEIGHBOURHOODS

    Zajedno announced on Saturday that coalition deputies would lead
    protest marches in the Belgrade neighbourhoods of Vracar and
    Zvezdara on Sunday evening to show top Socialist officials that
    the demonstrations would continue until Zajedno victories were
    recognised in full.

    Some of the top officials of the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia
    have seats in these Belgrade suburbs. Local residents have been
    invited to bring bird seed to the march as an offering to ``local
    vultures,'' BETA reported on Saturday.


    KRAGUJEVAC TO STOP PAYING TAX

    On Saturday Bojana Ristic, Zajedno deputy in the Serbian
    Parliament, invited the citizens of Kragujevac to block tax
    payments to the Serbian government, BETA reported.

    Ms. Ristic said that the current Serbian Government should resign
    because it had failed to meet its financial obligations to the
    people, including payment of pensions, child benefit and all
    salaries due to civil servants.


    RS ADOPTS DECLARATION ON EASTERN SLAVONIA

    The Parliament of the Republic of Srpska (RS) adopted a
    Declaration on the situation in Eastern Slavonia on Saturday. The
    Declaration urged the international community to guarantee the
    security of Serbs living in that region.

    The Declaration concluded that all Serbs currently residing in
    Eastern Slavonia would be welcomed in the RS, should they decide
    to leave after the March elections.


    SECURITY IN FEDERATION OF BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA UNDER THREAT

    Internal security in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has
    worsened over the past week following a number of incidents in
    Sarajevo and Mostar.

    In Mostar, explosions and gun volleys resounded over the town on
    Thursday night, FoNet reported on Saturday. The Public Safety
    Department of Mostar later confirmed a total of 8 explosions.

    Croatian media reported on Saturday that a new shell hit a
    Catholic monastery in western [Croat] part of Mostar on Saturday.
    That media claimed the shell had been launched from the eastern
    [Muslim] part of town. However, no casualties were reported.

    Police officers in the Sarajevo canton came under fire on Thursday
    evening. The Police Department of the Sarajevo canton claimed that
    the shots were fired by citizens of the Republic of Srpska, FoNet
    reported on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, representatives of ethnic Croats in Bosnia walked out
    of the latest session of the Government of the Federation of
    Bosnia and Herzegovina, because Muslim representatives had opposed
    the formation of new municipalities.


    GANIC PROPOSES INTERNATIONAL CONTROL OF BRCKO

    Vice-President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ejup
    Ganic stated on Saturday that the disputed town of Brcko should be
    placed under international control in order to avoid further
    clashes between Muslims and Bosnian Serbs, AFP reported on
    Saturday.

    Prepared by: Marija Milosavljevic
    Edited by: Julia Glyn-Pickett

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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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