Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 4 PM), March 9, 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 4 PM
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    ZAJEDNO RALLY

    More than 50,000 people attended a rally organized by the Zajedno
    coalition in Belgrade's republic square on Sunday. The rally was
    held to mark the sixth anniversary of an opposition rally in 1991,
    in support of media freedom, which the army crushed.

    The Zajedno leaders, Vuk Draskovic, Zoran Djindjic and Vesna
    Pesic, addressed the crowd as did Ivica Lazovic, the man who was
    serously injured during the recent protests. A message from the
    Crown Prince, Aleksandar Karadjordjevic was read aloud. Zajedno
    leaders called on authorities to attend the proposed round table
    talks on the conditions for the forthcoming elections. If they
    refuse, Zajedno will boycot the elections.

    Vesna Pesic said: ``In the past six years we have been through
    many things. War, blood, false savings banks, hyper-inflation...
    If we had toppled this government then, the course of history
    would have been different. However, we did not have an uprising in
    Serbia and civil protest. While Radmila Milentijevic tells the
    world that Serbia has the most independent media, they shut down
    BK Television, and state television lies more than ever.''

    Zoran Djindjic said: ``If we don't end this March 9 successfully,
    we will become a postscript in the world, and the world will pay
    attention to us only when a crisis occurs. The stakes are high,
    very high. The future of the country, nation, people -- of all
    generations. The authorities keep persuading us that the world is
    waging special war against us.''

    Vuk Draskovic said that the Serbian President was again using
    nationalism, although he was the greatest betrayer of national
    interests because he is provoking trouble in Kosovo in order to
    preserve power. The next Zajedno rally will be held on June 28,
    but if the need arises, it can be held at any time before that
    date, Mr. Draskovic said. He also announced that the city council
    will rename Republic Square ``the Square of Freedom.'' After the
    rally, citizens went for a walk around central Belgrade,
    unhindered by the police.


    EX INTERIOR MINISTER: NO VIOLENCE ON THIS MARCH 9

    Member of the Main Board of the Socialist Party of Serbia and
    former Serbian Interior Minister Radmilo Bogdanovic commented in
    today's ``Dnevni Telegraf'' newspaper that the events of six years
    ago cannot be repeated, because ``the opposition have realized
    that power cannot be taken over by force and there must be
    dialogue with the authorities.''  ``Six years ago, as the Minister
    of Police, I was on the side of those who enforced law and order,
    and I have no reason to feel sorry about the things I had to do
    then,''said Mr. Bogdanovic and added that first negociations
    should not be about electoral law, but about economic revival and
    its primary precondition; ownership transformation.


    MONTENEGRIN PRIME MNISTER IN WASHINGTON

    The Montenegrin Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, went to the USA
    on a working visit, Montena Fax reports. The aim of his visit is
    the continuation of talks with the US administration and
    international financial institutions in Washington. During his
    stay in the USA Mr. Djukanovic will meet high ranking officials
    from the State Department, Congress, the World Bank and the
    International Monetary Fund. He will also try to unfreeze
    Montenegrin assets, including four big sea-going ships, which are
    still subject to American control.

    Prepared by: Goran Dimitrijevic
    Edited by: Mary Anne Wood

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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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