Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 11 PM), February 10, 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 11 PM
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    MARATHON OF DEMOCRACY

    ``We must remain vigilant and endure our marathon of democracy to
    the end,'' Zoran Djindjic told a crowd of 30,000 demonstrators at
    Monday's Zajedno rally in Belgrade. Another opposition leader, Vuk
    Draskovic, said that Zajedno delegates would not participate in
    the session of parliament called to debate the special law on
    elections, nor in any other session until the report of the OSCE
    commission was recognized in every detail. Large groups of
    protesters arrived at the rally on foot from various parts of
    Belgrade Strong police forces were deployed in the streets, but
    did not prevent marchers from reaching the city centre.


    DSS BOYCOTT PARLIAMENT

    The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has issued an official
    statement saying that the parliamentary representatives of the
    party would not participate in Tuesday's session of the Serbian
    Parliament. ``The regime has accepted the will of the
    international community, but not the will of Serbian citizens.
    That is an unprecedented act,'' the DSS statement explained.


    AMBASSADOR VISITS STUDENTS

    Student spokesman Bojan Bogdanovic has told media that the British
    Embassy had sent two computers to Student Protest headquarters to
    assist with protest administration. The students expressed their
    gratitude by inviting British Ambassador Ivor Roberts visit the
    centre. Mr Roberts, in a statement given at the student
    headquarters, said that the recognition of the electoral results
    would be a first, small step towards the democratization of Serbia
    and that the next step should involve talks on freedom of the
    media.


    ACADEMICS DEMAND CHANCELLOR'S RESIGNATION

    A petition calling for the resignation of the government-appointed
    chancellor of Belgrade University was signed by 1,435 teaching
    staff of the university on Monday. The official statement from the
    protesting academics expressed the hope that the Chance or, who is
    on a winter vacation, would actually read the petition.


    TEACHERS WARN GOVERNMENT

    The negotiating team for striking school teachers has warned the
    government that they would consider other industrial action to
    break the deadlock in negotiations. They have also claimed that
    the Ministry of Education is subjecting principals, pupils a
    parents to enormous pressure in an attempt to influence them.


    KINDERGARTENS STRIKE

    All Belgrade pre-primary school institutions, except those taking
    care of disabled children, on Monday began industrial action in
    support of claims for regular payment and higher salaries. The
    teachers claim that they have received only half their Janu y
    salaries. About 50,000 children throughout Belgrade are affected
    by the strike.


    LAWYERS STRIKE

    Belgrade lawyers, striking in protest at government failure to
    respect the will of citizens, on Monday visited the Third
    Municipal Court of Belgrade. They paid their respects to the
    court, which had recognized the original, real results of the
    local elections. Almost all judges of the court have supported the
    lawyers' strike.


    DJINDJIC: THE FUTURE

    The president of the Democratic Party and one of the leaders of
    the Zajedno coalition, Zoran Djindjic, has given a number of
    interviews in Hungarian media.

    Mr Djindjic told journalists that the opposition would call a halt
    to demonstrations only once freedom of media and electoral reform
    have been achieved. He said that he was unable to confirm that the
    member parties of Zajedno would remain in coalition, ecause a new
    balance of power was in the process of formation in Serbia, adding
    that not even the Socialists are sure that they will remain a
    unified party.

    Mr Djindjic expressed his respect for Hungarians in Vojvodina,
    stressing their loyalty and saying that he believed the integrity
    of Serbia would not be threatened if Hungarians were given all
    those rights which at present exist only on paper.

    Asked about Albanians in Kosovo, Mr Djindjic replied that they
    should be given a certain degree of autonomy, but not to the point
    of endangering Serbian unity.

    The Zajedno leader reiterated his recent denial of claims that he
    would run for President of Serbia in the forthcoming elections,
    adding that he would be satisfied to be Mayor of Belgrade.

    Prepared by: Goran Dimitrijevic
    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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