Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service

    Odraz B92 vesti (by 10 PM), January 20, 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 6 PM
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    STUDENTS AND POLICE STILL IN KOLARCEVA STREET

    After a night standing toe to toe with a cordon of riot squad
    police, several hundred Belgrade students were still in Kolarceva
    street on Monday morning. The student numbers were swelled by
    Belgrade residents who joined the protest throughout the morning.
    This is the first occasion on which the riot squad has appeared
    determined not to give in to the students' tactic of standing
    their ground until police commanders withdraw their troops. So far
    no incidents have been reported.


    ELECTORAL APPEALS FILED

    The Chairman of the Belgrade Municipal Court announced on Monday
    morning that the Socialist Party of Serbia and the Serbian Radical
    Party had lodged appeals against the Belgrade Electoral
    Commission's decision upholding the results of the second round of
    November's local elections. Both appeals demand that the
    Commission's finding, which gave victory to the opposition
    coalition Zajedno should be annulled. It is believed that the
    complaints will be referred to a higher court.


    PATRIARCH ADDRESSES STUDENTS

    Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle, on Monday addressed students who
    had stood facing a riot squad cordon for more than twenty hours.
    ``We pray to God to give us peace, to free us from the misery of
    civil war, international sanctions and their side-effects and to
    allow you, our youth and our future, to see better and happier
    times than ours,'' he told the students, adding ``I am not here to
    support this side or that, but to support those things which have
    always been sacred, both to our people and to the church.''


    MILUTINOVIC: FRY FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES

    Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Milan Milutinovic, stated on Monday
    that Yugoslavia's foreign policy priorities were the establishment
    of peace and stability throughout the region, normalisation of the
    country's status in the international community and an
    acceleration of economic and democratic development.


    EU COUNCIL TO DISCUSS SERBIA

    The European Union's Ministerial Council began its first session
    for 1997 on Monday, with the current political crisis in Serbia on
    the agenda. German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel will brief the
    Council on his recent discussions with Zajedno leader and
    President of the Serbian Democrats Zoran Djindjic. European
    foreign ministers are expected to warn Serbian President Slobodan
    Milosevic that his ambitions for close economic relations with
    Europe will not be realised while he refuses to recognise
    opposition victories in local elections.


    DRASKOVIC: TEN DAYS FOR MILOSEVIC

    Serbian Renewal Movement President Vuk Draskovic has given Serbian
    President Slobodan Milosevic ten more days to recognize the
    results of the November local elections, reports AFP. According to
    the agency, Draskovic said that Milosevic's persistent refusal to
    yield to pressure from those who have recognised the results would
    most probably result in a ``social explosion.''  Mr Draskovic also
    warned of the danger of bloodshed if tension continues.


    HEALTH REPORTS

    Doctors attending Nikola Koljevic have reported that the former
    Vice President of Republika Srpska is still in a critical
    condition, following a recent suicide attempt.

    The Chancellor of the University of Pristina, Radivoje Papovic, is
    recovering from injuries received when a car bomb exploded.

    Opposition supporter, Ivica Lazovic, who was attacked by a pro-
    Milosevic demonstrator in a Belgrade street is still in intensive
    care at the Belgrade Emergency Centre.


    SOCIALISTS SPEAK ON INDEPENDENT TELEVISION

    Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) spokesman Ivica Dacic made a guest
    appearance on Belgrade's BK Television on Sunday evening. Speaking
    about the decision of the Belgrade Electoral Commission, he said
    ``That decision was, is and will be a matter for the consideration
    of legal experts within SPS and other political parties.''  Asked
    about last weeks reshuffle of SPS officials, Mr Dacic replied
    ``This was done in order to deal with certain weaknesses in the
    Party's operations in Nis and Belgrade.''


    PRISTINA UNIVERSITY BOMB THREAT

    The Faculty of Economy at Pristina University received two
    anonymous warnings on Monday that a bomb had been planted in the
    faculty building. Radio B92's Pristina correspondent reported that
    the anonymous caller, speaking in bad Serbian, had claimed that
    the bomb would be detonated between noon and 1.00 pm. Police are
    still searching the building. News of the bomb threat has not yet
    been made public in Kosovo. Police believe that the calls are a
    hoax.


    ACADEMICS DEMAND CHANCELLOR'S RESIGNATION

    Twenty deans of faculties within Belgrade University have
    petitioned the University Chancellor, Dragutin Velickovic,
    demanding he resign his position.

    Prepared by: Marija Milosavljevic and 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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