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), January 21, 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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    ATTENTION
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    Radio B92 has scheduled a phone-in programme with all its
    listeners throughtout the world as participants. You can contact
    us on Wednesday, January 22,1997. from 14:00 to 15:00 hours local
    time. The topic of this live broadcast will be the current
    situation in Serbia and the first ``computer revolution'' carried
    out over the Internet. You can leave personal messages, greetings
    and wishes. Radio B92 calls on all our foreign listeners and
    visitors to our Internet page to participate in the programme.

    Phone-in numbers are: +381--11--324--92--92 and
    +381--11--324--85--77.


    NEWS BY 3 PM
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    STUDENT STAND-OFF WITH POLICE

    The student stand-off with police cordons in Belgrade's Kolarceva
    Street continued Tuesday, despite freezing weather and fatigue on
    both sides. The protest began on Sunday at 18:00 hours local time.

    The students remain determined to continue their action ``cordon
    against cordon'' until riot police disperse and allow them to
    march.

    The Steering Board of the Student Protest 96/97 told Radio B92
    Tuesday morning that shifts will be introduced to enable students
    to sleep. There will be shifts of 5 hours throughout the day.

    The Steering Board also invited students to go to Belgrade's Blood
    Bank Tuesday to donate blood for student action ``bloodshed.''


    OFFICIAL SUPPORT TO STUDENTS FROM JURISTS' CHAMBER OF BELGRADE

    Radoslav Nedic, chair of the Jurists' Chamber of Belgrade, told
    Radio B92 Tuesday that they would send official support to Student
    Protest 96/97.

    Mr. Nedic said that the Jurists' Chamber would officially follow
    up on Monday night's informal gathering of lawyers to support the
    student stand-off with riot police.


    ZORAN PREDIN SENDS MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO BELGRADE STUDENTS

    Zoran Predin, Slovene rock singer from Lacni Franc, sent a message
    of support to Belgrade students on Tuesday. ``My wish to you is
    that you do not lose that truly cosmopolitan sense of humour that
    has spoken for you during the protest. It was that sense of humour
    that gathered all the people with different oppinions to the
    protest. I am keeping my fingers crossed for your success in
    changing Serbia for the better. I think I am not the only one to
    do so,'' his message read.


    LAZOVIC TO BE TRANSFERED TO REHABILITATION INSITUTE

    The condition of Ivica Lazovic, the Zajedno supporter who
    sustained serious head injuries during the pro-Milosevic counter-
    rally on December 24, was improving, Rade Vasilic, Deputy Director
    of the Belgrade Trauma Centre stated on Tuesday.

    Mr Vasilic said that Ivica Lazovic was fully conscious although
    the left part of his body remained paralyzed. He added that
    Lazovic was expected to be transfered to Belgrade's Rehabilitation
    Institute soon.


    NASA BORBA: ALEKSANDRIC SACKED

    Tuesday's issue of the Belgrade daily Nasa Borba reported that
    Branimir Aleksandric, a medical doctor, has been sacked from his
    post at the Police Academy. Mr Aleksandric was the first to reject
    the official cause of death of heart failure for Predrag
    Starcevic, who died during the clashes of December 24. Mr
    Aleksandric instead said that Starcevic had died of injuries he
    sustained due to beating.


    U.S. MEDIA WARN OF SITUATION IN SERBIA

    The ingoing U.S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, told press
    on Tuesday resolving the crisis in the former Yugoslavia would be
    one of the her top priorities as U.S. Secretary of State, reported
    FoNets Slobodan Pavlovic on Tuesday.

    U.S. broadcast media warned Tuesday that the Socialist appeals
    against the electoral commission's decision proved Serbian
    President Milosevic had no intention of bowing to international
    pressure to recognize opposition victories in the November local
    elections.

    American National Public Radio predicted that the international
    community would have to step up pressure if it were to force
    President Milosevic to start the process of democratization in
    Serbia.

    That radio also reported that the opposition coalition Zajedno had
    called on the Yugoslav Army to side with the people in order to
    avert the civil war that Milosevic and his spouse Markovic were
    attempting to provoke in Serbia.


    FORCE CANNOT SUSTAIN POWER, NEITHER CAN IT INTRODUCE BETTER
    LEADERSHIP

    Ivan Stambolic, President of the Yugoslav Bank for International
    Economic Co-operation and former Serbian President, said in an
    interview for Belgrade daily Demokratija that it was good that the
    opposition did not have enough power to topple the goverment from
    the streets.

    He explained that ``force can neither keep one leadership in
    power, nor can it bring a better government to power.''

    According to Mr Stambolic the precondition for the solution of the
    current crisis was the recognition of November election results.
    This should be followed by dialogue between the government and the
    opposition and the establishment of an electoral system which
    would guarantee equal conditions for all participants in the
    electoral campaign. He added that there should also be free media.

    Mr Stambolic stressed his hope that the protests in Serbia would
    also force people to face a few home truths -- that nationalism
    had been disastrous for Serbia.

    He said that a more extensive and profound critical awareness was
    not yet formed in the street protests, but that there was a germ
    of this.

    Mr Stambolic added that Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and
    his wife Mirjana Markovic were increasingly isolated and under
    pressure, both from home and abroad and were losing their hold
    over the situaiton.

    He said they had recklessly ``employed'' nationalism to do their
    dirty work for them, and now wanted to dismiss it, but keep their
    own hands clean. According to Mr Stambolic this would not be
    possible, as all those who had been manipulated by nationalist
    feelings also wanted to clear their conscience and were now
    turning against them.


    VMA: KOLJEVIC'S BASIC BODILY FUNCTIONS STABILIZED

    Nikola Koljevic s condition was stable on Tuesday afternoon, but
    he was still on a life support machine, the information service of
    the Army Medical Academy (VMA) in Belgrade reported on Tuesday.

    Mr. Koljevic, former Vice-President of Republic of Srpska, was
    brought to the VMA and underwent a surgery on Friday, after his
    attempted suicide in Pale on Tuesday.


    STONE: BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR MONTENEGRO

    Robert Stone, head of a British Know Now Fund mission, which
    specializes economic aid to countries in transition, predicted on
    Tuesday brighter days for Montenegro if it continued its process
    of privatization, reported Montena Fax on Tuesday.


    BOSNIAN SERBS OPEN FIRE ON SLAVONSKI BROD

    Bosnian Serbs from Bosanski Brod openned automatic gun fire on
    Slavonski Brod on Monday at 18:40 hours, reported Croat newsagency
    Hina, claiming police sources.

    AFP reported Tuesday that this has been the first incident of this
    sort since the signing of the Dayton accords in December 1995.

    Hina reported that some windows had been shattered in Slavonski
    Brod but that there were no casualties. Slavonski and Bosanski
    Brod are the ``twin'' towns on different banks of the river Sava,
    under the authority of Croatia and Republic of Srpska
    respectively.


    SLOVENIA OVERTAKES CZECH REPUBLIC IN CREDIT RATING

    Slovenia has overtaken the Czech Republic in the credit rating
    lists for the countries of transition of Central and Eastern
    Europe of Mundis Investors Service, Standard and Pur, and IBCA.

    According to these lists, Slovenia was classed as a category A
    country, with only a ``slight risk'' that its government might
    default its payment obligations. The list is used as a rapper to
    investors to determine whether to grant credits and with which
    interest rates.

    Besides Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia
    Hungary and Croatia also ranked as A category countries.

    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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