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), January 26, 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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    ARMY OFFICERS JOIN STUDENTS

    About a hundred former army officers joined students on the
    seventh day of their protest against a police cordon in Belgrade's
    downtown Kolarceva Street on Sunday. One former officer told Radio
    B92 that the protest also included a number of still active
    members of the army.

    Zajedno leaders, speaking at Sunday's Republic Square protest
    rally, accused Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic of wanting to
    sell out Serbia and of employing a strategy of frightening and
    wearing down protesting citizens.

    Democratic Party President Zoran Djindjic told a crowd of about
    20,000 protesters that Milosevic has begun speaking about the
    future of Kosovo, Sandzak and Vojvodina, despite there having been
    no discussion of them at all in the last two months. Mr Djindjic
    continued ``It is terrible that the President of a country should
    attempt to maintain his power by auctioning the country's
    territories on the world political market. Milosevic is saying
    aloud the things that our enemies only whisper. Everyone in the
    world considers the borders of the former Yugoslav republics as
    fixed, but he talks about changing them. Is there any greater
    treason than calling on the separatists and offering them things
    they haven't even asked for?'' Mr Djindjic added.

    Civil Alliance leader Vesna Pesic compared the Serbian authorities
    with the evil stepmother from Snow White. ``This stepmother regime
    keeps asking its mirror who is the fairest of all, and the mirror
    tells her that the fairest people are those who are fighting for
    freedom in the streets,'' said Mrs Pesic.

    Serbian Renewal Movement President Vuk Draskovic reminded
    demonstrators that the Turkish sultans had always kept a retainer
    beside them whose only job was to say ``That is right'' to every
    statement the sultan uttered. Mr Draskovic went on to say the
    rulers of Serbia were completely surrounded by yes-men of the same
    variety.

    Monday's Zajedno rally will commence at the usual time of 3.00 pm.


    MOSCOW: SERBIAN CRISIS DANGEROUS FOR BALKANS

    Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov arrived in Belgrade on
    Sunday, bearing a warning from Moscow that implementation of the
    OSCE recommendations was necessary for Serbia. Mr Ivanov will meet
    Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Zajedno leaders during
    his visit. Speaking after his arrival in Belgrade, Mr Ivanov
    remarked that the acceptance of the OSCE report would contribute
    to the normalisation of the situation in Serbia. He further
    commented that, although the protests in Serbia were of an
    internal nature, any escalation of tension would cause
    complications, not only in Serbia, but also throughout the
    Balkans.


    MOSCOW MEDIA ON BELGRADE

    FoNet reports that Moscow media have ruled out coincidence in the
    simultaneous visits to Belgrade of a delegation of the Russian
    Duma and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. Television
    NTV has described the visits as long overdue, after two months in
    which no Russian representatives went to Belgrade to assess the
    situation there. NTV went on to say that no one in Serbia regards
    a Russian visit at this time as a major event, adding that neither
    the Duma delegation, nor Mr Ivanov will make an impression on
    Serbian opposition leaders, who have now been spoiled by
    international support from the highest of levels. Moscow sources
    are quoted as saying that the real aim of the Duma delegation is
    to assess where the political strength lies in Serbia, while the
    Deputy Foreign Minister's priority is his meeting with Milosevic.


    ZIVKOVIC: REAL STRUGGLE YET TO BEGIN

    Democratic Party Vice President Zoran Zivkovic told a protest
    rally in the city of Nis on Sunday that the real conflict with
    Serbian authorities will begin once new local authorities are
    established. Mr Zivkovic reminded a crowd of 10,000 that the new
    City Assembly, with a Zajedno majority, would be constituted on
    Monday. He added that Serbian authorities had already taken tax
    money which should have remained in Nis, and that pensions were
    delayed. ``So far our only available opposition to this regime has
    been noise,'' said Mr Zivkovic, adding ``But now we can refuse to
    give our money to the Socialist government. Our money will remain
    in our city.''

    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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