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), December 14, 1996

    e-mail: beograd@siicom.com      URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
            odrazb92@b92.opennet.org     http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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    All texts are Copyright 1996 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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    NEWS BY 11 PM
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    MICHAEL STEINER IN BELGRADE

    At today's press conference in Belgrade, Deputy High Commissioner
    for Bosnia, Michael Steiner said that the demands of the Serbian
    opposition and the students are clear and legitimate and that they
    need help from the international community.

    Commenting on the possible visit of an OESCE delegation to Serbia,
    Steiner said that if its mandate is to simply hear the opinions of
    both parties involved, he suspects that the visit would not bear
    any fruit. However, he added, if the delegation is to have a more
    substantive mandate and the authority to get actually get things
    done here, that would be a different matter. Steiner also said
    that he was impressed by the self-confidence of Zajedno leaders,
    and that the best ally the West can get for the implementation of
    the Dayton Agreement is a democratic Serbia. ``We should not rely
    on any one particular individual,'' added Steiner.

    He also mentioned that Radio Boom 93 [in Pozarevac] is sill off
    the air, and that the freedom of the media is not negotiable. The
    authorities simply must allow for a free press. Nevertheless,
    Steiner concluded, Serbia's reputation and its international image
    have improved considerably due to these non-violent, pro-democracy
    demonstrations.


    DRASKOVIC: WE HAVE RETURNED HOPE TO EACH OTHER

    Supporters of coalition Zajedno protested today for the 25th day
    in a row on the streets of Belgrade. Leaders of the coalition sent
    a message to the demonstrators: ``We are more numerous than ever,
    we are more cheerful than ever, we have returned hope to each
    other.''  Over 200, 000 people came out for today's protest walk.
    In his speech, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, Vuk
    Draskovic, among other things, said: ``We have nothing to lose on
    this front, because there are no victims and no hate here, just
    love. Belgrade has become the symbol of the most democratic way of
    defending the will of the people and protesting. All his
    [Milosevic's] battles have turned into disgrace and dishonor.
    Serbia will not see a new dawn until he is removed -- using
    elections, or this way, by protest walks.''

    Head of the Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic, for his part, said:
    ``We have become the most important democratic institution in the
    world. We have showed to our dictator that this is not the same
    people he has ruled over for the last six years. For 25 days now
    we have been showing the world that Serbia cannot be silenced
    until the ones who have destroyed it are removed.''  Commenting on
    the proposals regarding negotiations with the authorities,
    Djindjic added: ``We can only negotiate the way they will depart
    from the political scene. They cannot be corrected, so one
    shouldn't even try. We do not need a panel discussion, nor any
    other discussions, we need respect for the will of the people, for
    political and economic democracy. Even the Martians know the votes
    were stolen.''

    Head of the Civic Alliance of Serbia, Mrs. Vesna Pesic, among
    other things said: ``Everything has changed now: nothing is as it
    used to be. We are no longer the same. A new Serbia has risen, a
    Serbia against a dictatorship and its thieves, a Serbia that wants
    to choose its rulers.''

    The 200,000 strong rally was also addressed by Dragan Bocic, one
    of the 130 students who marched all the way from Novi Sad to
    Belgrade. He said: ``I will not make a speech, I just want to
    greet you in the name of the Students of Novi Sad who marched all
    night in the rain, 80 kilometers. We did that, and we expect from
    you to come out into the streets every day. We've lit the fuse,
    let the barrel blow up and take them all away...''

    The most popular banner at today's protest read: ``Free Math
    Lessons To Electoral Commission -- Professor of Mathematics.''


    OESCE DELEGATION IN BELGRADE WITHIN A WEEK

    Washington announced today that a delegation of the OESCE is to
    come to Belgrade in a week's time. The delegation will be led by a
    still unnamed prominent international diplomat. The statement
    stressed that the delegation will attempt to find out the real
    truth about the election results, and will also investigate the
    position of the media. The international community believes that
    the freedom of the media in Serbia is still severely compromised.


    TODAY'S STUDENT PROTEST IN BELGRADE

    Several tens of thousands students protested today for the 21st
    time on the streets of Belgrade. In the course of their usual
    walk, they passed by the City Hospital, where the thousands in the
    student protest body went completely silent in order not to
    disturb the patients inside. The Initiative Committee of the
    Student Protest announced today that, from tomorrow on, student
    protest gatherings will start at 6 PM and the daily itinerary will
    include passing by the building of the state-run RTS television
    [scheduled for 7:30 PM to coincide with RTS' prime time news].


    SRM WANTS ROUND TABLE

    ``A panel discussion is one thing, round table talks is another,''
    said today Milan Bozic, advisor of Vuk Draskovic, Head of the
    Serbian Renewal Movement (SRM). Bozic rejected the proposal of the
    ruling Socialists to set up a panel on the current situation in
    Serbia. Instead, he proposed round table talks, where political
    parities would discuss the situation and be in a position to have
    their conclusions actually implemented in the realities of
    political life in Serbia.

    Prepared by: Aleksandra Scepanovic
    Edited by: Vaska Andjelkovic (Tumir)

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    e-mail: beograd@siicom.com      URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
            odrazb92@b92.opennet.org     http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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