Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    Odraz B92 vesti (by 9 PM), December 17, 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 9 PM
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    HOLBROOKE ON MILOSEVIC

    The architect of the Dayton agreement on Bosnia, Richard
    Holbrooke, said today that President Slobodan Milosevic is
    evidently trying to put the breaks on the democratic processes in
    Yugoslavia, and that Washington should reconsider its political
    support for him, reports FoNet. Holbrooke also said that Bosnian
    Serbs have been, so far, completely uncooperative about the
    implementation of the Dayton agreement, and that Milosevic has not
    shown real readiness to help capture war criminals and hand them
    over to the Hague Tribunal, although they are within his reach. By
    refusing to accept the legitimate results of municipal elections,
    Milosevic has confirmed his anti-democratic course, and there is
    no reason why he should any longer enjoy the support of the USA
    and the West, concluded Holbrooke.


    GONZALES TO HEAD INTERNATIONAL DELEGATION

    The headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party today
    officially confirmed that the General Secretary of Spanish
    Socialists, Felipe Gonzales, has accepted the offer made by Flavio
    Cotti to lead the international delegation which will examine the
    results of the elections in Serbia, reports FoNet. Some Spanish
    newspapers have labeled the work of the delegation ``mission
    impossible.''  The delegation, which is to arrive in Belgrade at
    some unspecified point in the near future, will also feature
    prominent jurists from the USA, Russia, Poland and Denmark.


    BILDT ON MILOSEVIC: TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

    UN High Commissioner, Karl Bildt, stated today that he expects
    changes in Serbia, reports the news agency SRNA.  Bildt also said
    that Serbia is suffering because of the economic sanctions it has
    been under for the last five years and should strive to get rid of
    them at the earliest possible opportunity since, economically,
    ``Serbia is in a desperate position.'' Bildt also said that
    President Milosevic should have realized long ago the urgency of
    the need for economic reforms, political opening and wider
    cooperation with the world.


    THE 25TH DAY OF STUDENT PROTEST '96

    Around 30,000 Belgrade University students greeted the students
    from Nis who arrived in Belgrade after their 145 mile marathon
    walk. Today's protest walk was headed by the 17 students from Nis,
    whose three-member delegation was received by President Milosevic
    earlier today. Only the journalists of the state-controlled RTS
    television were allowed to cover that reception. The students from
    Nis handed Milosevic a forged set of minutes from the elections.
    They later stated that the President did not say a word about the
    protests but that he did promise that the ones who broke the law
    would be punished.


    ANOTHER CHEERFUL WALK IN DOWNTOWN BELGRADE

    Supporters of the coalition Zajedno took another walk down the
    streets of Belgrade today, for the 28th day in a row, protesting
    against the annulment of the results of the November 17 municipal
    elections. They were joined by the MP members of the Zajedno, who
    did not attend today's session of Serbian Parliament.


    YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT: ZAJEDNO'S DEMANDS ARE LEGITIMATE

    President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Zoran Lilic,
    stated today that ``the ruling party -- there where breaches of
    the law have been confirmed -- must accept the legitimate demands
    of the opposition.''  Lilic also stated that those demands are
    ``not open to discussion: Serbia really needs peace.''  Lilic also
    added that ``the legitimacy of an election protects the interest
    of the people who, by their votes, decide who will be in power.''
    These statements were made during Lilic's visit to the Serbian
    General Post Office today.


    ZAJEDNO OF NIS CALLS FOR FOREIGN FLAGS

    Member of the coalition Zajedno from Nis, MP Branislav Jovanovic,
    today announced that Zajedno has asked its supporters to bring
    foreign flags to its protest gatherings. ``These are flags of the
    countries that have one basic thing in common -- democracy. If the
    authorities want to see Cuban flags at our protest gatherings,
    there will be none until Cuba becomes a democratic country,''
    stated Jovanovic.


    COUNTER-PROTEST IN MAJDANPEK

    A pro-government protest in support of Slobodan Milosevic was held
    today in the city of Majdanpek, in south-east Serbia. The gathered
    were addressed by Tomica Rajicevic, Minister Of Finance in the
    Federal Government.


    GREEK NEWSPAPER: MILOSEVIC VILLAIN OF THE YEAR

    Greek pro-government daily, ``Ta Nea,'' in today's issue named
    Slobodan Milosevic, President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, as
    the Villain of the Year. The newspaper compares Milosevic with
    Russia's Alexander ``The Iron Hand'' Lebed. According to ``Ta
    Nea,'' Milosevic's fatal mistake was the election fraud. The main
    reason that he is still in power is that the opposition lacks a
    man of Vaczlav Havel's stature. The newspaper ``Exusuia'' says
    that Milosevic made a big mistake when he thought that opposition
    supporters would be quickly exhausted by the marathon protests.
    Now, he faces international condemnation and must make some
    concessions, concludes the newspaper.


    ``IZVESTIA:'' OPPOSITION HAS THE MORAL HIGH GROUND

    Today's issue of the Russian daily ``Izvestia'' says that ``apart
    from the possible outcome of their struggle for power, Serbian
    opposition has moral advantage right now.''  The newspaper also
    says that the slogans about the ``rule of law'' are too abstract
    for the workers who are trying to earn their daily bread, so the
    demonstrations are attended mostly by people from larger cities,
    i.e. by the urban middle class. The demonstrations have begun to
    resemble spontaneous public celebrations, rather than protests,
    concludes ``Izvestia.''

    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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