Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    Odraz B92 vesti (by 4 PM), December 22, 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 4 PM
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    SERBIAN OPPOSITION VICTIM OF JUDICIAL CONSPIRACY

    The OSCE fact-finding delegation has concluded that Serbian
    opposition parties were the victims of a ``judicial conspiracy''
    during the last elections, reports AFP.  Felipe Gonzales, head of
    the OSCE delegation, left Belgrade yesterday after a series of
    meetings with the opposition and the authorities. Gonzales said
    that he would be submitting his conclusions to the OSCE Chairman,
    Flavio Cotti, in a week's time. Diplomatic sources say that
    Gonzales' intention was not merely to judge the election results
    but to help the process of democratization in Serbia.


    THE OSCE DELEGATION DISTURBED BY TWO THINGS

    The Chairman of the Foreign Policy Board of the Civil Alliance of
    Serbia, Vojin Dimitrijevic, gave a statement for Radio B92, in
    which he said that that the fact-finding investigation conducted
    by the OSCE delegation is almost done. He added:

    ``They visited the Municipal Court, the Supreme Court, the
    Socialist Party of Serbia -- and they did not get any answers to
    certain questions, such as the question about the original
    electoral minutes. The delegation was disturbed by two things.
    First: despite previously made arrangements, President Milosevic
    refused to receive Gonzales at the end of his visit, an action
    that indicates how little the authorities approve of the thinking
    of the OSCE delegation. Second, and much more unpleasant as it
    showed that we, the opposition, had underestimated the delegation.
    We didn't know how well informed they are. Some members of the
    delegation complained to us about an article in the newspaper
    'Demokratija', a paper usually associated with the Zajedno
    coalition, which attacked Felipe Gonzales. The attack was based on
    an article written by a Spanish journalist who cannot bear the
    sight of Gonzales because Gonzales is a social-democrat. This was
    written during the Spanish electoral campaign in order to
    discredit [Gonzales].  Borrowing from that kind of 'source' and
    printing it in 'Demokratija', we were told, was highly
    irresponsible of the Serbian opposition.''


    THE STATEMENT OF THE COALITION ZAJEDNO

    Last month's annulment of the election results in Serbia deprived
    the coalition Zajedno of rule in the cities whose over-all
    population is 2,364,529 inhabitants. In the second round of
    municipal elections held on November 17, the opposition won in 43
    counties, inhabited by 3,818,308 people. This clearly shows that
    the opposition won in the areas inhabited by 30.36% of the whole
    population of Serbia. It is also evident that the claims of the
    SPS [Milosevic's ruling party], i.e. that only a small minority of
    election results was annulled, are totally untrue, says the
    statement of the coalition Zajedno.


    THE CONVENTION OF THE FREE CITIES

    At the first convention of the Free Cities of Serbia (i.e. the
    cities where the opposition won in the last elections), held
    today, convention participants voted to make a draft of the law
    governing local self-management. The wording is to be based on
    that of similar European documents. This draft will be submitted
    to the Serbian Parliament, and the next meeting of the association
    of the Free Cities will be held on the following Thursday.


    THE MANAGERS HAVE THEIR MISSION

    Today's issue of the newspaper ``Demokratija'' says that a large
    number of SPS members from Kosovo, Serbian southern province, are
    preparing for their arrival in Belgrade to participate in the pro-
    Socialist rally announced for December 24. They will be traveling
    in more than 200 buses. The Socialist Party Headquarters have also
    issued an order to all general managers of the companies from
    Kosovo to bring along ``at least 20 people from each company.''
    Almost all general managers of Kosovo-based companies are members
    of the ruling Socialist Party.


    MILOSEVIC REFUSED TO RECEIVE PENSIONERS

    About 100 pensioners, who came on foot from Pancevo to Belgrade
    yesterday, requested a meeting with President Milosevic. The
    retirees were refused on the grounds that ``the President was not
    there.''  The pensioners had marched on foot, as an act of protest
    against the electoral manipulation in their city, Pancevo.


    UNIVERSITY OF NIS STUDENTS REJECT OPPOSITION SPEAKER

    The students of the University of Nis today rejected opposition
    politician, Vladeta Jankovic, member of the Democratic Party of
    Serbia, who wanted to address them at their rally. ``Politicians
    have not been allowed to speak at our rallies so far, and that
    policy will not change, regardless of the political party the
    individual may belong to,'' stated members of the Student Protest
    Steering Board.


    CITIZENS OF VALJEVO ARRIVE ON FOOT

    Several dozen citizens of the city of Valjevo arrived today in
    Belgrade, on foot, and were greeted by many Belgraders who waved
    at them from the sidewalks or from their windows. The group from
    Valjevo will join today's rally of Zajedno supporters in Belgrade.

    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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