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 30, 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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    ``NASA BORBA:'' DEMANDS FOR A STATEMENT BY MILOSEVIC

    Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic might soon make a statement
    concerning the situation in the country, said today's issue of the
    daily ``Nasa Borba'' quoting sources close to the authorities. The
    daily states that besides the daily pressure from abroad, Momir
    Bulatovic, Montenegrin President, and Dusan Mihajlovic, leader of
    the New Democracy party (member of the left coalition) demanded
    yesterday that Milosevic make a statement on the situation in
    Serbia.

    Momir Bulatovic cabled Serbian President informing him that a
    resolution might be framed in the course of today's session of
    Montenegrin Parliament, demanding that Serbian authorities respect
    the electoral results that have been confirmed by the OSCE,
    informs the daily. Dusan Mihajlovic of the New Democracy, unable
    to schedule a meeting with Milosevic, sent a letter to the Serbian
    President demanding in the name of his party to state ``whether he
    is in favor of a dictatorship, revolution or a reform,'' learned
    the daily. Demanding a prompt reply, the letter stressed the New
    Democracy will back the Serbian President only if he is in favor
    of reforms and does his best to normalize the situation in Serbia.

    The daily reports again that the Executive Board of the New
    Democracy last Friday discussed the possibility of stepping out of
    the left coalition on the grounds that the Yugoslav United Left
    (JUL) is trying to destabilize the country.


    COMMAND HEADQUARTERS OF YUGOSLAV ARMY: OFFICIAL POSITION

    The information service of the Yugoslav Army Command Headquarters
    issued a statement today saying: ``Yugoslav Army Command
    Headquarters and the Army itself are unanimous in principled
    carrying out of their tasks. Any other interpretation of the
    Army's role does not represent its official position, regardless
    of the manner in which it is presented to the general public.''
    The statement stressed the Army's allegiance to the Constitution
    and the ``legitimate'' institutions of the FR Yugoslavia,
    emphasizing its role as that of ``a factor of stability and
    guarantor of sovereignty, integrity and security of the country
    and its citizens.''  The statement also stressed that members of
    the Army had exerted their rights in the ``legally organized
    elections.''


    DEJAN BULATOVIC RELEASED FROM PRISON

    Dejan Bulatovic was released from prison today after serving 25
    days. Speaking to Radio B92, he said he has no objections to the
    treatment he received at the hands of the prison wardens, many of
    whom offered help and identified themselves as supporters of the
    coalition Zajedno. He stressed the great difference between the
    prison wardens and the members of city police in Belgrade's
    November 29 Street police station who beat him, forced a baton up
    his rectum, put a gun muzzle into his mouth and terrorized him.
    Bulatovic emphasized that the public statements he's made so far
    are themselves in defiance of the police threat to launch a court
    case against Bulatovic if he divulged any details about the
    treatment he received at the hands of Belgrade police.


    38TH DAY OF STUDENT PROTESTS IN BELGRADE

    Today's 38th straight protest gathering of several thousand UofB
    students began with an address by the released Dejan Bulatovic,
    who thanked them for their support while he was in prison. The
    film director Emir Kusturica also addressed the students, saying
    he believes the students will win for the simple reason that they
    demand only the very minimum that must be granted.

    The ``protest drive'' set for today was canceled because the buses
    which were to take the students without wheels failed to arrive.
    Students tried to go for their regular march but were prevented by
    police forces. They were thus confined to Knez Mihajlova Street
    which was sealed off by riot squads. So, instead of marching, they
    first did ``prison round'' walks in front of the police lines,
    then made a snowman and had some fun with mock snow-ball fights
    among themselves. The next student gathering is set for tomorrow
    at 9 p.m. at the Republic Square, from where the students are to
    go on a New Year's protest march through the streets of 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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