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Protests in Serbia Archive
Serbian Renewal Movement: News of Feb. 2

February 2, 1997

Seventy fourth day of the protest

Yesterday on the seventy fourth day of the Belgrade demonstrations, the protest twice outlasted the former 1989 Prague protest. In front of over 60.000 Belgrade citizens, gathered in the main city square, the leaders of the Coalition ZAJEDNO spoke. The president of the Serbian Renewal Movement, Vuk Draskovic, among other things said:
"I hope that democratic spring will come to Serbia before the calendar spring. For that to happen all that needs to be done is to accept the election results of 17th November and to unblock the media."

"The situation is desperate: no pensions, no salaries. Everybody is ahead of us. Even Albania is ahead of us", said Vuk Draskovic and invited the protestors to come to the protest walk the next day with placates.

Speaking to the gathered citizens, the president of the Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic said that agents of the State Security Service broke into the the editorial offices of the daily paper "Democracy" the day before. They also broke into the flat of the editor-in-chief of this paper to investigate why the telephone numbers of public services and institutions were printed in the paper with an invitation to the citizens to "block" those telephones.

Speeches of the leaders of Coalition ZAJEDNO were preceded by the walks through the city. Although there were police everywhere, yesterday, on the seventy fourth day of the protest, everything went without incidents.

The police forbid the protest gathering in Zajecar

Yesterday, just like the last Saturday, the followers of the Coalition ZAJEDNO were not allowed to hold a meeting in the main city square in Zajecar. Although the meeting was announced on time, the police prevented Zoran Kostadinovic, the member of Serbian Parliament and the member of the Head Committee of SRM, from speaking to the gathered citizens and ordered the gathered people to split up. The meeting, for which there was no official ban, was held in the churchyard of the Presveta Bogorodica Church (Church of Holy Mother of God).

Editor of "Nasa Krmaca" taken in

At the order of the District Public Prosecutor's office the inspectors of the Republic Ministry of Interior took in the chief editor of the satirical paper "Nasa krmaca", Petar Lazic.

Lazic was taken in for an interrogation. The purpose of the interrogation was gathering information about the edited photographs published in 19th issue of "Nasa krmaca" and filing charges on grounds of editing those photographs.

At one of the photographs the president of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, was shown playing with a toy- Iraqi leader, Sadam Husein.

This event represents further repression of the remaining free media.

Three Albanians killed in conflict with the police

Day before yesterday near Vucitrn (Kosovo), in armed conflict with the police, three citizens of Albanian nationality were killed. In the report it is said that the killed were Zahir Pajaziti (34) and Hakif Zejnulahu, whilst the identity of the third man is not stated. In the shooting three policemen were wounded as well.

"Nat West" bank refuses Milosevic

The press attache of the London "Nat West" company, Patrisha Hamzahi said yesterday that it is impossible to continue solving problems concerning Yugoslav debt negotiations with the international monetary institutions.

As stated in the report, the company "Nat West" took over the business with FR of Yugoslavia in the context with the Dayton agreement, according to which FRY should have started liberalization and democratization processes. But the last actions of the government of the FRY show clearly that they are far from practicing such a policies.

Hamzahi added that the international attitude towards Yugoslavia changed accordingly and that the company told the Yugoslav government it is impossible for them to continue solving problems concerning Yugosalav debt negotiations.

Head of the Serbian intelligence service in conflict with the wife of Slobodan Milosevic

"Head of the Serbian State Security Service, Jovica Stanisic, is, besides the president of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, probably the most powerful man in Serbia, and is believed to be the link that can bring Milosevic in the connection with crimes in Bosnia and Croatia", states the American weekly, "Time".

According to the weekly, Stanisic is "the most important adviser" of the Serbian president and the one who "daily informs the president about everything, from politics and finance to the use of his police troops".

In the present political crisis in Serbia, Stanisic, according to "Time", inclines to giving in to the opposition coalition ZAJEDNO.

The "Time" concludes that it is unclear how Stanisic will answer to the attacks on him by Mira Markovic, but whatever his strategy might be, his moves in the follo- wing weeks will determine Milosevic's fate and the fate of Serbia.

Milosevic - the most corrupt balkan leader

In its analysis of the political situation on Balkan, London "Economist" believes that the President Milosevic is the most corrupt of all Balkan leaders, because he is greatly responsible for the bloodshed after the disintegration of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The "Economist" adds to that his leaving could only be appreciated.

Crisis in Serbia is the result of stupidity of the people at the top

Former general manager of Radio-Television Serbia, Dusan Mitevic, also a close friend of Slobodan Milosevic and his wife, said in his interview given for the French paper "Croix" that crisis in Serbia is a "result of stupidity of the people within Socialist Party of Serbia and the Yugoslav Left".

"If the opposition manages to keep the people on the streets until the beginning of the parliamentary elections in March, there is a chance for the opposition to win those elections", said Mitevic.

At the question how the government got into such a position, Mitevic answered that "the President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic is under bad influence and has not much talent to choose his associates".

Mitevic said that these events in Serbia make YUL stronger and that the relations between SPS and YUL have become worse.

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