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Protests in Serbia Archive
Serbian Renewal Movement: News of Feb. 11

February 12, 1997

The eighty fourth day of protests in Belgrade

The eighty fourth day of protests in Belgrade at the Liberty Square was marked by leaders of the Coalition Zajedno's comments on the session of the Serbian Parliament and their warning that the battle for the democratization of Serbia is still ahead of us.

Vuk Draskovic addressed the gathering: The demonstrations might have a break, but somehow I have a feeling that we will go to the streets again soon. I do not believe that we shall see democratic elections with them, the Socialists. I believe that we shall have to chase them away even without the elections and our chief weapon will be - a mousetrap.

Commenting the "reconstruction" of the Serbian Government, he said that there will be no progress for Serbia as long as it takes this blind alley to follow and added that the session of the Serbian Parliament in which the main participants were YUL and Seselj's Radical Party, was yet another glum picture and yet another proof the ruling party's nature.

The representative of the Stari Grad municipality called the citizens to join them in a performance on the bank of Danube, the launching of the Red Boat which would represent a symbolic farewell to the Socialist rule in Belgrade.

The session of the serbian parliament over

Yesterday's session of the Serbian Parliament was finished by adopting Milosevic's "lex specialis", without the MPs of Coalition Zajedno and Seselj's Radical Party being present. No amendment submitted by the opposition was adopted. Nebojsa Covic, former Mayor of Belgrade and a member of Socialist Party recently excluded from the party for supporting the demands of the Coalition Zajedno and students, was deprived of his MP mandate.

Nebojsa Covic said afterwards: "Being a Member of Parliament is a great honor and a great responsibility, unless a fact that the Parliament is the highest legislative authority is not forgotten. When, however, a Parliament is turned into a means of political obstinacy and intolerance, when it is turned into an institution which has no respect for the laws it adopts, when a right to a different opinion and free representation of interests are denied - then the mandate in the Parliament becomes a nonsense. Then comes a question: how an ordinary citizens feels like in such a country? The judgement of history will be ruthless to the legislative body which did not respect its own laws, though they might be bad."

News from Pirot

After the protest walk through the streets of Pirot, one of the residents from a near by building threw a brick on the column of walkers and hit the municipal representative of the Coalition Zajedno Nebojsa Icic on the head. Mr. Icic was fortunately only lightly injured.

The chairman of the Belgrade SPO board taken to police interrogation

The Information Service of the Serbian Renewal Movement was notified that the Chairman of the Belgrade SPO Board was taken to the police this morning for an interrogation.

Vesna Pesic - nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Vesna pesic, president of the Civil Alliance of Serbia, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 1997. The International Beaureau for Peace in Geneva decided to nominate the exceptional people from different parts of former Yugoslavia for the most important peace award in the world for their achievements and struggle for peace and against nationalism.

1.800 schools in Serbia on strike

Discontented by their low wages and the overall situation in Serbia, teachers and professors continue their strike. At the moment, 1.800 schools out of 2.200 in Serbia are on strike which will last for several days more.

Madeleine Albright's letter to Milosevic

The American State Secretary Mrs. Madeleine Albright sent a harsh personal message to president Milosevic, inviting him to recognize the results of disputed local elections and to immediately start dialogue with the opposition, emphasizing the scepticism and grave concern of the American Government toward Milosevic's recognition of the November 17 elections.

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