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Voice of America, 00-01-22
CONTENTS
[01] CROATIA ELECTION PREVIEW (L O) BY RON PEMSTEIN (ZAGREB)
[02] SERBIA/ARRESTS (L-ONLY) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)
[01] CROATIA ELECTION PREVIEW (L O) BY RON PEMSTEIN (ZAGREB)
DATE=1/22/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-258326
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Croatians vote Monday to choose a replacement
for President Franjo Tudjman, who died last month.
Mr. Tudjman dominated Croatian politics ever since the
country won its independence from Yugoslavia. V-O-A's
Ron Pemstein reports from Zagreb that the leading
candidates are abandoning Mr. Tudjman's legacy.
Text:
/// Campaign music Act establish and fade
///
The candidate of President Tudjman's party uses
nationalist music such as "Viva Croatia" to attract
the nostalgic voters. However, outgoing Foreign
Minister Mate Granic (pronounced Ma-tey Grah-neech) is
running away from the ruling party and the
international isolation that President Tudjman's
policies have left Croatia.
Mr. Granic says he will leave the Croatian Democratic
Union if he wins the Presidency. Many party leaders
considered the balding, 52-year-old Mr. Granic too
moderate to be their candidate. But they had little
choice after Croatian voters reduced the ruling party
to a minority in the elections to parliament on
January 3rd.
Mr. Granic does not hide his international experience.
His commercials show him with Pope John Paul, with U-S
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and with British
Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. A safe choice is the
message. It appears not to be working. The latest
opinion surveys show Mr. Granic running third and
failing to qualify for a run-off that will be held
February 8th if no one wins 50 percent on Monday.
/// Rock music Act establish and fade ///
The former opposition parties use rock music concerts
to attract their crowds. The opposition has united
around the leader of the Social Liberals, 51-year-old
Drazen Budisa, (pronounced Drah-zen Boo-dee-shah) as
their presidential candidate. The leader of the
Social Democrats, Ivica Racan, (pronounced Eve-eh cha
Rah-Chan) will become prime minister next week. Mr.
Racan appeared at Mr. Budisa's last rally to urge
voters to change the top of the government in the same
way they changed the parliament. Mr. Budisa wants to
bring Croatia back to the world too as part of the
European Union and he wants the Croatian military to
get out of politics and meet NATO's standards.
Like Mr. Granic, Mr. Budisa is a wooden (awkward)
campaigner. Opinion surveys show him qualifying for
the run-off, but his polling numbers have stayed
virtually flat throughout the campaign.
The real surprise is the man leading the opinion
surveys going into Monday's election. Stipe Mesic
(pronounced Stee-pay May-seech) started his campaign
by meeting voters for coffee. He did not even manage
to win a seat in parliament. Slowly, these meetings
in coffeehouses started to grow. Mr. Mesic appeared
accessible and comfortable chatting with voters.
Slowly his plain talking and his resume started
attracting more attention. Mr. Mesic was the last
president of the rotating Yugoslav presidency. His
battles with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in
1991 give him nationalist credentials. His break with
President Tudjman over Croatia's interference in
Bosnia sent Mr. Mesic into political oblivion for five
years. This principled stand also makes him an
important opposition figure today.
Now, the 65-year-old Mr. Mesic is attracting young
people to his rallies with rock concerts and his
promises that Croatia will never again interfere in
Bosnia.
/// Mesic Act in Croatian and Fade Under
///
Mr. Mesic says Croatia will maintain an interest in
the Croats living in Bosnia but it will not pay their
bills and will not set up the structure of a Herceg-
Bosna - the Croatian mini state in Bosnia-Herzegovina
that President Tudjman supported.
No matter which two of the three front runners makes
the run-off, all three men are committed to the
opposition's plan to limit the powers of Croatia's
president and to turn Croatia into a parliamentary
democracy that will try to join the European Union and
NATO. (Signed)
NEB/RP/DW/JP
22-Jan-2000 11:57 AM EDT (22-Jan-2000 1657 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
[02] SERBIA/ARRESTS (L-ONLY) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)
DATE=1/22/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-258333
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Yugoslav police announced Saturday the arrest
of three suspects in connection with the murder,one
week ago of Serb Paramilitary leader Zeljko
Raznatovic, better known as "Arkan",who was indicted
for war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia. Stefan Bos
reports from Budapest although investigators say they
cannot link politics to the killing, opposition
leaders claim the murder was the work of the Serbian
Government.
TEXT: The 47-year old Serb warlord "Arkan" was shot
to death in the lobby of Belgrade's Inter Continental
Hotel. Two other men, a friend of the warlord and a
policeman were also killed during the attack.
Police officials in Belgrade say that the 23-year old
alleged trigger man, Dobrosav Gavric, was arrested on
the day of the killing,in a hospital,where he was
treated for his wounds during the gun battle with Mr.
Arkan's bodyguards. His two accomplices were arrested
afterward. (Dejan Pitulic, 33-year old and Vujadin
Krstic, 36-year old)
Serbian police said all three men had contacts with
the underworld,and Mr. Gavric along with 33-year old
Dejan Pitulic worked as policemen until mid 1999.
Both men were asked to leave the police force because
of their alleged ties with criminals.
That is one of the reasons why Serbian police and the
Authorities in Belgrade are claiming that Mr. Arkan's
death was crime-related, and that there were no
political motives behind the killings.
But Serbian opposition politicians and independent
media have questioned that explanation. They said Mr.
Arkan may have been killed for trying to bargain a
deal with the United Nations Tribunal in The Hague,
which indicted him for war crimes mostly in Bosnia and
Croatia.
A spokesman for the war crimes tribunal confirmed that
intermediaries purportedly representing the Warlord
had contacted the court last year, to discuss his
case.
Opposition parties argue that his death will make it
much more difficult for International Community to
find out the truth about President Milosovic role in
the Yugoslav conlicts wich began in Slovenia and soon
led to ethnic cleansing in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
/// Rest Optional ///
Mr. Arkan, who was buried earlier this week, leaved
behind his black-uniformed army, known as the Tigers,
who were viewed with terror by Bosnian Muslims, Croats
and Kosovo Albanians during the Yugoslav wars since
1990.
He also had interests in many business operations
including pastry shops as well as casino's, and even
owned one of Yugoslavia's leading football clubs.
The warlord was also wanted in six European countries,
including Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgiums for
bank robberies and other crimes.
But he escaped from a courtroom in Sweden and a Dutch
jail, after which he began a notorious life which led
to an indictment for war crimes against humanity.
(Signed)
NEB/PT
22-Jan-2000 18:47 PM EDT (22-Jan-2000 2347 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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