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OMRI: Daily Digest, Vol. 3, No. 19, 97-01-28
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 3, No. 19, 28 January 1997
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] TENSIONS MOUNT IN ABKHAZIA.
[02] PARTIAL RESULTS OF KAZAKSTANI FREQUENCY TENDER.
[03] UYGHUR CONGRESS HELD IN KYRGYZSTAN.
[04] TURKMENISTAN AND AZERBAIJAN TANGLE OVER OIL FIELD.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[05] ALBANIAN DEMOCRATS, OPPOSITION BLAME EACH OTHER FOR PYRAMID CRISIS . .
.
[06] . . . WHILE PROTESTS SPREAD NORTH.
[07] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT CALLS ON SOCIALISTS, OPPOSITION TO REACH
COMPROMISE . . .
[08] . . . AND GETS MIXED RESPONSE.
[09] BELGRADE COURT OVERTURNS ELECTORAL COMMISSION RULING.
[10] U.S. CRITICIZES SERBIAN POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS.
[11] U.S. TO SET UP SPECIAL FORCE TO CATCH BOSNIAN WAR CRIMINALS?
[12] BOSNIAN REFUGEE RETURN PROGRAM ON HOLD.
[13] DUTCH EU PRESIDENCY WANTS BOSNIA TO HAVE PRIORITY.
[14] STEP CLOSER TO ESTABLISHING CROATIAN COMMUNITY OF HERCEG-BOSNA?
[15] ALLEGED HEAD OF KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY ARRESTED.
[16] ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANNOUNCES NEW FOREIGN-POLICY PRIORITIES.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] TENSIONS MOUNT IN ABKHAZIA.
Abkhaz police are conducting identity checks to detect "Georgian saboteur
groups" in ethnic Georgian villages in the Gali district, ITAR-TASS
reported on 27 January. The raids follow armed clashes in the district,
which the Abkhaz blame on Georgian special services. Georgian officials
described the clashes as "power struggles between Abkhaz clans and criminal
groups." Earlier, Abkhaz officials claimed that they captured four Georgian
gunmen, one of whom "confessed" to involvement in the attacks. Meanwhile,
ITAR-TASS quoted Georgian TV as reporting that some 2,000 mainly ethnic
Georgian residents of the Gali district, fearing "looting and violence by
the Abkhaz forces," fled to the neighboring Zugdidi district. Meanwhile,
Abkhaz President Vladislav Ardzinba called on the leaders of the CIS-member
countries to prolong the mandate of the Russian-led CIS peacekeeping forces
in Abkhazia. -- Emil Danielyan
[02] PARTIAL RESULTS OF KAZAKSTANI FREQUENCY TENDER.
Kazakstani authorities on 24 January announced the results of the first
round of a tender for broadcasting rights, Internews and Kazak Television
reported, as monitored by the BBC. According to the television, channels
were given to Kazak Commercial Television (KTK) and the Independent
Television Channel (NTK), which were described as "independent companies."
KTK is owned by Karavan, which publishes an independent newspaper, but
Internews linked NTK with the daughter of President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Radio frequencies were given to "Europa," "Siti," and "Rika." A second
tender will be held later. Meanwhile, Russian Television reported on 27
January that its broadcasts have been pulled off the air in Kazakstan and
replaced with programming from Kazakstan's state television agency "Habar."
Russian-speaking citizens of Kazakstan, particularly in the north, have
protested the change to Russian Minister of CIS Affairs Aman Tuleyev. --
Bruce Pannier
[03] UYGHUR CONGRESS HELD IN KYRGYZSTAN.
A congress of the Uyghur Association of Kyrgyzstan was held in Bishkek on
26 January, RFE/RL reported. The session replaced the association's
president, Nurmuhamed Kenjiev, with Nigmat-Agi Baizakov. It also elected a
47-member council and five-member inspection committee. The congress
approved plans for creating a special fund which would provide Uyghur
students studying in Kyrgyzstan with a 3,000 som ($180) monthly stipend.
Also, the association plans to open book stores in Bishkek, which will
specialize in Uyghur literature. There are now about 50,000 Uyghurs living
in Kyrgyzstan. The Uyghur Association was founded in 1990, the first ethnic
minority organization registered in the country. -- Bruce Pannier and Naryn
Idinov
[04] TURKMENISTAN AND AZERBAIJAN TANGLE OVER OIL FIELD.
Ashgabat and Baku appear to be on the verge of an open dispute over
ownership of the Chirag offshore Caspian oil field, Russian and Azerbaijani
sources reported on 26 January. While the two have been at odds over the
Caspian's status, with Ashgabat's position mirroring that of Russia and
Iran in opposition to that of Azerbaijan, no dispute over particular fields
has yet gone public. The present friction stems from a 23 January article
in theFinancial Times in which Ashgabat claimed that the Chirag field,
part of the so-called "deal of the century," is located in Turkmenistan's
territorial waters. Baku has both demanded clarification of Ashgabat's
position and rejected any such claims. -- Lowell Bezanis
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[05] ALBANIAN DEMOCRATS, OPPOSITION BLAME EACH OTHER FOR PYRAMID CRISIS . .
.
The ruling Democratic Party has issued a resolution calling the recent
riots "terrorism organized by the leaders of the Socialist Party and other
extreme left-wing parties against democratic institutions in Albania,"
local media reported. Tens of thousands of Albanians have recently taken to
the streets to protest the collapse of pyramid schemes. The opposition,
meanwhile, accused the government of involvement in the pyramid schemes and
called for a caretaker government and new elections. It also criticized the
parliament's decision to deploy the army, claiming that the country is de
facto under martial law. President Sali Berisha, however, has rejected
suggestions that martial law be imposed, and Defense Minister Safet Zhulali
has said the army will "never be used against the people." Both the
Democrats and the opposition have called for demonstrations in Tirana
today. -- Fabian Schmidt
[06] . . . WHILE PROTESTS SPREAD NORTH.
Some 1,000 people took to the streets in Shkoder on 27 January to demand a
solution to the current crisis over the collapse of the pyramid schemes,
international media reported. No clashes were reported. In Peshkopija, a
mob set fire to the city hall and ambushed the local police station,
injuring an unspecified number of policemen. Protesters also beat up a
state TV cameraman and smashed his camera. In Tirana, soldiers guarded the
central bank, television headquarters, and government buildings. Elsewhere,
they cleared roads of barricades. Meanwhile, Socialist Party leader Ndre
Legisi suffered a fractured skull after he was attacked by three or four
unidentified men near the office of Zeri i Popullit. His condition is
reported to be critical. -- Fabian Schmidt
[07] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT CALLS ON SOCIALISTS, OPPOSITION TO REACH
COMPROMISE . . .
Petar Stoyanov, in his first nationwide address as president, appealed to
the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the opposition to find a solution to the
current political crisis, RFE/RL reported on 27 January. Stoyanov said he
will give the BSP a mandate to form a new government, as required by the
constitution. But he urged the Socialists not to accept it and to agree
instead to opposition demands for early parliamentary elections in May.
Stoyanov also called on the opposition to end their boycott of the
parliament and asked both sides to respond to his appeal today. He said he
wants to name an interim government and call an extraordinary 10-day
session of the parliament to pass crucial economic legislation. -- Stefan
Krause
[08] . . . AND GETS MIXED RESPONSE.
BSP Chairman Georgi Parvanov criticized Stoyanov's proposal, saying that 10
days is not enough to adopt the necessary economic legislation,
international media reported. He added that he wants the next government to
be headed by Interior Minister Nikolay Dobrev. But the opposition is
unlikely to agree to that proposal since it holds Dobrev responsible for
the violent clashes between demonstrators and police on 10-11 January.
Meanwhile, Dobrev hinted that he may withdraw his candidacy if no solution
to the crisis can be found, Trud reported. Union of Democratic Forces
Chairman Ivan Kostov said "I did not exactly expect that from [Stoyanov],
but we will support his efforts to overcome the crisis." Meanwhile, around
18,000 people in Sofia demonstrated against the formation of a new BSP
government and called for early elections. Demonstrations also took place
in other towns. The Confederation of Labor Podkrepa staged strikes
throughout the country, but it is not known how many workers were involved.
-- Stefan Krause
[09] BELGRADE COURT OVERTURNS ELECTORAL COMMISSION RULING.
Belgrade's First District Court has overturned a ruling by the city's
electoral commission recognizing opposition wins in the November local
election run-offs, Nasa Borba reported on 28 January. Commission Chairman
Radomir Lazarevic expressed his regret over the court's decision, saying it
was "contrary to the law." The Belgrade electoral commission has several
times recognized Zajedno victories in the capital. Most recently, it
announced that the opposition coalition had won 64 of the Municipal
Assembly's 110 seats. Meanwhile, Zajedno took office in the city of Nis--
one of four municipalities where the ruling Socialists seem to have
accepted defeat. But it is unclear how much authority Zajedno will have.
The local police force, for example, continues to report directly to the
federal Interior Ministry, which is firmly under Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic's control. -- Stan Markotich
[10] U.S. CRITICIZES SERBIAN POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS.
U.S. State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns on 27 January said
Washington has delivered a note to Belgrade protesting the "systematic use
of the police to intimidate," Reuters reported. Meanwhile, men serving in
the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are being forced to
join police cordons in downtown Belgrade, Onasa reported on 27 January,
citing a Zajedno press statement. The report also noted that some victims
of police intimidation are refusing to seek medical help for "fear that, by
revealing their identity, they will continue to suffer police torture." --
Stan Markotich
[11] U.S. TO SET UP SPECIAL FORCE TO CATCH BOSNIAN WAR CRIMINALS?
White House press spokesman Mike McCurry on 27 January said that the
administration is considering options for catching indicted war criminals
and bringing them to the Hague-based tribunal, U.S. media reported. "We've
said for some time we're looking at ways of making that tribunal more
effective. One possible option is to set up some type of special police
force. We haven't made a decision on whether that's the best way to help
the tribunal, but it does suggest itself as an option." NATO peacekeepers
and UN police take the position that it is not in their mandate to go after
war criminals, although they may detain ones with whom they come into
contact. There is, however, ample evidence to suggest that the peacekeepers
have frequently looked the other way and let such individuals slip past
rather than risk casualties. Any new force would presumably be created with
the clear understanding that it could expect to suffer casualties in
carrying out its mandate. -- Patrick Moore
[12] BOSNIAN REFUGEE RETURN PROGRAM ON HOLD.
The UNHCR-sponsored plan to return Muslim families to their home village of
Gajevi, just inside Serbian territory, has been suspended for 48 hours. The
Muslims had gone through lengthy procedures agreed to by all sides, but in
recent days were subjected to well-organized mob violence by Serb civilian
crowds with the apparent complicity of the Republika Srpska police. SFOR
troops in the area did nothing to help. The international community's Carl
Bildt began talks with Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic on 27
January, AFP wrote. Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said the Bosnian
Serb authorities "clearly reneged" on commitments made in the Dayton
agreement "to facilitate the return of refuges and to avoid the destruction
of property." -- Patrick Moore
[13] DUTCH EU PRESIDENCY WANTS BOSNIA TO HAVE PRIORITY.
Dutch Foreign Aid Minister Jan Pronk, during his current visit to Bosnia,
said on 27 January that the Netherlands will insist that Bosnia be a
priority for the European Union, AFP reported. The Netherlands took over
the six-month rotating EU presidency on 1 January. He noted that the Dutch
government will strongly urge the EU donor conference for Bosnia take place
in March, as scheduled, because a delay would have negative consequences
for the country's reconstruction. Pronk is due to meet with refugees from
Srebrenica, the former Muslim enclave that was overrun by Bosnian Serb
forces in July 1995, despite the presence of Dutch peacekeeping troops.
Those troops later came under widespread international criticism. The
Netherlands last year allocated $100 million for Bosnian reconstruction
programs. Meanwhile, Haris Silajdzic, co-premier in the Bosnian government,
called on the EU to grant Bosnia associate member status. -- Daria Sito
Sucic
[14] STEP CLOSER TO ESTABLISHING CROATIAN COMMUNITY OF HERCEG-BOSNA?
Bozo Rajic, head of the ruling Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, proposed on 27 January that representatives of all
Bosnian Croat associations meet to set up a Croatian Community of Herceg-
Bosna, AFP reported. The new community would replace the banned para-state
of the same name. Rajic said that the topics discussed at such a meeting
would include the convening of a constitutive assembly to elect a president
and executive council of the new community. Under the Dayton peace accords,
the Bosnian Croat para-state of Herceg-Bosna should have been dissolved
long ago. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[15] ALLEGED HEAD OF KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY ARRESTED.
Serbian police have arrested the alleged head of the Kosovo Liberation Army
(UCK), Reuters reported. Police said the 31-year-old Avni Klinaku was taken
into custody on 26 January, along with several other members of the
National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo. It remains unclear whether
the UCK is part of that movement, but police claim they found "arms and
ammunition of various calibers, drawings and plans for attacks on
facilities, and other means for carrying out terrorist actions." -- Fabian
Schmidt
[16] ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANNOUNCES NEW FOREIGN-POLICY PRIORITIES.
Foreign Minister Adrian Severin told Reuters on 28 January that, in order
to boost its chances of early admission into NATO, Romania has put improved
ties with Ukraine at the top of its foreign-policy agenda and is also
seeking a new partnership with Hungary and Poland. Severin, who is due to
meet today with visiting British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind, said a
"strategic partnership" with Poland and Hungary must be implemented very
quickly, noting that it signaled "a different tune in our foreign policy."
He added that Romania has a "strategic interest in the consolidation of
Ukraine's independence and statehood." Romania and Ukraine resumed talks
over a basic treaty earlier this month, but differences remain over
Bucharest's insistence that the treaty mention the unjustness of the
Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. As a result of that agreement, Romania lost
territory now incorporated into Ukraine and Moldova. -- Zsolt Mato
This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media
Research Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in
Prague, Czech Republic.
For more information on OMRI publications please write to info@omri.cz.
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