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OMRI: Daily Digest, Vol. 3, No. 55, 97-03-19
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 3, No. 55, 19 March 1997
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] INDEPENDENT UNIONS FACE HARASSMENT IN KAZAKSTAN.
[02] KAZAKSTAN TO PULL OUT OF CUSTOMS UNION?
[03] BORDER GUARD CHIEF IN KYRGYZSTAN.
[04] THE DEATH PENALTY IN CENTRAL ASIA.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[05] ALBANIAN REBELS THREATEN TO ELECT OWN PRESIDENT.
[06] REFUGEE CRISIS WORSENS.
[07] INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO SOLVE FINANCIAL CRISIS.
[08] CROATIA GIVES FINAL AMNESTY LIST TO EASTERN SLAVONIA SERBS.
[09] CROATIAN HARDLINER NEW PRESIDENT OF BOSNIAN FEDERATION.
[10] SERBS IN ZAIRE.
[11] SERBIAN OFFICIALS UNDER PRESSURE FOR FAIR ELECTIONS.
[12] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT: LETTER WAS FAKED.
[13] PARLIAMENTARY UPHEAVAL IN ROMANIA.
[14] FOREIGN INVESTORS CAN OWN LAND IN ROMANIA.
[15] ROMANIAN-MOLDOVAN INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE MEETING.
[16] IMF STANDBY FOR BULGARIA BRINGS ADDITIONAL NEW LOANS.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] INDEPENDENT UNIONS FACE HARASSMENT IN KAZAKSTAN.
The 19 March edition of Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that the independent
trade union (NPTsK) president of Kazakstan, Leonid Solomin, has been
charged under Kazakstan's criminal code for "engaging in an illegal hard
currency operation." The charge stems from Solomin's wages being paid in
hard currency, which is against Kazak law. The paper points out that this
is the latest of several actions against independent trade unions made by
the government's Committee for National Security (KNB). The leader of the
Karaganda NPTsK, Rahim Uteuov, said the KNB uses criminal proceedings to
intimidate non-Kazaks, and that Kazaks who participate in unions are
branded "traitors." -- Bruce Pannier
[02] KAZAKSTAN TO PULL OUT OF CUSTOMS UNION?
Gani Kasymov, chairman of the State Customs Committee of Kazakstan, said
"the economic security of the state is suffering" due to "the huge amount
of contraband goods brought in," Reuters reported on 18 March. Kasymov
complained that "There is no point carrying out internal economic reforms
if the length and breadth of our borders are so porous." It appears that
Kazakstan may be planning to withdraw from the custom's union with Russia,
Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus, although Almaty does not want to be blamed for the
union's collapse. -- Bruce Pannier
[03] BORDER GUARD CHIEF IN KYRGYZSTAN.
The head of the Russian Federal Border Guard Service, Gen. Andrei Nikolaev,
held talks with Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and Security Minister
Myrzakan Subanov on 18-19 March, according to Russian sources. A protocol
between Kyrgyzstan and Russia on financing the border guards in Kyrgyzstan
was signed. Also agreed to was use of Kyrgyz air bases for operations by
the Border Guards in Tajikistan. -- Bruce Pannier
[04] THE DEATH PENALTY IN CENTRAL ASIA.
The Kyrgyz daily Vechernyy Bishkek on 7 March released figures on the
number of executions in five Central Asian states for 1996. According to
the article, Kyrgyzstan executed 41 people in 1996 and pardoned one.
Kyrgyzstan is the only Central Asian state not to employ the death penalty
for drug related offenses and will lower the number of crimes punishable by
death from 16 to five. Kazakstan executed 42 people but has also lowered
crimes punishable by death from 17 to six. The number of executions in
Turkmenistan could only be estimated but the article put it at around 400.
Uzbekistan also does not publish figures but uses the death penalty for
"crimes against peace and security." Tajikistan officially executed 20
people last but the newspaper noted this was a dubious figure. -- Bruce
Pannier
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[05] ALBANIAN REBELS THREATEN TO ELECT OWN PRESIDENT.
Gjirokastra rebel leader Agim Ghozita, a former army general, told Reuters
on 18 March that if President Sali Berisha does not resign, the southern
Albanian insurgents will elect their own presidential council to challenge
him directly. Ghozita said the rebels want a political, not a military,
solution. He added he is willing to work with the new government only if it
stops all cooperation with Berisha. But Prime Minister Bashkim Fino of the
Socialist Party rejected that demand. Berisha has pledged to step down if
his Democratic Party loses elections scheduled for June. In Gjirokastra,
gunmen raided the city's main bank on 18 March and seized all the money. In
Tirana, the restoration of normal life continued as the government
announced Rinas airport will reopen on 20 March. -- Fabian Schmidt
[06] REFUGEE CRISIS WORSENS.
More than 2,500 people arrived in Italy on 18 March, bringing the number of
refugees there to nearly 10,000, according to the UNHCR. A derelict
freighter with some 100 people on board ran aground south of Durres. The
exodus is apparently largely organized by the Albanian mafia, which charges
between $500 and $1,000 per person for passage to Italy. Italy's chief anti-
Mafia prosecutor, Pier Luigi Vigna, said the exodus might include criminals
freed during the recent armed anarchy. CNN showed footage of Italian border
guards collecting dozens of machine guns from arriving refugees. Marine
insurance writers in London effectively declared the area a war zone liable
to increased premiums. Italy on Wednesday expelled by helicopter 135
refugees it deemed dangerous. -- Fabian Schmidt
[07] INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO SOLVE FINANCIAL CRISIS.
New Albanian Finance Minister Arben Malaj told the EU fact-finding mission
on 18 March his country needs at least $300 million to prevent economic
collapse. He said the country faces a food crisis because looters have
stolen government food reserves. In Geneva, the International Red Cross
appealed for 15 million Swiss francs ($11 million) to assist Albania with
food and medicine. The sum would cover urgent needs for three months. Some
Albanian leaders renewed an appeal for Western countries to send troops to
help the government restore order, but EU mission head Jan D'Ansembourg
ruled that out. Greek Economy Minister Yannos Papandoniou said Greece will
guarantee a $75 million loan with favorable conditions to Albania once the
situation has normalized. The loan will help provide partial compensation
to people who lost savings in failed pyramid schemes and will assist the
financial system, Reuters reported. -- Fabian Schmidt
[08] CROATIA GIVES FINAL AMNESTY LIST TO EASTERN SLAVONIA SERBS.
The UN Transitional Administration in eastern Slavonia has handed over to
local Serb leaders Zagreb's final list of persons who will not be given
amnesty for alleged war crimes, Vecernji list reported. The cases of
those not mentioned on the 150-name list will be handled according to the
amnesty law passed by the Croatian government last year. Neither party is
happy with the list: Croats find it too short and Serbs too long. -- Daria
Sito Sucic
[09] CROATIAN HARDLINER NEW PRESIDENT OF BOSNIAN FEDERATION.
Former federation Defense Minister Vladimir Soljic, a Croat, was elected on
18 March by the federation parliament as the new president of Bosnia's
Muslim-Croat federation, local media reported. Soljic replaced Kresimir
Zubak, now the Croatian member of Bosnia's collective presidency. Ejup
Ganic, a Muslim, was retained as federation vice president. Both men are
elected on behalf of their respective national parties, the Croatian
Democratic Community (HDZ) and the Muslim Party of Democratic Action (SDA).
Meanwhile, Haris Silajdzic, one of the Bosnian government co-chairmen,
criticized the OSCE's work in Bosnia and asked that the organization name
those responsible for the third postponement of Bosnia's local elections,
Oslobodjenje reported on 19 March. In other news, a Bosnian Serb woman on
18 March testified at the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for
the Former Yugoslavia about atrocities done by Muslim guards to Serbian
prisoners of the Celebici prison camp in 1992, international media
reported. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[10] SERBS IN ZAIRE.
The International Herald Tribune reported on 19 March that "brokers with
connections to President Slobodan Milosevic's government have made deals to
supply the embattled Zairian military with men and equipment." The article
added that the authorities in Belgrade and in Pale make big money from
equipment sales, while the soldiers are very well paid by Yugoslav
standards. The federal Yugoslav Foreign Ministry denies any official link
to the deals with Zaire, but the article cites numerous examples of
government connections to the African enterprise. -- Patrick Moore
[11] SERBIAN OFFICIALS UNDER PRESSURE FOR FAIR ELECTIONS.
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel told Serbian opposition leader Vuk
Draskovic that the Serbian authorities must not hinder opposition-
controlled local governments or the media if they want to rejoin the OSCE.
He added that the authorities must also launch a "constructive dialogue"
with the opposition, Nasa Borba reported on 19 March. Meanwhile in Vienna,
another opposition leader, Vesna Pesic, threatened a boycott of the
presidential and legislative elections slated for later this year if there
is no level playing field. She said the opposition wants not only free
media but also a special electoral commission to make sure that the vote is
free and fair, AFP reported. -- Patrick Moore
[12] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT: LETTER WAS FAKED.
Montenegrin authorities denied a report in Belgrade and U.S. dailies that
Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic had written two members of the U.S. Congress
to criticize federal Yugoslav policies in Bosnia and Kosovo. The
Montenegrin spokesmen said that the letter was faked, AFP reported.
Tensions between Podgorica and Belgrade are nothing new and have become
increasingly public in recent weeks, but the alleged Djukanovic letter was
particularly sharp in its criticism. -- Patrick Moore
[13] PARLIAMENTARY UPHEAVAL IN ROMANIA.
The Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR) said in a letter to
President Emil Constantinescu that it will boycott parliamentary debates in
protest against what it called non-respect of parliamentary procedure and a
purge of the state administration, Romanian media reported on 17-18 March.
PDSR leader and former President Ion Iliescu asked Constantinescu to
mediate. Deputy PDSR leader Adrian Nastase said the way that the
parliamentary immunity of Greater Romania Party (PRM) leader Corneliu Vadim
Tudor was lifted was only one of the reasons for the decision. The PRM is
also boycotting the debates, while representatives of the Party of Romanian
National Unity (PUNR) announced they will be present in the house but will
not participate in debates. The PUNR is protesting against the removal from
the parliamentary agenda of their proposed amendment to the land-ownership
law. Constantinescu said the boycott is irresponsible but that he is
willing to mediate if the three parties take "national priorities" into
consideration. The ruling majority has the votes to pass legislation in the
opposition's absence. -- Michael Shafir
[14] FOREIGN INVESTORS CAN OWN LAND IN ROMANIA.
The Chamber of Deputies on 18 March passed legislation allowing foreign
investors to own land, Radio Bucharest reported. An identical bill was
approved last month by the Senate and will become law when President Emil
Constantinescu signs it. The bill was approved in the absence of opposition
representatives, who are boycotting the debates. In other news, the EU
finance ministers on 17 March authorized the second installment of a loan
approved back in 1994 as financial assistance. The installment ($80.5
million) had been withheld because of the previous government's evasive
reform implementation. The EU said the loan has been authorized in
recognition of the new government's "courageous" reform drive. -- Michael
Shafir
[15] ROMANIAN-MOLDOVAN INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE MEETING.
The seventh session of the joint Romanian-Moldovan inter-ministerial
committee was held in Bucharest on 17 March, Romanian national television
reported on the same day. Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Severin and
Moldovan Deputy Premier Ion Gutu signed a protocol providing for free-trade
zones in border regions, as well as accords on environment protection and
education. Radio Bucharest reported that Severin spoke of extending
regional border co-operation to include Ukraine as a third party to new
Euro-regions. -- Michael Shafir
[16] IMF STANDBY FOR BULGARIA BRINGS ADDITIONAL NEW LOANS.
EU External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek said on 18 March in
Sofia that additional lending worth $400 million-500 million will likely be
forthcoming from the EU and the rest of the G-24, Reuters reported. On 17
March, Bulgaria had reached two agreements providing credits worth about
$617 million -- $510 million in a standby credit and $107 million from a
special facility for importing grain. The Open Society Foundation has
offered $25 million for importing food and medicine, RFE/RL reported on 16
March. Leaders of all main political parties, including the recently ousted
socialists, on 18 March pledged to support the tough conditions underlying
the standby deal. Those conditions involve enterprise restructuring and
privatization and tough budgetary discipline. -- Michael Wyzan
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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