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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 1, No. 39, 97-05-27
RFE/RL NEWSLINE
Vol. 1, No. 39, 27 May 1997
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] CIS COUNTRIES MEET TO DISCUSS AFGHANISTAN
[02] TAJIK AGREEMENT INITIALED...
[03] ...BUT OPPOSITION ACCUSES, ADVISES GOVERNMENT
[04] UN COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IN CENTRAL ASIA
[05] GEORGIA CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY
[06] ABKHAZ PRESIDENT DENIES IMPOSING STATE OF EMERGENCY
[07] UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION IN ARMENIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[08] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES ELECTION COMMITTEE LINEUP
[09] OPPOSITION STILL CONSIDERS ALBANIAN ELECTION BOYCOTT
[10] ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES POLICE ATTACK ON HOSPITAL
[11] SERBIAN PRESIDENT REBUFFS U.S. DIPLOMAT
[12] SERBIAN OPPOSITION COALITION BEYOND REPAIR?
[13] NEWS FROM AROUND SERBIA
[14] TENSIONS CONTINUE IN MACEDONIA
[15] ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR CONFIDENCE VOTE
[16] HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT CONTINUES ROMANIAN VISIT
[17] CE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY MEETINGS IN BUCHAREST
[18] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT ON RUSSIA-BELARUS TREATY...
[19] ...AND ON MOLDOVA'S PRIVATIZATION DRIVE
[20] BULGARIAN SECURITY SERVICE CALLED TO BATTLE CLANDESTINE FINANCIAL
GROUPS
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] CIS COUNTRIES MEET TO DISCUSS AFGHANISTAN
Representatives of nine CIS states meet in Moscow today to suggest options
should the problems in Afghanistan spill across the border into the CIS,
AFP reported. All countries represented signed the CIS collective security
pact, which calls for concerted actions if one member comes under attack.
The countries represented at today's meeting are Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan. Border force commander Gen. Andrei Nikolayev said on 26 May
that forces along the border with Afghanistan are sufficient to repel any
attack by Taliban forces. In related news, Saudi Arabia on 26 May, became
the second country to recognize the Taliban government (see "End Note"
below).
[02] TAJIK AGREEMENT INITIALED...
Representatives of the Tajik government and United Tajik Opposition,
meeting in Tehran on 26 May, initialed a protocol for implementing the
accord on peace and national reconciliation agreed to in August 1995,
Russian press reported. The protocol is scheduled to be signed in the
Iranian capital on 28 May. Afterward, the work of the reconciliation
council will begin. The council is charged with amending the Tajik
Constitution so that new elections can be held next year.
[03] ...BUT OPPOSITION ACCUSES, ADVISES GOVERNMENT
The United Tajik Opposition has released a statement on the recent arrests
of demonstrators in the northern Tajik city of Khojand. The statement, sent
to Interfax on 25 May, claims that the Tajik government is using the 30
April assassination attempt against President Imomali Rakhmonov as grounds
for persecuting those involved in the 1996-97 demonstrations in Khojand,
particularly members of the UTO and National Revival Movement. The brother
of Abdumalik Abdullajonov, the National Revival Movement's leader, was
arrested on 23 May. In a second UTO statement, released on 26 May and
obtained by RFE/RL's Tajik service, the Tajik government is urged to
remember there are still many Tajik refugees living in camps in northern
Afghanistan. Provocative action on the part of Dushanbe toward the Taliban
could lead to the worsening of conditions for those refugees, the statement
warned.
[04] UN COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES IN CENTRAL ASIA
Sadato Ogata, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is touring the CIS
Central Asian states, according to ITAR-TASS. Ogata's first stop was
Kazakstan, where she said the situation was not particularly alarming for
the UNHCR. From Almaty, Ogata travels to Kyrgyzstan, where there are
currently an estimated 40,000-45,000 refugees from Tajikistan. Kyrgyz
border guards are preparing for more refugees in the wake of the Taliban's
taking control of the northern regions of Afghanistan, near the Tajik
border. Ogata is scheduled to visit Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and
Turkmenistan on her 10-day tour of the region.
[05] GEORGIA CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY
Some 4,000 troops from all branches of the armed forces and power
ministries--escorted by 100 tanks, seven warplanes, and five military
helicopters--participated in a parade in central Tbilisi on 26 May to mark
the anniversary of the formation of the first independent Georgian Republic
in 1918, Russian and western agencies reported. In a clear warning to the
leadership of the breakaway Abkhaz republic, Defense Minister Vardiko
Nadibaidze, according to Reuters, told troops that their first obligation
was to restore the country's territorial integrity, by force if necessary.
President Eduard Shevardnadze affirmed that the only acceptable solution to
the Abkhaz conflict is by peaceful means. One person was hospitalized after
police intervened to break up an unsanctioned demonstration by several
dozen supporters of deceased President Zviad Gamsakhurdia, BS-press
reported.
[06] ABKHAZ PRESIDENT DENIES IMPOSING STATE OF EMERGENCY
Vladislav Ardzinba told journalists on 26 May that Russian media reports of
a state of emergency throughout the region to prevent clan warfare were
untrue, ITAR-TASS reported (see RFE/RL Newsline, 26 May 1997). Ardzinba
said that "the situation in Abkhazia is now calm as never before." The news
agency reported on 25 May that a curfew had been introduced.
[07] UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION IN ARMENIA
A Ukrainian parliament delegation headed by speaker Aleksandr Moroz arrived
in Yerevan on 26 May on a two-day visit, Armenian agencies reported.
Addressing the Armenian National Assembly, Moroz said that a "certain
stagnation" in bilateral relations has been overcome and that Ukraine is
ready to maximize the potential for cooperation between the two countries,
especially in the economic sphere. In an allusion to Armenian perceptions
that the emerging Baku-Tbilisi-Kyiv axis could pose a threat to Armenia,
Moroz said Ukraine rejects the concept of a "friendship with somebody aimed
against a third party" and affirmed that Ukraine is ready to discuss any
draft agreement proposed by Armenia, according to ITAR-TASS. Ukraine's
ambassador in Yerevan, Aleksandr Bozhko, told Respublika Armeniya that
bilateral trade in 1996 more than doubled to reach $30 million.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[08] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES ELECTION COMMITTEE LINEUP
Sali Berisha on 26 May announced in Tirana the composition of the 17-member
Central Election Committee. The chairman will be Kristaq Kume, a member of
the president's Democratic Party and the deputy chairman Fatos Klosi, a
Socialist. They will share responsibilities and validate election returns
jointly. The secretary will be Democrat Thimio Kondi, the Interior
Ministry's state secretary for local government. Socialist Prime Minister
Bashkim Fino's government will challenge that appointment, since Fino
nominated someone else. The Democratic Party and the Socialists have four
seats each. Eight other parties share the remaining seats, the daily
Indipendent reported on 27 May.
[09] OPPOSITION STILL CONSIDERS ALBANIAN ELECTION BOYCOTT
Following a meeting with Fino in Tirana on 26 May, eight parties in the
broad-based coalition government announced they want the lifting of the
state of emergency, strict international monitoring of the elections, and
government control over the secret service. The parties said they still may
boycott the ballot if Berisha does not meet their demands, Koha Jone
reported. Meanwhile at a conference on Albania in Rome, Italian Prime
Minister Lamberto Dini warned Albanians that future international aid to
their country will depend on whether free and fair elections take place.
OSCE special envoy Franz Vranitzky said that Operation Alba's mandate will
have to be extended beyond the June elections (see RFE/RL Newsline, 23 May
1997).
[10] ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES POLICE ATTACK ON HOSPITAL
The government on 26 May launched an investigation into the previous
night's attack by members of Berisha's elite National Guard on the Tirana
military hospital (see RFE/RL Newsline, 26 May 1997). Hospital doctors
threatened to walk off the job unless Berisha identifies the attackers.
Defense Minister Shaqir Vukaj pledged "not to tolerate such banditry
anymore." A spokesman for the National Guard also condemned the attack.
Elsewhere, armed insurgents blocked a convoy of special police forces from
entering Gjirokaster on 26 May, before a visit by Berisha. Several days
earlier, on 23 May, shots were fired at the car of Leka Zogu, the claimant
to the throne, near Tropoja, Koha Jone reported on 27 May.
[11] SERBIAN PRESIDENT REBUFFS U.S. DIPLOMAT
Slobodan Milosevic on 26 May told Robert Gelbard, the new U.S. special
envoy to the former Yugoslavia, that Belgrade will not hand over indicted
war criminals to the Hague-based tribunal. Gelbard had earlier told
Milosevic that federal Yugoslavia's relations with the U.S., Western Europe,
and international financial institutions will depend on Belgrade's
cooperation with the court and on its willingness to solve the Kosovo
question. Milosevic is obliged by the Dayton agreement to work with the
tribunal. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported from London on 27 May
that Britain's new Labor government will release its secret service
documents on Bosnian war crimes, which many observers expect to cast light
on Milosevic's own involvement in the atrocitiies.
[12] SERBIAN OPPOSITION COALITION BEYOND REPAIR?
Serbian Renewal Movement leader Vuk Draskovic and Serbian Radical Party
chief Vojislav Seselj have called for the replacement of Belgrade Mayor
Zoran Djindjic, an RFE/RL correspondent reported from the Serbian capital
on 26 May. Draskovic and Djindjic are partners in the opposition Zajedno
coalition but have been feuding in public for weeks. Many moderates regard
Seselj as a war criminal and as Milosevic's political stalking horse. It is
unlikely that such people will back Draskovic as Zajedno's presidential
candidate now that he has made common cause with Seselj. Belgrade press
reports say that former Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic is hoping to
emerge from the imbroglio as the eventual joint opposition Serbian
presidential candidate.
[13] NEWS FROM AROUND SERBIA
Federal Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovc returned from a four-
day visit to Kuwait on 26 May and announced in Belgrade that Kuwait will
buy $50 million-worth of Yugoslav military equipment. Across Serbia, 106
schools remain closed because of a teachers' strike, Nasa Borba reported.
In Kosovska Mitrovica, an ethnic Albanian couple was found murdered in
their home. The man was a retired employee of the Interior Ministry, BETA
wrote. In Novi Pazar, Serbian government Minister without Portfolio Milun
Babic warned the governing Muslim Party of Democratic Action (SDA) that
"this is the first time in the history of the new Yugoslavia that a
nationally-based party holds total power." He told the SDA that "it must
show how democratic it is." The Serbian parliament is currently debating a
bill that will guarantee Serbs and Montenegrins a power role in regions
where they are in the minority.
[14] TENSIONS CONTINUE IN MACEDONIA
In the ongoing controversy in Macedonia's Gostivar over hoisting Albanian
and Turkish flags at the town hall, police on 26 May moved in to break up
armed clashes between Macedonians, on the one hand, and ethnic Albanians
and Turks, on the other. In Debar, there was another violent incident near
the Macedonian-Albanian border, BETA wrote. No details are yet available.
[15] ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR CONFIDENCE VOTE
Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea, in a letter to the chairmen of Romania's bi-
cameral parliament, asked for a vote of confidence in his government,
RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported on 26 May. The parliament will vote on 3
June in a joint session of the two chambers. The government is asking the
legislature to approve its entire reform program, including accords with
international financial bodies. Under the procedure used for this purpose,
known as "government assumption of responsibility," the opposition must
move a vote of no-confidence within three days. If it fails to do so, the
government's program is regarded as having been approved. The leader of the
main opposition party, former president Ion Iliescu, on 26 May accused the
government of failing to implement its electoral promises. His Party of
Social Democracy in Romania will move a no-confidence motion this week.
[16] HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT CONTINUES ROMANIAN VISIT
Arpad Goencz and Romanian counterpart Emil Constantinescu on 26 May
unveiled a monument commemorating Hungary's executed premier, Imre Nagy, in
Snagov, near Bucharest. Goencz told a joint session of the Romanian
parliament the same day that his country viewed Romania's joining an
enlarged NATO as "vital" for its own interests. He said he hoped the
Romanian parliament will approve draft legislation submitted by the
government, which meets many of the Hungarian minority's demands, RFE/RL's
Bucharest bureau reported. Earlier, the two highest officials of the
Council of Europe--Secretary-General Daniel Tarschys and Parliamentary
Assembly President Leni Fischer, who are attending meetings of the council
in Bucharest--held talks with the two presidents. They noted that Goencz's
visit is an important step toward democratic stability in Europe.
[17] CE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY MEETINGS IN BUCHAREST
Walter Schwimmer, vice-chairman of the judicial and human rights committee
in the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, says Romania must
further improve its human rights record. Schwimmer spoke on 26 May in
Bucharest, where the assembly's committees are holding their summer
meetings. He said the Penal Code's provisions on punishment for homosexual
acts must be changed. He also said detention conditions must be improved in
Romania's prisons, the passage of legislation on the return of property
confiscated by the communists should be accelerated, and the government
should launch a resolute campaign against racism, xenophobia, and
intolerance, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. The committee's chairman,
Gunnar Jansson, said Romania has made progress in the treatment of ethnic
minorities, but problems remain with the Roma minority. These, he said, are
"all-European rather than specifically Romanian" problems.
[18] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT ON RUSSIA-BELARUS TREATY...
Petru Lucinschi says it is up to Russia and Belarus to decide how far they
will go toward integration. In an interview with RFE/RL on 26 May,
Lucinschi reiterated that Moldova was a "neutral state" and had no
intention to change its status or pursue the Russian-Belarus model. He
added that Chisinau must nonetheless collaborate with other members of the
CIS. The Moldovan president emphasized that the CIS was not an organization
aimed at reconstructing the former Soviet Union but a "totally new
organization aimed at achieving a new kind of regional community of
interests." Lucinschi shrugged off a question concerning his image as
"Moscow's man," saying it "would not be the first time in history that a
foreigner had been called on to lead another country." He said what counted
was to faithfully represent the interests of one's own country.
[19] ...AND ON MOLDOVA'S PRIVATIZATION DRIVE
Lucinschi is urging the parliament to pass as quickly as possible the
privatization program for 1997-1998. At a government meeting, Lucinschi
also said a national agency aimed at attracting foreign investors should be
set up, BASA-press reported on 26 May. One of the conditions of a recent
agreement with the World Bankfor a $100 million loan (see RFE/RL Newsline,
22 May 1997) is the speeding up of privatization.
[20] BULGARIAN SECURITY SERVICE CALLED TO BATTLE CLANDESTINE FINANCIAL
GROUPS
Bulgarian Interior Minister Bogomil Bonev on 26 May called upon the
National Security Service to investigate clandestine financial groups that
he says are trying to undermine Sofia's new economic policies. Bonev said
some groups, "especially among banking circles," are trying to place
obstacles in the way of the proposed currency board before it is set up in
July. The board is to link the Bulgarian lev to hard currency reserves in
the National Bank. Bonev said that the currency board is being attacked by
groups that are trying to siphon money from institutions like the State
Savings Bank (DSK). Bistra Dimitrova, who was appointed head of the DSK by
the previous Socialist-dominated parliament, resigned on 23 May under
pressure from Prime Minister Ivan Kostov (see RFE/RL Newsline, 22 May
1997). Bonev said Dimitrova's activities at the bank are under
investigation.
Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
URL: http://www.rferl.org
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