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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 2, No. 233, 98-12-04Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 2, No. 233, 4 December 1998CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] OSCE CALLS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF KAZAKH ELECTIONS...The OSCE on 3 December warned Kazakhstan that if the country goes ahead with planned early presidential elections next month, it "could severely damage its reputation as a country committed to democratization," an RFE/RL correspondent in Almaty reported. The OSCE criticized the decision of the country's Central Elections Committee to exclude two candidates from the elections "because of minor administrative convictions." It also warned that the OSCE will not consider the election results valid if the ballot is held, as planned, on 10 January. The October decision of Kazakhstan's parliament to hold elections within the following three months "does not allow for adequate preparations to ensure a democratic election," the OSCE argued. The organization added that there was no equal media access for those taking part in the elections and that voters are being intimidated "to force their support" for incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev. BP[02] ...WHILE KAZAKH FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES OSCEKazakh Foreign Minister Kasymjomart Tokayev, addressing the OSCE foreign ministers' conference in Oslo on 3 December, focused his comments on positive developments in his country, RFE/RL correspondents reported. Tokayev spoke of the "progress achieved by Kazakhstan in cooperation with the world, including European states." He also said the opening of an OSCE center in his country will promote civil society. And he praised OSCE activities in Central Asia as having "given strong impetus to the advancement of democracy in the region," Interfax reported. BP[03] KAZAKH OPPOSITION MEETS IN MOSCOW TO MAP OUT STRATEGYLeaders from some of Kazakhstan's opposition groups met in Moscow on 3-4 December to discuss strategy, RFE/RL correspondents reported. The meeting was chaired by former Kazakh Prime Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin. The group discussed a common approach in the struggle against the "totalitarian regime" in Kazakhstan and in seeking to establish democracy in the country. The group said it was forced to meet in Moscow owing to the "oppressive measures of the Kazakh government against them and the impossibility of holding such a meeting on Kazakh territory." It also adopted an address to be distributed among the Kazakh nation. BP[04] TURKMENISTAN TO INTRODUCE MORATORIUM ON DEATH SENTENCEAt the OSCE conference in Oslo on 3 December, Turkmen Foreign Minister Boris Shikhmuradov announced his country's intention to impose a moratorium on the death sentence, "Nezavisimaya gazeta" reported. Shikhmuradov said legislation will be introduced that will reduce the number of crimes punishable by the death penalty. He also commented that "by taking this step, Turkmenistan proved in practice its principled loyalty to humanistic values and OSCE ideals." Turkmenistan's decision comes at a time when many human rights organizations have been complaining about the fate of two people found guilty of attempting to kill the Turkmen president. Khoshaly Garaev and Muhhametguly Aimuradov had been expected to have death sentences handed down at a 30 November court session "behind closed doors." The two allegedly had been plotting to overthrow the government while in prison on other charges. The 30 November session, however, was postponed. BP[05] TAJIK OPPOSITION GRANTED MORE GOVERNMENT POSTSThe United Tajik Opposition has been granted five more government positions, ITAR- TASS reported on 3 December. The post of first deputy chairman of the country's Tax Committee was given to Aslidin Sohibnazarov. Alijan Latifi will take over the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Mirzomuhammed Mirzohodi the Ministry of Culture, and Hukmiddin Saaddin the Ministry of Communications. Zayd Saidov has been named deputy chairman of the Committee for Precious Stones. BP[06] KILLERS OF OTAKHON LATIFI ARRESTEDTajik law enforcement authorities say they have caught the persons responsible for murdering leading opposition figure Otakhon Latifi, ITAR- TASS reported on 3 December. Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov said he believes the murder was politically motivated and that he is "99 percent sure" those in custody are responsible. The search continues for those who ordered Latifi killed. The murder took place outside his Dushanbe home on 22 September. BP[07] UZBEK-TAJIK BORDER REMAINS CLOSEDThe Uzbek-Tajik border has been closed for the past two weeks, the "Izvestiya" reported on 4 December. Uzbekistan closed the border when relations with Tajikistan grew increasingly strained following a rebellion in northern Tajikistan in early November. The Tajik government claims that uprising was made possible in part by Uzbek support, but Uzbekistan continues to deny those charges. The article claims that occupants of the few cars with Tajik license plates that are allowed to cross the border are forced to pay a $260 fee. BP[08] OSCE CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF KARABAKH TALKSSpeaking in Oslo on 3 December at the OSCE foreign ministers' meeting, Chairman-in- Office Bronislaw Geremek called for a speedy resumption of negotiations on resolving the Karabakh conflict, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. Geremek said he hopes that the conflict parties will demonstrate the political resolve and willingness to consider all legitimate interests and concerns. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian had said at that meeting that Azerbaijan's rejection of the most recent OSCE Minsk Group peace plan demonstrates Baku's inability or unwillingness to seek a solution to the conflict based on mutual compromises. His Azerbaijani counterpart, Tofik Zulfugarov, told Reuters he believes the mediators will abandon the concept of a "common state," which is contained in the latest peace plan, in the light of growing international opposition. Zulfugarov repeated Baku's willingness to grant the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic "a high degree of self-rule." LF[09] ARMENIA WANTS IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH TURKEYSpeaking in Oslo on 3 December, Oskanian also said that Yerevan is ready to start "a productive dialogue" with the new Turkish government once it is formed, RFE/RL reported. Oskanian said that Armenia's withdrawal of its previous objections to Istanbul as the venue for the next OSCE summit, now scheduled for 14-15 November 1999, is intended to promote better bilateral and regional cooperation (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 25 May and 30 November 1998). LF[10] GEORGIAN CURRENCY LOSES VALUEThe Georgian lari fell from 1.48 to $1 on 25 November to 1.62 on 3 December, despite intervention by the National Bank on 30 November on the recommendation of the IMF, Interfax reported. One month ago, the lari was trading at 1.35 to $1. "Nezavisimaya gazeta" on 4 December quoted unnamed experts as describing Georgia's financial situation as catastrophic and attributing the deteriorating economic situation to the huge budget deficit, endemic corruption and tax evasion, and industrial stagnation. In his weekly radio address on 30 November, President Eduard Shevardnadze had said that international financial organizations are prepared to provide emergency assistance but that IMF recommendations will necessitate "difficult and painful" decisions. LF[11] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT DEPLORES DEFILEMENT OF JEWISH CEMETERYPresident Shevardnadze on 3 December condemned as "barbaric and inexplicable" the destruction by vandals of some 50 gravestones in Tbilisi's Jewish cemetery the previous day, Interfax reported. Shevardnadze said that the attack, for which no one has yet claimed responsibility, will not affect Georgians' traditionally good relations with the country's Jewish minority. LF[12] ARE AZERBAIJANI CONSCRIPTS DYING OF MALNUTRITION?Naval Captain Janmirza Mirzoev told journalists in Baku on 3 December that hundreds of servicemen in the Azerbaijani army suffer from malnutrition and that some have died as a result, Turan reported. Mirzoev also commented that Academician Zia Buniatov, whose February 1997 murder has not been solved, was in possession of documents proving embezzlement within the country's Defense Ministry at the time of his death. Those documents later vanished, Mirzoev claimed. LF[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[13] NATO SAYS MILOSEVIC APPROVED RAPID REACTION FORCEAn unnamed NATO source told Reuters in Brussels on 3 December that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic "fully agreed to the extraction force and its activities. This can be confirmed. There is no misunderstanding on this." Several Serbian officials have said recently that Belgrade regards as a threat the presence of a 1,700-strong NATO force in Macedonia to rescue endangered civilian monitors in Kosova. Serbian officials have added that they will view as "aggression" any incursion by the force into Serbian territory (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 30 November 1998). Observers suggested that Belgrade has been using tough language over Kosova in recent weeks in order to press U.S. envoy Chris Hill for more concessions in his draft plan for an interim settlement in Kosova. PM[14] HILL OFFERS BELGRADE NEW PLANIn Belgrade on 3 December, Hill gave Serbian President Milan Milutinovic a copy of a "new version" of his plan for a settlement in Kosova, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. Neither U.S. nor Serbian officials provided any details of the proposal. In response to reporters' questions as to whether recent State Department statements that Milosevic is "the problem" have hampered his negotiating efforts, Hill said that he works "with the relevant people in this process and...will continue to do so" (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report, 3 December 1998). Hill added that top Belgrade leaders "have never refused to meet with me." Hill is U.S. ambassador to Macedonia and was a member of special envoy Richard Holbrooke's team that negotiated the Dayton agreement. Western and regional press reports earlier this year suggested that he became Washington's chief diplomat for Kosova because Milosevic refused to deal with special envoy Robert Gelbard. PM[15] SESELJ, PARLIAMENT BLAST WASHINGTONIn response to the State Department statements, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj said in Belgrade on 3 December that "the Americans are brutally violating all norms of international public law. In a criminal way they are destroying entire peoples and states and in a most flagrant way they are interfering in the internal affairs of others." The Yugoslav federal parliament, for its part, passed a resolution giving "full support" to Milosevic "in his efforts to defend vital national and state interests." The text "rejected and denounced all pressure, threats, and gross interference [by Washington] in the internal matters of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." The resolution charged that the U.S. "supports terrorism" in Kosova, "misleads world opinion," and "seeks to remove" the province from Serbia. PM[16] OSCE GETS STRONG SUPPORT FOR MONITORING MISSIONU.S. envoy William Walker, who heads the OSCE's 2,000-strong civilian verification mission to Kosova, told an OSCE conference in Oslo on 3 December that 34 member states have offered to supply personnel for the unarmed contingent (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 December 1998). He said that largest groups will come from Italy (203), Germany (187), the U.K. (158), the U.S. (143), and Russia (121). The delegates approved a declaration expressing hope that the presence of the mission will contribute toward reaching a political settlement in the Serbian province. PM[17] KILLINGS RAISE TENSIONS IN KOSOVAYugoslav troops have killed eight persons who were trying to illegally cross the border between Kosova and Albania, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported on 3 December. In Prishtina, the Kosova Information Center news agency, which is close to shadow-state President Ibrahim Rugova, reported that Serbian security forces gunned down a guerrilla leader, a journalist, and a student leader in the center of the capital. Adem Demaci, who is the political spokesman for the Kosova Liberation Army, called the three killings "a classic assassination." Police refused to give Reuters any information on the shootings. The news agency said that a "random roadside killing" of an Albanian on the Prishtina- Peja road in central Kosova and the wounding of a Serb nearby later that day have created a "climate of fear" among Serbs and Kosovars alike. PM[18] WESTENDORP SETS GOALS FOR BOSNIAA spokesman for the international community's Carlos Westendorp said in Sarajevo on 3 December that the high representative's goals for 1999 are "to make peace self-sustaining and to prepare the country to live without foreign aid," AP reported. Westendorp believes, moreover, that "any exit strategy of the international community...must be accompanied by an entry strategy for Bosnia-Herzegovina into European institutions," such as the EU and Council of Europe. A major international meeting on Bosnia's future is slated for 10 December in Madrid. Meanwhile, Westendorp sent a message to Dragan Kalinic, who is the Republika Srpska's hard-line parliamentary leader, to return to President Nikola Poplasen the mandate he gave Kalinic to form a government. Westendorp argued that Kalinic will not be able to put together a legislative majority and that current Prime Minister Milorad Dodik should have the opportunity to do so. PM[19] CONCERN GROWS OVER HAJDARI CASEProsecutor-General Arben Rakipi told the "Albanian Daily News" of 4 December that several witnesses in the murder case of controversial Democratic Party legislator Azem Hajdari refuse to cooperate with the investigators. He said that most of these witnesses are senior officials of Hajdari's party, but he gave no names. Rakipi argued that the officials are "obstructing the law for political reasons." He added that "few people [seem to feel] obliged to find out the truth but I hope that fear is not what is [keeping] them from testifying." Meanwhile, a Norwegian prosecutor arrived in Tirana on 2 December to assist in the investigation. And a recently established student group on 3 December threatened to hold a nationwide strike unless the investigation yields results by 8 December, the anniversary of the 1990 student protests that toppled communism. Hajdari was a leader of those protests. FS[20] CONTROVERSY OVER ALBANIAN PARLIAMENTARY BOYCOTTSpeaking to journalists in Tirana on 2 December, representatives of two small parties belonging to the Democratic-led Union for Democracy coalition urged the coalition to end its intermittent parliamentary boycott. Teodor Laco from the Liberal Union and Remzi Ndreu from the Democratic Union stressed that the coalition needs a new strategy and that parliamentary participation would allow it to mount a more effective opposition, "Albanian Daily News" reported on 4 December. Laco argued that the boycott "works to the [Socialists'] advantage." He added that the new constitution allows the opposition to exercise political influence through the parliamentary process. Democratic Party Secretary-General Ritvan Bode, however, rejected the appeal, saying that "we are facing shocking events that do not lead toward rapprochement." He referred to Hajdari's killing and the recent imprisonment of several Democrats over their alleged role in crushing the 1997 unrest. FS[21] ROMANIA ADMITS COMPANY OFFICIALS NEGOTIATED WITH IRAQThe Defense Ministry on 3 December released details of the extent of its military cooperation with Iraq, AP reported. In a statement, the ministry said that officials from the companies Romtechnica and Giara traveled to Iraq in 1994 to discuss supplying raw materials and "subassemblies." Iraq also requested Romanian aid in the research, design, and production of parts for short-range missiles. The statement said there was an initial delivery to Iraq but gave no details of what was delivered. Later, a third company, Aerofina, signed a contract to deliver missile parts through a Jordanian company. The Defense Ministry says relations were broken off in December 1996. One month later, Defense Ministry State Secretary General Florentin Popa was sacked, along with the directors of Giara and Aerofina. (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 December 1998.) PB[22] ROMANIAN, TURKISH PRESIDENTS MEETRomanian President Emil Constantinescu and his Turkish counterpart, Suleyman Demirel, discussed bilateral relations and energy transport policy at a meeting in Bucharest on 3 December, Rompres reported. Constantinescu said good political relations were the basis for improved economic cooperation. He noted that Bucharest and Ankara's energy transport projects are not competing but are complementary, adding that Romania is helping to build an oil refinery in Turkey. Demirel, making his third trip to Romania in the last two years, praised the countries' strong ties and said he expects their trade turnover to soon total $1 billion annually. He added that Ankara strongly supports Romania's desire to join NATO. PB[23] OSCE CALLS FOR INTENSIFIED TALKS ON TRANSDNIESTEROSCE foreign ministers, meeting in Oslo on 3 December, called for reinvigorated talks on Moldova's Transdniester region, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. They said negotiations had "languished" but should be stepped up. They added that talks should seek to consolidate the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Moldova while reaching an understanding on the status of the breakaway Transdniester region. The OSCE also expressed concern at the lack of progress on the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transdniester. PB[24] BULGARIAN POLICE CHIEF APPOINTEDBulgarian President Petar Stoyanov issued a decree on 3 December appointing Vasil Vasilev as director of the nation's police, Bulgarian Radio reported. He replaces Colonel Slavcho Bosilkov, who was recently sacked along with Interior Ministry Secretary Nikolay Radulov. PB[C] END NOTE[25] THE STATE OF ECONOMIC EMERGENCY IN BELARUSby Jan MaksymiukIt seems as if suddenly things have started going wrong for Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka . At least, that is the impression one gains from Belarusian official propaganda. As recently as in August, the Statistics Ministry reported a remarkable 12 percent growth in the country's GDP. When the financial crisis hit Russia that month, Lukashenka boasted that Belarus was the only oasis of economic stability on post- Soviet territory. In September, Lukashenka vowed to organize "centralized food supplies" to stave off famine in Russia and even offered to act as economic adviser to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. One month later, in October, with Belarus facing serious food shortages, Lukashenka's self-assuredness began to subside. And by November, Lukashenka himself began needing advice. "Why are our people becoming poorer and poorer every month while we are so dynamically developing industry and agriculture?" he asked his ministers at a televised cabinet meeting. None was able to provide an answer. Signs of a looming calamity in Belarus's Soviet-style economy began to appear in early September, when Belarusians launched a run on shops in a bid to use up their meager savings before they became completely worthless. Although the National Bank maintained the official dollar exchange rate below 50,000 Belarusian rubles, the street exchange rate plummeted to 120, 000. And in noncash transactions between Russian and Belarusian companies, one dollar was equal to 220,000 Belarusian rubles. By the beginning of December, those figures had nearly doubled. Owing to the de facto insolvency of Russia, which accounted for 70 percent of Belarusian exports before the current economic crisis, Belarusian enterprises have been forced to reduce output and/or hoard products in storehouses. Experts estimate that Belarus's industrial production will continue to slump by up to 12 percent monthly at least for the next four months. Every month, Belarusian revenues fall short by some $100 million because of reduced exports to Russia. The acute shortage of foodstuffs, which has led to rationing in many regions, may be attributed to several factors. First, Belarus's grain harvest this year was down by 1 million tons, compared with 1997. Second, state-controlled food prices are too low to make food production profitable. Third, Belarus has to supply food to Russia to repay its $250 million gas debt. And fourth, it cannot be ruled out that, owing to much lower food prices in Belarus, some goods are smuggled into Russia and Ukraine, particularly since there are no customs controls on the border with those countries. To deal with the crisis, the Belarusian president in November set up a "national headquarters"--an emergency task force headed by his administration chief, Mikhail Myasnikovich. In this way, Lukashenka has prevented the cabinet from managing the economy. Prime Minister Syarhey Linh has been subordinated to Myasnikovich and charged with the task of normalizing food provisions in the Minsk region. None of the administrative measures taken by the authorities to improve food supplies--including the introduction of police and customs patrols on the Belarusian-Russian border--has proven effective, however. In November, the government was forced to increase food prices by an average of 30-40 percent. The price of vodka--which in the former Soviet Union continues to affect political and social trends among the electorate--went up by 75 percent in one fell swoop. Lukashenka publicly blamed the prime minister for that hike, accusing him of "hating the people." The president did not, however, reduce the price. In addition to price increases, the government has made some other moves toward liberalizing financial policies. National Bank Chairman Pyotr Prakapovich once again pledged to introduce a single exchange rate (to replace the current four) and limited the devaluation rate of the Belarusian ruble to 1,500 rubles per interbank currency-exchange session. Commercial banks have been allowed to sell and buy hard currency at rates exceeding the official one by up to 50 percent. And according to some reports, the National Bank promised the IMF in mid-November to considerably limit money emissions, until now the most popular method of stimulating production in Belarus. In other words, Belarus has tentatively resorted to some market economy tools. However, it is too early to say that Belarus has moved over to such an economy. Rather, it is the state of economic emergency and the urgent need to obtain a $100 million loan from the IMF that has prompted the Belarusian leadership to take such unorthodox (by Belarusian standards) and unpopular measures. At the same time, facing the threat of trade union mass protests, Lukashenka vowed to control prices after the November hike and not to increase them by more than 3-4 percent a month. And in a successful bid to avert a trade union rally on 2 December, the "national headquarters" pledged to increase wages. Since Belarus does not have large hard-currency revenues, that pledge can only mean printing more inflationary money. This week, the authorities were able to make the trade unions back down and thereby extinguish the incipient social unrest. But it is hardly conceivable that the government will be able to substantially increase the living standards of Belarusian workers, whose average monthly wage is equal to some $35. It is only a matter of time until workers start making demands again. The authorities, for their part, are finding it increasingly difficult to meet such demands as they continue to shy away from radically reforming Belarus's ineffectual and antiquated economy. 04-12-98 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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