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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 3, No. 13, 00-01-19Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 3, No. 13, 19 January 2000CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] AZERBAIJAN'S RULING PARTY CLAIMS HUGE INFLUX OF NEW MEMBERSYeni Azerbaycan Deputy Executive Secretary Siyavush Novruzovtold Turan on 18 January that almost 10,000 people have applied to join the party since the election last month of Ilham Aliev as one of its deputy chairmen (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 December 1999). Novruzov added that most of the prospective new members are young, and several collective requests for membership have been received, such as one from a group of 48 prominent sportsmen. Observers believe Ilham Aliev is being groomed to succeed his father Heidar as president of Azerbaijan. LF [02] AZERBAIJAN'S ISLAMIC PARTY WANTS CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIESBANNEDIslamic Party of Azerbaijan Supreme Council member Muzaffar Jebrailzade told participants at a roundtable discussion on 18 January that representatives of over 1,000 missionary organizations operating in Azerbaijan have already converted 10,000 people to Christianity, Turan reported. He added that most of those missionaries operate under cover of humanitarian organizations. The roundtable participants addressed an appeal to President Aliev to ban Christian missionaries from proselytizing in Azerbaijan. The independent newspaper "Azadlyg" reported last month that the Justice Ministry recently ceded to pressure from the U.S. to register two such missionary organizations. LF [03] GEORGIA AGAIN DENIES HOSTING CHECHEN BASESGeorgian StateSecurity Ministry spokesman Gela Suladze told journalists in Tbilisi on 19 January that there is no truth to Russian media reports that there are 20 Chechen military bases located on Georgian territory, ITAR-TASS reported. In early January, Radio France Internationale aired a report by one of its correspondents who claimed to be speaking from such a Chechen base in Georgia. Meanwhile the Ministry for Foreign Relations of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia has denied that Russian arms are being transported to Chechnya via South Ossetia, "Nezavisimaya gazeta" reported on 19 January. Georgian National Television screened footage on 11 January showing a lorry allegedly used to transport weapons to Chechnya in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 January 2000). LF [04] GEORGIAN MILITARY PROSECUTOR AGAIN ALLEGES CORRUPTION WITHINDEFENSE MINISTRYAddressing a meeting at the Prosecutor- General's office on 18 January, Chief Military Prosecutor Badri Bitsadze again claimed that corruption within the Defense Ministry is widespread, and that senior ministry officials are squandering budget funds, Interfax and Caucasus Press reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 and 6 December 1999). He estimated financial losses from such malpractice at $700,000. Bitsadze has himself been implicated in corruption by Revaz Adamia, chairman of the Georgian parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security, which last month began an independent investigation into the tensions between the Defense Ministry and the Military Prosecutor's office. LF [05] KAZAKHSTAN'S OIL PRODUCTION RISES IN 1999Kazakhstanextracted marginally under 26.6 million metric tons of oil in 1999, an increase of 12 percent over the previous year, Interfax reported. Gas condensate production was 3.39 million metric tons, which is 60 percent more than in 1998. But the country's three oil refineries produced only 5.73 million tons of refined oil, 28 percent less than in 1998. Kazakhstan exported a record 25 million tons of crude in 1999, compared with 24.1 million in 1998. LF [06] KYRGYZ LEADERSHIP SEEKING TO CO-OPT OPPOSITION PARTY?Anunnamed presidential administration official told RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau on 18 January that leaders of the El (Bei- Bechara) Party, the second largest in Kyrgyzstan, met with President Askar Akaev on 5 January, and that some of them may accept offers of senior government posts. He said that one El parliament deputy has already consented to become Kyrgyzstan's ambassador to India, while a second party leader accepted the invitation to serve as deputy minister of national security. El spokesmen have not yet commented on those claims. El (Bei-Bechara) has been barred from contesting the party lists seats in the new parliament (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 and 13 January 2000). LF [07] IVANOV POSITIVELY ASSESSES TAJIK PEACE PROCESSRussianForeign Minister Igor Ivanov said on 18 January that the situation in Tajikistan is developing "in the right direction," although "painfully, with difficulty," Asia Plus Blitz reported. Ivanov was speaking after talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative in Tajikistan, Ivo Petrov (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 January 2000). In an interview published in "Kommersant" on 18 January, Petrov too said the present situation in Tajikistan is far more stable than six or 12 months ago. But he added that a UN presence will be needed in Tajikistan even after the expiry in May 2000 of the UN observer force's mandate, as there are still numerous armed formations in Tajikistan that are subordinate neither to the government nor to the United Tajik Opposition. LF [08] UZBEK PRESIDENT FIRES FERGHANA VALLEY GOVERNORVisiting theFerghana region on 15 January to attend the first session of the newly elected regional council of people's deputies, Islam Karimov dismissed regional administrator Numonzhon Muminov and recommended that his deputy, Alisher Atabekov, be appointed in his place, Interfax reported on 18 January. Karimov expressed concern at the deteriorating economic situation in the densely-populated region, which some observers regard as a hot-bed of radical Islam. LF [B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[09] SERBIAN OPPOSITION ASKS WEST TO HELP PEOPLELeaders of theAlliance for Change coalition, including Dragoslav Avramovic and Zoran Djindjic, began meeting with representatives of the U.S. and EU in the Montenegrin resort town of Budva on 19 January, Montenegrin Television reported. Djindjic told Reuters the previous day that it is now clear to the opposition that the West will not ease key sanctions against Serbia so long as Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is in power. Therefore, in contrast to the opposition's previous meetings with Western leaders, the opposition will now concentrate its efforts on enlisting U.S. and EU backing for three key projects. The first is a six-month program to deliver heating oil to 23 Serbian towns at a cost of $14 million. Next comes a plan to distribute humanitarian aid parcels to needy families, beginning in 13 municipalities. The third project involves paying $32 every three months to those pensioners whose monthly incomes are less than $26. Djindjic stressed that the negotiations are not easy because the opposition has little leverage. PM [10] THREE BALKAN NEIGHBORS PLEDGE COOPERATIONThe primeministers of Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro met in Ohrid, Macedonia, on 18 January to discuss improving infrastructure and other links between their countries. Macedonia's Ljubco Georgievski told AP that whereas the countries are close to each other in terms of geography, "we are still far apart because of blockades and bad infrastructure." The three government heads singled out the "reconstruction and building of roads, railways, telecommunications, oil pipeline links, and power supply networks in the region" for attention. Albania's Ilir Meta and Montenegro's Filip Vujanovic said they hope to open border crossings, improve road and railway connections, and develop power supply links between Podgorica and Elbasan. Meta stressed that Milosevic "has no right to isolate the citizens of the two countries." Their foreign ministers will meet soon to discuss border crossings. Macedonia and Montenegro hope to develop road and rail links via Kosova. PM [11] MILOSEVIC'S ALLIES BLAST BUDVA, OHRID MEETINGSThe steeringcommittee of the Socialist People's Party in Montenegro condemned the Budva meeting as an attempt by Western powers to "destabilize Yugoslavia," "Danas" reported on 19 January. A spokeswoman for the party, which is led by Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic, said that the Montenegrin government will meet "the fate of all puppet regimes of foreign powers." She added that Vujanovic's presence in Ohrid was part of the alleged Western destabilization effort. PM [12] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT PLEASED WITH CURRENCY SYSTEMFinanceMinister Miroslav Ivanisevic said in Podgorica on 18 January that the introduction of the German mark as a parallel currency to the Yugoslav dinar has proven successful. The two-track system has provided stability and insulated Montenegro from attempts by Belgrade to use the dinar to influence Montenegrin policies, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. PM [13] ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT ISSUES UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURESThe Ministryof Labor and Social Protection released figures on 18 January indicating that unemployment stands at 17 percent, dpa reported. The total in numbers is 240,000 people. Socialist- led government claims that it has created 60,000 new jobs since 1997. The opposition charges that some 30 percent of the population has no work. Observers suggest that the real figure may be impossible to determine. Many Albanians work in the gray economy and do not report their incomes to the authorities. PM [14] CROATIA'S PAVLETIC HERALDS GOVERNMENT HOUSECLEANING...VlatkoPavletic, who is acting president, said in Zagreb on 18 January that he expects that the official results will be announced soon for the repeat parliamentary vote recently held in 11 polling places. He then plans to ask Social Democratic leader Ivica Racan to form a government on 22 or 24 January. Pavletic added that the accompanying dissolution of the present government will affect not only ministers but also their deputies and ministerial secretaries. This also applies to "all representatives of the previous government who were formally appointed by the president of the republic," RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. Pavletic nonetheless added that no new minister is legally obliged to replace his or her deputies. PM [15] ...WHICH HAS ALREADY BEGUNFour top officials of theoutgoing administration of the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) resigned on 18 January, Pavletic added. They include: chief of the president's office Ivica Kostovic, the president's domestic advisor Ivic Pasalic, security advisor Markica Rebic, security services chief Ivan Jarnjak. All four were appointees of the late President Franjo Tudjman. The latest polls suggest that the HDZ's Mate Granic will finish a poor third in the 24 January presidential vote. PM [16] MESIC SAYS NO CHANGE IN CONSTITUTION NEEDED...Thepresidential contest now centers on front-runner Stipe Mesic, who represents the opposition coalition of four small parties, and Drazen Budisa, who is the candidate of the larger two-party opposition grouping. Mesic told Deutsche Welle on 18 January that he will treat Bosnia-Herzegovina as a "sovereign state" and end the HDZ's policy of regarding the ethnic Croats of that country as Croatia's "internal affair." He stressed that under his presidency Zagreb will seek friends "and no longer enemies at home and abroad." The dapper, long-time veteran of politics in the former Yugoslavia urged NATO and the EU to welcome Croatia and help speed its integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Mesic added that the constitution is sufficiently democratic that it does not need to be changed but simply interpreted more liberally than it was during Tudjman's "centralist" rule. The president's powers should be "limited" to prevent abuse, but the chief executive should still play a key role in crisis situations, the front-runner concluded. PM [17] ...WHILE BUDISA STRESSES HIS RECORDBudisa told "Vecernjilist" of 19 January that he stands on his record of well- known views and positions he has publicly defended for many years. He added that he does not place much confidence in the polls, since they have fluctuated wildly in recent weeks. He charged that Mesic is inconsistent and that he sometimes talks as though he were from a governing coalition and sometimes from the opposition (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 January 2000). Budisa also accused Mesic of "buying votes through cheap tricks with the Herzegovinians." (Mesic has stressed that he is the only candidate who has not campaigned in Herzegovina.) Finally, Budisa argued that it is important that the president remain commander-in-chief of the army. PM [18] COUNCIL OF EUROPE TELLS BOSNIANS TO WORK TOGETHERIrishForeign Minister David Andrews, who holds the rotating chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, told Bosnian leaders in Sarajevo on 18 January that they must make more progress in developing joint institutions if they want to join the Strasbourg-based body. He and Secretary-General Walter Schwimmer added that they hope that Bosnia will make sufficient progress to join in the course of the year, Reuters reported. Human rights institutions, a local election law, refugee returns, and the functioning of the parliament and presidency were areas that the two men mentioned as needing improvement. PM [19] ROMANIA'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY LAUNCHES 'MANIFESTO FOR MOLDAVIA'Democratic Party leader Petre Roman and members of theparty's leadership launched the party's "Manifesto for Moldavia" on 18 January while visiting Neamt and Iasi. The document is aimed at recruiting regional support for the elections scheduled later this year. It says that the party's policies for Moldavia are "stopping poverty, zero tolerance for corruption, and the development of a middle-class." Roman, who is foreign minister, said that Romanian foreign policy will not be affected by the fact that he will challenge incumbent Emil Constantinescu for the presidency later this year. The president has broad prerogatives in foreign-policy making. He said both will promote Romania's interests "in cooperation" and their electoral competition is proof of "the normalcy and stability of Romania's democratic institutions," RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. MS [20] HUNGARIAN PARTY IN ROMANIA TORN BY CONFLICT...Laszlo Toekes,honorary chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR), has refused to accept a distinction from UDMR chairman Bela Marko at festivities marking the 10th anniversary of the UDMR establishment, Hungarian radio reported on 17 January. Toekes said last November that under Marko's leadership the UDMR has been turned into "a communist-like totalitarian organization" dominated by "intolerance." The Hungarian-language daily "Nepujsag," published in Targu Mures, cites Tokes as telling a congregation recently that "heroes are being decorated together with traitors." Former dissident Karoly Kiraly has refused to attend the ceremony, accusing the UDMR leadership of having dropped the demand of Romania's Hungarian minority for self-determination. Hungarian Deputy Premier Laszlo Kover, who attended the festivities, told the audience that "disputes must never deteriorate to the level of endangering UDMR's unity." MS [21] ...AND DISPUTE OVER 'MULTICULTURAL UNIVERSITY' RE-EMERGES INROMANIAEducation Minister Andrei Marga on 17 January said that following consultations with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Max van der Stoel, it has been agreed that the best solution for promoting a "multicultural university" in Romania is to "consolidate the existing structures of the Babes-Bolyai university" in Cluj, Mediafax reported. He said students should be able to take "full degrees" in either Romanian, Hungarian, or German languages at the university. Marga is the rector on leave of Babes- Bolyai. Marko said in reaction that the UDMR continues to demand the setting up of a Hungarian-language state university. He added that the UDMR supports the idea of full- fledged degrees in Hungarian at Babes-Bolyai, but that this requires replacing the present "language groups" with Hungarian-language faculties and departments. MS [22] ROMANIA REASSURES MOLDOVA ON ELECTRICITY DELIVERIESDeputyPrime Minister Mircea Ciumara said on 18 January that the Romanian government will not cut electricity deliveries to Moldova. Ciumara said the threats issued earlier that day by the state-owned CONEL utility company to do so by 19 February are "groundless." Ciumara said the possibility was not even discussed at the government's 18 February meeting. MS [23] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT MEETS ISRAELI PREMIER...Petar Stoyanov,on a four-day visit to Israel, on 18 January discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem ways of improving ties between their countries, AP reported. Barak invited Bulgarian Defense Minister Boiko Noev to visit Israel to discuss military cooperation and the possible purchase of Israeli military equipment. Earlier in the day, Stoyanov visited the Yad Va'Shem Holocaust Memorial to "pay deep respect to million of Jews, including those deported from [Bulgaria-occupied] Aegean Thrace and Macedonia, who perished in Nazi ghettos and death camps," BTA reported. Former Knesset speaker Shevah Weiss thanked Stoyanov for the saving of Jews in Bulgaria proper during the Holocaust. Stoyanov also dedicated a Bulgaria Square in Jerusalem, named so in gratitude for Bulgaria's protection of 50,000 Jews during the Holocaust. MS [24] ...AND PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY CHAIRMANAlso on 18 January,Stoyanov met in Bethlehem with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, BTA reported. He said he is convinced that once the peace process is completed, the region will become attractive to investors and that Bulgaria can contribute to the reconstruction of the Palestinian territories. Arafat thanked Stoyanov for Bulgaria's "long-standing support for the Palestinian cause and of the Palestinian people." MS [C] END NOTE[25] PROFILE OF NEW UKRAINIAN PREMIER VIKTOR YUSHCHENKOBy Askold KrushelnyckyInstalled as prime minister just before the new year, Viktor Yushchenko is being hailed as a new type of leader for Ukraine. At age 45, he is younger than most of the country's politicians, and he enjoys a rare reputation for honesty and intelligence. His marriage to an American adds to his pro- Western image. From 1993 till last month, Yushchenko was the chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine. In that role, he impressed foreign financial institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF with his skill and integrity. Major achievements during his term include curbing Ukraine's runaway inflation and keeping the new currency, the hryvna, stable. His early remarks as prime minister indicate that Yushchenko wants to steer clear of the corruption and cronyism that have characterized Ukrainian politics since independence. Most Ukrainians believe that their political leaders are merely intent on lining their own pockets. Yushchenko told RFE/RL's Ukraine Service earlier this month that he wants to bring in younger people whose outlook has not been shaped by the Communist system. "In the first place, these people should be dedicated to Ukraine's interests in every sphere. This pan-Ukrainianism should become the bedrock upon which we build our nationhood. And it goes without saying that these should be people with clean hands and they must have strong personalities." Yushchenko was born in the town of Khoruzhivka in Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia. His first financial job was as assistant to the chief accountant at a collective farm in Western Ukraine. After serving his time in the Soviet Army he began work in the USSR State Bank and rose rapidly within its ranks. When Ukraine declared independence in 1991, Yushchenko was the deputy director of the commercial agro-industrial bank Ukrainia. Yushchenko's public behavior makes him a rarity in Ukraine. Unlike most high officials, he has not sought to exploit his position for personal gain. Instead, he comes across as a self-effacing person who values his privacy. Those who know him personally describe him as pleasant and sensitive. Bank employees used to affectionately refer to him as "batko" or father. He likes art and, while chairman of the National Bank, sponsored many art exhibitions to promote young artists. Friends say Yushchenko is committed to economic and democratic reforms. They say he is deeply patriotic and wants to solidify Ukraine's independence and give Ukrainians reasons to be proud of their country. Others point to his courage: During the presidential campaign, Yushchenko threw his support behind one of the few genuinely democratic and reformist candidates, Yuri Kostenko, rather than taking the politically expedient path of supporting the successful incumbent, Leonid Kuchma. The primary task for the new prime minister is to lead Ukraine out of its economic morass. Living standards have plunged since independence, and industrial and agricultural outputs plumb new depths with each successive year. The former central banker holds out a vision of a new, fiscally responsible Ukraine. He told RFE/RL that Ukraine's economic situation is dismal, with successive governments borrowing massively without making plans about repayment. "The last two years have been the most difficult that I remember not only in Ukraine's recent history but ever in the field of national finances. It's a logical outcome because for the last nine years, as far as economic matters go, we have been living amorally. We did not adopt a conscientious political stance, there was no political solidarity and in the absence of those things an atmosphere of political irresponsibility developed." Yushchenko hopes that he will be able to win over a large enough proportion of the parliament to back his and President Leonid Kuchma's wide-ranging reform plans. These plans include abolishing collective farms, massive privatization and a radical reorganization of central and local administrations. The present parliament--and its predecessor--failed to make much progress on widespread economic or political reform because the Communists, who constitute the largest single party in the parliament, have been able to block legislation in concert with their leftist allies. Ivan Lozowy is the director of the Institute for Statehood and Democracy, a Ukrainian think-tank. He says Yushchenko is the best choice for prime minister that independent Ukraine has had. "I think this is a very unexpected but very pleasant boon to Ukraine to receive such a prime minister as Viktor Yushchenko. This is a respected banker and a person who has demonstrated that he is of a clear reformist orientation. And in the conditions that exist in Ukraine in the political sphere, he is a very welcome addition to the political establishment and it certainly opens the door to the hope that things can change for the better finally." Some observers in Ukraine believe that President Kuchma's appointment of Yushchenko was simply a cynical move to exploit Yushchenko's good relationship with the IMF and Western politicians. They suggest that with such a respected prime minister, Kuchma could secure better terms for repayment when Ukraine's huge debts--around $3 billion-- become due this spring. After that, cynics say, Yushchenko will be fired. Lozowy says that could be part of Kuchma's calculation-- but that if Yushchenko does manage to improve the economic situation it will be difficult to remove him. "Certainly the administrative changes that have begun finally at the initiative of President Leonid Kuchma and now being picked up by Viktor Yushchenko leads me to believe that systemic change has already begun. Again I stress that in the short term, it's difficult to see real changes taking place but in the long term, we know for a fact, and that's the essence of real reform, that they will have a positive impact." Askold Krushelnycky is an RFE/RL correspondent based in Prague. 19-01-00 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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