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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-09-09
CONTENTS
[01] OFFICIALS REPEAT OPPOSITION TO ATTACK ON IRAQ...
[02] ...AS PUTIN CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR POLITICAL SOLUTION...
[03] ...WHILE ANALYST BELIEVES THAT POSITION COULD SOFTEN
[04] SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY INJURED IN AUTOMOBILE CRASH
[05] DEFENSE MINISTER PLEDGES MILITARY AID TO AFGHANISTAN...
[06] NEW LEFTIST OPPOSITION PARTY FORMED...
[07] ...AND CALLS FOR OVERSIGHT OF MEDIA
[08] PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR CHECHNYA OPERATION DECLINING
[09] FSB SAYS APARTMENT-BOMBING SUSPECT HIDING IN GEORGIA
[10] NOVGOROD MAYOR VICTIM OF HIT AND RUN
[11] KRASNOYARSK VOTERS BRACE FOR SECOND ROUND
[12] PROSECUTORS TO INVESTIGATE SPS LEADER'S ALLEGATIONS OF PHONE
[13] FINANCE MINISTER: CAPITAL FLIGHT ON THE DECLINE
[14] NATIONAL BOLSHEVIK TRIAL TO BE OPEN
[15] GUNMEN FAIL TO KILL GROZNY MAYOR
[16] ARMENIAN TV STATION OWNER REPORTED MISSING
[17] KARABAKH PRESIDENT SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM
[18] AZERBAIJAN CLAIMS TO HAVE DETAINED AL-QAEDA MEMBERS
[19] AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL COMMENTS ON NARDARAN, MILITARY CADETS'
[20] ...SAYS PIPELINE TENDER OUTCOME WILL NOT BE ANNULLED
[21] NEW AZERBAIJANI EDICT ON STATE SECRETS TO BE REVISED?
[22] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT BRIEFED ON CHECHEN PEACE PROPOSAL
[23] GEORGIAN OFFICIALS DENY AGREEING TO JOINT OPERATION WITH RUSSIA IN
[24] REPORTS SURFACE THAT CHECHENS HAVE MOVED FROM PANKISI TO KODORI
[25] RUSSIA'S ABKHAZ ENVOY MEETS WITH ABKHAZ PREMIER
[26] ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA DISCUSS COOPERATION
[27] HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS URGE KAZAKHSTAN NOT TO EXTRADITE
[28] KYRGYZ OFFICIAL WOUNDED IN GRENADE ATTACK
[29] KYRGYZ CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL ELECTS OPPOSITION FIGURE AS
[30] KYRGYZ VILLAGERS 'DETAIN' NINE POLICEMEN
[31] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO REDUCE POVERTY
[32] RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS TAJIKISTAN
[33] UZBEK OPPOSITION ACTIVIST SENTENCED
[34] UZBEKISTAN, JAPAN ASSESS BILATERAL RELATIONS
[35] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT REJECTS PUTIN'S OFFER TO MULL INTEGRATION
[36] ...SAYS KREMLIN'S MESSAGE CARRIED NO NEWS...
[37] ...AND SPECULATES ON THE REASONS RUSSIA WOULD WANT TO ABSORB
[38] BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATOR JAILED FOR 10 DAYS
[39] TWO BELARUSIAN YOUTH UNIONS MERGE
[40] UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION LEADERS CONTINUE TO TOUR REGIONS TO PROMOTE
[41] PRESIDENT TO ACCEPT CABINET FORMED BY OUR UKRAINE?
[42] UKRAINIAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHES MOTION TO LIFT TYMOSHENKO'S IMMUNITY
[43] ESTONIA POSTS DEFLATION IN AUGUST
[44] BALTIC PHARMACY AGREEMENT SIGNED IN RIGA
[45] LITHUANIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATS NOMINATE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
[46] POLISH PREMIER PROPOSES TO HOLD EU REFERENDUM IN MAY 2003...
[47] ...SAYS POLISH SERVICEMEN ARE IN PERSIAN GULF AREA
[48] POLISH ARMS INDUSTRY WORKERS PROTEST OVER UNPAID WAGES
[49] CZECH GOVERNMENT APPROVES FLOOD-RELIEF PACKAGE
[50] CZECH FINANCE MINISTRY RELEASES PRELIMINARY DATA ON FLOOD DAMAGES
[51] CZECH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE WITHDRAWING AGENTS FOLLOWING
[52] CZECH TAKES OVER UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENCY
[53] CZECH ROMA DEPORTED FROM U.K.
[54] CZECH SKINHEAD MUSICIANS CHARGED WITH PROMOTING HATRED
[55] SLOVAKIA'S FICO RULES OUT MECIAR, DZURINDA AS POSTELECTION
[56] ...BUT FORMER PREMIER HAS OTHER PLANS
[57] SLOVAK ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL ON FAITHFUL TO VOTE
[58] SLOVAKIA'S NUMBER 2 SOLDIER FAILS VETTING PROCESS
[59] HUNGARY'S FREE DEMOCRAT STATE SECRETARY ADMITS TO COLLABORATING
[60] ...WHILE FIDESZ DEPUTY CHAIRMAN SAYS SOCIALIST POLITICIAN HAS ALSO
[61] FORMER MINISTER LEAVES HUNGARIAN DEMOCRATIC FORUM PARLIAMENTARY
[62] HUNGARY'S RIGHT-WING MEDIA FIGURES MAY FLEE TO AUSTRIA
[63] DAY OF DECISION FOR THE REPUBLIKA SRPSKA
[64] BOSNIAN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF WARNS PARTIES
[65] NO BREAKTHROUGH FOR SOLANA IN BELGRADE
[66] IS MONTENEGRO THE ISSUE?
[67] MONTENEGRO'S ALBANIANS WANT AMERICAN GUARANTEES
[68] SERBIAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE BEGINS...
[69] ...WITH GENERAL PAVKOVIC...
[70] ...AND KOSOVA IN THE PICTURE
[71] SERBIA CELEBRATES BASKETBALL WIN WITH THE 'MOTHER OF ALL PARTIES'
[72] MACEDONIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY ATTACKING THE OPPOSITION?
[73] FISHERMEN'S DEAL IN PIRAN
[74] SHIFT IN CROATIAN POLITICAL MOOD?
[75] U.S. NATO COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN TELLS ROMANIANS 'NO VACATION' AFTER
[76] ...AND THAT 'MARRYING THE U.S. WHILE SLEEPING WITH TUDOR' ARE
[77] ...AS TUDOR CLAIMS LEAD IN OPINION POLLS
[78] ROMANIAN PREMIER ON PRIVATE ITALIAN VISIT
[79] ROMANIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RETURNED FROM FRANCE
[80] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT DENIES HAVING ORDERED HALT OF ROMANIAN
[81] NEGOTIATIONS ON OSCE DRAFT FOR TRANSDNIESTER SETTLEMENT
[82] ALLEGED ATTACKERS DENY THEY THREATENED VENDOR OF MOLDOVAN
[83] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT SAYS GOVERNMENT MORE OPEN TO DIALOGUE
[84] There is no End Note today
9 September 2002
NOTE TO READERS: RFE/RL's Regional Analysis is preparing a special
report titled "11 September: One Year After" that will be published
with "RFE/RL Newsline" and on our website
(http://www.regionalanalysis.org) on 11 September.
RUSSIA
[01] OFFICIALS REPEAT OPPOSITION TO ATTACK ON IRAQ...
State Duma Speaker Gennadii Seleznev told journalists in Moscow that
the Duma opposes any military operation against Iraq, Russian news
agencies reported on 7 September. "The United States and Great Britain
do not understand that Iraq is not Afghanistan and that plans for a
U.S. military operation against [Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein are
not supported by the Islamic world, by Europe, or even by NATO,"
Seleznev said, according to RIA-Novosti. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov
said that Russia "is categorically opposed to any operation that is not
sanctioned by the United Nations," RIA-Novosti reported on 7 September.
VY
[02] ...AS PUTIN CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR POLITICAL SOLUTION...
Speaking by telephone to U.S. President George W. Bush on 6 September,
President Vladimir Putin "expressed serious doubts" about the U.S.
rationale for a possible military intervention in Iraq, Western and
Russian news agencies reported on 7 September, citing the Kremlin press
service. Putin called for "coordinated political and diplomatic
efforts" to resolve the Iraq dispute. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told
reporters in Moscow on 8 September that intervention could endanger
international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. "If, under
the pretext of combating terrorism, attempts are made to interfere in
the internal affairs of sovereign states, it will not only aggravate
the situation in the regions where such attempts are made but can also
inflict irreparable damage to the unity of the framework of the
antiterrorism coalition," Interfax quoted Ivanov as saying. RC
[03] ...WHILE ANALYST BELIEVES THAT POSITION COULD SOFTEN
Yurii Fedorov, deputy director of the Moscow Center for Political
Research, told the BBC on 8 September that sooner or later Russia's
political elite would accept a U.S. military strike against Iraq.
"Because Russia cannot prevent unilateral U.S. action, it risks
antagonizing the United States without being able to provide any
practical help to Iraq," Fedorov noted. The only reasonable
alternative, Fedorov argues, is for Russia to reach agreement with the
United States in order to pursue Russia's economic interests in
post-Saddam Iraq. VY
[04] SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY INJURED IN AUTOMOBILE CRASH
Vladimir Rushailo suffered serious injuries in a car accident near
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii on 9 September that left six dead, Russian
news agencies reported. Among the dead were four officers of the
Federal Protection Service and the Federal Security Service (FSB),
including Colonel Yurii Sharov, head of the FSB's regional
antiterrorism office. According to initial reports, a Toyota
sport-utility vehicle driven by a man who was allegedly intoxicated
plowed into Rushailo's motorcade at an estimated 80 kilometers per
hour. The driver of the Toyota was also killed in the accident.
Rushailo, who was on an inspection tour of the Far East, suffered a
concussion and possible internal injuries to the chest, and Kamchatka
Oblast Governor Vladimir Mashkovtsev and oblast legislature Speaker
Nikolai Tokmantsev were hospitalized in serious condition as well. In
all, nine people were injured. The FSB has opened an investigation. VY
[05] DEFENSE MINISTER PLEDGES MILITARY AID TO AFGHANISTAN...
Sergei Ivanov visited Kabul on 6 September and announced after talks
with Afghan administration head Hamid Karzai that Russia will assist in
the modernization of the Afghan Army, ORT and other Russian news
agencies reported on 7 September. Afghanistan's armed forces are almost
exclusively equipped with Soviet-made weaponry. Ivanov said that, in
addition to spare parts and other equipment, Russia will supply fuel
and will train Afghan officers. He added that initially the help will
be provided as assistance, but that later it might be continued on a
commercial basis. VY
[06] NEW LEFTIST OPPOSITION PARTY FORMED...
Nearly 600 delegates from 71 regions took part in the founding congress
of the Party of Russia's Rebirth in Moscow on 7 September, Russian news
agencies reported. The party is based on the Rossiya movement of Duma
Speaker Seleznev, although a formal declaration of cooperation between
the two will only be made in October following the next Rossiya
congress. By a vote of 577 to two, Seleznev was elected to head the
party, polit.ru reported on 7 September. Speaking to the congress,
Seleznev stressed that "political compromise" can enable the left
opposition to participate in shaping the future. He said the Party of
Russia's Rebirth will play "the role of constructive opposition to any
government that can stabilize the situation in the country." He
criticized Communist Party leader Gennadii Zyuganov for being too
confrontational. "We are prepared for constructive and honest
cooperation with the president, the government, political parties, and
public organizations to the extent that they are pursuing the goal of
creating a social state," Seleznev said. President Putin sent a
congratulatory message to the congress. RC
[07] ...AND CALLS FOR OVERSIGHT OF MEDIA
In his speech, Seleznev emphasized the need for law and order and
called on President Putin immediately to order the establishment of
public oversight boards for all television channels, polit.ru reported.
Seleznev said that the Party of Russia's Rebirth advocates "the
creation of a rule-of-law culture based on respect for the law and on
the enforcement of public order." RC
[08] PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR CHECHNYA OPERATION DECLINING
The number of Russian citizens who approve of Russia's military
operation in Chechnya has fallen to 30 percent, RosBalt reported on 8
September, citing a study by the All-Russia Center for the Study of
Public Opinion (VTsIOM). Forty-eight percent of those polled expressed
a negative opinion of the conflict. The survey polled 1,500 respondents
in 44 regions. In July 2000, VTsIOM recorded 64 percent support for the
campaign. In July 2001, 59 percent of Russians approved of the military
action, while that figure had declined to 37 percent in February of
this year. However, VTsIOM also found that 48 percent of Russians think
that President Putin's performance has been "excellent," and 38 percent
describe it as "satisfactory." VY
[09] FSB SAYS APARTMENT-BOMBING SUSPECT HIDING IN GEORGIA
Lieutenant General Ivan Mironov, head of the FSB's Investigative
Department, told journalists that the main suspect in the case of the
1999 apartment-building explosions in Moscow and other Russian cities,
Achemez Gochiyaev, is hiding in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, "Rossiiskaya
gazeta" reported on 9 September. Speaking on the eve of the third
anniversary of the explosions, Mironov said the FSB has enough evidence
to indict Gochiyaev. Gazeta.ru commented on 9 September that the FSB
does not know where Gochiyaev is hiding and that the statement that he
is in the Pankisi Gorge is simply part of a recent campaign of pressure
against Georgia. VY
[10] NOVGOROD MAYOR VICTIM OF HIT AND RUN
Novgorod Mayor Aleksandr Korsunov was killed on the evening of 8
September on the territory of an administration-run resort by an
unidentified man who ran him down with Korsunov's own car, Russian and
Western news agencies reported on 9 September. According to
RIA-Novosti, a man has been arrested in the case. Oblast Prosecutor
Anatolii Chugunov has declined to comment on that report. Chugunov also
declined to speculate on whether the incident was a contract hit.
Korsunov was the only mayor serving on a commission headed by deputy
presidential administration head Dmitrii Kozak that is charged with
drafting a new law on local self-government. That draft law, which is
supposed to be presented to President Putin on 13 September, includes a
number of controversial provisions, including an option to replace
elected mayors with hired managers. Korsunov resolutely opposed the
draft, which he said is "unacceptable to the majority of mayors" (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 16 August 2002), strana.ru reported. RC
[11] KRASNOYARSK VOTERS BRACE FOR SECOND ROUND
Krasnoyarsk Krai legislature Speaker Aleksandr Uss and Taimyr
Autonomous Okrug Governor Aleksandr Khloponin will square off in the
second round of voting for governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russian news
agencies reported on 9 September. Uss took 27.63 percent of the
first-round vote on 8 September, and Khloponin came in second with
25.25 percent. The Communist candidate, Duma Deputy Sergei Glaziev, was
third with 21.44 percent. The second round will most likely be held on
22 September, Interfax reported, citing the Central Election
Commission. The campaign was considered particularly dirty, and Glaziev
charged that there were "very serious" violations in a number of
precincts, rtr-vesti.ru reported. RC
[12] PROSECUTORS TO INVESTIGATE SPS LEADER'S ALLEGATIONS OF PHONE
TAPPING
The Moscow Oblast Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal
investigation into the appearance in the media of transcripts of
telephone conversations held by State Duma Deputy and Union of Rightist
Forces leader Boris Nemtsov (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 September 2002),
ntvru.com reported on 9 September. Oblast Prosecutor Mikhail Avdyukov
said the investigation has been opened at Nemtsov's request. "The goal
of the investigation is to establish who was directly responsible for
using technical means to eavesdrop on Nemtsov's telephone
conversations," Avdyukov said. He added that the investigation will
also look into accusations of eavesdropping made by other political
figures, but he did not name any of them. RC
[13] FINANCE MINISTER: CAPITAL FLIGHT ON THE DECLINE
Capital flight from Russia will be significantly less this year than in
previous years, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei
Kudrin said on 7 September, polit.ru reported. Kudrin said that capital
flight in 2002 will amount to $9 billion-$10 billion, a significant
decrease compare to recent years. In 2001, capital flight from Russia
was estimated at about $20 billion (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13 November
2001). Kudrin attributed the reduction to increased confidence in the
Russian ruble, which he said is a result of the government's policy of
balanced budgets. RC
[14] NATIONAL BOLSHEVIK TRIAL TO BE OPEN
The trial in Saratov of writer and National Bolshevik leader Eduard
Limonov (whose real name is Eduard Savenko) and five fellow party
members will be held in open court, Ekho Moskvy, lenta.ru, and other
Russian news agencies reported on 9 September. The Saratov Oblast
Court, which had earlier ruled at the request of the FSB that the trial
would be held behind closed doors, reversed itself and ruled that
sessions will be open to the media when the trial resumes this week
after a two-month break. Limonov and his colleagues are accused of
acquiring weapons with the goal of preparing terrorist acts and of
creating illegal armed formations, although they deny the charges.
Limonov and one other defendant, Sergei Aksenov, are also accused of
calling for the violent overthrow of the government. The National
Bolshevik Party newspaper "Limonka" was closed down in July (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 26 July 2002). Limonov has been held since 7 April
2001. RC
[15] GUNMEN FAIL TO KILL GROZNY MAYOR
Oleg Zhidkov escaped injury on 7 September when unidentified gunmen
opened fire on his motorcade as he was heading west to Ingushetia,
ITAR-TASS reported. But an escorting vehicle was seriously damaged and
one traffic police officer was wounded. Zhidkov said the following day
that he does not believe the attack was directed against him
personally, but that militants simply opened fire on the motorcade from
forest cover. LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[16] ARMENIAN TV STATION OWNER REPORTED MISSING
Relatives of Artashes Mehrabian, the owner of an independent television
station in Abovian, north of Yerevan, asked police on 7 September to
launch a search for him, 24 hours after he disappeared, RFE/RL's
Yerevan bureau reported. Mehrabian's colleagues suspect he may have
been abducted by the same persons who assaulted him and Abovian TV
Executive Director Azniv Chizmechian on 24 August, apparently in
reprisal for airing reports critical of Abovian Mayor Karo Israelian
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 September 2002). Chizmechian told RFE/RL on 7
September that Mehrabian called her two hours after leaving his home
the previous day and asked her to suspend broadcasts until after his
return. LF
[17] KARABAKH PRESIDENT SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM
Arkadii Ghukasian was sworn in on 7 September for his second term as
president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, RFE/RL's
Stepanakert correspondent reported. Armenian Defense Minister Serzh
Sarkisian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and parliament speaker
Armen Khachatrian attended the ceremony, as did Valerii Arshba, vice
president of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia. On 6 September,
Ghukasian signed a decree commuting from 14 years' imprisonment to a
suspended sentence the verdict handed down by the enclave's Supreme
Court in February 2001 on Sasun Aghadjanian, according to Arminfo, as
cited by Groong. The reason cited was Aghadjanian's failing health.
Aghadjanian was found guilty of participating in the March 2000 attempt
to assassinate Ghukasian. At his trial Aghadjanian admitted opening
fire on Ghukasian's limousine but denied attempting to kill him. His
former comrades in arms appealed in April for clemency on his behalf
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15 February 2001 and 9 April 2002). LF
[18] AZERBAIJAN CLAIMS TO HAVE DETAINED AL-QAEDA MEMBERS
Addressing a gathering of CIS Interior Ministers in Baku on 6
September, Azerbaijan's President Heidar Aliev said Azerbaijani special
services have apprehended an unspecified number of senior Al-Qaeda
members, Turan and Interfax reported. He did not elaborate. LF
[19] AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL COMMENTS ON NARDARAN, MILITARY CADETS'
'MUTINY'...
Presidential administration head Ramiz Mekhtiev told journalists in
Baku on 6 September that he believes unnamed opposition forces and
human rights activists are stoking discontent in the village of
Nardaran in order to create an opportunity to promote themselves as
advocates of justice, Turan reported. At the same time, he said he does
not believe that Iranian activists played any role in inciting the
villagers to their recent protests. Mekhtiev laid the blame for last
week's walkout by up to 2,000 cadets from the Higher Military College
on that institution's administration (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4, 5, and
6 September 2002). He said the cadets should not be punished for
expressing "discontent." But he refused to say whether the cadets'
collective demand for the return to the college of Turkish instructors
who left some months ago will be met. President Aliev on 6 September
declined to comment on the cadets' walkout, terming it "a minor
problem." LF
[20] ...SAYS PIPELINE TENDER OUTCOME WILL NOT BE ANNULLED
Mekhtiev also said on 6 September that the selection of Consolidated
Contractors International to build the Azerbaijani sector of the
planned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil-export pipeline will not be reversed,
Turan reported. He dismissed as unfounded opposition claims that the
company's top management includes a leading member of the Armenian
diaspora (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 September 2002). LF
[21] NEW AZERBAIJANI EDICT ON STATE SECRETS TO BE REVISED?
Shahin Aliev, who heads the legal department within the presidential
administration, met in Baku on 6 September with journalists and editors
to discuss their objections to President Aliev's recent decree on state
secrets, Turan reported. That decree places the responsibility for not
divulging state secrets on journalists and editors (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 29 August and 3 September 2002). Aliev hinted that the
decree could be revised to take into account journalists' objections
that its provisions restrict media freedom. LF
[22] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT BRIEFED ON CHECHEN PEACE PROPOSAL
Former Russian Security Council Secretary Ivan Rybkin met in Tbilisi on
7 September with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, whom he
briefed on the details of a Chechen peace proposal he discussed in
Zurich with Chechen Vice Premier Akhmed Zakaev, Caucasus Press and
Interfax reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 August 2002). In an
interview published the following day in "Nezavisimaya gazeta," Rybkin
said Zakaev approved that proposal, which envisages Chechnya remaining
within the Russian Federation, as a basis for talks on ending the
conflict. Rybkin added that he respects Shevardnadze as a "decent,
intelligent, and wise" adviser and that, given the "tremendous
authority" that both Shevardnadze and his Azerbaijani counterpart Aliev
enjoy throughout the Caucasus, they should be invited to participate at
the initial stage of peace talks in Chechnya. Georgian Foreign Minister
Irakli Menagharishvili denied that the Rybkin-Shevardnadze talks
constituted an attempt to sideline Moscow. LF
[23] GEORGIAN OFFICIALS DENY AGREEING TO JOINT OPERATION WITH RUSSIA IN
PANKISI
Speaking to journalists on 6 September in Baku, where he was attending
the CIS Interior Ministers' meeting, Russian Interior Minister Boris
Gryzlov said that he reached agreement with his Georgian counterpart
Koba Narchemashvili on joint action to track down "international
terrorists and members of rebel groups" still hiding in Georgia's
Pankisi Gorge, Interfax reported. But Narchemashvili and a second
Georgian Interior Ministry official both denied the following day that
any such agreement was reached. They said the two ministers agreed only
to exchange information about specific criminals. Georgian National
Security Council Secretary Tedo Djaparidze told journalists in Tbilisi
on 7 September that all the Chechen fighters have left the Pankisi
Gorge, ITAR-TASS reported. He said he is unaware of their present
location, but that they may have climbed higher into the Caucasus
Mountains. LF
[24] REPORTS SURFACE THAT CHECHENS HAVE MOVED FROM PANKISI TO KODORI
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko told journalists
in Moscow on 6 September that Russia continues to insist that Tbilisi
apprehend and extradite Chechen militants and international terrorists,
Interfax reported. He referred to unspecified reports that "groups of
international terrorists are being moved from Pankisi to the Kodori
Gorge.... Such maneuvers might become a repetition of the bloody raid
by the militants of [field commander Ruslan] Gelaev into Abkhazia in
autumn last year and would again lead to loss of life, spiraling
tension in relations between Tbilisi and Sukhumi, and...the
destabilization of the situation in the Caucasus region as a whole,"
Yakovenko argued. Abkhaz Security Service head Zurab Aghumava likewise
told Interfax on 7 September that two weeks ago he received reports of
the presence of Chechen and Arab terrorists in the Kodori Gorge. LF
[25] RUSSIA'S ABKHAZ ENVOY MEETS WITH ABKHAZ PREMIER
During talks on 7 September, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister
Valerii Loshchinin, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy for
the Abkhaz conflict, and Abkhaz Prime Minister Anri Djergenia discussed
the situation in the Pankisi Gorge and the possibility that the Chechen
militants formerly ensconced there may again move to Abkhazia, Russian
news agencies reported. They also warned that a new attack on Kodori
would negatively affect the chances for resolving the Abkhaz conflict
and undermine security and stability throughout the Caucasus. LF
[26] ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA DISCUSS COOPERATION
Djergenia also held talks in Sukhum on 7 September with Eduard Kokoyty,
president of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia, Interfax
reported. The two agreed to coordinate their response should Chechen
militants launch an attack on either republic. On 6 September, Interfax
quoted South Ossetian Foreign Minister Murad Dzhioev as saying that
Abkhazia and South Ossetia will hold joint military maneuvers before
the end of this year to which Nagorno-Karabakh and the Transdniester
Republic will send observers. He added that if the situation in Georgia
deteriorates, the four unrecognized republics will consider
establishing a military bloc. LF
[27] HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS URGE KAZAKHSTAN NOT TO EXTRADITE
TURKMEN DISSIDENT
Amnesty International has appealed to the Kazakh authorities not to
hand over opposition politician Gulgeldy Annaniyazov to the Turkmen
government, Interfax reported on 6 September. Annaniyazov was
extradited on 2 September from Russia to Kazakhstan after arriving at
Moscow's Domodedovo Airport from the Kazakh city of Aqtau earlier that
day (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 September 2002). According to the Russian
human rights group Memorial, Annaniyazov requested political asylum
upon his arrival in Moscow but the request was refused. LF
[28] KYRGYZ OFFICIAL WOUNDED IN GRENADE ATTACK
Security Council Secretary and acting presidential administration head
Misir Ashyrkulov received multiple, but not life-threatening injuries
when unidentified assailants threw three grenades at his automobile as
he was approaching his home late on 6 September, akipress.org and
RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. Presidential aide Bolot Djanuzakov
told journalists the following day that the attack was a politically
motivated terrorist act, according to Reuters. Speaking in Moscow on 7
September, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov said it is hard to
say who might have tried to kill Ashyrkulov and why. Ashyrkulov himself
told journalists from his hospital bed that religious extremists might
have been responsible, Interfax reported. RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau
quoted Human Rights Movement of Kyrgyzstan Chairman Tursunbek Akunov as
saying that Ashyrkulov may have incurred the disapproval of other
senior Kyrgyz officials by his recent efforts to promote reconciliation
between the authorities and the opposition. Speaking on condition of
anonymity, an opposition figure similarly suggested to Reuters that "it
looks like internal bickering" within the government. He also suggested
that the banned Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir might have been
responsible. LF
[29] KYRGYZ CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL ELECTS OPPOSITION FIGURE AS
CO-CHAIRMAN
Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan Chairman Absamat Masaliev was elected the
third deputy chairman of the Constitutional Council at that body's 7
September session, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. Two further
opposition parliament deputies, Ismail Isakov and Alisher Abdimomunov,
were co-opted as council members the same day, raising the total number
from 40 (not 38 as erroneously reported in "RFE/RL Newsline" on 28
August 2002) to 42. At its 7 September session, the council discussed
at length the optimum distribution of powers between the president and
parliament and the procedure for proposing, appointing, and dismissing
the prime minister, state secretary, and prosecutor-general, as well as
Central Election Commission (CEC) and Audit Chamber chairmen,
akipress.org reported. Addressing the council, President Askar Akaev,
who is its chairman, argued in favor of expanding the powers of the
prime minister and giving parliament a greater say in selecting
government ministers and the chairmen of the CEC and National Bank. LF
[30] KYRGYZ VILLAGERS 'DETAIN' NINE POLICEMEN
Residents of the village of Kara-Suu in Djalalabad Oblast on 6
September detained nine policemen in an attempt to force the
authorities to release seven people taken into custody in connection
with a protest meeting in Kerben in June, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
reported. On 7 September, several hundred people demonstrated in
Kara-Suu to demand the release of the seven detainees, AP reported.
Meanwhile, some 400 people left Tash-Komur on 6 September on a protest
march to Bishkek, and reached Razan-Sai the following day, RFE/RL's
Kyrgyz Service reported. The marchers are demanding the resignation of
President Akaev and the punishment of those responsible for endorsing
the use of firearms against demonstrators in Aksy Raion on 17-18 March.
LF
[31] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO REDUCE POVERTY
President Akaev chaired a meeting on 6 September to discuss the final
draft of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy, Interfax and RFE/RL's
Bishkek bureau reported. The three-year strategy (2003-05), which was
drafted with the help of the International Monetary Fund and the World
Bank, is envisaged as the first stage in a broader program of
comprehensive development until 2010. The total cost is estimated at $2
billion, of which $500 million will come from budget funds and the
remainder from foreign investment and grants. Akaev defined the
program's objective as reducing the poverty rate by 5 percent. He said
the poverty rate fell from 52 percent in 2000 to 47.6 percent in 2001.
Other observers claim the figure is far higher, and that 82 percent of
Kyrgyz families live below the poverty line. LF
[32] RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS TAJIKISTAN
Sergei Ivanov made a stopover in Dushanbe on 6 September en route from
Kabul to Moscow to meet with Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov,
Interfax reported. The two discussed bilateral military and technical
cooperation and the military and situation in Central Asia. LF
[33] UZBEK OPPOSITION ACTIVIST SENTENCED
A district court in Tashkent on 6 September sentenced Dzhahongir
Shosalimov, who is a member of the banned Erk Party and of the
Independent Human Rights organization of Uzbekistan to 15 days'
detention on charges of inciting a public disturbance, AP reported.
Shosalimov was detained on 4 September with six other people after a
clash in a Tashkent market between police and vendors who were
protesting increased taxes and the imposition of stricter regulations
on trading. LF
[34] UZBEKISTAN, JAPAN ASSESS BILATERAL RELATIONS
A delegation from Japan's Finance Ministry headed by Deputy Minister
Takayaoshi Tanaguchi held talks in Tashkent on 6 September with
President Islam Karimov and Foreign Ministry representatives, uza.uz
reported. The talks focused on the implementation of joint programs and
projects and agreements signed during Karimov's visit to Tokyo in July.
LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[35] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT REJECTS PUTIN'S OFFER TO MULL INTEGRATION
SCENARIOS...
Alyaksandr Lukashenka told journalists on 7 September that he sees no
need to form a team of experts to study the three scenarios for
Belarusian-Russian integration as proposed recently in a letter by
Russian President Vladimir Putin (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 September
2002), Belarusian media reported. "Those who prepared the letter --
maybe it was Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] himself -- appear to have
forgotten that we already have a Belarusian-Russian joint group, which,
according to the [1999 union] treaty, is working on an act that would
determine the way of building the union state," Lukashenka said. JM
[36] ...SAYS KREMLIN'S MESSAGE CARRIED NO NEWS...
Lukashenka said Putin's letter to him was a propaganda move rather than
a message. "There was nothing new in it," Belapan quoted Lukashenka as
saying. "The same [old] story -- to divide Belarus and incorporate it
by pieces. If the Russian leadership wants to abrogate the [1999 union]
treaty, let them do it, but without us. Belarus will not take part in
this. I have always advocated a union. And what are they proposing?
Incorporation.... Russia's leadership has made clear that it does not
want an equal union with Belarus." JM
[37] ...AND SPECULATES ON THE REASONS RUSSIA WOULD WANT TO ABSORB
BELARUS
Lukashenka also said there are many reasons why Moscow does not want an
equal union with Minsk. Among domestic reasons, Lukashenka named the
reluctance of officials in the Russian government "to work on an equal
basis [with Belarus]," as well as the wish of "rich people in
Russia...to grab Belarus and criminalize the economy." Lukashenka added
that Russia is also under external pressure. "This is like a litmus
test -- for the leadership of Russia, not for Lukashenka. Let's see
whether the leadership of Russia will withstand this pressure on it in
this situation -- whether they will surrender Belarus or not," the
Belarusian president said. JM
[38] BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATOR JAILED FOR 10 DAYS
A court in Hrodna on 6 September imposed a 10-day jail sentence on
Dzmitry Ivanouski, the deputy chairman of the local branch of the
opposition Belarusian Popular Front, Belapan reported. Ivanouski was
punished for his participation in an unauthorized demonstration in
Hrodna on 8 July to mark the second anniversary of the disappearance of
Belarusian journalist Dmitry Zavadski. JM
[39] TWO BELARUSIAN YOUTH UNIONS MERGE
The Belarusian Patriotic Youth Union (BPSM) and the Belarusian Youth
Union (BSM) -- the country's largest youth organizations -- held a
joint congress on 6 September and merged into the Belarusian National
Youth Union (BRSM), Belapan reported. The BSM was the legal successor
to the Soviet-era Communist Youth League (Komsomol), while the BPSM
(nicknamed Lukamol) was created by President Lukashenka in 1997 in
order to mobilize support for his policies among young Belarusians.
Lukashenka, who attended the 6 September congress, praised the merger,
promised governmental support for the new organization, and said the
BRSM should become a major source for recruiting government staff. JM
[40] UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION LEADERS CONTINUE TO TOUR REGIONS TO PROMOTE
UPCOMING PROTEST
Yuliya Tymoshenko, Oleksandr Moroz, and Petro Symonenko met with some
1,000 people in Cherkasy (central Ukraine) on 7 September and with
1,000 people in Bila Tserkva (Kyiv Oblast) the following day to seek
regional support for the opposition protest campaign "Rise Up,
Ukraine!" which is planned to start on 16 September, UNIAN reported.
Tymoshenko told journalists in Cherkasy that the protest campaign aims
at holding early presidential elections and completely changing the
executive branch in Ukraine. JM
[41] PRESIDENT TO ACCEPT CABINET FORMED BY OUR UKRAINE?
President Leonid Kuchma told journalists in Donetsk on 6 September that
he will agree to a coalition cabinet formed by a parliamentary majority
centered on Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine bloc, UNIAN reported.
"Yushchenko is free to organize a [parliamentary] majority. I will
shake his hand and carry out everything I promised without waiting for
amendments to the constitution," Kuchma said. While announcing last
month his proposal for constitutional reform (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 26
August 2002), Kuchma called on the Verkhovna Rada to form a coalition
cabinet without waiting for relevant constitutional changes. JM
[42] UKRAINIAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHES MOTION TO LIFT TYMOSHENKO'S IMMUNITY
The Kyiv-based newspaper "2000" on 6 September published on six full
pages a request by Prosecutor-General Svyatoslav Piskun to the
Verkhovna Rada to lift the deputy immunity of opposition leader
Tymoshenko (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 August 2002). "Ukrayinska pravda"
suggested that the request -- which has not yet been addressed by
parliament -- was publicized following an instruction from either the
presidential administration or the Prosecutor-General's Office in order
to start an anti-Tymoshenko campaign in the state-run media. According
to the published request, prosecutors suspect Tymoshenko of bribery,
abuse of office, forgery, embezzlement of property, and tax evasion.
The charges are connected with Tymoshenko's work as head of Unified
Energy Systems of Ukraine in 1995-97 and her position as deputy premier
in Viktor Yushchenko's cabinet in 1999-2000. JM
[43] ESTONIA POSTS DEFLATION IN AUGUST
The Statistics Office of Estonia announced on 6 September that the
consumer price index in August was 0.5 percent lower than in July, but
2.6 percent higher than in August 2001, BNS reported. Compared to July,
the costs of goods dropped by 0.9 percent while the costs of services
rose by 0.3 percent. The decline was due to a 1.8 percent fall in the
price of food, alcohol, and tobacco, while the costs of manufactured
goods remained unchanged. Bank of Estonia officials noted that this was
the third consecutive month of deflation caused by a decline in prices
for fruits and vegetables as well as the cheaper U.S. dollar, but that
inflation is likely to return. SG
[44] BALTIC PHARMACY AGREEMENT SIGNED IN RIGA
In Riga on 6 September, Estonian Social Affairs Minister Siiri Oviir,
Lithuanian Health Minister Konstantinas Romualdas Dobrovolskis, and
Latvian Welfare Minister Viktors Jaksons signed a cooperation
memorandum on pharmacy information exchange and uniform criteria for
the assessment of state-refunded medicines, Baltic agencies reported.
Oviir said that it is important to use joint methods to evaluate the
prices and profitability of medicines and that the exchange of
information should help guarantee more effective use of
health-insurance funds. Jaksons mentioned that the agreement might
serve as the first step in increasing the number of medicines for which
the state provides compensation, noting that medical experts will be
able to gain from the experience of colleagues from neighboring
countries, which will help them to better evaluate the efficiency and
use of prescription drugs. SG
[45] LITHUANIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATS NOMINATE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
In Vilnius on 7 September, the 25th Congress of the Lithuanian Social
Democratic Party (LSDP) by a vote of 534 to five, with eight
abstentions, approved the nomination of party Deputy Chairman Vytenis
Andriukaitis as its candidate for the presidential elections in
December, ELTA reported. He was the only candidate, as party Chairman
Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas, First Deputy Chairman Ceslovas
Jursenas, and several other leading party officials declined
nomination. The council of the LSDP's coalition partner, the New Union
(Social Liberals), will decide on 15 September whether it will back
Andriukaitis or nominate its own candidate, probably party Chairman
Arturas Paulauskas, for president. SG
[46] POLISH PREMIER PROPOSES TO HOLD EU REFERENDUM IN MAY 2003...
Premier Leszek Miller on 7 September proposed to hold a national
referendum on whether to join the European Union next May, citing the
month as historically significant, AP reported. Miller made this
proposal during a convention of his Democratic Left Alliance in Warsaw
to kick off a campaign for the 27 October local elections. Miller
recalled the month as the end of World War II, which led to the
division of Europe by the Iron Curtain into two hostile blocs -- the
U.S.-led NATO and the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. "Let May be a month of
overcoming European divisions and a symbol of winning a chance for
Poland," he noted. JM
[47] ...SAYS POLISH SERVICEMEN ARE IN PERSIAN GULF AREA
Premier Miller has admitted that Polish servicemen from special units
are in the Persian Gulf area, Polish Radio reported on 8 September.
Miller emphasized, however, that the Poles are there not because of the
situation in Iraq, but as part of an international antiterrorist
operation in Afghanistan. Miller did not say whether Polish servicemen
would take part in a possible U.S. attack on Iraq. He only noted that
Polish diplomats are in Baghdad, adding that their safety depends on
the Polish position on the possible attack. JM
[48] POLISH ARMS INDUSTRY WORKERS PROTEST OVER UNPAID WAGES
Several hundred Solidarity trade union members representing arms plants
from all over Poland picketed the Economy Ministry in Warsaw on 6
September, demanding the payment of overdue wages and an end to
large-scale layoffs in their branch, Polish media reported. The
protesters threw firecrackers and smoke bombs in front of the ministry.
JM
[49] CZECH GOVERNMENT APPROVES FLOOD-RELIEF PACKAGE
The cabinet on 8 September approved a package of measures intended for
financing reconstruction after last month's floods, CTK reported.
Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka told journalists that the measures
are expected to generate 10.3 billion crowns (nearly $336 million) in
2002 and 15.5 billion in 2004. Among the measures are a 3 percent
increase (from 32 to 35 percent) in income taxes paid by those earning
an annual income of 900,000 crowns or more, and increasing the
value-added tax to 7 percent from 5 percent. The value-added tax
currently paid on some items, such as automobiles, will drop to 21
percent from 22 percent, and the corporate-income tax will be reduced
to 28 percent from 31 percent as of 1 January 2004. On 7 September,
Vladimir Tlusty, deputy chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS)
parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies, said the ODS will not
support in parliament the government's bill on raising taxes. MS
[50] CZECH FINANCE MINISTRY RELEASES PRELIMINARY DATA ON FLOOD DAMAGES
The Finance Ministry on 8 September released preliminary data on the
August flood damage, CTK reported. The data showed that the large
cities most affected were Prague, Plzen, Karlovy Vary, and Usti nad
Labem. As many as 753 out of 6,000 municipalities in the country were
affected, with Metly, southern Bohemia, and Zalezlice, central Bohemia,
nearly being wiped off the map. The floods claimed 17 lives and total
damage estimates are between 60 billion-90 billion crowns (some $2
billion-$3 billion). Approximately 225,000 people were evacuated. MS
[51] CZECH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE WITHDRAWING AGENTS FOLLOWING
INFORMATION LEAKS
The daily "Pravo," cited by CTK, reported on 9 September that recent
leaks to the media regarding the activities of the Czech Military
Intelligence Service (VZS) have prompted the withdrawal of VZS agents
abroad. The leaks began when it was recently revealed that former
Foreign Ministry Secretary Karel Srba worked for the VZS and oversaw
several agents whom he posted abroad in diplomatic and other posts.
Srba is currently under investigation on suspicion of corruption and of
ordering the assassination of a journalist. "Pravo" quoted Defense
Minister Tvrdik as saying that "Investigations now clearly show that
our people who have nothing in common with the [Srba] case are
endangered." Tvrdik confirmed that some agents have been withdrawn.
Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla said on TV Nova on 8 September that
Tvrdik is not responsible for the VZS scandals and that the defense
minister acted appropriately when he ordered the recent dismissal of
former VZS head Andor Sandor. Spidla said he has ordered Tvrdik to
radically reform the VZS. "This means that some [VZS] parts will be
entirely abolished and others will be replaced," Spidla said. MS
[52] CZECH TAKES OVER UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENCY
On 8 September, former Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan took over his
one-year mandate as president of the 57th session of the UN General
Assembly, CTK reported. MS
[53] CZECH ROMA DEPORTED FROM U.K.
Twenty-eight Czech Roma who were denied asylum in the United Kingdom
were returned to the Czech Republic on 6 September, CTK reported. A
special plane flew the Roma to Prague and TV Nova, as cited by CTK,
said further such flights are expected. The number of Czech Roma
requesting asylum in the United Kingdom has been growing as of late;
while 80 Czech Roma requested asylum in the United Kingdom between
January and the end of March 2002, the total number had risen to 595 by
the end of June. Meanwhile, Czech authorities reported on 6 September
that the number of asylum seekers in the Czech Republic itself has
stagnated, with the country registering just 328 applications for
asylum in August. Last year more than 18,000 people sought asylum in
the Czech Republic and 75 were granted asylum status. MS
[54] CZECH SKINHEAD MUSICIANS CHARGED WITH PROMOTING HATRED
Four members of the skinhead rock band "Hlas kvre" (Voice of the Blood)
were charged on 6 September with promoting a movement disseminating
hatred, dpa reported, citing police spokeswoman Blanka Kosinova.
Kosinova said that the band's lyrics "openly propagate ideas of racism,
anti-Semitism, and xenophobia." MS
[55] SLOVAKIA'S FICO RULES OUT MECIAR, DZURINDA AS POSTELECTION
PARTNERS...
In an interview with Reuters on 8 September, Smer (Direction) Chairman
Robert Fico ruled out any postelection cooperation with former Prime
Minister Vladimir Meciar or with current Premier Mikulas Dzurinda.
Fico, whom polls tip to be Slovakia's next premier, told the agency
that he will not form any coalition without ensuring that it is
acceptable to the West. "It is Slovakia's No. 1 priority to receive an
invitation to [join] NATO in November, at the alliance's Prague summit,
as well as to join the EU as soon as possible." He said cooperation
with the new Movement for Democracy (HZD), the splinter faction that
broke away from Meciar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS),
depends on how the HZD is perceived by Western diplomats in Bratislava.
Speaking in Nitra the same day, Fico said that he rules out cooperation
with Dzurinda and Deputy Premier Ivan Miklos. "Both have committed
economic betrayal of this nation. To shake their hand and enter a
government [with them] would amount to prostitution, not politics,"
Fico was quoted as saying by TASR. MS
[56] ...BUT FORMER PREMIER HAS OTHER PLANS
HZDS Chairman Meciar said on 8 September on the private Joj TV channel
that he would not give up his position as HZDS chairman to enable the
party to join a ruling coalition, TASR reported. He said the HZDS will
not negotiate with any formation that insists on this condition but
added that a "compromise" is possible, as the HZDS could join the new
government without his being a member of the cabinet. On 7 September,
former Interior Minister Gustav Krajci told journalists that no stable
government could be formed after the 20-21 September elections without
the participation of the HZDS. Also on 8 September, Meciar told an HZDS
rally in Presov, eastern Slovakia, that "Iraq is not Afghanistan. It is
better armed and will pose [to the United States in the event of an
attack] problems that are substantially more complex." Meciar said that
the Iraqi problem should be discussed by the United Nations and its
Security Council. MS
[57] SLOVAK ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL ON FAITHFUL TO VOTE
Slovakia's Roman Catholic bishops on 6 September issued a pastoral
letter calling on the country's faithful to participate in this month's
elections, AP reported. TASR reported on 8 September that the letter
has been read in sermons throughout the country. The letter did not
endorse any particular party but called on believers to vote "for
people whose actions are in agreement with the Ten Commandments and the
Gospel." MS
[58] SLOVAKIA'S NUMBER 2 SOLDIER FAILS VETTING PROCESS
Slovak armed services Deputy Chief of Staff Jan Cmilansky has failed to
pass the vetting process conducted by the Military Intelligence Service
and will leave the military, TASR and CTK reported on 7 September.
Cmilansky said he is "leaving the army at my own request." He said his
failure to be cleared was the result of intrigues and added that the
Military Intelligence Service did not invite him for an interview, as
is required by law, before issuing its decision. Cmilansky said he
intends to sue the service. MS
[59] HUNGARY'S FREE DEMOCRAT STATE SECRETARY ADMITS TO COLLABORATING
WITH SECRET SERVICES...
Gabor Szalay, political state secretary at the Economy and Transport
Ministry, admitted on 6 September that he had filed reports for the
communist-era counterintelligence services, but not for domestic
intelligence services, Hungarian media reported. Szalay decided to come
clean after Imre Mecs, chairman of the parliamentary commission
investigating government officials' secret-service pasts, told him that
it was his document that disappeared from the Interior Ministry's files
in 1995 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 September 2002). Szalay said
counterintelligence services contacted him in 1978 when he was sent to
Togo as the leader of a $100 million business project. He said that for
10 years he informed Interior Ministry staff about business deals;
however, he insisted that he did not sign any papers, did not file
reports, was not paid, and was not an informer. Szalay said he does not
intend to resign. MSZ
[60] ...WHILE FIDESZ DEPUTY CHAIRMAN SAYS SOCIALIST POLITICIAN HAS ALSO
BEEN IMPLICATED
FIDESZ Deputy Chairman Laszlo Kover told Inforadio on 7 September that
a Socialist politician who was a member of Gyula Horn's cabinet between
1994-98 had links with the communist-era secret services. FIDESZ does
not claim that the politician collaborated with the state-security
authorities, Kover said, but the party believes that he is also among
those involved, according to the principles under which the Mecs
commission is functioning. Kover also said it is very important that an
investigation be conducted to find out why data on Free Democrat Gabor
Szalay disappeared from the Interior Ministry in 1995. MSZ
[61] FORMER MINISTER LEAVES HUNGARIAN DEMOCRATIC FORUM PARLIAMENTARY
GROUP
Imre Boros, who was a former minister in charge of overseeing PHARE
funds, told a meeting of the opposition Hungarian Democratic Forum on 6
September that he is leaving the parliamentary group of his own accord
after he made inconsistent statements to the media and the party about
whether he collaborated with the communist-era secret services,
Hungarian media reported. Boros had earlier made it clear that he would
not voluntarily leave the parliamentary group, despite being asked to
do so by the party's leadership (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 and 5
September 2002). The majority of the party's deputies were on his side,
Boros claimed, but he said he had to consider the interests of the
party and the parliamentary group. Party officials told "Nepszabadsag"
that if Boros had not left, he would have been expelled. He will now
sit in parliament as an independent. MSZ
[62] HUNGARY'S RIGHT-WING MEDIA FIGURES MAY FLEE TO AUSTRIA
Leading personalities of the now defunct "Press Club" program on
Hungary's ATV channel intend to apply for symbolic asylum in Austria,
"Nepszabadsag" reported on 9 September. One of them, journalist Istvan
Lovas, announced that they will establish the Voice of Freedom Radio,
which he said will be modeled on RFE/RL and will be broadcast from
Austria "so as not to get in the way of the Hungarian radio and
television authority." MSZ
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[63] DAY OF DECISION FOR THE REPUBLIKA SRPSKA
The Bosnian Serb government is expected to take a formal stand on 9
September on a recent report by several leading officials denying that
a massacre took place in Srebrenica in 1995, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 6
September 2002). The government is also expected to respond to recent
charges by the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo that the Bosnian Serb Orao
(Eagle) aircraft company has illegally sold spare parts to Iraq. Jozo
Krizanovic, who is the ethnic Croatian member of the three-man Bosnian
Presidency, said on 7 September that the Sarajevo authorities are doing
their part in the investigation and that there is no question of any
sanctions being leveled against Bosnia for illegal arms sales to
Baghdad. PM
[64] BOSNIAN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF WARNS PARTIES
Munir Alibabic, who heads the intelligence service of the Muslim and
Croat federation, said in an open letter that unnamed political parties
are trying to exert pressure on his organization in the run-up to the 5
October general elections, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages
Service reported from Sarajevo on 9 September. Alibabic stressed that
he wants politicians to leave his people alone so they can concentrate
on their job of combating crime, corruption, and terrorism. PM
[65] NO BREAKTHROUGH FOR SOLANA IN BELGRADE
Javier Solana, who is the EU's security policy chief, failed in seven
hours of talks with top Serbian and Montenegrin leaders on 6 September
to reach an agreement on a Constitutional Charter between the two
republics to govern their future relations, the "Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung" reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 September 2002).
Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic wants the recent agreement
between his government and that of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran
Djindjic to be the basis of the charter. Several parties in the
governing Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition, as well as
pro-Belgrade politicians in Montenegro, want a more closely integrated
state with at least some strong joint institutions. A major problem is
the selection of deputies to the joint legislature, whom the
Montenegrin government wants appointed by the respective republican
parliaments and most others want directly elected. The Montenegrin
authorities also do not want any mention of Vojvodina in the preamble
of the charter lest it imply a constitutional continuity with the
current Yugoslav state. PM
[66] IS MONTENEGRO THE ISSUE?
The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" reported on 7 September that the
European Union has reportedly warned Djukanovic of unspecified
countermeasures by Brussels unless he changes his position, but he does
not seem impressed. In Podgorica, Social Democratic leader Ranko
Krivokapic said that he does not think that the charter will be
finalized before the 29 September Serbian presidential elections and
the Montenegrin parliamentary vote on 20 October, RFE/RL's South Slavic
and Albanian Languages Service reported. PM
[67] MONTENEGRO'S ALBANIANS WANT AMERICAN GUARANTEES
The chairmen of the two main political parties representing the ethnic
Albanian minority in Montenegro announced in Podgorica that they accept
a recent proposal to reduce the number of seats for Albanians in the
parliament from five to four on the condition that the United States
guarantees that the Albanian minority's rights will not be curtailed,
RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported on 6
September (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 September 2002). Observers note
that the United States is the only power that the region's Albanians
trust and that a continuing U.S. presence in the region is vital for
thwarting the influence of extremists among the Albanians. PM
[68] SERBIAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE BEGINS...
The deadline for filing petitions for a candidacy in the 29 September
Serbian presidential race has passed, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported on 8 September. At least 11
candidates have filed, of whom seven have so far been approved by the
Republican Election Commission. The most important ones are Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica, Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub
Labus, and possibly Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 6 September 2002). The main interest in the other candidates
centers on how many votes they will attract and at the expense of which
of the main candidates. Kostunica has already said that he expects to
win in the first round, but polls showed him about evenly tied with
Labus. PM
[69] ...WITH GENERAL PAVKOVIC...
In a last-minute development, former General Nebojsa Pavkovic entered
the Serbian presidential race, filing just before the deadline, AP
reported from Belgrade on 9 September. The former head of the General
Staff said, "All Serbia knows me well, what I have done both in peace
and in war, and what I stand for." PM
[70] ...AND KOSOVA IN THE PICTURE
The Republican Election Commission announced in Belgrade on 7 September
that all registered voters in Kosova will appear on the election lists,
RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 6 September 2002). Voting will be held only in those
parts of Kosova with a primarily Serbian population, however. A
spokesman for Labus said that it is not acceptable to have people
appear on the lists who live in localities where no polling station
will be opened. PM
[71] SERBIA CELEBRATES BASKETBALL WIN WITH THE 'MOTHER OF ALL PARTIES'
At least 150,000 Serbs packed central Belgrade on the night of 8-9
September to mark Yugoslavia's 84-77 overtime victory over Argentina in
the finals of the men's World Basketball Championship, its fifth gold
medal in the event, Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6
September 2002). In his message of congratulations, basketball fan and
Kostunica described the team as "unbelievably courageous and a little
bit crazy." Following the celebrations, Radio Belgrade reported that
police detained more than 70 persons for rowdy behavior and that more
than 30 persons were hospitalized with injuries. PM
[72] MACEDONIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY ATTACKING THE OPPOSITION?
Interior Ministry spokesman Voislav Zafirovski announced on 6 September
that the ministry has filed charges against Vlado Buckovski, the deputy
chairman of the Social Democratic Union (SDSM), "Dnevnik" reported.
Buckovski -- a former defense minister and a rival of Interior Minister
Ljube Boskovski -- is accused of abuse of office and responsibility for
the loss to the state of some $4.2 million. The Interior Ministry also
pressed charges against former Public Prosecutor Stevan Pavlevski in
connection with mistakes during the investigation of the 1995 bomb
attack on former President Kiro Gligorov. The ministry also leveled
charges against journalist Marijan Gjurovski of the opposition weekly
"Start" because of a report that suggested the involvement of the
Interior Ministry in a "conspiracy to incite war." On 9 September, "The
Independent" reported that the ministry is planning to arrest some
independent journalists, including Saso Ordanoski. Some observers
believe that the charges are part of a campaign against leading
opposition representatives and the media in the run-up to the 15
September parliamentary elections (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 23
August and 6 September 2002). UB/PM
[73] FISHERMEN'S DEAL IN PIRAN
Representatives of Slovenian and Croatian fishermen agreed in Piran on
7 September to extend their previous agreement not to fish in contested
waters -- which expired on that date -- to 15 September, RFE/RL's South
Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
4 and 5 September 2002, and "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 30 August 2002). PM
[74] SHIFT IN CROATIAN POLITICAL MOOD?
The Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) of the late President Franjo
Tudjman has again become the most popular party, with 22.8 percent of
the vote according to a poll in the 9 September issue of "Jutarnji
list," dpa reported from Zagreb. Prime Minister Ivica Racan's Social
Democrats would take 14.7 percent in a new election. In perhaps the
most telling result of the survey, some 41 percent of the respondents
said they do not plan to vote. The daily suggested that many voters
feel that Racan has not handled the Piran issue wisely or well. PM
[75] U.S. NATO COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN TELLS ROMANIANS 'NO VACATION' AFTER
NATO SUMMIT...
U.S. NATO Committee Chairman Bruce Jackson said in Bucharest on 7
September that a decision to offer Romania admission to NATO at the
organization's Prague summit would not mean Romanians could then "take
a vacation," Mediafax reported. Jackson said such a decision would not
signify "graduation from college" but "admission to college," and that
there are many things that must be done before Romanian membership
would be ratified by current NATO members. Among these he named
combating corruption and reforming the secret services, in which former
communist-era members of the secret police continue to be employed.
Jackson said he has discussed these issues with the heads of the
Romanian secret services and believes that "they got the message."
Jackson was received on 6 September by President Ion Iliescu, and on 8
September he met with National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu and with
Ioan Anamariei, the head of the National Anticorruption Prosecution. MS
[76] ...AND THAT 'MARRYING THE U.S. WHILE SLEEPING WITH TUDOR' ARE
INCOMPATIBLE...
Jackson also said the United States cannot understand why 20 percent of
Romanians are still supporting Greater Romania Party (PRM) leader
Corneliu Vadim Tudor, Mediafax reported on 7 September. He said he
wonders "how is it possible for such an extremist [politician] to still
exist on Romania's political scene." Jackson asked why Romanians "want
to get married to America if they continue to go to bed with its
enemy." He said Tudor could pose a danger to the future of Romania's
children and added, "If he wants to continue his political career he
should move to Belarus, where such people as him are accepted." MS
[77] ...AS TUDOR CLAIMS LEAD IN OPINION POLLS
Speaking on Romanian Radio on 6 September, Tudor announced that
public-opinion polls show that the PRM is in the lead with the support
of some 30 percent of the electorate. He also said he himself is
leading the field among presidential candidates, "with about 40
percent." (Parliamentary and presidential elections are due in the fall
of 2004). Tudor said Romania has "only one genuine political party, the
PRM. The rest are [just] gangs and clientele cliques." He added that
the PRM "must not necessarily do a lot" to win popular support: "What
is important is not to do what they did -- to destroy the country and
plunder it." MS
[78] ROMANIAN PREMIER ON PRIVATE ITALIAN VISIT
Prime Minister Adrian Nastase left for Sardinia on 6 September as the
personal guest of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, Romanian Radio
reported. The radio said on 7 September that, "during a Mediterranean
cruise," the yacht on which the two politicians were sailing
encountered a vessel on which Iceland's Prime Minister Daniel Odson was
traveling. The three politicians held talks, followed by a discussion
between Odson and Nastase. MS
[79] ROMANIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RETURNED FROM FRANCE
Some 80 illegal immigrants have been returned to Romania from France in
the last month, Romanian television reported on 7 September. Romanian
Consul in Paris Gicu Baciu said that 15-20 detained Romanian immigrants
are brought to the consulate by French police every week and are flown
to Romania after the consulate issues them travel documents. MS
[80] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT DENIES HAVING ORDERED HALT OF ROMANIAN
TELEVISION PROGRAMS
The presidential office denied in a 6 September press release that
President Vladimir Voronin ordered that Romanian Television's Channel 1
broadcasts to Moldova be halted, Romanian radio reported. The release
said that the cessation of broadcasts on 12 August must be solved in
line with the current legislation on foreign-television broadcasts in
Moldova. It also said the matter is under the jurisdiction of the
Moldovan Radio-Telecommunications Department. In a separate statement,
the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, to which the
Radio-Telecommunications Department is subordinate, said the agreement
on broadcasting the Romanian channel's programs has run out, as have
the funds for covering the expense of the broadcasts. The ministry said
it "received too late" an addendum to the expired agreement that was
recently approved by the Romanian government. The ministry said that
for the addendum to become effective and for the broadcasts to be
resumed it must be ratified by the Moldovan parliament. MS
[81] NEGOTIATIONS ON OSCE DRAFT FOR TRANSDNIESTER SETTLEMENT
'SUSPENDED'
Infotag reported on 6 September that the negotiations on the draft
agreement submitted by the OSCE have been suspended for an
"undetermined period." The agency quoted Valerii Litskay, the head of
the Tiraspol negotiating team, as saying that it is "useless to debate
details such as the work of the bicameral parliament" or relations
between the two sides' customs authorities and armies when it is not
known "what we are going to have in the long run -- a federation, a
confederation, or something else." Litskay proposed wrapping up the
current round of negotiations in Chisinau and resuming talks in
Tiraspol after the sides' positions have been clarified by their
leaderships. The representatives of the three mediators -- the OSCE,
Russia, and Ukraine -- responded that, according to agreements
previously reached, the heads of delegations should enjoy full powers
to sign partial, interim, or provisional documents. MS
[82] ALLEGED ATTACKERS DENY THEY THREATENED VENDOR OF MOLDOVAN
PUBLICATION
Gelu Mocanu and Boris Cepoi denied at press conference at the Infotag
news agency on 6 September that they attacked or threatened a vendor of
the "Sens" publication, as alleged by the publication's Editor in Chief
Valeriu Renita on 4 September (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 September
2002). They also denied being bodyguards for Popular Party Christian
Democratic Chairman Iurie Rosca, saying they do not even know Rosca.
Mocanu said he presumes the allegations stemmed from the bad relations
between Rosca and Renita and that he intends to sue Renita for libel.
Mocanu said he knows the vendor he allegedly attacked, but he claimed
that "I did not take away his newspapers. They were old and I advised
him not to tout them to people. For compensation, I gave him 27 lei
($2). Then we drank coffee in a nearby cafe, after which he proposed
throwing the newspapers in a garbage container, which he did. The
garbage was smoldering, so the newspapers naturally caught fire,"
Mocanu said. MS
[83] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT SAYS GOVERNMENT MORE OPEN TO DIALOGUE
Speaking on the sidelines of an air show on the occasion of the
country's national holiday on 6 September, President Georgi Parvanov
noted that the ruling National Movement Simeon II (NDSV) has become
more open to dialogue, mediapool.bg reported. Parvanov, a former leader
of the opposition Socialist Party (BSP), as well as his successor in
office Sergey Stanishev, have sharply criticized the NDSV recently. As
a result, the NDSV has offered to cooperate with the BSP in the
lawmaking process. Parvanov denied that there are tensions between him
and Prime Minister Simeon Saxecoburggotski. UB
END NOTE
[84] There is no End Note today
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