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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-11-13
CONTENTS
[01] MOSCOW URGES BAGHDAD TO ACCEPT UN RESOLUTION
[02] PUTIN TALKS ECONOMIC COOPERATION IN NORWAY
[03] UPPER CHAMBER APPROVES RESTRICTIONS ON COVERING ANTITERRORISM
[04] ...AND AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON COMBATING TERRORISM...
[05] ...BUT REJECTS EARLY MARRIAGES
[06] PROTESTORS SENT HOME
[07] DUMA ALLOCATES MORE FUNDS FOR FIGHTING TERRORISM
[08] PUTIN, SCHROEDER HOLD WIDE-RANGING TALKS
[09] NUMBER OF CITIZENS LIVING IN POVERTY CONTINUES TO DECLINE
[10] GAZPROM TALKS TOUGH WITH MINSK
[11] FSB INTERROGATES 'VERSIYA' STAFFERS
[12] RUSSIAN PALLADIUM, PLATINUM EXPORTS FALL
[13] CONSIDERATION OF NEW BASHKIR CONSTITUTION DELAYED
[14] POLICE HUNT PETERSBURG LIBRARY THIEVES
[15] NEW CHECHEN PRIME MINISTER NAMED
[16] CHECHEN DISPLACED PERSONS REQUEST REFUGE IN KAZAKHSTAN
[17] ARMENIAN LEGISLATORS OBJECT TO PROPOSED WAGE INCREASES
[18] ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS CRITICIZE AMENDED DRAFT MEDIA LAW
[19] KARABAKH PRESIDENT SAYS SETTLEMENT UNLIKELY BEFORE ELECTIONS
[20] UN OFFICIAL CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF ABKHAZ-GEORGIAN TALKS...
[21] ...AND CRACKDOWN ON CRIME
[22] KAZAKH POLICE DETAIN SUPPORTERS OF ARRESTED JOURNALIST...
[23] ...AS U.S. CALLS FOR FAIR TRIAL...
[24] ...AND LAWYERS DETAIL VIOLATIONS OF KAZAKHSTAN'S CRIMINAL
[25] KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT AGAIN FAILS TO REACH CONSENSUS ON BY-ELECTION
[26] KYRGYZSTAN, U.S. SIGN MILITARY-COOPERATION AGREEMENT
[27] TURKMEN PRESIDENT BLAMES DISASTROUS COTTON HARVEST ON HUMAN
[28] NEW TURKMEN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER, COMMITTEE HEADS NAMED
[29] NATO REPORTEDLY SENDS BLUNT MESSAGE TO BELARUSIAN, UKRAINIAN
[30] UKRAINE REVEALS KOLCHUGA SECRETS
[31] UKRAINE CLAIMS IT STEPPED IN AND HALTED DISCUSSIONS ON SELLING
[32] ESTONIA LEADS BALTICS, POSTCOMMUNIST REGION ON ANNUAL ECONOMIC
[33] LATVIA'S RULING PARTIES AGREE ON COMMISSION CHAIRMEN IN
[34] MOODY'S HIKES CREDIT RATINGS OF BALTIC STATES
[35] LITHUANIAN PREMIER SUPPORTS EU-RUSSIA AGREEMENT ON KALININGRAD
[36] CENTER-RIGHT CANDIDATES MAINTAIN TOEHOLD IN BIG CITIES FOLLOWING
[37] KUWAIT OFFERS TO FINANCE EXTENSION OF CZECH TROOP ASSIGNMENT
[38] CZECH REPUBLIC TO HALVE MILITARY RECRUITMENT IN 2003
[39] RESIDENTS FEAR RIOTS IN CZECH CAPITAL BUT SUPPORT NATO SUMMIT
[40] 'GRAND COALITION' TO CONTINUE IN CZECH CAPITAL
[41] CZECH OPPOSITION 'EURO-REALIST' WARNS SLOVAKS AGAINST EU
[42] FORMER SLOVAK LEADER CHAMPIONS SWEEPING CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES...
[43] ...AND CRITICIZES SLOVAK GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAM
[44] SLOVAK DEPUTY PREMIER TO CONTINUE COORDINATING ROMANY AFFAIRS
[45] SLOVAK PRESIDENT VISITS LUXEMBOURG
[46] HUNGARY TO PARTICIPATE IN U.S. MISSILE-SHIELD PROGRAM?
[47] HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION PARTY WINS DEFAMATION SUIT AGAINST SOCIALIST
[48] MOODY'S IMPROVES HUNGARY'S COUNTRY-RISK RATING
[49] UN ADMINISTRATOR SAYS KOSOVA IS SHORT ON TIME
[50] BELGRADE STILL SEEKS A ROLE IN KOSOVA...
[51] ...WHILE LOCAL SERBS STILL BOYCOTT THE PARLIAMENT
[52] EU CONTINUES ITS PRESSURE ON SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
[53] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT ADJOURNS OVER INDEPENDENCE ISSUE
[54] MONTENEGRIN PARLIAMENT SPEEDS UP MEDIA REFORMS
[55] SARAJEVO COURT RELEASES FOUR CROATS SUSPECTED IN 1999
[56] WHO IS THE FOURTH MAN WANTED BY BOSNIAN SERB AUTHORITIES?
[57] CROATIAN COURT SAYS IT CANNOT RULE IN HAGUE-RELATED CASE
[58] MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT SETS UP ANTICORRUPTION COMMISSION
[59] ROMANIAN RULING PARTY DISCUSSES EARLY ELECTIONS
[60] PACE PRESIDENT IN ROMANIA
[61] ROMANIA REJECTS UKRAINIAN CHARGES
[62] U.S. EMBASSY IN MOLDOVA CONFIRMS SEARCH FOR 'DIRTY BOMB' RELICS
[63] MOLDOVAN OPPOSITION LEADER WARNS AGAINST 'RENATIONALIZATION'
[64] MOLDOVAN JOURNALISTS PROTEST RESTRICTIONS ON MEDIA
[65] BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT PROVIDES DETAILS OF ALLEGED ILLEGAL ARMS
[66] ...WHILE PARTIES TRADE ACCUSATIONS IN PARLIAMENT...
[67] ...AND FOREIGN MINISTER TRIES TO CALM THE STORM
[68] STUDENTS CONTINUE PROTEST AT KABUL UNIVERSITY...
[69] ...AS CONFLICTING REPORTS EMERGE ON THE NUMBER OF CASUALTIES...
[70] ...AND KARZAI ORDERS AN INQUIRY INTO SHOOTINGS
[71] U.S. INDICATES A SHIFT IN AFGHAN POLICY...
[72] ...AS PRESIDENT BUSH WELCOMES AFGHAN ROAD PROJECT
[73] NATO'S ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN WOULD BE A FIRST
[74] IRANIAN PROFESSOR WILL NOT APPEAL DEATH SENTENCE...
[75] ...AS IRANIAN PRESIDENT CRITICIZES AGHAJARI'S SENTENCE
[76] PROTESTS AGAINST AGHAJARI'S SENTENCE CONTINUE...
[77] ...BUT NOT EVERYBODY BACKS HIM
[78] STUDENT GROUP SCHEDULES STRIKE AT IRANIAN UNIVERSITY
[79] JUDICIARY PLACES LIMITS ON KURDISTAN PROVINCE PRESS
[80] GREECE-IRAN-ARMENIA ECONOMIC-COOPERATION MEETING HELD IN TEHRAN
[81] IRAQ DENIES SPYING ON U.S. FACILITIES
[82] UKRAINE CLAIMS IT STEPPED IN AND HALTED DISCUSSIONS ON SELLING
[83] IRAQI NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER COMMENTS ON RECOMMENDATIONS
[84] KURDISH PARLIAMENT PREPARES FOR ELECTIONS
[85] PUK APPOINTS NEW MINISTERS, JUDGES
[86] There is no End Note today.
13 November 2002
RUSSIA
[01] MOSCOW URGES BAGHDAD TO ACCEPT UN RESOLUTION
Deputy Foreign Minister Yurii Fedotov told journalists on 13 November
that Moscow has asked Iraq to accept and comply with UN Security
Council Resolution 1441, dpa and Russian news agencies reported. If
Iraq accepts the resolution, it will be easier for Russia to work
within the Security Council to lift the economic sanctions against
Baghdad, Fedotov said. Speaking to reporters during a state visit to
Norway, President Vladimir Putin said, "We proceed from the premise
that Baghdad will use this chance to avoid confrontation." Sergei
Karaganov, chairman of the Council for Defense and Foreign Policy, said
that if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein rejects the resolution as the
Iraqi parliament has, Russia will have to retreat from its
traditionally pro-Iraqi position and vote in favor of the use of force
against Baghdad. VY
[02] PUTIN TALKS ECONOMIC COOPERATION IN NORWAY
President Putin told journalists on 12 November following talks with
Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik that they discussed joint
projects in the energy, telecommunications, transport, and shipbuilding
spheres, Russian news agencies reported. Putin said Norway could be a
leading developer of the Stockman natural-gas deposit in northern
Russia. That deposit is the biggest in Europe and requires up to $20
billion in investment. The president added that negotiating the border
between the two countries in the oil- and fisheries-rich Barents Sea is
a top priority. "This problem is not new. It emerged when we were
children, and [Bondevik and I] agreed to solve it before we retire,"
Putin said. VY
[03] UPPER CHAMBER APPROVES RESTRICTIONS ON COVERING ANTITERRORISM
OPERATIONS...
The Federation Council approved on 13 November amendments to the law on
the mass media that would regulate the coverage of antiterrorism
operations (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 November 2002), RTR and other
Russian news agencies reported. According to Interfax, 145 senators
voted in favor of the amendments, one voted against, and two abstained.
According to RFE/RL's Russian Service, First Deputy Chairman of the
council Valerii Manilov told senators before the vote, "With the help
of these [amendments], we can increase the effectiveness of the fight
against terror and consolidate our society for this fight." In a
written message to Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov submitted
before the vote, Yabloko leader Grigorii Yavlinskii appealed to
senators to reject the amendments, writing that they "would create the
basis for limiting freedom of speech and persecuting the mass media."
He called the language in the amendments "slippery and vague" and said
the changes would make it possible for the executive branch "to
prosecute any journalist writing about Chechnya or terrorism." RC
[04] ...AND AMENDMENTS TO LAW ON COMBATING TERRORISM...
The Federation Council on 13 November also approved amendments to the
law on combating terrorism that would authorize the government to
refuse to turn over to relatives the bodies of those killed during
antiterrorism operations (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 November 2002), RTR
and other Russian news agencies reported. Viktor Ozerov, chairman of
the council's Defense and Security Committee, said the changes "are a
warning to terrorists that the battle against them will be merciless."
The vote was 133 for and two against. RC
[05] ...BUT REJECTS EARLY MARRIAGES
Senators on 13 November overwhelmingly rejected amendments to the
Family Code that would have legalized marriages for people as young as
14 years old "in extraordinary circumstances" with the permission of
local executive-branch officials, Russian news agencies reported. The
amendments were unanimously passed by the Duma on 30 October (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 31 October 2002), but just four senators voted for
them while 134 opposed them and four abstained, according to
RIA-Novosti. During discussion of the amendments, senators spoke out
harshly against the legislation, and the council also voted not to form
a conciliation committee to discuss the matter with the Duma. RC
[06] PROTESTORS SENT HOME
Police in Moscow on 13 November dispersed a small, unauthorized
demonstration organized by the youth wing of Yabloko outside the
Federation Council building, RosBalt and other Russian news agencies
reported. About 20 protestors carried signs and banners criticizing
proposed amendments to the law on the mass media that would regulate
the coverage of antiterrorism operations. Two protestors were detained
and taken to a nearby police station. An organizer told journalists the
group's request for permission to hold the demonstration was rejected
"on a technicality." RC
[07] DUMA ALLOCATES MORE FUNDS FOR FIGHTING TERRORISM
The State Duma Commission on Classified Budget Articles on 11 November
agreed in closed session to allocate an additional 3 billion rubles
($97 million) to agencies of the Interior Ministry and the Federal
Security Service (FSB) to combat terrorism, "Izvestiya" reported on 12
November. The extra money is likely to be compensated by reductions to
other defense-related programs, so total expenditures on defense and
security remain unchanged in the 2003 budget. According to Duma Budget
Committee Deputy Chairman Vitalii Shuba (Russian Regions), the Duma can
increase funding for counterterrorism efforts without returning the
budget for a vote in its second reading. The Duma will consider the
budget in its third reading as scheduled on 22 November. LB
[08] PUTIN, SCHROEDER HOLD WIDE-RANGING TALKS
President Putin on 12 November held talks in Oslo with German
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Russian and Western news agencies
reported. A meeting between the two leaders scheduled to be held in
Berlin on 24 October was canceled because of the Moscow hostage crisis.
Putin and Schroeder discussed the results of the 11 November EU-Russia
summit in Brussels, the situation in Iraq following the adoption of UN
Security Council Resolution 1441, the Middle East, and impending NATO
expansion, ITAR-TASS reported. Putin repeated early statements that the
conflict in Chechnya is "a domestic problem that Russia should settle
independently," while Schroeder expressed support for "the political
process with respect to Chechnya." The two men also discussed expanding
energy cooperation between the two countries. RC
[09] NUMBER OF CITIZENS LIVING IN POVERTY CONTINUES TO DECLINE
Some 27 percent of Russian citizens, approximately 38.7 million people,
had incomes lower than the subsistence minimum (the official poverty
level) in the third quarter of 2002, the State Statistics Committee
announced on 11 November. That figure is down from 36.6 percent in the
first quarter of 2001 and 33.3 percent in the first quarter of 2002,
"Novye izvestiya" reported on 12 November. Poverty is not evenly
distributed among regions and population groups. Some 28 percent of men
between the ages of 31 and 59 are estimated to live in poverty, as
opposed to 43.6 percent of children age 16 or younger. Ivanovo Oblast
consistently has the highest proportion of residents with incomes below
the subsistence minimum -- about 70 percent of the population. Less
than 16 percent of citizens live in poverty in oil- and gas-rich Tyumen
Oblast and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. LB
[10] GAZPROM TALKS TOUGH WITH MINSK
Speaking at a 12 November Duma hearing on the supply of Russian natural
gas to Belarus, Gazprom Deputy Chairman of the Board Aleksandr Zyuganov
said his company is dissatisfied with the policies of the Belarusian
government, pravda.ru reported on 13 November. Zyuganov told deputies
that Minsk is resisting the introduction of market principles. Until
recently, Russia sold Belarus gas at a heavily subsidized price of $21
per 1,000 cubic meters. As a result, Gazprom lost $2 billion over the
last four years alone. Minsk, in turn, sells the gas domestically for
$42 per 1,000 cubic meters. Therefore, Gazprom decided last month to
reduce supplies to Belarus by 50 percent unless Minsk agrees to pay
higher rates and to give Gazprom a 50 percent stake in Beltransgas, the
state-owned natural-gas company. If Minsk refuses, Zyuganov said,
Gazprom will use its influence to support construction of a Northern
European gas pipeline across the Baltic Sea and bypassing Belarus (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002). President Putin discussed such a
pipeline during this week's EU-Russia summit in Brussels. VY
[11] FSB INTERROGATES 'VERSIYA' STAFFERS
Rustam Arifdzhanov, the editor in chief of the weekly "Versiya," was
interrogated by FSB officers in Moscow on 12 November, TVS and
gazeta.ru reported. The previous day, FSB officers questioned "Versiya"
journalist Andrei Soldatov for a second time, and a staff member who
handles computer equipment has been summoned for an interview on 14
November. The FSB is investigating an article Soldatov wrote for the 27
May edition of the weekly. However, speaking to TVS, Arifdzhanov
speculated that the FSB is more broadly interested in his newspaper's
sources and methods of reporting. Investigators told him they continue
to examine the computers and server confiscated during a search of
"Versiya" offices on 1 November (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 November
2002). LB
[12] RUSSIAN PALLADIUM, PLATINUM EXPORTS FALL
Russia's exports of platinum in 2002 will be reduced to 950,000 troy
ounces, compared to 1.3 million last year, gazeta.ru reported on 13
November, citing a report by the American metals company Johnson
Matthey. The report further forecasts that exports of palladium will
fall by 63 percent compared to 2001 to 1.6 million ounces. Despite the
reductions, Russia will remain the world's second-largest producer of
these metals, after South Africa. RC
[13] CONSIDERATION OF NEW BASHKIR CONSTITUTION DELAYED
Legislators in Bashkortostan have voted to postpone consideration of a
new draft republican constitution, lenta.ru reported on 13 November.
According to the report, deputies postponed consideration because of
the large number of comments and proposals being received from
throughout the republic. The draft, which would create a parliamentary
republic and eliminate the post of republican president, was approved
by a constitutional commission on 16 October. RC
[14] POLICE HUNT PETERSBURG LIBRARY THIEVES
The recent spate of thefts of rare academic books from St. Petersburg
libraries might be part of a wave of similar crimes across Europe,
utro.ru reported on 12 November, citing unidentified Western book
dealers who are reportedly consulting with Russian police investigating
the cases. The report says, without giving details, that a number of
rare scientific volumes have been stolen from Western museums and
libraries in recent months. In the last 10 days, two first-edition
copies of Isaac Newton's "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica"
and several other rare volumes were reported stolen (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 11 and 12 November 2002). According to utro.ru, the Newton
volumes, which were published in 1687 and of which only about 200
exist, are worth about $300,000 each. Police have determined that the
thieves gained access to the St. Petersburg libraries by posing as
graduate students. RC
[15] NEW CHECHEN PRIME MINISTER NAMED
Grozny administration head Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov on 12 November
appointed as Chechnya's new prime minister the first deputy governor of
Ivanovo Oblast, Mikhail Babich, ITAR-TASS reported the following day.
Outgoing Prime Minister Stanislav Ilyasov, who was named on 7 November
minister for reconstruction in Chechnya (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11
November 2002), termed that appointment "a wise choice" and predicted
that he, Kadyrov, and Babich will work well as a team. Adlan Magomadov,
who is Chechnya's representative to the Russian presidential
administration, characterized Babich, 33, as an "experienced and
promising politician." LF
[16] CHECHEN DISPLACED PERSONS REQUEST REFUGE IN KAZAKHSTAN
A group of more than 300 Chechen families currently facing expulsion
from Ingushetia have appealed to Kazakhstan's President Nursultan
Nazarbaev to grant them temporary refuge in that country until the war
in Chechnya is ended, chechenpress.com reported. The letter, dated 12
November, explains that Chechens consider Kazakhstan a "second
homeland" as their forebears were deported there by Stalin in 1944. It
adds that the October hostage taking by Chechens in Moscow has
triggered a wave of indiscriminate reprisals against civilians in
Chechnya, in which "entire families of totally innocent people
disappear." It also says that Chechens are subjected to harassment and
arrest elsewhere across the Russian Federation and that Western
countries that earlier accepted refugees from Chechnya are no longer
willing to do so. LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[17] ARMENIAN LEGISLATORS OBJECT TO PROPOSED WAGE INCREASES
Members of several parliamentary committees on 12 November denounced
the salary increases for parliament deputies, judges, and government
officials envisaged in the 2003 draft budget, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau
reported. The monthly salaries of the country's president and judges
would increase from $350 to approximately $1,000, those of parliament
deputies from $270 to $700, and those of customs and tax officials from
$60 to $120. Finance and Economy Minister Vartan Khachatrian argued
that raising tax inspectors' wages is the only way to stamp out bribe
taking among them. But several deputies pointed out that the wage
increases will only serve to deepen social inequalities and ensuing
resentment. The average Armenian monthly salary is less than $50, and
the average pension is $10. LF
[18] ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS CRITICIZE AMENDED DRAFT MEDIA LAW
At a 12 November meeting at the Ministry of Justice, Armenian
journalists criticized the new draft media law on the grounds that it
fails to define journalists' rights and holds journalists responsible
for the publication of information containing state secrets rather than
the person who provided the information, Noyan Tapan reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002). LF
[19] KARABAKH PRESIDENT SAYS SETTLEMENT UNLIKELY BEFORE ELECTIONS
Speaking on 12 November in Yerevan, Arkadii Ghukasian, who is president
of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, said he doubts a formal
agreement resolving the Karabakh conflict will be signed before the
presidential elections to be held in both Armenia and Azerbaijan next
year RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Armenian President Robert
Kocharian is scheduled to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart Heidar
Aliev in Prague on 22 November on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
Ghukasian said he doubts that meeting will result in a settlement,
given that both men are running for reelection and are thus unwilling
to make compromises that might alienate voters. LF
[20] UN OFFICIAL CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF ABKHAZ-GEORGIAN TALKS...
On the final day of his fact-finding mission to Georgia and Abkhazia,
UN Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie
Guehenno met separately in Tbilisi on 12 November with parliament
speaker Nino Burdjanadze and with President Eduard Shevardnadze,
Caucasus Press and Russian news agencies reported. Burdjanadze
reportedly complained that the UN has not done enough to promote a
settlement of the conflict and called on the organization to pressure
Russia to drop its double standard toward Georgia, by which she
presumably meant that Russia has no right to deny Chechnya independence
while tacitly supporting Abkhazia. She also pointed out that nine years
after the end of the war, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the
Georgian authorities to convince Georgian displaced persons from
Abkhazia that the conflict should be resolved peacefully. Guehenno told
journalists after his talks with Shevardnadze that he considers it
imperative for Tbilisi and Sukhum to begin talks on the so-called Boden
document "Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competencies Between
Tbilisi and Sukhumi," which Abkhazia has previously rejected. A
spokeswoman for Shevardnadze said that document gives Abkhazia "broad
autonomy" within Georgia. "Rezonansi" on 13 November quoted Belgian
constitutional expert Bruno Coppieters as saying the document provides
for a federative system with horizontal ties between the central
government and those of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Caucasus Press
reported. LF
[21] ...AND CRACKDOWN ON CRIME
Guehenno indicated the UN is unlikely to respond positively to Georgian
calls for augmenting the Russian peacekeeping force in the Abkhaz
conflict zone with contingents from other countries, according to
Interfax on 12 November. He further called for a crackdown on criminal
gangs operating in Abkhazia's southernmost Gali Raion, saying they are
an obstacle to peace, according to Caucasus Press. On 13 November,
Caucasus Press quoted Georgia's Ambassador to the UN Revaz Adamia as
saying the UN has "unofficially" discussed the possibility of imposing
economic sanctions on Abkhazia if it continues to refuse to begin talks
on the "Boden" document. LF
[22] KAZAKH POLICE DETAIN SUPPORTERS OF ARRESTED JOURNALIST...
Police detained about a dozen supporters of arrested independent
journalist Sergei Duvanov who staged a silent protest on 12 November
outside an Almaty theater by carrying umbrellas inscribed with
Duvanov's name, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported. Forty participants in
five previous demonstrations in support of Duvanov have likewise been
detained; three of them were sentenced to between two and four days'
administrative arrest and 12 were fined, according to Roza Taukina, who
heads the nongovernmental organization Journalists in Trouble. LF
[23] ...AS U.S. CALLS FOR FAIR TRIAL...
Speaking in Washington on 12 November, U.S. State Department spokesman
Richard Boucher acknowledged that the charges of raping an underage
girl brought against Duvanov are serious, Reuters and AFP reported. He
said Washington's "primary concern is that any legal process against
him be carried out in a fair, transparent, and open manner." Boucher
added that the United States had communicated to the Kazakh authorities
its concern over Duvanov's health. On 9 November, Duvanov abandoned a
hunger strike he began 10 days earlier to protest his innocence. LF
[24] ...AND LAWYERS DETAIL VIOLATIONS OF KAZAKHSTAN'S CRIMINAL
PROCEDURE CODE
Meanwhile a U.S. legal firm has compiled a memorandum, a copy of which
has been made available to "RFE/RL Newsline," detailing violations of
the Criminal Procedure Code in Duvanov's case. The memorandum, dated 12
November, notes among other violations that the senior investigator in
the case has affirmed the alleged rape took place, thereby violating
the presumption of innocence; that Duvanov was not permitted access to
a lawyer within the legally required time period; that although his
formal detention and arrest were conducted in violation of the legally
required timeframe he was not released pending trial; that he was not
permitted to confront the complainant prior to his interrogation; and
that his request for scientific tests to be conducted at the scene of
the alleged crime was refused. LF
[25] KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT AGAIN FAILS TO REACH CONSENSUS ON BY-ELECTION
DISPUTE
On 12 November, the Legislative Assembly (the lower parliament chamber)
continued to discuss, but failed to adopt and called for additions and
amendments to, a resolution focusing on the situation in the south of
the country following a court decision to bar former Deputy Prime
Minister Usen Sydykov from a run-off by-election, akipress.org and
RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. Sydykov has appealed to the
Constitutional Court to overrule the Supreme Court's upholding of that
ruling (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002). Some deputies argued
the dispute does not lie within the parliament's competence and should
be dealt with by the Central Election Commission. LF
[26] KYRGYZSTAN, U.S. SIGN MILITARY-COOPERATION AGREEMENT
Visiting the United States from 6-11 November, Kyrgyzstan's Defense
Minister Colonel General Esen Topoev met with U.S. Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld to discuss bilateral military cooperation and
regional-security issues, Interfax reported on 10 November. Topoev and
U.S. Army commander General Tommy Franks signed an agreement on
military-technical cooperation for 2003. LF
[27] TURKMEN PRESIDENT BLAMES DISASTROUS COTTON HARVEST ON HUMAN
FAILURE
Addressing a cabinet session on 11 November, Turkmenistan's President
Saparmurat Niyazov blamed the low cotton harvest on local officials'
poor organization and the inefficient use of manpower and technical
resources, Interfax reported the following day. To date only some
500,000 tons of cotton have been harvested, or one quarter of the
target figure. Niyazov said even accounting for adverse weather
conditions it should have proved possible to harvest 1.5 million tons.
He had warned local officials in the country's main cotton-producing
regions one week earlier that he will hold them personally responsible
for failing to meet the target figure (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6
November 2002). LF
[28] NEW TURKMEN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER, COMMITTEE HEADS NAMED
Acting on the recommendation of President Niyazov, parliament deputies
on 12 November elected as the new speaker of the legislature Supreme
Court Chairman Ovezgeldy Ataev, Interfax and turkmenistan.ru reported.
Ataev replaces Tagandurdy Khallyev, who retired from the post of
speaker but will retain his deputy's mandate. Gozel Nuralieva, who is
editor of the official Russian-language newspaper "Neytralnyi
Turkmenistan," was elected deputy speaker. In addition, new
chairpersons were named for the parliament committees on economy and
social policy (former Foreign Ministry official Boris Mikhailov),
science, education and culture (Kakabay Ilyasov, editor of the
newspaper "Turkmenistan"), international and inter-parliamentary ties
(parliament deputy Akcha Nurberdieva) and legislation (Murad Karryev,
former head of the law enforcement organs department of the
presidential administration). LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[29] NATO REPORTEDLY SENDS BLUNT MESSAGE TO BELARUSIAN, UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENTS
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchma have been sent messages stressing that "their presence at
the NATO summit in Prague is undesirable," RFE/RL's Belarusian Service
reported on 12 November, citing an unnamed source at NATO headquarters.
The source added that if those two leaders make an appearance at the
21-22 November summit, they "will see a lot of empty chairs around
them." Minsk maintains that, as a full-fledged member of NATO's
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Belarus needs no special invitation
to attend the summit (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002).
Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Paval Latushka told RFE/RL that
NATO's approach to the Prague summit betrays NATO's "selective
attitude" toward Partnership Council members and "a practice of double
standards" in relation to Belarus. AM
[30] UKRAINE REVEALS KOLCHUGA SECRETS
Ukraine's Topaz factory in Donetsk has manufactured 76 Kolchuga radar
stations since 1987, when the first was produced, Viktor Medvedchuk,
head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, said at a briefing
on 12 November, according to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. The factory
had manufactured 46 Kolchuga stations for the Soviet Defense Ministry
by January 1992, and 14 of those units have been located among
Ukrainian military units, he said. After January 1992, another 30
stations were produced: 18 for Russia, eight for the Ukrainian Defense
Ministry, and four for China. In or after 1991, three stations were
sold to Ethiopia following modifications. Medvedchuk said the serial
numbers of all the radar stations -- aside from the first unit in 1987,
which had no serial number -- have been provided to U.S. and British
experts. There are 19 Kolchuga stations in Ukraine, he said, and the
visiting experts were shown all their locations. "We are talking about
top-secret information, but we provided it to [the U.S. and British]
experts," Medvedchuk added (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 and 11 November
2002). AM
[31] UKRAINE CLAIMS IT STEPPED IN AND HALTED DISCUSSIONS ON SELLING
RADAR SYSTEMS TO IRAQ
Ukrainian presidential administration head Viktor Medvedchuk has said
the Ukrainian Security Service and the Defense Ministry halted talks
between state arms exporter Ukrspetseksport and a Jordanian middleman
attempting to buy Kolchuga radar systems for Iraq, Interfax news agency
reported on 12 November. According to the report, Medvedchuk recalled
that former Ukrspetseksport head Valeriy Malev "really held such
unofficial talks, but they were not held at the level of signing
protocols, making offers, or concluding deals. The talks concerned a
request on the possibility of a sale." As a result, he contended, the
Ukrainian state security services, along with the intelligence
directorate of the Defense Ministry, intervened and advised Malev to
terminate talks with the Jordanian. KR
[32] ESTONIA LEADS BALTICS, POSTCOMMUNIST REGION ON ANNUAL ECONOMIC
FREEDOM LIST
The Heritage Foundation and "The Wall Street Journal" issued their
annual Economic Freedom index ranking of 161 countries, BNS reported on
12 November. Estonia placed sixth, tied with Denmark and the United
States. Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and Ireland
topped the list. Last year, Estonia was fourth along with Ireland,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United States (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 13 November 2001). Lithuania was second among other Eastern
and Central European countries, retaining its 29th position, followed
by the Czech Republic and Hungary in 32nd place and Latvia, which
climbed from 38th to 33rd. The index, created in 1995, is based on an
analysis of 50 indicators that include trade restrictions, tax
policies, government intervention in the economy, trade and fiscal
policies, foreign investment, banking and finance, price and wage
regulations, real estate, and the scale of the black market. SG
[33] LATVIA'S RULING PARTIES AGREE ON COMMISSION CHAIRMEN IN
LEGISLATURE
The four parties in the ruling center-right coalition reached an
agreement on 12 November on the distribution of chairmen's posts among
parliament's 17 commissions, LETA reported. The New Era will lead seven
commissions: Audit; Budget and Finance; Corruption, Contraband and
Organized-Crime Prevention; Human Rights and Public Affairs; Internal
Administration; and Legal. The Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) will
chair five commissions: Economy, Agrarian, Environmental and Regional
Development; Education, Culture, and Science; Inquiry; National
Security; and State Administration and Local Government. Latvia's First
Party (LPP) will head four commissions: Citizenship Law Implementation;
Defense and Internal Affairs; Mandate and Submission; and Social and
Labor Affairs. For the Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK will chair the
remaining two commissions: European Affairs and Foreign Affairs. SG
[34] MOODY'S HIKES CREDIT RATINGS OF BALTIC STATES
Moody's Investors Service announced on 12 November that it is raising
the foreign-currency ratings of the eight Central and Eastern European
countries expected to join the EU in 2004, ETA reported. The higher
ratings reflect Moody's belief that the economic and financial
integration of those countries in the EU is irreversible and that such
integration lowers the risk of a foreign-currency crisis. Each of the
three Baltic countries' ratings were increased by three notches:
Estonia's from Baa1 to A1; Latvia's and Lithuania's from Baa2 to A2 and
from Baa1 to Ba1, respectively. The countries' foreign-currency ratings
now equal those of government-issued bonds in the respective local
currencies. SG
[35] LITHUANIAN PREMIER SUPPORTS EU-RUSSIA AGREEMENT ON KALININGRAD
TRANSIT
In an interview on Lithuanian National Radio on 12 November, Algirdas
Brazauskas praised the recent EU-Russia agreement on transit to and
from the Kaliningrad Oblast (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002),
BNS reported. "My evaluation is positive, because the principal issues
have been resolved and the procedure agreed upon in Brussels were not
new to Lithuania," Brazauskas said. Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis
called the agreement "a search for a political compromise" and noted:
"There are sufficient preconditions to achieve results beneficial for
Lithuania in further negotiations, because the final transit conditions
will have to be determined with Lithuania's consent." He said
guarantees must be forthcoming that the agreement will not be an
obstacle for Lithuania's early entry into the Schengen zone nor create
additional financial or administrative obligations. SG
[36] CENTER-RIGHT CANDIDATES MAINTAIN TOEHOLD IN BIG CITIES FOLLOWING
ELECTORAL RUNOFF
The Polish Peasant Party (PSL) won the greatest number of communal
leadership (wojt) posts while the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
(SLD-UP) coalition won the greatest number of town and city mayorships,
Polish radio reported on 11 November. But that pattern does not extend
to big cities, the broadcaster stressed. Rafal Dutkiewicz (63 percent),
a joint candidate of the Civic Platform and Law and Justice (PiS), won
in Wroclaw. Pawel Adamowicz (72 percent) is to become mayor of Gdansk,
and Ryszard Grobelny (65 percent) will lead Poznan -- both are Civic
Platform candidates. Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski on 12
November said he is "pleased" with the election results. "Rightist
parties will undoubtedly assume some responsibility for cities and the
state now," PAP quoted Kwasniewski as saying. "Each of the major
parties, for democracy's sake, should bear the part of this
responsibility." AM
[37] KUWAIT OFFERS TO FINANCE EXTENSION OF CZECH TROOP ASSIGNMENT
Defense Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik told TV Nova on 12 November that
Kuwait has offered to finance an extension of the Czech
antichemical-warfare unit's service in that country for one more year,
CTK reported. The government decided after the Czech Republic's
devastating August floods to withdraw 200 of the unit's 250 members to
save costs. TV Nova reported that the Czech National Security Council
for the time being has only "taken note" of the offer. The station also
said Kuwait and other Arab countries have offered to buy the unit's
equipment and pay for the training of their own specialists in
antichemical warfare. The Czech unit has been serving in Kuwait since
March as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. MS
[38] CZECH REPUBLIC TO HALVE MILITARY RECRUITMENT IN 2003
As a first step toward professionalizing the Czech Army, military
recruiting will be halved in 2003, CTK reported on 12 November, citing
the daily "Mlada fronta Dnes." The daily reported that while 20,300
individuals have been recruited in 2002, only 10,800 will be drafted
next year. Outgoing Chief of Staff General Jiri Sedivy told the daily
that the physical condition of prospective recruits will be the chief
criterion to decide on their possible service, but other factors like
their social situation might also be taken into consideration. MS
[39] RESIDENTS FEAR RIOTS IN CZECH CAPITAL BUT SUPPORT NATO SUMMIT
An overwhelming 80 percent of Prague residents fear street riots during
the upcoming NATO summit in the Czech capital, according to a
public-opinion poll conducted by the School of International and Public
Relations, CTK reported on 12 November. Fifty-three percent are also
afraid of a possible terrorist attack during the 21-22 November summit.
However, 58 percent of those questioned said they approve of Prague's
hosting of the summit, while 42 percent said they disagree. Rioting cut
short the IMF/World Bank's annual meeting in Prague in September 2000.
MS
[40] 'GRAND COALITION' TO CONTINUE IN CZECH CAPITAL
Jan Buergermeister, chairman of the Prague chapter of the Civic
Democratic Party (ODS), on 12 November told CTK that an agreement has
been reached with the Social Democratic Party (CSSD) on continuing
their joint governance of the Czech capital. In last month's local
elections, the ODS won the highest number of seats on the local
council, while the CSSD placed third. The ODS-CSSD local coalition will
control 42 of the city's 70 assembly seats. Buergermeister also said
Pavel Bem of the ODS will be Prague's next lord mayor, a seat currently
held by Igor Nemec (ODS). MS
[41] CZECH OPPOSITION 'EURO-REALIST' WARNS SLOVAKS AGAINST EU
OVERENTHUSIASM
Lecturing in Bratislava on 12 November, Czech ODS Chairman and likely
presidential candidate Vaclav Klaus warned the audience against pinning
excessive hopes on what he called the "formal" entry of Slovakia and
the Czech Republic into the European Union, CTK reported on 12
November, citing the daily "Hospodarske noviny." He said one should
distinguish between genuine integration in Europe and "formal
membership in the EU," from which people are expecting more than they
will actually receive. Klaus said that while the Iron Curtain fell 13
years ago, a "psychological iron curtain" still divides the continent.
He also said the entire project for Europe's future has changed course
and Central European states are no longer faced with participating in
the opening of Europe but with becoming members of some sort of
European "superstate." Klaus said that, if elected Czech president, he
will continue to be "a great friend and advocate" of Slovakia. MS
[42] FORMER SLOVAK LEADER CHAMPIONS SWEEPING CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES...
Speaking in parliament on 12 November, former Premier and the current
Chairman of the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia Vladimir
Meciar proposed the unification of the posts of president and prime
minister, TASR reported. Meciar also proposed that Slovakia's
unicameral parliament be divided into an upper house and a lower house
without increasing the number of parliamentarians, which is currently
150. MS
[43] ...AND CRITICIZES SLOVAK GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAM
In the same address before parliament, Meciar accused the government of
having "no economic policy" and being "strangely silent on
privatization," CTK and TASR reported. He said public-administration
reforms under current Premier Mikulas Dzurinda's 1998-2002 cabinet have
in fact increased bureaucracy. Meciar also criticized the cabinet's
social and health policies, its intended measures to fight corruption,
and planned measures to improve the situation of the Romany minority.
Robert Fico, leader of the opposition Smer (Direction) party, also
assailed the current government. Fico said the cabinet intends to
privatize strategic state-owned companies, which, he added, amounts to
"a sellout of the last valuable property" the state has in its hands.
MS
[44] SLOVAK DEPUTY PREMIER TO CONTINUE COORDINATING ROMANY AFFAIRS
Representatives of the four right-wing coalition parties reached an
agreement on 12 November to have Deputy Premier Pal Csaky continue
coordinating Romany affairs in the government, CTK reported.
Parliamentary speaker Pavol Hrusovsky said the parties also agreed not
to change the previous government's strategy for dealing with these
issues. In effect, this amounts to a rejection of the coalition
Alliance for New Citizens' proposal to revise that strategy, CTK said.
MS
[45] SLOVAK PRESIDENT VISITS LUXEMBOURG
Visiting Slovak President Rudolf Schuster met in Luxembourg on 12
November with Premier Jean-Claude Juncker, Foreign Minister Lydie
Polfer, and parliamentary speaker Jean Spautz, TASR reported. They
discussed Slovakia's NATO candidacy, the expansion of Luxembourgian
investments in Slovakia, and cooperation between Visegrad Four and
Benelux countries. Slovak Defense Minister Ivan Simko, who accompanied
Schuster on his trip, signed a military-cooperation agreement with his
Luxembourgian counterpart Charles Goerens. MS
[46] HUNGARY TO PARTICIPATE IN U.S. MISSILE-SHIELD PROGRAM?
Defense Minister Ferenc Juhasz said on 12 November that Hungarian
participation in a possible U.S. missile-defense program could bring
benefits to the country, Budapest dailies reported. The Hungarian
government must be open to such a program, Juhasz said, as it would
enhance security. He said the United States could deploy a missile
system in Hungary as part of a global missile-defense umbrella. He
stressed, however, that there is no specific U.S. requirement yet, as a
related decision will be made in the United States only in the spring.
The question of joining the missile-defense system was raised during
Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy's visit to Washington last week,
"Nepszabadsag" reported. The Czech Republic's defense minister,
Jaroslav Tvrdik, has hinted at his country's willingness to be involved
in the project (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 and 20 September and 4
October 2002). MSZ
[47] HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION PARTY WINS DEFAMATION SUIT AGAINST SOCIALIST
PARTY CHAIRMAN
The opposition FIDESZ party on 12 November won a lawsuit against
Socialist Party Chairman Laszlo Kovacs in Buda Central District Court,
Hungarian media reported. FIDESZ sued Kovacs for claiming between the
two rounds of the parliamentary elections in April that a major state
company produced false Socialist Party leaflets abroad and wanted to
distribute them during a period in which campaigning is banned by law.
Kovacs indirectly linked the alleged action with FIDESZ. According to
the ruling, Kovacs created a false impression and damaged FIDESZ's
reputation. The court obliged Kovacs to make public the verdict in
three national newspapers and to apologize to FIDESZ. The court
rejected the argument that the statements can be viewed as an opinion.
Hungarian radio reported on 13 November that Kovacs will appeal the
ruling. MSZ
[48] MOODY'S IMPROVES HUNGARY'S COUNTRY-RISK RATING
Moody's Investors Service on 12 November upgraded Hungary's foreign
currency sovereign debt two levels from A3 to A1, "Vilaggazdasag"
reported. Moody's upgraded its rating on debt to all countries expected
to join the EU in the next two years (see Baltic item above). The
announcement is nevertheless something of a surprise for Hungary, since
Fitch recently announced that it is considering a downgrade of Hungary.
The Moody's upgrade merely reflects the market climate but is a good
sign, said local analyst Zoltan Torok. He said Moody's is expressing an
opinion on a region, not specifically Hungary. As a result of the
upgrade, Moody's is reviewing its ratings of Hungarian banks with a
view to a possible upgrade. MSZ
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[49] UN ADMINISTRATOR SAYS KOSOVA IS SHORT ON TIME
Speaking in Berlin on 12 November, Michael Steiner, who heads the UN
civilian administration in Kosova, said the international community
will not remain in Kosova indefinitely, dpa reported. He stressed that
the international community has rethought the nature and duration of
its mission in the province following the 11 September 2001 terrorist
attacks in the United States. Steiner argued, "The idea in [world]
capitals before 11 September last year that [the reconstruction of
Kosova] could take generations or an eternity is outdated." He did not
set a new timetable for reconstruction or for deciding on the political
status of the province. Steiner added, however, that there can be no
partition of Kosova or return to its status before NATO intervened in
1999, when the province was totally subordinate to Belgrade. He
stressed that KFOR troops are essential for the security of the 11,000
UNMIK personnel. He noted that infrastructure and the overall security
situation are better than in 1999, but said unemployment remains the
most important problem (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 September 2002). PM
[50] BELGRADE STILL SEEKS A ROLE IN KOSOVA...
Rasim Ljajic, who is a Muslim politician from Sandzak and the Yugoslav
minister for minority issues, told Reuters in Belgrade on 12 November
that it is too early to raise the issue of Kosova's status but that the
matter might be discussed in 2005. "I believe the issue of Kosovo's
status could be raised then. It will be resolved in a triangle --
Belgrade, Pristina, and the international community," Ljajic said. He
added that in the meantime there will be opportunities "to warm up this
general political climate prior to negotiations." This is the second
time in two weeks that official Belgrade has let it be known that it
intends to have a role in Kosova, which the ethnic Albanian majority
rejects outright (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 and 11 November 2002, and
"RFE/RL Balkan Report," 23 August 2002). PM
[51] ...WHILE LOCAL SERBS STILL BOYCOTT THE PARLIAMENT
Rada Trajkovic, who heads the Serbian Povratak (Return) faction in the
Kosovar parliament, told RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages
Service in Prishtina on 12 November that Serbian legislators will
continue their boycott of parliamentary sessions until Serbs cease to
be marginalized in Kosovar institutions, as she put it (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 11 November 2002). Povratak holds 22 out of 120 seats in the
parliament. Serbs make up less than 10 percent of the population. PM
[52] EU CONTINUES ITS PRESSURE ON SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
EU security-policy chief Javier Solana told Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica by telephone on 12 November that Serbia and Montenegro should
complete the projected draft Constitutional Charter as soon as
possible, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 9 September and 22 October 2002). PM
[53] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT ADJOURNS OVER INDEPENDENCE ISSUE
The legislature broke off its work on 12 November after a majority of
legislators objected to holding a proposed discussion on a referendum
for Serbian independence from a joint state with Montenegro, RFE/RL's
South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. Independence
enjoys wide support in public-opinion polls and is a favorite cause of
Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic and his Christian Democrats.
Opposition parties, Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia, and the
Social Democrats oppose holding a referendum. In related news, the
Yugoslav parliament is expected to set up a committee on 13 November to
investigate arms sales to Iraq (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 8 November
2002). PM
[54] MONTENEGRIN PARLIAMENT SPEEDS UP MEDIA REFORMS
The legislature voted on 12 November to bring three media laws
supported by the Council of Europe into effect within eight days and
not in the spring of 2003 as originally planned by the last
legislature, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported. In related news, the opposition Socialist People's Party
(SNP) has joined the Liberal Alliance in launching a boycott of
legislative sessions (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 October and 4 November
2002). SNP President Predrag Bulatovic said SNP members of parliament
will show up only if they have time to do so. PM
[55] SARAJEVO COURT RELEASES FOUR CROATS SUSPECTED IN 1999
ASSASSINATION
The Sarajevo county court ordered the release on 12 November of Jedinko
Bajkusa, Zeljko Cosic, Zoran Basic, and Dominik Ilijasevic, Deutsche
Welle's Bosnian Service reported. The court ruled that there is not
enough evidence to justify holding the men in conjunction with the
assassination in 1999 of Deputy Interior Minister Jozo Leutar. PM
[56] WHO IS THE FOURTH MAN WANTED BY BOSNIAN SERB AUTHORITIES?
Former Bosnian Serb air-force and air-defense chief General Radoslav
Pandzic is the fourth man sought by Republika Srpska authorities on
charges of involvement in illegal production of and trade in arms and
explosives, in addition to forging and destroying documents, RFE/RL's
South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported from Bijeljina on
12 November (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 November 2002). PM
[57] CROATIAN COURT SAYS IT CANNOT RULE IN HAGUE-RELATED CASE
The Constitutional Court ruled in Zagreb on 12 November that it is not
legally competent to decide on the constitutionality of the indictment
of former General Janko Bobetko by the war crimes tribunal in The
Hague, Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002 and
"RFE/RL South Slavic Report," 7 November 2002). The court ruled that
only the tribunal itself can deal with the matter. PM
[58] MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT SETS UP ANTICORRUPTION COMMISSION
Parliament appointed a seven-member Anticorruption Commission on 12
November, dpa reported. The members include lawyers and economists
nominated by the ruling parties as well as by NGOs such as the
Macedonian chapter of Transparency International. The opposition
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO-DPMNE) and the
Democratic Party of the Albanians (PDSH) protested the nomination
procedure. They declared that the opposition must have the right to
nominate four of the seven members. With the formation of the
commission, the government has complied with new anticorruption
legislation that was adopted but not implemented by the previous
government. Fighting widespread corruption will be crucial for the
stabilization of the country, which depends heavily on international
financial support. UB
[59] ROMANIAN RULING PARTY DISCUSSES EARLY ELECTIONS
The leadership of the Ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) discussed in
a closed-door meeting on 12 November the possibility of holding early
elections, Romanian Radio reported. No details emerged from the
meeting, but Public Administration Minister Octav Cozmanca earlier said
that he is convinced the PSD and President Ion Iliescu will "find a
formula" that would assuage Iliescu's objections to early elections.
Cozmanca said one possibility would be to have a 30-day election
campaign, Mediafax reported. In an interview with Romanian Radio,
Iliescu said the consultations with political parties he was to begin
on 13 November will focus mainly on advancing Romania's bids for NATO
and EU accession but other issues, among them holding early elections,
might also be discussed. The Greater Romania Party said it is ready to
support early elections but other parliamentary formations have
rejected the idea, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. MS
[60] PACE PRESIDENT IN ROMANIA
Peter Schieder, chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe, told a joint session of Romania's bicameral parliament on 12
November that violation of the conditions for free travel within the
Schengen zone on the part of Roma and other Romanian citizens could
lead to a reimposition of visa requirements on Romanian nationals,
RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. Schieder said he is personally
opposed to this step and that Romania is not the only EU candidate
country that risks the reimposition of a visa regime for such
violations. In his speech, Schieder praised Romania for removing from
its Penal Code an article imposing prison sentences on same-sex
relations. He also said Romania is a functioning democracy and an
important contributor to regional stability. Schieder, who was
decorated by President Iliescu one day earlier, also met on 12 November
with Prime Minister Adrian Nastase and Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana.
MS
[61] ROMANIA REJECTS UKRAINIAN CHARGES
In a press release dated 12 November, the Foreign Ministry rejected
Ukraine's charges that Bucharest's positions are making it impossible
to reach an agreement on the delimitation of the two countries'
borders, Mediafax reported. The ministry said Ukraine's allegations
that Romania is making territorial demands regarding the Black Sea
Serpents Island are untrue, emphasizing that from the beginning of
negotiations in 1997 Romania has accepted Ukraine's full sovereignty
over the territory inherited from the former Soviet Union. It said only
the delimitation of the continental shelf and "economic zones" are at
issue, and that in the last round of negotiations held in Kyiv the
Ukrainian side refused to address this issue in any way. MS
[62] U.S. EMBASSY IN MOLDOVA CONFIRMS SEARCH FOR 'DIRTY BOMB' RELICS
The U.S. Embassy in Moldova confirmed on 12 November that U.S.
specialists are searching in Moldova for lead-shielded canisters
containing the radioactive cesium 137 materials, from which a "dirty
bomb" could be manufactured, Romanian Radio reported. "The Washington
Post" reported on 11 November that scientists in the former Soviet
Union developed a radioactive device that was sent to the countryside
for a project known as Gamma Kolos. Its purpose was to expose plants to
radiation and measure the effects. The report said fears that Al-Qaeda
terrorists could lay their hands on the material led to a 10-month
search in Georgia that has turned up five of the Gamma Kolos devices,
all of which are now in safe storage. Four devices have also been found
in Moldova. MS
[63] MOLDOVAN OPPOSITION LEADER WARNS AGAINST 'RENATIONALIZATION'
Former Premier Dumitru Braghis, chairman of the Braghis Alliance,
warned on 12 November that a "creeping renationalization" of former
state companies is under way in Moldova and that foreign investors will
become wary of investing in the country, RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau
reported. Braghis said this could trigger a serious economic crisis in
the country, as well as harm Moldova's image abroad. "It would be naive
to believe that these moves are not guided by the communist
governmental team, but it would be even more naive to think that
European public opinion is unaware of the gap between the government's
statements and its actual deeds," he said. MS
[64] MOLDOVAN JOURNALISTS PROTEST RESTRICTIONS ON MEDIA
Dozens of journalists picketed the parliament on 12 November in protest
against infringements of the freedom of expression by the government,
RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau reported. Journalists Union Chairman Valeriu
Saharneanu said that despite a parliamentary decision, Romanian
Television's Channel 1 broadcasts have still not been resumed. The
protest was also directed at recent measures against the "Accente"
weekly and its staff. While the demonstration was going on, the
Audiovisual Council announced it has withdrawn the broadcasting
licenses of several radio stations for violating broadcasting
regulations. The stations affected include Bessarabia's Voice, of which
Saharneanu is director. Audiovisual Council Chairman Ion Mihailo said
Bessarabia's Voice has never broadcast newscasts or other programs
taken from Moldovan state radio, but it continuously carries newscasts
and programs of foreign stations, including the BBC, Voice of America,
and RFE/RL. MS
[65] BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT PROVIDES DETAILS OF ALLEGED ILLEGAL ARMS
EXPORTS...
In response to reports that the state-owned ordnance company TEREM sold
Iraq spare parts for armed troop transporters (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
11 November 2002), government spokesman Dimitar Tsonev said on 12
November that the equipment was destined for Syria. According to
Tsonev, a joint investigation by the Defense Ministry, intelligence
services, and customs authorities established that a deal for the parts
was closed between managers of TEREM and an employee of the Bulgarian
trade company Poldis who represented a Washington, D.C.-based firm. The
final recipient of the goods was the Syrian company Al-Karnak, which is
based in Bab Alhala. Tsonev said the deal has been stopped and only
civilian goods were exported. He added that those responsible for the
deal will face charges of violating export regulations for dual-use
goods. UB
[66] ...WHILE PARTIES TRADE ACCUSATIONS IN PARLIAMENT...
Speakers for the major political parties engaged in mutual accusations
over the export scandal during a 12 November parliamentary debate,
"Standart" reported. The ruling parties said the arms-export deal was
closed by the former managers of TEREM, who were appointed by the
previous, United Democratic Forces-led (ODS) government. The
conservative opposition ODS, for its part, demanded that Economy
Minister Nikolay Vasilev be questioned in a closed session. Vasilev
chairs the Interdepartmental Council on Arms Control, which must
approve all export deals for arms and dual-use goods. ODS politicians
expressed concern that the deal could endanger Bulgaria's NATO bid.
Members of both the ruling National Movement Simeon II and the ODS
criticized Deputy Defense Minister Mehmed Cafer of the ethnic Turkish
Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), saying he is responsible for
overseeing TEREM. UB
[67] ...AND FOREIGN MINISTER TRIES TO CALM THE STORM
Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi met with U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria
James Pardew on 12 November to discuss the possible consequences of the
disclosed arms deal, BTA reported. After the meeting, Pasi said Pardew
expressed Washington's recognition of the government's swift reaction.
Pasi indicated that he views the arms deal as a provocation, whether
intended or not. "I have repeated many times that the invitation to
NATO membership has not been secured yet. Many obstacles could crop up
and stand in the way to Prague, and one such potential obstacle is an
illegal arms deal," Pasi said. UB
SOUTHWESTERN ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
[68] STUDENTS CONTINUE PROTEST AT KABUL UNIVERSITY...
Demonstrations at Kabul University continued on 12 November, with a
number of students barricading themselves in a dormitory building on
campus, RFE/RL reported from Kabul on 12 November. Afghan security
forces opened fire on protesting students on 11 November (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 12 November 2002) and a Kabul University student, who
requested anonymity, told RFE/RL: "We wanted to raise our voice to the
authorities and tell them we don't have electricity or food. But along
the way in Nawabad-e Dehmazang [District], the soldiers stopped us,
though we told them not to do that. At last, as the students were going
on their way ahead, first they fired into the air and then they opened
fire on the students." AT
[69] ...AS CONFLICTING REPORTS EMERGE ON THE NUMBER OF CASUALTIES...
Following initial reports that one Kabul University student was killed
and four were wounded when Afghan security forces opened fire (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002), differing casualty figures have
emerged. According to demonstrators, four students were killed and at
least 10 were injured, while the head of the Interior Ministry's
Department of National Security said six students and six policemen
were injured, without mentioning any fatalities, Radio Afghanistan
reported on 12 November. Citing an unnamed "security official," the
Kabul daily "Arman-e Melli" reported on 12 November that two students,
Abdul Hakim and Abdul Ghafar from the Faculty of Medicine, were killed
and 14 students were injured. Without citing a source, the Voice of the
Islamic Republic of Iran reported from Mashhad that six students were
killed. AT
[70] ...AND KARZAI ORDERS AN INQUIRY INTO SHOOTINGS
Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed his "deep regrets and
condolences to the family of the martyr" in a message broadcast by
Bakhtar News Agency (BNA) on 12 November. Karzai said the police did a
poor job of managing the situation and that the university is a place
of learning, not "a place for political violence." Karzai added that
several Afghan ministries and the Department of National Security have
been "ordered to investigate the issue at once and forward their
reports to the government office as soon as possible." According to
BNA, Karzai said a "conspiracy" seems to exist behind the incident.
Therefore, in addition to an investigation into why police fired on
demonstrators, "the ones [who] plotted the demonstration and the
policemen who opened fire should be identified and prosecuted." AT
[71] U.S. INDICATES A SHIFT IN AFGHAN POLICY...
According to "The New York Times" the United States is signaling that
it is ready to switch its priorities in Afghanistan from searching for
remaining Al-Qaeda and Taliban members to maintaining security and road
construction. Referring to the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan,
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Richard Myers said in a speech
at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., on 4 November that
the "issue before us is: Are we ready for the next phase?" the New York
daily reported on 12 November. According to Myers, "the next phase
primarily [is] the reconstruction piece," and it is time to shift the
emphasis in "at least three-quarters" of Afghanistan. During the 2000
U.S. presidential campaign, President George W. Bush "derided" the use
of military forces for nation building and U.S. Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld still remains uncomfortable with committing American
troops to "long-term reconstruction and peacekeeping missions," the
paper added. However, last spring Bush pledged to help rebuild
Afghanistan "in the best traditions of George Marshall," -- referring
to the former U.S. secretary of state who developed the plan for
rebuilding Europe after World War II, the daily commented. AT
[72] ...AS PRESIDENT BUSH WELCOMES AFGHAN ROAD PROJECT
President Bush welcomed the start of reconstruction of the
Kabul-Kandahar-Herat highway on 10 November (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"11
November 2002), according to a press release issued the same day by the
Office of the Press Secretary. The statement said that this highway
"along with others that will connect Afghanistan to its neighbors can
set the stage for a complete transportation system that will integrate
the country, increase trade, and establish links through Afghanistan
from the Indian Ocean to Central Asia and along the 'Silk Road,'
bridging East and West." AT
[73] NATO'S ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN WOULD BE A FIRST
NATO's expected assistance to the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 November 2002)
would be the alliance's "first formal role in the fight against
terrorism and in helping to stabilize Afghanistan," the "Financial
Times" reported on 12 November. It is believed that as the United
States shifts its military role in Afghanistan to more reconstruction
projects, the ISAF could be invited to expand its presence from its
current mandate of protecting Kabul to the protection of other Afghan
cities. A senior NATO official told the "Financial Times" that "no
country would be prepared to take the lead of ISAF outside Kabul unless
it had full backing from NATO and full access to NATO assets,
particularly planning and strategic airlift." Moreover, if the ISAF
were to expand beyond Kabul "then we would need many, many more
troops," the official said. A U.S. diplomat told the paper that during
the war in Afghanistan against Al-Qaeda, "NATO as an alliance was
marginalized," but that "may now change in the coming weeks." The
"Financial Times" added that thus far France has opposed NATO "or even
a NATO-backed United Nations force playing any role in Afghanistan." AT
[74] IRANIAN PROFESSOR WILL NOT APPEAL DEATH SENTENCE...
Hashem Aghajari's lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, told reporters on 13 November
that his client will not appeal his death sentence, the Islamic
Republic News Agency reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 and 12
November 2002). Nikbakht added that he will try to persuade Aghajari to
appeal. Nikbakht read out a letter from Aghajari that said: "The
authorities which issued this verdict must carry it out if they think
that the sentence was just. But if they believe that it was not fair,
then the judicial branch must investigate the case because the sentence
was issued by the judicial apparatus." Nikbakht criticized the fact
that the trial was conducted behind closed doors and without a jury. BS
[75] ...AS IRANIAN PRESIDENT CRITICIZES AGHAJARI'S SENTENCE
President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami on 13 November said that the
death sentence against Aghajari, a Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution
Organization member and a university professor, is an "improper
verdict," the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. BS
[76] PROTESTS AGAINST AGHAJARI'S SENTENCE CONTINUE...
RFE/RL's Persian Service reported on 12 November that protests against
Aghajari's death sentence were conducted throughout the country that
day. There were events at Kerman's Shahid Bahonar University, 150
student protesters gathered at Urumiyeh University, and other
demonstrations were held in Ahvaz, Bushehr, Shiraz, and Yazd. Some
professors at Tarbiat Mudariss (Tehran Teachers Training College) have
cancelled their classes for a week. Some of the demonstrators chanted
slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and they called
for the resignations of President Khatami and Judiciary chief Ayatollah
Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi, according to RFE/RL's Persian Service.
Students at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran gathered in the
afternoon of 12 November to protest against Aghajari's death sentence,
the Iranian Students News Agency reported, and vowed to continue their
protest until the verdict is reversed. Thirty-seven professors serving
on the scientific board at Tarbiat Mudariss released a statement on 12
November condemning the verdict, according to the Islamic Republic News
Agency. BS
[77] ...BUT NOT EVERYBODY BACKS HIM
A statement from the Islamic Society of Students, as reported in the 12
November "Resalat" daily newspaper, accused the majority faction of the
government -- the reformists -- of trying to use its "wealth and power
and its convulsion-creating foot soldiers" to pursue a "strategy of
democratic charlatanism." The statement said the verdict against
Aghajari is preliminary and it is only factional politics that is
creating a crisis. The atmosphere has changed the judge into the
criminal, according to the statement, and it urged the judiciary to
issue a final verdict as soon as possible in order to eliminate reasons
for creating disorder. BS
[78] STUDENT GROUP SCHEDULES STRIKE AT IRANIAN UNIVERSITY
The Office for Strengthening Unity (Daftar-i Tahkim-i Vahdat) student
organization's branch at Allameh Tabatabai University's economics
faculty has urged faculty and students to go on strike on 17 November
to protest the death sentence against Professor Aghajari, the Iranian
Students News Agency reported on 13 November. This group also is
planning to hold an event in the evening of 13 November about the
political philosophy of Ramadan, and this could turn into another
demonstration. BS
[79] JUDICIARY PLACES LIMITS ON KURDISTAN PROVINCE PRESS
Hiwa Qavami, a reporter from the Kurdistan Province town of Sanandaj,
told RFE/RL's Persian Service on 12 November that the local judiciary
has banned local newspaper distributors from carrying special inserts
from reformist publications like "Hayat-i No" and "Iran." The reason
for this is that the inserts carried a great deal of news about the
government's activities and they also were geared toward Kurdish issues
and local concerns, according to Qavami, but the judiciary cited
national-security concerns and said such news excites the locals. It is
not just reformist publications that carry special inserts. "Jam-i
Jam," which is affiliated with the official and hardliner-headed
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, every Wednesday carries an
eight-page, full-color insert that is dedicated to Kurdistan Province
and will continue to be allowed to do so. Qavami speculated that the
judiciary wants "Jam-i Jam" to be the dominate publication in the local
press. BS
[80] GREECE-IRAN-ARMENIA ECONOMIC-COOPERATION MEETING HELD IN TEHRAN
Deputy foreign ministers from Greece and Armenia met with their Iranian
counterpart in Tehran on 12 November to discuss the expansion of
trilateral economic and trade cooperation and signed a memorandum of
understanding, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported, as cited by
ITAR-TASS. Among the topics they discussed during the meeting were the
revival of the Great Silk Road, transportation of Iranian gas via
Armenia, and transport. They also decided to create a forum that would
encourage cooperation in the private sector. BS
[81] IRAQ DENIES SPYING ON U.S. FACILITIES
A spokesman for the Iraqi Foreign Ministry denied an ABC-TV news report
that Iraqi diplomats are spying on U.S. embassies and military
installations, Iraqi Satellite TV reported on 12 November. The
spokesman called the report "another addition to the record of lies and
fabrications spread by the evil U.S. administration's agencies and its
officials." abcnews.com reported on 11 November that U.S. "sources"
indicated that there is evidence that Baghdad has ordered its diplomats
to undertake surveillance activities of U.S. diplomatic and military
sites. ABC said the sites under surveillance include the U.S. embassies
in Jordan and Finland, U.S. Navy facilities in Bahrain and Spain, and a
cemetery in the Philippines where the U.S. ambassador was scheduled to
attend a Veteran's Day ceremony on 11 November. KR
[82] UKRAINE CLAIMS IT STEPPED IN AND HALTED DISCUSSIONS ON SELLING
RADAR SYSTEMS TO IRAQ
Ukrainian presidential administration head Viktor Medvedchuk has said
the Ukrainian Security Service and the Defense Ministry halted talks
between state arms exporter Ukrspetseksport and a Jordanian middleman
attempting to buy Kolchuga radar systems for Iraq, Interfax news agency
reported on 12 November. According to the report, Medvedchuk recalled
that former Ukrspetseksport head Valeriy Malev "really held such
unofficial talks, but they were not held at the level of signing
protocols, making offers, or concluding deals. The talks concerned a
request on the possibility of a sale." As a result, he contended, the
Ukrainian state security services, along with the intelligence
directorate of the Defense Ministry, intervened and advised Malev to
terminate talks with the Jordanian. KR
[83] IRAQI NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER COMMENTS ON RECOMMENDATIONS
Iraqi National Assembly Speaker Sadoun Hammadi told Iraq Satellite TV
on 12 November that the National Assembly's decision to reject UN
Security Council Resolution 1441 was a "sound and balanced" decision.
Hammadi said the decision "expressed the Iraqi people's opinion about
this ill-intentioned resolution...which is designed...for the purpose
of provoking Iraq and finding a pretext to carry out aggression against
it." He added that Iraq will take the necessary steps to encourage
"friendly parliaments" in the world and other international
organizations to reject U.S. "aggression." KR
[84] KURDISH PARLIAMENT PREPARES FOR ELECTIONS
The Kurdish parliament in northern Iraq announced it has set up a
committee to prepare for legislative elections, kurdistanobserver.com
reported on 12 November. According to the website, elections will be
held by July 2003. The committee consists of representatives from the
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
(PUK), and the Assyrian Christians. The website noted, "the KDP
[currently] holds 51 seats and the PUK 49 in the parliament which was
elected in 1992 and met last October 4 for the first time since bloody
clashes between the two factions peaked in 1996." KR
[85] PUK APPOINTS NEW MINISTERS, JUDGES
Barham Salih, the prime minister of PUK-controlled territory of the
Kurdistan Regional Government in Al-Sulaymaniyah, has appointed three
new ministers, kurdishmedia.com reported on 11 November. The
appointments to the Agriculture, Economy, and Health ministries were
the first in seven years. In a related event, PUK newspaper "Kurdistani
Nuwe" reported on 8 November that the Kurdistan Regional Government
also appointed three female judges. "Kurdistan Nuwe" noted that the
judges were appointed "on the basis of qualification and suitability."
KR
END NOTE
[86] There is no End Note today.
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