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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-12-04
CONTENTS
[01] IN INDIA, PUTIN EMPHASIZES PRIVATE INITIATIVE...
[02] ...AS MINISTER OUTLINES JOINT PROJECTS
[03] ANALYST EXPLAINS IMPORTANCE OF CHINA-INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS
[04] RUSSIA REJECTS U.S. INVITATION TO JOIN ANTI-IRAQ COALITION
[05] DENMARK RELEASES DETAINED CHECHEN ENVOY...
[06] ...WHO ACCUSES RUSSIA OF SEEKING TO PROLONG WAR...
[07] ...AS KREMLIN CONDEMNS RELEASE, VOWS TO CONTINUE SEEKING
[08] ...AND LEVELS NEW CHARGES
[09] INTERIOR MINISTRY REMOVES CHECHEN FIGHTERS FROM THE WEB...
[10] ...AND SAYS 'TERRORISTS' FUNDED BY PORN SITES
[11] QUESTIONS LINGER 40 DAYS AFTER HOSTAGE DRAMA
[12] IF YOU ARE GOING TO STEAL, STEAL BIG
[13] GORNYI PLANT TO FINALLY GO ON LINE?
[14] BASHKORTOSTAN ADOPTS NEW CONSTITUTION
[15] RUSSIANS SPLIT ON THIRD TERM FOR PUTIN
[16] NEW BILL COULD TRANSFORM RTR INTO SUBSCRIPTION-BASED PUBLIC
[17] GAZPROM TO INVEST $5 BILLION IN NORTHERN EUROPEAN PIPELINE
[18] FORMER HOSTAGES' ATTORNEY CONFIDENT ON LAWSUITS...
[19] ...BUT LEGAL EXPERTS ARE NOT SO SURE
[20] DAYS OF SALES TAX COULD BE NUMBERED
[21] ECONOMIC THINK TANKS FORM NEW ASSOCIATION
[22] ECONOMISTS CALL FOR SMALLER STATE ROLE IN ECONOMY
[23] UNITY FACTION FAVORS MORE LIMITS ON IMMIGRATION
[24] DUMA LIKELY TO CONSIDER TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR TAX EVASION
[25] OBSERVERS EXPECT LOW TURNOUT IN ST. PETERSBURG...
[26] ...WHICH MAY WORK IN GOVERNOR'S FAVOR
[27] SARATOV GOVERNOR FINDS RELIGION...
[28] ...BUT HIS PLANS TO USE BUDGET FUNDS MIGHT NOT FLY
[29] FORMER ARMENIAN PREMIER NOMINATED AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
[30] FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS DELAY RESTART OF ARMENIAN NUCLEAR-POWER
[31] PARENTS APPEAL TO PARLIAMENT ON BEHALF OF DISGRACED AZERBAIJAN
[32] LUKOIL VICE PRESIDENT'S FATHER ABDUCTED IN GEORGIA
[33] GEORGIA ASSESSES STORM DAMAGE
[34] KAZAKH COURT FINES OIL JOINT VENTURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
[35] OPPOSITION KAZAKH JOURNALIST HELD IN APPALLING CONDITIONS
[36] KYRGYZ CAPITAL SET TO BAN DEMONSTRATIONS
[37] TURKMEN PRESIDENT VOWS ASSASSINATION INVESTIGATION WILL NOT
[38] TORTURE VICTIM SENTENCED TO DEATH IN UZBEKISTAN
[39] BELARUS'S DISCHARGED AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN PROMISES 'MAJOR
[40] UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MULLS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
[41] POLL SAYS 79 PERCENT OF UKRAINIANS REGARD THEMSELVES AS POOR
[42] ESTONIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES HIKE IN MINIMUM WAGE
[43] LATVIAN PREMIER EQUATES BUDGET VOTE WITH CONFIDENCE MEASURE
[44] LITHUANIA, UKRAINE ESTABLISH INTERPARLIAMENTARY FORUM
[45] NATIONAL AGREEMENT ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS SIGNED IN
[46] POLISH GOVERNMENT MOVES TO SALVAGE CABLE PLANT, PLEDGES JOBS FOR
[47] THOUSANDS OF CZECH FARMERS PROTEST EU POSITION
[48] CZECH SENATE PRESIDENT RE-ELECTED TO THIRD TERM
[49] U.K. TURNS AWAY ANOTHER GROUP OF CZECH ROMA ASYLUM SEEKERS
[50] SLOVAKIA REPORTEDLY WINS CONCESSIONS ON EU QUOTAS
[51] SLOVAK PRESIDENT CONCLUDES UKRAINE VISIT
[52] HUNGARY SUBMITS NEW PROPOSALS TO EU
[53] HUNGARIAN CHURCHES OBJECT TO GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO AMEND
[54] HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION SLAMS PREMIER'S PARTICIPATION IN ROMANIAN
[55] CONTROVERSY GROWS OVER ALLEGED CONTINUING YUGOSLAV ARMS SALES TO
[56] ...WITH STRONG REACTIONS FROM YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT
[57] KOSOVA BUFFER ZONE NARROWS
[58] AGREEMENT ON THE SAVA RIVER BASIN SIGNED IN SLOVENIA
[59] BOSNIAN SERB LEGISLATORS LEAVE BOSNIAN PARALIAMENT
[60] MACEDONIAN RAILWAY WORKERS END STRIKE
[61] MACEDONIAN PROSECUTOR SACKED
[62] ETHNIC ALBANIAN PARTY IN MACEDONIA TO SUE NEWSPAPER
[63] EXTREMIST ROMANIAN PARTY WANTS GOLD EXTRACTION TO REMAIN STATE
[64] ROMANIAN LIBERAL, DEMOCRATIC LEADERS CONSIDER ALLIANCE
[65] FORMER ROMANIAN RULING-PARTY DEPUTY SENTENCED IN FRAUD CASE
[66] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT PROPOSES 'REINTEGRATION' MINISTER
[67] OPINION POLL SHOWS BULGARIANS ARE UNINFORMED ABOUT KOZLODUY
[68] BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT ACCUSES OPPOSITION OF USING JUDICIARY FOR
[69] RUSSIAN POLITICIAN WARNS BULGARIA NOT TO DONATE ARMS TO GEORGIA
[70] GERMAN CABINET EXTENDS MANDATE FOR TROOPS IN ISAF
[71] CLASHES IN KANDAHAR LEAVE THREE DEAD
[72] INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION TO REPATRIATE PROFESSORS
[73] KABUL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR MURDERED
[74] U.S. REPORTEDLY IN CONTROL OF SHINDAND AIR BASE IN AFGHANISTAN
[75] SENIOR U.S. SENATOR WANTS LONG-TERM PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN
[76] IRANIAN POLLSTERS' TRIAL ADJOURNED FOR FIVE DAYS...
[77] ...AS PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE CASE
[78] AGHAJARI SAYS DEATH SENTENCE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED...
[79] ...AS HIS LAWYER THREATENS TO SUE
[80] UN REPORTS ON IRANIAN POPULATION
[81] INSPECTORS VISIT IRAQI PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
[82] TURKEY WILLING TO PROVIDE BASES
[83] IRAQI OPPOSITION CONSIDERATE OF TURKOMAN
[84] UN REPORTS ON IRAQI POPULATION
[85] WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES IRAQ-RELATED APPOINTMENTS
[86] There is no End Note today.
4 December 2002
RUSSIA
[01] IN INDIA, PUTIN EMPHASIZES PRIVATE INITIATIVE...
President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi late on 3 December for a
one-day summit, Russian and Western news agencies reported. Speaking to
a group of Indian businesspeople on 4 December, Putin emphasized that
the agreements that would be signed during the summit are designed "to
create new possibilities for business and public initiatives by our
citizens," ITAR-TASS reported. Putin met on 4 December with Indian
President Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Prior to
the meeting, Putin told journalists the talks would focus on combating
international terrorism, but would also cover bilateral economic and
military cooperation. Vajpayee told ITAR-TASS on 3 December that "Putin
is a dependable friend and our personal relations help to promote
mutual understanding." Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was quoted by the
news agency as saying there are "no problems" in bilateral relations,
although the two countries "have much yet to do to promote commercial
and economic cooperation." RC
[02] ...AS MINISTER OUTLINES JOINT PROJECTS
Industry and Science Minister Ilya Klebanov, who is accompanying
President Putin in India, said on 4 December that Russia and India will
launch a joint telecommunications project worth an estimated $1
billion, ITAR-TASS reported. He declined to give further details of the
project, citing "commercial secrets," and added only that the
Moscow-based Sistema company will participate on the Russian side.
Klebanov also said that a number of metallurgy and energy-sector
projects are in development that will be implemented in repayment of
former Soviet debt to India, thereby converting the debts into direct
investments. Finally, Klebanov announced that the two countries are
developing military-hardware projects in air defense, combat aviation,
and armored vehicles. He described bilateral military cooperation as
"positive and dynamic." RC
[03] ANALYST EXPLAINS IMPORTANCE OF CHINA-INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS
Mikhail Titarenko, director of the Academy of Science's Institute of
Far East Studies, told strana.ru on 4 December that the partnership
among Russia, India, and China can "counterbalance" U.S. policies. "In
some aspects [these relations] counterbalance American policies and
smooth out the extremes of unilateralism that still characterize U.S.
policy," Titarenko said. He said that the three countries will continue
"to fight to strengthen international law and the role of the United
Nations as an institution for ensuring international security and
reaching diplomatic solutions to problems in conflict situations." He
added that both China and Russia continue to oppose NATO expansion. RC
[04] RUSSIA REJECTS U.S. INVITATION TO JOIN ANTI-IRAQ COALITION
The Kremlin has flatly rejected a U.S. proposal to join a military
coalition against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in the event of his
failure to comply with the latest UN Security Council resolution on
Iraq, which Washington sent to the governments of more than 50
countries, ITAR-TASS reported on 3 December. In its response to the
U.S. initiative, the Russian government wrote that it "prefers to
concentrate on the complete fulfillment of UN Security Council
Resolution 1441 and on facilitating the work of the international
weapons inspectors in Iraq" rather than developing a military option.
On 4 December, President Putin and Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee
issued a joint statement "strongly opposing" unilateral military action
against Iraq and any interference in the country's domestic affairs
outside the framework of the Security Council resolution. VY
[05] DENMARK RELEASES DETAINED CHECHEN ENVOY...
The Danish authorities on 3 December released Chechen President Aslan
Maskhadov's personal envoy Akhmed Zakaev, who was arrested in late
October following the hostage taking by Chechen militants at a Moscow
theater, Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 30 October 2002). A
Danish Justice Ministry statement explained that Russia had failed to
provide adequate evidence to substantiate its demands for Zakaev's
extradition to Moscow to face charges connected with crimes he is
accused of committing in Chechnya from 1996-99. LF
[06] ...WHO ACCUSES RUSSIA OF SEEKING TO PROLONG WAR...
In an interview posted on chechenpress.com on 4 December, Zakaev
expressed his gratitude to the Danish authorities and the EU for not
caving in to pressure from Moscow for his extradition. He attributed
that pressure to Russia's desire to neutralize those political figures
seeking to end the fighting in Chechnya and vowed to resume his efforts
to do so. LF
[07] ...AS KREMLIN CONDEMNS RELEASE, VOWS TO CONTINUE SEEKING
EXTRADITION...
Foreign Minister Ivanov said Russia condemns the Danish government's
decision to release Zakaev, RTR reported on 3 December. He added that
Russia considers Zakaev a terrorist and will continue to demand his
extradition from any country to which he travels. The head of the
Prosecutor-General's Office's International Department, Robert
Adelkhanyan, said his agency will challenge the Danish decision in the
European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. "Russian gave Denmark
enough evidence that Zakaev is guilty, and the decision to set him free
was made purely for political reasons," Adelkhanyan charged. Speaking
to reporters during a working visit to Japan, State Duma Speaker
Gennadii Seleznev characterized Zakaev's release as "an unfriendly act"
toward Russia, ITAR-TASS reported on 4 December. VY/RC
[08] ...AND LEVELS NEW CHARGES
Meanwhile a Russian Federal Border Service official told ORT on 3
December that he witnessed the execution by Chechen militants acting on
Zakaev's orders in March 1996 of three kidnapped Russian construction
workers who had attempted to escape from a camp in the Chechen town of
Starye Atagi, ITAR-TASS reported. LF
[09] INTERIOR MINISTRY REMOVES CHECHEN FIGHTERS FROM THE WEB...
There is not a single "Wahhabite" Internet site operating in Russia,
strana.ru reported on 4 December. Dmitrii Chepchugov, head of the
Moscow Interior Ministry department for combating high-technology crime
("Department R"), told journalists that as part of the antiterrorism
measures adopted following the 23-26 October hostage taking in Moscow,
his department has identified all the Internet sites associated with
Chechen fighters. An unspecified number of domestic sites have been
shut down, and the Foreign Ministry has sent formal complaints to all
foreign countries hosting such sites, acting on information provided by
Chepchugov's office. Chepchugov said that the website Kavkaz-Tsentr was
registered in Canada and was shut down following a Foreign Ministry
appeal to the Canadian government, ITAR-TASS reported. RC
[10] ...AND SAYS 'TERRORISTS' FUNDED BY PORN SITES
At the same press conference, Chepchugov said that the profits
generated by pornographic websites worldwide play a significant role in
the financing of extremist and terrorist organizations, strana.ru
reported on 4 December. He estimated that a child-porn site can bring
in as much as $30,000 per month in illegal revenue. Since March,
Chepchugov's office has been tracking 3,000 Internet sites and has
launched 14 criminal cases. He said that, in addition to pornographic
sites, his agency monitors sites "with extremist tendencies." RC
[11] QUESTIONS LINGER 40 DAYS AFTER HOSTAGE DRAMA
Russia on 4 December marked the 40th day since the end of the October
hostage drama in Moscow with solemn religious services, Russian news
agencies reported. In Moscow, a service was held in the Christ the
Savior Cathedral to remember the 129 hostages who died during the
incident. Meanwhile, strana.ru reported that the Federal Security
Service (FSB) declined to clarify conflicting reports on the number of
Chechen fighters who were killed and/or captured during the 26 October
storming of the theater. According to a 26 October Interfax report, FSB
Director Nikolai Patrushev told President Putin that day that 34
fighters had been killed, "several" were arrested, and none escaped.
RIA-Novosti reported the same day that FSB sources said 50 fighters --
18 women and 32 men -- had been killed and three arrested. An
unidentified spokesman for the Moscow prosecutor's office told the
website that three fighters remain in custody, as well as one person
arrested later on charges of abetting the hostage takers. The same
source told strana.ru that 41 fighters were killed in the storming
operation -- 22 men and 19 women. RC
[12] IF YOU ARE GOING TO STEAL, STEAL BIG
FSB agents have arrested Nikolai Chemodanov, who is accused of forging
a decree purportedly signed by President Putin and Prime Minister
Mikhail Kasyanov authorizing the creation of a "Transport and Sports
Maritime Service of the Russian Federation," newsru.com and other
Russian news agencies reported on 1 December. The counterfeit decree
established the new agency's annual budget at 500 million rubles ($15.9
million) and authorized it to hire 15,000 people. Not only did
Chemodanov allegedly forge the necessary signatures for the decree, he
also fabricated a package of fake United Nations documents establishing
the service's international credentials. According to the report,
Chemodanov was arrested in the offices of the Property Relations
Ministry, where he came to pick up documentation transferring to his
agency a Moscow building worth a reported $5 million. According to an
FSB source, Chemodanov admitted that he studied Russian and
international law and documents on the Internet for more than a year
before launching his project. VY
[13] GORNYI PLANT TO FINALLY GO ON LINE?
A state commission on 3 December certified that the new plant in the
Saratov Oblast town of Gornyi for the destruction of chemical weapons
is ready to begin operation, ITAR-TASS reported. The plant, whose
opening has been repeatedly delayed in recent years (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 8 March 2000, and 8 January, 20 July, and 13 August 2002),
is scheduled to begin work on 15 December. Meanwhile, the lower house
of the Swiss parliament on 3 December overwhelmingly authorized a
five-year allocation of $17 million Swiss francs ($11 million) to
finance the destruction of Russia's stockpiles of chemical weapons.
About a dozen countries, including the United States, Germany, Great
Britain, Italy, and Canada, are contributing funds to this work. RC
[14] BASHKORTOSTAN ADOPTS NEW CONSTITUTION
A joint session of the parliament of the Republic of Bashkortostan on 3
December unanimously endorsed a new republican constitution, which was
immediately signed into effect by Bashkortostan President Murtaza
Rakhimov, newsru.com and other Russian news agencies reported. The new
constitution maintains a presidential form of government and combines
the posts of president and prime minister. It does not use the word
"sovereignty," a term that central authorities viewed as a violation of
the federal constitution. Rakhimov said it is necessary "to maintain a
strong executive system of power while simultaneously strengthening
control over it by the legislative branch and establishing close
working relations between them." RC
[15] RUSSIANS SPLIT ON THIRD TERM FOR PUTIN
Nearly half of Russians believe the president should have the right to
serve in office for three or more terms, lenta.ru reported, citing a
poll by the All-Russia Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM).
Forty-six percent of respondents in the national survey conducted from
22-25 November agreed with the proposition, while 43 percent said the
president should continue to be limited to two consecutive terms in
office. RC
[16] NEW BILL COULD TRANSFORM RTR INTO SUBSCRIPTION-BASED PUBLIC
TELEVISION
Former State Press Committee Chairman Mikhail Fedotov, who is a
co-author of the media law adopted in 1990, has submitted to the Duma a
bill that would transform RTR television, which is currently part of
the VGTRK state broadcasting corporation, into an advertising-free
public television channel, Ekho Moskvy reported on 3 December. Under
the bill, the station would be funded by public subscription fees,
private donations, and federal grants. Fedotov told the radio station
that the subscription fee would be minimal -- about 9 rubles ($0.30)
per month per household. The bill would ban the channel from
broadcasting advertising and authorize the creation of a board of
trustees comprising prominent public figures. VY
[17] GAZPROM TO INVEST $5 BILLION IN NORTHERN EUROPEAN PIPELINE
Gazprom Chairman Aleksei Miller has announced that the state gas giant
has finalized plans to construct a new strategic natural-gas pipeline
from the St. Petersburg region across the Baltic Sea to Germany and
then continuing on to the United Kingdom, RTR reported on 3 December.
The 3,000-kilometer pipeline will bypass the problematic countries of
Belarus and Ukraine, Miller noted. The pipeline will eventually have
branches providing gas to Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and other countries
and will be integrated in a pan-European pipeline network. Gazprom
expects to invest up to $5.7 billion in the project, and the first
stage of construction will be completed in 2007, Miller said. VY
[18] FORMER HOSTAGES' ATTORNEY CONFIDENT ON LAWSUITS...
Igor Trunov, who is representing eight people who claim to have
suffered losses during the 23-26 October hostage crisis in Moscow, is
confident that the Tverskoi District Court will uphold his clients'
claim for $7.5 million in damages from the Moscow city government (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 3 December 2002), "Kommersant" reported on 3
December. Trunov noted that only a few days elapsed between the filing
of the lawsuits and the beginning of hearings in the case. He believes
the court's speedy action indicates that the judge might be favorably
disposed toward the plaintiffs. One article in Russia's law on
terrorism forms the crux of the plaintiffs' case; it states that funds
compensating victims of terrorism shall come from the Russian
Federation subject in which the terrorist attack occurred. That point
of law has never been applied before. LB
[19] ...BUT LEGAL EXPERTS ARE NOT SO SURE
Several lawyers contacted by "Kommersant" said they considered Trunov's
clients unlikely to prevail in the case. Pavel Astakhov, who has
represented the Moscow government on several occasions, said Western
governments that have compensated victims of terrorism have done so
voluntarily, not because of lawsuits. Furthermore, Russian courts
typically award modest sums for psychological damages, far lower than
the $500,000-$1 million sought by each of Trunov's clients. Finally,
Astakhov predicted the court will consider the Civil Code as well as
the law on terrorism. The Civil Code requires that the source of the
damages and the circumstances be determined in order to determine
appropriate levels of compensation. Astakhov believes Trunov will not
be able to prove that rescuers -- as opposed to terrorists -- harmed
the hostages. Moscow officials have vowed to appeal any court ruling
awarding damages to victims of the hostage crisis, "Kommersant"
reported. LB
[20] DAYS OF SALES TAX COULD BE NUMBERED
The Finance Ministry and the Economic Development Ministry favor
eliminating the sales tax beginning in 2004, according to Finance
Minister Aleksei Kudrin. He made the announcement at a conference of
the Association of Auditors on 3 December, Radio Rossii reported.
Kudrin said that at its 5 December session the government will consider
tax policy for the next three years. Most countries levy either a sales
tax or a value-added tax, but Russia has both, which has drawn
criticism from many who advocate reducing the tax burden. LB
[21] ECONOMIC THINK TANKS FORM NEW ASSOCIATION
Representatives of 15 think tanks from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the
Volga region have created the Association of Independent Centers of
Economic Analysis, "Izvestiya" reported on 3 December. The economists
marked the occasion on 29 November at the Expert Institute of the
Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. The new
association's president is Leonid Grigoriev, who has worked in the
Economics Ministry and on the World Bank's Russia desk. He is also
director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Grigoriev said the
association's goals include improving the quality of economic analyses.
Former Economics Minister Yevgenii Yasin called for setting a standard
of professionalism and forming a "strong team in order to outdo the
bureaucrats." Yevgenii Gontmakher, who heads the social department of
the government apparatus, urged the assembled economists to concentrate
on long-term strategy, saying the authorities tend to focus on current
problems. LB
[22] ECONOMISTS CALL FOR SMALLER STATE ROLE IN ECONOMY
A group of economists led by former Economics Minister Yasin on 2
December proposed a "liberal alternative" for the country's economic
policy, ORT and NTV reported. Presenting the report, Yasin noted that
the state budget -- broadly defined to include, for example, the
off-budget Pension Fund -- comprises some 40 percent of the gross
domestic product. Taking into account various forms of corruption, the
economists estimated the state's real share of GDP is 60-65 percent.
The report claims that sharply reducing the number of state-owned
enterprises and halving the state's "army of bureaucrats" would yield
economic growth of 8 to 9 percent within a few years, "Vremya-MN"
reported on 3 December. However, participants in the discussion that
followed Yasin's presentation agreed that in light of the looming
election cycle, the executive and legislative branches are unlikely to
embark on unpopular liberal reforms. LB
[23] UNITY FACTION FAVORS MORE LIMITS ON IMMIGRATION
Duma deputies from the Unity faction have expressed support for
Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov's proposals to tighten Russia's
immigration policy, ORT reported on 2 December. Oleg Kovalev, chairman
of the Duma's Rules Committee, argued that illegal immigration must be
stopped and legal immigration must be "planned," meaning that "we
should invite immigrants and allow immigrants to come to Russia only
where it is extremely necessary and only [to work] in those professions
that are impossible to fill with our domestic labor resources." Gryzlov
headed the Unity Duma faction before becoming interior minister in
March 2001. Although he is officially not a member of the Unified
Russia party to which Unity belongs, Gryzlov recently became chairman
of Unified Russia's High Council (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 November
2002). LB
[24] DUMA LIKELY TO CONSIDER TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR TAX EVASION
The State Duma's Legislation Committee has approved a draft law to
strengthen criminal penalties for citizens or organizations that evade
taxes or mandatory contributions to state and non-state funds, Ekho
Moskvy reported on 3 December. The Duma might consider the bill in the
spring. LB
[25] OBSERVERS EXPECT LOW TURNOUT IN ST. PETERSBURG...
Turnout in the 8 December legislative elections in St. Petersburg might
be low enough to invalidate the results in some of the city's 50
electoral districts, "Izvestiya" reported on 2 December, citing unnamed
members of a State Duma commission formed to monitor the campaign.
Turnout is expected to average 21 to 26 percent citywide. If that
prognosis is correct, turnout in some districts would fall below the 20
percent required by city law for valid elections. "Izvestiya" pointed
out that the campaign has generated relatively few advertisements, and
many voters only have access to a minimum of information. One local
television station is airing a spot reminding voters that legislative
elections will take place in 2002, but without specifying the election
date. LB
[26] ...WHICH MAY WORK IN GOVERNOR'S FAVOR
Low turnout might be good news for St. Petersburg Governor Vladimir
Yakovlev, "Izvestiya" speculated on 2 December. First elected in 1996,
Yakovlev will have to step down when his current term expires in 2004,
according to the St. Petersburg charter. However, if Yakovlev's
supporters gain a majority in the new legislature, they might be able
to amend the charter in time for next spring's gubernatorial election,
which would allow Yakovlev to seek a third term. "Izvestiya" noted that
Yakovlev has not openly endorsed a "governor's list" of candidates,
although several versions of such a list have circulated on the
Internet. Instead, his administration appears to be working quietly to
help supporters win as many districts as possible. In districts where
Yakovlev's allies have poor prospects, the administration is trying to
ensure that either the governor's most vocal opponents lose or that the
election is invalidated by low turnout. LB
[27] SARATOV GOVERNOR FINDS RELIGION...
State officials representing Saratov Oblast and the Russian Orthodox
Church, including Saratov Oblast Governor Dmitrii Ayatskov and
Archbishop Aleksandr, met on 30 November to discuss cooperation to
promote Russian Orthodoxy, "Gazeta" reported on 3 December.
Participants in the meeting agreed that the state should help the
Russian Orthodox Church to compete with other religious sects and
missionaries. Ayatskov also favors earmarking budget funds at the
oblast and raion levels to support religious projects such as
rebuilding the Aleksandr Nevskii Cathedral, which Soviet officials tore
down during the 1930s. "Gazeta" noted that Ayatskov long had poor
relations with church officials, but that the two sides patched things
up recently. The newspaper argued that the Saratov eparchy needs
additional funding, and Ayatskov needs the authority of the church. LB
[28] ...BUT HIS PLANS TO USE BUDGET FUNDS MIGHT NOT FLY
Speaking to journalists in Saratov on 2 December, State Duma First
Deputy Speaker Lyubov Sliska (Unity) announced that budgetary funds
cannot be spent on the religious activities proposed by Governor
Ayatskov and that financing for the Russian Orthodox Church will have
to come from private sponsors, "Gazeta" reported on 3 December. Article
14 of the Russian Constitution declares that Russia is a secular state.
"Gazeta" argued that Ayatskov is quite capable of raising money from
private business. However, the governor seems committed to cementing
ties between his administration and the church. During the 30 November
meeting of state and church officials, he declared: "It's not important
that our church is separated from the state now. That boundary is
purely conditional. The church and the authorities share one society.
And we need consolidation with the Russian Orthodox Church like never
before." LB
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[29] FORMER ARMENIAN PREMIER NOMINATED AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
The opposition Hanrapetutiun (Republic) Party on 3 December nominated
former Prime Minister Aram Sargsian as its candidate for the February
2003 presidential elections, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. He is
the 13th candidate to be nominated. Speaking at a party convention in
Yerevan, Sargsian said he feels duty-bound to complete the work begun
by his brother and predecessor as premier, Vazgen Sargsian, who was one
of the victims of the October 1999 parliament shootings. Aram Sargsian
and other leading members of Hanrapetutiun, including Chairman Albert
Bazeyan, again blamed incumbent President Robert Kocharian for the 1999
killings. Bazeyan accused him of "usurping power" after the shootings
and of violating the Armenian Constitution. LF
[30] FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS DELAY RESTART OF ARMENIAN NUCLEAR-POWER
PLANT
The reactivation after a seven-week shutdown for refueling of the
Medzamor nuclear-power station, originally scheduled for 4 December,
has been postponed due to a dispute between the Armenian and Russian
governments over payment for past and current deliveries of nuclear
fuel, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau quoted President Kocharian as saying on 3
December at the annual session of the Council for Atomic Energy Safety.
Kocharian predicted that agreement on payment of the $39 million debt
will be reached within days. He also told the session that security has
been tightened at the plant with the assistance of U.S. specialists.
During the first nine months of this year, the Medzamor plant provided
almost 52 percent of all electricity generated in Armenia. LF
[31] PARENTS APPEAL TO PARLIAMENT ON BEHALF OF DISGRACED AZERBAIJAN
CADETS
Parents of some of the approximately 100 cadets expelled in September
after staging a walkout from Azerbaijan's Higher Military College told
journalists in Baku on 3 December that they have asked the Azerbaijani
parliament to form a special commission to investigate the causes of
the protest, Turan and zerkalo.az reported. Some 2,000 cadets left the
military academy to protest poor teaching standards and harassment by
instructors. Some of them were subsequently sent to the front line
where, according to their parents, conditions are "unbearable" (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 4, 5, 6, and 9 September and 10,11, and 18 October
2002). The parents complained that their appeals to the Ministry of
Defense and President Heidar Aliev to allow their sons to return to the
college have been ignored. They say that if the parliamentary
commission establishes that the cadets acted criminally, they should
face trial. LF
[32] LUKOIL VICE PRESIDENT'S FATHER ABDUCTED IN GEORGIA
Sadi Sharifov, the 79-year-old father of LUKoil Vice President Vagit
Sharifov, was abducted late on 2 December from his home in Georgia's
predominantly Azerbaijani-populated Dmanisi Raion, Russian and Georgian
agencies reported. The Georgian daily "Mtavari gazeti" reported on 4
December that the kidnappers contacted Sharifov's daughter on 3
December to demand a ransom payment. The paper did not stipulate the
sum involved. LF
[33] GEORGIA ASSESSES STORM DAMAGE
President Eduard Shevardnadze on 4 December decreed the establishment
of a special committee to cope with the damage inflicted by a severe
storm that hit western Georgia the previous day, killing at least one
person, Caucasus Press reported. The storm caused damage estimated at
at least $1 million to power lines, homes, and the water system in the
Tkibuli, Baghdadi, Terdjola, Samtredia, and Vani raions and in the
towns of Kutaisi and Poti. The Defense Ministry has funds for the
immediate restoration of barracks in western Georgia left roofless by
the storm. LF
[34] KAZAKH COURT FINES OIL JOINT VENTURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
The Atyrau Oblast Court has imposed an 11 billion tenge ($71 million)
fine on the Tengizchevroil joint venture that is exploiting the vast
Tengiz oil field in western Kazakhstan, Reuters and the "Financial
Times" reported on 4 December. The court ruled that a 6 million ton
dump of sulfur separated from the oil extracted at Tengiz since 1993
poses an ecological hazard. The consortium denies this, claiming that
the sulfur is being stored in compliance with Kazakh and international
safety standards. Tengizchevroil last month suspended plans to invest a
further $3 billion in Tengiz following a disagreement over financing
with the Kazakh government (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 November 2002).
LF
[35] OPPOSITION KAZAKH JOURNALIST HELD IN APPALLING CONDITIONS
Sergei Duvanov, who is being held in detention pending his trial on
what are widely believed to be fabricated charges of rape, is confined
in a cell without electricity or glass in the windows and is not
permitted to receive from his family dairy products, meat, coffee,
fruit, vegetables, or plastic cutlery, according to Interfax and
forumkz.org. Duvanov is subjected to body searches before and after
meeting with his lawyers and is not permitted any reading material
except from the prison library, which stocks only the works of Karl
Marx and Vladimir Lenin. LF
[36] KYRGYZ CAPITAL SET TO BAN DEMONSTRATIONS
In response to a request from local residents, the Bishkek City Council
is considering imposing a one- or two-year moratorium on any
unsanctioned meetings, according to akipress.org on 3 December. The
city council has recommended that the mayor not issue any further
permits for meetings, marches, or street demonstrations. Ombudsman
Tursunbay Bakir Uulu said such a ban violates the constitutionally
guaranteed freedom of assembly, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. LF
[37] TURKMEN PRESIDENT VOWS ASSASSINATION INVESTIGATION WILL NOT
VIOLATE LAW
Turkmenistan's President Saparmurat Niyazov said on 3 December that the
ongoing investigation into the 25 November attempt to kill him will be
conducted in accordance with the law, turkmenistan.ru reported. He said
the abortive coup -- which he again blamed on exiled oppositionists
Boris Shikhmuradov, Khudaiberdy Orazov, Sapar Iklymov, and Nurmukhammed
Khanamov -- was backed by political forces of a foreign state that he
failed to name. Also on 3 December, Prosecutor-General Kurbanbibi
Atadjanova announced on state television the names of some of those
arrested in connection with the reported assassination attempt. They
include three Chechens with Russian citizenship, six Turks, a Moldovan
with a U.S. passport, and a man with an Armenian name whose citizenship
is unclear. The U.S. passport-holder, according to "The Moscow Times"
on 4 December, is Leonid Komarovsky, who arrived in Ashgabat several
days before the assassination bid to discuss a possible business deal.
Komarovsky is a close friend of Turkmen businessman Guvanch Djumaev,
who is accused of coordinating the actions of the assailants (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 3 December 2002). LF
[38] TORTURE VICTIM SENTENCED TO DEATH IN UZBEKISTAN
A Tashkent court on 28 November handed down a death sentence to
Iskandar Khudoiberganov, who with five associates was convicted of
organizing a criminal group that propagated "religious extremism,"
according to a Human Rights Watch press release dated 4 December.
Khudoiberganov was also charged with terrorism and murder.
Khudoiberganov's family claims he confessed to the charges against him
after being subjected to beatings and electric shocks. Two witnesses
who incriminated Khudoiberganov retracted their testimony in court,
saying they had given it under torture. Khudoiberganov's co-defendants
received prison terms ranging from six to 16 years. LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[39] BELARUS'S DISCHARGED AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN PROMISES 'MAJOR
SENSATIONS'
Former Belarusian Ambassador to Japan Pyotr Krauchanka, whose reported
reluctance to return home from Tokyo has made headlines among
Belarusian and international news agencies (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 2
and 3 December 2002), said in Tokyo on 3 December that he intends to
reveal "three major sensations" regarding political life in Belarus
after his homecoming later this month, ITAR-TASS reported. Krauchanka
claimed he has been the target of "pressure and provocations" from
embassy staff in recent months. He added that a typescript of a book he
wrote and his diary have disappeared from a safe in his Tokyo office.
The previous day, Krauchanka told ITAR-TASS that he does not rule out
running for the post of Belarusian president. "This whole scandal has
come in handy for Krauchanka to attract attention to himself," Reuters
quoted Alyaksandr Fyaduta, head of the independent Social Technology
think tank in Minsk, as saying on 3 December. "This also gives him a
definite guarantee of safety when he returns to the motherland,"
Fyaduta added. JM
[40] UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MULLS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
The Verkhovna Rada on 4 December gathered for a hearing titled
"Society, Media, Authorities: The Freedom of Expression and Censorship
in Ukraine," Ukrainian media reported. Deputy parliamentary speaker
Oleksandr Zinchenko, who opened the debate, said the hearing should
result in specific changes to legislation on Ukrainian media. More than
50 representatives from the government, parliament, and the media asked
to speak at the hearing. A poll conducted last month by the Oleksandr
Razumkov Center for Political and Economic Studies among 727 Ukrainian
journalists revealed that 61.6 percent of them have come into contact
with "manifestations of political censorship," UNIAN reported on 3
December. According to the poll, the most common forms of political
censorship in Ukraine are self-censorship of journalists for fear of
reprisals and removal of politically sensitive passages from texts by
editors. JM
[41] POLL SAYS 79 PERCENT OF UKRAINIANS REGARD THEMSELVES AS POOR
According to a survey conducted by the International Labor Organization
and Ukraine's State Statistics Committee among 9,400 Ukrainian
households earlier this year, 79 percent of respondents consider
themselves "poor," UNIAN reported on 3 December. The poll found that
more than 50 percent of Ukrainians have monthly incomes below 300
hryvnyas ($56). According to respondents, 510 hryvnyas is the minimum
monthly income that would guarantee "normal existence." The official
subsistence level in Ukraine is 342 hryvnyas per month. JM
[42] ESTONIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES HIKE IN MINIMUM WAGE
Cabinet ministers on 3 December approved nearly a 17 percent increase
in the monthly minimum wage, from the current 1,850 kroons ($120) to
2,160 kroons, from January, ETA reported. The hourly minimum wage will
thus rise from 10.95 kroons to 12.90 kroons. The decision cemented an
agreement that the Central Organization of Estonian Trade Unions and
the Estonian Employers Confederation signed with trade unions on 18
October (see "RFE/RL Baltic States Report," 28 October 2002). The two
sides pledged in August 2001 to raise the minimum wage to 41 percent of
average gross wages by 2008. SG
[43] LATVIAN PREMIER EQUATES BUDGET VOTE WITH CONFIDENCE MEASURE
Einars Repse told the parliamentary Budget and Finance Commission on 3
December that the 2003 budget will be drafted differently from previous
budgets, saying the methods used in the past would lead to a deadlock
and his center-right government's necessary objectives would be
insufficiently financed, LETA reported. He said the budget should be
qualitatively and quantitatively different from former budgets, cutting
functions the state cannot afford, while ensuring that priority areas
will receive full funding so that policemen, judges, teachers, and
medical workers receive sufficient salaries. Among possible cuts, the
rightist New Era party's Repse mentioned administration, services, and
equipment purchases. Repse also called on parliament to abstain from
amending the 2003 budget, saying it must be approved as a whole or
rejected. He equated a rejection of the budget with a vote of no
confidence in his government. SG
[44] LITHUANIA, UKRAINE ESTABLISH INTERPARLIAMENTARY FORUM
A delegation from the Ukrainian legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, headed
by Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn began a two-day visit to Vilnius on 3
December with a meeting with Lithuanian parliamentary head Arturas
Paulauskas, ELTA reported. In a speech to lawmakers in the Seimas,
Lytvyn announced that the countries' legislatures will establish a
bilateral parliamentary forum similar to the one Lithuania has with
Kaliningrad Oblast's Duma. Valerijus Tretjakovas and Oleksandr
Tretyakov, representatives from the respective parliaments, signed an
agreement establishing the forum prior to an official dinner in honor
of the visit. In subsequent talks with Prime Minister Algirdas
Brazauskas, Lytvyn discussed domestic- and foreign-policy issues and
ongoing reforms. He expressed dissatisfaction with Ukraine's imminent
status as an EU neighbor, noting that his country will seek to become
an EU associate member. On 4 December, Lytvyn was scheduled to meet
with President Valdas Adamkus and Vilnius Mayor Arturas Zuokas before
flying to the Estonian capital, Tallinn. SG
[45] NATIONAL AGREEMENT ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRESS SIGNED IN
LITHUANIA
Ten major political parties and 14 public organizations uniting
businessmen, youth, and the academic community signed a National
Agreement on Economic and Social Progress in the Lithuanian parliament
on 3 December, ELTA reported. The agreement envisages economic
development through employing the state's own reserves and resources
that will become available after Lithuania joins the EU. It emphasizes
the importance of establishing a knowledge-based economy and the need
for harmonizing the education and science system with that of Western
Europe. The impetus for such an agreement came from the opposition
Conservatives, who noted in the spring that Ireland produced a similar
agreement in 1988 and now is ranked third in the EU in terms of
per-capita GDP. SG
[46] POLISH GOVERNMENT MOVES TO SALVAGE CABLE PLANT, PLEDGES JOBS FOR
SACKED MINERS
Labor Minister Jerzy Hausner on 3 December presented a scheme to
revitalize the defunct Ozarow Cable Factory, which last week was the
scene of tussles between police and former workers (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 27 November 2002), PAP reported. The scheme envisages
turning the plant into a subsection of the Tarnobrzeg Special Economic
Zone and implementing a program to boost local commerce. "Repairing the
situation in Ozarow is beyond local possibilities, and this is why the
government is trying to help," Hausner said. The same day, Economy
Minister Jacek Piechota promised that each of the 17,000 miners who are
to be laid off under a restructuring program in the coal industry next
year will get a new job. The government has set up an interdepartmental
team to provide assistance to those affected by the restructuring of
the mining sector in Silesia. JM
[47] THOUSANDS OF CZECH FARMERS PROTEST EU POSITION
An estimated 10,000 angry farmers turned up in the Czech capital on 4
December to march on the Agriculture Ministry and block downtown
streets in an effort to be heard ahead of next week's EU summit in
Copenhagen, dpa reported. Agrarian groups organized the demonstration
to protest reduced subsidies being offered by Brussels in accession
talks with the Czech Republic and nine other EU aspirants. Participants
pelted the ministry building with eggs, beets, potatoes, and tomatoes,
the news agency reported, in addition to setting small fires and
blocking the entrance with a pile of manure. Social Democratic
Agriculture Minister Jaroslav Palas invited three protest leaders in
for brief talks after deciding not to address all the demonstrators,
according to his spokesman, Hugo Roldan. "It was dangerous to go out
there," the spokesman said, adding that the minister called the protest
"a legitimate step" but chided those who damaged property. Roldan
blamed the situation on "inaccurate information" coming from
agricultural interest groups, dpa reported. AH
[48] CZECH SENATE PRESIDENT RE-ELECTED TO THIRD TERM
Christian Democratic Union-People's Party (KDU-CSL) Senator Petr
Pithart won re-election on 4 December to head the upper house on the
strength of 50 votes during a secret vote in the 81-seat Senate, CTK
reported. Pithart is highly regarded for his perceived fairness and
integrity. A communist-era dissident and Czech prime minister from
1990-92, the 61-year-old political scientist was backed by the three
governing parties. The opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS), whose
Chairman Vaclav Klaus has consistently done battle with Pithart and
other former dissidents, reportedly opposed Pithart's election but did
not field its own candidate. In a brief speech after his re-election,
Pithart thanked senators for participating and vowed to "always be
impartial" in carrying out his duties, CTK reported. He also stressed
"the international scene" as the Czech Republic faces a referendum on
EU membership, tough talks on the terms of accession, and the country's
place in the EU. Pithart served as Senate president from 1996-98 and
from 2002 to the present. AH
[49] U.K. TURNS AWAY ANOTHER GROUP OF CZECH ROMA ASYLUM SEEKERS
Great Britain has rejected requests for asylum from 39 Czech citizens,
all believed to be members of the Roma minority, and deported the
group, CTK reported on 3 December. The group of 39 asylum seekers was
the seventh to be sent home from Great Britain since the country began
the practice of deporting Czech asylum seekers in September. A total of
266 people have since been deported. British authorities have said all
asylum requests by Czech Roma will be rejected because they believe
Prague does not persecute its citizens. Roma advocates claim members of
the minority suffer from discrimination. BW
[50] SLOVAKIA REPORTEDLY WINS CONCESSIONS ON EU QUOTAS
The European Union has reacted favorably to Slovakia's requests to ease
some of the conditions for the country's accession to the union,
Bratislava's chief EU negotiator said on 3 December, TASR reported the
same day. The EU agreed to increase Slovakia's production quotas for
iso-glucose from 36,000 to 42,500 tons. Slovakia is also seeking higher
milk quotas. "The EU today accepted several of Slovakia's important
demands, but not all. We also want to discuss the remaining open
questions," Figel said. He also said he believes Brussels would react
favorably to requests for financing for the closure of two blocks of a
nuclear-power plant in Jaslovske Bohunice. BW
[51] SLOVAK PRESIDENT CONCLUDES UKRAINE VISIT
At the conclusion of his two-day visit to Ukraine, Slovak President
Rudolf Schuster on 3 December said the two countries have not realized
their full potential for bilateral trade, TASR reported. Accompanied by
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, Schuster visited the Pivdenmash
rocket plant, which during the Cold War produced the majority of the
former Soviet Union's nuclear missiles. The Ukrainian National
Pedagogic University also awarded Schuster an honorary doctorate for
literature, and he attended a session of the Ukrainian-Slovak economic
forum. BW
[52] HUNGARY SUBMITS NEW PROPOSALS TO EU
Hungary's chief negotiator with the EU, Endre Juhasz, on 3 December
submitted in Brussels his country's new proposals for accession,
Hungarian media reported. Budapest says it is ready to accept the
Danish Presidency's proposals for 2004 but seeks rectification for
2005-06. Juhasz told journalists that differences between the sides'
positions on direct agricultural subsidies are narrowing, since the EU
-- according to the latest Danish proposals (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 27
November 2002) -- is now recommending that subsidies be paid from the
state budget to farmers, potentially offsetting some disadvantages. The
daily "Napi Gazdasag" reported that Denmark gave a positive response to
the Hungarian request for an increase in agricultural quotas, including
of milk and beef. However, Juhasz said the Danish Presidency has stated
that a concrete agreement on agricultural funding can only be expected
at the 12-13 December Copenhagen summit itself. The dispute concerning
Budapest's intention to do away with tax breaks for foreign investors
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 2 December 2002) also remains to be solved. MS
[53] HUNGARIAN CHURCHES OBJECT TO GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO AMEND
FUNDING
The Bench of Catholic Bishops on 3 December issued a statement
asserting that no progress was made at a meeting that day between Eger
Archbishop Istvan Sergely and Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy on the
government's intention to amend the way churches are funded, Hungarian
media reported. The cabinet intends to abolish a law approved in 2001
-- by which churches are funded according to the number of declared
believers in the latest census -- and replace it with legislation
providing for funding on the base of a 1 percent tax deduction.
Speaking on behalf of the Calvinist synod, Bishop Gusztav Bolcskei also
expressed opposition to the cabinet's intention. Media report that if
the law is amended, the Catholic Church will receive some 700 million
forints ($2.9 million) less funding and the Calvinist Church 44 million
forints more -- while other denominations, such as the Lutherans and
the Jews, will also receive reduced financing. Istvan Szalay,
undersecretary for church affairs in the Prime Minister's Office, told
"Nepszabadsag" that he is pledging that all religious communities
negatively affected will be compensated from the state budget. MS
[54] HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION SLAMS PREMIER'S PARTICIPATION IN ROMANIAN
CELEBRATIONS
Opposition deputies on 3 December criticized Premier Medgyessy's
presence on 1 December at a reception hosted in a Budapest hotel by
Romanian Premier Adrian Nastase to mark his country's national day,
Hungarian media reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 2 December 2002).
Romania marks its national day on 1 December in memory of the 1918
decision in Blaj, Transylvania, of a constituent assembly attended
mostly by ethnic Romanians to have Transylvania join Romania. "Romania
ransacked and humiliated Hungary, raping Hungarian women, and [via
Medgyessy's participating in the reception] we pardoned that, although
nobody ever apologized to us," FIDESZ parliamentary deputy Istvan
Simicsko said. Hungarian Democratic Forum deputy Gyorgy Gemesi also
criticized the premier for "celebrating the loss of Transylvania
together [with Nastase] on...a day of mourning for Hungary." Foreign
Minister Laszlo Kovacs countered that 1 December is not about the
Trianon treaty or the annexation of Transylvania by Romania, and the
premier's meeting with Nastase served the cause of reconciliation. He
also questioned whether the opposition's attack and an accompanying
demonstration serve ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania. MS
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[55] CONTROVERSY GROWS OVER ALLEGED CONTINUING YUGOSLAV ARMS SALES TO
IRAQ...
After an apparent delay of several days, the NGO International Crisis
Group has published a report alleging that the current Yugoslav
government knowingly sold arms to Iraq in violation of international
sanctions, Reuters reported from Belgrade on 3 December (see "RFE/RL
Balkan Report," 29 November 2002 and http://www.crisisweb.org). James
Lyon, who heads the ICG's Belgrade office, said in a statement that
"strong outside pressure will be needed to ensure Belgrade gets to the
bottom of this scandal, implements reforms and complies with its
international obligations." But the BBC's Serbian Service quoted an
unnamed official of the U.S. State Department, who said the ICG report
includes unspecified speculation and factual errors. He added that
Yugoslav authorities understand the seriousness of the situation and
are cooperating fully with the United States. The broadcast cited an
American Balkan expert as saying the ICG has not clearly proven that
Yugoslavia violated the sanctions systematically. He added that
relations between Washington, D.C., and Belgrade appear largely
unaffected by the controversy. PM
[56] ...WITH STRONG REACTIONS FROM YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT
President Vojislav Kostunica said in Novi Sad on 3 December that the
ICG is a group that tends "to stir up and inflame crises rather than
resolve them," RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported. Predrag Simic, who is Kostunica's foreign policy adviser,
told "RFE/RL Newsline" that the ICG report is unfounded. He stressed
that Yugoslavia wants to join NATO's Partnership for Peace program,
adding that Belgrade is cooperating closely with Washington in
investigating possible violations of the arms embargo. Simic argued
that U.S. officials have long been monitoring Yugoslav arms sales and
would have easily identified any systematic violation of the embargo.
PM
[57] KOSOVA BUFFER ZONE NARROWS
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic said in Belgrade on 3
December that the demilitarized buffer zone on Serbian and Montenegrin
territory bordering Kosova will soon be reduced from 10 to five
kilometers, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported. Covic added that he has informed NATO Secretary-General Lord
George Robertson of the change and hopes the demilitarized zone can be
completely eliminated in the next six months. Yugoslav troops and
Serbian and Montenegrin police are prohibited from entering the zone,
which was established as a confidence-building measure following the
1999 conflict in Kosova. PM
[58] AGREEMENT ON THE SAVA RIVER BASIN SIGNED IN SLOVENIA
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel hosted Yugoslav Foreign
Minister Goran Svilanovic, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, and
Bosnian Civilian Affairs and Communications Minister Svetozar
Mihajlovic in Kranjska Gora on 3 December, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported. They signed an agreement regarding
the use of the Sava River basin and a protocol dealing with traffic on
the river. Erhard Busek, who heads the EU-led Balkan Stability Pact,
also attended the session. In related news, Serbian Prime Minister
Zoran Djindjic took possession in Wiesbaden, Germany, of a ship
equipped to test water quality and marine life in rivers. Valued at $20
million, the ship is Germany's single largest gift to Serbia. PM
[59] BOSNIAN SERB LEGISLATORS LEAVE BOSNIAN PARALIAMENT
Deputies from the Republika Srpska walked out of the Bosnian parliament
on 3 December to protest a new ruling by High Representative Paddy
Ashdown, Deutsche Welle's Bosnian Service reported. The decree, which
he implemented without legislative approval, effectively makes the
Bosnian central government independent of control of the two entities.
Under the decree, the prime minister's job will no longer rotate
frequently among Serbian, Muslim, and Croatian ministers. Voting in the
Council of Ministers will be by simple majority. A spokesman for
Ashdown said the Bosnian Serb deputies are simply trying to buy time in
the run-up to forming a new coalition government. PM
[60] MACEDONIAN RAILWAY WORKERS END STRIKE
Following the management's announcement that it will pay back wages,
striking workers of state-owned Macedonian Railways ended their labor
stoppage on 2 December, MIA news agency reported. The workers warned,
however, that they will strike again if management fails to pay up
before 20 December (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 December 2002). UB
[61] MACEDONIAN PROSECUTOR SACKED
The parliament fired Stavre Djikov as public prosecutor on 4 December
for poor performance of duties, dpa reported. Djikov was an appointee
of the last government and has called for a hard line toward ethnic
Albanian former guerrillas. PM
[62] ETHNIC ALBANIAN PARTY IN MACEDONIA TO SUE NEWSPAPER
The ethnic Albanian Union for Democratic Integration (BDI), which is
part of the ruling coalition, announced on 3 December that it will sue
the Macedonian-language daily "Dnevnik," "Utrinski vesnik" and
"Dnevnik" reported. BDI spokesman Agron Buxhaku dismissed a recent
report in "Dnevnik" stating that the BDI has paid some 300 ethnic
Macedonians in eastern and southern Macedonia up to $2,500 each to join
the party, dpa reported. "What was published in the newspapers were
only lies," Buxhaku said. He added that Macedonians join the party
because they agree that the BDI is "the only alternative -- not only
for the Albanians, but also for the Macedonians" (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 22 November 2002). UB
[63] EXTREMIST ROMANIAN PARTY WANTS GOLD EXTRACTION TO REMAIN STATE
MONOPOLY
The Greater Romania Party (PRM) forwarded a motion dubbed "Rosia
Montana" to the Chamber of Deputies on 3 December that calls for
retaining the state monopoly on gold extraction, Romanian Television
reported. The PRM called on the National Anticorruption Prosecutor's
Office to examine the details of the deal under which a majority stake
of the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation, which operates the Rosia Montana
gold mine in western Romania, was sold to the Canadian company Gabriel
Resources (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15 October 2002). The Canadian
company has been working on a $400 million project that would make
Rosia Montana Europe's largest gold mine and involves relocating more
than 2,000 people and demolishing about 900 homes in the area. The
motion calls for the government to protect those being relocated and to
protect environmental and archeological sites in the region. Premier
Adrian Nastase has previously said the government will decide on the
issue pending a report from an international commission investigating
the project. ZsM
[64] ROMANIAN LIBERAL, DEMOCRATIC LEADERS CONSIDER ALLIANCE
National Liberal Party (PNL) Deputy Chairman Paul Pacuraru said on 3
December that in the event the ruling Social Democratic Party convokes
early elections in 2003, his party might form an alliance with the
Democratic Party, Mediafax reported. He added that the PNL is currently
concentrating on "consolidating" the political right wing in Romania
and intends to merge with two smaller liberal parties, the PNL-Cimpeanu
and the Union of Rightist Forces. Democratic Party Chairman Traian
Basescu said the same day that his party is willing to form an
electoral or postelectoral alliance with the PNL. ZsM
[65] FORMER ROMANIAN RULING-PARTY DEPUTY SENTENCED IN FRAUD CASE
The Supreme Court on 3 December sentenced former parliamentary deputy
Gabriel Bivolaru to three years in prison on charges that include
defrauding a state-owned bank in the mid-90s. He was ordered to pay
more than 2.25 trillion lei (approximately $67.3 million) in
compensation to the Romanian Development Bank, Mediafax reported.
Bivolaru was found guilty of forging checks and money orders between
1992-96. He represented the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR)
in parliament from 1996-2000; that party later became the current
Social Democratic Party. Parliament refused to lift Bivolaru's immunity
in 1997 but finally did so in 1999. Bivolaru can appeal the decision
within 10 days. ZsM
[66] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT PROPOSES 'REINTEGRATION' MINISTER
Vladimir Voronin on 3 December proposed setting up a new government
post for a minister in charge of the country's "reintegration," an
RFE/RL correspondent in Chisinau reported. According to a presidential
press release, Voronin has sent a draft bill to parliament that would
amend the law on the government's structure. The minister would be
tasked with coordinating government negotiations for resolving the
Transdniester conflict as well as overseeing the "process of restoring
Moldova's juridical, social, economical, cultural, and educational
unity." ZsM
[67] OPINION POLL SHOWS BULGARIANS ARE UNINFORMED ABOUT KOZLODUY
Institute for Analysis and Marketing Director Yulii Pavlov wrote in an
article for mediapool.bg on 3 December that most Bulgarians are not
aware of the facts regarding the expected shutdown of part of the
Kozloduy nuclear-power plant. According to an opinion poll conducted by
the institute, the majority of Bulgarians are not aware that only the
oldest blocks of the nuclear-power plant are slated for closure, or
that those blocks account for only about 10 percent of the country's
electricity production. The vast majority has no idea that the profits
from the plant are slight compared to the financial support the country
stands to receive from the EU during the accession process, according
Pavlov. As a result, Pavlov concluded, it is easy for politicians to
manipulate public opinion on the importance of the power plant and to
fuel sentiments against the EU, which is demanding that the older
blocks be decommissioned. UB
[68] BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT ACCUSES OPPOSITION OF USING JUDICIARY FOR
POLITICAL MEANS
Government spokesman Dimitar Tsonev accused the opposition of involving
the judiciary in political battles, BTA reported on 3 December. Tsonev
said in a press release that the opposition Socialist Party (BSP) took
the first step when it filed a lawsuit against the government's signing
of an agreement with the EU closing the energy chapter of the EU's
acquis communautaire (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 November 2002). The
second step, according Tsonev, was taken by the opposition United
Democratic Forces (ODS) on 2 December when it informed the Supreme
Court of Appeals about alleged legal violations that occurred during
the privatization of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTK)
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 December 2002). Tsonev accused both the BSP
and the ODS of trying to undermine Bulgaria's position prior to the
Copenhagen European Council and to harm the investment climate in the
country. UB
[69] RUSSIAN POLITICIAN WARNS BULGARIA NOT TO DONATE ARMS TO GEORGIA
Speaking at a press conference in Sofia on 3 December, Union of
Rightist Forces leader Boris Nemtsov warned the Bulgarian government
not to donate arms or ammunition to Georgia, mediapool.bg reported. The
Russian politician said such donations are "not friendly to Russia" and
opined that "Russia is more important for Bulgaria than Georgia."
Nemtsov claimed that Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze is unable
to control materiel in Georgia. The Bulgarian government decided in
September 2002 to donate arms and ammunition worth about $89,000 to
Georgia under NATO's Partnership for Peace program. UB
SOUTHWESTERN ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
[70] GERMAN CABINET EXTENDS MANDATE FOR TROOPS IN ISAF
The German cabinet on 3 December extended by one year the mandate for
German soldiers serving with the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, ddp reported. Germany currently has a
contingent of 1,289 troops in the ISAF and that number will be
increased to approximately 2,000 when Germany and the Netherlands
assume joint command of ISAF in mid-February, ddp reported. AT
[71] CLASHES IN KANDAHAR LEAVE THREE DEAD
Three people were killed and 11 bystanders were injured in Kandahar on
2 December when four armed men "without legal permits for carrying
weapons" clashed with government forces, Radio Afghanistan reported the
next day. The radio station did not elaborate what led to the deaths.
According to the report, the military commission of Kandahar Province
recently declared that only people with newly registered arms permits
are allowed to carry weapons, and asked people holding old licenses to
renew them. While the radio station did not specify what is meant by
old weapons permits, it is believed that the measure is intended to
make those who were authorized under Taliban rule to carry weapons to
renew their licenses. The Taliban allowed only people loyal to them to
carry weapons. AT
[72] INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION TO REPATRIATE PROFESSORS
FOR KHOST UNIVERSITY
As part of the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) "Return
of Qualified Afghans Program," a number of professors will be resettled
in Khost Province and teach at Khost University, Radio Free Afghanistan
reported on 3 December. IOM will guarantee a salary of $200 per month
for each returning professor for up to one year and the organization
will provide each returnee with $600 for relocation to Afghanistan, the
report added. According to Najibullah Samim, an IOM representative in
Peshawar, Pakistan, the organization has facilitated the return of 328
qualified Afghans in the past year. Samim told Radio Free Afghanistan
that 247 of those returnees, who have been employed in the education,
health, agriculture, and judiciary sectors, were repatriated from
Pakistan. AT
[73] KABUL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR MURDERED
Kabul police discovered the mutilated corpse of Kabul University
Professor Abdul Hamid on 3 December, Radio Free Afghanistan reported
the next day. The victim's family told police that he attended a party
that night and never returned. Police are investigating whether the
murder was personally or politically motivated, according to the
report. Thus far, there is no indication that the murder is linked to
the 10-11 November student demonstrations at Kabul University. AT
[74] U.S. REPORTEDLY IN CONTROL OF SHINDAND AIR BASE IN AFGHANISTAN
U.S. troops have taken control of the Shindand air base in western
Afghanistan "under the pretext of putting an end" to clashes between
Herat Province Governor Ismail Khan and his rival Amanullah Khan (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 2 and 3 December 2002), Voice of the Islamic
Republic of Iran reported on 3 December. The report claimed that after
a U.S. B-52 bombed the area around Shindand, the United States "sent
hundreds of its troops to Shindand and surrounding areas near the
Iranian border." As part of the ongoing Operation Enduring Freedom and
war on terrorism, the United States has used the Shindand air base on
several occasions in the past and contingents of U.S. Special Forces
regularly patrol the area. AT
[75] SENIOR U.S. SENATOR WANTS LONG-TERM PLANS FOR AFGHANISTAN
Senator Richard Lugar (Republican, Indiana), who is preparing to take
over as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has said he wants
the Bush administration to develop long-term plans for peacekeeping
troops in Afghanistan that would prevent the country from slipping
further into anarchy, "The New York Times" reported on 4 December.
Lugar said that "somebody has to organize this" as no one is doing so
now. AT
[76] IRANIAN POLLSTERS' TRIAL ADJOURNED FOR FIVE DAYS...
The first session in the trial of the managing directors of the Ayandeh
Research Institute -- Hussein Qazian, Abbas Abdi, and Ali Reza
Alavi-Tabar -- was held in Tehran on 3 December. Public Prosecutor's
Office representative Mr. Tashakori said information in the case came
from queries submitted to the Intelligence and Security Ministry, the
Foreign Affairs Ministry, and Islamic Culture and Guidance Ministry,
according to state radio. The trial relates to a poll conducted in
cooperation with the Washington-based Gallup Organization (see "RFE/RL
Iran Report," 7 October 2002 and 2 December 2002), and the three are
charged with setting up an unofficial Gallup office in Iran. Other
charges include "secret and unlicensed contacts with institutes and
individuals affiliated to foreign intelligence and security services";
secret contacts with a "Zionist institute, belonging to Jewish and
Zionist elements in America, via a counterrevolutionary middleman"; and
gathering information for a Swiss human rights organization. They also
are charged with having "secret and unlicensed contacts and repeated
meetings" with Columbia University Professor Gary Sick, with an MI6
official in Tehran, and participating in counter-revolutionaries'
meetings in the United States and the United Kingdom. The next session
is scheduled for 8 December, according to IRNA. BS
[77] ...AS PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE CASE
President Mohammad Khatami has appointed a three-member committee to
look into the polling-institute trial, IRNA reported on 3 December. The
appointments came in response to a letter Khatami received from 156
members of parliament in which they asked the president to ensure there
will be a fair decision in the case and to stop recent actions against
national research institutions (see "RFE/RL Iran Report," 2 December
2002). The committee consists of Vice President for Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs Hojatoleslam Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Justice
Minister Hojatoleslam Mohammad Ismail Shushtari, and Islamic Culture
and Guidance Minister Ahmad Masjid-Jamei. BS
[78] AGHAJARI SAYS DEATH SENTENCE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED...
Political activist and university Professor Hashem Aghajari, who was
convicted to death in early November for an allegedly blasphemous
speech he made in June, said in an open letter faxed to IRNA on 3
December that the verdict against him resulted from the judge's
misinterpretation of his philosophical challenge. Aghajari in his
speech questioned the system of religious hierarchy and advocated
people's freedom in choosing a source of emulation. Aghajari said that
the verdict was politically motivated. BS
[79] ...AS HIS LAWYER THREATENS TO SUE
Aghajari's legal representative, Saleh Nikbakht, said at a 2 December
press conference that he has filed an appeal on his client's behalf
because the 20-day deadline to do so was approaching, the Iranian
Students News Agency reported. Nikbakht said the case should be dealt
with in Tehran, where the judges are more experienced. Nikbakht pointed
out that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a review of
the case on 17 November, and he questioned why the president of the
Supreme Court, the state prosecutor-general, and the head of the
Judges' Disciplinary Court have not yet called for such a review.
Nikbakht said Aghajari should be freed on bail. "I shall definitely
file a lawsuit against the judge who spoke on television before the
verdict was finalized," he added. BS
[80] UN REPORTS ON IRANIAN POPULATION
The UN's Population Fund on 3 December released its "State of World
Population 2002" report (see http://www.unfpa.org) in which it says
global population is projected to increase from 6.2 billion people
today to 9.2 billion by 2050. Iran's total population in 2002 is listed
at 72.4 million people and is projected to rise to 121.4 million by
2050, according to the UNFPA report. The average population-growth rate
is 1.4 percent. The infant-mortality rate is 36 out of 1,000 live
births. Male/female life-expectancy rates are 68.8 years and 70.8
years, respectively. Approximately 65 percent of the population is
urban, and the urban growth rate is 2.4 percent. BS
[81] INSPECTORS VISIT IRAQI PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Committee (UNMOVIC) and
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors paid an unannounced visit
to a presidential palace in Iraq on 3 December, Egypt's MENA news
agency reported. It was the first time inspectors have visited a
presidential site since inspections resumed on 27 November. "Flustered
guards initially blocked the convoy" when it drove up unannounced to
the front and rear entrances of Saddam Hussein's Sijood Palace in
central Baghdad, according to "The Washington Post." Afterward, an
anonymous UN spokesman said that "access to the entire site was
provided without any difficulty" and inspectors were able to search
"every room, every corner." Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said the
inspections indicate Baghdad's commitment to the inspectors' mission,
"Al-Rafidayn" newspaper reported, according to MENA. BS
[82] TURKEY WILLING TO PROVIDE BASES
Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said on 3 December that his
country prefers to resolve the Iraq issue peacefully, but if this does
not happen Turkey would open its airspace and its bases to the U.S.
armed forces to support an operation, Turkish TRT-2 television
reported. Yakis noted that it would be difficult to explain the
presence of "tens of thousands U.S. soldiers" to the Turkish people. BS
[83] IRAQI OPPOSITION CONSIDERATE OF TURKOMAN
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official Zaim Ali on 2 December met
with a delegation from the Turkoman National Association, the KDP's
"Brayati" newspaper reported on 3 December. Members of the delegation
represented the Turkoman Brotherhood Party, the Turkoman Unity Party,
the Kurdistani Turkoman Democratic Party, the Turkoman Liberation
Party, and the Turkoman Cultural Association in Kurdistan. The two
sides discussed a number of issues, including the protected status of
the Turkoman under the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq.
Iraqi National Congress Chairman Ahmad Chalabi also stated his support
for the Turkoman and for Iraq's territorial integrity, the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan newspaper "Kurdistani Nuwe" reported on 25 November.
Chalabi declared his support for "more than three federal regions with
full respect to all the national and cultural rights of the Kurdish
nation and also the Assyrian and Turkoman ones," the daily reported. BS
[84] UN REPORTS ON IRAQI POPULATION
The UN's Population Fund on 3 December released its "State of World
Population 2002" report (http://www.unfpa.org) in which it listed
Iraq's total population in 2002 at 24.2 million people. The total
population is projected to be 53.6 million by 2050, according to the
report. The average population growth rate was given at 2.7 percent and
the infant-mortality rate is 64 out of 1,000 live births, the report
stated. Male/female life expectancy rates are 60.1 years and 59.6
years, respectively. Approximately 67 percent of the population is
urban, and the urban growth rate is 2.7 percent, according to the
report. BS
[85] WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES IRAQ-RELATED APPOINTMENTS
U.S. President George W. Bush announced on 2 December the appointment
of Zalmay Khalilzad as his special envoy and ambassador at large for
"free Iraqis," international media reported. Khalilzad will serve as
the U.S. government's focal point and coordinator for contacts with
"free Iraqis" in planning for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, according to
White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. Khalilzad will continue to
serve the Bush administration as special envoy for Afghanistan, but he
will give up his positions as special assistant to the president and
senior director for Southwest Asia, Near East, and North African
affairs in the National Security Council. Another 2 December White
House statement announced the appointment of Elliott Abrams as special
assistant to the president and senior director for Near East and North
African Affairs. He was a member and later chairman of the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom from 1999 to 2001 and was
president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center from 1996 to 2001.
Abrams served as an assistant secretary of state under former President
Ronald Reagan, dealing with Latin America. Abrams pled guilty to
misdemeanor charges of withholding information from Congress during the
Iran-Contra hearings but received a pardon in 1992. BS
END NOTE
[86] There is no End Note today.
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