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Voice of America, 97-10-05Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>CONTENTS
[01] CYPRUS/SHIP (S ONLY) BY CHRIS DRAKE (LIMASSOL)DATE=10/4/97TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-220823 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: HUNDREDS OF PASSENGERS, INCLUDING RUSSIAN, BRITISH AND GERMAN TOURISTS, WERE SAFELY EVACUATED SATURDAY FROM A BLAZING CRUISE SHIP WHICH HAD JUST LEFT ITS HOME PORT OF LIMASSOL IN CYPRUS. FROM LIMASSOL, CHRIS DRAKE HAS THIS REPORT. TEXT: THE PASSENGERS SAY THE CRUISE SHIP CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT. ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THE SMELL OF SMOKE BEGAN FILLING THE DECKS. THE LIFEBOATS WERE LOWERED AS THE BLAZE SPREAD, BUT THE ENTIRE OPERATION DOES SEEM TO HAVE GONE REMARKABLY SMOOTHLY, THE PASSENGERS INSISTING THERE WAS NO REAL PANIC. ANOTHER CRUISE LINER, THE PRINCESSA VICTORIA WHICH CAME SWIFTLY TO THE RESCUE, LOWERED ITS OWN LIFEBOATS TO HELP AND EVEN SENT SOME ROWING BOATS AS A BACKUP. WHILE THERE WAS NO SERIOUS PANIC, SOME OF THE PASSENGERS HAVE COMPLAINED THAT THE CREW SEEMED UNPREPARED AND UNCERTAIN HOW THE LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT WORKED. THEY SAY ALSO THAT THEY WERE TOLD ONLY TO LEAVE THEIR CABINS IMMEDIATELY AND NOT THE REASON. THE STRICKEN VESSEL IS STILL ON FIRE AND ALTHOUGH A SALVAGE TUG
DOES HAVE A LINE ABOARD, EXPERTS AT THE SCENE SAY IT IS STILL IN
SERIOUS DANGER OF SINKING. (SIGNED)
[02] SERBIA ELECTION O'NITER (L-ONLY) BY JULIA GLYN-PICKETT (BELGRADE)DATE=10/4/97TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-220834 CONTENT= VOICED AT: // PRODUCERS -- MUST EDIT TO MATCH VOICE WITH SCRIPT //INTRO: ON THE EVE OF THE SECOND ROUND OF SERBIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, SEVERAL THOUSAND STUDENTS RALLIED IN CENTRAL BELGRADE TO PROTEST WHAT THEY ARE CALLING AN ILLEGAL VOTE. JULIA GLYN-PICKETT REPORTS FROM BELGRADE. TEXT: // NATURAL SOUND / DEMONSTRATION // ONE HOUR INTO SATURDAY'S ANTI-ELECTION PROTEST, MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND STUDENTS BACKED BY TWO OPPOSITION PARTIES WERE DEMONSTRATING IN DOWNTOWN BELGRADE. BUT IN CONTRAST TO THE 200 RIOT POLICE WHICH ATTACKED PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS EARLIER THIS WEEK, THERE WERE ONLY A HANDFUL OF TRAFFIC POLICE ON GUARD SATURDAY, AND EVERYTHING WAS PEACEFUL. EARLY ON SUNDAY, PEOPLE IN SERBIA WILL BEGIN VOTING FOR THEIR NEXT PRESIDENT. VOTERS WILL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE REPRESENTATIVE OF SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC'S SOCIALIST PARTY AND THE LEADER OF THE ULTRA-NATIONALISTS. BUT THE PEOPLE DEMONSTRATING IN BELGRADE SATURDAY WERE CALLING FOR FRESH ELECTIONS AND A BOYCOTT OF SUNDAY'S PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF. STUDENT LEADER AND ORGANIZER OF SATURDAY'S PROTEST CEDOMIR ANTIC EXPLAINS WHY. // ANTIC ACT //WE SHALL DEMONSTRATE AGAINST ONE TOTALITARIAN AND ONE COMMUNISTIC REGIME WHICH WILL ORGANIZE SECOND ROUND ELECTIONS FOR PRESIDENT, WHICH ARE NOT REGULAR. // END ACT //THE SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT'S COALITION PARTNER -- KNOWN AS JUL --
DENIES THE ACCUSATION THAT SERBIA"S ELECTION SYSTEM IS RIGGED IN
ITS FAVOR. IT SAYS THE OPPOSITION AND STUDENTS ARE TRYING TO
DESTABILIZE THE SITUATION BEFORE SUNDAY'S POLL FOR PARTISAN
POLITICAL REASONS.
HOWEVER, ANOTHER RIVAL OPPOSITION PARTY -- THE SERBIAN RENEWAL
MOVEMENT -- IS ALSO TELLING ITS SUPPORTERS TO STAY AWAY FROM
SUNDAY'S PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF. (SIGNED)
[03] TURKEY / IRAQ (L-ONLY) BY KYLE KING (DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY)DATE=10/5/97TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-220850 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKEY'S CROSS-BORDER MILITARY OFFENSIVE AGAINST KURDISH REBELS IN NORTHERN IRAQ HAS ENTERED ITS THIRD WEEK WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE RENEWED AIR STRIKES AGAINST THE REBELS. V-O-A'S KYLE KING REPORTS FROM THE SOUTHERN TURKISH TOWN OF DIYARBAKIR. TEXT: WITNESSES SAY AT LEAST SIX TURKISH F-16 FIGHTER-BOMBERS TOOK OFF FROM A BASE OUTSIDE DIYARBAKIR (SUNDAY) ON WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE ANOTHER AIR RAID AIMED AT REBELS OF THE KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY, OR P-K-K. TURKEY LAUNCHED ITS LATEST MILITARY INCURSION INTO NORTHERN IRAQ TWO WEEKS AGO. ABOUT 15-THOUSAND TURKISH TROOPS BACKED BY ARTILLERY AND AIR POWER ARE INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION. THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL WORD ON THE TARGETS OF THE LATEST AIR STRIKE -- AND GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE AREA HAS BEEN MADE DIFFICULT BY TURKEY'S CLOSURE OF ITS BORDER WITH NORTHERN IRAQ. IRAQ AND MOST ARAB STATES HAVE CONDEMNED THE LATEST TURKISH OFFENSIVE. TURKISH OFFICIALS SAY THE CROSS-BORDER RAIDS ARE NECESSARY TO PREVENT REBEL ATTACKS ON TURKISH CIVILIANS. TURKISH MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY THEIR TROOPS HAVE KILLED MORE THAN 400 KURDISH REBELS, AND THE OPERATION HAS DEALT ANOTHER CRIPPLING BLOW TO THE P-K-K. THE SEMI-OFFICIAL ANATOLIAN NEWS AGENCY SAYS THE AIRSTRIKES HAVE FORCED SOME REBEL UNITS TO FLEE TO AREAS NEAR THE IRANIAN BORDER OR TERRITORY CONTROLLED BY OTHER REBEL GROUPS FIGHTING FOR AN INDEPENDENT HOMELAND. A STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE P-K-K ON SATURDAY SAID AT LEAST 38 TURKISH TROOPS HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THE INCURSION BEGAN. MORE THAN 26-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE DIED SINCE THE FIGHTING BEGAN
MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. (SIGNED)
[04] YUGOSLAV ELECTIONS (S) BY JULIA GLYN-PICKETT (BELGRADE)DATE=10/5/97TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-220858 CONTENT= VOICED AT: VOTERS IN YUGOSLOVIA'S TWO REPUBLICS -- SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO -- CAST BALLOTS SUNDAY IN TWO SEPARATE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. JULIA GLYN-PICKETT HAS THIS REPORT FROM BELGRADE. TEXT: AS THE POLLING STATIONS CLOSED ACROSS SERBIA SUNDAY, PEOPLE WERE WAITING TO HEAR WHETHER ENOUGH OF THE ELECTORATE HAD VOTED TO MAKE A PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF BETWEEN THE SOCIALISTS AND THE ULTRA NATIONALIST SERBIAN RADICALS, VALID. THE REPUBLIC'S ELECTION COMMISSION SAYS THE FINAL TURNOUT FIGURE WILL NOT BE RELEASED BEFORE MONDAY. INITIAL REPORTS FROM ELECTION COMMISSIONS ACROSS SERBIA INDICATE THE TURNOUT COULD TOP THE FIFTY PERCENT THRESHOLD. IF THAT IS CORRECT, IT WOULD MEAN THAT SERBIA WILL GET A NEW PRESIDENT THIS WEEK. THE REPRESENATIVE OF YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC'S SOCIALIST PARTY -- ZORAN LILIC -- TOLD REPORTERS AFTER VOTING THAT HE EXPECTS SUNDAY'S ELECTION WILL PRODUCE A PRESIDENT. /// LILIC ACT AND FADE UNDER ///MR. LILIC SAID IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT SERBIA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FINISHED SUNDAY AND HE SAID HE TRUSTED IN THE PEOPLE TO ELECT A NEW PRESIDENT. THE RADICAL CANDIDATE -- VOJISLAV SESELJ -- TOLD REPORTERS AFTER CASTING HIS BALLOT THAT IF HE WINS, SERBIA WILL GET TOUGH WITH THE WEST. /// SESELJ ACTUALITY AND FADE UNDER ///MR. SESELJ SAID A RADICAL PARTY VICTORY WOULD RULE OUT ANY
POSSIBILITY OF SERBIA KNEELING TO WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS WESTERN
FORCES. HE SAID SERBIA WOULD FOCUS ON ITS OWN INTERESTS AND
WOULD NOT BE ANYONE'S SERVANT.
MEANWHILE, IN MONTENEGRO -- SERBIA'S SMALLER BUT EQUAL PARTNER
IN THE YUGOSLAV FEDERATION -- THE REPUBLIC ELECTION COMMISSION
SAID SUNDAY EVENING THAT TURNOUT WAS AS HIGH AS 70 PERCENT.
INITIAL RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE CURRENT PRESIDENT COULD BE
TOPPLED BY A STAUNCH CRITIC OF MR. MILOSEVIC. (SIGNED)
[05] YUGO / VOTE (S) BY JULIA GLYN-PICKETT (BELGRADE)DATE=10/5/97TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-220851 CONTENT= VOICED AT: // EDITORS: POLLS CLOSE AT 2 P.M. EDT //INTRO: VOTERS ARE CASTING BALLOTS IN YUGOSLAVIA'S TWO REPUBLICS SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO -- IN TWO SEPARATE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. JULIA GLYN-PICKETT REPORTS FROM BELGRADE. TEXT: SERBIA'S ELECTORATE BEGAN VOTING SUNDAY IN A PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF BETWEEN THE REPRESENTATIVE OF YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC'S "SOCIALISTS" AND THE ULTRA-NATIONALIST LEADER OF THE SERBIAN "RADICALS." FEARS THAT SERBIA'S ELECTION WOULD FAIL TO PRODUCE A RESULT BECAUSE OF AN OPPOSITION-LED ELECTION BOYCOTT MAY PROVE UNFOUNDED. EARLY RESULTS FROM ELECTION OFFICIALS PUT TURNOUT AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE FIRST ROUND TWO WEEKS AGO. IN THAT VOTE, TURNOUT WAS MARGINALLY MORE THAN THE NECESSARY 50 PERCENT THRESHOLD. HOWEVER, ONE INDEPENDENT GROUP OF ELECTION MONITORS SAYS THE FIGURE IS MISLEADING. IT SAYS TURNOUT IS AT LEAST FIVE PERCENT LOWER THAN IT WAS IN THE FIRST ROUND. MEANWHILE IN MONTENEGRO -- SERBIA'S SMALLER BUT EQUAL PARTNER IN
THE YUGOSLAV FEDERATION -- VOTERS ARE EXPECTED TO OUST THE
CURRENT PRESIDENT AND REPLACE HIM WITH A STAUNCH CRITIC OF MR.
MILOSEVIC. (SIGNED)
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