[ALST-L] Election Watch Summary 3 October 2000

[info at balkan-info.net]

The following is a summary of international news and information related to elections in Southeast Europe and carried on the Balkan Information Exchange Web site.  For the full story, and complete election coverage, click here: http://www.balkan-info.com.

Dateline:  Belgrade
Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)
03/10/00

MILOSEVIC COULD ACCEPT MOSCOW MEDIATION OFFER
Borislav Milosevic, Yugoslav Ambassador to Russia and brother of Slobodan Milosevic, said that it is still possible for the Yugoslav President to accept Moscow's offer to mediate the election crisis, although "nothing concrete has been decided," AFP reported. Both the Serb opposition and Yugoslavia’s ruling coalition have so far rejected Moscow's entreaties.


Dateline:  Belgrade
Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)
02/10/00

MILOSEVIC ADDRESSES NATION 
In his first TV appearance since the 24 September elections, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic slammed his opposition rivals, warning that a vote for the opposition will bring violence while his policies would bring peace, AFP reported.  He accused the opposition of seeking “foreign occupation” and the eventual break-up of Yugoslavia.  Zoran Djindjic, an opposition leader, characterised the speech as “threatening” and “very unstable,” according to AP.


Dateline:  Belgrade
Source:  Agence France Presse (AFP)
03/10/00

SERB MINERS REJECT ARMY APPEAL TO END STRIKE
Some 7,500 workers at Serbia’s largest coalmine, Kolubara, rejected appeals from Yugoslav army chief Nebojsa Pavkovic to end their strike, AFP reported. Pavkovic met with Kolubara mine leaders for over three hours to no avail. Miners are striking as part of the nationwide effort to force Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic from office.


Dateline:  Athens
Source:  Xinhua
02/10/00

GREECE, RUSSIA, FRANCE SEEK SOLUTION TO YUGOSLAV CRISIS
Foreign ministers from Greece, Russia and France are working jointly to put together a memorandum that will urge Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to hold a recount of the recent first round presidential elections, according to the Greek government.


Dateline:  Belgrade
Source:  Associated Press, Agence France Presse (AFP)
02/10/00

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SERBS PROTEST
Thousands of Serbs took to the streets throughout the republic to mark the first day of civil disobedience aimed at removing Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic from power, wire services reported.  Some 40,000 people marched in both Novi Sad and Cacak.  In Pozarevac, the hometown of Milosevic, 20,000 people blocked roads and prevented public services, AP reported.   Dozens of strike organisers were arrested and four people were injured in a clash with police in Surcin, 20 kilometres west of Belgrade, opposition leaders said, according to AP.  


Dateline: Paris
Source: Reuters
02/10/00

U.S., EU PLEDGE AID FOR POST-MILOSEVIC YUGOSLAVIA
The United States and European Union pledged to lift sanctions and provide Yugoslavia with substantial financial aid once Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic acknowledges his electoral defeat and leaves office, Reuters reported.  "Today we discussed how we would engage with a democratic Yugoslavia on reconstruction and economic development and we agreed on the need to do so quickly and substantially," U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said, according to Reuters.
	

Dateline:  Sofia
Source:  Reuters
02/10/00

BULGARIA, CROATIA URGE MILOSEVIC OUSTER
Bulgaria and Croatia applauded the apparent presidential election victory of Serb opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica and called on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to step down from power, Reuters reported.  “The will of the Serbian people expressed in the voting must be respected which would put an end not only to the regime of Milosevic but also to his policies,” read a joint statement issued by Presidents Petar Stoyanov of Bulgaria and Stipe Mesic of Croatia, according to Reuters.  


Dateline:  Podgorica
Source:  Reuters, Dan
02/10/00

MONTENEGRIN ALLIES CAUTION MILOSEVIC
Montenegrin allies of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic cautioned him  against ignoring the will of the people, Reuters reported.  “The people have the right to make mistakes from time to time, but no one has the right to make the mistake of not respecting the will of the people out of the conviction that he knows the people’s interests better than the people themselves,” Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic said in an interview with the newspaper Dan.  


Dateline:  Belgrade
Source:  Associated Press (AP)
02/10/00

SERB OPPOSITION CALLS FOR MASSIVE BELGRADE PROTEST
Serbia’s opposition bloc called on citizens across the country to assemble in Belgrade on 5 October to “exercise major pressure on the authorities to acknowledge” the victory of Vojislav Kostunica in the presidential elections, AP reported.  “The people want to come to Belgrade, because things are decided in Belgrade,” Zoran Djindjic, an opposition leader said, according to AP.  


Dateline:  Belgrade
Source:  Reuters
02/10/00

STATE-CONTROLLED TRADE UNION THREATENS STRIKE
The Alliance of Serbian Trade Unions (SSSJ), Serbia’s state-controlled trade union, warned it would strike if the Federal Electoral Commission does not provide true vote counts from every polling station by 4 October, Reuters reported.  


For complete coverage of Southeast Europe and more election news, we encourage you to visit http://www.balkan-info.com.  The Balkan Information Exchange is a news and information clearinghouse for Southeast Europe that reflects the reporting of international and regional news agencies.  Site content is written in Albanian, English, Greek, Russian and Serbian , and is updated daily.  Please send your comments to info at balkan-info.net.
 
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