[ALST-L] Election Watch Summary 4 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 WARNS OF GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
The government of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic vowed to crackdown on opposition protesters demanding Milosevic’s ouster, AFP reported.  “Any attempt at subversive activity that threatens the citizens’ personal and material security must be prevented in accordance with the law,” AFP reported.  Despite the threat, protests against Milosevic continued unabated throughout the country.       


Dateline: Lazarevac, Yugoslavia
Source:  Reuters
04/10/00

SERB MINERS TO MAINTAIN STRIKE
Workers of the Kolubara coal mine said they would remain on strike in an effort to remove Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic from office, despite further pressure from authorities to end their protest, Reuters reported.  “This is not a political strike but a strike for the protection of elementary human rights,” Zoran Ristic, a member of the Kolubara strike committee said, according to Reuters.  


Dateline:  Belgrade
Sources:  Reuters, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA)
03/10/00

YUGOSLAV CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO HOLD DEBATE 
The Constitutional Court of Yugoslavia announced it would hold a public debate on the Serbian opposition’s complaint concerning voting irregularities in the presidential poll, wire services reported.  The debate is scheduled for the morning of 4 October in the federal government building, according to Reuters.  It was uncertain who will take part in the debate or if media will be allowed to attend.  


Dateline:  Boston
Source:  Reuters
04/10/00

GORE CALLS FOR RESPECT OF ELECTION RESULTS
The United States "should do everything we can to see that the will of the Serbian people, expressed in this extraordinary election, is done,"  Vice-President Al Gore said in a U.S. Presidential debate. Gore went on to call for Milosevic to leave office.  The Vice President noted the sensitivities associated with U.S. policy toward Serbia. "The sentiment within Serbia is, for understandable reasons, still against the U.S…even if they don't like Milosevic, they still have some feelings lingering  from the NATO action there, Gore said. 

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

G-17 CLAIMS TO HAVE TRUE ELECTION RESULTS
The G-17 group of independent economists alleged it obtained information that it said could prove the country’s presidential election was manipulated, AFP reported.  G-17 spokesman Miroljub Labus said they were given the information from employees at the Federal Bureau of Statistics.  The Federal Bureau of Statistics provided the Yugoslav Federal Electoral Commission with the voting data.  


Dateline:  Dresden
Source:  Associated Press (AP)
03/10/00

GERMANY, U.S. TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ON BELGRADE
Germany and the United States promised to maintain pressure on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic until he steps down from power, AP reported.  “I'm counting on the Serbs who are demonstrating peacefully for their hard-won rights and also on all those in Europe, current and future EU members, to show solidarity with them,” German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of Germany’s reunification.


Dateline:  Pristina
Source:  Reuters
03/10/00

OSCE: KOSOVO SERBS ALLOWED TO VOTE IN SECOND ROUND
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Kosovo Serbs would be allowed to take part in Yugoslavia’s second round presidential election on 8 October, Reuters reported.  


Dateline:  Kragujevac, Yugoslavia
Source:  Agence France Presse (AFP)
03/10/00

KOSTUNICA SEES PEACE IN SERBIA
Speaking at a rally attended by some 40,000 people, Serb opposition presidential candidate Vojislav Kostunica said normality would return to Serbia once Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is out of power, AFP reported.  “Slobodan Milosevic is the creator of the chaos in Serbia.  Imagine Serbia without him, Serbia in peace, without conflicts with Montenegro and conflicts among Serbs themselves,” Kostunica said, according to AFP.  


Dateline:  Washington
Source:  Associated Press (AP), Agence France Presse (AFP)
03/10/00

U.S. URGES RUSSIA NOT TO BE A SAFE HAVEN FOR MILOSEVIC
The United States said that it would expect Moscow to hand Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to The Hague if he sought refuge in Russia, AP reported.  “There’s an indictment that calls for any country to hand him over to The Hague.  That’s very clear, including Russia…We expect the indictment to be followed,” U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said, according to AP.  Russia had no comment on the matter, AFP reported.  


Dateline:  Belgrade
Source:  Reuters
03/10/00

POLICE TURN MARCHERS AWAY FROM MILOSEVIC’S HOMETOWN
Serb police turned away an estimated 20,000 opposition supporters as they attempted to march to the home of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in the Belgrade suburb of Dedinje, Reuters reported.  A police commander successfully negotiated the end to the standoff, avoiding a potentially violent confrontation with marchers.  “The good thing that happened today is that police did not apply force against us although they were ordered to,” said Branko Ilic, an opposition activist and organiser of the march, according to Reuters. 


Dateline: Novi Sad, Yugoslavia 
Source: Radio B2-92 
02/10/00

YUGOSLAV GOLD MEDALLISTS JOIN PROTESTERS IN NOVI SAD
Eight members of the Yugoslav volleyball team that won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics addressed thousands of protesters in Novi Sad on 2 October, Radio B2-92 reported.  Thanking the protesters for their support. “Since this team is playing for 11 million people and some of them are here, we are with you now,”  the players said, according to Radio B2-92 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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