27.09.2000

OHR RTRS News Summary, 27 Septemb 2000

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News Headlines:

  • DOS rally scheduled for 20:00 in front of Yugoslav Assembly building moved to Square of Republics
  • Serbian Interior Ministry orders removal of rally stage to Square of Republics, saying it hinders work of State Election Commission (SIK) – DOS Manager Zoran Djindjic
  • DOS gave up on holding rally in front of Assembly building because it does not want a conflict that would suit regime – Djindjic
  • DOS to use all means to protect will of people – Djindjic
  • DOS Central Election HQ publishes results based on 98,72% of processed election material: Kostunica 52,54%, Milosevic 35,01%, Nikolic 6,004% and Mihailovic 2,99%
  • DOS spokesman Cedomir Jovanovic calls on State Election Commission (SIK) to publish final election results before 28 September midnight deadline
  • SIK stopped counting votes of Yugoslav Army when it found majority support for Kostunica – Jovanovic
  • DOS rejects authorities’ offer to accept second round of elections in spite Milosevic’s threat to declare victory in first round – Djindjic
  • If SIK does not reveal data on which it bases call for a second round, DOS will invite people to disrupt all institutions in Serbia – Djindjic
  • Only a single DOS observer, Nebojsa Bakarec, was allowed entry into SIK HQ in Yugoslav Assembly building
  • It is impossible for one observer to check eight million ballots by Friday’s deadline to announce final results – Bakarec
  • SIK decision to announce preliminary results illegal since it was taken without o.k. by all Commission members – Belgrade Center for Human Rights President Vojin Dimitrijevic
  • Draskovic invites SRS to schedule Serbian Assembly session in which Serbian Government would be dismissed with SPO assistance
  • SRS and SPO coalition would have 130 seats in Serbian Assembly and would be able to dismiss Serbian Assembly – SPO member and Novi Sad Mayor Stevan Vrbaski
  • G-17 Executive Director Mladjan Dinkic calls on SIK to publish correct final election results, states that some left-wing party officials have already fled the country after ordering SIK to rig elections
  • DOS requests meeting with Chinese and Russian ambassadors to ascertain their position since EU attitude is already clear – Dinkic
  • Yugoslav Finance Minister and SPS-JUL candidate Milan Beko resigns as president of “Zastava” Steering Board, explains that Zastava should be run by someone with wide support on all levels
  • Serbian Tourism Minister and JUL official Slobodan Cerovic says authorities should respect will of people and hopes there will be no fraud in ballot count
  • SNP Vice-President Predrag Bulatovic says he believes Milosevic will surrender power if he loses elections
  • Yugoslav Army Chief of Staff General Nebojsa Pavkovic visits Drina Division as part of regular activities – Army HQ Information Service
  • People sent clear signal to Belgrade regime that they want change – Petritsch
  • All available data shows that Kostunica won the elections; announcement of second round implies ballot manipulation – Barry
  • In case of second round, situation in Serbia will become very dangerous – ICG Director for BiH James Lyon
  • Regardless of final results, it is clear that ruling coalition lost the elections – DSP President Nebojsa Radmanovic
  • Reliable SRS RS data demonstrates that Kostunica and DOS have won the Yugoslav elections – SRS RS
  • Clinton accuses Milosevic of attempting to rig elections
  • IC must do everything in its power to avoid escalation of violence in Yugoslavia – Schroeder
  • Norwegian, Greek, Polish, Bulgarian and Turkish governments applaud democratic changes and opposition victory in Yugoslavia
  • European Commission President Romano Prodi congratulates Kostunica and calls on Milosevic to respect will of people
  • France to advocate radical changes in its position towards Yugoslavia – Chirac
  • Yugoslavia has made a good choice – Bodo Hombach
  • OSCE Human Rights and Democratic Institutions Department demands immediate announcement of election results from all polling stations
  • CoE demands suspension of sanctions against Yugoslavia even if Milosevic remains in power after second round of elections
  • Ivanov opposes all forms of pressure on election process in Yugoslavia, both internal and external
  • Cook opposes plans for second round of elections
  • Britain calls on Milosevic to accept victory of Kostunica and provide peaceful transfer of power
  • Peaceful transfer of power should be insisted on – Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel
  • Spokesman Paul Risley says prosecutors will do everything in their power to bring Milosevic before ICTY
  • Hungary ready for upcoming events in Yugoslavia – Hungarian Foreign Ministry
  • Behavior of US troops cautious; there are enough troops to react to any situation – Pentagon spokesman Craig Quigly
  • If Kostunica’s politics is ‘European’, he is acceptable for me – Stjepan Mesic
  • OSCE announces beginning of election campaign in BiH
  • Future of BiH lies in hands of its people – Barry
  • BiH Council of Ministers agrees with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that privatization is important process for advancement of economy in BiH – Tusevljak
  • Gligoric meets EBRD representatives in Srpsko Sarajevo
  • By the first quarter of 2001 BiH can expect favorable arrangement with IMF – Prlic and IMF Deputy Director Stanley Sitzer
  • RS and BiH Federation Interior Ministers Sredoje Novic and Mehmed Zilic sign agreement establishing working group for fighting organized crime and illegal immigration in BiH
  • Truck full of alcohol worth KM 90,000 confiscated in Bileca – RS Customs Administration
  • First phase of road network program in BiH completed, donations for second phase expected – Gligoric
  • 30 September deadline for setting up digital control device on gas stations in RS – RS Trade and Tourism Ministry
  • First attempt at forced eviction in Drvar fails – Roberts
  • Petritsch satisfied that RS and BiH Federation Education Ministries agree to teach Cyrillic and Roman scripts in BiH schools – OHR
  • Dinar falls in Montenegro relative to DM due to election irregularities; one DM now worth 36 Yugoslav dinars – Montenegrin Monetary Council
  • 15,000 followers of Ibrahim Rugova’s Kosovo Democratic Union gather in local election rally in Pristina
  • World news
  • Sports
  • Weather
  • DOS rally scheduled for 20:00 postponed until 21:00 News Summary:

First attempt at forced eviction in Drvar fails – Roberts (01:04)

UN IPTF spokesperson for Banja Luka and Bihac Alun Roberts told a press conference that the first attempt at forced eviction of Croat DPs in Drvar has failed. During the attempt, at least 50 people carrying bats and wooden rods gathered around the house of a Croat family that was to be evicted with the intent to wait for local police and prevent the eviction. The IPTF spokesman added that the Drvar deputy police head hesitated to send his men to carry out the eviction even after receiving the clear approval of the Livno Interior Ministry. The deputy head then decided to postpone the eviction. Roberts went on to say that even though three more evictions are scheduled this week in Drvar, Croat members of the Drvar Housing Commission refused to sign the eviction orders. Also, DPs who intended to erect a tent settlement in Banja Luka have not given up on their request to increase the number of evictions in the city. Meanwhile, evictions of Mujahedins and Bosniaks from Bocinja will continue; in fact, six were conducted in the past two days. The Serb houses in question were devastated following the evictions. Roberts concluded that some international organizations are ready to reconstruct the houses if the evicted Serbs signal their intent to return to Bocinja.