> > Yugoslav Daily Survey > >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > (Morning edition) > > BELGRADE, 31 March 2000 > > > FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA > > a.. UNFAVOURABLE OPINION OF YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ABOUT >DIENSTBIER'S REPORT > b.. CONDITIONS DO NOT EXIST FOR EARLY ELECTIONS - SERBIAN >GOVERNMENT > YUGOSLAVIA - KOSOVO-METOHIJA > > a.. VUKICEVIC - KOSOVO AND METOHIJA PROBLEMS ACCUMULATING >SINCE ARRIVAL OF KFOR, UNMIK > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - TERRORISM > > a.. GROUP OF ALBANIANS ATTACK SERB NEAR GNJILANE > b.. ETHNIC ALBANIAN EXTREMISTS TORCH ANOTHER SERB HOUSE IN >ORAHOVAC > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - UN - DIENSTBIER > > a.. DIENSTBIER'S REPORT ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA SITUATION >CAUSES SHOCK > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - UNMIK > > a.. KOUCHNER PURSUES ANTI-SERBIAN POLICY > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - KFOR > > a.. PENTAGON DECIDES TO SEND REINFORCEMENTS TO KFOR > > > * * * > > > FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA > > UNFAVOURABLE OPINION OF YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ABOUT DIENSTBIER'S >REPORT > > BELGRADE, March 30 (Tanjug) - The Yugoslav Government, at a >session presided over by Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic, made a decision to >establish April 5 as the Day of construction workers of Yugoslavia, the >Yugoslav Information Ministry said. > > That is the date when in 1999, Yugoslav President Slobodan >Milosevic, during NATO's aggression (March-June), formed the Directorate for >the reconstruction of the country, as a civilizational response to the >destruction and devastation and initiated an action for the urgent >reconstruction of damaged and destroyed facilities, and after the cessation of >the aggression started the realization of the overall program of >reconstruction of the country. > > The Yugoslav Government reviewed and adopted a commentary on the >report of the U.N. Special Rapporteur Jiri Dienstbier about the state of human >rights in Yugoslavia, referring to the period up to November 1999, and which >has been distributed to the U.N. Commission for Human Rights in Geneva. > > The commentary, sent to the Commission, assessed that Dienstbier's >report is extremely one-sided and that it views universal human rights >selectively and with discrimination. Not denying that all civil and political >rights are the legitimate concern of the Special Rapporteur, the Yugoslav >Government is seriously opposed to the attempts of that and of other U.N. >representatives to investigate thoroughly only the civil and political rights >of members of the Albanian national minority from Kosovo and Metohija and of >the opponents of the party in power. > > In Kosovo and Metohija are in daily jeopardy the lives, in the >first place of the remaining Serbs, Montenegrins and other non-Albanians, >while other human rights and basic freedoms are non-existent. Their rights and >the rights of 350 thousand forcibly displaced Serbs and other non-Albanians >from Kosovo and Metohija are at this moment the most tragic cases of grave and >massive violations of human rights in the FRY and should be the priority of >Special Rapporteur Dienstbier and of other institutions of the U.N. >Commission. > > The Yugoslav Government calls on member countries of the U.N. >Commission for Human Rights to take into consideration all the facts that >speak of genocide over Serbs and Montenegrins in Kosovo and Metohija, >following the deployment of KFOR and UNMIK in the Province (June 1999). > > The Yugoslav Government adopted a program of measures and >activities in connection with the implementation of the Law on value added tax >(VAT). > > CONDITIONS DO NOT EXIST FOR EARLY ELECTIONS - SERBIAN GOVERNMENT > > BELGRADE, March 30 (Tanjug) - The Serbian Government submitted on >Thursday to the Serbian Assembly a negative opinion about demands for early >elections and proposals for changes in election regulations. > > The Government suggested that the draft declaration of deputies on >the calling of early elections should not be accepted, because elections for >deputies and for the President of the Republic are called by the President of >the National Assembly. > > The Serbian Constitution provides conditions and reasons for >calling early presidential elections, as well as for deputies, in the case of >dissolution of parliament. As those conditions do not exist, the Government >considers that the deputy proposal should not be taken into consideration. > > The Government also considers that the proposal of deputies for >changing the law on the election of national deputies should not be accepted, >because in its essence the candidate for deputy, in a written statement, would >be obligated, in case of election, to leave an office which is incompatible >with the office of deputy. > > In the clarification of the negative opinion the Government >pointed out that under the law, now in force, a deputy cannot discharge some >other duties at the same time as the duties of deputy. These are, for example, >the duties of deputy in the lower house of Yugoslav Parliament, judicial or >some duties in a state body. > > The legislation has also determined the cessation of a deputy >mandate ahead of time, if the deputy undertakes to perform duties that are >incompatible with deputy duties, the Government said. > > The Government also gave a negative opinion about the proposal >requiring that the same number of deputies of the National Assembly of Serbia >be elected from only two election districts - Vojvodina and the "rest of >Serbia." > > The clarification pointed out that the autonomous province of >Vojvodina has around two million inhabitants, and in the "rest of the >republic" around eight million inhabitants, so that the approval of the >proposal for two equal election districts would mean inequality for the >citizens of Serbia. > > A suggestion to Parliament not to accept the deputy proposal was >also made in connection with the draft law on the financing of political >parties, whose essence is to limit the funds that a political party can spend >on an election campaign. > > The Government considers that the proposal is unacceptable also >because limited campaign funds indirectly has as a consequence the limiting of >freedom of action of political parties, which is guaranteed by the Serbian and >by the Yugoslav Constitution. > > YUGOSLAVIA - KOSOVO-METOHIJA > > VUKICEVIC - KOSOVO AND METOHIJA PROBLEMS ACCUMULATING SINCE >ARRIVAL OF KFOR, UNMIK > > BELGRADE, March 31 (Tanjug) - Stanimir Vukicevic, head of the >Yugoslav Committee for Cooperation with U.N. mission to Kosovo and Metohija >said on Thursday that problems in the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia's province >had been accumulating since the arrival of the U.N. peace-keeping force KFOR >and U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). > > Vukicevic stressed that Yugoslavia was dissatisfied with the U.N. >military and civilian missions, the violation of U.N. Security Council >Resolution 1244 and decisions made by UNMIK which he said were clearly aimed >at breaking off Kosovo and Metohija's all ties with Serbia and Yugoslavia. > > Informing the University Left Committee (KUL) of the latest >developments in Kosovo and Metohija, Vukicevic said that non-Albanians and >their property were threatened. He pointed to the fact that Kosovo and >Metohija's companies had been closed and that this had resulted in an >unemployment rate of 70 percent. > > Crime and terrorising occur on a daily basis, while some 350,000 >non-Albanians, including 250,000 Serbs and Montenegrins, have fled Kosovo and >Metohija since KFOR's deployment to the Province. There are practically no >Serbs in urban areas except in Kosovska Mitrovica, he said. > > "UNMIK insists on census although we have not approved it but it >has done nothing to ensure the return of Serbs, Montenegrins and other >non-Albanian refugees to the province nor to send 200,000 Albanian nationals >back to their country," Vukicevic said. > > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - TERRORISM > > GROUP OF ALBANIANS ATTACK SERB NEAR GNJILANE > > GNJILANE, March 30 (Tanjug) - In the multiethnic village of >Cernice, not far from Gnjilane, in east Kosovo and Metohija, a group of some >thirty Albanians attacked Serb Nebojsa Petkovic in his front yard, local radio >amateurs reported on Thursday. > > Petkovic was attacked on Wednesday evening, before the curfew - >around 21.00, and, radio amateurs reported, he managed to get away, while the >assailants ran away. > > Also, a group of Albanians at the same time set fire to an >abandoned house belonging to Serb Sava Simijonovic. > > ETHNIC ALBANIAN EXTREMISTS TORCH ANOTHER SERB HOUSE IN ORAHOVAC > > ORAHOVAC, March 31 (Tanjug) - Ethnic Albanian extremists torched >early on Friday a house belonging to a Serb in Orahovac, Kosovo and Metohija, >radio enthusiasts reported. Fortunately, there were no casualties due to the >fact that the house, which was consumed by the fire, was deserted, the radio >enthusiasts said. > > Neighbours saw the fire and called firemen who managed to bring it >under control around 5 a.m. local time. The house is located right on the line >of division between the Serb- and ethnic Albanian-populated sections of >Orahovac, the radio enthusiasts said. > > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - UN - DIENSTBIER > > DIENSTBIER'S REPORT ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA SITUATION CAUSES SHOCK > > GENEVA, March 31 (Tanjug) - A report on the situation in Kosovo >and Metohija a year after NATO's aggression on Yugoslavia by the U.N. Human >Rights Commission's Special Rapporteur on former Yugoslavia Jiri Dienstbier >has shocked participants in the Commission's annual session. > > It is yet to be seen, however, whether this will lead to a greater >and more objective engagement of the United Nations and other international >factors in the resolution of outstanding problems in the Yugoslav Republic of >Serbia's southern province. > > No ranking U.N. official has ever spoken of U.N. mistakes in >Kosovo and Metohija and genocidal activity by the ethnic Albanian terrorist >organisation calling itself Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) as Dienstbier did. > > In his report, Dienstbier said that the situation in Kosovo and >Metohija could hardly be worse. He said that head of the U.N. civilian mission >(UNMIK) Bernard Kouchner had done nothing in the Province, stressing that he >could no longer do anything there. > > Dienstbier criticised in much the same way the U.N. peacekeeping >force KFOR. He said that the situation in the province was not only >characterised by ethnic cleansing and murders but also by open tendencies to >destabilise the entire region with a view to bringing about the years-old >concept of a Greater Albania. > > He called for immediate steps to change such a state of affairs in >the Province, saying that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244 and its >consistent implementation created the best basis for it. Also, it is vital >that UNMIK and in particular KFOR take decisive measures against ethnic >Albanian extremists, he said. > > Russia's representative, Assistant Foreign Minister Sergei >Ordzhonikidze, spoke much in the same vein. He said that some of the countries >objected to Russia's insisting on a multipolar world preferring instead the >concept of 'humanitarian interventions.' > > He said that this concept concealed intentions by a number of >countries to impose their policy on the entire international community by >interfering in other countries' internal affairs. In this context, he referred >to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and NATO's March 24-June 10 1999 >aggression on Yugoslavia. > > The aggression on Yugoslavia did not solve a single humanitarian >problem, he said adding that, on the contrary, it had destroyed the country's >economy and caused countless civilian casualties. He stressed Moscow's stance >that universal human rights must be built and promoted on the respect for >state sovereignty. > > Dienstbier's and the Russian diplomat's addresses reflect a >growing number of reports in the world that the situation in the Province has >reached the critical point and that, if certain steps are not taken >immediately, the situation in the entire Balkans could deteriorate >drastically. > > Ethnic Albanian extremists and terrorists are most responsible for >the Kosovo and Metohija crisis, while UNMIK and KFOR have shown through their >activity to date that they act in collusion with them. > > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - UNMIK > > KOUCHNER PURSUES ANTI-SERBIAN POLICY > > PARIS, March 30 (Tanjug) - Head of the U.N. Civilian Mission in >Kosovo-Metohija Bernard Kouchner unsuccessfully denied on Wednesday in French >Parliament that his position was anti-Serbian and that the expulsion of >350,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians from Kosovo-Metohija during his mandate >- was in fact ethnic cleansing. > > Kouchner told Parliamentary Foreign Policy and Defense Committees, >French media reported on Thursday, that local elections in Kosovo-Metohija >would be held without Serbs, "even if Serbian refugees are unable to vote." > > He tried to dismiss accusations about terrorism in >Kosovo-Metohija, aimed at creating an ethnically clean Albanian society, >assessing that misdoings against Serbs were the result of "the spirit of >vengeance, which can be explained, although it cannot be justified." > > The statements came the same day when in Geneva the special U.N. >rapporteur for human rights in the territory of the former Yugoslavia Jiri >Dienstbier, after staying in Kosovo-Metohija, assessed that in Kosovo-Metohija >were not present revenge and vengeance, but unconcealed tendencies for the >destabilization of the region and the 30-year-old idea of creating a greater >Albania. > > In Kosovo is underway new ethnic cleansing, a well-designed policy >pursued by Albanian extremists, Dienstbier warned, adding that that was >confirmed by the fact that almost nowhere, with the exception of Kosovska >Mitrovica, are there non-Albanians. > > The transitional U.N. administration is physically present, but >the real power is exercised by the Kosovo Protection Corps and the mafia," he >said, assessing that it was nonsense to even think that the "KLA" had been >disbanded. > > KOSOVO-METOHIJA - KFOR > > PENTAGON DECIDES TO SEND REINFORCEMENTS TO KFOR > > NEW YORK, March 31 (Tanjug) - The Pentagon said late on Thursday >that it would send another 125 troops to Kosovo and Metohija to reinforce the >U.N. peacekeeping force KFOR in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's southern >province. > > The move is said to be prompted by the need to step up patrols >near the line of the U.S. sector where ethnic Albanian extremists do whatever >they want to and whence they cross the Province's administrative boundary and >launch attacks in Serbian localities situated close to it, which has also been >confirmed by KFOR officials. > > The State Department warned armed ethnic Albanian extremists on >Thursday that it would not tolerate their actions and crossings of Kosovo and >Metohija's boundary. The warning was, however, very softly-worded. > > Referring to the Pentagon's decision to send reinforcements to the >Province, Pentagon Spokesman Kenneth Bacon failed, however, to condemn >provocative actions by armed ethnic Albanian separatists. __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
