>From: "Miroslav Antic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > >Subject: Yugoslav election: Report from Belgrade > >GREETINGS ALL, on my return from Belgrade where I was one of the about >200 invited, non-NATO-approved observers of the Yugoslavian presidential >and parliamentary elections. Enclosed is a the initial press release >sent out from Belgrade to Canada on September 22, reflecting the >experiences and concerns of the two Canadian delegates, professor >Dimitri Kitsikis from the University of Ottawa and myself, prior to the >actual voting. The second document is a "consensus report" sent out by >election observers after the election, on September 26. More detailed >report to follw on the atmosphere of the election, the role of the >international (i.e. western) media, the actual voting process and the >claims (trumpeted for a month before the election actual election), once >I have recovered from my jetlag and cigarette smoke inhalation — both >the observers and their hosts smoked incessantly. I will also be sending >out other illuminating reports. >As always, your comments are welcome. > >(Note: if you don't want to be on this mailing list, please let me know >and I will remove your name.) . > >Marjaleena Repo > > >Press release 22/09/2000 >======================== > >CANADIAN OBSERVERS IN YUGOSLAVIA > >BELGRADE. The international observers of the Yugoslavian presidential >and parliamentary elections have arrived in Belgrade - some 200 of them >from (so far) 54 countries. Contrary to the reports that "they have not >been allowed in," there are registered observers from the following >Western European countries. Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, >Italy, Germany, Portugal, Sweden and UK. (The so far single American >observer is an active senior participant in the Gore presidential >campaign.) Among the observers are parlamentarians, delegates from >political parties and organizations, as well as independents like the >two participants from Canada. > >The Canadian delegates have attended political rallies of the three >major presidential candidates, in Belgrade and Novi Sad. These events >were noisy and lively affairs, without any observable disturbances and >any noticeable police presence. Literature was freely distributed and >received at these events, in a way no different from political rallies >in Canada. > >One of us (Marjaleena Repo) has paid particular attention to election >posters as she has been involved in the long-standing and >not-yet-finished fight for the right to poster in Canada - and she can >report that posters are everywhere in the street scene, accompanied by >graffiti and the defacing of each others posters even-steven fashion, it >seems. She has seen posterers at work in downtown Belgrade with posters >urging women to vote, while postering on top of other election messages! >She had a chance to discuss this contradiction with five >English-speaking Yugoslavian youth with their buckets and sponges. >Unlike in Canadian cities, the posters appear not to be scraped down by >city workers but live to suffer the indignities from competeing >political parties. In addition, there are huge billboards advertising >the three major presidential candidates all around the cityscape. All in >all, the appearance of democracy in action. > >The other Canadian delegate, Professor Dimitri Kitsikis, has a long-time >experience of national elections, having systematically studied and >observed them in many countries, notably in France, Greece and Turkey. >His observations are therefore particularly valid and he has been >unshaken by Western insistence that Yugoslav elections could be rigged. >On the contrary, he is observing that these elections do not differ from >those in any other democratic countries, particularly from France, of >which Dr. Kitsikis is an expert. > >The delegates have attended an information session on the electoral >process in Yugoslavia and have been provided with background information >and documentation on how the system works and how it makes an effort to >guarantee an equal, free and transparent voting method leading to >reliable results. Questions were invited and responded to. We were >informed that the delegates will be able to attend any and all polling >stations on voting day, Sept. 24, and officials at the polls have been >instructed to welcome foreign observers with full access to the actual >voting situation, while respecting the citizens' right to privacy. > >While in Belgrade, disturbing news reached the observers. The >International Herald Tribune of Sept. 20 has a front page story, titled >"U.S. aids Milosevic foes: Millions allocated to a democracy program." >The article states that U.S. officials have acknowledged $77 million >financial "contribution" to opposition groups in Yugoslavia, from >students to labour, from so-called independent media to political rock >bands, and the newspaper states that "There is nothing secret or even >particularly unusual about the U.S. democracy-building program in >Serbia, which is closely co-ordinated with European allies and is >similar to previous campaigns in pre-democratic Chile, South Africa and >Eastern Europe, among other places." > >Washington Post (Sept. 21) further reveals that U.S. officials and >corporations are also "providing a sophisticated opinion survey system, >engaging for the purpose the New York firm that has done the job for >Bill Clinton [Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates]" which explains the >many polls that "prove" that an opposition candidate is ahead of >President Milosevic and suggest vigorously that Mr. Milosevic will only >win by fraud. > >While the Canadian and other Western media have alredy declared the >election to be "rigged" (without any evidence, of course), we believe >that the actual evidence for rigging and distorting the Yugoslavian >election results has been found in the pre-democratic countries of U.S. >and the European Union who in an wholly illegal and undemocratic fashion >are interfering in the domestic affairs of a sovereign country. This, of >course, must be condemned by all true democrats, be they individuals, >organizations or nations. - 30- > > >MARJALEENA REPO is a social justice activist and a long-standing member >of Canada's "democracy movement," with hands-on experience on how >Canada's democracy does and does not work. In April '99, she was a >founding member of The Ad Hoc Committee to Stop Canada's Participation >in the War Against Yugoslavia. She lives in Saskatoon, Sask. > >DR. DIMITRI KITSIKIS is a professor of International Relations at the >University of Ottawa since 1970 and a fellow of the Royal Society of >Canada. He is a specialist of the Balkans and Turkey and has written >many books on the area. > >Professor Kitsikis is multi-lingual and can give interviews in French >and Greek as well as in English. > >Back in Canada on September 29, Ms. Repo can be reached at (416)466-6533 >or (306)244-9724. > >Professor Kitsikis will be back in Ottawa on October 2, and can be >reached at University of Ottawa, tel: (613)562-5735 or at his home tel: >(613)834-4634. > >- >********************************************************** >CITIZENS CONCERNED ABOUT FREE TRADE/ >CAMPAIGN FOR CANADA >P.O.Box 1983, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 3S5 >Saskatoon: (306)244-5757 Fax: (306)244-3790 >Toronto: (416)922-7867 Fax: (416)922-7883 >Vancouver: (604)683-3733 Fax: (604)683-3749 >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR [EMAIL PROTECTED] >website: http://www.davidorchard.com >http://www.davidorchard.com/ccaft >************************************************************** > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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