Is this the SLP of Scargill fame? Thanks, Macdonald ----- Original Message ----- From: "hkb" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 6:39 PM Subject: S.L.P: Yugoslav Elections - A Lesson In Outside Interference > SOCIALIST LABOUR PARTY > ====================== > > YUGOSLAV ELECTIONS - > A LESSON IN OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE > > At the invitation of the Socialist Party of Serbia, Britain's Socialist > Labour Party sent a three-person delegation to participate in international > monitoring of the Yugoslav elections held on 24 September. We were the only > British representatives among 250 observers invited from around the world. > > Our delegation travelled extensively throughout the country, was able to > talk to officials and voters and visited numerous polling stations, gaining > first-hand experience of what was actually taking place during an election > which was being misreported in many parts of the world. > > >From what we saw, the Federal Electoral Commission, an elected all-party > body, did everything in its power to ensure that people were able to cast > their votes without intimidation and in an orderly manner - and certainly in > accordance with procedures which we would expect in a democratic, free > election. > > In Serbia, we visited the Muslim areas of Kraljevo and Novi Pazar as well as > observing polling in the capital, Belgrade. > > It was only in Montenegro that we observed the following irregularities: > > the so-called Democratic Opposition which boycotted the elections in > Montenegro nevertheless gathered outside polling stations there in clear > violation of election procedures, using intimidating behaviour towards > prospective voters; > > we received many first-hand reports from people who stated they had been > threatened with the loss of their jobs if they turned out to vote; > > we were in no doubt that countless refugees from Kosovo had been > deliberately excluded from the electoral lists in Montenegro despite the > fact that their identity cards, issued in 1999, gave them the right to vote, > and were thus also prevented from voting. > > We could only conclude that these tactics of intimidation and > disenfranchisement were designed to benefit the so-called Democratic > Opposition. > > We were also appalled at the blatant outside interference in the procedures > from Western governments which are obviously seeking to influence the > outcome of these elections by promising economic aid and the lifting of > sanctions if the Yugoslav people vote in accordance with the wishes of these > governments and the European Union. > > Mick Appleyard Liz Screen Ian Johnson > > > > >
