06 March  2002

Macedonian Party Requests Revision of Draft Amnesty Bill

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- The Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM) says the draft amnesty bill to be submitted to parliament Thursday (7 March) is different from the text agreed upon last month and must be revised. SDSM expressed concern that, by including the so-called "preparatory phase" of the now disbanded National Liberation Army, the draft may allow perpetrators of criminal and terrorist acts that had no connection to last year's military conflict to be pardoned. The draft approved by the government last week also envisioned amnesty for foreigners whose property or relatives are in Macedonia. SDSM rejects that provision as "too flexible", and says it will seek debate with the other three major parties.

In other news, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights says it will send an expanded mission -- possibly 700 strong -- to monitor Macedonia’s parliamentary elections. No date has been set, but the vote will likely occur in September or October. (MIA, A1 TV, Dnevnik - 05/03/02)

Kosovo Albanians Mark Start of Rebellion Against Serbia

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia -- Some 30,000 ethnic Albanians gathered in the provincial capital on Tuesday (5 March) to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of a founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army. Adem Jashari was killed together with 50 other people, most of them civilians, in a Serb clampdown on the emerging rebel group in 1998. The police action put an end to non-violent resistance by the Albanian population and focused the international community's attention on the province.

Wednesday, meanwhile, Belgrade's co-ordinator for Kosovo Nebojsa Covic will meet with Michael Steiner, the new UN administrator in Kosovo, to press for more Serb representation in the cabinet. The coalition Return has said it may not participate if it does not get more posts. Newly elect Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi rejects the notion of a new ministry on refugees to be headed by Kosovo Serbs. He says that forming a new ministry was not part of the power-sharing agreement reached last week. Return objected that it had not been consulted prior to the agreement. (AP, AFP, B92, Tanjug, BBC - 05/03/02)

Svilanovic: Yugoslav Parliament to Ratify Dayton Accords This Month

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- The Yugoslav government is determined to submit the Dayton peace accords to parliament for ratification by the end of the March, according to Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic. Visiting Banja Luka on Tuesday (5 March), Svilanovic said that ratifying the accords would prove Yugoslavia's commitment to peace and stability and to the territorial integrity of BiH. He expressed Belgrade's support for ongoing constitutional reforms in BiH aimed at ensuring equal status for all three constituent peoples across Bosnia.

Republika Srpska's Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic, meanwhile, tells the Agence France Presse that his government is committed to arresting war crimes suspects and sending them to The Hague. He insisted, however, that authorities have no information on their whereabouts, particularly of Radovan Karadzic. (Nezavisne Novine - 06/03/02; BH Radio 1; FTV, Tanjug, B92, AFP - 05/03/02)

Solana: Serbian-Montenegrin Relations To Be Resolved by 15 March

WASHINGTON, United States – The EU security chief Javier Solana says Serbia and Montenegro will decide the future of the Yugoslav federation by 15 March. Solana discussed the situation Tuesday (5 March) with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice in Washington. All agreed that Serbian-Montenegrin relations should be stabilised promptly. Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus has said he expects federation talks will resume next week. (Tanjug, BEF - 05/03/02)

Croatian Ruling Parties Agree on Cabinet Reshuffle

ZAGREB, Croatia -- The Croatian ruling coalition of five parties reached a preliminary agreement on a cabinet reshuffle during a meeting of party leaders Tuesday (5 March). Prime Minister Ivica Racan says, as part of the deal, he would accept only two of six resignations that have been submitted by cabinet ministers -- those of Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic and Transport and Telecommunications Minister Alojz Tusek. Their party, the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), is forcing them out. Party leader Drazen Budisa would enter the cabinet as a first deputy prime minister. Fellow HSLS members Defence Minister Jozo Rados, Health Minister Andro Vlahusic and Science Minister Hrvoje Kraljevic, who had submitted their resignations in a sign of solidarity, will remain in their posts. (Jutarnji List, Vecernji List, Vjesnik - 06/03/02; HINA, HRT - 05/03/02)

Romanian Officials Work to Draft Measures Against Corruption

BUCHAREST, Romania – Romanian President Ion Iliescu and Prime Minister Adrian Nastase organised a meeting in Bucharest Tuesday (5 March) aimed at drafting additional measures against corruption. The officials agreed that priority should be placed on completing legislation to declassify state officials' wealth, and speeding up the establishment of the national anti-corruption prosecutor's office.

Meanwhile, in Bulgaria Tuesday, Simeon Saxe-Coburg pledged zero tolerance for corruption, in a speech to foreign investors. The prime minister also pledged to improve the business climate and eliminate bureaucratic obstacles. (Ziarul Financiar, Trud, 24 Chasa, Dnevnik, Sega - 06/03/02; Mediafax, BTA, Mediapool - 05/03/02)

US Studies Assess Human Rights Protections in Balkans

WASHINGTON, United States -- Two studies released this week showed mixed results on human rights in Southeast Europe. The first, by the US-based Human Rights Watch, found that, despite progress made towards EU and NATO accession, some areas of human rights are not observed in Bulgaria and Romania.

The report was especially critical of issues related to freedom of speech in Bulgaria, where journalists could be fired for reporting on sensitive matters. It also found that the judicial system lacked transparency and impartiality, and that minorities were treated unfairly by the police.

In Romania, Human Rights Watch says that police still commonly use excessive force, and legislation to enhance minority rights has not been implemented. In both countries, the state response to domestic violence against women and trafficking remains inadequate.

A separate report by the US State Department found overall progress. Slovenia scored the highest in the area of human rights protection, and Croatia and Yugoslavia showed significant improvement. Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina received the poorest marks. (Dnevnik - 06/03/02; Rompres, Nine O'clock, Mediapool, BTA, HINA, HRT - 05/03/02)

Yugoslavia and Croatia to Boost Trade and Lift Visas by Year’s End

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Croatia and Yugoslavia will work over the course of this year to liberalise the visa regime between the two countries and to sign a bilateral free trade agreement, according to Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus and his Croatian counterpart Slavko Linic, who met Tuesday (5 March) in Belgrade.

Meanwhile, a Croatian-Slovene commission announced Tuesday that their agreement on local cross-border traffic would become effective 18 March. The document regulates the issuing of permits for free access to fishing sea areas and hunting grounds on both sides of the border. It also specifies a time schedule for opening 27 border crossings. (FoNet - 06/03/02; B92, Tanjug, HINA - 05/03/02)