KORZHAKOV CALLS FOR POSTPONING ELECTIONS.
The head of President Boris Yeltsin's security service, Aleksandr Korzhakov, called for postponing the 16 June presidential election because he believed that Yeltsin could lose, according to a report in the British newspaper Observer cited by NTV on 5 May. Korzhakov argued that "many influential people in Russia support postponing the elections because we need stability more than anything else now." He predicted unrest whatever the outcome. If Yeltsin wins, he claimed, the opposition will argue that the results were falsified, and if Zyuganov wins, the radicals in his party will not allow him to conduct a centrist policy and will push for extreme measures. Korzhakov rarely speaks to the press and he is one of Yeltsin's closest advisers. His statement seems to be a conscious effort to signal that some of the president's inner circle do not want to hold the election, and confirms previous opposition statements that the election may be canceled. -- Robert Orttung
REACTION TO KORZHAKOV STATEMENT.
Presidential spokesman Sergei Medvedev was not informed of Korzhakov's statement and stressed that the Kremlin continues to support holding the election on time, NTV reported. Central Electoral Commission Chairman Nikolai Ryabov said the election will go ahead as scheduled and that he is not under any pressure from Korzhakov. Communist candidate Gennadii Zyuganov warned that any postponement of the election would be "a gross violation of the constitution." Following a conversation with President Yeltsin, Yabloko's Grigorii Yavlinskii said Korzhakov was only expressing his personal opinion, AFP reported. -- Robert Orttung
YAVLINSKII, THIRD FORCE UPDATE.
Yabloko leader Grigorii Yavlinskii and President Yeltsin met for two hours on 5 May; it was only their second meeting during the last five years, Yavlinskii told NTV. Citing unnamed Kremlin sources, Russian TV (RTR) reported that Yavlinskii is ready to back Yeltsin in exchange for the post of prime minister, but the president is not willing to offer him that post. Meanwhile, Yabloko member Vyacheslav Igrunov told the latest issue of Obshchaya gazeta that the "third force" group of Yavlinskii, Aleksandr Lebed, and Svyatoslav Fedorov will soon release a joint declaration. But Lebed's press service denied that any agreement had been reached, NTV reported on 3 May. In a lengthy 4 May appearance on Ekho Moskvy, Lebed did not say he would step down for Yavlinskii. Nevertheless, Izvestiya speculated on 5 May that Lebed and Fedorov will withdraw their candidacies on live television between 15-20 May. -- Laura Belin
YELTSIN VISITS YAROSLAVL.
During a campaign swing through Yaroslavl, President Yeltsin said that while he is not beyond criticism, he has been a consistent defender of freedom of speech, ITAR-TASS reported 3 May. Yeltsin said his opponents are using the media to denounce him, but he questioned whether they would preserve press freedoms if they came to power. Facing angry questions from local residents about the government's failure to pay salaries on time, Yeltsin blamed local authorities and enterprise directors. He said that there are now 1,261 cases of directors being prosecuted for abusing their positions. -- Robert Orttung
POLLS SHOW YELTSIN, ZYUGANOV RUNNING NECK AND NECK.
President Yeltsin and Communist leader Zyuganov are even at 28% according to the most recent poll conducted by ROMIR, NTV reported 5 May. Grigorii Yavlinskii and Aleksandr Lebed each have 7%; Svyatoslav Fedorov 6%; Zhirinovsky 5%; and Mikhail Gorbachev 2%. About 15% remain undecided. For the first time, the ROMIR data showed that Yeltsin could beat Zyuganov in the second round. According to this poll, Zyuganov has not improved his position since the beginning of March, while Yeltsin was able to close a 9 point gap. Yeltsin's position may have improved partly because Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and Russia's Democratic Choice party leader Yegor Gaidar's names are no longer included in the poll and their supporters, about 5%, went over to Yeltsin. Recent Russian experience has shown that polls of voting intentions are not entirely reliable.
-- Robert Orttung
SPECULATION OVER THE "LETTER OF 13."
Debate continues over the meaning of the letter signed by 13 businessmen calling for a political compromise which was published on 26 April (see OMRI Daily Digest, 29 April 1996). There are rumors that they were acting at the behest of President Yeltsin, who allegedly wants to persuade Zyuganov to agree to postpone the election, Russian TV (RTR) reported on 5 May. However, the fact that Zyuganov met with the letter's authors has fueled speculation that the businessmen are less worried about a Communist victory than about possible authoritarian steps by Yeltsin should he lose the election. -- Peter Rutland
EXTREME NATIONALISTS DEMONSTRATE IN MOSCOW.
Several young members of the national-socialist Russian National Union (RNS), a former part of the Pamyat group, staged a "day of white struggle," demonstration in the center of Moscow on 4 May, Russian TV (RTR) reported. Marching under Nazi flags, they demanded the "restoration of Russian nation rule." -- Anna Paretskaya
YELTSIN SETS DATE FOR VISIT TO CHECHNYA.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin will visit Chechnya on 16 May, Ekho Moskvy reported on 4 May; acting separatist President Zelimkhan Yandarbiev warned that he cannot guarantee Yeltsin's safety. Yeltsin proposed trilateral peace talks between Dudaev's camp, the Russian leadership ,and the pro-Moscow Chechen government, but Yandarbiev told ITAR-TASS on 5 May that the latter should participate as members of the Russian delegation. Yandarbiev also said he will participate in peace talks only on condition that the Russian government issues an official denial of responsibility for the death of Dzhokhar Dudaev. On 4 May, former Grozny Mayor and Chechen Deputy Prime Minister Beslan Gantemirov was arrested at Sheremetevo airport on charges of embezzling several billion rubles intended for the reconstruction of Grozny, Russian media reported. On 5 May, Dudaev's men shot down a Russian fighter aircraft in eastern Chechnya, killing the two pilots, NTV reported. -- Liz Fuller
RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER AT BALTIC SUMMIT.
Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin joined 10 leaders from the Baltic region for a summit meeting in Visby, Sweden on 3-4 May, Russian and Western agencies reported. Besides signing the joint summit declaration,(see related story in East European section), Chernomyrdin held a separate meeting with Estonian President Tiit Vahi. Russian-Estonian relations are strained, however, and Radio Mayak reported that the two leaders accomplished nothing substantive. Earlier, Chernomyrdin had said that Russia "could not accept" the current treatment of the Russian minority in Estonia and Latvia, and reiterated that Russia remains "categorically opposed" to the Baltic states joining NATO. On the eve of the summit, Baltic media quoted Russian Communist presidential candidate Gennadii Zyuganov as calling the Baltic States economic "parasites," enriching themselves at Russia's expense. -- Scott Parrish
FINLAND, RUSSIA SIGN AGREEMENTS.
During a 24-hour working visit to Finland on 4-5 May, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin signed six bilateral agreements with his Finnish counterpart, Paavo Lipponen, discussed security issues with Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, and visited a joint Russian-Finnish automobile plant, Russian and Western agencies reported. Among the six accords were an investment protection pact, a tax agreement, and two accords covering the shipment of Russian military equipment as partial payment for Russia's $1.2 billion debt to Finland. Part of the deal includes the "Buk-M-1" anti-aircraft missile complex--also known as the S300--which Russian officials claim is superior to the U.S. Patriot ( see OMRI Daily Digest, 1 December 1995), and which was valued at $300 million. After his meeting with Ahtisaari, Chernomyrdin said Russia and Finland had "generally similar" views on European security, and he praised Finland's policy of military non-alignment. -- Scott Parrish
PRIMAKOV: RUSSIA CANNOT ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY YET.
Russia cannot yet abolish the death penalty, AFP quoted Russian Foreign Minister Yevgenii Primakov as saying after the 3 May session of the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe. Primakov argued that Russian public opinion "would not understand" its abolition under current circumstances. Critics in the council's Parliamentary Assembly claim Russia has actually accelerated the pace of executions since joining the council on 28 February. They point to some 30 executions carried out in Russia since then, despite Moscow's pledge to abolish capital punishment within three years. Primakov also contended that Moscow is pushing for a peaceful settlement in Chechnya, another obligation it assumed upon joining the council. -- Scott Parrish
YELTSIN ORDERS SPECIAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE.
President Boris Yeltsin on 3 May ordered the Defense Ministry to form a special international peacekeeping force of up to 22,000 men by 1 December of this year, ITAR-TASS reported. The presidential decree calls for the formation of "a special military contingent to participate in maintaining and restoring international peace and security." The force is to be made up of 17 motorized rifle battalions and four airborne battalions. -- Doug Clarke
SITUATION AROUND MAYAK NUCLEAR PLANT STILL CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
A meeting of the Commission on Operational Questions, chaired by Oleg Soskovets, declared the implementation of the program to clean up the area around the Mayak nuclear plant highly unsatisfactory, Russian TV (RTR) reported on 5 May. The Mayak plant, used to produce weapons-grade plutonium and process nuclear waste, was the scene of three accidents in 1949, 1957, and 1967, which together released 10 times more radiation than the Chornobyl disaster. Yet no funds have been provided for the government program adopted in 1992 to prevent further leaks from the waste dumps and compensate local inhabitants, and the Chelyabinsk Oblast has been left to deal with the problem on its own, RTR reported. -- Peter Rutland
AMUR STEEL MILL PLACED IN RECEIVERSHIP.
The Arbitration Court has placed the only steel mill in Russia's Far East, Amurstal in Komsomolsk-na-Amure, into temporary receivership, ITAR-TASS reported on 4 May. The company's output in January-March 1996 fell to 6% compared to the same period in 1995. Amurstal's major creditor, Nizhne-Amurskii Bank, insisted that the company be declared bankrupt and its assets sold to foreigners to repay a 180 billion ruble ($36 million) debt to the bank. However, the court decided instead that Amurstal will be managed by the deputy head of the local government, Sergei Khokhlov. Amurstal will get an 18-month moratorium on repaying its debts. In recent years, the management tried to save the plant by establishing joint ventures with South Korean, Australian, and Maltese firms. However, when foreign investors' hopes for quick profits did not materialize, they withdrew. -- Natalia Gurushina
UN STUDY ON POPULATION SHIFTS IN FORMER SOVIET STATES.
Approximately 9 million people have changed their place of residence in the former Soviet Union since 1989, with the most traffic running between the Central Asian states and Russia, RFE/RL reported on 6 May, citing a recently released UN study. The figure does not include military transfers or voluntary migration. Noting that the definition of the term `migrants' is subjective, the report focuses on the plights of "punished peoples"--the Stalin-era victims of mass-deportation such as the Crimean Tatars and Volga Germans--and the "homeless refugees" fleeing from conflicts in areas ranging from the North Caucasus to Tajikistan. In addition, "ecological migrants" are a growing problem, with at least 700,000 people forced to leave an estimated 300 "lethal environments," including parts of Chornobyl and Lake Baikal, Semipalatinsk, and the Aral Sea region. -- Roger Kangas
MOBIL OIL GAINS SHARE OF TENGIZ OIL FIELDS.
The Mobil Oil Corporation and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on 3 May giving the U.S. company a 25% share of the joint venture set up to develop the Tengiz oil fields, Russian and Western media reported. Chevron will retain its 50% control and Kazakhstan's share will be reduced to 25%. However, Kazakhstani Oil Minister Nurlan Balgmbayev told Reuters that after royalties, fees, and taxes, Kazakhstan will have a 72% share of the profits. This agreement follows on the heels of the 27 April Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) accord that reorganized the venture's ownership (see OMRI Daily Digest, 29 April 1996). Mobil owns a 7.5% share of the CPC, in addition to a 50% share of the Tulpar Munai Ltd. oil field, also in Kazakhstan. -- Roger Kangas
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES IN TASHKENT.
The five Central Asian foreign ministers on 4 May signed a memorandum on mutual cooperation in fighting drugs smuggling at the close of an international symposium in Tashkent, RFE/RL and Russian TV (RTR) reported (see OMRI Daily Digest, 3 May 1996). The conference outlined a three-year, $3.38 million drug prohibition program in the region. In a speech, Uzbek President Islam Karimov highlighted the connection between weapons sales in Afghanistan and drug money. Tashkent hosted two other international conferences over the weekend: a four-day international transportation seminar that focused on the need to develop an effective transport corridor linking Europe with Central Asia, and a UN seminar on refugees, ITAR-TASS reported on 5 May. -- Roger Kangas
PROTESTS, TERROR, MISTAKES IN TAJIKISTAN.
United Tajik Opposition (UTO) leader Said Abdullo Nuri sent a protest to UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali claiming that the Tajik government is refusing to abide by the ceasefire agreement, Radio Mayak reported on 3 May. Nuri said the government has poured some 4,000 additional troops into the Tavil-Dara region where opposition forces re-established bases in October 1995. ITAR-TASS and NTV reported on 5 May that a car carrying members of the Tajik Security Ministry was attacked in the Tavil-Dara area; three people are reported dead and a fourth wounded. The opposition's Radio Voice of Free Tajikistan reports that Russian aircraft and Tajik government artillery are to blame for the deaths of eight government soldiers who were being held captive in the same region. -- Bruce Pannier
TAJIK OPPOSITION LEADER DENIES PERSONALITY CONFLICTS.
United Tajik Opposition (UTO) leader Said Abdullo Nuri and the opposition's chief negotiator Ali Akbar Turajonzoda dismissed a 1 May Tajik government radio report that they are engaged in a power struggle, according to a 2 May Radio Voice of Free Tajikistan report monitored by the BBC. Both Nuri and Turajonzoda said the government radio report contained "slander" and "lies" dreamed up by the "puppet" regime of Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov and his "Kremlin protectors." -- Bruce Pannier
BELARUSIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES INTEGRATION ACCORDS.
The Belarusian parliament on 4 May voted by 166 to three with one abstention to ratify the treaty on forming a union with Russia, Russian and Western agencies reported. The agreement, which was signed on 2 April in Moscow, prompted a mass protest demonstration in Minsk by nationalist organizations. In mid-April, the Russian State Duma unanimously ratified the union accords as well as the 29 March integration agreement between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. -- Ustina Markus
HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES IN BELARUS.
A hunger strike by 15 people detained following demonstrations in Minsk on 26 April entered its seventh day on 4 May, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. One of the hunger strikers is Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Yuriy Khadyka, who is scheduled to go on trial today. Khadyka's attorneys and relatives as well as medical personnel have not been allowed to see him. Meanwhile, the journalist Uladzimir Dziuba has been sentenced to 15 days detention for resisting arrest. Dziuba denies having had any part in the 26 April demonstrations or clashes, saying he was detained after police tried to prevent him from getting on the metro. -- Ustina Markus
BELARUSIAN KGB DENIES BEATING RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS.
The Belarusian KGB has denied any role in the beating of Russian NTV journalists during the May Day demonstrations, NTV reported on 2 May. NTV correspondents charged that security officials attempted to drag the journalists out of their car and confiscate their video cameras. Belarusian TV described the incident as a "provocation by unknown criminals." ITAR-TASS the next day reported parliamentary speaker Syamyon Sharetsky as blaming the nationalist Belarusian Popular Front for the "escalation of the confrontation" in Belarus. Sharetsky said the BPF is using "flawed methods to implement its ideas" after losing all its seats in the parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, the parliament adopted a statement condemning the 26 April clashes. -- Ustina Markus
BELARUSIAN POLITICAL UPDATE.
The Belarusian parliament on 4 May approved a series of appointments recently made by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, ITAR-TASS reported. Leanid Maltseu was confirmed as defense minister, Uladzimir Matskevich as head of the KGB, and Tamara Vinnikau as head of the National Bank of Belarus. The parliament also approved Lukashenka's decree dismissing Yuriy Zakharenka from the post of interior minister and confirmed Maj.-Gen. Valyantsin Holtsa in that position. -- Ustina Markus
OIL SPILL IN UKRAINE.
An accident along the Luhansk-Tykhoretsk oil pipeline has resulted in an oil spill of almost 500 tons of oil, Ukrainian Radio reported on 5 May. The fuel spilled into the River Bilenka and caused a fire in the village of Nyzhnye, which destroyed a number of homes and crops. -- Ustina Markus
UKRAINE SHORTENS MILITARY SERVICE.
A decree passed by the parliament and signed by President Leonid Kuchma shortens military service for officers and troops in Ukraine's armed forces, the national guard, the border guard, and Interior Ministry and other security units, ITAR-TASS reported on 5 May. They will now serve 18 months instead of 24 months. Those with higher education will serve only 12 months. Officers and sailors in the navy and marine units will serve 24 months, and those with higher education 18 months. Soldiers, sailors, and officers under contract service will serve for three years. -- Ustina Markus
BALTIC PREMIERS ATTEND BALTIC SEA SUMMIT.
Prime Ministers Tiit Vahi (Estonia), Andris Skele (Latvia), and Mindaugas Stankevicius (Lithuania) attended the summit meeting of the Council of Baltic Sea States in Visby, Sweden, on 3-4 May, BNS reported. The meeting issued a joint statement supporting the entry of the Baltic states and Poland into the European Union. It also called for increased regional cooperation to stimulate their economies and to combat crime and pollution. The Baltic leaders also had separate meetings with their Russian counterpart, Viktor Chernomyrdin, who reiterated his opposition to any NATO expansion eastward. Skele called his meeting "extremely fruitful," since it was agreed that an accord on the readmission of refugees would be signed before 1 June. -- Saulius Girnius
ESTONIA HEADS COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS.
Estonian Foreign Minister Siim Kallas on 3 May took over the rotating six-month chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, ETA reported. Kallas thanked the council for helping Estonia find an acceptable solution to the question of citizenship, reorganize its judicial system, and contribute to effective confidence-building measures, especially in the field of human rights. He said Estonia was working on the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. He stressed again that his government welcomed Russia as a new council member. -- Saulius Girnius
ESTONIAN, LATVIAN FISHING DISPUTE CONTINUES.
Estonian border guard vessels on 2 May forced five Latvian trawlers to leave the Estonian-Latvian fishing area in the Gulf of Riga, BNS reported the next day. Estonia on 28 April handed over to Latvia the text of a provisional fishing agreement whereby Estonian regulations would apply in the joint area around Ruhnu Island. Latvian Fisheries Department Director Normunds Riekstins said the Estonian regulations were "totally unacceptable," and he called for further talks to be held. Estonia has not yet responded. Estonian regulations ban trawling fishing from 1 May; Latvia's from 15 May. An Estonian border guard official said that the names of Latvian fishing boats violating the regulations will be noted and that those vessels will later be denied fishing licenses. -- Saulius Girnius
POLISH XENOPHOBES THREATEN MORE ATTACKS ON SHELL GAS STATIONS.
A xenophobic group has claimed responsibility for last month's bomb attack on a Shell gas station in Warsaw, Polish media disclosed on 4 May. Two letters sent before the attack were signed "GN-95," a group formerly unknown in Poland. Members of the group had demanded $1 million in extortion money from the Shell company. A third letter--sent after the 24 April explosion, which killed a police bomb disposal expert--threatened further attacks on Shell stations unless the company handed over $2 million. The group vowed to continue its fight against "Western companies that are taking over our markets and turning us into slaves of capitalism." At the same time, it stressed it will not target Polish companies. -- Dagmar Mroziewicz
CZECH RULING PARTY'S POPULARITY INCREASES.
In an opinion poll conducted by the Prague-based Center for Empirical Studies, 29.1% of respondents said they would vote for Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus's Civic Democratic Party, Mlada Fronta Dnes reported on 6 May. This is an increase of 2.4% over last month. The Social Democrats placed second, with 20.4%. They were followed by the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (10.6%), the Christian Democratic Union (9.7%), the extreme-right Republican Party (8.8%), and the Civic Democratic Alliance (7%). Parliamentary elections are to be held on 31 May and 1 June. -- Jiri Pehe
EXPLOSION OUTSIDE SLOVAK ETHNIC HUNGARIAN LEADER'S HOUSE.
A hand grenade exploded early on 5 May outside the house of Bela Bugar, chairman of the Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement and a leading opponent of the Slovak government, Slovak and international media reported. No one was injured in the blast, which occurred in the town of Samorin, near Bratislava, and damage was minimal. Bugar told Narodna obroda that the explosion may have been a warning for him, adding that he has received telephone and mail threats connected with his investigations into organized crime. Bugar accused the government of remaining silent despite a recent increase in such attacks. -- Steve Kettle
SLOVAK PREMIER BLAMES HUNGARY FOR TREATY DELAY.
Vladimir Meciar on 3 May blamed Hungary for the delay in the exchange of the ratification documents of the Hungarian-Slovak basic treaty, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported. In his regular Friday evening radio interview, Meciar said Hungary wants to "extend a protective arm toward the citizens of another sovereign country." He stressed that the Slovak parliament will submit the Slovak version of the treaty in its current form to the president for signing. A spokesman for the Hungarian Foreign Affairs Ministry told Magyar Hirlap on 3 May that the international community would like to see an exchange of ratification documents as early as possible, adding that "those organizations are aware that it is not Hungary that is delaying this process." -- Zsofia Szilagyi
BILDT SAYS PARTITION OF BOSNIA MUST BE PREVENTED.
The international community's high representative to Bosnia has said the ethnic partition of Bosnia must be prevented if "an endless succession of Balkan wars" is to be avoided, Reuters reported on 5 May. Carl Bildt said partition may achieve short-term stability in Bosnia but is "a recipe for long-term turmoil in an important part of Europe." He added that Radovan Karadzic, president of Republika Srpska and an indicted war criminal, is the single greatest obstacle to reintegration. Meanwhile, George Mitchell, a member of the International Crisis Group charged with monitoring the implementation of Dayton peace accord, said the presence in Bosnia of war criminals is the biggest obstacle to peace, Reuters reported on 4 May. In an unrelated development, Republika Srpska Premier Rajko Kasagic said Bosnian Serb authorities will allow an investigation into war crimes in the Bijeljina area, Nasa Borba reported on 6 May. -- Daria Sito Sucic
MUSLIMS DENIED FREE MOVEMENT IN REPUBLIKA SRPSKA.
NGOs in rump Yugoslavia have protested discriminatory actions by the Republika Srpska and rump Yugoslavia authorities against Muslims who want to travel in the Bosnian Federation, Nasa Borba reported on 6 May. Muslims from rump Yugoslavia transiting the Republika Srpska have either been sent back to Serbia or taken away for interrogation. Serbs need only identification cards to travel to the Bosnian Federation, where they enjoy free movement. Meanwhile, rump Yugoslavia has introduced visas for Bosnian citizens at a fee of DM 50, Dnevni Avaz reported on 3 May. * Daria Sito Sucic
BOSNIAN PRESIDENT PROMISES ALL BOSNIA WILL "BE LIBERATED."
Alija Izetbegovic, speaking in Gorazde on 4 May for the first time since the beginning of the war, said that "history has taught us that not a single honest man of ours can be unarmed; every single one will have a rifle to defend himself," the BBC reported the next day. The president also pledged to retake lands lost to the Serbs: "They have not and they will not expel us; we will return to all the places they have expelled us from and our struggle will not be over until the whole of Bosnia is free. Our children will liberate the whole of Bosnia." The speech took place against the background of the ongoing election campaign and growing anger and frustration among Muslims over IFOR's reluctance to make the Serbs implement key parts of the Dayton agreement, such as freedom of movement and the right of refugees to return home. -- Patrick Moore
ATTACKS ON CROATIAN OPPOSITION INTENSIFY.
Croatian police on 3 May interrogated Viktor Ivancic--editor of the satirical weekly Feral Tribune, one of the few independent mass circulation periodicals in Croatia, Novi list and Nasa Borba. The move appears to be yet another effort by President Franjo Tudjman and his governing Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) to silence criticism. The authorities earlier tried to shut down Feral Tribune by imposing a "pornography tax," which they were later forced to drop under international pressure. Officials have recently levied punitive tax payments against the country's sole independent daily, Novi list. A new press law passed in March threatens punitive action against journalists inclined to criticize top officials or investigate abuse of power and corruption. The offices of the independent weekly Panorama were sealed on 30 April, and two days later, Tudjman gave a speech lambasting the opposition as a "threat from within." The president on 30 April dissolved the opposition-dominated Zagreb City Council but is delaying calling new elections. The HDZ would likely lose the ballot, the International Herald Tribune wrote on 2 May. -- Patrick Moore
BELGRADE TO DELAY REPAYING INTERNATIONAL LOANS.
The federal rump Yugoslav authorities on 4 May resolved not to pay some $20 million in financial obligations to the IMF and the World Bank, Nasa Borba reported on 6 May. This decision is regarded as another challenge to National Bank Governor Dragoslav Avramovic, who has advocated meeting obligations to international financial institutions. -- Stan Markotich
NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL IN BUCHAREST.
Javier Solana on 3 May paid a brief visit to Romania on the last leg of his East European tour, Romanian and Western media reported. Solana met with Romanian President Ion Iliescu, Premier Nicolae Vacaroiu, Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu, Defense Minister Gheorghe Tinca, and the chairmen of the parliament's two chambers, Oliviu Gherman and Adrian Nastase. The two sides discussed cooperation and Romania's prospects for full membership in the alliance. Western agencies noticed that Solana tried to reassure Bucharest that it has not been forgotten in the alliance's eastward expansion plans. He thanked Romania for its participation in the international peacekeeping force in Bosnia, recalling that it was the first country to sign up for NATO's Partnership for Peace program. -- Dan Ionescu
ROMANIAN EXTREMIST PARTY ADOPTS "BLITZ STRATEGY."
The chauvinistic Greater Romania Party (PRM), at its third national convention in Bucharest on the weekend, unanimously adopted a "blitz strategy" in the event that it comes to power after the fall general elections, Romanian media reported. The party's top priority would be to change the country's constitution to allow for "the confiscation of property improperly acquired." It would also seek to exert strict control over foreign investors and to outlaw the "anti-Romanian" Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania. The PRM protested alleged pressures on party chairman Corneliu Vadim Tudor to withdraw his candidacy for the Romanian Presidency. Tudor's parliamentary immunity was recently lifted by the Senate for offending the authorities (see OMRI Daily Digest, 23 April 1996). -- Matyas Szabo
THREE BULGARIAN POLICE OFFICERS KILLED, INTERIOR MINISTER OFFERS RESIGNATION.
Two armed men gunned down three police officers in the Bulgarian capital on 3 May, Bulgarian Radio reported the same day. Eye witnesses said the men were dressed in dark suits and wore black masks. They brandished Kalashnikov automatics and made their escape by car. Reuters reported that the two gunmen may have been resisting arrest just before the shooting. Meanwhile, Premier Zhan Videnov on 4 May announced that Lyubomir Nachev has tendered his resignation as interior minister in the wake of the killings. He added that he plans to ask the parliament to replace Nachev with Nikolai Dobrev, chairman of the parliamentary National Security Commission, AFP reported on 4 May. Since January 1995, 15 Bulgarian police officers have been killed. -- Stan Markotich
ALBANIAN SOCIALISTS STONED ON WAY TO RALLY . . .
Unknown culprits attacked a car convoy carrying Albanian Socialist Party leaders to a rally in Burrel, Reuters reported on 4 May. The Socialists accused plain-clothes policemen of carrying out the attack, saying the local police chief had headed it. Police "grabbed the camera with which the rally was going to be filmed and attempted to hit the party leaders," the Socialists claimed. The government has denied the charges, saying the police intervened to calm down an escalating situation after the Socialists "behaved arrogantly," broke traffic rules, and insulted passers-by, Rilindja Demokratike reported on 5 May. Windows of cars in the convoy were smashed and several people injured. One driver's condition remains serious. -- Fabian Schmidt
. . . WHILE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS' MEETING BANNED.
Local police outlawed a meeting by the Social Democrats in Kavaja on the weekend, saying it had been announced too late, Poli i Qendres reported. Party leader Skender Gjinushi had planned to address local citizens. Meanwhile, the Albanian Helsinki Committee has protested a speech by French Gaullist politician Michel Pericard at a Democratic Party rally in Tirana, also attended by President Sali Berisah. The committee argued that the election law prohibits non-Albanian citizens from participating in an election campaign, Koha Jone reported on 5 April. Pericard responded by saying that "democracy means respect and tolerance and this means that no one can be banned from speaking," Reuters reported. -- Fabian Schmidt
[As of 1200 CET]
Compiled by Victor Gomez and Jan Cleave
The head of President Boris Yeltsin's security service, Aleksandr Korzhakov, called for postponing the 16 June presidential election because he believed that Yeltsin could lose, according to a report in the British newspaper Observer cited by NTV on 5 May. Korzhakov argued that "many influential people in Russia support postponing the elections because we need stability more than anything else now." He predicted unrest whatever the outcome. If Yeltsin wins, he claimed, the opposition will argue that the results were falsified, and if Zyuganov wins, the radicals in his party will not allow him to conduct a centrist policy and will push for extreme measures. Korzhakov rarely speaks to the press and he is one of Yeltsin's closest advisers. His statement seems to be a conscious effort to signal that some of the president's inner circle do not want to hold the election, and confirms previous opposition statements that the election may be canceled. -- Robert Orttung
REACTION TO KORZHAKOV STATEMENT.
Presidential spokesman Sergei Medvedev was not informed of Korzhakov's statement and stressed that the Kremlin continues to support holding the election on time, NTV reported. Central Electoral Commission Chairman Nikolai Ryabov said the election will go ahead as scheduled and that he is not under any pressure from Korzhakov. Communist candidate Gennadii Zyuganov warned that any postponement of the election would be "a gross violation of the constitution." Following a conversation with President Yeltsin, Yabloko's Grigorii Yavlinskii said Korzhakov was only expressing his personal opinion, AFP reported. -- Robert Orttung
YAVLINSKII, THIRD FORCE UPDATE.
Yabloko leader Grigorii Yavlinskii and President Yeltsin met for two hours on 5 May; it was only their second meeting during the last five years, Yavlinskii told NTV. Citing unnamed Kremlin sources, Russian TV (RTR) reported that Yavlinskii is ready to back Yeltsin in exchange for the post of prime minister, but the president is not willing to offer him that post. Meanwhile, Yabloko member Vyacheslav Igrunov told the latest issue of Obshchaya gazeta that the "third force" group of Yavlinskii, Aleksandr Lebed, and Svyatoslav Fedorov will soon release a joint declaration. But Lebed's press service denied that any agreement had been reached, NTV reported on 3 May. In a lengthy 4 May appearance on Ekho Moskvy, Lebed did not say he would step down for Yavlinskii. Nevertheless, Izvestiya speculated on 5 May that Lebed and Fedorov will withdraw their candidacies on live television between 15-20 May. -- Laura Belin
YELTSIN VISITS YAROSLAVL.
During a campaign swing through Yaroslavl, President Yeltsin said that while he is not beyond criticism, he has been a consistent defender of freedom of speech, ITAR-TASS reported 3 May. Yeltsin said his opponents are using the media to denounce him, but he questioned whether they would preserve press freedoms if they came to power. Facing angry questions from local residents about the government's failure to pay salaries on time, Yeltsin blamed local authorities and enterprise directors. He said that there are now 1,261 cases of directors being prosecuted for abusing their positions. -- Robert Orttung
POLLS SHOW YELTSIN, ZYUGANOV RUNNING NECK AND NECK.
President Yeltsin and Communist leader Zyuganov are even at 28% according to the most recent poll conducted by ROMIR, NTV reported 5 May. Grigorii Yavlinskii and Aleksandr Lebed each have 7%; Svyatoslav Fedorov 6%; Zhirinovsky 5%; and Mikhail Gorbachev 2%. About 15% remain undecided. For the first time, the ROMIR data showed that Yeltsin could beat Zyuganov in the second round. According to this poll, Zyuganov has not improved his position since the beginning of March, while Yeltsin was able to close a 9 point gap. Yeltsin's position may have improved partly because Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and Russia's Democratic Choice party leader Yegor Gaidar's names are no longer included in the poll and their supporters, about 5%, went over to Yeltsin. Recent Russian experience has shown that polls of voting intentions are not entirely reliable.
-- Robert Orttung
SPECULATION OVER THE "LETTER OF 13."
Debate continues over the meaning of the letter signed by 13 businessmen calling for a political compromise which was published on 26 April (see OMRI Daily Digest, 29 April 1996). There are rumors that they were acting at the behest of President Yeltsin, who allegedly wants to persuade Zyuganov to agree to postpone the election, Russian TV (RTR) reported on 5 May. However, the fact that Zyuganov met with the letter's authors has fueled speculation that the businessmen are less worried about a Communist victory than about possible authoritarian steps by Yeltsin should he lose the election. -- Peter Rutland
EXTREME NATIONALISTS DEMONSTRATE IN MOSCOW.
Several young members of the national-socialist Russian National Union (RNS), a former part of the Pamyat group, staged a "day of white struggle," demonstration in the center of Moscow on 4 May, Russian TV (RTR) reported. Marching under Nazi flags, they demanded the "restoration of Russian nation rule." -- Anna Paretskaya
YELTSIN SETS DATE FOR VISIT TO CHECHNYA.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin will visit Chechnya on 16 May, Ekho Moskvy reported on 4 May; acting separatist President Zelimkhan Yandarbiev warned that he cannot guarantee Yeltsin's safety. Yeltsin proposed trilateral peace talks between Dudaev's camp, the Russian leadership ,and the pro-Moscow Chechen government, but Yandarbiev told ITAR-TASS on 5 May that the latter should participate as members of the Russian delegation. Yandarbiev also said he will participate in peace talks only on condition that the Russian government issues an official denial of responsibility for the death of Dzhokhar Dudaev. On 4 May, former Grozny Mayor and Chechen Deputy Prime Minister Beslan Gantemirov was arrested at Sheremetevo airport on charges of embezzling several billion rubles intended for the reconstruction of Grozny, Russian media reported. On 5 May, Dudaev's men shot down a Russian fighter aircraft in eastern Chechnya, killing the two pilots, NTV reported. -- Liz Fuller
RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER AT BALTIC SUMMIT.
Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin joined 10 leaders from the Baltic region for a summit meeting in Visby, Sweden on 3-4 May, Russian and Western agencies reported. Besides signing the joint summit declaration,(see related story in East European section), Chernomyrdin held a separate meeting with Estonian President Tiit Vahi. Russian-Estonian relations are strained, however, and Radio Mayak reported that the two leaders accomplished nothing substantive. Earlier, Chernomyrdin had said that Russia "could not accept" the current treatment of the Russian minority in Estonia and Latvia, and reiterated that Russia remains "categorically opposed" to the Baltic states joining NATO. On the eve of the summit, Baltic media quoted Russian Communist presidential candidate Gennadii Zyuganov as calling the Baltic States economic "parasites," enriching themselves at Russia's expense. -- Scott Parrish
FINLAND, RUSSIA SIGN AGREEMENTS.
During a 24-hour working visit to Finland on 4-5 May, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin signed six bilateral agreements with his Finnish counterpart, Paavo Lipponen, discussed security issues with Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, and visited a joint Russian-Finnish automobile plant, Russian and Western agencies reported. Among the six accords were an investment protection pact, a tax agreement, and two accords covering the shipment of Russian military equipment as partial payment for Russia's $1.2 billion debt to Finland. Part of the deal includes the "Buk-M-1" anti-aircraft missile complex--also known as the S300--which Russian officials claim is superior to the U.S. Patriot ( see OMRI Daily Digest, 1 December 1995), and which was valued at $300 million. After his meeting with Ahtisaari, Chernomyrdin said Russia and Finland had "generally similar" views on European security, and he praised Finland's policy of military non-alignment. -- Scott Parrish
PRIMAKOV: RUSSIA CANNOT ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY YET.
Russia cannot yet abolish the death penalty, AFP quoted Russian Foreign Minister Yevgenii Primakov as saying after the 3 May session of the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe. Primakov argued that Russian public opinion "would not understand" its abolition under current circumstances. Critics in the council's Parliamentary Assembly claim Russia has actually accelerated the pace of executions since joining the council on 28 February. They point to some 30 executions carried out in Russia since then, despite Moscow's pledge to abolish capital punishment within three years. Primakov also contended that Moscow is pushing for a peaceful settlement in Chechnya, another obligation it assumed upon joining the council. -- Scott Parrish
YELTSIN ORDERS SPECIAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE.
President Boris Yeltsin on 3 May ordered the Defense Ministry to form a special international peacekeeping force of up to 22,000 men by 1 December of this year, ITAR-TASS reported. The presidential decree calls for the formation of "a special military contingent to participate in maintaining and restoring international peace and security." The force is to be made up of 17 motorized rifle battalions and four airborne battalions. -- Doug Clarke
SITUATION AROUND MAYAK NUCLEAR PLANT STILL CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
A meeting of the Commission on Operational Questions, chaired by Oleg Soskovets, declared the implementation of the program to clean up the area around the Mayak nuclear plant highly unsatisfactory, Russian TV (RTR) reported on 5 May. The Mayak plant, used to produce weapons-grade plutonium and process nuclear waste, was the scene of three accidents in 1949, 1957, and 1967, which together released 10 times more radiation than the Chornobyl disaster. Yet no funds have been provided for the government program adopted in 1992 to prevent further leaks from the waste dumps and compensate local inhabitants, and the Chelyabinsk Oblast has been left to deal with the problem on its own, RTR reported. -- Peter Rutland
AMUR STEEL MILL PLACED IN RECEIVERSHIP.
The Arbitration Court has placed the only steel mill in Russia's Far East, Amurstal in Komsomolsk-na-Amure, into temporary receivership, ITAR-TASS reported on 4 May. The company's output in January-March 1996 fell to 6% compared to the same period in 1995. Amurstal's major creditor, Nizhne-Amurskii Bank, insisted that the company be declared bankrupt and its assets sold to foreigners to repay a 180 billion ruble ($36 million) debt to the bank. However, the court decided instead that Amurstal will be managed by the deputy head of the local government, Sergei Khokhlov. Amurstal will get an 18-month moratorium on repaying its debts. In recent years, the management tried to save the plant by establishing joint ventures with South Korean, Australian, and Maltese firms. However, when foreign investors' hopes for quick profits did not materialize, they withdrew. -- Natalia Gurushina
UN STUDY ON POPULATION SHIFTS IN FORMER SOVIET STATES.
Approximately 9 million people have changed their place of residence in the former Soviet Union since 1989, with the most traffic running between the Central Asian states and Russia, RFE/RL reported on 6 May, citing a recently released UN study. The figure does not include military transfers or voluntary migration. Noting that the definition of the term `migrants' is subjective, the report focuses on the plights of "punished peoples"--the Stalin-era victims of mass-deportation such as the Crimean Tatars and Volga Germans--and the "homeless refugees" fleeing from conflicts in areas ranging from the North Caucasus to Tajikistan. In addition, "ecological migrants" are a growing problem, with at least 700,000 people forced to leave an estimated 300 "lethal environments," including parts of Chornobyl and Lake Baikal, Semipalatinsk, and the Aral Sea region. -- Roger Kangas
MOBIL OIL GAINS SHARE OF TENGIZ OIL FIELDS.
The Mobil Oil Corporation and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on 3 May giving the U.S. company a 25% share of the joint venture set up to develop the Tengiz oil fields, Russian and Western media reported. Chevron will retain its 50% control and Kazakhstan's share will be reduced to 25%. However, Kazakhstani Oil Minister Nurlan Balgmbayev told Reuters that after royalties, fees, and taxes, Kazakhstan will have a 72% share of the profits. This agreement follows on the heels of the 27 April Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) accord that reorganized the venture's ownership (see OMRI Daily Digest, 29 April 1996). Mobil owns a 7.5% share of the CPC, in addition to a 50% share of the Tulpar Munai Ltd. oil field, also in Kazakhstan. -- Roger Kangas
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES IN TASHKENT.
The five Central Asian foreign ministers on 4 May signed a memorandum on mutual cooperation in fighting drugs smuggling at the close of an international symposium in Tashkent, RFE/RL and Russian TV (RTR) reported (see OMRI Daily Digest, 3 May 1996). The conference outlined a three-year, $3.38 million drug prohibition program in the region. In a speech, Uzbek President Islam Karimov highlighted the connection between weapons sales in Afghanistan and drug money. Tashkent hosted two other international conferences over the weekend: a four-day international transportation seminar that focused on the need to develop an effective transport corridor linking Europe with Central Asia, and a UN seminar on refugees, ITAR-TASS reported on 5 May. -- Roger Kangas
PROTESTS, TERROR, MISTAKES IN TAJIKISTAN.
United Tajik Opposition (UTO) leader Said Abdullo Nuri sent a protest to UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali claiming that the Tajik government is refusing to abide by the ceasefire agreement, Radio Mayak reported on 3 May. Nuri said the government has poured some 4,000 additional troops into the Tavil-Dara region where opposition forces re-established bases in October 1995. ITAR-TASS and NTV reported on 5 May that a car carrying members of the Tajik Security Ministry was attacked in the Tavil-Dara area; three people are reported dead and a fourth wounded. The opposition's Radio Voice of Free Tajikistan reports that Russian aircraft and Tajik government artillery are to blame for the deaths of eight government soldiers who were being held captive in the same region. -- Bruce Pannier
TAJIK OPPOSITION LEADER DENIES PERSONALITY CONFLICTS.
United Tajik Opposition (UTO) leader Said Abdullo Nuri and the opposition's chief negotiator Ali Akbar Turajonzoda dismissed a 1 May Tajik government radio report that they are engaged in a power struggle, according to a 2 May Radio Voice of Free Tajikistan report monitored by the BBC. Both Nuri and Turajonzoda said the government radio report contained "slander" and "lies" dreamed up by the "puppet" regime of Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov and his "Kremlin protectors." -- Bruce Pannier
BELARUSIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES INTEGRATION ACCORDS.
The Belarusian parliament on 4 May voted by 166 to three with one abstention to ratify the treaty on forming a union with Russia, Russian and Western agencies reported. The agreement, which was signed on 2 April in Moscow, prompted a mass protest demonstration in Minsk by nationalist organizations. In mid-April, the Russian State Duma unanimously ratified the union accords as well as the 29 March integration agreement between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. -- Ustina Markus
HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES IN BELARUS.
A hunger strike by 15 people detained following demonstrations in Minsk on 26 April entered its seventh day on 4 May, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. One of the hunger strikers is Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Yuriy Khadyka, who is scheduled to go on trial today. Khadyka's attorneys and relatives as well as medical personnel have not been allowed to see him. Meanwhile, the journalist Uladzimir Dziuba has been sentenced to 15 days detention for resisting arrest. Dziuba denies having had any part in the 26 April demonstrations or clashes, saying he was detained after police tried to prevent him from getting on the metro. -- Ustina Markus
BELARUSIAN KGB DENIES BEATING RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS.
The Belarusian KGB has denied any role in the beating of Russian NTV journalists during the May Day demonstrations, NTV reported on 2 May. NTV correspondents charged that security officials attempted to drag the journalists out of their car and confiscate their video cameras. Belarusian TV described the incident as a "provocation by unknown criminals." ITAR-TASS the next day reported parliamentary speaker Syamyon Sharetsky as blaming the nationalist Belarusian Popular Front for the "escalation of the confrontation" in Belarus. Sharetsky said the BPF is using "flawed methods to implement its ideas" after losing all its seats in the parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, the parliament adopted a statement condemning the 26 April clashes. -- Ustina Markus
BELARUSIAN POLITICAL UPDATE.
The Belarusian parliament on 4 May approved a series of appointments recently made by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, ITAR-TASS reported. Leanid Maltseu was confirmed as defense minister, Uladzimir Matskevich as head of the KGB, and Tamara Vinnikau as head of the National Bank of Belarus. The parliament also approved Lukashenka's decree dismissing Yuriy Zakharenka from the post of interior minister and confirmed Maj.-Gen. Valyantsin Holtsa in that position. -- Ustina Markus
OIL SPILL IN UKRAINE.
An accident along the Luhansk-Tykhoretsk oil pipeline has resulted in an oil spill of almost 500 tons of oil, Ukrainian Radio reported on 5 May. The fuel spilled into the River Bilenka and caused a fire in the village of Nyzhnye, which destroyed a number of homes and crops. -- Ustina Markus
UKRAINE SHORTENS MILITARY SERVICE.
A decree passed by the parliament and signed by President Leonid Kuchma shortens military service for officers and troops in Ukraine's armed forces, the national guard, the border guard, and Interior Ministry and other security units, ITAR-TASS reported on 5 May. They will now serve 18 months instead of 24 months. Those with higher education will serve only 12 months. Officers and sailors in the navy and marine units will serve 24 months, and those with higher education 18 months. Soldiers, sailors, and officers under contract service will serve for three years. -- Ustina Markus
BALTIC PREMIERS ATTEND BALTIC SEA SUMMIT.
Prime Ministers Tiit Vahi (Estonia), Andris Skele (Latvia), and Mindaugas Stankevicius (Lithuania) attended the summit meeting of the Council of Baltic Sea States in Visby, Sweden, on 3-4 May, BNS reported. The meeting issued a joint statement supporting the entry of the Baltic states and Poland into the European Union. It also called for increased regional cooperation to stimulate their economies and to combat crime and pollution. The Baltic leaders also had separate meetings with their Russian counterpart, Viktor Chernomyrdin, who reiterated his opposition to any NATO expansion eastward. Skele called his meeting "extremely fruitful," since it was agreed that an accord on the readmission of refugees would be signed before 1 June. -- Saulius Girnius
ESTONIA HEADS COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS.
Estonian Foreign Minister Siim Kallas on 3 May took over the rotating six-month chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, ETA reported. Kallas thanked the council for helping Estonia find an acceptable solution to the question of citizenship, reorganize its judicial system, and contribute to effective confidence-building measures, especially in the field of human rights. He said Estonia was working on the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. He stressed again that his government welcomed Russia as a new council member. -- Saulius Girnius
ESTONIAN, LATVIAN FISHING DISPUTE CONTINUES.
Estonian border guard vessels on 2 May forced five Latvian trawlers to leave the Estonian-Latvian fishing area in the Gulf of Riga, BNS reported the next day. Estonia on 28 April handed over to Latvia the text of a provisional fishing agreement whereby Estonian regulations would apply in the joint area around Ruhnu Island. Latvian Fisheries Department Director Normunds Riekstins said the Estonian regulations were "totally unacceptable," and he called for further talks to be held. Estonia has not yet responded. Estonian regulations ban trawling fishing from 1 May; Latvia's from 15 May. An Estonian border guard official said that the names of Latvian fishing boats violating the regulations will be noted and that those vessels will later be denied fishing licenses. -- Saulius Girnius
POLISH XENOPHOBES THREATEN MORE ATTACKS ON SHELL GAS STATIONS.
A xenophobic group has claimed responsibility for last month's bomb attack on a Shell gas station in Warsaw, Polish media disclosed on 4 May. Two letters sent before the attack were signed "GN-95," a group formerly unknown in Poland. Members of the group had demanded $1 million in extortion money from the Shell company. A third letter--sent after the 24 April explosion, which killed a police bomb disposal expert--threatened further attacks on Shell stations unless the company handed over $2 million. The group vowed to continue its fight against "Western companies that are taking over our markets and turning us into slaves of capitalism." At the same time, it stressed it will not target Polish companies. -- Dagmar Mroziewicz
CZECH RULING PARTY'S POPULARITY INCREASES.
In an opinion poll conducted by the Prague-based Center for Empirical Studies, 29.1% of respondents said they would vote for Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus's Civic Democratic Party, Mlada Fronta Dnes reported on 6 May. This is an increase of 2.4% over last month. The Social Democrats placed second, with 20.4%. They were followed by the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (10.6%), the Christian Democratic Union (9.7%), the extreme-right Republican Party (8.8%), and the Civic Democratic Alliance (7%). Parliamentary elections are to be held on 31 May and 1 June. -- Jiri Pehe
EXPLOSION OUTSIDE SLOVAK ETHNIC HUNGARIAN LEADER'S HOUSE.
A hand grenade exploded early on 5 May outside the house of Bela Bugar, chairman of the Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement and a leading opponent of the Slovak government, Slovak and international media reported. No one was injured in the blast, which occurred in the town of Samorin, near Bratislava, and damage was minimal. Bugar told Narodna obroda that the explosion may have been a warning for him, adding that he has received telephone and mail threats connected with his investigations into organized crime. Bugar accused the government of remaining silent despite a recent increase in such attacks. -- Steve Kettle
SLOVAK PREMIER BLAMES HUNGARY FOR TREATY DELAY.
Vladimir Meciar on 3 May blamed Hungary for the delay in the exchange of the ratification documents of the Hungarian-Slovak basic treaty, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported. In his regular Friday evening radio interview, Meciar said Hungary wants to "extend a protective arm toward the citizens of another sovereign country." He stressed that the Slovak parliament will submit the Slovak version of the treaty in its current form to the president for signing. A spokesman for the Hungarian Foreign Affairs Ministry told Magyar Hirlap on 3 May that the international community would like to see an exchange of ratification documents as early as possible, adding that "those organizations are aware that it is not Hungary that is delaying this process." -- Zsofia Szilagyi
BILDT SAYS PARTITION OF BOSNIA MUST BE PREVENTED.
The international community's high representative to Bosnia has said the ethnic partition of Bosnia must be prevented if "an endless succession of Balkan wars" is to be avoided, Reuters reported on 5 May. Carl Bildt said partition may achieve short-term stability in Bosnia but is "a recipe for long-term turmoil in an important part of Europe." He added that Radovan Karadzic, president of Republika Srpska and an indicted war criminal, is the single greatest obstacle to reintegration. Meanwhile, George Mitchell, a member of the International Crisis Group charged with monitoring the implementation of Dayton peace accord, said the presence in Bosnia of war criminals is the biggest obstacle to peace, Reuters reported on 4 May. In an unrelated development, Republika Srpska Premier Rajko Kasagic said Bosnian Serb authorities will allow an investigation into war crimes in the Bijeljina area, Nasa Borba reported on 6 May. -- Daria Sito Sucic
MUSLIMS DENIED FREE MOVEMENT IN REPUBLIKA SRPSKA.
NGOs in rump Yugoslavia have protested discriminatory actions by the Republika Srpska and rump Yugoslavia authorities against Muslims who want to travel in the Bosnian Federation, Nasa Borba reported on 6 May. Muslims from rump Yugoslavia transiting the Republika Srpska have either been sent back to Serbia or taken away for interrogation. Serbs need only identification cards to travel to the Bosnian Federation, where they enjoy free movement. Meanwhile, rump Yugoslavia has introduced visas for Bosnian citizens at a fee of DM 50, Dnevni Avaz reported on 3 May. * Daria Sito Sucic
BOSNIAN PRESIDENT PROMISES ALL BOSNIA WILL "BE LIBERATED."
Alija Izetbegovic, speaking in Gorazde on 4 May for the first time since the beginning of the war, said that "history has taught us that not a single honest man of ours can be unarmed; every single one will have a rifle to defend himself," the BBC reported the next day. The president also pledged to retake lands lost to the Serbs: "They have not and they will not expel us; we will return to all the places they have expelled us from and our struggle will not be over until the whole of Bosnia is free. Our children will liberate the whole of Bosnia." The speech took place against the background of the ongoing election campaign and growing anger and frustration among Muslims over IFOR's reluctance to make the Serbs implement key parts of the Dayton agreement, such as freedom of movement and the right of refugees to return home. -- Patrick Moore
ATTACKS ON CROATIAN OPPOSITION INTENSIFY.
Croatian police on 3 May interrogated Viktor Ivancic--editor of the satirical weekly Feral Tribune, one of the few independent mass circulation periodicals in Croatia, Novi list and Nasa Borba. The move appears to be yet another effort by President Franjo Tudjman and his governing Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) to silence criticism. The authorities earlier tried to shut down Feral Tribune by imposing a "pornography tax," which they were later forced to drop under international pressure. Officials have recently levied punitive tax payments against the country's sole independent daily, Novi list. A new press law passed in March threatens punitive action against journalists inclined to criticize top officials or investigate abuse of power and corruption. The offices of the independent weekly Panorama were sealed on 30 April, and two days later, Tudjman gave a speech lambasting the opposition as a "threat from within." The president on 30 April dissolved the opposition-dominated Zagreb City Council but is delaying calling new elections. The HDZ would likely lose the ballot, the International Herald Tribune wrote on 2 May. -- Patrick Moore
BELGRADE TO DELAY REPAYING INTERNATIONAL LOANS.
The federal rump Yugoslav authorities on 4 May resolved not to pay some $20 million in financial obligations to the IMF and the World Bank, Nasa Borba reported on 6 May. This decision is regarded as another challenge to National Bank Governor Dragoslav Avramovic, who has advocated meeting obligations to international financial institutions. -- Stan Markotich
NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL IN BUCHAREST.
Javier Solana on 3 May paid a brief visit to Romania on the last leg of his East European tour, Romanian and Western media reported. Solana met with Romanian President Ion Iliescu, Premier Nicolae Vacaroiu, Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu, Defense Minister Gheorghe Tinca, and the chairmen of the parliament's two chambers, Oliviu Gherman and Adrian Nastase. The two sides discussed cooperation and Romania's prospects for full membership in the alliance. Western agencies noticed that Solana tried to reassure Bucharest that it has not been forgotten in the alliance's eastward expansion plans. He thanked Romania for its participation in the international peacekeeping force in Bosnia, recalling that it was the first country to sign up for NATO's Partnership for Peace program. -- Dan Ionescu
ROMANIAN EXTREMIST PARTY ADOPTS "BLITZ STRATEGY."
The chauvinistic Greater Romania Party (PRM), at its third national convention in Bucharest on the weekend, unanimously adopted a "blitz strategy" in the event that it comes to power after the fall general elections, Romanian media reported. The party's top priority would be to change the country's constitution to allow for "the confiscation of property improperly acquired." It would also seek to exert strict control over foreign investors and to outlaw the "anti-Romanian" Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania. The PRM protested alleged pressures on party chairman Corneliu Vadim Tudor to withdraw his candidacy for the Romanian Presidency. Tudor's parliamentary immunity was recently lifted by the Senate for offending the authorities (see OMRI Daily Digest, 23 April 1996). -- Matyas Szabo
THREE BULGARIAN POLICE OFFICERS KILLED, INTERIOR MINISTER OFFERS RESIGNATION.
Two armed men gunned down three police officers in the Bulgarian capital on 3 May, Bulgarian Radio reported the same day. Eye witnesses said the men were dressed in dark suits and wore black masks. They brandished Kalashnikov automatics and made their escape by car. Reuters reported that the two gunmen may have been resisting arrest just before the shooting. Meanwhile, Premier Zhan Videnov on 4 May announced that Lyubomir Nachev has tendered his resignation as interior minister in the wake of the killings. He added that he plans to ask the parliament to replace Nachev with Nikolai Dobrev, chairman of the parliamentary National Security Commission, AFP reported on 4 May. Since January 1995, 15 Bulgarian police officers have been killed. -- Stan Markotich
ALBANIAN SOCIALISTS STONED ON WAY TO RALLY . . .
Unknown culprits attacked a car convoy carrying Albanian Socialist Party leaders to a rally in Burrel, Reuters reported on 4 May. The Socialists accused plain-clothes policemen of carrying out the attack, saying the local police chief had headed it. Police "grabbed the camera with which the rally was going to be filmed and attempted to hit the party leaders," the Socialists claimed. The government has denied the charges, saying the police intervened to calm down an escalating situation after the Socialists "behaved arrogantly," broke traffic rules, and insulted passers-by, Rilindja Demokratike reported on 5 May. Windows of cars in the convoy were smashed and several people injured. One driver's condition remains serious. -- Fabian Schmidt
. . . WHILE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS' MEETING BANNED.
Local police outlawed a meeting by the Social Democrats in Kavaja on the weekend, saying it had been announced too late, Poli i Qendres reported. Party leader Skender Gjinushi had planned to address local citizens. Meanwhile, the Albanian Helsinki Committee has protested a speech by French Gaullist politician Michel Pericard at a Democratic Party rally in Tirana, also attended by President Sali Berisah. The committee argued that the election law prohibits non-Albanian citizens from participating in an election campaign, Koha Jone reported on 5 April. Pericard responded by saying that "democracy means respect and tolerance and this means that no one can be banned from speaking," Reuters reported. -- Fabian Schmidt
[As of 1200 CET]
Compiled by Victor Gomez and Jan Cleave