Page 7 - illyria

Wednesday, May 27, 1992
I l l y r i a 7
RUGOVAELECTEDIN MASSIVETURNOUT
thin as it is and they have received very strong messages on Kosova.” Albanians outnumber other nationalities in the republic 10-to-one and enjoyed almost complete autonomy within Yugoslavia until the late 1980s.
Serbian Presiden Slobodan Milosevic used a crackdown on the Albanians for alleged abuse of minority Serbs as a stepping stone to political power.
The republic, which Serbs regard as the cradle of their civi- lization, was forcibly put under direct rule from Belgrade. It is the former Yugoslavia’s poorest region.
Two demonstrations by the Albanians in March 1989 and January 1990 were put down by police with scores of people killed.
The republic’s local govern- ment and assembly were dis- solved when they declared inde- pendence in 1990. Serbs took over all administrative and politi- cal posts.
The Albanians became a human rights cause celebre and their leaders won respect for organiz-
ing political resistance and civil disobedience while preventing violence.
But once war erupted in the northwest of the Balkan federa- tion after Slovenia, Croatia and later Bosnia declared indepen- dence, the plight of the Albanians was largely forgotten.
Rugova said he hoped the elec- tions would change that.
“There are many observers and foreign journalists in Kosova. We hope it will be well received,” he added.
Voters cast ballots for 511 can- didates standing for 100 assem- bly seats.
“We’ll set up the government and parliament here in Pristine,” Rugova said. We’ll meet in the offices of the writers union if we have to.” Western diplomats said Albanian leaders in Kosova were aware Serbia would crush any uprising in the republic.
“It would be a massacre,” one diplomat said. “There are some people among the Albanians who talk of a rougher game, but so far it is just talk.” He said that Serbian police who had to call in
Qazim Emra casts his ballot and urges Rugova: "Keep up the good work and may God be with you."
(From page 1)
win back some of the world attention they received before the fighting in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.
“This election will enable us to continue with political resis- tance,” said Rugova.
“We have to create democratic institutions. There can be no rule without such institutions and we have to form them step by step,” Rugova added.
The Serbian government said this week that the elections were illegal and would be closely monitored but did not say they would be prevented.
It described the vote as a provocative step towards what it sees as Kosova’s secession and annexation to neighboring Albania.
Western diplomats said Serbia was likely to try to avoid a con- frontation in Kosova because it was already under fire interna- tionally for its involvement in fighting in Bosnia.
“Serbian leaders don’t need another violent explosion,” one diplomat said. They’re stretched
ECHALF-HEARTEDLYWEIGHSSERBIASANCTIONS
Only relatively junior repre- sentatives from the EC capitals and from their embassies in Brussels were due to take part in the meeting, diplomats said.
One exception appeared to be Germany, which was expected to send its foreign ministry’s political director.
They were to study a range of options for sanctions drawn up by the European Commission, ranging from a blanket trade ban
the army for help during the 1990 riots had now beefed up their presence and armed Serbian civilians.
“In 1990 they almost lost con- trol and don’t want to be in a
position now to have to count on the army to bail them out,” he said.
“There is more than enough power to mow everybody down.” (Reuters)
DBRUSSELS
espite strong U.S. pres- sure, European Community talks on
sanctions against Serbia on Wednesday appear unlikely to bring the West any closer to its stated aim of making Belgrade withdraw from Bosnia- Hercegovina.
“I very much doubt that we can reach any decisions,” one official said.
or an oil embargo to cutting sporting links.
The Commission’s list of options shows that although Serbia and its ally Montenegro could feel the pinch if the EC blackballed their exports, an oil embargo would require Russian, Chinese and Iranian help in order to make any impact.
Diplomats said a high-level EC political decision appeared impossible before next week at
the earliest even if Tuesday’s negotiators managed to over- come resistance by France, Greece and Spain to any seri- ous moves against Serbia.
“James Baker isn’t going to be very impressed,” one diplo- mat predicted.
He was referring to blunt crit- icism by the U.S. Secretary of State at the weekend of any countries blocking moves to punish Serbia as the main cul- prit in a conflict which has claimed thousands of lives.
After EC foreign ministers agreed at a meeting on aid to
the former Soviet republics in Lisbon to convene Tuesday’s session on sanctions, Baker criti- cized what he implicitly described as EC foot-shuffling.
In Lisbon on Sunday, Baker called for U.N. sanctions against Serbia to end bloodshed in Bosnia-Hercegovina, but Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev said other methods should be used first.
The difference in approach made it unlikely that the United Nations Security Council could act swiftly on the crisis.(Reuters)
CANADA EXPELS BELGRADE DIPLOMATS
MONTREAL
Canada has ordered some Yugoslav diplomats to leave the country, cancelled flights from Belgrade and recalled its ambassador in protest at Serbian actions in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney also announced Canada was calling an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to impose trade and oil sanctions on Belgrade.
He said the Yugoslav consulate in Toronto will be closed and its diplomats told to leave Canada. The embassy in Ottawa will remain open.
Mulroney said his government suspended landing rights for the twice-weekly flights to Canada by Yugoslav Airlines, a step taken last week by the United States.
Canada will ask the Security Council to ensure that U.N.- escorted relief convoys can reach civilians in Bosnia- Herzegovina and the airport at Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, is open to receive humanitarian assistance, he said. (Reuters)
ITALIANS IGNORE NEWEST MUSSOLINI
ROME
After nearly 50 years, a Mussolini has returned to Italian politics. Since then, Il Duce’s legacy hasn’t been quite the same.
First, there was the scene on opening day of Parliament, when newly elected Alessandra Mussolini, the dictator’s 29-year-old granddaughter, tried to take his former seat.
It was occupied. Undeterred, Ms. Mussolini, a neo-Fascist, paid homage to the dictator by kissing a left-wing TV executive in the chamber. “You remind me of my grandfather,” cooed the former actress.
Next, the blonde Ms. Mussolini was splashed on a popular gossip magazine with only a fluffy pink towel covering her barely.
But while foreign journalists have besieged her since the April 5-6 elections, the first Mussolini to enter postwar government has largely been ignored at home. (ap)
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