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Serbian crisis deepens as court backs vote overturn
Anti-Milosevic demonstrators brace for showdown
December 8, 1996
Web posted at: 11:55 p.m. EST (0455 GMT)BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- The crisis in the streets of Serbia deepened Sunday following the arrests of several anti-government protesters and a Supreme Court ruling against the pro-democracy opposition parties.
A noisy throng of more than 100,000 protesters again jammed central Belgrade Sunday, voicing complaints that the ruling socialists robbed them of local election victories.
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Without offering an explanation, the Serbian court reversed the initial outcome of the elections and gave the socialists and their allies 66 of the 110 seats in the Belgrade city assembly, said Radomir Lazarevic, head of the Belgrade election commission.
The ruling means 33 opposition candidates were denied seats. The decision involves only the capital city, but does not bode well for appeals of nullification of the elections elsewhere.
"What the Supreme Court did last night was founded on politics, not law," said opposition lawyer Goran Draganic.
The Belgrade protests were triggered three weeks ago when Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and election officials invalidated the November 17 municipal elections, which opposition parties won in Belgrade and 14 other major cities throughout Yugoslavia.
A coalition of opposition groups operating under the name Zajedno, or Together, had appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn the annulment.
Showdown predicted
Zajedno leaders vowed to continue their appeals and carry on with peaceful demonstrations. They recently received the support of labor unions, which are generally concerned more with living conditions than government oppression.
There are 80,000 union workers in Belgrade alone. A promised strike this week would sharply escalate the challenge to Milosevic.
But Milosevic showed no signs of backing down, and protesters expressed concern that police provocateurs among the marchers could foment trouble and give Milosevic an excuse to unleash his riot police.
"I am expecting tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, that Milosevic will use police, maybe even the army, but we will not stop," said opposition leader Vuk Draskovic. "We are not ready to be slaves."
Milosevic thwarted street protests in March 1991 and in June 1993.
Demonstrations spread
The Democratic Party reported that eight protesters had been arrested in the past two days, making 40 in the past week. A 21-year-old worker said he had been beaten and denied medical attention in jail.
The man, identified by the party as Dejan Bulatovic, had been one of several protesters who carried an effigy of Milosevic dressed in a prison uniform.
The protests were spreading as many as 50,000 in the city of Nis burned pictures of Milosevic and smashed a television set to protest the state-sponsored media's coverage.
Demonstrators in dozens of cities and towns across Serbia took to the streets. Democratic Party leader, Zoran Djindjic, said he expected protests to spread to some 50 cities throughout Serbia, including Milosevic strongholds.
Correspondent Brent Sadler and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Court declares Socialist win in Belgrade poll - December 8, 1996
- Serb court backs Milosevic in vote appeal - December 7, 1996
- Serbian Supreme Court to review appeal of local elections - December 7, 1996
- Serbian opposition: Protests can end if elections recognized - December 6, 1996
- As protests mount, Serbia's hard line begins to soften - December 5, 1996
- Serbs silence 3rd radio station critical of Milosevic - December 4, 1996
- Independent radio stations silenced in Yugoslavia - December 3, 1996
- U.S. warns Milosevic not to use force against protesters - December 3, 1996
- Anti-Milosevic protesters take to streets despite threats - December 2, 1996
- Belgrade protesters keep up campaign against Milosevic - November 30, 1996
- Students protest on streets of Belgrade - November 29, 1996
Related sites:
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- Letter to police from students of Belgrade
- Public announcement from Supreme Court judge
- Belgrade History
- Yurope Yugoslavia
- Yugoslavia.com
- Yurope on-line
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