News for December 4th, 1996

Considering the fact that the program of Radio B-92 is broadcasted through a transmitter which belongs to RTS (Serbian National Radio-Television Network), Dragoljub Milanovic, technical director of RTS has given orders to the technical service to establish the circumstances and reasons of the cessation of the broadcasting of the program of Radio B-92. This was stated in the 7:30 pm news on RTS 1 (television channel).

At the request of a few thousand citizens of Belgrade, who gathered today at the protest rally of the Zajedno coalition on Terazije, the gathering was moved in front of the building of the Federal Parliament. Vuk Draskovic, President of the Serbian Renewal Movement said that even more people gathered after the police had announced the suppressing of protests.

In the message of protest signed by 45 writers, university professors, reporters and public figures, the authorities are severely criticized for the smothering of the freedom of media. "We strongly protest against the jamming, smothering and prohibiting the work of independent media, conducted in the previous days in a more and more obviously antidemocratic and systematic manner, by the Serbian regime", is stated in the message.

Members of the Initiative Committee of the Student Protest '96 rejected the invitation to enter the building of the Serbian Presidency today, without the presence of reporters, stated Dusan Vasiljvic, spokesman for the Initiative Committee, at the press conference.

The Organizational Committee of the Student Protest demanded an urgent meeting with Aleksandar Tijanic, Serbian Minister of Information, in order to discuss the obstruction of media. "We demand to be received by you in order to discuss the informative blockade under which our protest is. We appeal to all the media in the country to observe the Information Law and to give objective reports. We consider the shutting of Radio B-92 and jamming of Radio Index additional reasons for and emergency meeting with you", reads the letter to Tijanic.

The Association of Drama Artists has announced that no performances will be held on December 10 in support of the students.

The Initiative Committee of the Student Protest 96-97 in Pristina (Kosovo), gave today its full support to the demands of the students from all the Universities in Serbia.

More than 40 demonstrations in Kraljevo have been take by the police for so called informative conversations, said Mile Koricanac, representative of the Zajedno coalition for Kraljevo. An official of the Kraljevo police, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that there had been no arrests what so ever.

The headline news from Nis was read in the 7:30 pm news-program of the RTS (Serbian National Radio-Television Network). The news read that Mile Ilic, the president of the town committee of the SPS (Serbian Socialist Party) in Nis had submitted his irrevocable resignation.

The electoral headquarters of the Zajedno coalition in Jagodina received the resolution of the annulment of the election results in three election units, today. In connection with this the representatives of the Zajedno coalition have lodged a complaint to the Municipal Court in Jagodina and announced the continuation of the protest gatherings in front of the building of the Municipal Assembly.

Protest gatherings in Kragujevac continued today. The citizens of Kragujevac support the citizens of Belgrade and other citizens of Serbia in which the zajedno coalition won and in which the regime annulled the victory by various machinations- reports the headquarters of the zajedno coalition. The citizens of Kreljevo expect the final results the repeated second ballot today.

The Zajedno coalition from Pirot announced the gathering of support of "free Pirot to the free cities of Serbia", said Sreten Savov, member of the electoral headquarters of the Zajedno coalition in Pirot.

Today France criticized Serbia, for the third time in three days; this time for smothering the two independent radio stations (Radio B-92 and Radio Index).

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