Yugoslav Police Back Off Mine


Wednesday October 4 12:22 PM ET
Yugoslav Police Back Off Mine

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20001004/ts/yugoslavia_elections.html
By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC, Associated Press Writer
LAZAREVAC, Yugoslavia (AP) - Police poured into a major coal mine Wednesday
to break up the largest of the nationwide strikes aimed at ousting President
Slobodan Milosevic (news - web sites), but then backed off when huge crowds
streamed into the complex.
Security forces withdrew from their barricades inside the Kolubara mine
compound as thousands of people heeded the miners' cries for aid.
Police in riot gear watched passively as supporters raced to the mine in
cars and on foot from every direction. One bus pushed aside a police car
blocking its way, witnesses said.
``Take off your uniforms and join the people,'' cried Dragan Kovacevic, an
opposition leader. ``The battle for Serbia was won here.''
The startling turnaround was hailed by Milosevic foes as another key victory
in their civil disobedience campaign to force him to accept election defeat.
At first, however, it looked as if Milosevic was turning to brute force to
crush dissent. Truckloads of police and soldiers swarmed into the mine
complex, which employs 7,000 workers, after the government said the five-day
strike threatened electricity supplies.
There were no clashes or arrests, according to striker Ranko Radasinovic. He
said about 100 policemen had taken over the head office and the main crusher
plant at the strip mine near this town about 25 miles south of Belgrade.
Workers called for help as authorities set up cordons at the entrance. But
police failed to hold back crowds flocking to the open pit mine in support
of the strikers.
The see-saw confrontation came one day after the Milosevic government
threatened ``special measures'' against leaders of strikes and road
blockades, which were launched this week to force the Yugoslav president to
concede defeat to challenger Vojislav Kostunica in the Sept. 24 election.
On Tuesday, Belgrade's prosecutor issued arrest orders for 13 opposition
leaders involved in organizing a walkout at the Kolubara mine. None of the
arrests has been carried out.
In Belgrade, Democratic Party (news - web sites) leader Zoran Djindjic
denounced the police action as a ``grave abuse of the human and labor rights
of workers who are protesting electoral theft.''
Milosevic concedes that Kostunica outpolled him in the five-candidate race
but fell short of an absolute majority. A run-off is set for Sunday, but the
opposition has called for a boycott.
The opposition has accused Milosevic of massive fraud in the election and on
Wednesday sought to prove the allegations before Yugoslavia's Constitutional
Court. The tribunal met in emergency session to hear claims by the 18-party
opposition coalition that Milosevic's cronies manipulated election results
by using a sophisticated software program.
Opposition leaders said they had obtained a copy of the program and would
use it to illustrate how the vote was rigged to favor Milosevic's candidacy.
But the court is full of Milosevic loyalists and has rendered a number of
controversial verdicts.
Information Minister Goran Matic claimed the opposition ``committed
electoral fraud'' and was now trying to provoke violence by ``discrediting
and denying the validity of the result.''
With dozens of road blocks in place for the third day, police attempted to
clear roads in some areas but refrained from using force, the independent
Beta news agency reported.
But near Pozarevac, Milosevic's home town, about 30 miles southeast of
Belgrade, tensions grew after police arrested several truckers whose
vehicles were blocking a road. Dozens of people subsequently sat down on the
pavement, strengthening the blockade.
The opposition planned a rally in Belgrade for Thursday billed as a final
push to drive Milosevic from power.
There were signs that Milosevic's control over the media, until now the
principal propaganda pillar of his regime, was fraying.
The main state-run daily in the northern province of Vojvodina declared
Wednesday that its editorial policy would switch from following the
government line to objectively reporting on events. Its Wednesday edition
for the first time carried numerous reports on opposition activities.
In Belgrade, thousands of people joined the protests. Hundreds of stores
were closed and city bus drivers and garbage collectors stayed off the job,
leaving overflowing trash containers scattered in the streets.
The postal service announced a warning strike for later in the day, and by
noon, the city core was effectively put off limits to cars and other
vehicles by thousands of pedestrians roaming the streets.
In an interview published in Moscow's Komersant daily, Kostunica said he
believed Milosevic was preparing to use force against the protesters and
strikers.
``He experiences no moral dilemma or torments of the soul about that,''
Kostunica said in comments published Wednesday. ``However ... it is clear
that he does not have enough force at present.''
The student-run Otpor, or Resistance, opposition movement demanded that
Kostunica be declared the electoral winner, that he assume command of the
armed forces and start naming ambassadors to Western countries that have
recognized his victory.
(pvs/sl)