No. 109, 11 June 1993

RUSSIA



YELTSIN MEETS DEPUTIES; ADDRESSES CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY. On 9
June President Boris Yeltsin met with a group of parliamentary
deputies led by Supreme Soviet deputy chairman Nikolai Ryabov.
Yeltsin's spokesman told an RFE/RL correspondent that they discussed
the possibility of the parliament's better representation in
the Constituent Assembly, and how the president and the parliament
could cooperate on the adoption of a new constitution. Talking
the same day to reporters, Yeltsin said he wanted the assembly
to work out a new full constitution rather than a temporary law
on the division of power and elections as suggested by some deputies
at the assembly, Radio Moscow reported. Addressing a plenary
session of the assembly on 10 June, Yeltsin said that issues
which prove unsolvable at the assembly's working groups should
be submitted to a constitutional arbitration panel comprising
jurists from Russia's highest courts, ITAR-TASS reported. Yeltsin
also said the assembly might continue working after the 16 June
deadline which he had set for it to draft a new constitution.
-Vera Tolz

KHASBULATOV ACTIVIZES ATTACK ON CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY. Parliamentary
speaker Ruslan Khasbulatov told the Supreme Soviet on 9 June
that the Constituent Assembly became meaningless after about
sixty regional soviets representatives had left it. He said regional
leaders refused to participate under conditions dictated by Yeltsin
associates, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. Khasbulatov said
the draft constitution should first be approved by Russia's regional
and republican soviets and then by the Congress of People's Deputies.
While the majority of deputies of the parliament said that Khasbulatov
should take part in the assembly's plenary session on 10 June,
the speaker set five conditions for his participation: the parliament
and its constitutional commission were to be fully represented
in the assembly; the assembly was to discuss all existing drafts
of a new constitution; the assembly's role was to be only consultative;
the procedure for adopting a new constitution was to be decided
by the Congress; Yeltsin was to drop his contention that the
current system of soviets was incompatible with democracy. On
10 June, Khasbulatov failed to attend the assembly's session,
the Russian media reported. His spokesman cited Khasbulatov's
health problems as the reason. -Vera Tolz

MIKHAIL FEDOTOV TO BECOME JUSTICE MINISTER. Prime Minister Viktor
Chernomyrdin has offered Information Minister Mikhail Fedotov
the post of minister of justice; Ostankino Television and the
Russian Information Agency (RIA) reported on 8 June that Fedotov
has accepted the offer, and that a presidential decree on this
appointment is coming shortly. The post of justice minister has
been vacant since Nikolai Fedorov resigned in late March after
expressing public disagreement with Boris Yeltsin's controversial
TV address on 20 March, in which the president proposed the introduction
of a special rule of government. Ostankino quoted Fedotov as
saying that Mikhail Poltoranin was the most likely candidate
to replace him (Fedotov) as information minister. Poltoranin
is currently the head of the Federal Information Center-the organization
that the Constitutional Court has recently deemed illegal. Until
the Center was created by Yeltsin's decree in late 1992, Poltoranin
was information minister. His replacement in this position was
demanded by the Russian parliament. -Vera Tolz

COMMUNISTS TO PICKET TV CENTRE? THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PARLIAMENTARY
MEDIA COMMITTEE, VLADIMIR LISIN, TOLD THE PARLIAMENT ON 10 JUNE
THAT HIS COMMITTEE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO DISSUADE HARD-LINE COMMUNIST
GROUPS LED BY VIKTOR ANPILOV, THE LEADER OF THE RUSSIAN COMMUNIST
WORKERS' PARTY, FROM THEIR PLAN TO CHAIN THEMSELVES TO THE RAILINGS
OF THE OSTANKINO TV CENTRE ON 12 JUNE. Ostankino's leadership
had refused to accede to Anpilov's demand for daily air-time,
and had criticized the media committee for meeting "provocateurs,
who incite people to bloody clashes," (a reference to the 1 May
violence in Moscow in which Anpilov's group was involved). Lisin,
however, laid the blame for any disturbances that might occur
on the TV company's chairman, Vyacheslav Bragin, who, he said,
had adopted "a very hard line position," ITAR-TASS reported on
10 June. -Wendy Slater

ZORKIN REFUSES TO RESIGN. The chairman of the Constitutional
Court, Valerii Zorkin, said on 9 June that he would not resign,
Reuters reported. Zorkin's remarks follow a call from his deputy
Nikolai Vitruk for him to step down because his "political activities"
were incompatible with his status as the head of the nominally
unbiased court. [See RFE/RL Daily Report for 9 June]. -Wendy
Slater

IMF DELAYS LOAN. IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus has held
up approval of the $1.5 billion loan to Russia that was agreed
on 22 May as part of the Systemic Transformation Facility, Reuters
reported on 11 June. M. Camdessus is said to be insisting on
some concrete action by the Russian authorities to control the
money supply, reduce inflation, and curb the budget deficit before
submitting the loan to the IMF 's board for approval. He has
tentatively agreed to submit the loan for approval on 2 July,
that is, before the G-7 summit in Tokyo on 7-9 July. -Keith Bush


GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE TO BE SLASHED? PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR CHERNOMYRDIN
HAS ORDERED ALL MINISTRIES TO DRAW UP PLANS WITHIN ONE WEEK DETAILING
HOW THEY INTEND TO SLASH EXPENDITURE OR RAISE REVENUES BY 20%,
REUTERS REPORTED ON 10 JUNE, CITING INTERFAX. Each minister or
head of federal agency will be held personally responsible for
submitting this plan. Finance Minister Boris Fedorov has been
quoted as saying that he would consider it a success if the 1993
budget deficit can be held to 10-11 trillion rubles. -Keith Bush


CHANGES SOUGHT IN WESTERN AID PLAN. After speaking with representatives
of the World Bank consultative group of 21 donor nations in Paris
on 9 June, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Shokhin told a news
conference that Russia is asking Western creditor nations to
further lower interest charges and to extend the maturities on
credits, Reuters reported. Unless current credit terms are eased,
Shokhin said, Russia will not be able to use half of the $10-billion
in bilateral credits that has already been approved. Shokhin
also called on the West to set up guarantee funds covering foreign
suppliers who are currently owed an estimated $6 billion in arrears
payments. He suggested that this could be financed with part
of the $43.4-billion aid package offered by the G-7 industrialized
countries. -Keith Bush

YELTSIN CALLS FOR RETENTION OF MILITARY BASES ABROAD. President
Yeltsin used a speech to top-ranking army and navy officers on
10 June at the conclusion of a three-day military exercise to
defend his political program and to praise what he described
as progress in restoring control over the armed forces and raising
morale in the officer corps. As reported by ITAR-TASS and Reuter,
Yeltsin said that Russia should adopt basing practices similar
to those used by the US in order to maintain a Russian military
presence in Moldova, in the Caucasus states of Georgia and Armenia,
and in Central Asia. He called for the conclusion of inter-governmental
agreements to formalize the Russian military presence in these
areas. Yeltsin also emphasized that Moscow could not afford to
base large military groupings all along the Russian border and
praised the creation of mobile forces that could be deployed
quickly wherever they are needed. According to ITAR-TASS on 9
June, Yeltsin also participated in a ceremony conferring the
rank of general on 112-officers, suggesting that he continues
to court the favor of the military leadership. -Stephen Foye


MOSCOW QUESTIONS CFE AGREEMENT. The Washington Post reported
on 11 June that Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev raised
the issue of revising the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
during a meeting with US Defense Secretary Les Aspin during talks
in Garmisch, Germany on 5-6 June. According to the report, Grachev's
request was only the latest in a series of such requests made
by political and military leaders in Moscow, who argue that instability
along Russia's southern border necessitates a revision of the
treaty's sub-limits to allow Russia to deploy more troops in
the region. Moscow has apparently not yet made clear the extent
to which it would like to revise the treaty but, according to
the report, US officials remain uninterested in reopening the
treaty out of a fear that a revision could lead to its general
unraveling. The newspaper quoted a former Bush administration
official who said that while the Russian request probably did
grow out of a genuine fear of instability in the south, it may
also reflect the army's long-standing dissatisfaction with the
original treaty and, possibly, a desire to increase military
pressure on Ukraine, with whom Russia has several defense-related
disputes. -Stephen Foye

TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA



MEASURES TAKEN TO QUELL ABKHAZ CONFLICT. A Russian delegation
led by Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev took steps to mitigate
the conflict in Abkhazia through a series of meetings on 9 June
with Georgian and Abkhaz leaders in Tbilisi and Gudauta. Georgian
Radio announced on 9 June that the Abkhaz side had guaranteed
safe passage for Russian helicopters flying humanitarian missions
to besieged locations in Abkhaz territory, and Georgian Parliament
Chairman Eduard Shevardnadze stated on 9 June that Georgia had
made similar guarantees, ITAR-TASS reported. On the night of
9 June, Kozyrev said that Russia would impose economic sanctions
in response to violations of future ceasefire agreements, Reuters
reported. In addition, representatives of Russia, Georgia, and
Abkhazia begin a week-long series of talks in Moscow on 11 June
to try to improve enforcement of the 20 May ceasefire negotiated
by Shevardnadze and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Meanwhile,
fighting continued 10 June in Ochamchire and along the Gumista
River, ITAR-TASS reported. -Catherine Dale

ALIEV REFUSES PREMIERSHIP. Nakhichevan parliament chairman Geidar
Aliev and Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey met behind closed
doors in Baku on 9 June; Elchibey reportedly offered his rival
the post of Prime Minister, which Aliev rejected after Elchibey
refused to grant him greater powers than those held by the current
incumbent, according to Turan. Meanwhile Russian media, citing
the Azerbaijani Presidential Press service, reported looting
in the town of Gyandzha held by rebel leader Surat Huseinov.
-Liz Fuller

"DNIESTER" FIGHTERS IN ABKHAZIA. A detachment of fighters from
the "Dniester" Russian forces in eastern Moldova arrived in Abkhazia
on 2 June to join the Abkhaz fighting against Georgia, Russian
TV reported from Tbilisi on 6 June. The "Dniester" unit, wearing
various uniforms including OMON ones, landed in military cargo
planes at Gudauta airport. This airport is supposedly "neutral"
under the protection of Russian troops. "Dniester" fighters were
also reported in Tkvarcheli. On 7 June, Basapress reported from
Tiraspol that a unit of "Dniester" fighters had taken off for
Abkhazia on 4 June aboard a military cargo plane. Basapress cited
a travel document for that unit, specifying that it consisted
of 250 men who were not professional soldiers but who will be
commanded by professional officers from "Dniester" forces. The
document is signed by the "Dniester" ministers of Defense, Internal
Affairs, and State Security. The last two, Colonels Nikolai Matveev
and Vadim Shevtsov, formerly served with Soviet OMON units in
Latvia. In January, 1993, the "Dniester" and Abkhaz republics
signed a cooperation treaty including military provisions. -Vladimir
Socor

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE



US PLEDGES TO SEND SOLDIERS TO MACEDONIA. US secretary of state
Warren Christopher announced at a NATO meeting in Athens on 10
June that the US is willing to deploy 300 troops in the Republic
of Macedonia to augment the UN's contingent of 700 mostly Nordic
troops already stationed there, according to Western sources
and MILS. The force is intended to help insure against the spread
of the Bosnian conflict to Macedonia and is probably also meant
as a deterrent to potential Serbian moves against Macedonia.
Both the Macedonian government and NATO secretary general Manfred
Woerner welcomed the offer. American soldiers may be on the ground
in Macedonia within two weeks. Details have not been worked out
as yet in terms of the mission's precise role nor is it clear
what these troops would do in the event of civil war in neighboring
Kosovo and the anticipated flood of Muslim Albanian refugees
into Macedonia that would very likely ensue. Such a turn of events
could provoke significant violence between majority ethnic Macedonians
and ethnic Albanians. -Duncan Perry

BOSNIAN SITUATION REMAINS TENSE. A shaky cease-fire between Croats
and Muslims was signed by their respective military commanders
on 10 June, but it is not clear whether the argeement will hold.
That same night a group of Croat civilians and gunmen attacked
a private relief convoy of 450 trucks heading for Tuzla, killing
at least eight Muslim drivers, the BBC reported on 11 June. Meanwhile,
Hina says that the first groups of Croat refugees from the current
fighting around Travnik arrived on 10 June in the Croatian town
of Novska from Serb-held territories, to which the Croats had
fled to escape what appeared to be certain death at Muslim hands.
These refugees are mainly women, elderly, and children, and Croatian
refugee officials plan to send them to the Mostar area where
former Yugoslav military housing is available. There has been
no word on the safety of the 750 Croatian soldiers and other
males sent by the Serbs to the notorious Manjaca camp near Banja
Luka, although the Serbs have promised that the Red Cross could
inspect the facility. -Patrick Moore

CROATIAN CONCERN OVER REFUGEES. A heated discussion appears to
be underway in Croatia regarding the future of the 250,000 Muslim
refugees staying in Croatia largely at government expense. Many
Croats argue that nobody has helped Bosnia as much as Croatia
has, but add that all that Zagreb has received in return is ingratitude
and "Muslim aggression." Some also fear the long-term demographic
effects if large numbers of Muslims stay permanently in Croatia
and in Croatian-inhabited parts of Herzegovina. Consequently,
support is growing for a change in Croatia's policy toward Muslim
refugees as long as the conflict between the two peoples continues.
Croatian concern over the ongoing warfare was reflected in President
Franjo Tudjman's breaking off his trip to China, as well as by
a declaration by the chief imam of Croatia, Sevko Omerbasic,
criticizing the Bosnian Muslims for "having become the aggressor,"
Reuters reported on 10 June. -Patrick Moore

DANUBE JOINT OPERATION BEGINS. A joint operation of customs officers
from Romania and the Western European Union is scheduled to begin
on 11 June on the Romanian stretch of the Danube. The operation
is aimed at providing full implementation of the UN Security
Council sanctions against rump Yugoslavia, Western agencies report.
-Michael Shafir

STALIN'S PLANS TO KILL TITO. The BBC on 11 June quotes Yeltsin
military aide and historian Dmitrii Volkogonov as saying that
the late Soviet dictator plotted to kill his plucky Yugoslav
counterpart but himself died before the project could be carried
out. A variety of booby-trapped devices was considered. Instrumental
in the plot was to have been the agent Iosif Grigulevich, whose
code name was Max, who had been involved in the 1940 plot to
kill Trotsky. -Patrick Moore

WALESA MEETS SOLIDARITY LEADERS. Polish President Lech Walesa's
meeting with leaders of the Solidarity labor union on 9 June
ended inconclusively, implying another setback for the organization.
According to PAP reports, Walesa insisted that the union, without
conditions, refrain from staging a general strike, while the
Solidarity leaders made their decision on the matter dependent
on the fulfillment of their demands. These include a freeze on
energy prices and a general increase of wages to compensate for
anticipated price rises resulting from the introduction of value-added
taxes. It is unlikely that these demands will be fulfilled by
the government. The president and the union leaders apparently
could not reconcile their differences and decided to set up a
commission to resolve the problems. Walesa's apparent determination
not to support the union's position is likely to damage its position
on the political scene, making the threat of a general strike
increasingly uncertain. -Jan de Weydenthal

POLAND, SLOVAKIA TO HOLD JOINT MANEUVER. CTK quoted Slovak Defense
Minister Imrich Andrejcak as saying on 9 June that Poland and
Slovakia will hold a joint military maneuver "in the near future."
He also revealed that the defense ministries of the two countries
are contemplating the coordination of their air defenses. Polish
Defense Minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz was quoted as saying at
a joint press conference that Slovak-Polish military cooperation
is not directed against anyone and that both countries have an
interest in integration with broader Western security structures,
"particularly NATO." -Jan Obrman

KOVAC OPPOSED TO EARLY ELECTIONS. Slovak President Michal Kovac
said at a press conference on 9-June that he is opposed to early
elections, Slovak Radio reports. Kovac stressed that the same
parties and politicians would be elected to the parliament, but
damage would be done to Slovakia's image abroad. The president
announced that he will try to calm down the political atmosphere
by appealing to the parties represented in the National Council
to put an end to all "petty disputes." Kovac also said that he
will do everything in his power to initiate "constructive talks"
between the ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia and other
parties. He said other political parties should join the government.
He pointed out that the minority government of Prime Minister
Vladimir Meciar cannot exist without clear agreements on support
with other groups represented in the parliament. -Jan Obrman


SPLIT OF CZECH CP POSSIBLE, SVOBODA SAYS. Jiri Svoboda, the Chairman
of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, the second strongest
party in the Czech parliament, said that it is quite possible
that his party will disintegrate into a "reform" wing and a conservative
wing after its Third Congress scheduled for 26 June, Czech TV
reports. Svoboda was quoted as saying that the results of the
congress might turn out to be disastrous for the Czech left.
He argued that if the conservatives prevail, it will be perceived
by the public as a victory for those who want revenge for the
"velvet revolution" of November 1989. -Jan Obrman

PARTIAL SHUTDOWN OF CZECH NUCLEAR PLANT AVERTED. A partial shutdown
at the Dukovany nuclear power plant in Moravia has been averted
after staff agreed to withdraw their resignations., CTK reports
on 9 June. Fifty-one of the 105 operators at the plant had tendered
their resignations on 31 May, citing poor management practices.
A spokesman for the plant told CTK that the management will set
up a committee to discuss grievances with staff and union representatives.
-Jan Obrman

BOTEZ CONFIRMED AS ROMANIA'S UN AMBASSADOR. On 9 June commissions
of the Romanian parliament approved the appointment of former
dissident Mihai Botez as ambassador to the United Nations, an
RFE/RL correspondent reports. Another contender for the post,
career diplomat Constantin Ene, will become Romania's ambassador
to NATO. Ene had already appeared before the commissions several
weeks ago. -Michael Shafir

WARNING STRIKE AT HUNGARIAN AIRLINES. A two-hour strike started
on the morning of 11 June, MTI reports. The union rejected a10%
wage increase offered by management, which is taking the position
that only layoffs of redundant workers or utilization of foreign
pilots could free up funds for wage increases. The union is requesting
50-70% pay increases for pilots and 21% for other workers. The
job action affected 18 flights, but did not result in flight
cancellations. A 35% share in MALEV, the state airline, was sold
to Alitalia in the spring. -Karoly Okolicsanyi

TALKS ON HUNGARIAN DEFENSE LAW BROKEN OFF. On June 9 the Defense
Ministry broke off ongoing six-party talks on Hungary's national
defense law. Passage requires a two-thirds majority, MTI reports.
State Secretary for Defense Laszlo Szendrei blamed the representatives
of the opposition Alliance of Free Democrats and Hungarian Socialist
parties for refusing to compromise over the change of status
of the Border Guard, which the government wants to subordinate
in peacetime to the ministry of internal affairs, and over the
extra powers to be granted to the defense minister in ordering
immediate action of Hungary's air force and air defense in case
of a surprise air attack. The AFD, which finds the present defense
arrangements adequate, said it cannot accept any modification
of the constitution, while the stand of the Alliance of Young
Democrats was closer to the government's proposals. The talks
are to be continued during the summer and fall sessions of parliament.
Alfred Reisch

KOHL IN KIEV-.-.-.-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited Kiev
on 9-10 June and held talks with Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk
and Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma, Western news agencies report.
The high point of the visit was the signing of a framework agreement
for future German-Ukrainian relations. One of the purposes of
the visit was to assure the Ukrainian leadership that Bonn is
not ignoring Kiev in favor of Moscow. Upon arriving in Kiev,
Kohl made a point of saying that Germany views relations with
Ukraine as extremely important. The German Chancellor called
upon Ukraine to ratify the START-1 treaty and adhere to the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty. He also visited Babi Yar, the site of
World War II massacres of Jews, Ukrainians, Russians, and others.
-Roman Solchanyk

.-.-.-AND SOFIA. Kohl traveled on to Bulgaria, where on 10 June
he was received by Prime Minister Lyuben Berov, parliamentary
chairman Aleksandar Yordanov, and president Zhelyu Zhelev. After
discussions mainly covering bilateral and European economic relations,
agreements on air traffic and environment were signed. Kohl arrived
in Sofia accompanied by a 20-person trade delegation, but Western
agencies noted that none of the four German ministers who visited
Ukraine continued on to Bulgaria. -Kjell Engelbrekt

BLACK SEA COUNTRIES DISCUSS JOINT BANK. Members of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation Organization have in principle agreed
on the distribution of shares in a joint bank, Reuters reports.
Meeting in Varna, Bulgaria, representatives of the 11 participating
states decided that Greece, Russia, and Turkey will assume a
16.5% share in the bank, while Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine
will take a 13.5% stake. Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Moldova will contribute only 2% each. The bank, whose working
name is the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, is to be modeled
on the European Investment Bank and the EBRD. Greece announced
it will ask the EC to offer some financial assistance. -Kjell
Engelbrekt

MINERS' STRIKE IN UKRAINE SPREADS. The strike that began in the
Donbass region last week has spread to other industries and regions,
CIS and Western sources reported on 10 June. ITAR-TASS reported
on 9-June that the textile, machine-building, and transport industries
stopped work. Other reports say that the strike has also affected
the metallurgical and service industries. In addition, the strikers
are also making political demands, calling for a government shakeup,
more local autonomy, and, in some cases, restoration of the Soviet
Union or the transfer of the Donbass region to Russia. Government
negotiators have thus far been unable to make any progress in
talks with the strikers. In a TV address on the evening of 10
June, President Leonid Kravchuk urged the strikers to return
to work, saying that the government has prepared urgent measures
to satisfy miners' demands and expressed his support for more
regional autonomy of the Donbass. -Roman Solchanyk

BLOCKADE AT ESTONIAN-RUSSIAN BORDER. On 10 June truckers from
Estonia, Russia, and other countries twice blocked all traffic
in both directions on the Tallinn-Narva highway in northeast
Estonia to protest stricter Russian customs controls implemented
on 7-June when the border was closed for a second time due to
a downed power cable. Estonian media report that the trucks had
been waiting on the western edge of Narva for several days because
the border crossing inside the city was full. Discussions between
Estonian and Russian officials produced no results but will be
continued. By late afternoon trucks were reportedly crossing
the border again. Estonian and Russian authorities asked truckers
to enter Russia through Southeast Estonia. -Mart Laanemae

YELTSIN AGAIN LINKS TROOP PULLOUT TO HUMAN RIGHTS. At a conference
with the leadership of Russia's armed forces on 10 June, Russian
President Boris Yeltsin again linked the withdrawal of Russian
troops from Estonia and Latvia to the rights of Russians living
there and housing for the departing military, Baltic and Russian
media report. Yeltsin said, "We generally manage to pull out
our troops on schedule, but the most important step is their
restationing and rehousing. We reject all provocations of Latvia
and Estonia. What they do is apply pressure. This approach will
not work with Russia. We will not withdraw troops from there
until bases are in place to redeploy them and as long as human
rights are violated there [that is, Estonia and Latvia]." -Dzintra
Bungs

LUIK REJECTS YELTSIN'S ALLEGATIONS. Juri Luik, chief Estonian
negotiator for talks with Russia, responded by telling the press
on 10 June that in its dealings with Russia, "Estonia has used
no provocations." Estonia has a clear objective, he said-a speedy
pullout of the Russian troops-which is also supported by the
world community, BNS reported. Luik also said that at the recent
Estonian-Russian talks it was agreed that Russia will submit
by 25-June its requirements for withdrawing troops by the end
of this year and that a draft accord on basic aspects of the
troop pullout will be discussed at the next interstate negotiations
in Tallinn at the end of this month. In a related development,
Prime Minister Mart Laar said that his government will protest
the continuing electronic intelligence-gathering activities of
the Russian military base at Juri, BNS reported on 9 June. -Dzintra
Bungs

SEIMAS ELECTS OFFICERS. On 10 June the Seimas elected Lithuanian
Democratic Labor Party deputies Juozas Bernatonis and Neris Germanas
as its deputy chairman and chancellor, respectively, Radio Lithuania
reports. The appointments of the two other deputy chairmen from
other parties remain unclear. Aloyzas Sakalas and Egidijus Bickauskas,
the two current temporary deputy chairmen, elected in 1992, represent
centrist parties and not the more numerous right-wing opposition
with which the LDLP has not been able to reach a mutually acceptable
agreement. On 8 June the Seimas refused to accept Bickauskas's
resignation made on 4 June and rebuffed a vote of no-confidence
against Sakalas. -Saulius Girnius

SITE OF LITHUANIAN OIL TERMINAL DECIDED. On 9 June the government
decided to build an oil import terminal at Butinge, not far from
the Latvian border, instead of at Melnrage near Klaipeda, Radio
Lithuania reports. The terminal will be on a floating platform
about 7-8 kilometers offshore. Oil will be pumped about 100 kilometers
to the oil refinery at Mazeikiai. The financing and design of
the project, which will cost about $170 million, have not yet
been finalized, but will undoubtedly rely heavily on foreign
investments. -Saulius Girnius

[As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Liz Fuller nd Charles Trumbull











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