No. 188, 30 September 1993

RUSSIA



ULTIMATUM ISSUED TO PARLIAMENT. The deputies still remaining
in the Russian parliament building in defiance of President Boris
Yeltsin's decree dissolving the legislature have been given an
ultimatum to leave the building by 4 October, Russian and Western
media reported on 29 September. The ultimatum, signed by the
Russian government and the Moscow city government, says that
parliamentary chairman Ruslan Khasbulatov and "acting president"
Aleksandr Rutskoi are responsible for organizing the evacuation
of the building and the surrounding area, and for the surrender
of all weapons. Failure to do so, warns the ultimatum, will result
in "severe consequences" for which Khasbulatov and Rutskoi would
be responsible. Confusingly, the text also guarantees that no
weapons will be used to clear the building. The building was
surrounded by troops on 28 September and remains without electricity.
-Wendy Slater

REGIONAL LEADERS CONSIDER CREATION OF SIBERIAN REPUBLIC. A group
of leaders of regional legislatures attending a meeting in Novosibirsk
said they would set up a Siberian republic within the Russian
Federation unless Yeltsin repeals his decree dissolving parliament,
ITAR-TASS reported on 29 September. The decision was spelled
out in a document passed almost unanimously by some 140 delegates
representing 14-out of 19-Siberian regions and republics. The
agency quoted Aman Tuleev, chairman of the Kemerovo Oblast Council,
as stressing that the Siberian republic would not seek independence
from Moscow, but would demand more economic and political rights.
The regional leaders also threatened to temporarily cut the Trans-Siberian
railway and withhold taxes, unless Yeltsin ended the encirclement
of the Russian parliament building. They intend to offer the
parliament an alternative seat in one of Siberia's cities. -Vera
Tolz

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REJECTS LINKAGE. In a statement issued
on 29 September, the Foreign Ministry took umbrage at the US
Senate's adoption of an amendment making aid to Russia contingent
on the schedule of troop withdrawal from Latvia and Estonia,
as well as on Russia's refraining from giving aid to Cuba. The
Ministry said the linkage resembled a relapse into the Cold War
and contended that such a move was not in the spirit of US-Russian
cooperation, Ostankino television reported. -Suzanne Crow

KOKOSHIN, GRACHEV REMARKS ON LOYALTY OF ARMY. Russian First Deputy
Defense Minister Andrei Kokoshin, amplifying remarks he had made
a day earlier to ITAR-TASS, told Izvestiya on 29 September that
there was no evidence of mutinous activity among Russian troops.
Kokoshin nevertheless suggested that the penalty would be harsh
for a military commander who did come to the support of the parliament.
He was quoted as saying: "Khasbulatov is not putting his life
at risk . . . unlike, for example, the commander of a regiment
who, on taking the path of war against the Ministry of Defense,
immediately condemns himself to the 'supreme measure.'" Kokoshin
also suggested that the army was under the close scrutiny of
the security services and that any mutinous activities would
be quickly discovered. Meanwhile, during a meeting with his Hungarian
counterpart on 29-September, Defense Minister Pavel Grachev was
quoted by ITAR-TASS as saying that "never before has the army
obeyed so strictly and precisely." -Stephen Foye

FILATOV JUSTIFIES YELTSIN'S ACTIONS. The head of President Yeltsin's
administrative office, Sergei Filatov, told a news conference
on 29 September that the president had dissolved the parliament
to prevent a coup, Reuters reported. Filatov claimed that Yeltsin's
move preempted a coup being prepared by the parliament, which
was planning to take control from the executive with the help
of the local soviets and the official trade unions, which were
planning strikes. The campaign would have culminated at the November
session of the Congress of People's Deputies. Filatov said that,
although Yeltsin's actions had violated the constitution, the
fact that Russia was "a nuclear state with powerful armed forces
and armed conflicts raging around it," meant that such measures
were justified to preserve the country's integrity and security.
-Wendy Slater

PATRIARCH ALEKSII OFFERS TO MEDIATE. Reports from ITAR-TASS suggest
that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch of Moscow
and All Russia Aleksii II could emerge as a conciliatory force
in the stalemate between the parliamentary deputies and the presidential
administration. On 29 September, the patriarch met with Constitutional
Court chairman Valerii Zorkin who has been trying to formulate
a possible solution to the crisis, and also issued a statement
calling on the two sides not to allow bloodshed. In reply to
the statement, deputies continuing to attend the Congress of
People's Deputies dissolved by President Yeltsin announced that
they were prepared to begin negotiations under the mediation
of the patriarch. Aleksii curtailed a visit to the US because
of the crisis in Moscow. -Wendy Slater

NEWS ACCURACY, RUSSIAN STYLE. Sergei Vozianov, anchor of the
29 September afternoon edition of "Vesti," told the Russian TV
audience that US Secretary of State Warren Christopher had again
reaffirmed US support for President Yeltsin's reforms in Russia.
Vozianov quoted Christopher as saying that "the Russian leadership's
policies accord with human rights and the principles of democracy."
Vozianov was misquoting Christopher's statement broadcast by
CNN a few hours earlier, in which the Secretary expressed concern
about the stand-off at the Russian parliament building in Moscow.
Christopher's actual words were: "President Yeltsin, as well
as other officials in the Russian government, have assured us
that they intend to act in a way consistent with democratic values
and human rights. We would be concerned if they did otherwise,
but we're expecting that they will act in accordance with their
intentions." -Julia Wishnevsky

JURY TRIALS TO BE REINTRODUCED. According to Western reports
from Moscow, trial by jury will return to Russian courts in November.
Jury trials were abolished in Russia in 1917. Initially, the
jury system will be available only at certain Moscow courts and
only people charged with particularly serious offenses such as
murder, rape or terrorism will be able to request such a trial,
but later it is hoped that the system will be extended to courts
in other cities too. -Elizabeth Teague

FARMERS TO STRIKE. Farmers in 120 sovkhozes in the Leningrad
Oblast plan to start an unlimited strike on 17 October, an RFE/RL
correspondent in St. Petersburg reported on 29-September. The
farmers are protesting delays in payment for their food deliveries.
They have reportedly not been paid for deliveries made in February
and have no money to buy seed grain, fuel, and fertilizers. (On
22 September, President Yeltsin signed a decree providing for
penalties for delays in payment for agricultural deliveries.)
On 27 September, the trade union representing some 16 million
workers in the agro-industrial complex threatened to take strike
action, primarily over arrears in payments. Strike threats have
also been aired by representatives of the military-industrial
complex, the coal miners, and health workers. -Keith Bush

CLINTON-KOZYREV TALKS. US President Bill Clinton held talks with
Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev on 29 September in Washington.
Following the talks, Clinton said, "they're doing everything
they can to preserve peace," offering continued support for Boris
Yeltsin. Kozyrev, for his part, offered assurances that "there
is no intention to use force against the White House in Moscow."
During meetings earlier that day with US Secretary of State Warren
Christopher in New York, Kozyrev assured him that Yeltsin would
deal with the situation democratically and peacefully, Reuters
reported. -Suzanne Crow

YELTSIN WILL NOT GIVE AWAY KURILS. As Boris Yeltsin's 12 October
visit to Japan approaches, officials in Moscow and Tokyo have
begun to joust over the Kuril Islands dispute. AFP quoted Russian
presidential aide Sergei Filatov on 29 September as saying that
the territorial problem would not dominate the talks in Tokyo,
that it would be "naive" to assume that Yeltsin would resolve
the issue in Japan's favor "at a stroke of the pen," and that,
in any event, Tokyo would not want to give ammunition to Yeltsin's
domestic opponents. Reuters, meanwhile, quoted a Japanese Foreign
Ministry official on the same day as saying that Tokyo "attaches
the greatest importance to the territorial issue" and believes
that "there will be progress" in the negotiations. He emphasized
that Japan still wanted the return of the four islands. AFP reported
on 30 September that several economic and technical agreements
are expected to be signed during the visit. -Stephen Foye

TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA



ABKHAZ UPDATE. Abkhaz forces advanced eastwards on 29 September
and succeeded in lifting the Georgian blockade of Tkvarcheli,
ITAR-TASS reported. Vessels of the Black Sea fleet evacuated
a further 2,900-civilians from Sukhumi, raising the total number
to 14,000-over three days. The head of the Russian contingent
of the tripartite commission to monitor the 27 July ceasefire
sent a letter to the Georgian leadership expressing condolences
for the execution by the Abkhaz of Prime Minister Zhiuli Shartava
and asserting that his killers "and those who began the war on
16 September" should be brought to trial, according to ITAR-TASS.
-Liz Fuller

DIPLOMATIC REACTION. Speaking at a press conference in New York,
Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev called on the Abkhaz
forces to lay down their arms and observe the 27 July ceasefire,
reported an RFE/RL correspondent. Kozyrev also stated that Russia
had imposed economic sanctions on the Abkhaz. In Moscow, Abkhaz
Supreme Soviet deputy chairman Sokrat Dzhindzholia told journalists
that Abkhazia might now hold a referendum on independence from
Georgia and then ask for protection from the Russian Federation,
Reuters reported. -Liz Fuller

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER CRITICIZES WORLD BANK. Addressing the
annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank in Washington on 29
September, Armenian prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan charged that
the failure of the two organizations to provide any assistance
to Armenia over the past few years, even for reconstruction in
areas devastated by the 1988 earthquake, has slowed reforms and
hurt the population, reported an RFE/RL correspondent. -Liz Fuller


UZBEK BANK CHIEF APPEALS FOR INVESTMENT. Although his country's
leadership is clinging determinedly to its commitment to a slow
transition to a market economy, the chairman of Uzbekistan's
Central Bank, Faizulla Mulladzhonov, told the annual IMF-World
Bank meeting on 29 September that Uzbekistan needs large infusions
of foreign investment funds and foreign loans. A report by an
RFE/RL correspondent noted that Uzbekistan presently allows foreign
investment only in areas that produce export earnings, primarily
oil and gas extraction, gold and textiles. Mulladzhonov said
that the greatest need at the moment is for outside investment
in the oil and gas industries. -Bess Brown

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE



BOSNIAN LEGISLATURE EFFECTIVELY KILLS PEACE PLAN. International
media reported on 29 September that Bosnia-Herzegovina's Muslim-dominated
parliament voted overwhelmingly to accept the Geneva plan only
on the condition that some territories taken by the Serbs are
given to the Muslim republic. Foreign Minister Haris Silajdzic
told the legislators that "territories taken by force, especially
where genocide occurred, must be returned to their rightful owners.
Otherwise, we are living in a jungle. It will be a new Stone
Age." The Serbs, however, have told the Muslims that the package
is "take-it-or-leave-it," a point that their leader Radovan Karadzic
reaffirmed after the parliament's vote. President Alija Izetbegovic
had told the legislature that the Serbs outgun the Bosnian army
and that there is no hope of a successful Muslim offensive before
the winter sets in November. The choice, he added, is between
a "just war" and an "unjust peace," while army commander Rasim
Delic concluded: "fighters, soldiers, let us be ready to defend
this country." A spokesman for the international mediators said:
"it is hard to know where we go from here." Shortly after the
parliament's vote, Serb gunners fired large artillery shells
into the Muslim old town of Sarajevo. -Patrick Moore

RUGOVA CALLS ON KOSOVARS TO GET ORGANIZED. In an interview published
in Rilindja on 27-September, the president of the self-proclaimed
ethnic Albanian Republic of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, rejected
the idea of partitioning the area between Serbs and Albanians.
He stressed that the Albanians "have to understand that [they]
. . . are occupied," adding that it is necessary to transform
the shadow state made up of political parties into an institutionalized
state. For this purpose he called on the underground parliament,
which was elected on 24 May 1992, but which has yet to meet,
to convene as a constituent assembly. Rugova is also quoted as
saying that the Republic of Kosovo needs an executive power,
which it really does not yet have. Elsewhere, the Belgrade weekly
NIN in its latest issue quoted the Kosovar intellectual Shqelcen
Maliqi as saying that Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic does
not need a war in Kosovo to stay in power, as some observers
have suggested. -Fabian Schmidt

REACTION TO SERBIAN SOCIALIST-RADICAL RIFT. Reactions to an attack
by Serbia's ruling Socialist Party (SPS) against Vojislav Seselj,
head of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and previously regarded
as an SPS ally, is setting the tone for Serbia's political wars
in the immediate weeks ahead. The conflict erupted after Seselj
set in motion a vote of no confidence in the Socialist Serbian
government on 27 September. Next day the SPS attacked Seselj
for "promoting hatred and war" and threatened publicly to expose
"war crimes" committed by paramilitary units loyal to him in
Croatia and Bosnia. Seselj criticized the SPS in several interviews,
charging it with war crimes by having financed and armed Serbs
in former Yugoslav republics. On Studio B TV Seselj remarked:
"We have always supported [Serbian President Slobodan] Milosevic.
If he thinks he can stay in power without our support, let him
try." Though Seselj is on record for criticizing the SPS, this
is the first time he has ever threatened Milosevic. Seselj's
motion seems destined to fail because of a lack of votes in parliament.
Television Serbia and Studio B TV carried the reports on 29 September.
-Milan Andrejevich

POLISH COALITION UPDATE. A spokesman for the Democratic Left
Alliance (SLD) announced on 29 September that his party intends
to present President Lech Walesa with a government program and
a proposed list of cabinet members in the first week of October,
PAP reports. The SLD and the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) reached
"preliminary agreement" on a joint coalition on 28 September.
A third round of talks between the two parties' economic experts,
focusing on the budget for 1994, is scheduled for 30 September.
The SLD apparently wants to raise the budget deficit by 1-1.5%
of GDP, while the PSL seems to favor even greater deficit spending.
PSL officials said the chief difference between the two sides
on economic matters was that the SLD wants to restrict "state
intervention" to social policies while preserving a generally
"liberal" approach to economic growth, whereas the PSL believes
direct intervention in production will spur growth. It is not
clear whether this difference in approach will translate into
difficulties in the formation of a workable coalition government.
-Louisa Vinton

POLISH OFFICIALS ADVISE AGAINST PANIC. Meanwhile, in Washington
on 29 September, the current finance minister, Jerzy Osiatynski,
encouraged IMF and World Bank officials to judge any new government
by its deeds and not by its origins or the pledges made during
the election campaign. Osiatynski said it would be difficult
for any new government to deviate dramatically from the economic
policies pursued since 1989, at least in the next six months,
if only because of the need to maintain good standing with the
IMF in order to secure a further reduction in Poland's foreign
debt. Speaking to the same audience, National Bank chairman Hanna
Gronkiewicz-Waltz said that Poland's economic reforms are so
far advanced that the current dangers are slight. Poland's frequent
elections, she said, are a "costly learning process," but economic
growth will continue despite them. However, she added, the tendency
in Europe to close markets to imports from the East could easily
undermine economic progress. -Louisa Vinton

POLISH TRADE UNIONS DIGEST ELECTION RESULTS. At a press conference
on 29-September, leaders of the former official OPZZ trade union
federation announced that they will not join any future government,
even if headed by the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). The OPZZ
has 61 deputies in the new Sejm, all of whom ran on the SLD ticket.
OPZZ chairman Ewa Spychalska said that while the OPZZ supports
the SLD's election program, the union federation will not hestitate
to vote against an SLD government if its legislative proposals
run counter to the unions' interests. Meanwhile, Solidarity leaders
convened in Gdansk to discuss the union's defeat in the elections.
The union failed to reach the threshold required for seats in
the Sejm but managed to elect nine senators. Solidarity chairman
Marian Krzaklewski criticized the new parliament as unrepresentative
and announced that the union will function as part of the "extraparliamentary
opposition." -Louisa Vinton

CZECHS LAUNCH SECOND WAVE OF VOUCHER PRIVATIZATION. Voucher booklets
for the second wave of voucher privatization in the Czech Republic
went on sale on 29 September, reports CTK. A voucher booklet
can be obtained for 1,050 koruny ($36); after 1-January 1994,
the purchased vouchers can be exchanged for shares in some 770
companies slated for the second wave of voucher privatization.
The first wave took place in 1992 before the split of Czechoslovakia;
more than 8.5 million Czechs and Slovakia participated. More
than 1,490-large state-owned companies in both the Czech lands
and in Slovakia were auctioned off. -Jiri Pehe

SME DID NOT CHECK SOURCES IN "INDIAGATE" SCANDAL. In an article
signed by Sme's editor-in-chief Karol Jezik on 29 September,
the daily said it did not verify the information it published
on 28 September implicating top government officials in a fraud
involving $22 million dollars. The daily said it was a mistake,
and "we are conscious of our responsibility." The information
provided in the 28 September article was based on a fax which
was sent to all Slovak newspapers and political parties, though
only Sme printed it. Jezik said the article was published to
"initiate a discussion" on the issue of India's trade debt to
Slovakia, which the paper has been trying to investigate for
the past month. Jezik complained that there remained many unanswered
questions, and "no one wanted to give their official views" on
the matter. Finance Minister Julius Toth, one of the officials
implicated in the fraud, called the Sme story a "fabrication"
and said "it is necessary that authors of such articles bear
responsibility for their content," TASR reports on 29 September.
-Sharon Fisher

MOVEMENT FOR A DEMOCRATIC SLOVAKIA PRESS CONFERENCE. The MDS,
which has led a minority government for several months, held
a press conference on 29 September to discuss early elections
and media policy. In response to the statement of 25-September
by the Party of the Democratic Left supporting premature elections,
MDS Deputy Chairman Roman Zelenay said early elections "are not
a good solution," though his movement expects to win once again.
He also said the resignation of the Slovak cabinet is "absolutely
not under consideration" and denied that President Michal Kovac
"is forming a parallel power center." Concerning the establishment
of a new Ministry of Information, Zelenay said a press law has
been proposed which should "secure the right of citizens to obtain
information and protect them against its abuse." -Sharon Fisher


HUNGARIAN DEFENSE MINISTER IN MOSCOW. Hungarian radio reported
on 29 September that Lajos Fur met in Moscow with Russian Defense
Minister Pavel Grachev. The three-day visit is meant to demonstrate
the Hungarian government's support for Yeltsin and the democratic
forces, Fur said. Topics for discussion were the continued supply
of Russian military spare parts, since 80% of the Hungarian defense
technology is of Soviet origin, as well as training of Hungarian
officers in Russia. Fur said Russian military academies are basically
on a par with those in the West. -Karoly Okolicsanyi

VACAROIU MEETS YELTSIN, RETURNS HOME. Prime Minister Nicolae
Vacaroiu met on 29 September Russian President Yeltsin before
flying back to Bucharest. Before receiving the Romanian guest,
Yeltsin said relations between the two countries were "more or
less satisfactory" but that "no understanding could be achieved"
on several important bilateral issues. After landing in Bucharest,
however, Vacaroiu attempted to present the visit as a complete
success. He said in a statement broadcast over Radio Bucharest
that the two sides had discussed problems linked to the finalization
of the basic treaty between Romania and Russia, and had agreed
to hold meetings at expert level to discuss the issue of the
Romanian state treasure which the Bolshevik government failed
to return after the First World War. Reuters reported from Moscow
that one problem concerning the basic treaty was a reference
to the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, as a result of which Romania
was forced to cede the territories of Bessarabia and Northern
Bukovina following a Soviet ultimatum. Reuters also quoted Vacaroiu
as saying he hoped the text of the new treaty would be ready
in time for a visit by Yeltsin to Romania. No date for that visit
was announced, although Vacaroiu renewed an invitation from President
Ion Iliescu. -Michael Shafir

PERES AND ARAFAT INVITED TO ROMANIA. Israeli Foreign Minister
Shimon Peres and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat have been invited
to visit Romania, an RFE/RL correspondent reported on 29 September.
A spokesman for the foreign ministry said Peres received his
invitation in New York on 29 September during a meeting with
Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. On the same day Arafat received
an invitation delivered by the Romanian ambassador in Tunis.
Meanwhile, Western agencies reported from Bucharest that next
month Romania will deliver two Puma helicopters to the United
Arab Emirates and expects other Gulf states to make other orders.
The helicopters are manufactured under French license. -Michael
Shafir

ROMANIAN AUTHORITIES SUSPECT OWN CONVOY OF EMBARGO VIOLATION.
A Romanian river convoy returning from former Yugoslavia has
been stopped on the Danube by the Romanian authorities. Radio
Bucharest said the convoy was suspected of having violated the
UN- imposed embargo by delivering oil to the Serbian Danube port
of Prahovo. The convoy was originally reported to be headed for
the Romanian port of Orsova. -Michael Shafir

DEFENSE MINISTER: "BULGARIA CAN STABILIZE BALKANS." Speaking
at the 39th General Assembly of the Atlantic Treaty Association
(ATA) in Athens, Bulgarian Defense Minister Valentin Aleksandrov
said his country is ready to assume its responsibilities in the
Balkans. Aleksandrov told 400 politicians, scholars and military
officers that Bulgaria is firmly committed to becoming a member
of NATO and that its entry would help strengthening security
in southeastern Europe. The meeting of the ATA was called "New
Challenges in Europe" and primarily devoted to ongoing military
conflicts in former Yugoslavia, Georgia and Russia. -Kjell Engelbrekt


CRIMEAN TATAR PROTESTS. Crimean Tatar activists attempted to
block railway traffic in various regions of the peninsula in
support of their demands that representatives of deported nations
be allocated quotas in the next elections to the Crimean parliament,
Ukrinform-TASS reported on 29 September. Meanwhile, parliamentary
speaker Mykola Bahrov, who offered to resign from his post in
support of the quotas, told a press conference that he would
continue to support the introduction of quotas for the deported
nations. -Roman Solchanyk

"DNIESTER" FIGHTERS IN MOSCOW. TASS and Trud report that Russian
First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Shumeiko and First Deputy
Minister of State Security Sergei Stepashin on 29 September confirmed
reports that armed fighters from the "Dniester republic" have
joined the forces defending the Russian Supreme Soviet in Moscow.
Besides the Dniester troops, ex-Soviet OMON officers formerly
serving in the Baltic countries and members of the extremist
National Russian Union have taken up positions at the so-called
White House. Officials of the would-be Dniester republic told
on 27 September told AFP that they support Russian Vice President
Aleksandr Rutskoi because "he wants to see the Soviet Union rebuilt."
-Vladimir Socor

MOLDOVA SEEKS FOREIGN PARTNERS FOR OIL, GAS PROSPECTING. Based
on initial finds, Moldovan and Ukrainian geologists estimate
that there are significant oil and gas deposits in an area comprised
of Moldova's Cahul and Vulcanesti raions and Ukraine's Reni raion
in southern Bessarabia, the latest issue of Moldova i Mir (5-6
1993) reports. Moldova's Ministry of National Economy says it
is seeking foreign partners to assist in the prospecting and
exploitation of the deposits on the Moldovan side, in a partnership
based on product sharing. -Vladimir Socor

LATVIAN PRESIDENT ADDRESSES UN. On 29 September Guntis Ulmanis
told the UN General Assembly that although the UN and CSCE have
passed resolutions calling for the speedy withdrawal of Russian
troops from his country, talks on their removal are making little
progress. Due to mass deportations and immigration of foreign
workers under communism, the share of the ethnic Latvian population
has fallen from 75% in 1940 to the current 52%. Ulmanis said
that, in order to survive as a nation, Latvia needs the citizenship
law which Russia claims to be discriminatory. Russia is also
making demands to retain three military bases and special pension
benefits for retired military officers, requests that Latvia
says are unacceptable. The speech was broadcast live to Latvia
by VOA's Latvian Service. -Saulius Girnius

LITTLE PROGRESS IN LATVIAN-RUSSIAN TALKS. On 28-29 September
Latvian-Russian talks on troop withdrawal were held in Jurmala,
RFE/RL Latvian Service reports. While three agreements on a consular
convention, easier crossings for border residents, and lifting
travel restrictions between the two countries were initialed,
no progress was made on the major issue of the troop withdrawal
deadline, as well as Russia's desire to retain 3 installations,
questions concerning property rights, and special benefits for
retired officers. Russian delegation head Sergei Zotov noted
that if no agreement is reached this year, the Russian withdrawal
would be completed only in 1995. He said that the negotiations
would have been more successful if Latvia had not tried to pressure
Russia through the US. -Saulius Girnius

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF LITHUANIAN ARMED FORCES? ON 29 SEPTEMBER
THE LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENT'S NATIONAL SECURITY COMMITTEE DISCUSSED
THE NOMINATION BY PRESIDENT ALGIRDAS BRAZAUSKAS OF THE HEAD OF
THE VILNIUS MILITARY SCHOOL COL. Jonas Andriuskevicius as commander-in-chief
of the armed forces, Radio Lithuania reports. The 49-year old
Andriuskevicius, a graduate of Leningrad and Frunze military
schools, was a member of the Communist Party from 1966 to 1990
and has served in East Germany and Ethiopia. Although the committee
has not yet voted on his approval, some members have expressed
reservations noting that the candidate's curriculum vitae failed
to mention his former party membership and military service abroad.
-Saulius Girnius

[As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Bess Brown and Kjell Engelbrekt



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