YUGOSLAVIA: SERBIAN CITIZENS VOTE IN REFERENDUM AIMED AT THWARTING WESTERN INTERVENTION IN KOSOVO/ YUGOSLAV ARMY SOURCES SAY THEY HAVE KILLED 22 INFILTRATORS IN KOSOVO

Record ID: 328579

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: SERBIAN CITIZENS VOTE IN REFERENDUM AIMED AT THWARTING WESTERN INTERVENTION IN KOSOVO/ YUGOSLAV ARMY SOURCES SAY THEY HAVE KILLED 22 INFILTRATORS IN KOSOVO
  • Date: 24th April 1998
  • Summary: (RTV - ACCESS ALL) (APRIL 23, 1998) PRISTINA, KOSOVO, SERBIA, YUGOSLAVIA 1. WIDE OF POLLING CENTRE 0.05 2. VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF POLLING STATION (3 SHOTS) 0.18 3. SLV ELECTORAL OFFICIAL LOCKING THE DOOR 0.25 4. SLV/CU ELECTORAL COMMISSION COUNTING VOTES (3 SHOTS) 0.40 5. SV DRAGOLJUB ZDRAVKOVIC, CHAIRMAN OF PRISTINA ELECTORAL COMMISSION, SAYING ABOUT 27 PERCENT TURNED OUT TO VOTE IN PRISTINA (SERBIAN) 0.59 BELGRADE, SERBIA, YUGOSLAVIA 6. VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS CLOSING POLLING BOOTH AT END OF VOTING (2 SHOTS) 1.06 7. VARIOUS OF VOTE COUNTING (4 SHOTS) 1.30 NIGHTSHOTS 8. WIDE OF SERBIAN RADICAL PARTY'S (SRS) RALLY 1.36 9. SV/CU SRS SUPPORTERS IN FRONT OF THE FEDERAL PARLIAMENT BUILDING, WAVING FLAGS (2 SHOTS) 1.43 10. SV VOJISLAV SESELJ, SRS LEADER AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF SERBIA ARRIVING AT RALLY (2 SHOTS) 1.54 11. WS/SV SESELJ LEADING THE RALLY THROUGH CITY STREETS (2 SHOTS) 2.05 12. VARIOUS SRS COLUMN PASSING BY THE U.S. EMBASSY, SHOUTING "KOSOVO IS SERBIA", POLICEMEN WATCHING, (3 SHOTS) 2.30 13. SV MARCHERS WAVING FLAGS 2.36 14. VARIOUS BLACK FLAG WITH SKULL AND CROSSED BONES ON IT/ MEN WAVING FLAGS (3 SHOTS) 3.01 15. SV MAN WAVING WITH SESELJ'S POSTER 3.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th May 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELGRADE AND PRISTINA, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA2MWA6JNSUU3HHAJESQ6IYUXJC
  • Story Text: Citizens of Serbia voted in a referendum aimed at thwarting Western intervention in the troubled province.

    Yugoslav army sources have said troops killed 22 infiltrators in Kosovo before Serbs went to the polls.

    The referendum, held on Thursday (April 23) amid growing unrest between Serbs and Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority, drew a turnout of more than 60 percent of the 7.2 million electorate, Serbian state television said minutes before polling ended.

    No official results were released by the electoral commission, but the turnout needed to top 50 percent for the referendum to be valid.

    The referendum was called in support of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's rejection of international mediation in talks with Kosovo Albanians seeking autonomy for Serbia's southernmost province.

    Official results are expected on Friday on the eve of a deadline to Milosevic from a Big Power Contact Group to open talks with the Kosovo Albanians or risk sanctions.

    Unofficial reports indicated a strong boycott of the referendum in Kosovo and other ethnic minority areas.

    "According to information available at 8 p.m., some 27 pct of voters cast their ballots on the territory of Pristina municipality," said Dragoljub Zdravkovic, chairman of Pristina electoral commission, after polls closed.

    A group of nationalist Serbian Radical Party's supporters rallied late on Thursday in front of the Federal Parliament building, shouting slogans "We won't give up Kosovo!" and "Kosovo is Serbia".

    Vojislav Seselj, SRS leader and deputy prime minister of Serbia, led his supporters through the centre passing by the U.S.and German embassies without incident.

    But further south, the army reported repulsing three overnight attempts by supporters of the underground Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to cross into Serbia's southern province.

    In the largest incursion, around 200 armed men were scattered in a firefight near the border village of Kosare, a statement said.

    Yugoslav army sources troops killed 22 infiltrators in the clash when they tried to cross into Kosovo from Albania.

    In Kosovo and throughout Serbia, thousands of people voted in the referendum against what they regard as Western interference in support of ethnic Albanians who outnumber them nine to one in the southern Serbian province.

    The international community has told the Albanians that secession is not an option and has pressed both sides to launch an urgent dialogue with foreign mediation.


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