YUGOSLAVIA: THOUSANDS OF SERBIAN OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS TAKE TO THE STREETS TO DEMAND AUTHORITIES REGOGNISE THE RESULTS OF LOCAL ELECTIONS
Record ID:
646259
YUGOSLAVIA: THOUSANDS OF SERBIAN OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS TAKE TO THE STREETS TO DEMAND AUTHORITIES REGOGNISE THE RESULTS OF LOCAL ELECTIONS
- Title: YUGOSLAVIA: THOUSANDS OF SERBIAN OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS TAKE TO THE STREETS TO DEMAND AUTHORITIES REGOGNISE THE RESULTS OF LOCAL ELECTIONS
- Date: 21st November 1996
- Summary: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (NOVEMBER 21, 1996) (RTV (A) - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/SV THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS MARCH ON TELEVISION STATION (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. CU DAMAGE TO WINDOWS AT STATION 0.11 3. SLV/SV OF HUNDREDS OF POLICE IN RIOT GEAR SURROUND TELEVISION STATION (3 SHOTS) 0.21 4. LV/SV OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS IN MAIN SQUARE AT RALLY (4 SHOTS) 0.39 5. SV OPPOSITION LEADERS SPEAKING TO THE CROWD 0.44 6. LV OF THOUSANDS AT RALLY (2 SHOTS) 0.50 7. LV THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING TO PARLIAMENT BUILDING (3 SHOTS) 1.03 8. LV CROWD APPLAUDING OPPOSITION LEADERS ON BALCONY 1.06 9. LV OPPOSITION LEADERS INCLUDING VUK DRASKOVIC AND ZORAN DJINDJIC ,OF THE ZAJEDNO (TOGETHER) COALITION ON BALCONY 1.10 10. LV CROWD APPLAUDING 1.13 11. SV PEOPLE SURROUNDING OPPOSITION LEADERS 1.16 12. MCU DRASKOVIC SAYING WE ARE PROTECTING OUR ELECTION VICTORY. WE ARE PROTECTING OUR VOICE OF THE PEOPLE AND THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE VOICE OF GOD (ENGLISH) 1.28 13. MCU ZORAN DJINDJIC, ONE OF THREE OPPOSITION ZAJEDNO (TOGETHER) COALITION LEADERS SAYING WE WILL STAY HERE AND CONTINUE OUR STRIKE UNTIL OUR DEMANDS ARE MET (SERBO-CROAT) 1.47 (NIGHT SHOTS) 14. LV THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCHING TO TELEVISION STATION 1.52 15. SV LEADERS MARCHING AT HEAD OF CROWD 1.56 16. LV/SV PROTESTERS OUTSIDE TELEVISION STATION MAKING COMMENTS TO POLICE (2 SHOTS) 2.06 17. SV TELEVISION STATION, PAN DOWN TO CROWD IN FRONT 2.12 18. SV POLICE IN LINE OUTSIDE STATION, PROTESTERS IN FRONT (2 SHOTS) 2.26 19. SLV POLICE IN RIOT GEAR BEHIND STATION ENTRANCE 2.29 20. LV OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS 2.38 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 6th December 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
- City:
- Country: Yugoslavia
- Reuters ID: LVA586E4GO81UK5GS9QB6J8YC6JJ
- Story Text: INTRO: Thousands of Serbian opposition supporters have taken to the streets to demand authorities recognise the results of local elections.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Some 20,000 people marched through the Yugoslavcapital Belgrade on Thursday (November 21), waving opposition party flags and flinging insults at President Slobodan Milosevic and the ruling Socialists.
It was the fourth day of protests in Belgrade and other towns since the opposition claimed victory in run-off municipal elections held on Sunday.
Addressing his supporters, Zoran Djindjic, one of three opposition Zajedno (Together) coalition leaders, charged authorities were committing extensive fraud to overturn the vote and said demonstrations would continue until the Socialists verified poll results.
"We will stay here and continue our strike until our demands are met," he said.
"We are protecting our election victory. We are protecting our voice of the people and the voice of the people is the voice of God," said opposition leader Vuc Draskovic.
Tensions rose when the crowd at one point gathered in front of the state television station, Milosevic's main propaganda tool, taunting a cordon of policemen.
The crowd threw mud, firecrackers and abuse at the policemen were persuaded the crowd to move on after a tense half hour.
The police, brought in by hundreds in riot gear, were visible only in front of the state television building.
Electoral officials on Tuesday confirmed the opposition's victory in the capital Belgrade, a stunning blow for Milosevic's Socialists.
But authorities failed to announce final results in other towns where Zajedno said it also scored clear majorities.
Electoral commissions controlled by the Socialists have cited unspecified irregularities in municipalities where the opposition said it won, and ordered another round of voting.
The Socialist party responded for the first time on Thursday. A spokesman said the Zajedno coalition "prematurely" declared it won in several towns and said results would be announced at the end of the "electoral procedure".
The election outcome was an unprecedented setback for Milosevic, but the former communist party leader retains control of the police, media and the country's purse strings.
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