Foreign Agencies on December 30th, 1996

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) -- Pressure mounted today on Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic -- even from his allies -- to recognize the democratic process and reinstate opposition election victories.

Student protesters, meanwhile, sought to circumvent a police ban on marching through Belgrade's streets by calling on people to drive into the city center and block it with cars.

But police prevented student buses from reaching the center. Students were confined to a downtown pedestrian zone, strictly monitored by police in full riot gear.
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(c) Copyright 1996 The Associated Press

BELGRADE (Reuter)
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Thousands of Belgrade university students tried to march across the Sava River bridge Monday but were blocked by police and forced to retreat into a pedestrian mall.

Some policemen smiled as the students cried out ``Happy New Year,'' sang, danced and tossed snow into the air. But festive spirit notwithstanding, the police stood their ground.
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(c) 1996 Reuters Limited.

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP)
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Students and supporters of the political opposition to Milosevic marched by the tens of thousands Monday, as they have daily since Milosevic annulled their Nov. 17 election victories.

Seeking to outwit police, who last week banned their marches on the pretext of keeping the capital streets open to traffic, the students urged people Monday to drive their cars into the city center to block the streets.

But few drivers appeared to respond to the appeal, and buses that the students tried to rent for the blockade were prevented by the police from coming downtown. As in the past several days, the roughly 5,000 student protesters were confined Monday to a downtown pedestrian area, watched by police in full riot gear.

Students urged Milosevic in a New Year's message to accept the findings of international fact-finders, who announced their conclusion Friday that the opposition won elections in 14 communities, including Belgrade and Nis.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe urged Milosevic to concede defeat, and gave him until Thursday to reply to their findings.

``It seems we are one step from democracy; but it's been a long time since we've been so close to civil war,'' the students said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press.

``With every day of hesitation we are further from the world that we desperately long for. ... Now is the time to act like a statesman, with honor and determination,'' the students said.
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(c) Copyright 1996 The Associated Press

[Picture]
Balkans: Belgrade's student protesters plan today to honor peaceful revolt that toppled Czechoslovakia's Communists.

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia--Serbian students protesting against President Slobodan Milosevic plan to march to the Czech Republic Embassy today to place flowers in honor of the so-called Velvet Revolution that toppled communism in Czechoslovakia seven years ago.
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Copyright Los Angeles Times

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