B4-1356, 1364, 1365, 1366, 1370, 1373 and 1374/96

Resolution on the situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the FRY and former Yugoslavia, notably its resolution of 14 November 1996 on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 5.)),

- having regard to the statement of the Council Presidency of 22 November and 6 December 1996 on the administrative elections of 17 November 1996 in the FRY,

A. deeply concerned that the results of the recent local elections have been annulled in Belgrade, as well as in many other cities where the coalition of opposition parties, 'Zajedno¨, was victorious,

B. whereas on 8 December 1996 the Serbian Supreme Court confirmed the overturning of the opposition victories,

C. whereas the electoral committee in Belgrade has disputed the legal process annulling the elections, and whereas five judges of the Supreme Court have accused some of their colleagues of having given in to President Milosevic's political demands,

D. noting that for several days hundreds of thousands of citizens have been demonstrating peacefully to ask for the cancellation of the new ballot and that following these demonstrations the authorities have arrested a number of people,

E. concerned that the authorities in Belgrade temporarily forced the last remaining independent radio stations, B-92 and Radio Index, off the air and silenced the largest independent daily newspaper, Blitz, in order to stop reporting about the big demonstrations that have taken place in Belgrade since the poll annulment,

F. concerned that the Yugoslav Federal Inspector for Transport and Communications banned five other radio stations in Cacak on 28 November 1996,

G. whereas the General Affairs Council has accepted the principle of extending preferential measures to the FRY, but decided to postpone the adoption of the necessary regulation,

1. Expresses its solidarity with the people peacefully demonstrating in Belgrade and all over the FRY for democracy, pluralism and the respect of the will of the electorate;

2. Insists that the results of the elections of 17 November 1996 are respected and calls on the President of the FRY and the competent electoral bodies to open a full investigation into the alleged irregularities by involving the representatives of the opposition parties for a re-examination of the complaints;

3. Calls on the Council and the Commission to make clear to the Serb authorities that counteracting developments towards democracy - of which free elections and a free media are fundamental parts - cannot be accepted by the Union;

4. Calls on the Council to continue to refrain from extending preferential measures to the FRY, until the FRY authorities show a real commitment to free and fair elections and a free media, and also to make Serb assistance in apprehending indicted war criminals and continuing negotiations on Kosovo conditions for any further development of the Union's relations with the FRY and for the lifting of remaining sanctions;

5. Calls on the Member States not to repatriate refugees, notably war deserters, until the conditions for normal life are fully secured;

6. Urges the Council and the Commission to provide active assistance for the development of the independent media in the FRY and for the development of a fully democratic regime in that country through the implementation of specific programmes for democracy;

7. Supports those forces within the FRY that take meaningful steps towards ensuring the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, specifically including cooperation with the Tribunal in the Hague and calls on all parties to refrain from any kind of authoritarianism and nationalism;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and to the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.