YUGOSLAVIA: KOSTUNICA VISITS STRIKING MINERS

Описание: (2 Oct 2000) Serbo-Croat/Nat
XFA
Opposition presidential candidate Vojislav Kostunica visited striking coal miners at the Kolubara coal mine on Monday.

500 policemen have been surrounding the mine, the nation's largest, since late on Sunday.

The action could be at attempt to intimidate the miners, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Belgrade, where thousands of workers walked out on Friday.

The Kolubara mines supplies coal for one of the country's biggest power plants in Obrenovac, just southwest from Belgrade.

The state electric company has warned the Kolubara strike jeopardizes "big infrastructure systems, such as the water-supply system, sewage system, city transport, bakeries, health and other institutions."

However, the leader of the strikers in Kolubara, Miodrag Rankovic, said the state warnings have no basis beyond aiming to pressure the miners into quitting their strike.

He said the whole system can operate without Kolubara.

When Kostunica's car arrived at the cordon, police at first prevented him getting through.

But after some discussions, police consented to let him pass, to the cheers of supporters accompanying the opposition leader.

Kostunica was greeted by the striking miners at Kolubara.

They chanted: "President! President."

Kostunica addressed the miners, saying he thought Milosevic would soon crumble under the power of the opposition campaign.

SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"There is no such power which can stop us. We showed clearly what our way is in the elections on September 24th. It won't take long, no one can take our votes away, and we have to respect that fact."
SUPER CAPTION: Vojislav Kostunica, Opposition candidate

The miners cheered and applauded and sang an anti-Milosevic song: "Save Serbia and kill yourself, Slobodan!"

The unprecedented wave of protests throughout Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic, represented the most serious challenge yet to Milosevic's 13-year reign.

But Milosevic has remained defiant, and on Monday in an address to the nation, he accused his opponents of seeking to plunge the country into "wars and poverty," while claiming his rule guarantees "peace and prosperity."

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...