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EU sets up unit to monitor Yugoslav elections
The EU presidency will set up a special unit to monitor this weekend`s Yugoslav elections, the French foreign ministry announced.
The EU presidency will set up a special unit to monitor this weekend's Yugoslav elections, the French foreign ministry announced.
The unit will be set up in Paris to allow French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine to keep informed of the vote count which has a real importance for the EU, a spokesman said. France currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.
The French government said that the Yugoslav authorities had refused to permit a delegation of EU deputies to observe the presidential and parliamentary elections which will be held in Yugoslavia on Thursday. Western political and military leaders on Thursday kept the pressure on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, amid fears that he was planning to rig the elections.
NATO Secretary General George Robertson said that Milosevic was expected to try to steal the election, saying the only question was how far he would go in this. But he said it would be a tragedy for Europe if Milosevic went against the will of the Serbian people in Sunday's elections in order to keep himself in power.
Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic appeared to bear out those fears. No matter what the electoral results are, the Yugoslav President has a mandate until July next year, He said in a statement.
The 15 EU nations have promised to lift the sanctions levied against Serbia -- Yugoslavia's main province – if Milosevic is defeated.
Bureau Report
The unit will be set up in Paris to allow French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine to keep informed of the vote count which has a real importance for the EU, a spokesman said. France currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.
The French government said that the Yugoslav authorities had refused to permit a delegation of EU deputies to observe the presidential and parliamentary elections which will be held in Yugoslavia on Thursday. Western political and military leaders on Thursday kept the pressure on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, amid fears that he was planning to rig the elections.
NATO Secretary General George Robertson said that Milosevic was expected to try to steal the election, saying the only question was how far he would go in this. But he said it would be a tragedy for Europe if Milosevic went against the will of the Serbian people in Sunday's elections in order to keep himself in power.
Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic appeared to bear out those fears. No matter what the electoral results are, the Yugoslav President has a mandate until July next year, He said in a statement.
The 15 EU nations have promised to lift the sanctions levied against Serbia -- Yugoslavia's main province – if Milosevic is defeated.
Bureau Report