OSCE Chairperson-in-Office urges Yugoslav authorities to avoid force

VIENNA, 5 October 2000 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, today launched an appeal to the Yugoslav army and police not to use force against the demonstrators in Belgrade and other cities of Yugoslavia. "I urge the authorities to avoid any use of force," Ms. Ferrero-Waldner declared.

The Chairperson-in-Office repeated her call on the authorities to finally recognize the will of the Serbian people, who have voted for democratic change, and to accept the victory of Vojislav Kostunica in the presidential election on 24 September. "The reported decision of the Constitutional Court to annul the presidential election is an illegal attempt to manipulate the vote," Ms. Ferrero-Waldner said.

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