(16 Sep 1999) English/Nat
As discontent with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's rule grows, pensioners, students and the political opposition have all staged protests in Belgrade.
All three groups of protesters, who gathered in the Yugoslav capital on Thursday, called for Milosevic's resignation.
Zoran Djindjic, a leader of the opposition Alliance for Change, has called for street protests until the Yugoslav president is toppled.
As many as one-thousand pensioners demonstrated in Belgrade's central square on Thursday.
They were demanding the resignation of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
The pensioners marched through downtown Belgrade, chanting "Resign now!"
They were also protesting against a government decision to give them coupons for electricity and firewood instead of back pay on pensioners cheques, which the state has withheld for several months.
One woman from Smederevo accused the Yugoslav government of lying to pensioners.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We'll get money coupons. We consider them worthless. We are cheated again. We are tricked by our government. They always say they have no money, but it's not true. They have it for war, soldiers and for killing, and for everything that's not necessary, but not for our living."
SUPER CAPTION; Lepa Glavunic, Pensioner
Outside the Serbian presidency building, the pensioners booed and waved banners saying "Thieves, give us back the money you stole!"
The 750-thousand pensioners in Serbia say they are living an impoverished existence on an average pension of 80 U-S dollars a month.
The Yugoslav government, saddled with other more pressing issues, such as the destruction of the country's industry and infrastructure, has sidelined the pensioners' problems.
Also in Belgrade on Thursday, the opposition Democratic Party organised a "referendum" in which people were invited to vote on whether they are in favour of daily protest rallies until Milosevic's resigns.
A statement by the party's organising committee said the vote would be organised at several points in downtown Belgrade every day until September 21st.
It said the result of the referendum would be announced at the Alliance for Change rally in the city on the same day.
But the opposition has yet to prove it can overcome deep divisions and win broad support in Yugoslavia.
The rally on September 21st is being seen as the test of its credibility.
Meanwhile, members of the student resistance movement gathered in Belgrade for a street performance.
They built a cardboard model of the new T-V Belgrade building, which was bombed during the NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia.
The students were protesting against T-V Belgrade's support for Milosevic's regime.
But despite the anti-Milosevic demonstrations in Belgrade on Thursday, it isn't yet clear whether the opposition can organise itself sufficiently and win wide enough support to topple the Yugoslav president.
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