European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 01, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 b the stars and stripes monday april 1, 191 soviet Georgia holds secession vote Moscow a voters in the i Rac Titus Southern soviet Republic of Georgia crowded polling Booths. Sunday to cast in 11 o t s i n a n i tide pen d e n be re be r e n Ilum and the Republic s to indexer Denee president said he was sure of Victory a the. Desired result is 100 percent a yes Quot said Oviad to was recently elected president and has made Independence from the Kremlin ins top priority. There were 3.3 million eligible voters. Polls opened at 7 . And closed at 10 . Several countries including the United states sent observers. Official results were hot expected before monday no voting related violence was reported. However skirmishes and tension have persisted for weeks in the separatist enclave of South Ossetia which has Dur cleared Independence from Georgia. The georgian note was the fourth of six Independence polls by dissatisfied soviet republics. Voters in the three Baltic states of Estonia Latvia and Lithuania have voted overwhelmingly for ind Epen Der acc from Moscow. Armenia has scheduled a vote for sept. 21. Moldavia says it too will hold a vote but has yet to pick a Date. The same six republics refused to take part in a March 17 nationwide referee Dumin which nine republics representing three quarters of the country a population voted for preserving the Union. Georgians Are expected to approve secession although by a closer margin than in the Baltic states. The georgian secessionist movement would fuel ethnic discontent which has Hurt soviet president Mikh tips Gorbachev a efforts to hold a the soviet Union together. ,. The Leader of the nationalist Peoples front of go Quot Riga Nodar nod adze told the Independent inter fax news Agency that the vote will have More a moral than legals weight. However it will a visibly and loudly declare that Georgia wants to be Independent a he said. The Multi ethnic Republic of 5.3 million wedged Between the caucasus mountains and the Black sea proclaimed Independence from the russian Empire hear the end of world War i. It was then forcibly absorbed into the soviet Union and incorporated in 1924.in Moscow on sunday the parliament of the vast Republic of Russia a which Borders Georgia and includes South Ossetia a Cousin province of North Osse Tia a approved a Resolution demanding that Georgia recognize South Ossetia a declaration of Independence former president Nixon was in Georgia on sunday As part of a private visit to the soviet Union. He met with top georgian leaders the inter fax news Agency reported. _ meanwhile according to. A poll released saturday in Washington by . News and world report Only 14 percent of soviet citizens would choose Gorbachev As president while 70 percent said they would prefer russian Leader Boris n. Yeltsin. A a v. A. The Survey of 3,000 people was conducted in person and by Telephone during March in All 15 soviet republics by the Center for International sociological and marketing research. Christians celebrate easter. A a a a a a a a. A a a. A ,. A. A. I. As leaders Conderi Gulf War Jerusalem apr christians marked the resurrection of Jesus with mass easter sunday in the Church of the holy sepulchre built on the Sites where tradition holds Christ was crucified arid Rose from the dead. V 1. A a a i a a a a a a a the roman Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabah said mass for Arab christians and Small groups of Western pilgrims in the venerated crusader Basilica lit by hundreds of candles and filled with the perfume of incense. A he later told reporters the message of easter was one of peace for the Middle East so recently torn by the Gulf War. A we need no More bloodshed a a Sabah said. A we need to realize All peaceful and just ways _ Sabah the first Arab to Lead the latin Church in the holy land also urged israeli leaders to come to terms with the l7 million palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza strip. A a a a a a. Palestinians have waged a 4q-month uprising against world British teachers Union votes to strike Ever pay from wire reports Scarborough England a children throughout Britain face classroom disruption after thei country a largest teachers Union on sunday voted to strike to press demands for collective bargaining Over at the National Union of teachers a Annua Quot conference Here unanimously backed the strike Call from their normally moderate executive. Union leaders accuse the government of delaying consideration of a return to free collective bargaining lost three years ago. _ Managua students protest Managua a University students pitched tents and set up loudspeakers in front of the presidential residence in Managua Over the. Weekend demanding More Money for scholarships and More professors. A we will stay Here until the government not., Only solves the problem of too Little scholarship Money and professors but also until it honors the Independence of the University which is in danger said student Leader Gonzalo Carrion a fourth year 1 a student at the ii theolic Centra american University. \ \ a. A Panama soviet pact. Panama City Panama Panama announced it will establish diplomatic relations with the soviet . The two. Nations want to a develop relations of Friendship and cooperation a in Quot political commercial economic and other Fields said a statement issued in Panama City and jointly at the United nations by the soviet and a Nainani an ambassadors. A. Israeli Rule seeking Independent statehood Sabah noted that the jewish Celebration of Pesach or passover which began Friday Marks the deliverance of the ancient hebrews from slavery in Egypt. A the message of Pesach is a message of liberation for All people for the israeli people and the palestinian people As Well a Sabah said. A this Means courage and Means not to be afraid of in Rome Pope John Paul ii pressed the world to heed the a Long ignored aspirations of palestinians lebanese and kurd to exist in Freedom. John Paul a address delivered from a Balcony of St Peters Basilica before 30,000 pilgrims and worshippers also condemned the persian Gulf crisis and the ensuing War. He denounced the arms Trade As Well Quot in this difficult hour of history listen to the voice of the poor the Pope said a Only upon an International order in which Law and Freedom Are indivisible for All can the society we All Hope for be a debris Marks the spot an unidentified Man inspects the place where a bomb exploded outside a .-based�?T Citibank Branch near Athens Greece. Three bombs were detonated Early sunday outside the Bank office. The bombs caused no injuries. There was no immediate claim of rejects arms ultimatum Beirut up a the Palestine liberation organic nation said sunday it will not surrender arms in Lebanon As demanded by the lebanese government As Long As Israel occupies palestinian land. _. A a we will give up our souls but will not surrender arms said Zeid Wehbe Plo representative in can we give up our weapons and the enemy is Only few meters away and is comfortably attacking our a a a it was the first palestinian reaction to the ultimatum set by the pro syrian lebanese government to All Mili Lias to disband by april 30. A a in a historic step aimed at bringing a lasting peace in Lebanon the government thursday issued a decree ordering All Lebares e1 and Nom lebanese militias to disband and turn in their heavy and medium weapons before april 30 and threatened to Buck up the measure with military Force. a foreign minister fares Louiz said his government would treat the Plo As any other militia and that it should abide by the timetable to disband. A they said we Are militias but we Are not. Our weapons Are legitimate regionally and internationally As Long As Israel occupies our land said Wehbe speaking at the occasion of the a land Day saturday in the port City of Tyre 46 Miles South of Beirut. 7 a Quot a a a his speech was reported in sundays newspapers. Louiz said Friday that the Plo demanded the establishment of a new a Security order allowing it to retain. An armed presence in Lebanon. T r a we expressed our readiness to organize their social and humanitarian affairs such As granting them w Ork. Permits a he said. Airline makes easier extra Sweet London apr Carman Whitworth a 74-year-old grandmother woke up easter sunday to find she was one of 25,000 people chosen to Fly free with British airways As part of-it�?o$27 million flight give away. A Whitworth was one of 1.5 million people who end tired the air lines drawing to Fly free to to destinations on april 23. A a. She said she entered the drawing for tickets to visit. Relatives in Buenos Aires Argentina whom she Hasni to seen for 30 years a a a a a my sister came Over two years ago but was Only. Here for two weeks. I am going for four weeks and i am so looking Forward to it a she said., a a a a British airways offered 25,000 pairs of tickets worldwide in the Giveaway to a kick Start the travel Industry after the drop in traffic during the Gulf War. Sir Colin Marshall the airlines chief executive said British. Airways had suffered a 20 percent drop in Pas sengers during . ,. He Salt the airline had conducted a similar promo Tion in 1986 after the . Bombing of Libya to encourage americans to Fly to Europe a a it a the worlds biggest offer of its kind and we have had very encouraging results a he said. Of. The a 50,000 seats offered 12,500 pairs were set 7 aside for passengers abroad. The remaining winners will be notified by mail by april9. A 7. A the Giveaway includes club and Economy tickets with the top prize a ride aboard the concorde to new York Worth about $14,000. A a a a _ a according to entry forms which were placed in 2lj0 newspapers Aff Lind the world the most popular destination for the British was Sydney Quot Quot Australia. Other top choices were the United states and Hong a Kong. A a a a a a
