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DATE=10/06/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=YUGO ELECTIONS (L UPDATE)

NUMBER=2-267507

BYLINE=EVE CONANT

DATELINE=KOSOVSKA MITROVICA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

/// EDS: THIS REPORT UPDATES CR 2-267495, WATCH C-N WIRE FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES TO INTRO ///

INTRO: In Yugoslavia, anti-government demonstrators have stormed the country's parliament building in Belgrade. V-O-A Correspondent Eve Conant reports the takeover came after Yugoslavia's constitutional court said it will annul election results from the first round of voting on September 24th, in which opposition candidate Vojslav Kostunica finished ahead of President Slobodan Milosevic.

TEXT: Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Belgrade to call for the immediate resignation of President Slobodan Milosevic after the Yugoslav leader ignored yet another opposition ultimatum for him to accept defeat or face a massive and growing campaign of civil disobedience.

The rally follows an announcement by Yugoslavia's constitutional court that the entire first round of voting would be annulled, allowing for Mr. Milosevic to carry out his term until it expires in the middle of next year.

Police in Belgrade used tear gas and batons to stop angry protesters from storming the Yugoslav parliament, but demonstrators made it inside, setting parts of the building on fire. But opposition representatives in Kosovo, like Nebojsa Minic, say they hope the police will stand by their side as the tension mounts.

/// MINIC ACT 1 - IN SERBIAN - FADE UNDER ///

He says the police and the military come from the people. They are not political parties and therefore should support the will of the people.

But just how willing President Milosevic is to avoid the use of force against the protesters is still a question. The other question is how willing the police will be to fight against the people.

The opposition is hoping that the police will behave as they did late Wednesday when they allowed thousands of opposition supporters to join striking workers at the Kolubara coal mine without any significant reports of violence.

Opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica, who says he won outright with a simple majority of votes in the first round, called the Yugoslav constitutional court ruling a trap. The constitutional court had said it was examining the opposition's claim that the elections were rigged. The independent Beta news agency said the court had reviewed the vote counting process and how election results had been released.

Opposition representative Nebojsa Minic warns that the opposition is stronger than the Yugoslav authorities would like to believe.

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He says the opposition has certain tactics it can employ after the mid-afternoon ultimatum has been ignored. But he says the opposition is not sure what will happen after that.

President Milosevic, so far, has refused to heed both domestic and international recognition of Mr. Kostunica as the legitimate victor of the presidential elections. (Signed)

NEB/EC/KL/JWH