OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 67, 3 April 1996

NEW PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION ON ROMA FORMED IN HUNGARY. The Roma Program
Commission was set up by the parliament on 2 April, MTI reported. Csaba
Tabajdi, political state secretary at the Prime Minister's Office, told
the press after the inaugural session that the commission will consider
ways to improve the situation of Gypsies and will collaborate with
relevant ministries and with the National Gypsy Minority Autonomous
Government. The commission will submit an action program to the
government by late May. Prime Minister Gyula Horn is chairman of the
commission, while Tabajdi has been appointed secretary. -- Alaina Lemon

HUNGARY TO INVITE TENDERS FOR POWER PLANTS. The Hungarian State
Privatization and Holding Co. (APV Rt.) has opened a tender for two
power plants that were not sold last year, Hungarian dailies reported on
3 April. A 90% stake in Budapesti Eromu, which serves the capital, and
95% of Tiszai Eromu, in eastern Hungary, are up for sale. APV Rt. said
that between 60% and 70% of the country's other three power plants will
be sold off by the end of the year as well as stakes in MVM, the main
electricity company. Last year, stakes in two generators and 12
electricity and gas supply companies were sold for a total of some $2
billion, mainly to German, French, and Italian investors. -- Zsofia
Szilagyi

VOJVODINA UPDATE. Nenad Canak, leader of the Social Democratic Party in
Vojvodina, has met with Hungarian President Gyula Horn to discuss
autonomy for the Serbian province, Nasa Borba reported on 2 April. Canak
is slated to present his views to the Hungarian government "in detail."
Before the collapse of socialist Yugoslavia Vojvodina had a population
of some 2 million, roughly 22% of whom were ethnic Hungarians. In a
separate development, Dragoljub Micunovic, former president of the
Serbian Democratic Party, has offered his support for Vojvodina's
autonomy. Micunovic, however, has stressed that he promotes cultural and
economic autonomy, Nasa Borba reported. -- Stan Markotich

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave