Daily Sitka Sentinel from Sitka, Alaska • Page 8

8, Sltka Daily Sentinel, Sitkn, Alaska, Thursday, March 17,1988 Troops Patrol Panama After Coup Plot Foiled By REID G. MILLER Associated Press Writer PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -The beleaguered government of Panama announced today it was taking over all public services a day after a failed coup attempt by rebel officers sparked rioting by thousands of people. Soldiers loyal to military strongman 'Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega patrolled the streets after Wednesday's rampage by people fed up with military rule and the nation's financial crisis. The disturbances were the largest since civilian opponents began staging demonstrations calling for Noriega's i ouster last summer.

The coup attempt Wednesday was led by Panama's police chief, but was i quickly crushed. The civilian government installed by the Noriega forces is under increasing economic and political pressure from the United States for Noriega to step i down as military leader and leave the i country. I The decree covered electric service, communications, ports, water services, airports, hospitals and the farm and dairy products marketing institute. The decree said Defense Forces were instructed to "cooperate" with the government agencies and ensure that public order is maintained. Electric power shut off by striking workers Wednesday was restored early today.

Wednesday's protests erupted spontaneously throughout the capital and in the country's second largest city, Colon, 50 miles to the north. Security guards fired into crowds that ransacked stores and lit barricades of trash on fire in Panama City, but no deaths were reported. By midafternoon, the demonstrators were dispersed, buses and taxis stopped running and the city was virtually deserted, except for patrolling soldiers. The attempted coup Wednesday was the first indication of opposition to Noriega within the Panama Defense Forces, the military and police unit from which the general derives his pcnver. The coup attempt began an hour after dawn with the crackle of light arms fire inside the walled Defense Forces headquarters in the capital.

After eight hours of official silence, the Defense Forces i a acknowledged at midafternoon that a coup attempt had taken place, blaming a handful of officers led by Panama's police chief, Col. Leonidas Macias. "This morning an attempt by some officers to take and control the headquarters of our institution, in an isolated action, was firmly quelled by the officers, nbn-comissioned officers and soldiers of the installation," said an official communique. The statement from the Defense Forces' press office said Macias, three majors and a captain were arrested and that the revolt was put down "without bloodshed." But Maj. Edgardo Lopez, head of the military press office, told reporters that "eight or 10 officers" were involved in the aborted coup.

He did not explain the discrepancy. An hour after the shooting began, Noriega appeared at the top of a stairway outside the headquarters building, dressed in civilian clothes and accompanied by members of his high command. To shouted questions from reporters about what had happened, the general replied: "What has happened is that you are visiting us here Asked about the shots, he replied: "They were kisses." Despite official evasions, word of the coup attempt spread and people poured into streets of the capital that were strangely devoid of riot police and soldiers. Demonstrators erected flaming barricades of trash and debris across hundreds of streets, roughed up suspected government informers and broke into stores believed to be owned by Noriega and his supporters. By midday, unpaid workers at the state-owned utility joined strikes called earlier by teachers, health department and other government employees.

The entire nation was left without electricity. The Panama Canal Commision, which supervises operation of the 50- mile waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, said strikes by dockworkers and the electricity shutoff did not hamper the passage of ships. The canal generates its own electricity. The U.S. Southern Military Command put its 10,000 personnel and their dependents on highest security alert.

Anti-Noriega demonstrators temporarily blocked access to two of the command's seven bases along the Panama Canal. S. Africa Executions Stayed JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) Supporters of the "Sharpeville Six" celebrated by singing freedom songs Thursday when a judge granted a one-month stay of execution 15 hours before the black prisoners were to be hanged. Justice Willem Human, who sentenced the five men and one Woman to death three years ago for complicity in a mob killing, said there was new evidence that a key prosecution witness had perjured himself during the trial. There have been worldwide calls for clemency for the six.

Scores of blacks inside Pretoria Supreme Court broke into applause when Human announced his decision. Several hundred more people outside cheered, raised clenched fists and sang freedom songs before police ordered them to disperse. One of the defense attorneys, Continued from Page 1 Merchants Association hope to meet with the city administration. The purpose of this meeting, he said, would be to "ask questions" about why the rates went up, rather than to make demands. "I've gotten an overwhelming response," he said in reference to other business people.

"Everyone is quite up in arms about ihis." There is a price break for high volume pickup, but the landfill charge is based on a flat $3 per barrel, and this is the biggest factor accounting for higher bills, said Anderson. There may be relief coming in the Prakash Diar, was hoisted into the air by supporters, then went to Pretoria Central Prison to tell his clients they would not die at daybreak Friday. "They were overjoyed," he said later. "Until I arrived there, they believed this was their last night." Also on Thursday, a car bomb exploded outside a courthouse and police station 25 miles away in Krugersdorp, where the six had been detained before their trial started in 1985. The blast killed three black men, including a policeman, and injured 20.

The six were convicted of complicity in the 1984 murder of a black town councilor during anti-apartheid riots, although there was no evidence they directly contributed to the victim's death. Government leaders, churches and human rights groups around the world had appealed for clemency. future, however, Anderson continued. If the overall recorded volume remains up, the city may be able to lower the per-banel rate, he said. But he said the city wants to ensure that the higher recorded volume will remain consistent so that the sum of the lower unit charges will still cover the city's share of the cost of disposing of and burning garbage, he explained.

Solid waste disposal in Sitka is by a combination of incineration and landfill. Sheldon Jackson College operates the city-owned incinerator, which generates heat for a large part of the campus. The residual ash is buried at the city landfill. GROSS-ALASKA THEATRES VHS TAPE RENTALS New Videos: Revenge of the Nerds, Part II COLISEUM TWIN THEATRE 315 Lincoln Street 747-6920 CINEMA I SHOW TIMES: Nighllv 9:10 Sun Matinee 3:15 I THREE MEN AND A BABY CINEMA II SHOW TIMES: Nightly Fri ScSat 7:20 9:20 Sal Sun Matinee 3:10 Wall Street Rated Matinees every Saturday and Sunday afternoon! Adult Price $4.50 Children under 13 $2.50. GROSS ALASKA THEATRES Warrant Issued For UAJ Player SEATTLE (AP) One of two University of Alaska Southeast basketball players charged with first- degree rape failed to appear at an omnibus hearing and a $20,000 warrant for his arrest has been issued, officials said Thursday.

Darnell Brinson, 21, Juneau, failed to appear at a hearing before King County Superior Court Judge Susan Agid on Wednesday. A hearing for Eric Groover, 20, also of Juneau, was continued to March 23, the source said. Groover did appear in court. Both men have pleaded innocent to the charges. Both players were charged Feb.

16 with one count of first-degree rape. They are accused of picking up a 14- year-old girl in downtown Seattle, taking her to their hotel room near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and raping her the morning of Dec. 6, 1987. The two were traveling with the University of Alaska Southeast Whales on a trip through the Pacific Northwest at the time. Both were suspended from the team the day after the charges were filed.

Former Libertarian in Jail Over Ads ANCHORAGE (AP) Former Libertarian candidate for governor, Mary O'Brannon, was jailed Wed, nesday for violating, a court order forbidding her from soliciting advance payment for advertising. Superior Court Judge Mark Rowland ordered O'Brannon held in lieu of $5,000 bond, and said she only can be released in someone else's custody. A March 24 custody hearing was scheduled. After publishing two alternative telephone advertising directories in 1981, O'Brannon lost a copyright infringement case filed by the Anchorage Telephone Utility. She sold ads for a i983 directory, but left the state without publishing it.

She went to Nevada where she sold $40,000 worth of ads for another directory that never was published. In 1984, she returned to Alaska, and again began selling advertising for yet another directory. In 1985, the state brought a civil suit against O'Brannon, and she agreed to repay customers whose money she collected for directories that never were published. The state claims she never repaid the millions of dollars as promised. The state brought criminal contempt charges against her in October, claiming she continues the same sort of activity under the guise of being a consultant for the people who bought her company, Alaska Phone Directories.

O'Brannon argued in December that she was complying with previous orders, and said the state was harassing her. Assistant District Attorney Bob Linto said the state asked Rowland to put her in jail because Since December she has deposited prepayments for directory advertising in a bank account. Nancy Nolan, O'Brannon's court- appointed attorney, insisted the question of whether O'Brannon has violated court orders should be decided at a contempt trial scheduled March 29. Rowland said although it was difficult to tell, it appeared O'Brannon had violated his Dec. 24 order.

He said he decided to revoke her bail and set new conditions to "protect the public." After her initial legal troubles with the state in the early 1980s, O'Brannon claimed she was being harassed for a i telephone utility monopolies. In 1986, she filed as a Libertarian candidate for governor. She subsequently moved out of state. Party officials, assuming she had no intention of running, nominated a new slate of candidates. But O'Brannon never withdrew her name from the ballot.

In the primary election she defeated the party's designated candidate despite not campaigning. She returned to the state, maintaining the nomination was rightly hers andbegan campaigning. Libertarian attempts to dislodge her from the ballot were unsuccessful. In the general election, O'Brannon got barely more than 1,000 votes, or 0.5 percent. That was a far cry from 1982 when Dick Randolph won nearly 15 percent of the vote under the Libertarian banner.

And O'Brannon's poor showing cost the Libertarians their status as an official political party in Alaska. O'Brannon also made a half-hearted bid for mayor of Anchorage in 187, but drew scant support. Elections Set Mt. Edgecumbe SBARHC Auxiliary will elect a new president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and corre spending secretary March 24. Nominaf tion will be taken Thursday.

Individuals wishing to be considered for these positions may call Grace Larsen 747-8292, Marlene Jones 747-6620 or attend the Thursday meeting set for 1 p.m. on the fourth floor of the hospital. DRUG Sale starts Friday, March 18! SAI.Kl.lMITKDTOQllANTITYOKHANn SPRING BEGINS SUNDAY, MARCH 20 HARRY RACE DRUG PHOTO Next ('mile Hill GREA PRE-EASTER SA VINGS: Paas Medium Color Kits Cadbury Creme Eggs Cadbury Creme Eggs, 3pk Cadbury Mini-Eggs Westclox Baby Belle Keywound Alarm Clocks 7.99 PlasficFill Eggs, 2.5" Green Easier Grass 59 ea. CetophaneWrap, Asst. Colors 99 ea.

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