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BosNet NEWS / June 4, 1996

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Adnan Smajlovic <asmaj@spectranet.ca>


CONTENTS

  • [01] "NO PRECONDITIONS FOR ELECTION", SAID IZETBEGOVIC
  • [02] PULJIC ON B-H IN LIMBOURG
  • [03] OSCE : SERBS IN BH ENDANGER HOLDING OF ELECTIONS
  • [04] COHEN : IFOR RIDICULOUSLY TIMID

  • [01] "NO PRECONDITIONS FOR ELECTION", SAID IZETBEGOVIC

    Geneva, Sarajevo, June 3,1996 (Press TWRA)

    "The holding of general elections is important for stabilization of the country, but according to my opinion there are no preconditions for that at the moment", stated President of B-H Presidency A. Izetbegovic when he returned from the meeting between Presidents of B-H, Croatia and Serbia held at the permanent US Mission at UN in Geneva. "We did not received any guarantees at the meeting which would assure us that R. Karadjic and R. Milosevic will be turned over to ICTY". "I spoke with Milosevic about that and he tried to convince me that Karadjic will be removed from the power but he did not confirmed that he will be turned over to The Hague Tribunal", said Izetbegovic commenting two most important themes of the Geneva summit: removal of war criminal from the power and elections in B-H.

    The B-H Ambassador at UN M. Sacirbej also commented thegeneral elections in B-H planned for September. Sacirbey stated that his Government wants to hold the elections in September but that it also fears that the expected victory of Serbian nationalists could make their policy of isolation legal which would eventually lead to separation. "Only elections can give Karadjic's hard liners international legitimacy. Once, they win under international monitoring, they can really dive on democracy, on refugees, change their borders, do what they want", said Sacirbey and added that the great problem is a tremendous pressure put by international community on President Izetbegovic. That is why he has to walk on very narrow path. For know that means there are no conditions. Psychologically we want elections, but under these conditions they have no sense". "International community wants elections and it is obvious that they will be held. We feel as if we were in the car, behind the wheel, while the west is stepping on the gas. Our side of the car is all right, but not the other one. If such car crashes you will be responsible for that", concluded Sacirbey. In relation to other issues the Geneva meeting dealt with, the President Izetbegovic adviser M. Hajric informed that the Brcko problem was on the schedule and that Bosniak side appointed its arbiter, while Serbian side took the obligation to do that in the shortest time possible. Hajric also said that in Geneva has been arranged the meeting of B-H and FRY delegations which will talk about establishing of telecommunications and railway traffic.

    Zagreb - Croatian President Tudjman after Geneva talks statedthat important agreement for Federation has been made: the agreement on organization and Federation Army and civilian command. According to the agreement, said Tudjman, the civilian command would be divided so that President of B-H Presidency Izetbegovic would be commander of B-H Army and B-H Fedration Presidnet Zubak to HVO. (end) S.K.

    [02] PULJIC ON B-H IN LIMBOURG

    Limbourg, June 3,1996 (Press TWRA)

    "The political reality of division to three territories according to which every part is under control of one of the three entities in fact prevents all negotiations so far and in that way legalizes the right of stronger and ethnic cleansing. The present Sarajevo's authorities strive to Unitarian B-H in which the majority of power would belong to Muslims. The islamization has been very advanced in the schooling, state media and army", stated archbishop of Vrh Bosna, cardinal V.Puljic in the German city Limbourg in his report on the meeting of European Bishops Conferences. Pulljic called upon European countries not to stand by and watch islamization of B-H , doing nothing. "There are political forces which support civil state in which would be the rule one man -one vote, which we already saw in former Yugoslavia, where the majorisation denied the identity. They support the idea according to which from the multinational state should be crated Bosnian, one nation state". Puljic supported the creation of Federal state in B-H in which all three peoples could cherish their language, culture and religion. (end) S.K.

    [03] OSCE : SERBS IN BH ENDANGER HOLDING OF ELECTIONS

    New York Times, June 3, 1996 (Press TWRA)

    OSCE monitoring mission is seriously concerned with Serbs' refusal to cooperate in organization of the forthcoming elections and with the violation of human rights in BH Serb entity, "The New York Times" reports. The mentioned paper claims to possess OSCE confidential documents for the month of May, according to which conditions for holding of the elections on September 14 in the Republic of Srpska have not yet been satisfied.

    In the report dated May 23, a statement of Assistant Minister of justice of the Republic of Srpska is mentioned, saying Serbs are opposed to plans requesting education of local election monitors and they will not cooperate in creation of independent elective commissions. Reports dated May 22 inform about attacks upon Radovan Karadzic's opponents who were dismissed and whose lives were imperiled. A bombing attack upon vehicle of OSCE monitoring group member and the latest trend of expelling of Croats and Bosniaks from North-Western Bosnia were also mentioned. "The New York Times" says OSCE monitors are, besides the unfavorable conditions, under the pressure of U.S. and European countries to officially state that conditions for holding of free and fair elections till the end of summer have been realized. However, OSCE has not done it yet and their representative for the organization of the elections, Swiss Chief of diplomacy, Flavio Cotti repeated yesterday he would decide about the exact date of the elections till the end of the month. This postponement of proclamation is conditioned by the situation in BH. (end) A.S.

    [04] COHEN : IFOR RIDICULOUSLY TIMID

    Washington, June 3, 1996 (Press TWRA)

    In R. Cohen editorial, tThe Washington Postv writes about Western powers (NATO, U.S.) unwillingness to take risk to arrest Karadzic, Mladic and other war-criminals, who seriously endanger Dayton accord implementation.

    The weekly "Time" could find and interview a beast like Slobodan Miljovic, a person who, himself, killed tens of Bosniaks, usually in the most brutal way, while NATO, with its 60.000 soldiers did not even search for him, Cohen says. IFOR members try to omit a possible conflict that could appear during arrestment-procedure, especially due to the fact that cooperation of a local Serb police with IFOR can not be expected. The only thing West is doing in order to face Karadzic and Mladic with justice is to make pressure upon Milosevic, who hesitates to help in their extradition for this could harm Belgrade regime among Serbs and also involve risks of BH Serb leaders possible testimonies, regarding the role of Serbia (FRY) in BH war and genocide. Cohen mentions NATO hesitation has transformed from inexplicability to disgust, so NATO unequivocally refuses to arrest war-criminals, simply observes Serbs violations Dayton accord and international laws. Pentagon measures its success in Bosnia following the criteria: to go, to be and to return with no victims. Care for soldiers should not be rejected but does not a certain degree of risk form a part of soldiers' life? An emphasized attention, characteristic of "Powell doctrine", grew up to the degree of a sad timidity. Gen. John Shalikashvili, Chairman of the U.S. Army joint Chiefs of Staff, clearly expressed his opposing to war-criminals hunt adding they would be arrested only if NATO meets with them. But, war criminals have already passed several times in the vicinity of NATO, and international soldiers did not even react. As a result of this, some criminals have already gained immunity, such as Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic and Slobodan Mijovic. Such situation is bad, not only for Bosnia, so U.S. and NATO, if they want Dayton accord alive, should take care of ensuring a full freedom of movement and arrestment of war-criminals, Cohen concludes. (end) A.S.


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