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BosNet NEWS / May 17, 1996Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Nermin Zukic <n6zukic@sms.ivey.uwo.ca>CONTENTS
[01] KASAGIC REFUSE TO LEAVE THE POST OF PRIME MINISTERBanja Luka, Belgrade, May 16, 1996 (Press TWRA)"Rajko Kasagic, Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska, refused to leave his post. He considers this decision as illegal for it was not confirmed by Bosnian Serbs' Parliament", was reported from the Office of UN High Commissioner for civil affairs, C. Bildt. According to unofficial sources, R. Kasagic is now in Belgrade, waiting for talks with Serbian President Milosevic. Sources close to the Belgrade regime confirm Milosevic met a week ago with Karadzic in Dobanovci, near Belgrade, and that Karadzic could also assist today at a trilateral talk: Milosevic-Karadzic-Kasagic. First time after five years, German Foreign Minister, K. Kinkel arrived to Belgrade in order to request from Serbian President to extradite Karadzic to the Hague Court. When informed about Kasagic's dismissal, Kinkel stated that Karadzic should be "isolated" and submitted to the procedure of the Hague Court. "Dismissal of Kasagic proves once again that the Dayton accord commitments could not be implemented with Karadzic", Kinkel said and firmly approved Bildt who estimated Karadzic's decision as "insignificant and worthless". In the case that Karadzic appears in Belgrade, one anonymous official stated, Milosevic could take use of this occasion and, as a sign of his "co-operation" with international community, extradite him to Kinkel. Karadzic could no longer believe to his army because, according to certain information, 40 % of his policemen are members of Milosevic's Socialist party. IFOR raised combat readiness in Banja Luka to the first degree as well as it did Republic of Srpska. (end) S.K.[02] FIRST CIVIL FLIGHTS TO SARAJEVO - IN JUNESarajevo, May 16, 1996 (Press TWRA)IFOR reinstated today a part of Sarajevo airport to the authority of BH Government. A first out of several air-hangars was returned which presented a beginning of the process of successful returning of a whole airport to the BH Government. Ismet Secic, Director of the Managing board for civil flights in BH announced first regular civil flights to Sarajevo are scheduled for the end of May and beginning of June, which depends on the permission of the International organization for civil flights in Paris. For this period, all flights above BH are to be approved by IFOR. (end) S.K.[03] AUSTRIAN PRESIDENT'S PLEDGE FOR $20 MILLION AID TO B&HAustrian President Thomas Klestil pledged Thursday to provide $20 million over the next two years in reconstruction aid to B&H. ``The federal budget of the Republic of Austria foresees 100 million schillings or $10 million for the reconstruction per year for the next two years...'' Austria has set aside $1 million to aid in the reconstruction of the Austrian-built city hall in Sarajevo. The historic landmark burned after a deliberate artillery attack by the nationalist Bosnian Serbs.President Klestil also unveiled an investment partnership between Vienna and Sarajevo that will include cultural and business ties. [04] NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL VOWED TO CONTINUE WITH PLANNED VISIT``Our strategy was to force the hand of the hard-liners by encouraging moderate leaders like Kasagic who are committed to the Dayton peace process... Now we have the hard-liners striking back. Let's see if they get away with it. I think it's very important that we take a robust position on this,'' Carl Bildt said. He also suggested the move constituted a coup, because as an indicted war criminal Karadzic had no authority under DPA.NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana vowed to continue a planned visit to Banja Luka with ``Prime Minister'' Kasagic scheduled for Thursday. ``As far as I am concerned, the decision of Karadzic is invalid and I take no account of his declarations...'' ``The man (Karadzic) who signed the decree ousting the Prime Minister is not someone that we recognize as having any legal authority whatsoever... Accordingly it is an illegal act. Accordingly it is a coup...Clearly we can't deal with people that are indicted by the tribunal and are now trying to get back political power.'' ``It was a question of forcing the issue, encouraging those that want to break the isolation of the Republika Srbska and they did act... What's going to be the outcome of this, it's much too early to tell. But I think we're in for -- to put it mildly -- an interesting time,'' High Representative commented. ``It certainly demonstrates that a policy of doing nothing and just tolerating Mr. Karadzic is not a policy option,'' he told reporters. ``The EU expresses its profound concern at the news of the ousting of the prime minister of Republika Srpska,'' the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement. ``This action...represents a challenge to those who are involved in implementing the peace process,'' it said. Italy is current holder of the EU presidency. [05] BOSNIAKS VISITED BRCKOBrcko, May 17,1996 (Press TWRA)Group of 49 Bosniaks visited yesterday for the first time since the end of war the graves of their loved once in Brcko under US armed escort. The new settled Serbs prevented that visit three times before. As IFOR reported the visit passed without incidents which is the result of successful cooperation between UN police forces and Serbian policemen.The group of 5O Bosnian Croats from Gradacac also managed tovisited the nearby cemetery. This visit was also escorted by IFOR. (end) S.K. [06] CASADO ON MOSTAR ELECTIONSMostar, May 17,1996 (Press TWRA)On the EU Administration for Mostar press conference the administrator R. P. Casado stated that he will not give up on elections scheduled for May 31. He invited all sides to co-operate with Mostar elections, and informed that since none of the Bosniak's parties registered for the elections, he has legal possibility to decide on extension of the dead line for registration. Weather such decision will be made depends on accord between all sides, stated Casado. In caseSarajevo - The time for organization and implementation of B-H elections is limited and none of the organizations will stay forever in Bosnia. We tried to fulfilled the pre-conditions for elections and we made a great progress", stated on the press conference R. Frowick chief of OSCE mission who by the July 14, must estimate weather in B-H exist the pre-conditions for holding the elections. (end) S.K. [07] MILOSEVIC CONDEMNED KASAGIC'S DISMISSALWashington, May 17,1996 (Press TWRA)Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic guaranteed to Washington that he will continue to co- operate with the Bosnian Serbs Prime Minister R. Kasagic inspite the fact that Karadjic dismissed him, says the State Department press release. Milosevic promised that during telephone conversation with John Cornblum. FRY Government also issued a press release which condemns the dismissal of Prime Minister Kasagic. According to press release the decision on dismissal is "illegal, undemocratic and completely unacceptable, since the representatives in the Republic Srpska Assembly did not have their say" and because of that it "has to be annulled". (end) S.K.[08] ALL PERSONS WHO VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW SHOULD BE PUNISHED``It is in Yugoslavia's interests that all persons who have violated international humanitarian law in former Yugoslavia be punished, regardless of their nationality and religion,'' said a government statement carried by the official Tanjug news agency, approving the opening of ICTY office in Belgrade, Serbia. The tribunal's liaison officer and bureau officials will have the diplomatic immunity and privileges.``The fact that the largest number of people indicted by the tribunal are Serbs was justified by the non-existance of a liaison office on the Serb side, and a lack of opportunities for investigators to get relevant information about Muslim and Croat criminals,'' the statement said. Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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