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BosNet NEWS / June 4, 1996
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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