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BosNet News: Press TWRA (96-08-15)
CONTENTS
[01] PLAVSIC ACCEPTS MLADICFS REPLACEMENT ?
[02] CROATS WANT "CLEANSED" LUKAVAC
[03] JOINT CANDIDATES ON ELECTIONS
[04] "HERZEG-BOSNIA" WILL DISAPPEAR BY AUGUST 31
[05] THE MAYOR OF UNIFIED MOSTAR ELECTED
[01] PLAVSIC ACCEPTS MLADICFS REPLACEMENT ?
Belgrade, Han Pijesak, August 15, 1996 (Press TWRA)
Sources related to IFOR stated yesterday in BelgradeFs daily tDnevni
telegrafv (tDaily telegraphv) an announcement of Gen. MladicFs replacement
from the position of Commander of the Republika Srpska Army HQ could be
expected as a result of the Geneva meeting. According to the same source,
tDnevni telegrafv states Biljana Plavsic tallowedv during IFOR inspection
of the military warehouses in Han Pijesak, removal of General Mladic,
accused of war crimes in ex-YU. Gen. John Silvester, member of NATO HQ in
BH, stated IFOR soldiers were prepared during this inspection to shoot in
the case they were prevented to enter the Serb military area, adding:
"Guards situated in the entrance area informed us we were allowed to make
an inspection but only if personally accompanied by Gen. Mladic himself.
We did not want to accept any condition, even that one", IFOR high officer
said. However, he refused any possibility claiming an inspection of bunkers
should have meant a prosecution of Mladic. "We even ignore whether he was
actually there or not", Silvester added. According to the behavior of
MladicFs guards and two-day-lasting negotiations, there is no doubt
Commander of BH Serbs was in the very vicinity of IFOR soldiers. No answer
was received on the question asking for the reason of refusing to ask
immediately, on Saturday, for additional forces or using of power, instead
of negotiating with Serbs for two days. Belgrade daily says: "Replacement
of General Mladic must take place in Geneva, at the meeting of U.S. State
Secretary Warren Christopher and Presidents of BH, Croatia and Serbia",
pointing out the aim of this step is not to influence the pre-election
atmosphere nor the very elections in the Republika Srpska. "If Mladic is
not replaced, sanctions against FRY could be reimposed", "Dnevni telegraf"
says.
Sources close to BH SerbsF Army HQ confirmed to the Belgrade daily an
immense pressure was imposed on their commanders regarding the replacement
of Gen. Mladic. However, Biljana Plavsic sent a message to her "submitted
followers" an atmosphere of peace and democracy should be developed on
September 14, in the time of BH elections and "people must think seriously
about whom they are going to give their vote for next two years". She also
added that after the elections the Republika Srpska would be "recognized
and legalized state as an entity within Bosnia-Herzegovina". According to
her opinion, ta destiny of Serbian people is safe only within a national
state - the Republika Srpska. (end) D.O.
[02] CROATS WANT "CLEANSED" LUKAVAC
Tuzla, August 15, 1996 (Press TWRA)
HDZ Municipial board in Lukavac (Tuzla-Podrinje canton) sent a letter
yesterday to BH Federation President, Kresimir Zubak, requesting halting of
building of a settlement for displaced children and old persons that has
been recently started in this municipality. "Croats can not accept in any
way an exchange in the demographic structure caused by inhabiting of some
200 Bosniaks in this area, putting thus in question a Croatian majority",
President of HDU municipal board, Anto Pejic, stated. He also added "it is
possible that Bosniak authorities are fasting this building in the eve of
the September elections. We are not interested in it. We will defend our
properties by every mean", Pejic stated. (end) D.O.
[03] JOINT CANDIDATES ON ELECTIONS
Sarajevo, August 15, 1996 (Press TWRA)
President of Liberal- Bosniak organization (LBO), dr. Muhamed Filipovic,
stated parties that proposed candidates for BH Presidency, belonging to
Bosniak people, should reach consensus and go to the polls with just one
candidate. As a main argument to this statement, Filipovic mentioned a
fact that, according to him, Momcilo Krajisnik must not be allowed to
perform a duty of the first, post-war BH President. It must be added
several opposition parties are at the very beginning opposed to this LBO
proposal. (end) D.O.
[04] "HERZEG-BOSNIA" WILL DISAPPEAR BY AUGUST 31
Geneva, August 15, 1996 (Press TWRA)
Yesterday's meeting of the President of the B-H Presidency Alija
Izetbegovic and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman has resulted in signing
the document which says that, by August 31, in accordance with the Dayton
Agreement, the so-called Herzeg-Bosnia will no longer exist. In accordance
with that, all the necessary measures will be taken to transfer the
functions of "Herzeg-Bosnia" to appropriate ministries of the B-H
Federation. Under the phrase "considering that the success of the Dayton
agreement depends on the existence of the strong Federation, as a
foundation stone of unified B-H", presidents Alija Izetbegovic and Franjo
Tudjman have also agreed that all the functions of the RB-H Government,
which are not in the organs of government of the B-H Constitution, will be
transferred to the institutions of the B-H Federation or abolished.
The Agreement stresses that by August 31, the administrative arrangements
of the territory under control of the Croatian Defence Council - (HVO),
will no longer exist. The agreement of removal of war crime criminal
Radovan Karadzic from all public functions will be complied. On his
arrival to Zagreb, the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman has said for the
Croatian press, radio and television: "The talks with the President
Izetbegovic were very successful but time- consuming, and with Milosevic,
short and successful". Tudjman has emphasized that Croatia will help the
realization of the Washington and Dayton Agreement to establish the
Federation and added he has assumed an obligation that B-H Croats accept
the Federation and that the elections will be held, but under the condition
that Croatia guarantees their equality in B-H. As Radio B-H reports, he has
said, on his address to the Croatian public, that the so-called Herzeg-
Bosnia is to be abolished, but he did not specially emphasize that he had
signed the agreement with the President Izetbegovic in the presence of the
US Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
The spokesman of the State Department, Nicholas Burns has made a statement
after the meeting where he said that the President of B-H must ensure the
freedom of movement and the freedom of press for the successful elections,
Croatian President will influence the abolition of so-called Herzeg-Bosnia,
while the Serbian President must ensure the extradition of the indicted war
criminals, making impossible for Karadzic to participate in the Bosnian
Serbs Government and correct irregularities in the registration of the
voters in B-H. The High Representatives of the international community for
B-H, Carl Bildt has made a statement yesterday, in Geneva, that the most
critical moment after the elections, will be the division of power in B-H.
Bildt has said that the establishment of joint institutions in B-H is of
the utmost importance because it will join the three sides in the division
of power. (end) M.S.
[05] THE MAYOR OF UNIFIED MOSTAR ELECTED
Mostar, August 15, 1996 (Press TWRA)
Ivan Prskalo has been elected for the first post-war mayor of this city by
secret ballot of the 37 members of the Mostar City Council. His deputy is
Safet Orucevic from the List of Citizens for the unified Mostar. Vjekoslav
Kordic, the HDZ candidate, has been elected for the post of vice-president
of the City Council. The biggest halt to the session was when the
councilors of the List of Citizens for unified Mostar, which has 21 MPs
with regard to 16 MPs of HDZ, demanded to adopt an amendment that the
status of the city is transitional and that the mayor of Mostar and the
Governor of the Neretva canton cannot be from the same nation on which the
HDZ councilors did not agree. Taking into account the concern of the
Bosnian side because of the inability to agree on this amendment, special
envoy of the European Union, sir Martin Garrod, has signed a formal
statement which says: "I will at once inform the governments of all
countries that are members of the European Union through mediation of the
Presidency and request from them to ensure that all the sides involved
completely carry out and recognize this article." The newly- elected
deputy-mayor of Mostar Safet Orucevic has said at the press- conference
that: "Mostar hopes for the joint future and that together, having sessions
of the City Council and with new leaders of the city of Mostar with Mr.
Prskalo at the head, we will take all the citizens of this city to the
better future. (...) We will completely trust Mr. Prskalo in whatever he
is going to do in the struggle for the unified and joint city of Mostar".
(end) M.S.
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