Voice of America, 29 & 30 June 1996

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA / KARADZIC (S) BY KYLE KING (SARAJEVO)

[02] BOSNIA/KARADZIC (L) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

[03] MOSTAR / ELECTION (L) BY KYLE KING (MOSTAR)

[04] SUMMIT BOSNIA UPDATE (L) BY BARRY WOOD (LYON)

[05] TURKEY/GOVERNMENT (S&L) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN (ANKARA)

[01] BOSNIA / KARADZIC (S) BY KYLE KING (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: AN ASSEMBLY OF THE BOSNIAN SERB RULING PARTY HAS RE-ELECTED RADOVAN KARADZIC AS PARTY LEADER. THE MOVE COMES AMID GROWING INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR MR. KARADZIC TO STEP DOWN FROM PUBLIC OFFICE. V-O-A'S KYLE KING HAS THIS REPORT FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: OFFICIALS OF THE BOSNIAN SERB DEMOCRATIC PARTY OR S-D-A, SAY THE VOTE IN SUPPORT OF MR. KARADZIC WAS NEARLY UNANIMOUS.

THE PARTY ASSEMBLY, WHICH HAS BEEN UNDERWAY IN THE SERB'S MOUNTAIN STRONGHOLD OF PALE SINCE FRIDAY, HAS STILL NOT ANNOUNCED WHO ITS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT WILL BE IN THE PLANNED SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS.

BUT LEADERS OF THE GROUP OF SEVEN INDUSTRIAL NATIONS MEETING IN LYON HAVE SAID THEY ARE READY TO RE-IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON THE BOSNIAN SERBS UNLESS MR. KARADZIC IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY STEPS DOWN FROM ALL PUBLIC FUNCTIONS AND STOPS TAKING PART IN GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS.

HARDLINE SUPPORTERS OF MR. KARADZIC SAY HE WILL QUIT ONLY IF THE MAJOR POWERS GRANT SOVEREIGNTY TO THE SERB ENTITY IN BOSNIA, SOMETHING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS REJECTED.

CARL BILDT, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S HIGH REPRESENTATIVE IN BOSNIA, HAS SET A DEADLINE OF JULY FIRST FOR MR. KARADZIC'S DEPARTURE. (SIGNED)
NEB/KBK/TMS/WJK
29-Jun-96 6:22 AM EDT (1022 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] BOSNIA/KARADZIC (L) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: A SENIOR BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL HAS DENIED RADOVAN KARADZIC IS STEPPING DOWN AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOSNIAN SERBS. THE ANNOUNCEMENT CONTRADICTS A STATEMENT MADE EARLIER BY THE SENIOR INTERNATIONAL MEDIATOR IN BOSNIA SAYING MR. KARADZIC WAS RESIGNING, AND IT IS CERTAIN TO LEAD TO INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE BOSNIAN SERB LEADER TO LEAVE OFFICE. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: THE BOSNIAN SERB VICE-PRESIDENT, BILJANA PLAVSIC, SAYS RADOVAN KARADZIC WILL REMAIN IN HIS JOB AS PRESIDENT UNTIL NATIONAL ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR MID-SEPTEMBER. SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE BOSNIAN SERB HEADQUARTERS AT PALE OUTSIDE SARAJEVO, MS. PLAVSIC, A NATIONALIST HARD-LINER, REFUTED STATEMENTS BY CARL BILDT, THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIATOR IN BOSNIA, THAT MR. KARADZIC HAD AGREED TO STEP DOWN AS PRESIDENT AND WOULD BE REPLACED BY MS. PLAVSIC. SHE SAID MR. KARADZIC HAD MERELY TRANSFERRED HIS PRESIDENTIAL POWERS. EMBARRASSED OFFICIALS IN MR. BILDT'S OFFICE SAY HIS STATEMENT WAS BASED ON AN AMBIGUOUS LETTER FROM MR. KARADZIC AND EXPLICIT ASSURANCES GIVEN IN RECENT DAYS BY THE BOSNIAN SERB LEADERSHIP.

THIS LATEST MOVE BY THE BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY MADE IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEFLECT MOUNTING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE FOR HIM TO RESIGN. MR. BILDT HAD EARLIER SAID MR. KARADZIC MUST RESIGN BY MONDAY OR HE WOULD RECOMMEND THE RE-IMPOSITION OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON THE BOSNIAN SERBS. WESTERN LEADERS, INCLUDING PRESIDENT CLINTON, HAD ALSO INSISTED ON MR. KARADZIC'S REMOVAL FROM POWER AT THE CONCLUSION OF A MAJOR ECONOMIC SUMMIT ON SATURDAY, AND SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC HAD SAID MR. KARADZIC MUST RESIGN AT ONCE, AND THREATENED REPRISALS IF HIS WARNING WAS IGNORED. NOW, OFFICIALS IN MR. BILDT'S OFFICE ARE SCRAMBLING TO LIMIT THE DAMAGE THE INCIDENT HAS CAUSED TO HIS CREDIBILITY. COLUM MURPHY, MR. BILDT'S SPOKESMAN, COULD ONLY WARN THAT WHAT WAS ALREADY SEEN AS OVERWHELMING PRESSURE ON MR. KARADZIC WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW, AND HE ONCE AGAIN WARNED OF THE POTENTIAL IMPOSITION OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, BUT HE DID NOT SAY MR. BILDT WOULD ON MONDAY CALL FOR THEM TO BE RE-IMPOSED.

EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE REACTED SHARPLY TO MS. PLAVSIC'S STATEMENT REPUDIATING MR. KARADZIC'S RESIGNATION. FRENCH AND GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS SAID MR. KARADZIC MUST LEAVE POWER COMPLETELY, INCLUDING HIS CHAIRMANSHIP OF HIS RULING NATIONALIST SERB DEMOCRATIC PARTY. ON SATURDAY MR. KARADZIC WAS OVERWHELMINGLY RE-ELECTED AS LEADER AT A PARTY CONVENTION.

IT NOW SEEMS CLEAR MR. KARADZIC IS NOT PREPARED TO STEP DOWN FROM HIS POSITION AS PRESIDENT OR PARTY LEADER, AND WHILE THE BOSNIAN SERBS HAVE NOT DISMISSED THE THREAT OF SANCTIONS, THEY HAVE CALLED THE BLUFF OF (SENT A CHALLENGE TO) THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. (SIGNED)
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30-Jun-96 3:24 PM EDT (1924 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] MOSTAR / ELECTION (L) BY KYLE KING (MOSTAR)

INTRO: VOTERS IN THE DIVIDED CITY OF MOSTAR WENT TO THE POLLS SUNDAY IN THE FIRST ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN BOSNIA SINCE THE BLOODY 43 MONTH WAR ENDED. DESPITE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ELECTION, THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INCIDENTS. AS V-O-A'S KYLE KING REPORTS, SOME OF THE VOTERS EXPRESSED OPTIMISM THAT THE ELECTION COULD HELP BRING THE BITTERLY DIVIDED CITY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.

TEXT: AN OVERWHELMING PRESENCE OF POLICE AND NATO TROOPS HELPED DISCOURAGE ANY OF THE ETHNIC VIOLENCE SOME OBSERVERS HAD FEARED AS MUSLIM AND CROAT VOTERS CROSSED WHAT HAD BEEN BATTLE LINES IN A BLOODY WAR THAT IN MANY WAYS IS STILL NOT SETTLED.

SPECIAL BUSES TOOK VOTERS BACK AND FORTH TO POLLING STATIONS IN THE MUSLIM EAST AND THE CROAT CONTROLLED WESTERN SIDE OF THE CITY THAT WAS ONCE A MODEL OF MULTI-ETHNICITY. ONE 40-YEAR-OLD MUSLIM MAN WHOSE FAMILY WAS EXPELLED FROM WEST MOSTAR DURING THE BITTER FIGHTING IN 1993 TOLD US ON THE BUS RIDE TO HIS OLD NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HE WAS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE OUTCOME.

POLITICS IS A THING OF POSSIBILITIES.

DANIEL RAY, A U-S ELECTION MONITOR, SAID MANY OF THE VOTERS WERE RETURNING TO AREAS THEY HAD NOT SEEN IN YEARS.

THE PEOPLE WE TALKED TO WERE MOSTLY DISPLACED THAT WERE COMING IN AND PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS. AND THE ONES WE TALKED TO BELIEVED THIS WAS THEIR BEST SHOT TO AT LEAST HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD AND COME BACK INTO THEIR FORMER RESIDENCES.

/ END RAY ACT. //

ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME MINOR TENSIONS AS PEOPLE CROSSED THE DIVIDING LINE TO ENCOUNTER THEIR FORMER ENEMIES, MANY PEOPLE WERE HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE.

ONE MAN STUDYING ELECTION MATERIAL ON A MOSTAR STREET SAID THINGS CAN ONLY IMPROVE.

WE ARE ALWAYS HOPING THAT IS GOING TO BE BETTER AND BETTER.

SAFET ORUCEVIC, THE MAYOR OF MUSLIM EAST MOSTAR, SAYS HE IS GENERALLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS WENT, BUT THE VOTE WAS NOT WITHOUT ITS PROBLEMS.

IT SEEMS THAT ON BOTH SIDES A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT ON THE LIST OF THOSE WHO WERE LIVING THERE IN 1991. AND AS A RESULT, MR. ORUCEVIC SAYS MANY PEOPLE WERE UNABLE TO VOTE.

THE EUROPEAN UNION, WHICH ADMINISTERS MOSTAR AND SPONSORED THE VOTE, IS HOPING THE ELECTION WILL HELP REUNIFY THE DIVIDED CITY, WHICH NOW HAS TWO MAYORS, TWO CURRENCIES, TWO FLAGS AND TWO KINDS OF LICENSE PLATES.

SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER, DRAGON GASIC, THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE E-U ADMINISTRATION IN MOSTAR, SAYS HE WAS PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME.

WE WERE VERY GLAD TO SEE, WHEN WE SAW THE MUSLIMS WHO WERE IN THE CROAT WEST MOSTAR, THAT ATMOSPHERE AMONG PEOPLE WAS ACTUALLY FRIENDLY. MAYBE MANY PEOPLE WOULD NOT EXPECT THIS. BUT IT SHOWS THAT IT IS POSSIBLE

THE JOINT CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS UP FOR ELECTION ON SUNDAY, WILL BE CHARGED WITH SELECTING A SINGLE MAYOR WHO WILL TRY TO GOVERN BOTH HALVES OF THE CITY.

THE EUROPEAN UNION, WHICH HAS PUMPED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE CITY, IS HOPING THE VOTE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARD REUNIFICATION.

FINAL RESULTS OF THE ELECTION ARE NOT EXPECTED UNTIL TUESDAY. (SIGNED)
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30-Jun-96 4:50 PM EDT (2050 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] SUMMIT BOSNIA UPDATE (L) BY BARRY WOOD (LYON)

INTRO: THE LEADERS ATTENDING THE LYON SUMMIT IN FRANCE SATURDAY SPENT MUCH OF THEIR THREE HOUR MORNING MEETING DISCUSSING BOSNIA. V-O-A'S BARRY WOOD REPORTS THAT THE AMERICANS, EUROPEANS, JAPANESE AND RUSSIANS REPEATED THEIR DEMAND THAT BOSNIAN SERB LEADER RADOVAN KARADZIC BE REMOVED FROM POWER.

TEXT: THE SUMMIT PARTICIPANTS SAID THEY ARE UNITED ON THE DEMAND THAT MR. KARADZIC STEP DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR SAID THE BOSNIAN SERB MUST BE REMOVED NOT ONLY IN NAME BUT IN INFLUENCE. A SUMMIT STATEMENT INDICATED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL REIMPOSE SANCTIONS ON THE BOSNIAN SERBS UNLESS MR. KARADZIC IS REMOVED. PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID THE GROUP OF SEVEN WILL SUPPORT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON SANCTIONS THAT COME FROM CARL BILDT, THE EUROPEAN UNION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE IN BOSNIA.

WE WANT MR. KARADZIC, IN THE WORDS OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, OUT OF POWER AND OUT OF INFLUENCE. AND WE THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE WANT ALL THE OTHER PARTIES TO HELP US ACHIEVE WHAT IS CLEARLY REQUIRED BY THE DAYTON ACCORD AND THE PARIS PEACE AGREEMENT. THEREFORE WE WILL SUPPORT APPROPRIATE ACTION BY MR. BILDT.

GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER KLAUS KINKEL WENT FURTHER, SAYING SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC MUST DO MORE TO REMOVE MR. KARADZIC. MR. KINKEL CALLED ATTENTION TO THE 325-THOUSAND BOSNIAN REFUGEES NOW IN GERMANY AND SAID MR. MILOSEVIC SHOULD DO MORE TO STEM THE EXODUS OF PEOPLE FROM THE SOUTHERN YUGOSLAV REGION OF KOSOVO. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER MAJOR SAID THE GROUP OF SEVEN HAS AGREED THAT YUGOSLAVIA SHOULD NOT BE RE-ADMITTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND UNTIL MR. KARADZIC IS REMOVED.

THE SUMMIT STATEMENT LAYS PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSURING THAT THE SEPTEMBER 14TH ELECTION BE AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE. THE SUMMIT NATIONS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF TWO THOUSAND ELECTION OBSERVERS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT MEDIA. THE FLOW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE IS TO BE ACCELERATED AND A NEW DONORS CONFERENCE WILL BE SOMETIME AFTER THE SEPTEMBER ELECTION.

THE STATEMENT SAYS RECONSTRUCTION MUST MAKE THE RETURN OF REFUGEES A PRIORITY AND THAT 185-THOUSAND PEOPLE SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO RETURN BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

SEPARATELY THE AMERICANS UNVEILED AID INITIATIVES THAT WILL PROVIDE 15-MILLION DOLLARS FOR TRAINING DEMOBILIZED BOSNIAN SOLDIERS TO REMOVE LAND MINES. AN ADDITIONAL FIVE MILLION DOLLARS WILL GO TO ASSIST IN JOB TRAINING FOR WOMEN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES IN BOSNIA.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR HELMUT KOHL SAID BOSNIA LOOMED LARGE AT THE LYON SUMMIT AND THERE IS COMPLETE AGREEMENT ON THE WAY FORWARD NOT ONLY AMONG THE GROUP OF SEVEN BUT WITH RUSSIA AS WELL. (SIGNED)
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29-Jun-96 2:51 PM EDT (1851 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[05] TURKEY/GOVERNMENT (S&L) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN (ANKARA)

INTRO: TURKEY'S NEW PRO-ISLAMIC PRIME MINISTER, NECMETTIN ERBAKAN, SAYS HE IS COMMITTED TO THE SECULAR PRINCIPLES LAID DOWN BY THE FOUNDER OF MODERN TURKEY, KEMAL ATATURK. THE POLICIES OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT WERE ANNOUNCED JOINTLY AT A PRESS CONFERENCE SATURDAY WITH HIS COALITION PARTNER, CONSERVERVATIVE TRUE PATH PARTY LEADER TANSU CILLER. AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT APPEARS TO CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR TURKEY'S PRO-WESTERN, FREE MARKET-ORIENTED DEMOCRACY.

TEXT: SITTING UNDER A HUGE PORTRAIT OF KEMAL ATATURK, WITH MRS. CILLER AT HIS SIDE, MR. ERBAKAN REASSURED REPORTERS THAT THE ESSENTIAL BASIS OF THE NEW COALITION WAS THAT TURKEY WILL REMAIN, IN HIS WORDS, A DEMOCRATIC, SECULAR STATE BASED ON THE LAWS AND PRINCIPLES OF ATATURK.

A DOCUMENT WORKING OUT THE POLICY FRAMEWORK OF THE PARTNERSHIP REACHED FRIDAY BETWEEN MR. ERBAKAN'S PRO-ISLAMIC WELFARE PARTY AND MRS. CILLER'S TRUE PATH PARTY CALLS FOR KEEPING UP STRONG TIES WITH TURKEY'S WESTERN ALLIES.

TURKEY'S GOAL OF FULL MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION REMAINS INTACT. SO DOES ITS MEMBERSHIP OF NATO. MR. ERBAKAN, HOWEVER, ALSO CALLED FOR STRONGER RELATIONS WITH THE ARAB WORLD, THE BALKAN NATIONS AND THE NEWLY INDEPENDENT MUSLIM STATES IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.

ANALYSTS SAY THE MOVE WAS AIMED AT WINNING OVER THE STRONGLY PRO-SECULAR TURKISH MILITARY. //END OPT///

WESTERN DIPLOMATS WELCOMED MR. ERBAKAN'S WORDS. BUT THERE ARE MANY OPPONENTS TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT IN THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT, NOT LEAST AMONG MEMBERS OF MRS CILLER'S TRUE PATH PARTY.

COUNTING THE DEFECTIONS THE TWO PARTIES TOGETHER CONTROL 286 SEATS IN THE 550-SEAT PARLIAMENT. MRS. CILLER HAS BEEN SHARPLY CRITICIZED BY TURKEY'S PRO-SECULAR ESTABLISHMENT OVER HER AGREEMENT WITH THE ISLAMISTS. SHE HAD PLEDGED TO KEEP THEM OUT OF POWER AFTER THEY CAME FIRST IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS HELD LAST YEAR. TOGETHER WITH THE OUTGOING PRIME MINISTER AND LEADER OF THE CENTER-RIGHT MOTHERLAND PARTY, MESUT YILMAZ, SHE FORMED A COALITION AIMED AT BLOCKING THE ISLAMISTS FROM POWER.

BUT THE RIGHTWING ALLIANCE WAS DOOMED BY THE DEEP PERSONAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MRS. CILLER AND MR. YILMAZ. THE COALITION FINALLY COLLAPSED EARLIER THIS MONTH AFTER THE MOTHERLAND PARTY LEADER BACKED A SERIES OF PARLIAMENTARY PROBES INTO ALLEGATIONS OF MASSIVE CORRUPTION AGAINST MRS. CILLER, TURKEY'S FIRST WOMAN PRIME MINISTER. IRONICALLY, MOST OF THOSE MOTIONS WERE TABLED BY THE WELFARE PARTY, MRS. CILLER'S NEW COALITION PARTNER. (SIGNED)
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29-Jun-96 11:35 AM EDT (1535 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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