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Elections
The Provisional Election Commission (PEC) decided on 27 August that it would not be feasible to hold the
municipal elections at the same time as cantonal and higher level governing body elections on 14 September.
Ambassador Frowick, Chief of OSCE Mission (BH), explained in a statement that "the electoral guidelines drawn
from the General Framework Agreement for Peace were meant to enable individual
voters to decide for themselves where they wish to reside and vote. But they have been seriously distorted at the
municipal level". According to the OSCE, the
greatest difficulties with the electoral process had centred on the struggles over many municipalities around the
country, notably Brcko, Srebrenica, Bugojno, Mostar and Stolac. The PEC was particularly concerned about the P2
registration forms submitted by Bosnian refugees in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The PEC decided that elections at the cantonal and higher levels, i.e. the House of Representatives of Bosnia and
Herzegovina; the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the House of Representatives of the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, would take
place as scheduled as they do not involve the same conditions.
The High Representative (HR), Carl Bildt, warmly welcomed the PEC's reaffirmed commitment to hold the national,
entity and cantonal elections as planned. He emphasised that they were critically important in paving the way for
setting up joint institutions. In view of the current circumstances, Bildt said that the international community,
in close contact with the different national authorities, would now have to consider how to handle the new
situation. "The PEC decision raises a number of issues which will affect both the nature and scope of the peace
implementation process during the rest of this year and 1997", Bildt added.
These questions will be added to the agenda of the next PIC Steering Board meeting, scheduled for 5 September and
will be the subject of urgent international consultations in the meantime.
The OSCE Election Appeals Sub-Committee (EASC) imposed a penalty against the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on
21 August after it was discovered that one of their officials in Jasenica had illegally taken completed voter
registration forms from the town's registration centre. As well as ordering the immediate dismissal of the local
election commission president in Mostar, the EASC also ordered the removal of the HDZ candidate, Vlado Bevanda,
from the party list and the payment of a US$10,000 fine.
The EASC released on 23 August a decision that parties and candidates must be permitted the exercise of freedom
of political expression, including the right to create and distribute campaign materials. Related to this, EASC
censured the Bihac police for taking and destroying Joint List materials.
In addition to the above decision, the EASC also released an advisory opinion on job dismissals and other
employment-related threats directed against opposition party leaders and supporters. The strongly worded opinion
noted that such threats constitute a "serious form of intimidation" and cautioned that if such threats are found
to be instigated by a political party, penalties against that party would be forthcoming.
Joint Bodies
The third session of the Joint Civilian Commission (JCC/South) was held under the chairmanship of Principal
Deputy HR, Ambassador Michael Steiner, in Siroki Brijeg on 20 August. The session was attended by representatives
of municipalities from both Entities, as well as various international organisations. The agenda included
elections, freedom of movement, refugees and displaced persons, human rights, economic reconstruction and media
issues.
Elections dominated the session with the Chair voicing concern about the misuse of Form 2. Harassment of
opposition party leaders, obstacles to media access for the opposition, constraints on freedom of movement and
the return of refugees and displaced persons were other outstanding problems to be resolved on the eve of the
elections. The Chair criticised the "absurd situation" which exists where displaced persons on both sides of the
IEBL, who live just a few kilometres away from their homes, are denied the right to return. He underlined that a
"reservation mentality (closing the doors of their municipalities to other peoples of BH)" was in complete
contradiction to the hopes of closer ties with the rest of Europe and any prospect of economic recovery.
In the economic field, the Governor of the West Herzegovina canton expressed readiness to have direct contacts
with international finance organisations, and proposed a meeting with the businessmen from the area. At the
proposal of the Chair it was agreed that this meeting could be organised with assistance from the OHR.
The JCC/Sarajevo met on 27 August under the chairmanship of Ambassador Michael Steiner in the suburb of Vogosca
to continue its work on peace implementation in Sarajevo. The session was attended by representatives of the
Federal and city governments, surrounding opcinas, Serb citizens of Sarajevo and suburbs and members of the
various international organisations.
Discussion focused on the right of DPs and refugees to return to their homes of origin and topics related to
creating conditions for this return, including housing; political participation and representation in
transitional bodies; security; and health, education and employment. It was agreed that, as the capital of BH,
Sarajevo had a central role to play in restoring the unity of the country. There was a general feeling that
Sarajevo authorities should therefore increase efforts to realise the right of return for all refugees and DPs
and move expeditiously to provide the necessary conditions for this to occur.
Economic Assistance
The European Union has granted a total of 200,000 ECU (about 400,000 DEM) in support of 18 micro-projects
prepared by the Bosnian Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The projects aim to promote civil society
development by strengthening local NGOs throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is the first time the European
Union has decided to include BH among countries eligible for the "PHARE Democracy Programme", aimed at assisting
countries from central and eastern Europe with the strengthening of their democratic institutions. The projects,
which were evaluated by a team of experts and the European Commission, cover a wide range of small-scale
activities including the development of NGOs throughout BH, support to independent media, protection of human
rights, promotion of social reintegration, non-discrimination and reconciliation. Additional projects amounting
to 350,000 ECU have also been approved and will be funded later this year.
A large reconstruction project, supported by the ICRC and aimed at repairing the existing water distribution
network in Gorazde, has resulted in running water for a large number of residents for the first time in four
years. A temporary water supply line from the Drina river has been installed to pump water into the main
reservoir of the town. Repairs to the town's war damaged distribution network have been carried out by the local
water board with material worth 120,000 DEM donated by the ICRC.
The Overseas Development Administration recently provided 230,000 DEM for repairs to the damaged power station at
Kakanj. The coal conveyer system had been destroyed by a fire which caused severe disruption to the power supply
of thousands of residents in the surrounding areas, including Sarajevo. This funding is in addition to the
considerable help the British Government, through the ODA, has provided over the years to the thermal power
stations at Kakanj and Tuzla, as well as their associated coal mines.
Human Rights
The HR Carl Bildt, travelled to Cazin and Velika Kladusa on 23 August to express strong concern over the
situation facing opposition parties in the area. Numerous attacks, many involving the use of explosives or
grenades, have occurred against opposition party representatives and supporters in recent weeks. Bildt emphasised
that police and local authorities must increase their efforts to investigate and deter future attacks and should
cooperate fully with IPTF in this regard.
UN IPTF have also strongly protested the lack of police action in these incidents and sent a formal protest to
the cantonal Interior Minister of the region on 20 August that included a list of 24 incidents including
beatings, bombings and intimidation since 1 June. High level UNIPTF and OSCE officials also met with cantonal and
municipal officials in the area last week to express their concern about the situation.
IPTF and IFOR responded to two separate shooting incidents that occurred
on 25 August at the IEBL in Dobrinja. In the first incident, two persons were shot by unknown assailants and
sustained serious injuries. Two hours later a Federation police officer who was on duty nearby was shot by
unidentified persons driving from the RS side of the IEBL. IPTF will monitor the local police investigation.
In a 24 August letter to Acting President of the RS, Dr. Biljana Plavsic, the HR Carl Bildt took issue with a
recent statement by the RS Minister of Interior which referred to a purported agreement permitting no more than
20 points of entry into the RS on election day, and specifying that only buses would be allowed to enter. Bildt
wrote to confirm that no such agreement exists, nor would such restrictive measures be tolerated by the
international community.
Open Broadcast Network
The principal donors and participants in the Open Broadcast Network (OBN) attended a Governing Council meeting on
23 August at the OHR in Brussels to discuss progress on the project and inform donors on implementation.
Attending the meeting were representatives from principal donor nations including the U.S., Sweden, Japan and the
UK, the European Commission, the OSCE, the International Federation of
Journalists, and the OHR.
At the meeting Ambassador Frowick, Chief of Mission for OSCE, reiterated his full support for the enterprise
saying that he shared the OHR's view that the OBN should not be seen only as an election oriented project but
more importantly as a means of assisting, through independent media, with the long-term democratization process.
He offered OSCE assistance in helping to realise the final stages of the project and wished the endeavour every
success.
The project was reported to be moving ahead, albeit slower than hoped due to a number of obstacles caused by
difficulties with the BH authorities and the funding timetable. These problems were now being overcome. After a
progress review of the political, technical and training/programming aspects there was an initial discussion of
medium term strategy for the project. It was decided that this subject, which included preparation of the budget
and activity programme for 1997, and future relations with the authorities and state media, would be reviewed in
greater depth at the next Governing Council meeting.
Looking Ahead
- 3-5 September: Conference on Displaced Persons and Refugees entitled "The Right of Refugees
to Return and Conditions of Return", Sarajevo
- 4 September: International Contact Group Meeting, Brussels
- 4 September: JCC/South - Economic Reconstruction Working Group
- 5 September: PIC Steering Board Meeting at OHR, Brussels
- 7- 8 September: Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Tralee
See our Calendar for a full list of activities
The OHR Bulletin is produced by the Public Affairs Department of the Office
of the High Representative in Sarajevo and aims to give an overview of what is
happening on the ground in the civilian implementation of the Dayton Agreement.
Suggestions and contributions are welcome and
should be addressed to the Public Affairs Department of the Office of the High
Representative in Sarajevo (387-71) 447 275 ext. 562, Fax (387-71) 447 420. Callers from outside BH dial via
Brussels switchboard:
Tel. (32-2) 737 7500 & Fax (32-2) 737 7501
OHR Bulletin nr. 16, issued 27 August 1996.
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