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To: | Savo Celkovic
President of the Executive Board |
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Sarajevo, November 29, 1999
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Dear Mr. Savo Celkovic,
For reasons outlined in the attached Decision, we herewith notify you of the
following: under the powers vested in the High Representative, you are
removed from public office with immediate effect. In addition, in accordance
with the Provisional Election Commission Rules and Regulations, this
Decision bars you from being a candidate in the upcoming municipal
elections.
It is with great regret that we are forced to acknowledge that during your
term in office not only have you failed to show any commitment to the
implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace, but you have
also seriously and persistently obstructed its implementation.
|
Wolfgang Petritsch | Robert L. Barry |
|
High Representative | Chairman of the PEC |
| | OSCE Head of Mission |
In the exercise of the powers vested in the High Representative by Article 5
of the Annex 10 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, according to which the High Representative 'is the final
authority in the theater regarding interpretation of [the] Agreement on the
civilian implementation of the peace agreement';
Endorsing the interpretation of these powers given in paragraph XI, 2 of the
Conclusions of the Peace Implementation Conference held in Bonn on 10
December 1997, in particular, sub-paragraph c thereof, by means of which the
High Representative is entitled to take actions against persons holding
public office who are found by the High Representative to be in violation of
legal commitments made under the Peace Agreement or the terms of its
implementation;
Noting the reiteration of the acknowledgement of such powers by the Peace
Implementation Council in Chapter X of the Annex to the Madrid Declaration
of 16 December 1998;
Considering the mandate entrusted with the Provisional Election Commission
under Article III of the Annex 3 to the General Framework Agreement for
Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 7.10 of the Rules and
Regulations adopted thereafter which provides that no person who has been
removed by the High Representative shall be permitted to be a candidate in
the elections.
We hereby issue the following
Decision
To remove Mr. Savo Celkovic from his position of President of the Executive
Board Vlasenica and to ban him from being a candidate for the next municipal
elections or to hold any executive office at any level, unless authorised to
do so.
This Decision has immediate effect.
Reasons for removal
Mr. Savo Celkovic has abused his power by persistently and seriously
obstructing the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace.
By pursuing an extra-legal agenda, he has consistently refused to take
ownership of the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In particular,
- Mr. Savo Celkovic, in his capacity as President of the Executive
Board Vlasenica, systematically attempted to prevent the establishment of a
Property Commission. Mr. Savo Celkovic was extremely uncooperative,
refusing to meet to discuss the establishment of the Property Commission.
- Mr. Savo Celkovic finally accepted the establishment of a Property
Commission under the condition that two members be appointed by the
President of the Executive Board. Not surprisingly, these two members
consistently obstructed the Commission's work, especially by repeatedly
preventing the eviction of double occupants.
- These two members also repeatedly intervened with the work of the
OMI on evictions and made a number of covert threats. This is particularly
ominous in view of the subsequent violent attacks aimed at the OMI officer.
- The municipality has passed a number of discriminatory
administrative tax laws. When confronted with the issue by the
international community, Mr. Savo Celkovic admitted that these laws were
designed to penalize Bosniaks. In spite of Mr. Savo Celkovic's agreement to
have these discriminatory laws repealed, this has yet to happen.
All of the above establishes a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of
deliberate attempts to obstruct the implementation of the General Framework
Agreement for Peace. For these reasons, we hereby remove Mr. Savo Celkovic
from the position of President of the Executive Board Vlasenica. The
Decision will be effective immediately and will not require any further
procedural steps.
The position left vacant by Mr. Savo Celkovic's removal will be filled by
the Municipal Assembly in accordance with the appropriate regulations. In
order to protect the institution to which a replacement is to be elected, no
further actions are to be taken by the relevant authorities until OHR and
OSCE communicate that there are no objections and that the proposed name can
proceed further through the appropriate process.
Sarajevo, 29 November 1999
|
Wolfgang Petritsch | Robert L. Barry |
|
High Representative | Chairman of the PEC |
| | OSCE Head of Mission |
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