12 January 98, 19:30
Bijeljina – The RS Constituting National Assembly continued in Bijeljina today at 1230 instead at 1100 as scheduled, after its adjournment on 27 December last year. The Deputies elected Dr Dragan Kalinic as Assembly President again and both Nikola Poplasen and Jovan Mitrovic as his Deputies. They also supported a decision to begin the procedure for amendments of the RS Constitution in order to establish a third deputy President seat, in this case for the representative of the Coalition for Unified BiH party. The suggestion of the President that Mladen Ivanic, a nominee for the mandate to establish the Government, informally addresses the Deputy Clubs, was turned down although a majority of deputies requested Ivanic’s speech. If this were a normal situation, there would be no such obstructions and Ivanic would have been elected, said President Biljana Plavsic. Talking in the Deputy Clubs circles, Mladen Ivanic said that the situation in RS is dramatic – two centres of power exist in Banja Luka and Pale, there are even two Ministries for Internal Affairs and two different police uniforms.
Commenting on the work of the RS Parliament, OHR Spokesman Simon Haselock said that SDS apparently established a special mechanism for obstructions which was used in Bijeljina.
3:00
Sarajevo – According to Mirza Hajric, President Izetbegovic’s Political Advisor, Sarajevo could expect the arrival of US Special Envoy for the Balkans Robert Gelbard tonight after his visit today to Podgorica. Gelbard is expected to meet with the BiH Presidency Chairman, Alija Izetbegovic. Hajric pointed out that, according to the Agenda of the President’s Office, the key points for the meeting with Gelbard will be the Bonn Conference Decisions, expeditious process of Federation development with a special accent on Mostar, privatisation, property owner issues, a speedy decision on the BiH flag and design of the BiH single currency.
1:30
Podgorica – The Montenegro capital lives today under the influence of Belgrade support for Bulatovic, as well as American support for Djukanovic. In only few hours the police took from the rally followers, 182 pistols and 40 explosive devices. Robert Gelbard who spent a day in Podgorica told media even before he came to Montenegro that he came to express US support for the elected president, Djukanovic. The Serb Patriarch Pavle addressed the Montenegro residents appealing directly to Bulatovic to hand over power. According to the latest Reuters reports, Robert Gelbard announced that Momir Bulatovic has finally accepted his elected successor. I had to repeat my message until Bulatovic understood it, Gelbard told media. (12 January BiH Radio report informed that Bulatovic denied the assertion of giving up power)
2:30
Sarajevo – Alija Izetbegovic met with the newly elected Mayor of Sarajevo, Rasim Gacanovic. They, along with the Canton Governor and Cantonal Prime Minister Haracic and Mujezinovic, focused on the current problems in town.
1:00
Haris Silajdzic met with Mostar Mayor Safet Orucevic and exchanged ideas on how to solve the problems in the town. The Mostar delegation informed Silajdzic that the joint cantonal and city’s institutions do not function, so called Herceg-Bosna is still in existance, in the Canton as well as in Mostar itself two completely different and separate economic systems exist, (e.g. Elektroprivreda, PTT, and the Water Supply enterprise), illegal privatisation is going ahead, etc.
1:30
Hercegovina Neretva Canton – At the Cantonal Government Session today the Croat representative did not want to accept last Friday’s agreement on refugee return in the NH Canton, which was made at a meeting between the highest levels of the Croatian and Bosniak representatives under the auspices of the UNHCR. He cited “technical problems” the reason for non-acceptance.
1:30
Kresimir Zubak received BiH Central Bank Governor, Peter Nicholl and discussed the look of the provisional currency coupon. Attention was given to the functioning of the Central Bank.
1:00