18 January 98, 19:30
Bijeljina – Deputies of the RS National Assembly who support President Biljana Plavsic, early this morning chose a Government which will be chaired by Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. Members of SDS and the Radical Party left the Session around midnight, so the new Government was chosen in their absence. With 42 deputies from the Coalition for the Unified BiH, SNS, RS Socialist Party, BiH SDP and Independent Social Democrats, Dodik succeeded in forming a Government which will have 21 ministries and should enable access of RS to a better future. I can say that this Government will be open and efficient. It will work according to the laws and for the welfare of this people and this Republic. These people must know why they came to be in the position they are in and in which direction they have to go. Of course it is not possible to work out all problems as if we were magicians, but there will be for sure enough will and endeavors to resolve problems, Dodik told media. President Plavsic assessed that SDS and Radicals left the session with an aim of preventing the establishment of a new Government and to enable the old Government to go ahead with all their illegal machinations. This Government stole from its people made RS a flea market. Duncan Bullivant, HR Spokesman said that the Government headed by a new Prime Minister will enjoy the full support of the IC. This is a Government with which the IC can work, it is a unifying Government, Bullivant said. Milorad Dodik addressed the RS Assembly pointing out the aims that the new Government is trying to achieve: strict implementation of the DPA, provision of necessary funding for RS reconstruction, fight against corruption, especially in the state bodies, Brcko to remain in the RS, etc.
3:30
Election of Milorad Dodik as the Prime Minister of RS represents an extraordinary important step in the process of de-blockading the implementation work of the DPA in RS and BiH as a whole, Sejfudin Tokic, BiH Alternative Ministerial Council told the media. Zlatko Lagumdzija, SDP Party President hailed in his letter, the election of Milorad Dodik to form the first real democratic Government in the RS. SDP will support your work on the path to full implementation of the DPA, he concluded.
2:00
The International Commission for Missing Persons Session chaired by US Senator Bob Dole, continued its second day of work in Sarajevo without the Serb and Croat commission members. Dr. Silajdzic, as a member of the Commission, and Amor Masovic, President of the Federation Commission, attended the meeting this morning. Their discussion focused on the possibilities of financial support and funding for the opening of new cemeteries where the genocide victims would be buried. The International Commission held a meeting today with the Associations of the families of the missing persons from both BiH entities, as well as with Momcilo Krajisnik, BiH Presidency member, but the details from this meeting have still not been made public. Bob Dole held a Press Conference and promised to inform the US President of the issues.
1:30
ONASA has just informed that the BiH Presidency meeting scheduled for today, will be held tomorrow at 1100hrs. The main points to be discussed are: BiH monetary unit, flag and BiH symbols. Momcilo Krajisnik, RS member of the Presidency, should also nominate a BiH ambassador to Washington.
0:30
Both HoP (Tuesday) and HoR (Wednesday) will hold sessions this week. There follows the Agendas of these two Assemblies and detailed commentary on every law which should be accepted. Some of them are important for the functioning of the Federation such as: the Draft Law on the Budget and related laws, or the Law on establishing the new municipalities.
2:30