Krajisnik congratulated Moscow Mayor Luskin on the 850th anniversary of Moscow, the motherland of Russia and Russians, and today’s cradle of the Orthodox religion. God will help Moscow bloom and shine over the Orthodox world, showing by its example the path of temptations through which the Orthodox religion is going in its history. Reminding that Moscow has overcome a number of difficulties and always won, bringing hope to the Serbs, Krajisnik said that Serbs were and are supporting their brother Russians with all their hearts. He thanked ‘the great Russian people’ for all they had done for the RS and the Serbs. Buha also congratulated the Moscow Mayor.
Pale – Krajisnik talked with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister about the political crisis in the RS late last night. The talks lasted for three and a half hours. The Russian Minister expressed concerns because of the current situation, adding that Moscow is especially concerned because of the possible dissolution of the RS. The IC must help in overcoming the crisis but without interfering in the situation, this is unacceptable. The Russian Minister was satisfied that the RS will continue implementing the DPA, adding that the RS media must also bear a huge responsibility, and they should restrain from attacks on SFOR. Krajisnik said that the DPA is somehow violated because some structures of the IC interfered with the internal problems of the RS. ‘I hope that we will together with the IC overcome these problems easier especially since there are some positive steps, and so to say more peaceful winds, that blow from the OHR and SFOR to resolve this difficult situation and crisis peacefully without tensions and force.’ Krajisnik found positive an agreement with Commander Shinseki on the withdrawal of SFOR from the SRT repeater Udrigovo. He also said that Metropolit Nikolaj informed him about the results of the visit of Patriarch Pavle and Plavsic in Banja Luka and a meeting between Krajisnik and Plavsic scheduled for tomorrow in Bijeljina.
4:00
Pale – Klickovic signed two contracts with the WB on reconstruction of the RS ($ 24 million and $ 4 million). WB will also finance the RS foreign debt.
Prnjavor – A delegation from the RS Government headed by Klickovic talked to the local leadership. Klickovic said that the IC and OSCE are responsible for the totally irregular situation in the RS which is irregular in both the political and the security sense and therefore it is nonsense to talk about the holding of local elections. There will be no elections, Klickovic categorically said. Explaining his reasons for boycotting the local elections he particularly underlined the voters’ lists. Serb parts of Krupa na Uni were inhabited only by the Serbs, as was in Rogatica, whereas Tuzla was moved to Bijeljina, and the dead will vote for Srebrenica. Now there are more Muslims that they were registered than they were for the national elections. OSCE verified untrue lists which could also damage the RS in other municipalities which are very important for the RS such as Prijedor, Srbinje, Doboj, Zvornik, Bijeljina and Prnjavor where Muslims have 1,000 votes more than they had in 1991. Klickovic said that the Serb Government will not allow elections to be held which deny the right of Serbs to vote on one hand, while enabling the Muslim side to decide about the Serb territory through those whose names are carved on tombstones.
4:00
The RS Government said that the reason for cancelling lectures in some parts of the RS (especially in the Banja Luka area) had a political background.
2:00
The RS Government in accordance with positive regulations, the Constitution, and laws, and on Interior Minister Paleksic’s proposal appointed Mile Renovica, an experienced employee of MUP, to be the Head of the State Security.
Pale – The SRT repeater Udrigovo was given back to its owners. Krajisnik and OHR Principle Deputy Klein agreed on the hand-over of the SRT repeater which was blocked by SFOR two days ago. The agreement says that the RS media should restrain from their reports given in ‘an inflammatory manner’ against SFOR and the IC. It was also agreed that SRT air an hour long programme in which different political opinions will be expressed, as well as to allow HR Carlos Westendorp to represent himself and explain the situation in Brcko, Bijeljina and Banja Luka on SRT as a half hour guest at prime-time.
The General Manager and deputy, Toholj thanked the people of Semberija and Majevica who provided unblocking of the SRT repeater in Udrigovo. SRT employees, and viewers in the RS and FRY are impressed with the courage and decisiveness of the people of Semberija and Majevica who, although risking a lot, protected human rights on information and defended the state institution, protecting the RS from violence and anarchy. This spontaneous gesture is even more precious because of the people’s will to avoid massive confrontations with SFOR. We, at SRT, have always been in favour of talks and reasonable agreement ignoring, as free and responsible people, the campaign which was led against us without any reason and threats which were coming daily. This time also our principle won, thanks to Krajisnik and Shinseki’s efforts, without who the blind situation in Udrigovo could not have been solved. STR General Manager invited SFOR to socialise with SRT employees and the people of Majevica and Semberija in Udrigovo this evening.
3:00
Banja Luka – British Ambassador Crawford met Plavsic and stated that the crisis in the RS did not occur at a good time because it blocked the work of the joint institutions. He warned that SFOR would not tolerate such situation any more and it would attack in the future. Plavsic also met the US Ambassador Kauzlarich and talked about economic aid to the RS. After the meeting the Ambassador said that he supports the return of all refugees to the RS and Federation.
2:00
Flash news:
Moscow will not follow the western policy which supports Plavsic and the dissolution of the RS.
German media reported that a continuation of the crisis in the RS could be risky because the west cannot expect the RS people to start shooting at each other. They said that Plavsic’s power is really unstable, such that she does not even have power in Banja Luka.
3:00
SDS Prijedor said that the political and security situation in Prijedor is very complex, adding that the RS law and Constitution must be fully respected. They also said that SFOR, IPTF, and OSCE went beyond their mandate, and supported the idea of holding the three-level elections in the RS in order to regain political stability and an integration of the RS with Europe .
2:00
The current situation in the RS and Brcko was the main issue of a press conference held by OHR Principle Deputy Klein, as well as a press conference which was held in Banja Luka. IPTF said that the situation in Brcko is returning to normal.
2:00
SRT’s Deputy General Manager who was recently replaced, Radomir Neskovic, decided to stop broadcasting the signal of TV Simic through the Kozara repeater, regardless of the agreement on technical co-operation between SRT and Simic TV. TV Simic complained that Radomir Neskovic is not a lawyer nor has the authority to switch off the transmitter. Vladimir Simic, the General Manager of TV Simic, decided that the TV will not broadcast its programme and will sue Neskovic in the Banja Luka Court.