03.09.1997

OHR SRT News Summaries, 03 Sep 1997

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The RS will be ready to co-operate with the Hague Tribunal only when it starts treating all the parties equally. There would be justice if the national courts, together with representatives of the Hague held public hearings for those accused of war crimes, as was suggested by Krajisnik when talking to British Foreign Minister Cook.

Pale – Krajisnik met the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Rehn, and discussed freedom of movement, human rights, POWs and missing persons, the work of joint institutions, and co-operation with the Hague Tribunal. Krajisnik said that Rehn’s mission was noble, and he asked her to do what she could in order to free POWs and get more information concerning the fate of missing persons. Commenting on the crisis in the RS, Krajisnik reiterated that the elections on all three levels are the only way out. There is a crisis both in the RS and the Federation, particularly in the RS, where the competition on who is on which side replaced the pre-election campaign. Krajisnik also communicated the concerns of the RS citizens with regard to the existence of secret indictments. Ms. Rehn is a humanitarian worker and she must talk with the suspects. She must establish contact with Mr. Karadzic and Mr. Mladic. I can tell her this because she has a special role which, perhaps because of ethics, asks us to think that way. Rehn said that Krajisnik promised her that he would do his best in order to solve the issues above. She announced her visit to the Hague where she shall talk with Ms. Arbour about all the issues, and inform Krajisnik about it.
4:00

Brcko – Klickovic met Supervisor Farrand and discussed the current situation in the town. Klickovic said that he and Farrand expressed different views on the Brcko problem. Mr. Farrand held the position that events were conducted by the Government. I agreed that events had been conducted, but by Banski Dvori (Banja Luka), and I presented the scenario of all the events. I don’t know if I was persuasive. However, more important is that we agreed that our police and IPTF would be more co-operative, as well as that local authorities and SFOR would co-operate more with regard to the protection of citizens in the ZOS, and to issue IDs. The RS IDs will be issued at special offices, whereas those issued by OHR before will be cancelled.
3:00

Minister of Information, Siljegovic visited the SRT repeater in Udrigovo and the SRT studio in Bijeljina. She was informed about the quality of SRT programmes produced at this studio. I am very thankful to my colleagues from SRT and the police for doing a wonderful job here. The contract they have signed with SFOR is something I have been fighting for a long time, but which was impossible to implement. The internal crisis was one of the reasons that SFOR reacted as they did. The contract brought us back to the place from where we started. I, as the Minister of Information, bear responsibility for each one of these facilities (repeaters). Therefore I hope that we will reach some agreement with the IC that will help us, that is the SRT, regain its unity in the whole of the RS, and cancel the censorship that still exists in the west part of the RS. The censorship wasn’t established either by the Government or the Ministry of Information, but by Plavsic and some of her men, who thought that we didn’t know how to do our job. I think that we know how to do our job, and we cannot be forced to stop being Serb, that is, national, television. And the main point in this crisis was that we had to abandon the national attribute, which will never happen. The Editor in Chief of the Bijeljina studio said that he is happy that he stands in front of the repeater and that people in the RS will be able to hear certain information now that the repeater is liberated.
4:00

Belgrade – Milosevic met Krajisnik, Kalinic, and Klickovic. Milosevic said that he was in favour of the active participation of RS officials in the work of joint institutions, as well as participation of the RS citizens in the preparation and organisation of the local elections which could only help the stabilisation of the current political situation. The Government should co-operate with the IC in order to overcome the crisis. Citizens should vote and elect legal representatives who will protect them and the RS. Therefore, there should be no-one who denies them their right to vote.

Banja Luka – VRS Commander, General Colic said that the army should not allow division of the people and the RS territory. He also said that the army will not interfere with politics, and suggested an urgent meeting of the Supreme Council of Defence for the purpose of overcoming the current crisis. He also supports the idea of the holding of three-level elections as the only way for overcoming the present situation.

Flash news:

(The New York Times, Washington Post) US media reported that local elections must be held on time because the west was not ready to tolerate another postponement or boycott of the elections. 2450 OSCE monitors will arrive in Croatia tomorrow which represents another step in the preparations for the holding of local elections in the RS and Federation.

Austrian Foreign Minister said that he is sceptical with regard to preservation of BiH and the DPA because of the conflict in the RS. German Social Democrats are in favour of taking advantage of the crisis in the RS, assessing that the IC finally now has the chance to implement its goals.
3:00

Belgrade – SDS Serbia held a press conference and talked about the current situation in the RS. They warned of the dangers of fusing the RS into BiH – something which is supported by the IC.

Glamoc – meeting of the Military Commissions of all three sides and SFOR – The RS representative, General Momir Talic said that the three sides analysed their work and implementation of the military aspect of the DPA, as well as clearing mines, and normalisation of relations with SFOR and other two sides. Talic said that the situation in the army had not worsened because of the current crisis, adding that the RS army would not interfere with the political situation in the country.
2:00


Summary SRT TV News Banja Luka

The President of the RS, Biljana Plavsic did not leave for Bijeljina out of security reasons

She was supposed to have a meeting there with the member of the Presidency of BiH from the RS, Momcilo Krajisnik. The agencies are informing that Krajisnik went to Bijeljina and he stated that he would look for another opportunity to have a talk with the President of the RS Biljana Plavsic. The President Biljana Plavsic received the Head of the General Staff of the RS Army Pero Colic. Immediately after the meeting, the General Colic stated to the journalists: “We agreed that the Supreme Council of Defense should have a meeting as soon as possible and that the session should be held wherever the Supreme Commander decides.” General Colic added that the President of the RS is to appoint the Supreme Council of Defense made of 5 members. But, they should be able to have a meeting without the presence of the Supreme Commander.

Momcilo Krajisnik suggested to Elisabeth Rehn to intermediate in the contacts with the persons accused of war crimes

The special envoy of the UN for Human Rights Elisabeth Rehn had a meeting today, in the framework of her mission in BiH, with the member of the Presidency of BiH from the RS Momcilo Krajisnik. They were talking about the possibilities of carrying out of pre-procedures in BiH for persons accused of war crimes. Elisabeth Rehn announced her forthcoming departure to the Hague where she will have a talk with the Chief Prosecutor of the Tribunal about the pre-procedures which should be held in BiH. The member of the Presidency of BiH from the RS said that when talking with Elisabeth Rehn, they discussed the persons accused of war crimes. Krajisnik suggested to the special envoy for human rights to be the intermediary if she wants to contact Mr. Karadzic. Discussing the possibilities for overcoming the political crisis in the RS, Krajisnik stated that the elections are important, but the conditions for this should be created. The idea of holding the elections at all three levels is the best way to overcome the crisis and create conditions for holding the elections at the municipal level, said Krajisnik.
  • The Supervisor Farrand and the Prime Minister Klickovic had a meeting today in Brcko The Supervisor for the area of Brcko Robert Farrand had a talk with the Prime Minister Klickovic today in this town. The product of this meeting is the announcement of issuing the ID cards to the Moslem returnees in this town.
  • The President of the FRY Slobodan Milosevic and Carlos Westendorp discussed the political crisis in the RS today in Belgrade Political crisis in the RS was the subject of today’s meeting of the President of the FRY Slobodan Milosevic and the High Representative of the IC Carlos Westendorp. The crisis should be solved in a political way, i.e., by holding the elections, said Slobodan Milosevic and he added that the elections are an objective and democratic way for checking the political will of the voters.

    The President of the FRY Slobodan Milosevic received today the High Representative of the IC for BiH Carlos Westendorp and his Deputy Jacques Paul Klein. They considered questions in regards to the implementation of the DA in the direction of successfully fulfilling the goals on which the whole normalization in the territory of BiH depends. The President Milosevic stressed that the crisis in the RS requires a political solution which can be achieved through complete elections under the supervision of OSCE.

Other domestic current events:

  • The fair of economy was opened today in Banja Luka. It will last till September 7th . This presentation of the agricultural product is also another confirmation that we can raise the level of agriculture to a higher level and that we can coordinate with the world’s progress in that area.
  • Today in Banja Luka 17 new contracts were signed between local mission of Strasbourg and Banja Luka enterprises which applied for financial help. According to these contracts, the means are dedicated for opening a new vacancies, i.e. for employing new workers.
  • There was a delegation of the office of the High Representative of IC in the main office of Republic Trade Union in Banja Luka today. They were discussing the possibilities of influences of this institution in solving the economic-social problems. The presidents of the branches pointed out their problems which follow their activities, and they asked the legal advisor Mr. Meno Aden, as a representative of the OHR, to help the starting of the economy of the RS, its including in the international courses, and the reconstruction of the infrastructure of the RS. They were also talking about the forming of the social fund and providing the energy for the forthcoming heating season. The Trade Union demanded from the IC to treat the RS and Federation of BiH equally concerning the investments and the help coming from the IC. They also emphasized the request for Mr. Westendorp to pay a visit to the Trade Union of the RS. The syndicalists supported the contacts and the cooperation with the Trade Union from BiH based on the principles of equality.
  • In the announcement signed by the president of the Republic Branch Trade Union Ranka Misic it is said: “The Republic Board of the Syndicate for Education, Science and Culture refutes the statements of the Minister of Education Mr. Stevan Stevic given to the media, saying that the Government of the RS paid out its debts for the Education.