Pale – Meeting of the BiH Presidency President from the RS, Krajisnik with the special envoy of the Russian Federation, Gerasimov – In his statement to the press, Krajisnik said that he had three meetings today – with Mr. Jorkmann, Mr. Kai Eide, Head of the UN Mission, and Mr. Gerasimov respectively. Krajisnik said that the first meeting was held because of complaints from private and state media about what is being done in the west part of the RS, where all media which are against the policy of ‘Mrs. Plavsic and her group’ are discriminated. Krajisnik and Klickovic talked with Eide about police structuring, and in Krajisnik’s opinion, this problem is very close to being solved. The meeting with Gerasimov was related to the Contact Group session tomorrow, and Krajisnik said that he communicated the position of the RS, hoping that the session would be successful.
2:00
Pale – RS Prime Minister Klickovic’s meeting with Christian Portman, the new head of Washington-based WB Mission in BiH, and Rory O’Sullivan on the co-operation strategy in the next six months – The stress was put on the structural adjustment credits, and the two credits still not approved by the WB Board of Directors in the field of forestry and urgent reconstruction of the RS. The two credits for transport and education, worth of $29.5 million, were ratified by President Krajisnik. Klickovic pointed out to the press that Portman had prevented the Donors’ Conference from falling apart and that he is a man who showed understanding for the problems in the RS, adding that the WB credit lines will be open towards the RS as soon as the agreement with the IMF is signed and a solution is found for the design of the currency.
3:00
Pale – WB representatives also met the CoM Co-chair Bosic, and discussed the approach to the issue of servicing the BiH foreign debt. During the day, Bosic also met the Finnish Ambassador Komponen and discussed the Finnish Government assistance programme for the RS and Federation, which is focused on the water supply system for Ilidza. The programme should be approved at the next CoM session.
3:00
Pale – Opening of the RS Main Bank of the BiH Central Bank – The RS Main Bank, inaugurated in line with the DPA requirements, will enable faster development of RS economy and provide direct links to international financial institutions. Vice-governor Vladusic said that the implementation of the Central Bank is well on its way now, and the RS Main Bank is not just its subdivision, but also a very important institution that will establish links with commercial banks in the RS and with the RS payment operations system, as well as provide all the necessary data for the Central Bank of BiH. Vladusic stressed that the introduction of the new currency will not cast aside the Yugoslav Dinar in payment operations. FRY currency would still be used, in parallel with the Convertible Mark that is necessary for payment operations with the Federation. Central Bank Governor, Serge Robert said that he was happy that the Main Bank of RS had been established so quickly, and that it will represent the RS at the Central Bank.
4:00
Prnjavor – Today Biljana Plavsic appointed Dusko Jankovic as the new chief of the Prnjavor police station that was taken over by her para-police forces yesterday. A large number of embittered Prnjavor citizens continued protesting against the take-over in front of the municipal assembly building. The President of the local SDS informed the citizens that Plavsic refused to agree to a peaceful reinstatement of the legal police chief. SFOR continued to guard the police station. At the press conference in Banja Luka, SFOR and IPTF spokesmen said that the situation in the town is calm but tense, and that the two check points towards Derventa will be removed. SFOR underlined that they would not allow any conflicts and would do everything to preserve the Dayton peace.
2:00
Prnjavor SDS leadership announcement – The local SDS condemned Plavsic’s actions which should have lead to the climax of the conflict within the RS. SDS decided to avoid Serb blood-shedding and to reinstall illegally ousted police officials by democratic and diplomatic means. Stressing that the SDS has again won the elections this year, the local leadership said that it has the task now to implement the will of the Serb nation.
3:00
Doboj – Hundreds of citizens of Doboj blocked the road towards Derventa at Plocnik, six kilometres to the north of Doboj, protesting against the continuous checks of passengers and vehicles by SFOR road patrols. The protesters threw rocks and burning car tyres on SFOR armoured vehicles in their attempt to unblock the road. Fortunately no-one was injured, although the people were gravely dissatisfied with SFOR’s behaviour. After hours of negotiations, the SFOR troops returned to Derventa because agreement was not reached for them to pass through.
2:00
Brcko SDS’s support of Prnjavor SDS – At the meeting of the local SDS in Brcko today, Head of SDS Directorate, Vlado Vrkes said that Serbs can only defend themselves by unity, condemning Plavsic’s attempt to take control of the territory between Prijedor and Modrica, create artificial regions, and divide the RS with the help of SFOR. Brcko SDS judged that the local elections went well in the town, but still the votes have to be counted in Rajlovac. The correspondent from Brcko made a personal remark, saying that even his vote was taken to Rajlovac although he has lived in Brcko for over twenty years.
2:00
FRY President Milosevic will talk with President Plavsic about the current situation in the RS in Belgrade tomorrow.
UN General Assembly – Russian Foreign Minister Primakov agreed with US Foreign Secretary Albright that it is possible for the parliamentary elections to be held in the RS, but he underlined that this cannot in any case lead towards the split of RS. He also agreed with German Foreign Minister Kinkel that international peace-keeping forces may extend their mandate in the RS and Federation, but only if the US forces stay in the country.
2:00
Holbrooke’s Chicago Tribune interview – The former peace envoy said that foreign military forces must stay in the RS and Federation after the summer of 1998, and that the European forces would not be able to stabilise peace if the Americans withdrew. Holbrooke admitted that Karadzic’s arrest would cause casualties, but only those that would be bearable. In a threatening tone, he said that the arrest will not solve the whole problem, but without it the problem cannot be solved at all.
1:00
The German government official in charge of refugee return said that the international community would have to adopt special assistance programmes for the RS population, but the aid will be sent only after the conflict within the RS leadership ends.
First unofficial results of the Serbian presidential elections – Milosevic’s SPS candidate Lilic won the majority of votes, 1.8 million. Seselj, Serb Radical Party candidate, was the runner-up with 1.2 million votes, followed by SPO leader Vuk Draskovic with 787,000 votes.
3:00
World News:
Mostar – IPTF demanded from west Mostar police to enable the east Mostar police officers working in the west part of town to return to work. Bosniak police officers are not allowed to work in west Mostar since the car-bomb explosion incident.
Summary SRT TV News Banja Luka
Headlines
- RS President Biljana Plavsic will meet FRY President Slobodan Milosevic on Wednesday, September 24, 1997 in Belgrade
- Prnjavor peaceful today
- The peace keeping forces will remain in BiH after the expiration of their mandate
- The final results of the parliamentary and presidential elections in Serbia will be known on September 25
- The Middle East peace process on the agenda of two summits today
Time: 40″
Top Stories
RS President Biljana Plavsic will meet FRY President Slobodan Milosevic on Wednesday, September 24, 1997 in BelgradeIt was confirmed today by the Cabinet of President Plavsic that RS President Biljana Plavsic and FRY President Slobodan Milosevic would meet in Belgrade on Wednesday, September 24. This will be the first meeting of the presidents of the two states since Biljana Plavsic was elected RS President.
1’30”
Personnel Changes in Prijedor Police
The Collegium of the RS Ministry of Interior ratified the decision to make personnel changes in the Centre for Public Security Prijedor. By this decision, Dusko Jankovic was appointed the new Head of the Centre for Public Security in Prijedor, and Mile Medvjed was appointed Head of the Bureau of State Security. By the same decision, Ranko Mijic and Grozdan Mutic were dismissed from their positions.
1’05”
Prnjavor peaceful today
After yesterday’s incidents the situation in Prnjavor is calm today. The Mayor of Prnjavor, Nemanja Vasic, said that he would accept the newly appointed police chiefs, if the police behaved apolitically, but he added that he did not agree with the appointments and that he would fight them by political means.
4’08”
SFOR intensified its presence in Doboj
SFOR personnel intensified traffic control last night and today in the area of Doboj. The Doboj Centre for Public Security reacted to this by issuing a statement in which it warned that tensions were rising which could turn into a conflict between citizens and SFOR. The statement pointed to information on the initiative of citizens to block all roads used by SFOR. After the citizens impeded the movement of SFOR in late afternoon the situation in town became peaceful and stable after 17:00.
2’12”
The peace keeping forces will remain in BiH after the expiration of their mandate
The former American special mediator for the Balkans, Richard Holbrooke, stated that the international peace keeping forces, including the Americans, must stay in RS and the Federation after the expiration of their mandate. Pulling out the winning team before the game is over is considered irresponsible by Holbrooke.
3’50”
RS Prime Minister Klickovic spoke to O’Sullivan
Prime Minster Klickovic spoke today in Pale with the representatives of the World Bank headed by R. O’Sullivan. The meeting was about more efficient utilisation of the funds provided by the World Bank.
1′
The final results of the parliamentary and presidential elections in Serbia will be known on September 25
The official results of the presidential and parliamentary elections in Serbia will be announced on Thursday, September 25. According to the preliminary results from 28 of the 29 polling stations, the Coalition Socialist Party of Serbia, Yugoslav Left and New Democracy won 32.92% votes, the Serb Radical Party 28.38% and the Serb Renewal Movement 19.80%. Zoran Lilic, the candidate of the Left, and the leader of the radicals, Vojislav Seselj, will enter the second round of presidential elections in two weeks.
2’31”