OHR SRT News Summary, 15 October 1998 - Office of the High Representative

Headlines

a constitutive session of the newly-elected RS National Assembly on October 29 in Banja Luka
in Paris – a meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of the countries of the Contact Group regarding implementation of the Milosevic-Holbrooke agreement
NATO Secretary General, Javier Solana, and the NATO Commander to Europe, Wesley Clark, in Belgrade
the B&H Constitutional Court has postponed indefinitely the discussion on harmonising the entities’ constitutions

A consultative meeting of the RS National Assembly Speaker Petar Djokic and the presidents of the parliamentary parties was held in Banja Luka today. At the meeting it was agreed that the constitutive session of the newly elected National Assembly would be held in Banja Luka on October 29, starting at 11:00 hrs. The chairman of the B&H Presidency Zivko Radisic, the RS President Biljana Plavsic and the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik were present at the meeting, as well. At the first session of the newly elected National Assembly the councillors’ mandates should be verified, the leadership of the Parliament should be appointed and the newly elected President of the RS Nikola Poplasen should take the oath. In that way, Poplasen will officially take over the position of the RS President. The RS NA Speaker Petar Djokic talked in Banja Luka today, in separate visits, with the Spanish Ambassador to B&H, Miguel Arias, and the Secretary of the French Embassy to B&H about the results of today’s consultations of the representatives of the RS parliamentary parties.
2:25

Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Contact Group countries have met in Paris today in order to discuss the elements of the agreement on a peaceful and political resolution of the Kosmet crisis, which was reached on Tuesday between the FRY President Slobodan Milosevic and the US Envoy Richard Holbrooke. A review of Kosovo-related news.
6:20

NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and the NATO Commander to Europe Wesley Clark have arrived in Belgrade where they should sign with the FRY President Slobodan Milosevic an agreement on the flight of unarmed monitoring planes of the Western Alliance over Kosovo and Metohija. It was also announced that Javier Solana will hold a press conference at the hotel “Hyatt” in Belgrade at 21:00 hrs.
1:55

The discussion on the initiative of the B&H Presidency member Alija Izetbegovic for harmonising the Entities’ constitutions with the B&H Constitution has started at the B&H Constitutional Court in Sarajevo today. After a seven-hour public discussion, the B&H Constitutional Court made a unanimous decision on the indefinite postponement of the discussion. The date of its reconvening will be determined later and all the necessary documents for making the right decision should be provided.
2:35

The RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik held separate meetings with the French and Swedish Ambassadors to B&H in Banja Luka today. The issues most discussed at the meetings were the post-election situation and the implementation of the election results in the RS and B&H as well as other current political and economic issues.
1:50

The co-chairman of the B&H CoM Boro Bosic and the Greek Ambassador to B&H talked in Sarajevo today about the situation both in the RS and B&H and in the broader region. They also discussed the constituting of the legislative and executive powers in the RS and B&H according to the results of the recent elections, the improvement in the functioning of some institutions at the level of B&H as well as possible cooperation and aid.
1:40

The reconstructed building of the municipal assembly was opened in Grahovo today. The Japanese government financed the reconstruction. In that way, the start of the functioning of the municipal assembly has been marked. The representatives of the B&H Federation and the RS Ministry of Refugees and DPs as well as many representatives of the international community attended the ceremony. About 700 Serb refugees have returned to this municipality this year. By the end of the year about 200 more refugees should return to Grahovo.
1:40

A consular office of the Republic of Croatia was opened in Banja Luka three months ago. So far, this representative office has issued 90 passports and enabled return for about 700 refugees. More than 50,000 refugees and expelled people from Croatia who live in the RS have addressed the consular office for the purpose of obtaining personal documents, regulating the issues of citizenship, return, pensions, property and other legal rights. All those who address the Croatian consular office wait for the realisation of their rights for a long period of time. For the time being, that period is about three months.
2:20