Headlines
– Ostoja Knezevic dismissed from the SNS and Sloga Presidency – Solana warns – If Milosevic gives up Kosovo agreement NATO airplanes ready – Arafat accepted Israeli delay on West coast retreat The RS President, Biljana Plavsic, and Chair of the B&H Presidency, Zivko Radisic, received Special U.S. envoy for the Balkans, Robert Gelbard. Before this meeting Gelbard talked with the RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik. After the meetings only Robert Gelbard gave a press statement. “Recently we have had several meetings with RS and Federation officials. I hope that we shall be able to solve Government constituting problem in a positive way. Talks will be continued tomorrow” – Gelbard said.0:37
An OSCE spokesperson said that the OSCE verification mission is still not operational. He said that monitors arriving in Kosovo are members of diplomatic missions and not OSCE mission members.
0:22
The political representative of the illegal KLA, Adem Demaci, said that in the war conditions prevailing in Kosovo it is customary to announce one’s departure into the war zone. As he said, the journalists could have come to him and “I would not have recommended them going, for I know what TANJUG is for Albanians” – Demaci said to Belgrade Radio B92.
0:20
The RS NA Speaker, Petar Djokic, announced a consultative meeting with the Heads of caucuses and party representatives who do not constitute a caucus in the Assembly in order to reach an agreement regarding continuance of the RS NA session scheduled for Wednesday in Banja Luka. Djokic confirmed that at the meeting firm guarantees will be asked from the representatives to respect the agreement, if agreement is reached, on electing the new Assembly leadership and RS Government.
0:34
The Main SNS Board dismissed Ostoja Knezevic, SNS Vice President from the party. SNS press statement:The Executive Board and the Main Board of SNS of RS, at the meeting held on November 1st in Banja Luka, discussed the newly-created situation on the occasion of the adjournment of the inaugural session of RS NA since October 29/30, 1998, as well as the behaviour of the SNS deputies at the session. The Executive and the Main Board agreed that the adjournment of the inaugural session had to happen as the SDS and SRS representatives that participated in negotiations with representatives of other NA parties, as well as with the members of the Electoral Commission, had been changing their stands very often and finally had given up the agreed and harmonised proposals to elect the RS NA leadership and RS Government in a package. The Executive and Main Board of the SNS RS concluded that two SNS deputies, Ostoja Knezevic and Milorad Vujovic, had not held to conclusions of the SNS Deputies’ Club. It was concluded that deputy Ostoja Knezevic had abstained from voting on adjournment of the session, although it had been visible that the mentioned session had had to be adjourned. Likewise, deputy Milorad Vujovic also abstained from voting on adjournment of the RS NA session. All members of Executive and Main Board of the SNS accepted the reasons for the behaviour of deputy Milorad Vujovic, which he had provided, while the personal explanation of stands and behavior of deputy Ostoja Knezevic could not be accepted as valid. During the meeting of the SNS Main Board, it was suggested to Mr. Knezevic through a democratic discussion that he should return his deputy mandate to the Party, on the basis of which he received the mandate, as it was obvious that the reasons he stated would still exist at the majority of the future RS NA sessions. Deputy Ostoja Knezevic categorically refused to return the mandate, as well as to hold to decisions of Deputies’ Club on the occasion of voting in the NA on particular issues. Having in mind the inflexible, and for the Party unacceptable and harmful attitudes of Mr. Knezevic, the SNS Main Board, as suggested by the Executive Board, made a unanimous decision to terminate Mr. Knezevic’s membership in the SNS. Besides the above mentioned, the Main Board also adopted the following conclusions
- Harmonized stands of the SNS in the “Sloga” Coalition are obligatory to the SNS Deputies’ Club
- In case of disagreements and non-acceptance of the stands harmonised on the level of the “Sloga” Coalition, the deputies are obliged to return their deputy mandates to the Party
- Mr. Ostoja Knezevic’s resignation from the membership of the “Sloga” Coalition Presidency as well as to the SNS negotiating team.
- Prof. Dr. Snezana Savic, Head of the SNS Deputies’ Club is appointed instead of Mr. Knezevic for the member of Presidency of “Sloga” Coalition and in the negotiating team.
- It is concluded that a joint meeting of the Executive Board and Deputies’ Club should be held before each RS NA session and that a meeting
of the Main Board should be held too, in order to agree as clearly and precisely as possible on stands which will be represented by the Deputies’ Club, when there are especially significant issues on the agenda of the NA sessions.
1:44
Former SNS Vice President, Ostoja Knezevic, stated that he split with the party as he did not want to make a pact with the Coalition for a Single Bosnia. He said that his conscience commanded him to split with his party. “Since I am dismissed from the party I shall take part in the work of the RS NA as an independent Serb deputy” – Knezevic said.
0:55
SDS demands the SNS to enable the election of the Assembly leadership and the Government at the forthcoming continuance of the Assembly session – Cavic said at a press conference held in Banja Luka. He emphasised that the SDS does not abandon the principle of forming the Assembly leadership and the Government on a democratic basis.
1:10
Workers of the “Udarnik” company protested today in front of the SFOR base in Bjelajci near Mrkonjic Grad. The reason for protesting was the unsolved question of compensation for the use of the “Udarnik” premises by SFOR troops.
0:47
The OHR restrained from commenting on the Ante Jelavic statement which states that the introduction of the single licence plates represented a revision of the Dayton Agreement.
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