Headlines
- Westendorp deprives Dragan Cavic of his legislative mandate
- Holbrook arrives to pass on the latest American message to President Milosevic
- Great Britain recommends its citizens not to travel to the FRY because of the Kosovo crisis
- Prime Minister Dodik met with Greek Ambassador, Mantzouranis
- At least 19 casualties in a shipping accident in Spain
The Office of the High Representative today released a press statement informing the Deputy President of the SDS, Dragan Cavic, that he was going to be deprived of his legislative mandate within the newly elected RS Parliament, based on the High Representative’s powers given to him by the PIC at the Bonn conference. Cavic will thus be banned from performing any official functions in BiH until further notice because of his statement on Kosovo and the results from the recently held elections dated 5th October. In the letter, Cavic’s statement was described as inflammatory and a threat to the safety of the IC and to the implementation of the DA.
1:45
(Kosovo-related issues)
9:57
According to BETA, the British Embassy in BiH, along with embassies of a number of other foreign countries, have recommended their citizens working in BiH to leave the area if they wish to, should there be any complications after a possible NATO intervention in Kosovo.
0:55
The U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, in a statement given in Brussels last night, stated that NATO could possibly move to militarily intervene in Kosovo in the next few days. Albright went on to say that Holbrook was now traveling to Belgrade with an appeal to Milosevic for the last time to adhere to the requests by the IC on Kosovo.
0:30
BETA has reported that President Milosevic of Serbia, in a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, stated that the stepped-up activities aimed at normalising the situation in Kosovo would make it possible for political dialogue between the Serbian negotiating team and representatives of Kosovo Albanians’ political parties to resume immediately. The meeting described the threats of a possible NATO military intervention as unacceptable, and stated that the FRY and Russia remained devoted to the Moscow declaration signed by Milosevic and Yeltsin.
0:52
According to the Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, James Rubin, consensus has still not been reached within NATO on a possible military intervention against the FRY. To substantiate his claim, Rubin stated that “the activating order” which was supposed to be the last move prior to NATO intervention and was scheduled for yesterday, had now been postponed.
0:25
Reuters have quoted statements by American military officials claiming that NATO could possibly authorise Wesley Clark to issue an order to launch a military action in the FRY during this weekend.
0:24
The President of the Serb Intellectual Forum in Banja Luka, Mladen Ivanic, in a public statement today, said that possible NATO air-attacks against the FRY would lead to a new escalation of conflicts and a number of civilian casualties. Ivanic went on to say that the intervention would stop the positive democratic process that was ongoing in the RS and would considerably radicalise the feelings of the Serb people towards the IC.
0:31
The RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, today met with the Greek Ambassador in BiH, Mantzouranis. The two participants exchanged their respective views on the implementation of the DA, the situation in the RS after the elections and the implementation of the election results.
0:38
Representatives of the European Commission for De-mining met with representatives of the RS Civilian Protection in Pale today to discuss further de-mining activities in the RS. The meeting discussed a new EC-sponsored de-mining project for the RS.
1:42
According to OHR economic experts, the respective state budgets of the RS and the BH Federation lose at least DM 1 billion yearly as a result of tax payment evasions. OHR economic experts, therefore, announced to undertake a number of actions to prevent this.
0:42
Activities are currently on the go aimed at reconstructing the RS Bar Chamber as part of a comprehensive process of democratising the RS legal system. An agreement was, thus, signed between the respective Bar Chambers of the RS, the U.S. and Sweden, on their future cooperation that will, in its first phase, involve financial support needed for equipping the RS Bar Chamber premises and, also, for funding different seminars.
0:57
Hrvoje Sarinic, the Chief of the Croatian Presidential Cabinet, has, today, submitted his irrevocable resignation from all of his state and party functions.
0:13