Voice of America, 96-09-15

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA / ELECTION (L ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

[02] BOSNIA / FUTURE (L) BY KYLE KING (SARAJEVO)

[03] BOSNIA / SERBIA (S) BY KYLE KING (SARAJEVO)

[04] YUGOSLAVIA / BOSNIA (L ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (BELGRADE)

[01] BOSNIA / ELECTION (L ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: VOTES ARE BEING COUNTED IN BOSNIA'S ELECTION, AND INITIAL EFFORTS TO BEGIN BUILDING POWER-SHARING INSTITUTIONS ARE UNDERWAY. DAVID FOLEY IN SARAJEVO REPORTS THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT EARLIER DEMANDED THE RESULT IN SERB AREAS SHOULD BE ANNULLED, BUT THE DEMAND WAS MET BY A COOL RESPONSE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

TEXT: AFTER MONTHS OF PREPARATIONS FOR SATURDAY'S POLLS, INTERNATIONAL ELECTION ORGANIZERS SUNDAY SAID THEY WERE HAPPY AND GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH THE RESULT. THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NONE OF THE EXPECTED VIOLENCE, AND THE ELECTIONS PROCEEDED SMOOTHLY ALMOST EVERYWHERE.

THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THAT SOME MUSLIM REFUGEES HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH POLLING STATIONS IN SERB AREAS TO VOTE. TENS-OF-THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE ALSO NOT ABLE TO FIND THEIR NAME ON LISTS OF REGISTERED VOTERS AND WERE NOT ABLE TO CAST BALLOTS.

BEFORE POLLING STATIONS HAD CLOSED SATURDAY, THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT WAS DEMANDING THE ELECTION RESULT FROM SERB AREAS BE ANNULLED.

THE AMERICAN ARCHITECT OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT, RICHARD HOLBROOKE, DISMISSED THE COMPLAINT AS VERY VAGUE. HE SAID ATTEMPTS BY BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMEN TO JUSTIFY THE COMPLAINT WERE UNCONVINCING. SUNDAY, THE BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ISSUED A STATEMENT BACKING AWAY FROM DEMANDS THE ELECTION RESULT BE ANNULLED, AND CALLED INSTEAD FOR CAREFUL INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS.

THE COUNTING OF BALLOTS HAS BEGUN. BUT INITIAL RESULTS ARE NOT EXPECTED UNTIL SOME TIME MONDAY. BALLOTS FOR ALL THE VARIOUS PARLIAMENTS AND ASSEMBLIES WILL NOT BE COUNTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. MEANWHILE, MR. HOLBROOKE IS ALREADY BUSY LAYING THE GROUND FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF THE DAYTON PEACE PROCESS. UNDER DAYTON, THE PARTIES MUST QUICKLY MOVE TO CREATE JOINT POWER-SHARING INSTITUTIONS.

EXPECTING BOSNIAN-SERB RESISTANCE, MR. HOLBROOKE FLEW EARLY ON SUNDAY TO BELGRADE TO MEET WITH SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC. HE THEN RETURNED TO SARAJEVO FOR MEETINGS WITH BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ALIA IZETBEGOVIC. MR. HOLBROOKE ANNOUNCED THE TWO PRESIDENTS WILL MEET AT IN PARIS IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS. (SIGNED)
NEB/DF/JWH/RAE
15-Sep-96 2:23 PM EDT (1823 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] BOSNIA / FUTURE (L) BY KYLE KING (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: U-S ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE HAS COMPLETED ANOTHER ROUND OF BALKAN DIPLOMACY, THIS TIME SECURING AN AGREEMENT FOR DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN THE PRESIDENTS OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND SERBIA. V-O-A'S KYLE KING IN SARAJEVO REPORTS ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MEETING CAME IN THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL, WHERE MR. HOLBROOKE AGAIN SAID HE THINKS SATURDAY'S ELECTION WENT WELL, DESPITE PROBLEMS IN SOME AREAS.

TEXT: SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS AFTER TALKS WITH BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC, MR. HOLBROOKE SAID THE PARIS MEETING WOULD PROBABLY BE HELD WITHIN THREE WEEKS.

HE SAID THE IDEA HAD TAKEN SHAPE RAPIDLY DURING TALKS HE HELD EARLIER IN THE DAY IN BELGRADE WITH SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC.

MR. HOLBROOKE SAID HE HOPES THE PARIS MEETING COULD LEAD TO DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION BETWEEN SERBIA AND BOSNIA AND ESTABLISHMENT OF ECONOMIC TIES.

I THINK THERE WILL BE HEAVY EMPHASIS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION I HOPE THERE WILL BE FURTHER MOVEMENT TOWARD DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND OTHER DIRECT COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC LINKS.

ANALYSTS SAY AGREEMENT ON DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION, WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF ISOLATING HARD-LINE BOSNIAN SERBS AND DEAL A SERIOUS BLOW TO THEIR AIM OF A GREATER SERBIA.

MR. HOLBROOKE NOTED THE MEETING WAS CONTINGENT ON MR. IZETBEGOVIC WINNING THE MOST VOTES IN SATURDAY'S ELECTION, AND BECOMING THE CHAIRMAN OF A MULTI-ETHNIC THREE-MEMBER PRESIDENCY.

IF THE BOSNIAN-SERB CANDIDATE WERE TO WIN THE MOST VOTES, MR. HOLBROOKE SAID THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH LATER. MEANWHILE, BOSNIAN OFFICIALS SAY THEY INTEND TO PURSUE COMPLAINTS ABOUT ALLEGED VOTE IRREGULARITIES IN THE SERB REPUBLIC.

BOSNIA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, MUHAMED SACERBY, SAID THE MAIN MUSLIM PARTY, THE S-D-A, AND BOSNIA'S GOVERNMENT WILL PRESENT EVIDENCE OF VOTE FRAUD AS THE FACTS BECOME KNOWN.

THE S-D-A PARTY HAS TAKE A VERY CLEAR POSITION AND IT WILL FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT POSITION IN THE PROPER FORUMS. THE GOVERNMENT OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WILL PURSUE A SET OF OPTIONS AS WELL TO PRESENT ITS CASE. AND WE WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF IRREGULARITIES.

THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT, AND SOME INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS, HAVE COMPLAINED MUSLIM VOTERS WERE INTIMIDATED AND BLOCKED FROM CASTING THEIR BALLOTS IN SOME SERB AREAS.

DESPITE THE COMPLAINTS, ELECTION ORGANIZERS SAY THEY GENERALLY BELIEVE THE VOTE WAS FAIR. OFFICIALS SAY FIRST RESULTS ON THE PRESIDENTIAL BALLOTING COULD BE RELEASED MONDAY. (SIGNED)
NEB/KBK/JWH/RAE
15-Sep-96 2:13 PM EDT (1813 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] BOSNIA / SERBIA (S) BY KYLE KING (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC AND SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC HAVE AGREED TO MEET IN PARIS FOR TALKS AIMED AT ADVANCING THE BOSNIAN PEACE PROCESS. V-O-A'S KYLE KING IN SARAJEVO REPORTS PLANS FOR THE MEETING WERE ANNOUNCED BY U-S ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE.

TEXT: MR. HOLBROOKE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER SEPARATE TALKS WITH THE BOSNIAN AND SERBIAN PRESIDENTS.

HE SAID A MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS WOULD LIKELY TAKE PLACE IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS, AND COULD HELP BRING PROGRESS TOWARD DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND THE REESTABLISHMENT OF ECONOMIC TIES.

I THINK THERE WILL BE HEAVY EMPHASIS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, I HOPE THERE WILL BE FURTHER MOVEMENT TOWARD DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND OTHER DIRECT COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC LINKS.

MR. HOLBROOKE NOTED THE MEETING WAS CONTINGENT ON MR. IZETBEGOVIC WINNING THE MOST VOTES IN SATURDAY'S ELECTION OF A MULTI-ETHNIC NEW THREE-MEMBER PRESIDENCY.

IF THERE IS ANOTHER OUTCOME, HE SAID THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH LATER.

THE SUMMIT WOULD BE THE FIRST BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN MR. MILOSEVIC AND MR. IZETBEGOVIC SINCE THE BOSNIAN WAR BROKE OUT IN 1992.

ANALYSTS SAY AGREEMENT ON DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION, WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF ISOLATING HARDLINE BOSNIAN SERBS AND DEAL A SERIOUS BLOW TO THEIR AIM OF A GREATER SERBIA. (SIGNED)
NEB/KBK/JWH/RAE
15-Sep-96 12:57 PM EDT (1657 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] YUGOSLAVIA / BOSNIA (L ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (BELGRADE)

INTRO: THE UPCOMING MEETING IN PARIS BETWEEN SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC AND BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC IS SEEN IN BELGRADE AS A FURTHER INDICATION SERBIA WANTS TO NORMALIZE ITS RELATIONS WITH THE OTHER FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLICS. V-O-A'S BARRY WOOD REPORTS FROM BELGRADE.

TEXT: THE PARIS MEETING WAS ARRANGED BY U-S ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE WHO MET WITH PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS SUNDAY IN BELGRADE. EARLIER, MR. HOLBROOKE HAD MADE CLEAR SERB-LED YUGOSLAVIA NEEDED TO DO MORE TO MAKE THE DAYTON PEACE ACCORD SUCCEED IF IT WANTED TO GAIN FULL RECOGNITION BY THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE REMAINING INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS ENDED.

POLITICAL COMMENTATORS IN BELGRADE SAY THE WILLINGNESS OF MR. MILOSEVIC TO MEET HIS LONG TIME ADVERSARY MR. IZETBEGOVIC COULD HAVE FAR REACHING SIGNIFICANCE.

THE MEETING IS VIEWED AS A STEP TOWARDS MUTUAL RECOGNITION, WHICH HAS LONG BEEN AN OBJECTIVE OF WESTERN DIPLOMACY. DESPITE THE DAYTON ACCORD, MR. MILOSEVIC HAS RESISTED RECOGNIZING BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF OPPOSITION FROM BOSNIAN SERBS. EXPERTS SAY YUGOSLAV RECOGNITION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WOULD EFFECTIVELY END THE BOSNIAN-SERB DREAM OF UNITING WITH SERBIA.

MR. MILOSEVIC MET LAST MONTH WITH CROATIAN PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN IN ATHENS. THAT MEETING LED TO MUTUAL RECOGNITION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AT THE EMBASSY LEVEL. SOME ECONOMIC LINKS BETWEEN SERBIA AND CROATIA ARE BEING RESTORED. EARLIER THIS YEAR, YUGOSLAVIA ESTABLISHED RELATIONS WITH MACEDONIA.

YUGOSLAV OFFICIALS MAKE CLEAR THEIR PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE IS AN END TO THE REMAINING SANCTIONS, SOMETHING THEY EXPECT TO HAPPEN BY THE END OF THE MONTH. SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO ARE STILL NOT PERMITTED TO JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AND ARE CUT OFF FROM MUCH NEEDED INTERNATIONAL CREDITS. (SIGNED)
NEB/BDW/JWH/RAE
15-Sep-96 2:07 PM EDT (1807 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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