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BosNet News: (July 23, 1996) - Press TWRABosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Adnan Smajlovic <asmaj@spectranet.ca>CONTENTS
[01] FIRST ARMS DELIVERY FOR THE FEDERATIONSarajevo, July 23, 1996 (Press TWRA)The first shipment of military equipment and weapons for the BH Federation which is a part of the US sponsored program "Equip and Train" was delivered to the Sarajevo airport Monday evening. The shipment, transported from Istanbul by a military aircraft belonging to the Sarajevo government, contained three containers with S-S missiles and a number of machine guns and ammunition. According to military sources a similar shipment is expected in Sarajevo today as well. (end) D.O.[02] OBSTRUCTION OF MOSTAR AFTER ELECTIONS - DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINASarajevo, Mostar, Zagreb, July 23, 1996 (Press TWRA)Yesterday BH President Izetbegovic requested the intervention by the EU Ministerial council to ensure that a constitutional assembling for the Mostar city council is held today. In a letter addressed to the President of the EU Ministerial council, Mr. Dick Spring, BH President stated that if HDZ representatives do not attend the assembling, a result will be a failure to solve Mostar crisis in a democratic manner. "This would block the EU administration in Mostar and create a dangerous precedent for the September elections and events in Bosnia-Herzegovina following the elections", stressed Izetbegovic.Today's assembling was convened by the oldest member ofMostar city council elected on June 30, Mr. Milan Jovicic. Yesterday's issues of Croatian newspapers close to the HDZ government in Zagreb and authorities in so-called Herzeg-Bosnia revealed that Croatian representatives would most probably boycott the assembling which consequently would prevent constituting the Mostar city council. According to the media, HDZ will employ the Mostar Interim Constitution which provides that a candidate for the mayor can only be a person who is supported by a third of attendant councilors from every nation. According to the same Constitution, conclusions concerning essential interests of one nation have to be reached by the majority of votes of both nations. The SDA party issued yesterday a press release stressing thatlatest statements made by the BH Federation President, Kresimir Zubak regarding the results of Mostar elections are "legally and politically unpermissible" and that negotiations can potentially be held only with regards to dividing seats within the city council. At a farewell meeting with the departing EU administrator, Mr. Cassado, Zubak spoke about "Croatian willingness to reach just and practical basis for constituting Mostar city council through negotiations. (end) D.O. [03] ORUCEVIC RECEIVED A SYMBOL OF VALENCIAMostar, July 23, 1996 (Press TWRA)EU administrator for Mostar, Ricardo Peres Cassado, whose mandate finished today, held a farewell meeting yesterday with Mostar mayor Safet Orucevic and president of the city board of the SDA party, Hamdija Jahic. They discussed today's constituting assembling for the Mostar city council which should elect a new Mostar mayor. "It is essential that this meeting is not postponed, for the constitution of the city, which would enable Mostar to make a forceful step into the precess of reintegration and reconstruction", said R.P.Cassado. He repeated that the "elections in Mostar were perfect and as such unquestionably accepted by the international community." Cassado thanked Orucevic for the valuable cooperation and presented him a farewell gift: a symbol of Spanish town of Valencia for which Cassado said that is given only to honorable persons since 1391. (end) A.S.[04] VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA REQUESTS ARREST OF EJUP GANICBelgrade, July 23,1996 (Press TWRA)Leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), Vojislav Kostunica commented an invitation of the Serbian president Milosevic to a vice-president of the BH Federation and a member of the BH Presidency, Ejup Ganic to visit Belgrade as a head of the delegation of BH politicians and businessmen. V. Kostunica said: "Milosevic by this has amnestied a man who is responsible for the slaughter of the ex-JNA conscripts in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo in 1992, and once again showed endless servility and full submission towards international community's men-in-power. Milosevic humbly accepts every demand from Holbrooke regardless whether it is harmful for Serbs in Bosnia or for the honor of Serbia and FRY. It is unacceptable that Belgrade invites a highest representative of a regime which these days tolerates, even provokes numerous killings, battering and threatening of entire Serb families who still live on the territory of the Muslim-Croat Federation.Ganic's visit to Belgrade has come under question in Sarajevobecause of the possible arrest of Ganic because of reasons stated by Kostunica. "Slaughter in Dobrovoljacka street" is a surprise attack at a JNA convoy which was leaving Sarajevo and was headed to the surrounding hills from which in the following three and a half years bombed the city and killed over 12 thousand citizens. In this attack a certain amount of heavy weapons was seized, and few JNA and Bosnian territorial defense soldiers were killed. All this took place on May 2,1992 after the JNA arrested Bosnian President Izetbegovic at the Sarajevo airport. In retaliation, Serbian general Milutin Kukanjac, who prepared the occupation of the city, was captured in Dobrovoljacka Street, after which he and his associates were exchanged fro President Izetbegovic and his associates. When in 1993 relations between Belgrade and Pale turned cold,Serbian opposition leaders (Kostunica, Djindjic, Seselj and most others except V. Draskovic, V. Pesic, and Veselinov) often visited Pale and expressed their support to Karadzic and Mladic. Most persistent in endorsing genocide perpetrated on Bosniaks was Kostunica. In the last few days Karadzic's media reported about terror exercised over Serbs in the BH Federation. Bosnian President Izetbegovic said that although there have been cases of violence committed over Serbs, these are incidents which will be investigated and which cannot be compared to the systematic terror exercised over non-Serbs living in a Serbian entity in Bosnia. An additional hindrance to Ganic's visit to Belgrade is thatthe BH Government refuses to drop the charges against FRY for aggression and genocide submitted to the International Court of Justice, and a request for $60 billion reparation costs. A recently conducted poll in Serbia, Montenegro and Vojvodina(FRY without Kosovo) shows a decline in popularity of S. Milosevic. The largest number of those questioned ( a sample of 2448 persons examined by the Center for marketing mark plan) does not trust any politician (28,8%). Milosevic follows (23,7%) to whom this is the lowest level of popularity so far (similar was in the autumn last year), while the highest rise in popularity so registered Kostunica (9,2%, twice as the last time) . Milosevic is supported mainly by the people over 54 and of lower education, and Kostunica by younger educated people (18-34). Djindjic and Seselj follow (each 6,7%), but Seselj's popularity has declined while Djindjic's has risen which makes him the most popular politicians among middle aged (35-54 years). Among the Serbian opposition leaders the lowest position occupies Vuk Draskovic, who in the last fey years has shown highest criticism towards aggressive and genocidal Serbian politics (but his opinion tends to shift). The eight place occupies Milosevic's wife Mirjana Markovic (who leads "leftists") whose popularity in the last poll rocketed, but now has stabilized. Analysts close to the Anti-war campaign in Belgrade warnthat such results show a disturbing trend among Serbs and Montenegrins in FRY ( a number of Montenegrins is far smaller than a number of Serbians). This represents a continuation of a trend present from the second half of the eighties in which the highest popularity was recorded among politicians who asked for defending national interests, even at a price of war, including the crimes committed towards other nations and recalcitrant Serbians. In case these politicians tactically or for some other reason endorse a rhetoric of tolerance and pacifism, their popularity drops instantly. Additional worry is that chauvinism is present among college educated people, especially among young and middle aged. (end) A.S. Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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