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Serbia Today 96-09-05
Serbia Today
5 September 1996
CONTENTS
[01] TRADE AND ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS SIGNED
[02] MORINA: LIVING ON HUMANITARIAN AID IS NOT A PROSPECTIVE
[03] ABUSE OF AUTHORITY A PROVOCATION
[04] THE FATE OF 1.483 SOLDIERS AND 807 CIVILIANS FROM RS IS STILL A MYSTERY
[05] RAISING THE WAR HOPES OF THE MOSLEMS
[06] HERZEG-BOSNIA WILL NOT BE DISSOLVED
[07] MOSLEMS UNSATISFIED WITH THE ELECTIONS IN CROATIA
[08] SERBS BETRAYED
[09] MOKRANJAC AND NJEGOS ON CD
[01] TRADE AND ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS SIGNED
During the official two-day visit of the high Yugoslav
delegation to Macedonia, Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic and
his Macedonian colleague Branko Crvenkovski, signed an agreement
on free trade, while six other ministers signed relative bilateral
agreements. Prime Minister Kontic also met in Skoplje with
Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, that underscored the fact that
Macedonia wants to pursue the best possible relations and
cooperation with FR Yugoslavia. Mr. Gligorov and Premier Kontic
judged highly the results of the Yugoslav delegation visit. In his
statement for the press upon returning from Macedonia, Prime
Minister Kontic said among other things: "I would like to
particularly stress the fact that the Macedonian side indicated
readiness the readiness to help the reintegration of Yugoslavia
into the international community and that it believes, just as we
do, that this is indispensable to allow Yugoslavia to continue
being a factor of peace and stability in the region."
(Borba, September 5, 1996)
[02] MORINA: LIVING ON HUMANITARIAN AID IS NOT A PROSPECTIVE
The final census of the refugees, that will be made public on
September 15, shows that there are twice more refugees in
Yugoslavia than the humanitarian organizations data indicated, said
Serbian Commissioner for Refugees - Ms. Bratislava MOrina - at the
press conference held in Subotica. After visiting the refugee camps
in Palic and talking with the Northern Backa authorities and local
officials from Subotica, Ms. Morina expressed gratitude to the
community and all the citizens that took in the refugees. For the
nearly 700 thousand refuges in Serbia (130 thousand are Moslems and
Croats), accommodation in individual and collective shelters are
not an acceptable prospective, Ms. MOrina said and added: "Now that
the census of the refugees has been completed the Commissariat has
the enormous task of providing secure conditions for their return
or stay in our country, provided they are given an adequate
compensation for the lost property, and integrated into normal
life."
(Politika, September 5, 1996)
[03] ABUSE OF AUTHORITY A PROVOCATION
Republic of Srpska Vice President and acting President - Ms.
Biljana Plavsic, addressed a note of protest to the presiding
arbiter for Brcko - Mr. Roberts Owen, for the announce visit of the
B&H Federation delegation to Brcko, warning him that he overstepped
his authority. "The town of Brcko itself is not subject of
controversy, and therefore there is no need for an inspection visit
of the Federation delegation. I should like to inform you that the
Republic of Srpska disapproves such a visit to Brcko" wrote Ms.
Plavsic adding that the responsibility for the possible
consequences of such a visit will exclusively fall upon Mr. Owen.
The Moslem side announced its visit to Brcko justified by the
"need" to check both bridges on the river Sava, the principal
roads, high-tension lines, the river harbor, and the railroad
station. Ms. Plavsic stated at the press conference held yesterday
that such an inspection can not be justified by the Dayton
Agreement articles. "What would it look like if the Republic of
Srpska were to demand the inspection of Zenica - for example? These
provocation, just like the one in the quarter of Mahale near
Zvornik, constitute deliberate breaches of the Dayton Agreement",
concluded the acting President of the Republic of Srpska.
(Politika, September 5, 1996)
[04] THE FATE OF 1.483 SOLDIERS AND 807 CIVILIANS FROM RS IS STILL A MYSTERY
Even though nine months have passed since the war in Bosnia and
Herzegovina ended, the fate of 1.483 Republic of Srpska Army
soldiers and 807 civilians listed as missing, remains unknown. This
is why the members of the Missing and Captured Soldiers and Persons
Association organized a protest rally in Banjaluka yesterday.
"According to the Dayton Agreement, all prisoners should have been
released by January 19. The Agreement has thus been seriously
breached, because all sides are still holding prisoners. Even the
Red Cross Committee is aware of the fact that the Croats are still
holding prisoner a number of Serbian soldiers", said Association
Chairman - Mr. Branko Panic. He also added that there are
dependable data on Bosnian Serb soldier held prisoner by the Moslem
authorities, and that the international organizations have been
informed about it. The After meeting with Bosnian Federation
President - Kresimir Zubak and Federation Prime Minister Hasan
Muratovic, Republic of Srpska Parliament Speaker - Mr. Momcilo
Krajisnik said that the exchange of prisoners proceeded "very
slowly" and that the Serbian side will insist that the signed
agreement be implemented. He also anticipated that the talks with
Mr. Zubak about the release of the Serbian prisoners held in
Croatia will be continued, because - he said - the issue has not
been settled yet.
(Vecernje Novosti, September 5, 1996)
[05] RAISING THE WAR HOPES OF THE MOSLEMS
"The entire Drina basin will be our Mecca and Medina" said
Moslem poet Abdulah Sidran, who is frequently seen alongside Alija
Izetbegovic at the elections rallies. He repeated his message at
the rally in Grepko (near Gorazde) where Moslem solders secured the
passage to the town under the slogan "Returning to the Drina". Such
"literary" slogans are preceded by the appearance of Alija
Izetbegovic hailed with cheers "Allah Akhbar" (Allah is great) by
the members of the "glorious 7th Moslem brigade". Accompanied by
war cries from the Moslem Democratic Action Party supporters
Izetbegovic said among other things: "Why should we give up Brcko
now that we are the strongest?" His Chief of Staff - General Rassim
Delic then vowed that "Mecca and Medina" (the river Drina) will be
secured by force. "The Army is not only ready to preserve the
territories, but to launch the operation to integrate Bosnia and
Herzegovina. This is why the Army must be strengthened by all, for
this is the shorter way to unified Bosnia" - said Delic. The
electoral medley of religion and politics has recently been joined
by efendi Jamaal Gdare with a slogan quoted by almost all
international news agencies: "Jihad is our path, and our salvation.
The Koran is our only Constitution." The SDA elections campaign in
Bosnia is smelling of war and the idea is being promoted by the
major and local leaders, with clear indications that their party
essentially advocates "integral Bosnia and Herzegovina", but under
its patronage.
(Vecernje Novosti, September 5, 1996)
[06] HERZEG-BOSNIA WILL NOT BE DISSOLVED
Bosnian Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic made it clear to his
federal partners - the Moslems - that they should not gloat because
the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia has not and will not be
dissolved, Croatian Radio reported yesterday. Speaking before
several thousand Croats gathered at a HDZ electoral rally in
Bugojno, Prlic specified that Herzeg-Bosnia is merely transferring
its administrative functions to counties and municipalities. After
the rally, Moslems stoned the busses that were taking back Croats
from Bugojno to the central Bosnian localities where they live as
refugees.
(Borba, September 5, 1996)
[07] MOSLEMS UNSATISFIED WITH THE ELECTIONS IN CROATIA
The President of the Moslem Democratic Action Party (SDA) for
Croatia -
Mr. Semso Tankovic, stated at a press conference in Zagreb that the
Moslems are not satisfied with the Bosnian elections recently held
in Croatia. He said that the organizers were partial and that they
favored the Croats from Bosnia. Tankovic also stressed that
although 50% of the refugees from B&H in Croatia are Moslems, the
majority of the voters were Croats. Asked whether he will ask that
the results of the voting in Croatia be annulled, Tankovic said
that this too bill be demanded.
(Borba, September 5, 1996)
[08] SERBS BETRAYED
The international Bureau for elections in Bosnia, opened by OSCE
in Bonn, received more some 90.000 letters containing ballots,
representing about 70% of the registered Bosnian voters living in
Germany. An overwhelming percentage of the ballots has been sent
by Moslems, which is confirmed by the rhythm with which the
envelopes arrived in Bonn - coinciding completely with the well
known instruction given by the Sarajevo authorities to boycott the
elections. As far as the Bosnian Serbs are concerned, it is now
obvious that the protests of about 100.000 Serbian temporary
workers from Bosnia have been ignored. The press representative of
the Bonn OSCE Bureau - Mr. Jens Grimm, merely said that "OSCE
services made public all information on the elections." Mr. Grim
suggested that those that would like to vote in Bosnia on September
14, should come personally to the polling stations in Bosnia.
However, this is quite impossible, since most of the Serbs from
Bosnia reside abroad and have passports issued by former Yugoslav
authorities, which can not be used to enter Bosnia.
(Vecernje Novosti, September 5, 1996)
[09] MOKRANJAC AND NJEGOS ON CD
Yesterday in Belgrade, the non-government and non-political
organization "Zavicajnost" organized the promotion of its
publishing activity. Marking the 140th anniversary of the birth of
composer Stevan Mokranjac, a CD containing a recording of his
Lithurgy has been recorded, while the 30th anniversary of the
publication of "The Essay on Mountain Wreath" has been marked by
the a CD version of Njegos' "Mountain Wreath". Operating as a
humanitarian, cultural and patriotic society, we are trying to
present our musical and literary classics to our compatriots living
abroad - said one of the "Zavicajnost" officials. Society Chairman
Ilija Arezina reminded that back in 1967 an LP with Mokranjac's
music was published in Montreal and had great success. At that time
UNESCO granted us the right to use their logo, and this will enable
us to promote these latest CDs in Paris.
(Ekspres, September 5, 1996)
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