SRNA REVIEW OF DAILY NEWS, July 19, 1996

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From: Mirjana Petrovic <almirja@cotton.vislab.olemiss.edu>

SARAJEVO - Vicepresident of Republika Srpska (RS), Dr. Biljana Plavsic, talked today in Pale with the representatives of the Serbian Alliance from Stockholm about the current political situation in RS and its cooperation with the Alliance. Concerning the present situation in RS, the representatives of the Alliance were particularly interested in the preelection atmosphere.

BELGRADE - At a press conference in the Belgrade Hayat Hotel, the US president's special envoy, Richard Holbrooke stated that President Radovan Karadzic of Republika Srpska (RS) "quit definitely the political life". Holbrooke specified that neither Dr. Karadzic will be heard and seen in public, nor will on any way take part at the September elections. He confirmed that a communique was signed late last evening, saying that Karadzic will withdraw from the post of the president of RS and from the leadership of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS).

BELGRADE - The Democratic Party assessed that by the with draw from the previous functions, President Radovan Karadzic of Republika Srpska "once again, showed his willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Serbian people".

BANJALUKA - The leadership of the Alliance for Peace and Progress (SMP) in RS warned that the possible disqualification of the SDS from the elections might brought their democratic legiti macy and the further implementation of the Dayton agreement into a question. At a press conference in Banjaluka, the SMP leaders warned that Clinton's envoy Richard Holbrooke's tour is aimed at exerting additional pressures upon the Serb side, and this will certainly not contribute to the maintenance of peace in the former B-H.

BANJALUKA - The Party of the Independent SocialDemocrats (SNSD) of RS believes that the elections, scheduled for September 14, are the key question for Republika Srpska and its people. "Taking into consideration the possibilities that the elections might be brought into the question, we consider that the main task of all political parties is to participate at the elections", stated for SRNA the SNSD president, Milorad Dodik.

DOBOJ - In a statement for SRNA, the president of the Yugo

slav Left (JUL - party) for RS, Milorad Ivosevic warned that any possible prohibition for any of the registered political parties to run at the elections would be counterproductive and detrimen tal. "Parties that have met the agreed conditions for coming out at the September elections in the former B-H should take part at the same", said the JUL president.

BANJALUKA - If the international community wants to exclude the SDS from the elections, than this is a case of motive for the elections to fail, believes the president of the Radical Homeland Front "Nikola Pasic", Bozidar Bojanic. "The people by its own will, through the democratic elections, exclude the parties that are not suitable to rule. Therefore, the international community does not have to exclude the SDS from the elections, because the people themselves will say whether the Party is good enough to organise the rule, or not", stressed Bojanic.

BANJALUKA - The president of the Serbian Party of the Kraji na (SSK), Predrag Lazarevic, stated in Banjaluka that if the SDS is not allowed to take part at the elections, the SSK will not participate at the same. "In the event that the SDS is not al lowed to participate at the elections, the SSK will not only come out at the elections, but will also point its finger to all parties that don't do the same thing and declare the same as quisling forces", stressed Lazarevic in a statement for SRNA.

BELGRADE - The secretarygeneral of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Aleksandar Vucic, assessed the US mediator, Richard Holbrooke's visit to Belgrade as one more pressure upon the Serbs to extradite Dr.Radovan Karadzic and general Ratko Mladic to the Hague Tribunal. "Following unsuccessful attempts by the interna tional community at removing President Radovan Karadzic and general Ratko Mladic from the political stage and at preparing their departure to the Hague, it is hardly to believe that Slobo dan Milosevic could even dare to agree to this", said Vucic in a statement for SRNA.

PODGORICA - The Serbian Congregational Party (SSS) of Monte Negro will not participate at the elections in RS, for it does not want to take precious votes away from the SDS - the only guarantor for preserving of the Serbian state, stated the SSS vicepresident, Momir Vojvodic in Podgorica.

ATHENS - President Radovan Karadzic of Republika Srpska and the chiefof-staff of the RS Army, general Ratko Mladic refused the offered asylum in the Serbian Monastery Hilandar at Sveta Gora, writes the Athens paper, Ta Nea.

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