BOSNEWS digest 467 - 15/11/95

From: Davor <[email protected]>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

CONTENTS

[01] BOSNIA PEACE TALKS IN DAYTON: GUARDED OPTIMISM

The news blackout on the Dayton peace talks on Bosnia, and interest in other important events and issues such as the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the U.S. budget crisis, reduced the amount of commentary on the situation in the former Yugoslavia and the progress of the U.S.-led negotiations. However, the publicly announced agreements have spawned guardedly optimistic assessments of the prospects for peace in the region. According to many in the foreign press, the bumpy road to peace has been smoothed, somewhat, by the resolution of a number of sticky issues. Among the "promising" developments they cited were a deal between Croatian authorities and rebel Serbs for the peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia into Croatia, the establishment of ground rules for the Croat-Muslim federation and the U.S.-Russia agreement to allow Russian troops to participate in international peacekeeping in post-war Bosnia without being under direct NATO command. In Croatia, commentators were more restrained in their remarks on a negotiated settlement on eastern Slavonia. While welcoming the agreement as a sign of progress, they warned--along with a few other critics--that the Serbs have not been trustworthy in complying with previous agreements.

[02] BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: "Sarajevo Is Core Of Problem"

Independent Oslobodjenje (11/14) front-paged this by Zija Dizdarevic, "The solving of the eastern Slavonia problem...greatly concerns Bosnia-Herzegovina.... Bosnian-Serb relations remain to be solved. Therefore, the decisions that will follow are of crucial importance for the future of Bosnia.... The most serious clashes with painful consequences are inevitable.

"The core of the problem is Sarajevo.... An agreement on an undivided Sarajevo, having the status of a district, would lead the negotiations in a more successful direction. Altogether, it seems that the American peace initiative has been successful.... (But) if there is no agreement on all the key issues about the future of Bosnia, very dangerous problems could rise again."

"Now For The Hard Part"

Zoran Pirolic commented in independent Oslobodjenje (11/13), "The last and most difficult stage of the American scenario for the Bosnian peace will start today in Dayton. "An impression was created that real advancement has been achieved, but in reality one can only see huge paper work that affirms previous agreements. The Federation of Muslims and Croats will enter history, thanks more to the great number of bombastic agreements reached far away from Bosnia than very moderate achievements on the ground.

"Right now, the essential questions, which huge paperwork cannot disguise, should be discussed.... We should see what solutions the Americans propose for the central government in future Bosnia, how they see the future of Sarajevo, and finally what will be the line of demarcation."

"Looking To America"

Independent Oslobodjenje commented (11/9), "When all the participants took their seats around the negotiating table, Warren Christopher stood up and instructed Milosevic, Tudjman and Izetbegovic to shake hands. Obediently, they conducted the ritual. That was the first American lecture for the Balkan negotiators, clearly sending the message of what is the purpose of the Ohio meeting.

"There are many reasons to blame the American policy toward Bosnia, from the fatal delay to stop the Serbian agression to the unclear peace approach, for which nobody can predict the outcome.... The Americans have never taken the responsibility for the behavior of the Serbs or Croats, or for anybody on these territories. It is another issue that twice during this century, the Americans decided to put out the fire in Europe, deciding who would be the winner..... However, the

Americans did not create this situation. If, at the last minute, the civilized world called on them to do something, we can be sure that they will do it according to their severe pragmatism.

"Many analysts believe that the compromise will be at Bosnia's expense. However, it is hardly likely that Milosevic and Tudjman will depart content from Ohio.... The Americans want to solve the issue.... Practically, all the contradictory issues are left to the Americans to solve."

[03] CROATIA: "U.S., International Community Must Monitor Agreement"

Influential, pro-government Vjesnik's Aleksandar Milosevic wrote (11/13), "It will be of the greatest importance that the international community, above all the United States with its continuous presence, monitors the implementation of the signed agreement [regarding the reintegration of eastern Slavonia]. Then this agreement may mark not the end of war but the beginning of peace."

"Coverup For The Serbian Defeat"

Pro-government Vecernji list columnist Visnja Staresina stated (11/14), "The almost euphoric optimism that the foreign media expressed over the eastern Slavonia agreement needs to be brought back down to earth. There is no doubt that this is a significant agreement that might become the foundation for peaceful reintegration, but by no means is it a result of a long process of negotiations, as Stoltenberg says. It is a direct result of the peace process in Dayton under the patronage of the Americans, who used combined pressure to bring the sides to sign the agreement as the only option.

"There is no doubt that Croatia would be happier with a somewhat clearer and more elaborate text of the agreement, with precisely defined time-tables and deadlines. But for its own pragmatic reasons America did not want to resolve the eastern Slavonia problem completely while at the same time scarcely seriously touching the Bosnia-Herzegovina problem. The United States does not want further to weaken Milosevic, who is the key partner in making peace possible.

"After the Sunday signatures, the peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem is not a fait accomplis, but it is possible. In spite the fact that this is not an ideal agreement and that the problem of the implementing forces is yet to be resolved, the possibility for peaceful reintegration lies in the fact that Serbia lost the war in Croatia. Up till now it has used international forces to maintain the status quo while trying to legalize conquest. The new forces should permit an honorable exit--to cover up defeat with cooperation."

"Good Compromise"

Zagreb s other major, pro-government daily, Vjesnik (11/14) ran this column by Nenad Ivankovic:

"By signing this agreement, Croatia gave up nothing. Croatia merely gave peace and a possibility for political settlement a chance. "That is why this agreement is a direct victory for Croatian diplomacy and an indirect one for Croatian arms. But should it happen that the Serbs, or even the international community, fail to comply with the obligations (they have) undertaken, they will themselves legitimize the other option that Zagreb is keeping in case of desperate need."

"The Agreement Guarantees A Return Of Illusions?"

Departing a bit from the prevailing view, regional pro-government Slobodna Dalmacija (11/14) carried a very aggressive anti-agreement commentary attacking Croatia's negotiator, Hrvoje Sarinic, for signing such a document. Bojan Divjak, who reports for the paper from the Croatian side of eastern Slavonia, wrote, " If one wants to analyze Sarinic's most recent signature, one should remember the other agreements that he has authorized. With the Zagreb

Agreement the lines of control of the Croatian army were drawn in absolute disfavor to the Croats; the infamous 'Highway Agreement' ended with the killing of several Croatian citizens and numerous humiliations for highway users. After the Zagreb Agreement, Sarinic said that he would never again sign such a document. We hope that for this agreement he will not have to say such a thing--for the stakes are much higher now."

[04] SERBIA-MONTENEGRO: "Major Deal Still Ahead"

Centrist Nasa Borba carried a front-page article by Washington correspondent Slobodan Pavlovic (11/13), "The question now is whether after these two agreements (Croatia-Bosnia and eastern Slavonia) we are going to see the third and the most uncertain one, the one between Izetbegovic and Milosevic, which would mark the finalization of the so-called 'peace package' for Bosnia.... This major job, however, is still ahead, and it is mainly about the territorial division of the single state of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and about Sarajevo as the most complex and the most sensitive problem."

"The Americans (supported by the Europeans) both begin and end their peace plan with a concept of a single Bosnia-Herzegovina with two entities, and on that issue, President Clinton's strategy is quite clear. In short, it follows two parallel tracks--on the one hand, everything is being done to strengthen the Bosnian federation, while on the other, Milosevic is requested to get rid of the key men at

Pale: Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Other international mediators are in agreement with the Americans that this is the only way to consolidate the future two-part Bosnia, envisaged by the Ohio peace plan. It remains to be seen, however, how realistic this thinking is, and how prepared and able the three Balkan war protagonists are to follow the Dayton road.... All in all, one should believe Holbrooke when he warns that 'all is possible' in Dayton, and that the only sure thing is that the war in Bosnia would reignite if Wright-Patterson became yet one more failure on the list of international diplomacy defeats."

[05] SLOVENIA: "Is The Dove Of Peace Already In Hand?"

Left-of-center Delo (11/14) featured this commentary by Darijan Kosir: "The evidently successful agreement between the Russian and the U.S. defense ministers...on international mediation in Bosnia...and on U.S.-Russian cooperation within this mediation is very interesting, particularly because it is one of the very few cases of successful negotiations to solve basic problems in the world.... This agreement is even more important from the point of view of U.S.-Russian relations, which still vitally influence global security. In brief, the agreement means that Russia has acknowledged the United States' leading role in the operation in Bosnia, whereas the United States has granted to Russia the status 'of first among many.' In this way, both sides are satisfied; this can enable a successful mediation by the international community in the political and military fields.

"This is one of the first cases of consensus among the members of the international community...since the introduction of sanctions against Serbia in 1992.... The international community may be headed for one of its first diplomatic-military successes following a number of disappointments in recent years, and it would be very stupid to miss such an opportunity."

[06] Karadzic and Mladic Will Not Resign...

Nov, 14 1995 VIENNA, Austria

Nationalist Bosnian Serbs have denied that their political and military leaders will resign once a peace agreement is reached for Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a statement reported by their news agency, the nationalist Bosnian Serbs say their political leader, Radovan Karadzic, and their military commander, General Ratko Mladic, will not voluntarily resign.

The Serb news agency rejects what it calls "speculation" that the two men will step down as part of a deal with the Serbian President, Slobodan Milosevic.

[07] ...But Goldstone Will Resign

Nov, 14 1995 THE HAGUE, Netherland

In the Hague, the War Crimes Tribunal's Chief Prosecutor, Richard Goldstone of South Africa, says he might resign if Karadzic and General Mladic avoid prosecution in return for accepting a Bosnian peace agreement.

Mr. Goldstone told reporters politicians do not have the moral, legal, or political right to forgive people charged with genocide and crimes against humanity without the victims' consent. Mr. Goldstone says he must accept assurances from the US that the indictments of the Serb political and military leaders are not negotiable.

The Chief Prosecutor adds that if a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council was involved in such a tradeoff, all those at the Tribunal would question whether it was worthwhile to pursue their work.

[08] Top Bosnian officer may be indicted for war crimes

Nov, 14 1995 DAYTON, Ohio

A Bosnian government commander of military operations in an eastern Bosnian enclave of Srebrenica is expected to be indicted for war crimes, an official close to the Balkan peace talks in Dayton, Ohio said Monday.

The source said that Naser Oric could be indicted ``within a day or two'' by the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague in connection with killings of Serb civilians in the area during 1993.

There was no official confirmation that an indictment was being planned, but the source had accurately reported earlier indictments including that of six Bosnian Croat officers Monday. A source close to the Bosnian delegation could not confirm the indictment.

If indicted, Oric would be the first Bosnian government official to be charged with war crimes since the tribunal was set up in 1993 by the United Nations. It has now indicted 52 suspects of whom seven are Croats and 45 Serbs.

Oric's indictment would be a surprise because Bosnian Serbs have been accused of massacring 5,000 Muslims fleeing the Srebrenica area in July in the worst single atrocity in Europe since the end of the Second World War.

[09] Peace Talks

Nov, 14 1995 DAYTON, Ohio

US Secretary Of State Warren Christopher said he is prepared to in stay Dayton until midnight (Tuesday) in an effort to break the deadlock between Bosnia and Serbia about the division of territory between the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Serbian entity.

The current plan on the table divides the territory 51 to 49 percent in favor of the Federation but the two sides cannot agree on how those proportions translate on the ground. The Bosnian Government wants a unified capital but the Bosnian Serbs want to hold on to the areas of Sarajevo they control today. The Bosnian Government wants a corridor to the eastern enclave of Gorazde through territory held by the Serbs. The nationalist Bosnian Serbs refuse.

The Serbs want a wider corridor in the north connecting the city of Banja Luka with Serbia and the Federation is resisting that. Also left to be determined are the powers of the central Government and those to be reserved for the Bosnian Serbs.

[10] Plan for Refugees

Nov, 14 1995 GENEVA. Switzerland

The UN High Commissioner For Refugees Sadako Ogata and other humanitarian agencies are beginning to make plans for the return of people displaced by conflicts in Bosnia and Croatia.

UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond says it will be an extremely complex and fragile operation -- no matter what agreement emerges from the peace talks in Ohio.

The UNHCR currently plans a three-phase process. It would focus first on the 1,500,000 people displaced inside Bosnia and Herzegovina; then on the more than 800- thousand refugees in surrounding countries, principally Croatia and Serbia, and finally on the 700-thousand Balkan refugees living outside the region, mainly in west European nations.

Mr. Redmond says the entire process is expected to take about two years, at a cost of 300-million to 500-million dollars.

The spokesman says UNHCR will compile detailed lists of the refugees and displaced, noting their original places of residence and whether they wish to return to their homes. But he added that "whether they are going to be able to go back to their original homes, however, is another story."

Many analysts question whether repatriation will be feasible for some of the largest groups of refugees such as the hundreds-of-thousands of Muslims and Croats expelled in brutal circumstances from the Serb strongholds of Northern and Eastern Bosnia.

Mr. Redmond acknowledges repatriation may also prove difficult, if not impossible for the bulk of the 200-thousand Croatian Serbs who fled the Krajina region after it was retaken by Croatian Government troops last August.

[11] LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT AND ON THE GROUND IN THE BALKANS

The U.N. War Crimes Tribunal yesterday indicted six Bosnian Croats. They include Tihomir Blaskic, commander of the Bosnian Croat militia, and Dario Kordic, president of the Bosnian branch of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's ruling party, the Croatian Democratic Union. The six were indicted for war crimes committed during 1993, when separatist Bosnian Croat forces, backed by Croatia, fought a brutal war against the Bosnian government.

The indictments might complicate efforts at the peace talks at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, to strengthen Muslim-Croat relations in Bosnia. Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman signed an accord Friday to strengthen the Bosnian Federation.

The Croatian government and Serbian forces occupying eastern Slavonia signed an accord on Sunday to return the region to Croatia's control. The accord calls for the U.N. Security Council to establish a "Transition Administration," backed by international forces, to administer the region for one year. The transitional period could be extended to two years at the request of either party.

The U.N. War Crimes Tribunal today rejected two motions by Dusan Tadic to dismiss war crimes charges against him. Tadic, a Bosnian Serb, is the only indicted war criminal in the Tribunal's custody. Yesterday, the Tribunal indicted six Bosnian Croats. They include Tihomir Blaskic, commander of the Bosnian Croat militia, and Dario Kordic, president of the Bosnian branch of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's ruling party, the Croatian Democratic Union. The six were indicted for war crimes committed during 1993, when separatist Bosnian Croat forces, backed by Croatia, fought a brutal war against the Bosnian Army and launched genocidal attacks against Bosnian Muslim civilians. UNPROFOR officials announced that they will continue to interact with the Bosnian Croat leaders regardless of the indictments.

Secretary of State Warren Christopher arrived today at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, to press the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia to agree to a Bosnia peace agreement. U.S. mediators are reportedly ruling out further so-called "piecemeal" agreements, like the accord to strengthen the Bosnian Federation signed Friday by Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. The Clinton Administration instead hopes to achieve a comprehensive settlement. U.S. officials attempted to downplay expectations for a imminent conclusion to the two-week-long negotiations, but sources suggest that an agreement might indeed be reached very soon.

[12] BOSNIANS FORGE AHEAD WITH PLANS TO REVAMP THEIR UNIVERSITIES

By Burton Bollag

GRAZ, Austria -- Encouraged by increased prospects for peace, government officials and academics in Bosnia are pushing ahead with plans to revamp the country's war-battered and outmoded higher-education system.

"My vision for after the war is better quality and less quantity," says Faruk Seleskovic, rector of the University of Sarajevo.

The rector says he would ultimately like the university to enroll 15,000 students (about 11,500 registered for the current academic year). Before the war began three and a half years ago, the university enrolled 30,000 students, about 25 per cent of them from other parts of the former Yugoslavia.

Bosnia has managed to keep the Universities of Mostar, Tuzla, and Sarajevo, all located in government-held territory, operating throughout the war, although under difficult conditions and often at minimal levels.

A fourth Bosnian university is in the Serb-held town of Banja Luka. Virtually all of its non-Serb students and faculty have been ousted, according to professors who were among them.

In addition to the universities, Bosnia's post-secondary education system includes smaller institutions providing instruction in technical and vocational fields as well as teacher training colleges.

Srebren Dizdar, permanent secretary for education in Bosnia's Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, says his small country -- which will probably lose half its territory and a third of its population in any peace agreement -- would ideally have "one good faculty in each field." Until now, he says, the universities often duplicated each other's offerings -- three electrical engineering schools, for example.

"We don't have to restore everything we had before the war," says Mr. Dizdar. "Sometimes it's better to send someone abroad to study" than to maintain departments in fields with few students.

National Conference Set

The Ministry is organizing a national conference on university education, to be held next month in Tuzla. It will include debate on a discussion paper, drawn up last summer, on revamping the country's higher-education system and eliminating duplicate programs. It also is expected to deal with the problem of the current division of the University of Mostar into Croatian and Muslim halves. Ministry officials say negotiations on reuniting the institution are in progress.

In February, an international conference on Bosnian higher education is to be held in Barcelona, Spain. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and representatives of various donor organizations are expected to attend, as well as international education experts who are being asked to assist Bosnia in modernizing its education system.

Mr. Dizdar says the changes in the system will add more flexibility to course offerings anmd degree programs. He says the introduction of tuition and a student-loan system are envisioned. Instructors will probably be hired on a contract basis in place of the current tenure system.

The Ministry will use the Barcelona conference to ask institutions in other countries to offer faculty-development and refresher courses for some of the 1,200 Bosnian university instructors now living in exile and expected to return to their homeland. The Bosnian universities also are eager to develop exchanges with foreign institutions, since the faculty ranks in many disciplines have been depleted by the war. The University of Sarajevo says it recently has signed faculty-exchange agreements with 24 foreign institutions, most of them in Western Europe.

Student Support for Reform

Many students are in favor of reforming the system. "The universities are old-fashioned," says Muhamed Serdarevic, president of the recently reconstituted Student Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Student voices should be heard when decisions are being made. We want our degrees recognized in other countries."

Meanwhile, the Bosnian government has given the education ministry about $700,000 to send more academics to teach at institutions in parts of the country suffering from the worst shortages of personnel. Officials say the need is particularly great in the northwestern region of Bihac, the enclave near the border with Croatia that had been under siege by Bosnian Serb forces until late summer.

After a long and bloody conflict that spared few Bosnian institutions, the country's three universities and other educational centers are in dire need of everything from library books and periodicals to laboratory and computer equipment.

[13] PORT BAR - NATO BASE

Belgrade, November 14,1995 (Press TWRA) - In the interview for Belgrade's independent newspaper "Nasa borba" Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister of Monte Negro talked about Port Bar which Monte Negro offered NATO to use. "Monte Negro persisted on demand to open Port Bar - although for humanitarian needs. This is a necessary for peace in Bosnia and I think it is Monte Negro's obligation to give such support to peace in Bosnia. Bosnia will need army and equipment: the shortest, most rational and most logical way is through Port Bar. We would like Bar to open immediately and to be used for different things commercial and any other (...) to make Bar reception point from which the troops and equipment would transfer for Bosnia. (...) We did not consult with Belgrade on that subject".

As agency "Beta" reported the President of Serbian Democratic Party Zoran Djindjic said in Bijeljina that he foresees that until New Year will arose the crises between Serbia and Monte Negro. Djindjic said that in Monte Negro there is "a political team around Momir Bulatovic which is very strong and which can not assent to become only one sector in Milosevic's service". He also foresees the conflict in which Milosevic would "go as far as to separate Serbia from Yugoslavia in order to become the infinite ruler at least in Serbia". (end) S.K.

[14] MILOSEVIC WILL BE PRESIDENT OF BALKAN BANK

Sarajevo, November 14,1995 (Press TWRA) - Sarajevo's daily "Dnevni avaz" reported the Belgrade's "Srpska rec" text which deals with the post-war destiny of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. "Srpska rec" claims that exists the part of American plan which denotes Milosevic's life after the war. According to this American plan Milosevic would after the end of his mandate or before withdraw from political life and move to Athens, where he would be appointed for the director of some sort of future Balkan's Bank where the majority of capital would be American. Such a powerful bank would have a great influence on the economy of the whole territory and about 3O% of financial resources would go for the reconstruction of the republics created on the territory of former Yugoslavia.

It is foreseen that Milosevic would spend at least three and at most five years in Athens from where he could as a President of the bank control the key business streams in Serbia which would enable him to return to Serbia when more favorable conditions are created. Milosevic would have the fixed salary of $156 OOO dollars and 18 people who would take care of his physical safety and a special political and intelligence headquarters with 3O professionals. All preparation for Milosevic's departure for Athens would be done through the Embassy of "FRY" in Greece, and the current candidates for Ambassadors in Athens are Head of State Security of Serbia Jovica Stancic and Zoran Janackovic from the Foreign Ministry, claims "Srpska rec".

[15] UNPROFOR CONTINUES COOPERATION WITH BLASKIC AND KORDIC

Sarajevo, Nov 14, 1995 (Press TWRA) - "Mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal is quite different from the UNPROFOR mandate, so the decisions are within the competence and concern of Tribunal while we have to continue our mission. Indictment against Kordic and Blaskic does not affect their cooperation with the UN officials to B-H as it is vital for the peace keeping forces mission. We do not hold that our cooperation with Blaskic, Kordic and other charged with war crimes could threaten the credibility of the Hague Tribunal," said the UNPROFOR spokesman to Sarajevo A. Ivanko.

Brussels, Strasbourg - During the visit to EU, the UN Secr. Gen. Ghali said that reaching a stable peace in ex-Yugoslavia is the UN priority while the International Tribunal is of the secondary importance.

Ghali has many times tried to impede the work of the Hague Tribunal joining those who see it as unnecessary or even harmful for "peace process." Recently, the view of Ghali and his lobby has been that Tribunal could be used for exerting pressure to achieve peace but not necessary to carry out its decisions if the war to ex-Yugoslavia is brought to the end. Ghali, backed by UN Russian & British officials claims peace will last only if there is no winner. For such outcome the Tribunal should be suspended.

Those who want to impede the Tribunal's work do that by financial obstruction, so Ghali said several times that the Hague Tribunal only worsened already hard situation of the UNO budget. Such situation encouraged Antonio Cassese, the Tribunal's president to issue the statement: " What a strange Tribunal. We trail and the suspects are not visible in the court, indict and do not know where the accused are, speak on behalf of justice and it makes fool of us and above all, when the bulb burns out we have another problem. /end/ A.S.

[16] BBC DISTORTS THE WAR REALITY, SAYS MARTIN BELL

Berlin, Nov 14, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Leading BBC reporter Martin Bell criticised BBC at the international conference of TV houses "Newsworld 95" in Berlin for censoring war reports from Bosnia embellishing the war as a media topic. "We present soldiers while passing by ruins but not what is going on the other side. The result is embellishing war and making the impression that war is acceptable way to settle disputes. We are in danger to forge the world around us. When in Jan. 1994 a humanitarian worker was killed, the editors to London decided to show, from a long, not a short, distance, the blood remained in snow where the corpse was taken from," said Bell. To the response of Richard Sambroke that the viewers must be taken care of not to be upset, Bell answered: "BBC relies too much on their researches. If our main task is not to upset the people where are we going to?" /end/ A.S.

[17] GRANIC AND TOMAC IN POWER AT ZAGREB

Zagreb, Nov 14 1995 (Press TWRA) - Opposition with great majority in the Zagreb city and region Assembly proposed Goran Granic (HSLS) and Zdravko Tomac (SDP) for the Zagreb mayor. According to recent statements issued by Croatian president Tudjman, it can be concluded that he will not let the power in Zagreb into the hands of opposition. Tudjman is expected to refuse the appointment of Granic and Tomac, annul the previous elections and schedule new ones for the Zagreb Assembly. Croatian media have written recently that Tudjman alone will appoint a member of HDZ as a mayor and if the opposition in the repeated elections do not get majority votes and mandates in Zagreb.

Today, electoral commission of Croatia, after more than two weeks after the elections, has released final and official results for Croatian Parliament. According to the data, of 3.634,233 voters, 68.79% did vote but 3.31% ballots were invalid. On the state lists, the ruling HDZ received 45.23% votes (and 42 of 8O mandates), the opposition coalition got 18.26% (16 mandates), Social-liberals 11.55% (1O% mandates), Social democrats 8.93 % (8 mandates) and Croatian Party of Right 5.O1% (mandates). Other parties did not get necessary 5% so their votes are added to the parties which did, proportionally to their votes. On the list for diaspora where a small number of people voted (what does not make the elections irregular), HDZ received 9O.O2% and all 12 mandates. Of 2O polling units, HDZ won in 21 and the united opposition in 7 (members of Social-liberals, Social-democrats and Istrian regionalist in two each, while Croatian independent democrats in one). Of 7 mandates for minorities, 4 were won by independent candidates, two Serb People party and one by Action of Social Democrats of Croatia. In new gathering of the House of the Representatives, of 127 mandates HDZ has 75 and opposition parties 45 members. Croatian Party of Right (formally opposition party but much closer to HDZ than the opposition) 4 and minorities 7 members. Among the opposition members is Marko Veselica a leader of Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) who became a parliamentarian on the list of the opposition coalition led by HSS (Croatian Peasant party)), which also included HNS (Croatian People party) and two regional parties: IDS (Istrian Democratic Assembly) and SBHS (Croatian party of Slavonia-Baranja). Veselica was 14 years imprisoned for political reasons in communist Yugoslavia so Croatian dissidents used to call him "Croatian Nelson Mendela". Veselica cooperated with Tudjman six years ago for a short time but they separated soon, due to different political programs regarding Croatia and ex-Yugoslavia and particularly B-H. HKDU became a parliamentarian party through Veselica formally enabling him admittance to European Democratic Union (EDU), which includes democratic parties. HDZ was unsuccessfully trying to gain that position for itself but EDU refused them several times. /end/ A.S.

[18] SANDZAK HAS TO BE PART OF OVERALL SOLUTION

Sarajevo, Nov 13,1995 (Press TWRA) - The President of Muslim National Council (MNC) for Sandzak dr. Sulejman Ugljanin sent the letter to General Secretary of OIC dr. Hamid Algabid in which he informs him about present political situation in Sandzak and constant violation of human, national and political rights of Bosniaks on Sandzak. MNC demands from OIC to, as a collective member of United Nations, activate the international mechanisms and demand the urgent solution of status of Sandzak and to include Sandzak in all programs of reconstruction proposed by EU and UN which relate to the territory of former Yugoslavia. MNC demands the official establishing of special Contact Group which would follow the situation on Sandzak. (end) S.K.

[19] CROATS FROM "HERCEG-BOSNIA" IN CROATIAN PARLIAMENT

Zagreb, Nov 13,1995 (Press TWRA) - After the Croatian elections were finished four Croats from so called "Herzeg-Bosnia" were elected in the House of Representatives from the special HDZ list for diaspora. One of them was Ivo Lozancic member of Presidential Council of so called "Herzeg-Bosnia" and Defence Minister Deputy stated for the Zagreb's daily "Vecernji list" that their election was in accordance with the agreed principles of Washington agreement according to which the confederal relations should be established between Federation of Croats and Bosniak-Muslims and Croatia". Lozancic extended this statement saying that not only everything is in accordance with Washington Agreement but that their "status in Croatian Parliament was the issue of agreement between the Zagreb and Sarajevo highest officials".

Sarajevo - Split's weekly "Feral Tribune" commenting on the Lozancic's interview in Croatian media remained that Government in Sarajevo sent the resolute interpolation to US, the sponsor of Bosniak-Croatian Agreement. "Feral" also reports on recently published consequences of cleansing of so called "Herzeg-Bosnia" from non-Croatian citizens in the last four years: in 1991 35O OOO Croats, 135 OOO Muslims and 11O OOO Serbs lived on that territory. Today only number of Croats remained nearly the same, while there are only 5OOO-6OOO Muslims and Serbs left. (end) S.K.

[20] GIVING UP POWER FOR NON-EXTRADITION

Belgrade, Nov 12, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Karadzic and Mladic did not accept to give up power in the Serb held part of B-H in exchange for non extradition to the Hague Tribunal, Associated Press informs referring to the magazine "NIN" alleging that Milosevic recently reached agreement with Karadzic and Mladic. It is not known if Milosevic's promise to Karadzic and Mladic not to extradite them will support of the USA.

[21] URGENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IZETBEGOVIC-TUDJMAN AGREEMENT

Sarajevo, Nov 12, 1995 (Press TWRA) - B-H govt. decided to implement without delay the Izetbegovic-Tudjman agreement from Dayton. B-H govt. official who wanted to be anonymous said the reason for haste was the wish of Sarajevo to return refugees and establish legal system on the HVO held areas while president Tudjman is still under Clinton's administration pressure to the USA to stick to the agreed. Result of the pressure is weaker resistance of the authorities of the so-called Herzeg Bosnia to the agreement implementation. If defined measures are put off, resistance of "Herzeg Bosnia" would grow with the weakening pressure of the USA on Zagreb.

According to the B-H govt. decision, state minister of the interior (Bakir Alispahic) and of the refugee and humanitarian issues (Muharem Cero) travelled to Travnik and Bugojno to step up the preparations for return of Croatian refugees. Minister Cero is in contact with Martin Raguz, minister for refugees of "Herzeg Bosnia" who is to secure the return of Bosniak refugees to Jajce and Stolac. Due to security of refugees in those towns, full responsibility of the B-H Federation police should be set up. Deputy chairman of SDA, E. Bicakcic said for B-H Press: "The Dayton agreement on strengthening Federation as the basis for reintegration of the Republic is very significant and I think that we finally have the opportunity to build Federation fully and entirely. The chance should be taken to the end of the year."

Rijeka - J. Lovric writes in the column of the Croatian independent daily "Novi List": "Functioning of the Federal govt. means the end of the self-styled Croatian Republic of Herzeg Bosnia the competence of which is transferred to the level of Federation. The Dayton agreement does not mention Herzeg Bosnia but dismissal of civil authorities on the HVO controlled areas. Mostar as an integral town with 6 counties, is the second item of the agreement in accord to which Croatia gives up division of the town into Muslim and Croat part along the Neretva river as ethnic and administrative border."

New York - "The New York Times" stresses a weak point of the Tudjman-Izetbegovic agreement-it does not specify the way to integration of the two armed forces in the Federation- B-H army and HVO. /end/ A.S.

[22] SERBS ADMITTED CAPTURING CIVILIANS

Sarajevo, Nov 12, 1995 (Press TWRA) - After visiting Banjaluka and Sarajevo, the US envoy for human rights J. Shattuck held a press conference yesterday. "For the first time Serbs admitted their capturing of civilians and missing Bosniak civilians on that area. I had tense and difficult talks with local Serb authorities but I do not believe important moves occurred at the meetings. Serb officials told me that 1,4OO Bosniaks are regarded missing and are probably in the forced labour camps or captured. We have not got the proof of mass killing in the Banjaluka region so far. Yet, we continue exerting pressure to get the proof it really did not happened," said Shattuck. /end/ A.S.

[23] THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL ACCUSED T. BLASKIC & D. KORDIC

The Hague, Nov 13, 1995 (Press TWRA) - The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia announced today the indictment of Dario Kordic (the vice-president of the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosnia HR-HB and the president of the Croatian democratic union of Bosnia-Herzegovina HDZ B-H), of Tihofil (also known as Tihomir) Blaskic (the Chief of Staff of the HVO Croatian Defence Council) and of four other prominent members of the HR-HB.

The accused are allegedly responsible for "the persecution on political, racial and religious grounds of the Bosnian Muslim population" of the Lasva Valley (Central Bosnia) between May 1992 & May 1993. The crimes they are charged with were carried out on "such a large scale and widespread basis, and implemented in such a systematic fashion" that they have "effectively destroyed or removed almost the entire Muslim population in the Lasva Valley".

The six indicted accused are: Dario Kordic (born in 196O); Tihofil Blaskic (born in 196O), who was a regional commander of the Croatian Defence Council prior to becoming the Chief of Staff of the Mostar headquartered HVO in August 1993; Mario Cerkez (born in 1959) who was the commander of the HVO Brigade stationed in Vitez; Ivan Santic (born in 1942) who was the Vitez Mayor from at least May 1992 and at all times relevant to the indictment; Pero Skopljak (born in 1943) who was the Chief of Police, at the Public Security Station of Vitez between October 1992 to May 1993 and is now an official in the Office of Dario Kordic; and Zlatko Aleksovski (born in 196O) who became in January 1993 the Kaonik prison facility's commander prior to becoming, in May 1993, the Head of the District HVO "Heliodrom" prison of Mostar.

Among the facts alleged in the indictment are: "The Bosnian Muslim civilian population in the municipality of Busovaca was attacked and generally persecuted (..) Some civilians were killed and many were detained. (...) There were virtually no B-H Army forces in the valley when HVO attacked the Bosnian Muslim civil population. At 5:3O a.m. on 16 April 1993 the HVO launched a wide spread and systematic surprise attack on the Bosnian Muslim civil residents of the Lasva Valley, including the town of Vitez and numerous surrounding villages. In one village alone around 1OOO Bosnian Muslim civilians were detained, many of them forced to dig trenches on the front-lines between the HVO and BH Government army. Some were killed in the process. Other detainees were used as human shields for the attacking HVO soldiers, over 2OO women & children being placed around the HVO headquarters in Vitez which was under fire from the B-H Army counter-offensive. (...) The HVO in Vitez on 19 April 1993 fired 1O high explosive shells into the central shopping district of the predominantly Muslim city Zenica killing at least 18 and wounding at least 3O civilians. To date, the HVO still controls the area and the expelled Muslims have no homes or property and livestock to return to." The six accused are charged with grave breaches of the Geneva Convention of 1949 and violations of the laws or customs of war, and D. Kordic and T. Blaskic also for the crimes against humanity.