BosNet Digest V5 #39 / Jan. 25, 1996

From: Nermin Zukic <[email protected]>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

CONTENTS

[01] VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR PEACE PROJECT !

Mladi Most is a neighborhood center and meeting place for different ethnic groups in Mostar. The house offers the opportunity to meet and come together in an environment free of hate and ethnic/religious prejudice. Since September 1994, a group of international volunteers is working closely together with the community to plan different activities such as discussions, games, music, art and language classes, a youth magazine and a photolab. As most of the visitors are youth and kids, the program is organize to meet their needs the most.

[02] MLADI MOST IS IN NEED OF INTERNATIONAL VOLUTEERS!!

Experience in social work, conflict resolution, group dynamics and the strength and sensibility to deal with the every-day-situation of Bosnia are required. Working language of Mladi Most is English, however, some knowledge of Bosnian is very helpful.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on applications or with further questions, please contact us:

MLADI MOST ph. +30-2886184 c/o ASF e.V. fax +30-2886150 August Str. 80 10117 Berlin e-mail: Germany [email protected]

[03] SESELJ WANTS TO GO TO THE HAGUE

Belgrade - "It is senseless to try any Serbian until they put Slobodan Milosevic on trial", said leader of Serbian Radical Party Vojislav Seselj, which reflects the position of large majority of Serbian opposition. Seselj offered last month to Chief Prosecutor Goldstone to testify on events which took place during the war in Croatia and B-H. Seselj claims that he possesses the precise data which show that neither Karadjic nor Mladic commanded the war operations, but always and exclusively Slobodan Milosevic. (end) S.K.

[04] IZETBEGOVIC ON SILAJDZIC AND SDA

"The Government failed to solve many problems, particularly social issues, foreign pensions of our citizens, and jobs for our demobilized soldiers. In the coming period, people need managers, technocrats in its positive meaning, rather than leaders.

As for Silajdzic's resignation, I think there were some caprices as if there will be six of five-and-one ministries. It is not crucial difference, except the issue of the Army, which was not properly solved either in Dayton or now. In Republic's Government, there is no space for it. Haris does not see that there is no that function in the Government of Republic, though it is very important. Meanwhile, he claims that the sixth ministry is to be or not to be for the Republic. To be or not to be was the issue of the Army, which defended this state, making this discussion possible. He does not care for that. The law opposed by the prime minister was regularly adopted by the Parliament. It is sad to hear Silajdzic say he does not want to be responsible to such a Parliament. By that, he put himself above not only the Parliament, but also above democracy.

To be honest, I am sad that Haris is leaving, but if the question is whether to change people and Parliament, or to move Haris, it is easier to move Haris. He has many qualities, but also some very important shortcomings. He is a self-centred person, and my opinion is that the problem is not us, not party, not the Government, but the problem is Haris.

Silajdzic claims that Republic's institutions are affected in this way, so the Republic cannot function properly. Is there some any more important function for prerogatives of a state, than the army? Yet, I was shocked in Dayton. Haris headed the team of experts, dealing with the 4th annex of the agreement. After 1O or 15 days, I found out a striking fact that there was no army there, at all. No police, eiyher, being perhaps less bad. None security service, nothing. Why? Because Haris is not in charge of the army commander and does not care about it. De facto, I had to make some corrections in Dayton, to put the Army in. Such are the problems. Last summer, when he resigned, does anyone know why he did? He officially stated that he requested demobilization of 5O,OOO soldiers, in order to revive production. "It was not accepted and I do resign" he explained. Clearly, we could not demobilize 5O,OOO persons, after the crisis in Zepa and Srebrenica, before a significant period of the war. We have done it now. Not 5O,OOO but 3O,OOO people were demobilized. We had to return a half of them to the barracks, at their demand, as they failed to find any job. So, it is not a real motive, it is some strange game with those, very serious issues".

"Nothing was prepared on the ground. Three days after their demobilization, people ask for their return to the barracks, as they are accepted nowhere, they cannot get a job. Government might not be guilty for that, I do not know whether it could do more to revive the production and absorb those people. However, there are no project for reception of those men. The problem in Bosnia is economy, retired persons, doctors who are not paid, roads, the problem is unpaid work, which became normal for this Government. The Government simply thought that people would go on after the war to work, and not to be paid. It discussed the high policy, instead of solving these issues. The problem are Shahids' families, invalids, the wounded. Problem is a group of people which was solved yesterday in Vozuca, and it should not have been so. Those are the problems. The problem is not freedom in Bosnia, as Silajdzic says. I do claim that there has never been more freedom in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in spite of the war.

Silajdzic claimed that SDA interfered with the Government's affairs. The prime minister should say what affairs SDA interfered with. It did interfere, it seems to me, twice - last summer, when soldiers' fees were solved, after a whole year during which we insisted on solving that. Finally, SDA made model and put it on. It interfered once more - a delegation of association of Shahids and invalids, as representatives of the party, visited me and told me that the law on their right had been waiting to bbe passed in the office of a minister for a half a year. Then I called SDA to say - that law must be adopted, or some people will be moved, and proceed it immediately to the Republic Presidency. It was adopted in term of several days. We did it urgently. As far as I remember, those are the only two times when SDA interfered with the Government affairs"

Speaking about the next session of the Main Board of SDA, A. Izetbegovic said two names of the Main Board's new members were known so far - Atif Dudakovic & Mehmed Alagic, commanders of the 5th and recently the 7th Corps of B-H Army. (end) A.S.

[05] HASAN MURATOVIC - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

[06] CIA STARTED AN INVESTIGATION ON MILOSEVIC

[07] IZETBEGOVIC ON FILIPOVIC, SACIRBEY AND HVO

"Ambassador Filipovic will be invited to Sarajevo to answer some questions about financial affairs of the Embassy in London. According to the report which Foreign Ministry submitted to the Presidency, the Embassy's expenses exceeded DM 4OO,OOO -5OO,OOO."

"Sacirbey's resignation is valid if the competence of the B-H Republic government is expanded to the HVO controlled areas. In that case M. Sacirbey could become a special envoy of the Republic Presidency for contacts with some states. /end/ A.S.

[08] ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC - JOHN SHATTUCK

[09] TALKS ON ORGANIZATION OF MOSTAR

EU Administration in Mostar still did not issue the official press release about the talks. (end) S.K.

[10] SERBS WILL REMAIN IN SARAJEVO

[11] "HERZEG BOSNIA" - "REPUBLIC" BECOMES "COMMUNITY"

[12] TUDJMAN - ROBERT FROWICK, NO COMPROMISE IN MOSTAR

"If Mostar negotiations fail, we accept the international arbitrage. Mostar is big, but not the main problem in Federation. The key is establishment of Federal & Republic Governments, and cantons, according to Dayton, and free elections" Tudjman said.

Mostar - there is no agreement on Mostar, EU administration spokesman Dragan Gasic said. Hans Koschnick will consult with the European Union, in Brussels, next Monday. (end) A.S.

[13] AMERICANS ANXIOUS BECAUSE OF MUJAHIDS IN BOSNIA

[14] JOULWAN VISITED RUSSIAN PARACHUTISTS

[15] PORTILLO ON ARMING AND DISARMING

[16] PERRY ON CRIMES, CASSESE IN BELGRADE

Belgrade - "We are ready to allow opening of the Tribunal's office in Belgrade, and help its activity, but our Constitution prohibits extradition of our citizens to a foreign tribunal" said Uros Klikovac, Yugoslav justice minister, after today's meeting with the Tribunal's president, judge Antonio Cassese. (end) A.S.

[17] WORLD BANK'S LOAN TO BOSNIA - US$ 15O MILLION

[18] APPEALS FOR RELEASE OF PRISONERS OF WAR (PoWs)

The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) stated that 318 PoWs are in B-H prisons, 15O in Serbian, 177 in Croatian, along with non-registered PoWs, e.g. in Tuzla. (end) A.S.

[19] MILITARY MOBILIZATION IN SERBIA, CLAIMS SPO

[20] MILITARY POISONS USED DURING THE ASSAULT ON SREBRENICA

[21] JOZO RADOS - CANDIDATE FOR ZAGREB'S MAYOR