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Bildt, Milosevic Discuss Bosnia’s Elections and Radovan Karadzic
‘Milosevic is loath to apply (sanctions) unless things get out of control, preferring instead to have Karadzic and the SDS defeated or at least significantly weakened in the elections’
By Jovan Kovacic
"Talks dealt with the implementation of the peace process and especially preparations for forthcoming elections," a
statement from Milosevic's office said. It said the men covered unspecified issues raised between Bildt and Plavsic on Tuesday. Carl Bildt made no comment to reporters in Belgrade.
Bildt, a former Swedish prime minister, is in the midst of a struggle to drive Karadzic from the political arena. Plavsic vowed on Tuesday not to give up Karadzic to a U.N. war crimes tribunal which has indicted him twice but said some parts of the Dayton peace accord had been clarified. She did not elaborate. Bildt refused to deal with Plavsic earlier, saying she was merely a mouthpiece for Karadzic, who clings to power in defiance of the Dayton peace agreement. Under intense pressure from the international community and Milosevic, Karadzic surrendered his executive powers to Plavsic, an equally hardline loyalist, last Sunday.
But he retained his key position as chairman of the ruling Serb Democratic Party (SDS), enabling him to pull the strings behind the scenes by controlling the media and police and obstructing opposition ahead of the elections. Western powers are considering sanctions on the Bosnian Serbs within days if Karadzic maintains his grip on power, diplomats said on Wednesday. The United States, Britain and others insist Karadzic must be removed from effective power well before Bosnia's first post-war elections in September.
"What is not clear is how far he will be manipulating things from behind the scenes. That will become clear in the
next few days and we are considering a phased sanctions package that will be used within days if it turns out he is trying to play games," said one Western diplomat. Bosnian Serb sources said Karadzic would turn down the SDS request to be its candidate because of the outside pressure, especially from Milosevic.
Milosevic threw his weight behind demands for Karadzic's departure last week and threatened reprisals unless he went. Measures which Milosevic threatened against the Bosnian Serbs were not spelled out but the Bosnian Serb republic is dependent on Serbia for its economic and political survival.
Any blockade from Belgrade would have a decisive effect faster than international sanctions and diplomats in Sarajevo have favoured this solution. "Milosevic is loath to apply them unless things get out of control, preferring instead to have Karadzic and the SDS defeated or at least significantly weakened in the elections," a Serbian government source said.
"Then, when the people have withheld their confidence, it would be much easier to deal with Karadzic. Any solution before that risks making him a martyr and inflaming nationalism and obstruction to Dayton, the West and Serbia," the source said. |
BELGRADE, July 3 (Reuters) - Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and international mediator Carl Bildt discussed planned elections in Bosnia and the Dayton peace accord on Wednesday against a backdrop of concern over the Bosnian Serb leadership. Bildt, the international community's High Representative for Bosnia, arrived in Belgrade a day after meeting acting Bosnian Serb president Biljana Plavsic. Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic handed over presidential powers to Plavsic last Sunday.
Berserkistan, July 4 · Karadzic Says He Won’t Seek Office
Berserkistan, July 4 · Serbia Summons Plavsic for Talks on Karadzic
Berserkistan, July 3 · West Eyes Karadzic’s Moves while Weighing Sanctions
Berserkistan, July 2 · Acting President Plavsic Strikes A Hard Line
Berserkistan, July 2 · Karadzic Practices Psychiatry in Politics
Berserkistan, July 1 · Bildt: Bosnian Serb Leadership in Turmoil
Berserkistan, July 1 · In Televised Address, Karadzic Assails Opponents
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