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Bosnia Trapped Between Need for Elections and West’s Desire to Hold Them at Any Price
The Dayton deal says Karadzic, an indicted war criminal, must step down. Not only he has refused to do so but instead has even shored up his position by sacking moderate politicians and cracking down on independent media. The Dayton deal also stipulates freedom of movement and safe return of hundreds of thousands of refugees, victims of widespread ethnic cleansing.
All of Bosnia's three ethnic groups have violated the Dayton principles to some extent by blocking the movment of rival refugees and harrassing minorities. But the Bosnian Serbs have been particularly obstinant. They have closed their borders to non-Serbs and over the past few weeks launched a new wave of expulsions of Muslims and Croats in the Teslic area to the dismay of the international community.
The Bosnian Serbs' obstructionist policy is now forcing the international community to pressure Milosevic to make good on his Dayton pledge to oust Karadzic. The United States warned Milosevic at a meeting of Balkan presidents in Geneva on Sunday that he must ensure the removal of Karadzic and military chief Ratko Mladic.
The meeting confirmed that the elections should go ahead in September even if making them free and fair was difficult. But many diplomats fear removing Karadzic will alter little, with other isolationist Serbs taking his place. Although Karadzic's equally hardline deputy Biljana Plavsic on Saturday promised to change tack and allow freedom of movement, a free press and the return of refugees, diplomats are still deeply suspicious of her commitment. In an interview with the Bosnian Serb newsagency SRNA, she described reports that Karadzic intended resigning as "frivolous and irresponsible."
Sacirbey said the entire situation has put the Bosnian government in a very tight spot. "The problem is that there are so many pressures now particularly on (Bosnian President Alija) Izetbegovic. Sacirby argued that Izetbegovic was caught between his desire for elections only under the right conditions -- a free press, freedom of movement and free association -- and the international drive, led by the United States, to hold them at any price.
"So he (Izetbegovic) has to walk a very fine path. So far the path is -- conditions don't exist. We would hope the conditions exist. Philosophically we do want elections but under these conditions it does not make sense," he said. The Bosnian diplomat argued the United States was insisting on premature elections to satisfy domestic pressures in the presidential race, and said the international community would be responsible if the Bosnian poll collapsed. "The international community wants the elections and obviously they will get it. We feel like we are in a car behind the steering wheel while the West is stepping on the gas. Our side of the car is in good condition while the other is out of alignment. "What we are saying is, if you step on the gas in such a car it is bound to crash and you will be blamed," he said. |
SARAJEVO, June 2 (Reuters) - The Bosnian government wants mid-September elections on time but fears the likely victory of Serb hardliners would legitimise their isolationist policy and eventually lead to secession, a senior official said on Sunday. "The elections will only help Karadzic's hardliners win international legitimacy," Bosnian Ambassador to the United Nations Mohamed Sacirbey told Reuterss in an interview. "Once they win under international auspices they can really crack down on democracy, on refugees, seal their borders, do whatever they want," he said. "After thee and join Serbia."
The Dayton agreement split Bosnia into two almost equal entities, the Bosnian Serb Republika Srspka and the Muslim-Croat Federation, loosely bound together in a single sovereign state with joint governing bodies. The agreement was signed last December by Slobodan Milosevic who had to apply fierce pressure on Bosnian Serb hardliners led by Radovan Karadzic to accept it.
Berserkistan, June 1 · Marginalize Karadzic, Says West
Berserkistan, June 1 · Tomorrow’s Geneva Summit: Assuring Bosnia’s Elections
Berserkistan, May 31 · Warren Christopher to Intervene at Talks in Geneva
Berserkistan, May 31 · US: Cost Cost of Capturing Karadzic, Mladic Too Great
Berserkistan, May 30 · EU Administrator Sets Mostar Elections for June 30
U.S. State Department Policy on Bosnia
Warren Christopher Biography
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