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Kradzic Shifts Some Duties But Defies Pressure to Step Down
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, May 20 (AP) — Defying international pressure to give up power, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic shifted some duties to an extreme nationalist ally instead of stepping down as reportedly promised. Verbal guarantees of Karadzic’s resignation had been made Sunday to the top civilian official in Bosnia, Carl Bildt.
She denied Monday that Karadzic was planning to resign. “Dr. Karadzic is president of the republic,” Plavsic said, alluding to his title as self-proclaimed president of the Serb entity within Bosnia. “The president of the republic has the right to hand over some of his responsibilities to the vice president.”
Western officials have shunned Karadzic, a war crimes suspect, viewing him as a major obstacle to implementing the accord that ended almost four years of fighting in Bosnia. Karadzic demonstrated his formidable power by firing Bosnian Serb prime minister Rajko Kasagic last week and replacing him in a parliamentary session on Saturday.
Karadzic objects to the more moderate Kasagic’s support for peace efforts and international intervention in Bosnia. Karadzic insists Serbs cannot live alongside Muslims, as the accord prescribes, and instead need their own territory.
The dispute between Karadzic and Kasagic, who has since gone into hiding, threatens to divide Serb-controlled Bosnia into an eastern region overseen by Karadzic and northwest Bosnia controlled by more moderate Serbs. While some commentators said Plavsic is as militant as Karadzic, a source in Bildt’s office said she is not as powerful. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said international officials would try to sideline her and other Bosnian Serb hard-liners one by one.
Column Murphy, a spokesman for Bildt, said in Sarajevo Monday that Bildt was still seeking a letter of resignation from Karadzic. And he described Plavsic as an “extreme hardliner.” “By installing her, Dr. Karadzic is quite clearly seeking to retain his influence,” he said.
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Instead, Karadzic on Saturday handed over responsibility of dealing with the international community to Biljana Plavsic, in an effort to open communications between his hard-line leadership and Western officials implementing the Dayton peace agreement.
Berserkistan, May 20 · Bosnian Serbs Float Karadzic Referendum Idea
Berserkistan, May 20 · Bildt Has 'Understanding' from Karadzic
Berserkistan, May 20 · The Karadzic Proxy: Biljana Plavsic
Berserkistan, May 20 · Bildt Insists Removal of Karadzic is Proceeding
Berserkistan, May 20 · Karadzic is winning. Carl Bildt is losing. Analysis by Tom Warrick of the Coalition for International Justice
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