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Acting President Biljana Plavsic Strikes A Hard Line
Handed vaguely-defined powers by Radovan Karadzic, Plavsic vows not to cooperate with war crimes tribunal.
By Kurt Schork
Biljana Plavsic spoke to reporters in the Bosnian Serb capital of Pale outside Sarajevo after hosting mediator Carl
Bildt, the international community's High representative for Bosnia, in her first official meeting as acting President. Asked whether she would use her new powers to deliver Karadzic and Bosnian Serb army commander General Ratko Mladic, both twice indicted for war crimes, to the Hague, Plavsic was explicit in her refusal.
"That (extradition) according to our law is forbidden. Those who are accused answer only to our courts," she told reporters in the Bosnian Serb capital of Pale. "By our law it is forbidden for a person on the territory of (Bosnian Serb republic) to be handed over to a foreign court. If you deviate from the law you have chaos. We don't want that."
Bildt had come to Pale to meet with Plavsic to try to clarify her status and that of Karadzic.
Karadzic had signed a letter of "resignation," effective last Sunday, which was drafted by the High Representative's office. But conflicting statements from Pale made it unclear whether Karadzic was still president or not. Bildt suggested on Tuesday it didn't matter who was held the title so long as Plavsic exercised the power. "We cannot tolerate Mr. Karadzic having any sort of public function," Bildt said.
"It is illegal for any public official or any institutions of the (Bosnian Serb republic) to accept decisions or instructions from Mr. Karadzic or persons acting on his behalf." Both Plavsic and Bildt sought refuge from tough questions in the technicalties of Bosnian Serb law, but Bildt could not have been reassured by the policy line his host took.
When the High Representative criticised state-run Pale television for "pursuing a propaganda campaign for Mr Karadzic that would have made (Soviet dictator Joseph) Stalin embarassed," Plavsic fired right back. "No directive at all comes form our side toward Pale TV," she said, provoking stifled laughter even among loyalist Bosnian Serb reporters. "In principle we have no desire to control television. We are a democratic society."
She then went on to suggest that any limitation on television in the Serb republic was due to technical difficulties caused by last year's NATO bombing campign, which destroyed many of their communications facilities. Bosnian Serb sources say Pale television is functioning normally and spewing propaganda against opposition parties and ethnic rivals across the entire Bosnian Serb territory.
Restrictions on the press in Bosnia, including the 49 percent controlled by the Bosnian Serb republic, have been identified by the international community as possibly fatal obstacles to free and fair elections in the country in September.
Sounding more defiant than compliant, Plavsic failed to hint at any policy differences with Karadzic which might produce a shift in her government's attitude toward the Dayton peace process, which it has generally resisted. "I think we are strong enough that no kind of pressure will force us to go against something which is in our laws and which is not democratic," she said with Bildt sitting next to her. |
PALE, Bosnia, July 2 (Reuters) - The woman to whom Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic handed over power took an uncompromising stance on Tuesday, vowing not to co-operate with a U.N. war crimes tribunal and denying Serb media are state controlled.
Berserkistan, July 1 · Bildt: Bosnian Serb Leadership in Turmoil
Berserkistan, July 1 · In Televised Address, Karadzic Assails Opponents
Berserkistan, July 1 · U.S. Awaits Karadzic’s Next Move
Berserkistan, July 1 · Despite Pressure, Rumors Karadzic Still President
Berserkistan, July 1 · Feeling Tricked and Embarrassed, Bildt Ponders Next Move
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