Post by zgembo on Oct 14, 2008 13:44:59 GMT -5
Bosnian Serb Assembly in Heated Debate
14 October 2008 Sarajevo_ The Assembly of the Serb-dominated Bosnian entity, the Republika Srpska, pulled back from the brink of discussing a referendum on independence, and ended its latest session on a more conciliatory note after hours of heated debates.
The extraordinary Assembly session, which was called to discuss the deepening political crisis in the country, ended on Monday night. The Assembly will reconvene on Wednesday when conclusions are supposed to be adopted.
The session was packed with emotions and sharp exchanges between Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) and Serb politicians as well as between Bosnian Serb ruling and opposition parties.
The latest crisis was triggered by speeches which the Bosniak member of the country’s tripartite presidency, Haris Silajdzic, gave before the United Nations General Assembly on September 24 and before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on September 30.
Although he appeared before the UN and EU leaders in his official capacity as a representative of Bosnia, Silajdzic expressed his personal views as the three members of the presidency were unable to agree on joint statements. In the speeches – believed to be timed for, if not motivated by, the October 5 local elections – Silajdzic blasted the Republika Srpska for genocide committed during the war.
This infuriated Bosnian Serb politicians. In his note prepared before the meeting, Republika Srpska President Rajko Kuzmanovic called for “all legal and political means, including the right to a referendum” for the protection of that entity.
The situation was further aggravated by Republika Srpska Premier Milorad Dodik, who in a TV interview said he was ready to “wrestle around” with any western troops and than lead his entity “to independence.”
This has triggered a major uproar among international officials and Bosniak leaders.
Yet during their speeches at the assembly session, neither Kuzmanovic nor Dodik mentioned a referendum. They stressed however, that the Dayton peace accord and Bosnia’s constitution should not be altered unless through regular political procedures. Dodik also demanded that the RS Assembly pass a resolution which would prevent any further centralisation of the country and which would review all previous responsibilities that were passed from entity to state level.
The leader of the ruling Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, Sulejman Tihic, who also addressed the Assembly, denounced any idea or action that would question the existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, he also tried to give a reconciliatory message guaranteeing RS existence.
“We in Bosnia and Herzegovina should dispel fears, especially those about the abolition of the Republika Srpska,” he said. “The Republika Srpska cannot be abolished without the consent of Republika Srpska political representatives. But at the same time, it cannot separate itself and form a separate state or join another state.”
One thing that most Bosniak and Bosnian Serb leaders agreed during the assembly session was their criticism of the role which the international community has been playing in Bosnia over the past few years.
www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/13950/
14 October 2008 Sarajevo_ The Assembly of the Serb-dominated Bosnian entity, the Republika Srpska, pulled back from the brink of discussing a referendum on independence, and ended its latest session on a more conciliatory note after hours of heated debates.
The extraordinary Assembly session, which was called to discuss the deepening political crisis in the country, ended on Monday night. The Assembly will reconvene on Wednesday when conclusions are supposed to be adopted.
The session was packed with emotions and sharp exchanges between Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) and Serb politicians as well as between Bosnian Serb ruling and opposition parties.
The latest crisis was triggered by speeches which the Bosniak member of the country’s tripartite presidency, Haris Silajdzic, gave before the United Nations General Assembly on September 24 and before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on September 30.
Although he appeared before the UN and EU leaders in his official capacity as a representative of Bosnia, Silajdzic expressed his personal views as the three members of the presidency were unable to agree on joint statements. In the speeches – believed to be timed for, if not motivated by, the October 5 local elections – Silajdzic blasted the Republika Srpska for genocide committed during the war.
This infuriated Bosnian Serb politicians. In his note prepared before the meeting, Republika Srpska President Rajko Kuzmanovic called for “all legal and political means, including the right to a referendum” for the protection of that entity.
The situation was further aggravated by Republika Srpska Premier Milorad Dodik, who in a TV interview said he was ready to “wrestle around” with any western troops and than lead his entity “to independence.”
This has triggered a major uproar among international officials and Bosniak leaders.
Yet during their speeches at the assembly session, neither Kuzmanovic nor Dodik mentioned a referendum. They stressed however, that the Dayton peace accord and Bosnia’s constitution should not be altered unless through regular political procedures. Dodik also demanded that the RS Assembly pass a resolution which would prevent any further centralisation of the country and which would review all previous responsibilities that were passed from entity to state level.
The leader of the ruling Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, Sulejman Tihic, who also addressed the Assembly, denounced any idea or action that would question the existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, he also tried to give a reconciliatory message guaranteeing RS existence.
“We in Bosnia and Herzegovina should dispel fears, especially those about the abolition of the Republika Srpska,” he said. “The Republika Srpska cannot be abolished without the consent of Republika Srpska political representatives. But at the same time, it cannot separate itself and form a separate state or join another state.”
One thing that most Bosniak and Bosnian Serb leaders agreed during the assembly session was their criticism of the role which the international community has been playing in Bosnia over the past few years.
www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/13950/