Headlines
- OSCE foresees successful election process
- Banski Dvor: meeting between Biljana Plavsic and Sadako Ogata
- The Government of the Republic, the Chamber of Commerce and the Confederation of Trade Unions of RS signed an agreement on co-operation today
00:20
We note dynamic political activity today in the RS:
The President of the Republic spoke to R. Frowick, Head of the OSCE mission in B&H, about the forthcoming elections. After that meeting the President received the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata.
“All preparations for the parliamentary elections in the RS are more or less finalised, and we expect a successful election process,” R. Frowick emphasised after the meeting with the President.
The American Ambassador appealed to all protagonists in the elections to ensure preconditions for a successful process, and expressed the hope that no incidents would occur.
Frowick confirmed that the voters lists from the local elections were the basis for the forthcoming parliamentary elections, and that action had been taken to provide those who had been disabled to vote in the local elections (such as 3,700 Brcko citizens) with their right to vote. The Head of OSCE announced his visit to Slobodan Milosevic, the President of FRY, the following day, and added that the topic of that meeting would be the elections scheduled for November 22 & 23.
01:15
The RS President spoke to Sadako Ogata about the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, i.e. about the return of refugees and DP’s. The President stated that the return of non-Serbs should not worsen the already difficult situation of exiled Serbs. The President emphasised the importance of economic assistance which would ensure employment for the people.
Mrs. Ogata stated after the meeting that real peace would not come as long as so many people were displaced, and that that problem was the main aspect of the peace and the heart of the DA.
01:19
RS Prime Minister, Gojko Klickovic, President of the Chamber of Commerce of BL region, Svetislav Mudrenovic, and President of the Confederation of Trade Unions of RS, Cedo Volas, held a press conference today in BL.
The three signed an agreement on co-operation today. G.Klickovic gave an opening address and recalled the result achieved in the revitalisation of the economy in western RS. “Our aim is to summarise what we have done so far and to see what we have to do in future,” he stated and informed the public that $110 million had been invested by the RS Government in the revitalisation of the economy and infrastructure in the RS.
According to Svetislav Mudrenovic, the Vice President of the RS Chamber of Commerce, production increased from 14% to 20%. The increase of production referred to oil derivatives, the wood and textile industry. “For the time being the economy of the RS is directed toward the market of FRY,” Mudrenovic said.
Cedo Volas ascertained that, amongst 15 agreements, to date only 11 of them had been signed. He suggested the RS Government write off debts for electric power (for 1994 and 1995) of pensioners and workers.
02:30
BL University continues good co-operation with international scientific- educational organisations.
Dragoljub Mirjanic, the Rector of BL University, spoke today to the delegation of the American Information Service about candidates for scholarships.
The Rector received the director of the Tempus Project today. “We had the opportunity to talk about opening a Tempus Office here in BL. We hope that we shall do it by the end of this year,” the Rector said.
02:30
The pre-electoral campaign in the RS is under way at full speed. Therefore, all parties want to use all the remaining time to promote their programmes:
The RS President said at today’s press conference that ideas of obstructing democratic processes in the RS were coming from official Belgrade, to which the leadership of SDS is closer than ever before, and added that that was normal but not good for Serbs. Ostoja Knezevic, the Vice President of Serb National Alliance, said that no illegal financial resources were used in the pre-electoral campaign of Serb National Alliance.
01:30
The RS Government called on all citizens, political parties and independent candidates to ensure a democratic spirit and tolerant atmosphere in the forthcoming elections.
01:30
The Socialist Party of RS held its regular press conference in BL today. Zivko Radisic, president of Party, stated that the elections were the first step toward a democratic and peaceful resolution of the crisis in the RS, and added that Socialists were very optimistic regarding the forthcoming elections and that they expected huge support from voters.
00:25
Nikola Poplasen, president of Serb Radical Party of RS and the top candidate for the RS National Assembly, stated at today’s press conference that he was satisfied with the campaign of that party and that he had objections only to the work of the SRT Studio BL and to other, as he put it, “so-called independent media.”. He cited no reasons for the above statement.
N. Poplasen condemned the behaviour of M. Dodik, president of Party of Independent Social Democrats, because, as Mr. Poplasen said, M. Dodik had been compelling members of Serb Radical Party to tear down pre-electoral posters of the Radical Party and to put up posters of the Independent Soc. Party.
00:35
The Commission for the exchange of POWs and the missing of RS issued a press release today. The public was informed that a new mass grave had been found the day before in the Ozren- Vozuca area.
00:30
The reorganisation of the RS Ministry of Defence was the topic of today’s session of this institution held in BL.
01:00