Pale – Krajisnik, Kalinic, and Buha met the assistant to the Head of OSCE Mission, Ellerkmann, and discussed the OSCE role in the forthcoming elections in the RS, as well as the implementation of the Belgrade Agreement. Krajisnik presented the RS position that the OSCE should only be an observer in the RS elections, which will be carried out in line with the RS rules and regulations. Krajisnik said that certain issues from the Belgrade Agreement remained unclear because Plavsic requested rescheduling of the parliamentary elections for 23 November. Since the signing of the Belgrade Agreement, Krajisnik talked once again with Milosevic, informing him about the agreement on dual citizenship of RS citizens. Krajisnik said that Milosevic was satisfied with this, and added that this was a psychological solution to the issue which puts the Bosnian Serbs at the same level as the Bosnian Croats
3:00
Banja Luka – Plavsic met the head of the ICRC, Stocker, and discussed the issue of missing persons and POW’s, as well as the speeding up of the exhumation process and aid that the RS needs in that regard. ICRC representative stressed the good relations with the head of the RS POW exchange commission.
2:00
Sarajevo – the Presidency and CoM sessions – The Presidency appointed three more ambassadors and expressed its readiness to quickly appoint an ambassador to Israel. Krajisnik said that the ambassador to Israel should be a Serb, stressing that the “Jewish lobby” is strong and plays an important role in world affairs. The Presidency also decided to nominate a new Central Bank Governor because the person currently holding this post was given a new appointment. Zubak raised the issue of BiH TV’s unresolved status, and Krajisnik stated that the information system is the competency of the entities. RS is not interested in having a central TV station and demands succession of BiH TV. FRY President Milosevic invited the BiH Presidency to Belgrade. CoM continued the discussion on the Draft CoM Law and agreed to receive aid worth $ 285 million for reconstruction of the energy system.
3:00
Pale – RS Government and SFOR signed an international agreement on railroad traffic in the RS. Minister of Transport Lajic said that this agreement, in line with the DPA, rules that RS crews shall take over the trains coming from Croatia and the Federation. Lajic said that the only problem now is the Federation, which wants to have central railways network that is not mentioned in the DPA. With regard to the agreement signed on the opening of the RS border towards Croatia, Lajic said that it was unacceptable for the RS because BiH cannot have competence over the matter, i.e. RS territory, which is the exclusive authority of the RS.
3:00
Flash News:
Italian press agency ANSA quoted Klickovic, who said that the arrest of Karadzic would jeopardise implementation of the DPA. Banja Luka SDS warned that the alleged 24 September statement of the Banja Luka SDS, in which relocation of the SDS HQ and governmental bodies to Banja Luka was demanded, was a fake, made with the aim of destroying the SDS. Italian media are sceptical about Plavsic’s statement that Karadzic stole DEM 32 million from the state budget and took them to an Italian bank because she did not present any facts with regard to that, and treated it as an attempt to undermine the Belgrade Agreement.
RS Vice-president Mirjanic agreed with the Brcko mayor Popovic to establish a legal commission that will review all personal documents of refugees from the Muslim-Croat Federation who want to return to Brcko.
3:00
Pale – Since the slandering of Karadzic has gone way too far and he is not able to defend himself, his wife, Mirjana Zelen-Karadzic, sent an open letter to the former RS National Bank Governor, Coric, asking him to inform the public about what really happened to the DEM 32 million that were, as Plavsic claims, allegedly stolen by Karadzic on 11 March this year. In his statement to SRT, Coric denied that Karadzic had anything to do with this case, which was just a routine transfer of money to FRY in an exchange for FRY Dinars.
3:00
Pale – At 2230 hrs last night, an incident occurred between SFOR troops and a group of RS civilians. Citizens were provoked by increased presence of international military, helicopters, and vehicles in the Pale region.
2:00
Serb Sarajevo – In relation to the accusations that the construction material for the building of Serb Sarajevo is being sold to the Federation, SRT visited the construction sites and proved that this claim was not true. According to the Serb Sarajevo mayor, records are kept for each brick that arrives to the site and the works are going as planned. Even every single fine day during wintertime will be used in order to proceed with the works.
2:00
Muslim Sarajevo – regular SFOR press conference – OSCE spokesman Verhayden said that PEC shall verify some of the election results tomorrow, adding that the count in Brcko was completed last weekend. UN spokesman Ivanko said that the SRT comment on Hague Tribunal Prosecutor Arbour was inadequate, adding that this will be referred to MEG along with the SRT apology in that regard.
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