- Title: BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: BOSNIAN SERB POWER STRUGGLE INTENSIFIES
- Date: 23rd August 1997
- Summary: PISKAVICA, NEAR BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA (AUGUST 23, 1997) (RTV (A) - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV SDS (SERB DEMOCRATIC PARTY) MEETING 0.02 2. WS MOMCILO KRAJISNIK, SERB REPRESENTATIVE OF THREE-MAN BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY, AT MEETING 0.06 3. VARIOUS MEMBERS OF SDS AT MEETING (3 SHOTS) 0.23 4. SV PICTURE OF RADOVAN KARADZIC, INDICTED WAR CRIMINAL 0.27 5. VARIOUS OF MEETING (3 SHOTS) 0.39 6 SV KRAJISNIK SAYING BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT BILJANA PLAVSIC HAD CROSSED ALL MEASURES, ACCUSED HER OF BREACHING CONSTITUTION AND TAKING EXECUTIVE POWER IN HER OWN HANDS (SERBO-CROAT) 1.01 BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA (AUGUST 23, 1997) (RTV (A) - ACCESS ALL) 7. VARIOUS PEOPLE GATHERED IN FRONT OF PLAVSIC OFFICE BUILDING/ PEOPLE CHEERING (7 SHOTS) 1.32 8. SLV/LV PLAVSIC AT BALCONY OF BUILDING WAVING TO CROWD (2 SHOTS) 1.42 9. SLV PEOPLE WATCHING 1.46 10. SV CAMERAMAN 1.50 11. SCU MARKO PAVIC, NEWLY APPOINTED INTERIOR MINISTER DENYING REPORTS HE HAS REFUSED JOB, SAYING HE HAD SEEN PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC AND AGREED ON HIS FUTURE WORK AS MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR (SERBO-CROAT) 2.31 12. WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE 2.38 Initials S2-3,P1-2 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 7th September 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PISKAVICA AND BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
- City:
- Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Reuters ID: LVA3OPGVFC4RS7UAA11CPT0AZBUN
- Story Text: INTRO: The Bosnian Serb power struggle between President Biljana Plavsic and the hard-line government in Pale has intensified with the government decision not to co-operate with the president on grounds that she has violated the constitution by suspending the national assembly.
The Bosnian Serb government's decision seemed to rule out any hope of compromise on Saturday (August 23) in the rivalry between Banja Luka based Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic and the government in Pale, where Plavsic's rival, indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic holds sway.
Tanjug news agency reported that the Serb government "announced that it was no longer under the obligation to cooperate with Biljana Plavsic, since she had refused to comply with the decision of the Constitutional Court and, by her latest decisions, was continuing to violate the RS (Bosnian Serb Republic) constitution and laws".
Plavsic, herself a staunch nationalist but seen by many in the west as a pragmatist, dissolved parliament in July.
She ordered new elections but the Constitutional Court, under intense pressure from the hardliners, ruled her decision was unconstitutional.
After attending a meeting of a local branch of the ruling SDS party on Saturday, the Serb member of Bosnia's collective presidency, Momcilo Krajisnik said Plavsic "had crossed all measure" and accused her of breaching the Bosnian Serb Republic's constitution and of taking executive power in her own hands and isolating herself.
Plavsic's recent sacking of interior minister Dragan Kijac has led to a standoff between Plavsic and the hardliners controlling the Serb government.
On Friday Plavsic appointed Marko Pavic to replace Kijac.
Then the Bosnian Serb government in Pale defied Plavsic by announcing it was suspending her appointment of Pavic.
On Saturday Pavic denied reports which spread on Friday that he had refused the post.
"Tonight I have seen the president of the republic and we agreed on my future work as minister of the interior" he said at an impromptu news conference.
He also told journalists that he had been recommended for the job by local SDS party leadership of the town of Prijedor.
In Banja Luka, several hundred people gathered in front of the "Banski Dvori" building where Plavsic's office is located, to show support for her on Saturday.
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