Sead Hadzovic deals with the current conflict in Republika Srpska in the October 1-15, 1997 issue of the Belgrade by-weekly "Republika".The events in Republika Srpska have a much greater weight than is contained in the conflict for power of confronted sides there. With its catastrophic policy, the regime in Pale brought Republika Srpska to the edge of the cliff. Besides a very hard internal political and economic situation, along with a large spread of crime and corruption, it has isolated itself, has taken a hostile stance towards the international community and has set up resistance towards the implementation of the Dayton agreement, due to which it has been curtailed economic assistance.
Treatment of Republika Srpska as a completely independent and sovereign state of Serbian people in which there is no room for Bosniaks and Croats, and according to that, branding of Biljana Plavsic as a traitor of Serbian people since she supposedly accepts that Republika Srpska becomes a multi ethnic entity, and that she is pushing it into a state union with Bosniaks and Croats, has surpassed the threshold of acceptance. Biljana Plavsic has confronted this deadly policy, not solely to reach the top of power, but to save Republika Srpska with thorough shift in policy.
That is why she has shown readiness to co-operate with the international community, which, in return, is giving her full ledged help in her remaining and gaining positions not only in the Western part of Republika Srpska , but even wider.
Due to this course of events, Milosevic has been put in position to build a bridge towards Biljana Plavsic, organize her meeting with Krajisnik in Belgrade and to agree holding of elections for the Parliament, president of RS and the member of the BiH Presidency from RS, which should not be interpreted as weakness of Biljana Plavsic.
It is evident that Biljana Plavsic will fight for democracy and introduction of order onto the internal scene, and it could be assumed that she will also fight for the highest level of independence and statehood of RS, and in that respect her willingness to turn RS towards Bosnia and Herzegovina is brought into question, as well as her constructive approach towards the work of the central authorities, as well as massive, or even limited return of refugees, so as to preserve the highest possible level of national homogenization.
The division of RS into two parts is not an option. The High UN Representative for Bosnia Westendorp found it necessary to stress that the international community will not allow that, because this would be contrary to Dayton Agreements. This does not suit Bosnia and Herzegovina either, but rather that the process of democratization spreads from the Western, into the Eastern part of RS. The estimate of some politicians that there is a possibility of military actions of the Federation forces (FBiH) on Eastern Bosnia are unrealistic. There is a possibility of limited military conflicts between the confronted sides. But, the practices has confirmed the readiness of SFOR to momentarily and adequately respond to them, and decisively prevent their turning into military conflicts of a larger scale.
Source: Belgrade by-weekly "Republika", October 1-15, 1997
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