The logic represented by Kovac, that the local elections were a competition among nations, rather than political parties, is actually the main obstacle for the implementation of the final results. Essentially, Bosnian parties (especially those with the national prefix) have understood the local elections, which had been heralded by the International community representatives as another sign of democratization of Bosnia-Hercegovina, as a competition against hostile ideas and a continuation of the war for territory. The only important difference was that the plans for conquest or liberation depending on the particular point of view, were prepared in political instead of military headquarters and that in this war the "ammunitions" were ballots rather than bullets.
For SDS [main Serb nationalist party] the essential goal was to keep power in Brcko, where the Bosniak majority could have spelled out the end of the Pale concept of the Republic of Srpska by winning the local election. HDZ priority was Mostar and prevention of the Bosniak charge towards the south. For SDA, the most important spots were urban centers like Sarajevo, Zenica, Bihac and Tuzla, where SDA had to prevent the opposition domination in local parliaments. The voter registration was manipulated according to those interests.
Wedges like Bosanski Petrovac, where Marceta's concept of the return of refugees to their homes has won over the SDS concept of the total separation of the nations or like Rogatica and Kotor-Varos where the Coalition for the Undivided and democratic Bosnia-Hercegovina has achieved political [plurality in the local parliaments], but not the national victory, are seen as the strongest threat to the already established national balance. Because of that, the obstacles to the formation of local authorities will be greatest in such municipalities. There is no doubt that, for example, in Rogatica, Serb parties will form a coalition in order to achieve majority in the local parliament and thereby conclusively prevent the return of Bosniak refugees to this town. The same will happen in Derventa where the Serbs will try to halt the "unprincipled coalition" of the Croats and Bosniaks.
The municipality of Velika Kladusa is another telling example. There Fikret Abdic and his DNZ [Democratic Popular Union] won a majority. The SDA leadership which in principle supports the implementation of the election results, is convinced that the conditions are not ripe for the confirmation of the election results in that town. Last week, Dnevni Avaz [daily paper under SDA influence] threatened that the Bosnian Army would be used to prevent "separatists" in Velika Kladusa [from taking power]. SDS in Brcko is also threatening to use the Republic of Srpska Army against the returning Bosniak refugees.
In all those municipalities, the election results will bring new problems and additionally complicate the situation in Bosnia-Hercegovina. There will be a lot of objections against political rivals and the OSCE which has promised to bring the whole process to an end.
Translated on 10/28/97