The New York Declaration: Euthanasia for the Republic of Srpska

Reporter, Banja Luka, Srpska, B-H, November 24 1999

"Speculation" is the word that the prime minister of the Republic of Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, most frequently uses to describe any opinion he runs across that doesn't agree with his own.

After the New York Declaration, Dodik is faced not only with differing opinions but also with the Declaration itself, which he has been trying to explain since his return from the U.S. All of his interpretations regarding the introduction of a common passport, which will be the same for all citizens of BH, and the border patrol, the ethnic composition of which will be based on the 1991 census, can be reduced to his favorite term. Until the dust settles. The prime minister claims that the document itself is being incorrectly interpreted and that his opponents are "speculating" against the interests of RS.

The zealous advocate of institutions at the entity level is, therefore, either confirming that he very frequently does not read what he signs or that he is lying. That he's in trouble is further proven by his waiting for Zivko Radisic, who signed the Declaration, to return from Istanbul so that they can explain together how, on the anniversary of the signing of the peace agreement in Dayton, they went to negotiate the euthanasia of the Republic of Srpska, whose rights from the original Dayton agreement have slowly dwindled to those of an average province with a negligible degree of autonomy.

"The Presidency of Bosnia-Hercegovina reaffirmed its commitment to the realization of a fully integrated, multiethnic state with two multiethnic entities, while respecting the unique character of its three equal constituent peoples," states the New York Declaration which represents the further realization of the dream of the Dayton creator, Richard Holbrooke. "By this act, a major step has been taken towards consolidating the progress of the past four years and, in doing so, helping Bosnia take another step towards a unitary, single, democratic country," enthusiastic Holbrooke told the Security Council. He did not neglect to praise the Presidency which, by its support for a common Bosnian passport, the formation of a common border patrol and establishment of a common staff, had show its dedication to the full implementation of the Council of Ministers and centralized administration in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

According to prime minister Dodik, Richard Holbrooke himself must be incorrectly interpreting the Declaration.

Believe me : "As far as, I would say, the alarming piece of news concerning passports is concerned, I must say that this absolutely is not the case," said the RS premier decisively, even claiming his own credit for it: "What was adopted was our proposal regarding the establishment of a common central database. I think that this is as a result of the fact that in the past federal institutions have issued passports to suspicious persons."

Additionally, Dodik has called on the masses not to believe everything they read in Dnevni Avaz when they can believe him and Radisic instead. Radisic would explain everything as soon as he returned from Istanbul.

And how exactly are Dodik and Radisic going to explain what OHR spokesman Oleg Milisic told Reporter, that "the High Representative supports the Declaration of the Presidency that a common passport would be introduced"?

Milisic also expressed some concern regarding the vicissitudes of the prime minister's position, at the same time offering him this advice: "The most recent statements by Mr. Dodik seem to negate this. In this instance, he would do well to consult with his president in the Presidency" [Radisic].

Just in case Milorad Dodik is getting ready to call Milisic a speculator as well, the other OHR spokesman, James Ferguson, has already confirmed what his colleague has said: "Dodik was in New York. He knows full well what was agreed upon."

Dark forces: Having escaped to Istanbul, Radisic has managed to avoid the first offensive, leaving Nebojsa Radmanovic, a member of the executive board of the Socialist Party of RS, to put out the fire.

Radmanovic sees far more in all this than even the prime minister's "speculation" - "dark and militant forces which have failed to achieve their war goals are still in power". He sees all this despite the fact that, according to his own admission, he has no knowledge of the original document. He, too, is waiting for Radisic to come back from Istanbul.

The common passport which will bear only the name of Bosnia and Herzegovina will also mean more rigorous control along the entire border of BH. Although the time frame for the introduction of the passport has yet to be defined, it is certain that "with the support of the High Representative" a passport will soon be needed to cross the border into the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - and probably 50 German marks to secure a visa as well. All this will be supervised by yet another segment of the New York Declaration - the common border patrol.

According to the Declaration, this agency will be in service by December 31 of this year, regardless of whether the agreement based on the Declaration is ratified by the BH Parliament or not.

The most controversial part of the document which relates to the border patrol is the ethnic composition of its employees. Apparently this clause of the Declaration, which states that the ethnic composition of the border patrol will be based on the 1991 census, did not alarm prime minister Dodik in the least.

Without hesitation, he placated the uneasy public with a blatant lie: "A consensus was achieved with respect to the ethnic structure of the border patrol which will reflect the current situation at the entity level, while only the division which will be formed under the jurisdiction of the council of ministers and the ministry of civil affairs will reflect the 1991 census. This may turn out to be more favorable to us than the ratio of one to two thirds between RS and the Federation Bosnia-Hercegovina." The prime minister did not fail to classify this statement among the other victories for which he successfully fought at Dayton. Of course, this would be confirmed by the other winner at Dayton, Zivko Radisic, just as soon as he returned.

Winners at Dayton: There isn't a single member of the Government or the Social Democratic Party who doubts that the member of the BH Presidency will confirm the proud words of Dodik to the effect that "RS has avoided a completely unfavorable plan of organizing the border patrol which was proposed by the OHR and succeeded in reaching this well-balanced and acceptable plan for RS".

Among other people, it's another story. Being a polite man, the OHR spokesman did not say that Dodik is lying. He only said: "What premier Milorad Dodik is saying with respect to the ethnic composition of the border patrol reflecting the 1991 census only in its main headquarters is not correct."

With respect to jurisdiction, as well, the prime minister has his own version of the story: "The border patrol has the authority to control documents upon entry and exit, to perform immigration and emigration duties which are typical for the border patrol and to carry out activities in regard to smuggling and other criminal acts."

Who this patrol force will report to is not stated in the Dayton agreement. In the Declaration it is clear. It answers to the Ministry for Civil Affairs and Communications which will be headed by a director and two deputies. The system of rotation to the directorship is a compromise, but there is no compromise with respect to its authority. According to Oleg Milisic, should there be an overlap of jurisdiction within the border zone, the border patrol, whose headquarters will be in Sarajevo, will have primacy.

Dodik will not allow anyone the right to say that what this represents is a revision of Dayton. He is not worried by the fact that the most tenacious analysts cannot find the points of the New York Declaration in the 1996 Peace Agreement. "Speculation," the prime minister will say leisurely. If someone should tell him that the latest Daytonian document contains an open clause which opens "the Dayton Constitution" up to changes dressed up as enhancements, he would probably consider such a person his enemy. Unless the young lion of the Social Democrats should chance upon some more eloquent term.

Nevertheless, he will need a lot of time to catch up to Radisic, who has found the ideal solution for the disappearance of the Dayton peace agreement altogether.

Spiritualists:In the style of the most dedicated spiritualists, the member of the Presidency from RS stood before the Security Council. Showing great experience, he invoked the Spirit of Dayton without using a crystal ball or a ouija board. Only experience. And he was right to do so because increasingly all that is left of the Agreement is a spirit which is invoked less and less frequently.

The rapid demise of Dayton and the extinction of RS is also foreseen by the sociologist Aleksa Djilas, who compares the current situation with the exodus of the Serbs from Croatia and from Kosovo. "In one year we will have the provocation of an incident, then a military offensive against eastern Bosnia and advancement to the Drina River. The rest of RS in western Bosnia, economically depleted, will reintegrate itself of its own accord," Djilas forecasts gloomily, noting that the creator of Dayton himself hinted as much.

"We fought and are fighting for a single, unitary Bosnia, with one government, one army and one currency," said Richard Holbrooke in New York in 1997.

At that time his only allies in Bosnia-Hercegovina could be found among Bosniaks. Now he has found them in RS as well.

Excerpts from the New York Declaration relating to the common border patrol and passports: