BOSNIA: DODIK RESIGNS OVER BRCKO скачать в хорошем качестве

BOSNIA: DODIK RESIGNS OVER BRCKO

(6 Mar 1999) English/Nat In a challenge to Bosnian Serb hardliners opposed to the Dayton agreement, international officials have taken the city of Brcko away from their exclusive control. The decision, however, triggered a political crisis - with the Western-backed prime minister announcing his resignation to protest the Brcko ruling. Prime Minister Milorad Dodik's announcement that he and his caretaker government would step down deepened a political crisis in the country's Serb autonomous entity. SUGGESTED VOICE - OVER: In a setback for the West, Prime Minister Milorad Dodik said he would step down because of a decision by an international arbiter not to award the strategically situated town of Brcko (BIRCH-ko) to the Serb republic. Bosnian Serbs see the town as a five-kilometres (three mile) lifeline between the eastern and western parts of their territory. Instead, all three ethnic groups - Serbs, Croats and Muslims - are to administer the city of about 90-thousand that the Serbs had run under international supervision. Although disappointed, a spokesman said the West's top peace envoy to Bosnia, Carlos Westendorp, was hopeful that the prime minister would reconsider his surprise decision. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The first thing is we have to wait and see whether this resignation is confirmed or not, we've seen Mr Dodik's statement and we understand his sensitivities about the decision in Brcko and his difficulties with that but we hope... Given the fact he is a caretaker Prime Minister that he stays in place until such time as either he can be convinced to change his mind or that a truly constituted government can be put in place. We understand that over the weekend there will be a meeting of the RS National Assembly where this will be discussed and hopefully before then can be convinced to stay on." SUPER CAPTION: Simon Haselock, Deputy High Representative and spokesman for Westendorp Announcing his decision to step down, Dodik said he took full responsibility for what was happening to Brcko. SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat) "Since September last year we were constantly as the government of the Republika Srpska obstructed in every way from making decisions and making a friendly and democratic atmosphere. But anyway we tried everything to leave Brcko in the Republika Srpska. I feel fully responsible and for that reason I am resigning from the position of Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska" SUPER CAPTION: Milorad Dodik, caretaker premier Haselock added that the timing of the resignation could not have come at a worse time. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Clearly, when you're in a caretaker a regime if you resign without nominating someone as a successor or putting someone there as a successor there is a vacuum, clearly this is not the time for a vacuum particularly with the situation with the President and therefore we hope a proper constitutional situation can be restored and that the government will stay in place." SUPER CAPTION: Simon Haselock, Deputy High Representative and spokesman for Westendorp Dodik's resignation wasn't the only set back for the international community. Also on Friday, hardline Bosnian Serb President Nikola Poplasen refused an order by Westendorp - the top international official in the country - to step down. Meanwhile, the vice president refused to assume the presidency, as required by the constitution. Bosnian Serb ultranationalists have called on all Serbs in the country to resist two major international decisions. They say the Brcko and Poplasen decisions by Westendorp were aimed at destroying the Bosnian Serb sub-state. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...