Kasagic Fired

Rajko Kasagic is no longer prime minister of the Bosnian Serb Republic (RS). He was ousted on May 15 by Radovan Karadzic. The reason listed in a statement was "protection of constitutional order and implementation of agreed policies" and removing the blockade of the authorities. Karadzic said Kasagic failed to adapt to the situation and that could bring unforeseeable consequences to the state and people. The government will be headed by one of the deputy premiers. There are three of them: Miroslav Vjestica (economic affairs), Milomir Dragic and Velibor Ostojic (social activities and seen as a potential front-runner for the premiership).

NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and alliance forces commander in Bosnia General George Joulvan said they would visit Banja Luka on May 16. The schedule for the visit passed out to reporters by IFOR said they plan to meet Kasagic. At the moment this issue is going to press we don't know whether the meeting will happen.

Karadzic's decision was not surprising. First he accused "some Serb politicians" of pushing the Serbs into a common state with the Moslems and Croats through their irresponsible statements. Then he went a step further and said he would run in the coming elections in Bosnia. He added that "the international community is wasting its time looking for Serbs with moderate stands".

Both those statements referred to Kasagic. He's the man who said the peace process will speed up once Bosnian Serb representatives join the newly-established bodies of the Bosnian union. Also, the international community is counting on Kasagic as a moderate to bypass Pale and Karadzic. Confirmation of that lies in the fact that more diplomats and international community representatives came to see Kasagic in the last month than came to Pale over the past few years.

But, Kasagic responded to Karadzic. At a meeting with 33 Bosnian Krajina MPs he said "it's shameful for any nation to harbor war criminals" and indicated he would cooperate with the Hague tribunal. He added that he would reconstruct his government and dismiss ministers "who oppose the peace process". Well informed sources believe that was aimed at hard liners in Pale - Foreign Minister Aleksa Buha, Defence Minister Zivomir Ninkovic and others.

Kasagic intended to raise the government reconstruction issue at a May 15 cabinet meeting in Pale. That meeting never took place and he was ousted.

Sources close to the EU feel that the Bosnian Serbs lost their only acceptable negotiator when Kasagic was ousted.

The RS parliament is due to meet soon in Banja Luka. Informed sources there said Kasagic could refuse to leave if he gets support from Belgrade. The precedent for that was set when Karadzic tried and failed to oust army commander General Ratko Mladic. One of the ways out is seen in the form of a government of experts who would run the RS to the elections.