His Eyes Are Watching

Just a few days before the voters in Republika Srpska will arrive at the voting stations, the leaders of the ruling Serbian Democratic Party have warned their followers that "officially exhibiting the posters of Radovan Karadzic is contrary to the essence of the verbal and written agreement with the representatives of the international community, and electoral rules." In the same proclamation, they reminded that Karadzic is forbidden to participate in all elections and warn the members of SDS that the obstruction of electoral rules and "the official use of the posters" could expell them from the party. (The warning and the threat of being expelled certainly does not refer to the "white eaglets", progeny of SNO, who have posted Karadzic’s poster all over Belgrade).

"Prohibition" from the top of SDS came, however, after the pre-electoral caravan of the party, with Karadzic’s posters of course, has crusaded all over RS and held rallies in almost each and every village. A few days ago in Bijeljina, for example, only Karadzic’s posters could be seen at the central town square. Many of them were embellished with flowers, arranged like some sort of laurel wreath, thus clearly acknowledging who is to be considered as the only "Serbian blooming flower" (no matter how prohibited) and who is to be the winner of the forthcoming elections. In order to clear all possible doubts, those who signed the proclamation a

few days later (Biljana Plavsic, Momcilo Krajisnik, Aleksa Buha) have said to the gathered masses from the stage at the City Square in Bijeljina that "among them is also someone whose name must not be mentioned by the will of the foreign tycoons, but whose eyes are watching them and saying - we did it, let us go on!"

The rally in Bijeljina was one of the worst and the least convincing performances of the SDS leaders. Over 3,000 people were gathered at the City Square. Just as the first speaker exclaimed "God is with Serbs", the rain shower started, which probably disturbed the speakers. From the SDS's first team, the best in form was Aleksa Buha. He mostly dealt with the Dayton Agreement and kept persuading those present that there is no way BIH will reintegrate today, almost a year after Dayton, although many would gladly witness it.

Probably tired of various rallies (even two or three daily), Momcilo Krajisnic, lacking inspiration at the rally in Bijeljina, has improvised several times on the theme of Serbian women who should do "those things" and "bear us children".

The thesis of "one hundred percent patriots" was developed later on by Biljana Plavsic. She warned that all the others must "seek the opinion from Belgrade or somewhere else", while only SDS has it head office in its people. Plavsic reminded the citizens of Bijeljina of the fact that she was with them right after the "freeing" of the city at the beginning of the war, in April 1992, and that she has never forgotten them.

The same evening, in the central news show of TV Pale, it was announced that, in spite of the rain, the rally in Bijeljina attracted 10 thousand people. The majority of the parties have, however, decided to organize their last rallies in Brcko. On Sunday it was done by the socialists, reinforced for the occasion by Nebojsa Covic. In reply to Covic, the radicals wanted to bring Vladimir Zhirinovski on Monday, but the guest from Russia was not allowed to cross the border and support the Serb bretheren. Zhirinovski and Vojislav Seselj waited for several hours at the border crossing near Raca in vain, but the Serbian police were merciless. Regardless of this handicap, the radicals were no different from all the other parties that have recently organized rallies in Brcko. They all announced that the destiny of the city is at the same time the destiny of RS and that there can be no compromise, no matter what the arbitrary committee decides.

Similar messages were sent by Alija Izetbegovic from the other side of the border. Under the falling rain he spoke to several thousand Moslem refugees from Brcko. He promised them a fast return to the city they had to leave, because if not, "there will be trouble".

On the very day of the elections 31,000 refugees from Serbia who decided to vote in this city should arrive to Brcko, and also an unknown number of Moslems. If the numerous refugee votes "for Brcko" sent by mail are to be added to this, it could easily happen that many more voters vote in Brcko than in Sarajevo.

Just a few kilometers from the place where the socialists, radicals and Izetbegovic spoke about no compromises over Brcko, on the flea market "Arizona" at one of the crossings between the two entities, big trade was going on between Serbs, Moslems and Croats. For months now, everyone has been bringing to this market what the others lack. Serbian green peppers, Slovenian beer, Croatian detergent powder, salt from Tuzla, blue jeans from Novi Pazar, foreign chocolates, cigarettes, satellite antennas, tapes with songs by Semsa Suljagic and Ceca Velickovic... All is sold for deutch marks, of course. The market is open seven days in a week, 24 hours a day, regardless to the weather conditions.

On Sunday, September 8th, while the politicians on both sides cursed Brcko, at the market "Arizona" one Serb and one Moslem were trying their best to pull a truck out of the mud bearing Doboj’s registration plate. They were in a hurry to deliver goods and make another (inter-ethnic) tour. Nobody comes or goes to "Arizona" with an empty truck. If the politicians (at least the main ones) achieve what they have promised, there might not be any new tours.