A City of Clear Conscience

In the spring of 1994, few in Sarajevo envisioned the end of the war. Although international negotiators, with military support from NATO, succeeded in moving the artillery of the Republika Srpska army to an appropriate distance from the city, the citizens of Sarajevo had become so accustomed to the "grenade downpour" that this did not cause much joy. Through the entire winter, Sarajevo was, in fact, showered with the grenade downpour, "void of any logic or organization". Those who were too scared to leave their houses were killed there, and those who, in spite of everything, followed their daily routines were killed in the streets. In December 1993, Sarajevo was daily shelled by over 1000 grenades. Several months later, our guest became the mayor of Sarajevo. Ph.D. Tarik Kupusovic got his degree in civil engineering before the war, but after the war became the director of the Institute for Applied Hydraulics at the School of Civil Engineering in Sarajevo. He speaks with pride about the former "multi-multi" Sarajevo, the Olympic city. And about the Sarajevo of today, the changed Sarajevo of contradictions, he speaks with ready practical solutions. While about Sarajevo of the future, he speaks with great optimism, which is characteristic of most of the citizens of Sarajevo who endured the war years in their native city.

You became the mayor of Sarajevo while you were a member of SDA, and today you belong to the Liberal Party of BiH (the party of former Yugoslav youth organization official, Rasim Kadic, who is, at present, the minister for displaced persons in the government of the BiH Federation - G. K.). Does this mean your political beliefs have considerably changed during the war?

I was the carrier of the SDA list for the Stari Grad municipality, and that is how I was elected to the Assembly for the city of Sarajevo. When the former mayor of Sarajevo was transferred to diplomatic service in March 1994, I replaced him. It was a time when Sarajevo was totally surrounded, but there was hope, because NATO's ultimatum caused the withdrawal of heavy artillery from around Sarajevo and for awhile Sarajevo was not shelled. After that, communication via airport started, and peace finally came after the actions of the NATO air force and Dayton. Within these two years, with a great team of people, we always were able to find alternative solutions for the essential necessities of the city: from minimal electrical power supplies, water, energy sources, heating fuel, to foodstuff, both humanitarian and commercial. However, interpreting the application of the Dayton agreement for the city of Sarajevo, divided in municipalities, without the status of a city, I decided to resign. Namely, according to the Dayton agreement, there are municipalities and cantons, and Sarajevo does not exist as a city with a capital C.

Has the city gained or lost by this?

It has lost, of course. But, this was understood. Now negotiations are under way that this be returned to it's former state, that Sarajevo regain the status of a city. However, at that time I had left the SDA and joined the Liberals, because I belonged to that liberal wing of the ruling party.

Who are the citizens of Sarajevo today?

Today, you can find all sort of contradictions in Sarajevo, because here are the women from Srebrenica with their female children, who have lost their husbands and male children, but also intellectuals from Banja Luka who have spent several years in Sweden or Germany before coming to Sarajevo, and for whom Sarajevo is maybe the natural place to live. I think that it is very important that Sarajevo has kept at least 50 percent of its substance, it's capacities. Above all, I mean to say it has kept it's former university, and expert capacity in various areas. This is a great guarantee in this transitional time, enormous power which will be able to absorb non-city, non-urban elements. Those unable to accommodate will see that this is not the place for them.

What is the economic situation in Sarajevo?

As for the economy, things are going well in Sarajevo itself. Here the transition started before the war, when the real economic boom occurred. It is now up to the state as a system to take appropriate tax from those who earn, for social needs, for the needs of the states to operate, etc., but to be very careful to preserve the free initiative, the freedom of private entrepreneurship, because this is what kept Sarajevo going during the war, and is boosting it's development after the war.

In order for Sarajevo to become what we would all like it to be, one obstacle is certainly the trials of those who, during the siege of the city, out of revenge but also out of greed, killed innocent Serbs in Sarajevo. It is only now that this topic is spoken about more freely...

All war criminals must be brought to the Hague, regardless to the character of their crime or the descent of the criminal. I believe that Sarajevo should have a clear conscience about it. Otherwise, what will Sarajevo be if these trials do not happen. Or what will happen if it insisted on that. This I suppose is not necessary to explain. As President Clinton said during his visit to Sarajevo, the past cannot be changed, but we must find a way to overcome it. All of us in Sarajevo must especially strive to clarify this story.

And do you think that there are those in the current government who care to conceal such past? Isn't someone scared?

Maybe, but they will not remain hidden or amnestied because of that. The Hague Tribunal, as you can see, does not bring out in public its evidence about crimes and criminals anymore. It now operates differently. I believe they will find a way to get those who committed the mentioned crimes in Sarajevo.