SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, July 11 (Hina) - Republika Srpska Defence Minister Slobodan Bilic on Thursday submitted his resignation as demanded of him by the Socialist Party of RS.
SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, July 11 (Hina) - Republika Srpska Defence
Minister Slobodan Bilic on Thursday submitted his resignation as
demanded of him by the Socialist Party of RS. #L#
Addressing reporters in Banja Luka, Bilic said that if he had not
resigned, the entire government of Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic
would have found itself in a difficult situation.
The Socialist Party had earlier threatened to withhold its support
for Ivanic's government if Bilic was not removed from office. The
government would then be left without the majority required to make
decisions and pass laws.
Bilic was appointed Defence Minister by the Socialist Party two
years ago. The party has since lost part of its members, who left it
due to dissatisfaction with changes in its leadership.
After almost ten years, Zivko Radisic, a member of the Presidency of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, was replaced from the party's head by Petar
Djokic. Dissatisfied with that, Radisic's followers decided to
form a new party - the People's Party of Socialists (NPS).
Bilic joined the new party, which prompted the SP RS to demand his
replacement.
During his term in office, Bilic advocated separate military forces
for the Bosnian Serbs and opposed attempts to establish joint
defence structures and a single army.
(hina) sp rml