SARAJEVO, Aug 11 (Hina) - Saturday's incidents in Gradacac and Kalesija, towns in northern Bosnia, where supporters of the Democratic Action Party disturbed the pre-election campaign meetings of the five opposition party alliance
called "Bosnian Joint List", again confirmed that preparations for the September elections were being carried out in an atmosphere which is everything but democratic.
SARAJEVO, Aug 11 (Hina) - Saturday's incidents in Gradacac and
Kalesija, towns in northern Bosnia, where supporters of the
Democratic Action Party disturbed the pre-election campaign
meetings of the five opposition party alliance called "Bosnian
Joint List", again confirmed that preparations for the September
elections were being carried out in an atmosphere which is
everything but democratic. #L#
A large group of men equipped with megaphones and wearing
shirts with SDA insignia, shouting "Alija, Alija" and "Thieves,
thieves" gathered in front of a hall in Gradacac and prevented the
start of the meeting.
The meeting in Gradacac had to be canceled and the one in
Kalesija was held with great difficulty.
Commenting the incidents, assistant police commander in
Gradacac Emir Lapic said on Saturday that there had been no
incidents and that only "juveniles and SDA members shouted
slogans".
He said that opposition leaders canceled the meeting of their
own accord.
On the same day, an alleged celebration of the first
anniversary of liberation of Velika Kladusa from Abdic's supporters
took place in this town, but actually it was a pre-election meeting
of the SDA with 5,000 people present.
The main message of the meeting was that "every vote which is
not cast for the SDA is a vote for the enemy".
Vice-president of the Moslem Organization Mujo Kafedzic warned
two days ago that even the most basic of human rights were not
respected in western Bosnia, citing the example of "former General
Mehmed Alagic, commander of the Bosnian army 7th corps, now head of
the municipality, who is behaving as a dictator who is persecuting
anyone not supporting the SDA," Kafedzic said.
The Bosnian Party from Tuzla asked the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to sanction the SDA
politics which "means to take away the rights of citizens to
pluralism and democracy, which is aimed at establishing a one-party
and one-nationality system of authority".
Opposition parties announced the possibility of boycotting the
elections and the possibility is becoming greater in the present
circumstances.
(hina) lm
111638 MET aug 96