ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, July 22, 1996 TAG: 9607220147
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
SOURCE: Associated Press
Radovan Karadzic, accused of war crimes for leading Serbs in a brutal 3 1/2-year campaign to seize control of Bosnia, yielded Friday to international pressure to give up all political power.
His removal clears the way for elections in September that diplomats consider crucial to building peace in Bosnia. It also marks a new triumph for U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke, who brokered last year's Bosnian peace accord.
But it will not put Karadzic where much of the world says he belongs - before the U.N. war crimes tribunal. One reason is that Karadzic's testimony could implicate Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who has been accused of fomenting the war but has been the linchpin of Holbrooke's efforts to build peace.
After 10 hours of haggling overnight in Belgrade, Holbrooke distributed a statement signed by Karadzic, senior Bosnian Serbs, Milosevic and his foreign minister announcing that Karadzic was out.
In the document, Karadzic ``states that he shall withdraw immediately and permanently from all political activities.''
``He will not appear in public, or on radio or television or other media or means of communication, or participate in any way in the elections,'' it said.
Karadzic's functions as president of the Bosnian Serbs' self-declared republic will pass temporarily to his ultranationalist aide, Biljana Plavsic. Another aide, Aleksa Buha, will take the ``powers and responsibilities'' associated with heading the ruling Serbian Democratic Party, the statement said.
Formally, it is the end for Karadzic, a psychiatrist and amateur poet brought into nationalist politics by Milosevic as the old Yugoslavia disintegrated in 1990.
``He knew he was signing the end of his political career,'' Holbrooke said.
But a world burned in the past by broken Balkan promises was wary, stressing that the agreement still does not deliver Karadzic to trial before the U.N. court that has indicted him twice for war crimes and genocide.
Holbrooke, whose tough negotiating style clearly has won him some respect from Milosevic, made sure that Plavsic, Buha and another top Bosnian Serb signed the statement at the posh, secluded Belgrade villa where the talks were held.
Karadzic signed it at his Pale stronghold, in the presence of a witness Holbrooke talked to later. The witness was thought to be Milosevic's top security aide, Jovica Stanisic.
``There is no question the signatures are correct,'' Holbrooke said. ``This is an important statement. If it's implemented strictly, it increases significantly chances of successful elections.''
But, he stressed, ``we are not satisfied ... It falls short of our goals'' because Karadzic remains in Bosnia.
Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic said, ``Every capitulation of war criminals is good news.''
At the tribunal, spokesman Christian Chartier called Karadzic's removal ``the first step on a longer road which must lead the accused to The Hague.''
Robert Frowick, the American heading the international mission that will organize Bosnia's elections, cautiously termed Karadzic's removal ``a potentially major step forward.''
Frowick delayed the start of election campaigning from Monday to Friday to get Karadzic out. Bosnia's Muslims had threatened to boycott the elections if Karadzic remained head of the Serbs' ruling party, while the Serbs threatened a boycott if Frowick banned the party from elections.
In a statement Friday, the Serbian Democratic Party accused the international community of trying to weaken the party:
``Because of international pressure, President Karadzic cannot address the Serb people, but we inform the public that SDS knows what it is doing, that it saw through our enemies' intentions and that it will avoid all traps and gain triumphant victory at the elections.''
LENGTH: Medium: 77 linesby CNB