PRE-ELECTION MISCHIEF IN BOSNIA

Recent violence in Bosnia may be part of an orchestrated campaign to increase ethnic tension and mistrust in advance of general elections

By Janez Kovac in Sarajevo  

(…) Anxiety over the elections may account for a recent tightening of control over the media. After years of supporting the SDA, the Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz has recently adopted a more independent position, critical of the Muslim ruling party. As a result, the paper has lost the financial and other benefits it previously enjoyed, and was brought to the brink of closure by the tax authorities.

Similarly, popular anchorman and chief editor on Bosnian television, BHTV, Senad Hadzifejzovic, was removed from his post last week. Hadzifejzovic has long been close to SDA leader and Muslim member of the Bosnian tripartite presidency, Alija Izetbegovic. He claims to have been ousted by journalists installed at BHTV by federal premier and SDA deputy leader, Edhem Bicakcic, who is thought to harbour ambitions of replacing the ageing Izetbegovic.

The SDA's media offensive has not stopped independent magazines Slobodna Bosna and Dani from revealing new scandals which implicate Bicakcic and other senior SDA members in corruption and crime. Last Thursday Wolfgang Petritsch removed tax office director, Ramiz Dzaferovic, from his post. He had previously been exposed as corrupt in a series of articles in the two magazines.

"As Director of the Federation Tax Administration, Mr Dzaferovic, through acts of personal misconduct, impeded the economic reform effort," said OHR in its statement. " Mr Dzaferovic also failed to apply the rules and regulations governing the Federation Tax Administration in a fair, systematic and transparent manner."

Maybe the new director of the tax office will hesitate before allowing it to be used to harass uncooperative newspapers. Like all public officials dismissed by OHR, Dzaferovic faces the additional punishment of being barred from running for public office or holding public office.

The following day, Petritsch summarily dismissed the Board of Governors of the main Bosnian Serb television station, RTRS, and appointed a new one. "This decision is a direct result of the continued failure of the Republika Srpska Government and the RS National Assembly to adopt new legislation for RTRS, in order to bring it in line with international standards for public Broadcasting," he said.

Petritsch's actions may be seen as part of a clean sweep in advance of the elections. Everyone, from nationalist and opposition parties, to the media - state-run and independent - and the international community is already gearing up for the November polls.

Indeed, the elections could be crucial for Bosnia. If nationalist parties maintain their current share of power, or increase it, the international community and donors may decide that B-H is a hopeless case and abandon the country to its own grim nationalist fate.

Janez Kovac is a regular IWPR contributor