A top US official has bluntly warned Bosnian Serbs that it will not support the republic's government if it takes in nationalists, a magazine reported.
President Bill Clinton's adviser for the Balkans, James O'Brien, told the magazine Reporter that the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), which won the largest share of seats in parliament, should not be part of the government of Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb republic.
Asked is the US would support the government of Republika Srpska if the SDS takes part in it, O'Brien flatly said: "No", without elaborating.
"We think that the SDS and such parties cannot lead Bosnia towards Europe", O'Brien said adding that Washington had a similar attitude toward the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Muslim's Party of Democratic Action (SDA).
In the November 11 general elections in Bosnia, the SDS, HDZ and SDA made the strongest showing, although they failed to keep their absolute majority in the federal parliament.
In the Bosnian Serb republic, the SDS has emerged the clear winner of both presidential and parliamentary elections.
SDS member Mirko Sarovic, who won the Bosnian Serb presidency, will take the oath of office Friday during the first session of the new parliament, where his party will hold 31 of the 83 seats.
Bosnia-Hercegovina was set up as a single state with two entities -- the Serb's Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation -- following the 1992-1995 war -- BANJA LUKA (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
