Bosnia peace team hopes to keep Karadzic out of spotlight
May 21, 1996
Web posted at: 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 GMT)From Correspondent Christiane Amanpour
PALE, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- Bosnia's peace coordinator Carl Bildt believes he has a firm promise that Radovan Karadzic will leave public office -- an understanding extracted in intense negotiations with the Bosnian Serb leadership over the weekend.
"A text was discussed, language was discussed, and even the Bosnian Serb leadership agreed Dr. Karadzic had to stay out of public life," said Colum Murphy, a spokesman for Bildt.
Bildt is still seeking a formal written guarantee. In the meantime, many are asking whether Vice President Biljana Plavsic stepping up -- Karadzic is reportedly handing some of his power to his vice president -- is any better than Karadzic stepping down.
"She is an ultra-nationalist," said Murphy. "It could be said by installing her, Karadzic is quite clearly seeking to retain his influence."
Plavsic, Murphy pointed out, is not an indicted war criminal, as Karadzic is. But she does support Karadzic's policies. A hawk by any standards, she has won a reputation as one of the architects of ethnic cleansing. Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic once declared that she should seek psychiatric help.
Before becoming an icon for Serb separatists, she was a respected biology professor at Sarajevo University, and spent time lecturing on a fellowship in the United States.
Nonetheless, Bildt's team believes that even another hard- liner replacing Karadzic would be a step forward.
The strategy seems to be locked onto personality and psychology. If they can just bring Karadzic down from his mountaintop perch of power and keep him off the airwaves, the hope is that time will loosen his grip on Serb politics and people.
The international community wants Karadzic off the stage, believing he is the main obstacle to a proper peace. The betting is that neither Plavsic nor anyone else has the charisma and influence of Karadzic -- and without a strong focal point, his extremist politics could be vulnerable in upcoming elections.
Related stories:
- Karadzic reportedly may leave office - May 19, 1996
- Karadzic hands over significant powers to deputy - May 18, 1996
- Yugoslavian leaders battle for legitimacy - May 16, 1996
- War crimes tribunal gets history lesson - May 8, 1996
- A united Bosnia? Not anytime soon - May 8, 1996
- Prosecutor details Bosnian's alleged atrocities - May 7, 1996
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