Moderate Bosnian Serb prime minister begins reforms

Milorad Dodik

April 19, 1998

Web posted at: 11:27 p.m. EDT (0327 GMT)

From Correspondent Christiane Amanpour

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- After years of dealing with hard-line Bosnian Serbs, Western officials are now pleased to be dealing with Milorad Dodik.

Dodik is the new Bosnian Serb prime minister who is working to wrest power away from hard-liners who want to obstruct the Dayton peace accord that settled the civil war in the former Yugoslavia.

In the past three months, he has led a moderate government that has started moving toward normality.

"My government and I believe in the Dayton process, we know what it means and we want to fully implement the peace accords," Dodik said.

U.S. and European officials are happy that after years of obstruction, there is now someone they can do business with.

"He is a Serb nationalist but also realizes he is a democrat, and that means certain West European values have to be observed and implemented," said Jacques Klein, a deputy high representative with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. "And since he's come on board, we've found a level of cooperation that never existed before."

Dodik has been replacing hard-line police chiefs, opening telephone and postal service to the rest of Bosnia, and firing nationalist media bosses.

Bosnian Serbs hope commerce returns to normal

"The atmosphere has changed," said journalist Pedrag Curkovoc. "You could not see people smiling for five, six years, now you can feel from them they have a new energy."

Even minorities expelled during the war are responding to Dodik's moderate approach. In April alone, 21 Muslim families have come back to their homes in Banja Luka.

The international community sees Dodik as the biggest political breakthrough since peace in Bosnia was signed 2 1/2 years ago. But international officials have yet to come up with the kind of money Dodik needs to convince the Serbs that cooperating with the peace process is worth it.

Economic problems still exist. Sixty percent of Bosnian Serbs remain unemployed, and salaries are roughly $50 a month when paid. Although donors promise assistance, the Serbs have only seen a small amount so far.

Vehicles backed up at the border

"We will only succeed if people feel this government can bring them a better life," Dodik said. "If that does not happen, ultra-nationalist parties can return to political power."

Hard-liners are already exploiting the lack of aid.

"I am very happy if money that Dodik secures comes to the Serb people," said Momcilo Krajisnik, Serb member of the joint presidency. "However, I think it's all just promises, not hard cash,"

Indeed, Dodik's opponents who've seen their capital, money and power moved from Pale to Banja Luka are determined to fight back in September elections that will define Bosnia for the next four years. Dodik the reformer has just five months to prove himself.