"LOVE" BY PHONE

Why There are No Post and Telecommunications Between Entities

AIM Sarajevo, 15 March, 1997

    When in the months after the Dayton accords

institutions of the state of B&H - its Presidency, Government, and Parliamentary Assembly - were established with great difficulties, it was only normal to expect problems in communications between representatives of B&H Federation and Republica Srpska. For the beginning, it was known that contacts would be maintained by mediation of the Office of High Representative Carl Bildt, which was after four years of conflict, quite an acceptable solution.

But that such a situation would continue until this day, that is, that despite the need for normal operation of the authorities, the partners in it - the SDA, HDZ and SDS - would not be able to agree even about a minimum of necessary post, telephone and telegraph communications was claimed only by pessimistic critics, or even opponents of the peace agreement. What the lack of elementary PTT comunications in this space looks like in practice is quite well illustrated by the fact that, for example, a simple invitation for a session of state agencies must be sent "on foot" by mediation of Carl Bildt's office, and to talk about possible everyday, direct contacts by telephone or post is completely out of the question.

This problem, according to the opinion expressed in the Office of the High Representative, has persisted for a long time and that is the reason why the Council of Ministers will be asked to finally resolve and define interentity communications. The current lack of communications by post, telephone and telegraph is not conditioned by technical problems, but it is the result of political will of the ruling partners, it is believed in the Office. There are indications, however, that in the next few days some thirty odd telephone lines between Sarajevo and Pale could be rendered usable for the needs of representatives of the authorities.

    The Council of Ministers established a working group

at one of its previous sessions, consisting of experts from both entities and the High Representative's Office, whose task was to provide a detailed insight into the status and technical usability of telecommunication systems which have been operating separately for four years.

It is claimed in the Office of the High Representative of the international community, that with just minor interventions, systems in the Federation and Republica Srpska could be mutually linked, and that the question why there is no uniform telecommunications system in Bosnia & Herzegovina should be addressed to the Ministry of Civilian Affairs and Communications of the Council of Ministers of B&H.

It is very difficult to find complete information who and why is preventing communications between the entities, due to the very fact that it is impossible to establish contact by telephone, for instance, with the competent minister Spasoje Albijanic. As concerning representatives of the Federation in the mentioned ministry, they believe that the problem of ptt communications should be resolved uniformly, on the entire territory of B&H, both for the civilian population and for the needs of the officials.

    That this issue indeed is politicized is best

illustrated by declarations of telecommunications experts that the existing technical problems in establishing connections could be eliminated very quickly. However, the key of the solution of this issue is in the hands of politicians who are, it seems, finally becoming annoyed by being forced to communicate indirectly. The Office of the High Representative, like in the case of convening the session of the Parliment of B&H, publicly - without even previously consulting the authorities - announced the possibility of organizing the session, which caused strong disapproval of the ruling parties which interpreted this move of Carl Bildt as exceeding authorizations (or rather - open expression of protectorate). Of course, Mr Bildt's Office in fact decided, in the general lack of communications between representatives of B&H authorities, to use its Dayton authorizations of a coordinator in the work of state agencies and institutions, especially because it had a perfect pretext for it in the global situation which persisted in the field, as it is popularly said.

Due to the lack of telecommunications between the entities, which is to a certain extent believed to be the cause (and the result?) of insufficient efficiency of state authorities, the Presidency of B&H once asked the Office of the High Representative to report to it the reasons for such a situation but also the possible solutions. This report has not been submitted to this day, and in the B&H Presidency it is believed that it should point out not only to the problems but also to culprits. And, as one of the members of the office of the President of the Presidency of B&H said, if necessary, certain officials responsible for political obstructing of interentity communications could be removed from office for it.

In any case, it will be good if, for the beginning, partners in power could agree about establishment of the mentioned thirty telephone lines between Pale and Sarajevo for the officials. After that, it will be by far more certain that some day a final agreement would follow and telecommunications and post connections established between the Federation and Republica Srpska even for ordinary mortals.

Mirjana MICEVCKA