REPUBLIC OF SERBIA: NEW PREMIER MILORAD DODIK UPDATE

(18 Jan 1998) Eng/Serbo-Croat/Nat The Republic of Serbia finally has a new government and a new Prime Minister. On Sunday a bare majority of Bosnian Serb lawmakers elected the Republic's new rulers after hard-lines declared an end to a tumultuous legislative session and walked out. The election has been praised by International Peace Coordinator Carlos Westendorp as a crucial step forward for peacemaking efforts in the war-torn region. Serbia's Western-backed president, Biljana Plavsic, has been battling supporters of war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic for weeks over the premiership. The stalemate finally prompted top international peace envoy Carlos Westendorp to declare a Saturday deadline for the election of a new Cabinet. But when parliament met on Saturday the two sides failed to solve their differences. Around midnight, the hard-line speaker of parliament, Dragan Kalinic, ended the session and called for the parliament to reconvene in seven days. Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic and her supporters, who hold 43 of the parliament's 83 seats, decided to stay and elect a new government without the hard liners. Forty-two members of parliament voted for her candidate, Milorad Dodik, who did not have the right to take part in the vote. Once that was out the way, the members of parliament still present, elected the rest of the Republic's new cabinet. The international peace coordinator, Carlos Westendorp, hailed the election of a moderate government, as an important step towards peacekeeping efforts in the region. SOUNDBITE: (English) \"I have to congratulate the assembly, because they have taken a democratic decision. They have appointed a government with a majority and this government in the programme has promised to solve the problems of the Republic of Serbia and this is very important and very urgent.\" SUPER-CAPTION: International Peace Coordinator Carlos Westendorp SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) \"The fact is that the Republic of Serbian has just got a new government and that means that one important element for the solution of the political and overall crisis in the Republic of Serbian is now established.The government consists of competent ministers and in forthcoming days we will do everything to improve all state organs in the territory of the Republic of Serbian as a whole.\" SUPER-CAPTION: New Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik But Plavsic and her new Prime Minister will have their work cut out for them. The election of the government by a rump assembly is expected to further polarize the situation in the region. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...