Inter-ethnic/State Relations – 1996

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While the Basic Agreement is short on details regarding the Joint Council, UNTAES treats the establishment of the Joint Council as a critical part of the overall agreement. Indeed, Serbian nationalist would later obstruct progress on certain provisions, contingent, upon the implementation of the Joint Council of Municipalities. In October 1996, it was reported by the UN Transitional Administration that Serb leaders were trying to block progress on the creation of other Joint Implementation Committees and other projects, until there was more focus on the “status and functions of the Serb community’s joint Council of Municipalities.”1 The statements of the Serb leaders make it clear that by “joint” they mean a partnership or collective of Serbian townships.

Inter-ethnic/State Relations – 1995

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The Erdut Basic Agreement called for the right to establish a joint council of Serbian municipalities. The importance and purpose of this organization, from the Serbian perspective, stems from their demographic situation with Croatia. In terms of Croatian elections, a municipality is considered a small area or township with a county; there are, on average, 6 or 7 municipalities within a county. Serbs do not have an electoral majority in any single county in Croatia. They do, however, have a majority in several municipalities. Serbian sources make it clear that the purpose of this organization is to give those municipalities a greater voice – vis a vis the Government of Croatia (GoC). This did not happen in 1995.