Trial Run for Election in Bosnia

“Mostar Refugees Return to Cast Ballots” (July 1) is deceptive.

Not a single word was written about the 24,000 Mostar Serbs, “cleansed” in 1992, or the 4,000 Mostar Serbs still listed as “missing,” and presumed dead. The Times has so successfully cleansed the Serbs of their rights in Bosnia that their lack of participation in this election does not even entitle them to the simple recognition of their absence. The buses promised to the 13,000 Mostar Serbs, now living as refugees in Belgrade, were not forthcoming--they were denied an opportunity to vote in this “trial run” for the national election, as praised by your article.

In a speech by Muhamed Sacirbey of the Bosnian government, given before the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles on June 27, at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, during the question-and-answer period, I asked about the unfairness of the upcoming national election. I said a double standard is already in place by providing Bosnian refugees in Switzerland, Germany and the United States with absentee ballots, but no such ballots will be provided to the 500,000 Bosnian Serb refugees in Belgrade. Sacirbey said, “This will be an imperfect election.” What hypocrisy!

WILLIAM DORICH, President

Serbian American Voters Alliance

Los Angeles