The following is the text of Mr Poplasen's address, as broadcast by Bosnian Serb Television on 2 December.

Ladies and gentlemen, guests, parliamentary representatives.

Considering the agenda, I was going to speak at this session of the National Assembly of the Serb Republic anyway, but unfortunately, to my dissatisfaction - and I believe yours as well - I have to address you at this point regardless of the agenda.

I presume you have been more or less informed about the fact that General Radislav Krstic, Commander of the 5th Corps [of the Serb Republic Army], was arrested today after 12 o'clock, at about 1230 [1130 GMT], by SFOR [Nato-led Stabilization Force].

I, as well as other representatives of the Serb Republic and the Serb Republic [RS] Army, was informed about that by SFOR Commander General Montgomery Meigs.

I have also been informed through other means available in the Serb Republic for informing the state leadership about details regarding this and similar events.

I have scheduled a session of the Supreme Defence Council for 1900 tonight. We will discuss the event at the session and determine our position.

I urge you to be patient and wait for a definite position until after we complete the session.

Adhering to the rules

Naturally, after the session, I am willing to inform the national assembly about our position, if you so require, so that the national assembly can commit itself on the position of the Supreme Defence Council.

I suggest that, after my brief address, the RS national assembly continues working in accordance with the agenda.

I also suggest that the current agenda item discussed, ie.amendments that are currently under discussion, that you consider the context of the bill, the circumstances in which it is being adopted, and that everything you do be in line with the law, rules of procedure, but especially with the Dayton peace agreement.

Rest assured that our position on today's event and future events will be based on a clear-cut adherence to the provisions of the Dayton peace agreement.

There is no reason to dispute or violate those provisions.

SFOR overstepped the mark

Unfortunately, according to my information at present, SFOR overstepped its authority during the arrest of Gen Krstic in a drastic manner.

Several of his co-workers were also arrested. That has nothing to do with the procedure that the SFOR mandate has for the arrest of suspected war criminals if SFOR should encounter them by chance [in the course of carrying out regular duties].

In other words, this was a completely organised operation performed by persons wearing civilian uniforms [as heard], an interception that can only be seen in the movies.

At this point, I feel I need to provide a wider context for parliamentary representatives as well as for the public and say that, following the anti-Dayton decision of the High Representative [Carlos Westendorp] and SFOR commander, I am not authorised to appoint and replace RS Army generals.

The decision of the High Representative and SFOR commander has no basis in the Dayton peace agreement. The Supreme Defence Council, including all of its members ie. including members of the Bosnia-Hercegovina Presidency from the Serb Republic [Zivko Radisic], assembly chairman, prime minister, chief of the General Staff, interior minister and defence minister - agree with me.

Our unanimous position is that such a position is purely voluntary and that it does not stem from actions of the political leadership and the army of the Serb Republic from the previous period.

On many occasions I have received assurances from SFOR representatives as well as from NATO General [Wesley] Clark that the RS Army had done everything that the military annex of the Dayton agreement requires.

I really do not understand such measures. I sent a letter to the High Representative and SFOR commander on behalf of the Supreme Defence Council demanding that they revise the matter and take a decision in keeping with the constitution of the Serb Republic and the constitution of the Bosnia-Hercegovina, ie. the entire Dayton Agreement.

Political not military solution

A continuation of such activities could lead to a full erosion of what was signed in Dayton, of the described authority of military-police forces of international organisations that have been present in the Serb Republic after the signing of the Dayton Agreement, as well as to the erosion of the authority of the RS state institutions.

That overall context will be subject to discussion.

We are convinced that, regardless of the nature of this event, whose motivation we do not understand, we should insist on the consistent implementation of the verified procedure.

I am convinced that we must look for a rational way out of the situation.

At this point, I am still hopeful that we can find a political way, relying on the strength of arguments, not tanks and aeroplanes, and come up with solutions that are in the interest of the Serb Republic of the Serb people, of all peoples living here, of Bosnia-Hercegovina, in the interest of ideas linked to the Dayton peace agreement and its signatories.

I fully understand the justified emotional reactions of the people in the Serb Republic, especially of the friends and fellow soldiers of General Krstic, but I assure all of you here, as well as the entire public, that we will try to find the most productive solution, that the solution is not always tied to the best of intentions and what seem to be justified emotions, but to the circumstances under which we are forced to act.

I once again urge you to be patient. I suggest that, in keeping with your obligations as parliamentary representatives, you try to find compromise solutions in line with the Dayton agreement for the legal projects ahead of us.

I fear we may find ourselves in a new situation in which the national assembly could be painted in the wrong light.

Regardless of the differences among the representatives and clubs of representatives, I am absolutely convinced that this is a markedly multiparty assembly, that what we hear is a zealous competition of positions and ideas in an atmosphere that is much more appropriate and much more tolerant than in many other multiparty assemblies that have functioned for hundreds of years.

Regardless of the fact that we should nourish a competitive atmosphere, things must nevertheless always end in a compromise and a show of hands.

I believe we will all act as responsible and rational individuals in keeping with the mandate given to us by the Serb Republic electorate.