| Radio Herceg-Bosna (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30 hrs) |
| Appeal of Kordic to ICTY | Case of Dragan Lukac | Bankruptcy of “Livnica” | Dragan Lukac removal |
| Jelavic case | Wnendt in Mostar | Case of Kordic and Cerkez | Robbery in Banja Luka |
| Dragan Lukac removal | Exhumation in Belgrade | Exhumation in Belgrade | Trial to police officers |
| Iraq | Case of Kordic and Cerkez | Flood damages in Jajce | Iraq |
| Oslobodjenje | Bogdanic hides from Masovic locations of graves |
| Dnevni Avaz | Epidemic of brucellosis threatens |
| Dnevni List | Wnendt: Money obstacle in reconstruction of Mostar |
| Vecernji List | Commander of RS Special Police Unit refused to hand over his duty |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Conflicts regarding renaming of Herzeg-Bosnia Canton into Dinara Canton: Nameless canton |
| Glas Srpske | Republika Srpska police: Complaints and accusations; RS Government: They should step down; Political parties: From condemnation to support |
| Nezavisne Novine | Dragan Lukac: The incompetent and cowards are leading RS police; District Court in Banjaluka: First trial for war crimes in RS commences |
| Blic | Who runs BiH – domestic authority or High Representative: Politicians are incompetent, Ashdown runs the show; Dragan Lukac does not accept his dismissal: I will sue the Police Director; Q-fever: Doctors afraid of second wave |
Security affairs | |
| Lukac and Ribic press conference in Banjaluka
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pgs 2-3 ‘Njegus’s decision – a message to police not to arrest Hague indictees’ mentioned on cover ‘The incompetent and cowards are leading RS police’ – At yesterday’s press conference in Banjaluka, Dragan Lukac, Head of RS Special Police Unit, and Dragan Ribic, his Deputy, announced they would file a lawsuit against Radomir Njegus, RS Police Director, over illegal activities regarding their removals from positions and suspension of police officers of this unit. Lukac said that Njegus on Friday brought order on Lukac’s vacation. Later on the same day, Lukac was given a suspension order and yesterday afternoon, Lukac got the decision on his re-deployment as inspector of Republika Srpska Interior Ministry. Lukac says that this removal is of political nature, stressing that Police Director Njegus told him that personally, but Director did not want to say who was exerting pressure. He also stressed that all the orders Special Unit got were coming from the top of RS MOI, stressing that special police was only obeying orders. He further said he did not go to Visegrad with his unit because Director Njegus asked him not to go with them but to go with helicopter next morning. Owing to bad weather conditions, he could not leave. Lukac also said that following this first action of attempted arrest of war crime suspects and transfer of responsibility for its failure onto Special Police brings in question all further actions. On this he added: “Republika Srpska must carry out its duties towards the Hague Tribunal. I do not know whom they now intend to send to carry out such orders. This is an indirect message that this should never be done.” He further firmly claimed that nothing within Republika Srpska Interior Ministry happens without the knowledge, prior assent or order given by Republika Srpska Interior Minister, Zoran Djeric. This also includes Visegrad action and any personnel change within the Ministry. On this he added: “These removals were also carried out with his assent in which order he could “wash” himself as Minister… all the responsibility for the Visgerad action should now be transferred onto Special Police, that just obeyed their orders. I ask Minister and Police Director whom they now intend to send to carry out similar actions? Why should someone go risk life, family and lose the job after all, to end up in prison, while those, who gave the order keep their positions and decide to penalise the policemen.” Lukac also said that: “On Friday, Police Director Njegus also accused Special Police of being engaged in criminal activities and drugs smuggling. He said the rumour goes around we are doing that, but he would protect us because of our war engagement. I told him he is police director, who should not protect anybody, if he holds information of criminal activities at this unit or any other unit within Interior Ministry. All people present here today were there and heard him say that. They were surprised, astounded and they could not believe his words.” He concluded that: “Those responsible should be identified at some other place, meaning RS MoI top leadership, and not in this unit, which just obeyed orders.” He also said that all three decisions he received from Njegus regarding his removal would be forwarded to EUPM for analysis. According to NN inset, Dragan Ribic, Deputy Chief of RS Special Police, said that Special Police Unit carried out Visegrad action on the basis of false information, delivered to them by Republika Srpska MoI top leadership – the information for which nobody is held responsible. He also said: “These guys did not do anything wrong. They launched the operation on the basis of false information. We had information seven to eight persons at least and one child were in the house and would most probably resist the arrest. Because of the child, we did not use means we usually do use.” Glas Srpske reports that information on war crime suspects in Visegrad was passed on to police by the Hague investigators. According to NN inset, Lukac claims that the operational plan on Visegrad action was worked out on 20 April and sealed on 22 April. However, the plan carries the date of 17 May, when action was carried out, because Njegus asked from Lukac to carry out the action without the written order. Lukac also told the press that the action in Visegrad was sold out to the press, since two TV crews – BN TV and Associated Press were on the scene. He claims police sold this action. GS carries denial of Vlado Trisic, BN TV Director, who denies this, saying that BN TV crew came to the scene when the operation was already ongoing, and by that time crew, originally living in this small town, heard from local population something was going on at the house of Lukic’s in Visegrad. Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Lukac announced lawsuit against Njegus’, Oslobodjenje pg 3, Vecernji List front pg ‘Commander of RS Special Police Unit refused to hand over his duty’, pg 4 ‘Lukac: Djeric and Njegus refused to resign’, by B. Stevandic and Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Outsiders from MoI will not disband us’ by A. Macanovic, Blic, pgs. 14-15 ‘Lukac: politicians wipe out special police officers’ by Tijana Veselinovic, mentioned on cover ‘Dragan Lukac does not accept his dismissal: I will sue the Police Director’, Vecernje novosti, pg. 8 ‘He accuses chiefs’ by Sl. Pesevic and M. Labus also reported on the Lukac’s press conference. |
| RS Government demands Lukac to hand over the office
| Glas Srpske cover page story ‘They should step down’; Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Mikerevic and the Republika Srpska President, Dragan Cavic supported Njegus’ – Both dailies carry yesterday’s press release issued by RS Government Bureau for Public Affairs, which reads that Government and the Republika Srpska President, Dragan Cavic, fully support the measures, which RS Interior Ministry has undertaken. Government and President also insist on full implementation of decisions and orders passed on by Police Director Radomir Njegus. Government has called on the removed officials of Republika Srpska Special Police to hand their duties in accordance with the Law. Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘RS Government and Dragan Cavic call on Lukac and Ribic to had over offices’, Blic, pg. 15 ‘Cavic and Government are supporting measures of the Ministry of Interior’ not signed, Vecernje novosti, pg. 8 ‘Call to discipline’ not signed also reported on the issue. According to NN inset, RS MoI yesterday announced it would undertake legal measures if transfer of duties at Special Police Unit does not take place. According to NN inset 2, Republika Srpska National Assembly is today expected to hold session and discuss report of Republika Srpska Interior Ministry regarding realisation of conclusions from the session of 21 April regarding Visegrad action. |
| Dodik supports Lukac | Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Milorad Dodik supports Dragan Lukac’ – Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, yesterday expressed full support by actions of Dragan Lukac. Dodik is of the view that the responsibility for the murder of Novica Lukic cannot solely rest with the people who carried out the action upon political orders. He said that: “The politicians are those who made the order for the action, in which one innocent man was killed… Now, when it is necessary to carry out international duties and obligations everybody would like to transfer the responsibility onto people, who had to carry them out.” He further said that: “It is inadmissible that the police top is controlled by people engaged in criminal activities in Banjaluka and wider region of Republika Srpska.” |
| SDS reaction to Lukac case | Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘SDS demands repsonsibility’ – Dusan Stojicic, SDS Spoeksperson, yesterday said there is not reason to politicise the refusal of Dragan Lukac top step down from office. He said that: “It is inadmissible that a police officer disobeys orders. If Police Director is in charge of removing Special Police Unit Chief, I do not see reason why such a fuss is made about this.” |
| Ivanic demands changes | Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Ivanic: Changes be made within police’ – Mladen Ivanic, PDP President, said that significant changes need to be carried out within Republika Srpska Interior ministry. He stressed that: “These changes need to be carried out specially within police force, bearing in mind the general observation of the public that such changes need to be implemented.” |
| Mihajlica comments on Lukac, Visegrad operation | Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘SRS: RS MoI top responsible for Visegrad action’ – Milanko Mihajlica, President of the Serb Radical Party of Republika Srpska, yesterday said that the responsibility for the failed Visegrad action rests with the top leadership of the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry, including Zoran Djeric, RS Minister of Internal Affairs, Radomir Njegus, Police Director, and Draga Lukac, Special Police Unit Chief. Glas Srpske cover page report ‘From condemnation to support’ carries these three reactions of Stojicic, Dodik and Mihajlica as one whole. |
| NN editorial on Lukac
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘PDP and SDS destroying police’ by Aleksandar Sekulic – The author says that the political kitchen of SDS and PDP has now decided to sacrifice Dragan Lukac and indirectly the entire Republika Srpska Interior Ministry. The sin assigned to Lukac is that he obeyed order of his superiors. Lukac is now criticised for all omissions performed by the entire Interior Ministry. In this manner, Zoran Djeric and Radomir Njegus have created a completely false picture in the public, which should result in removals of those, who just obeyed their orders. |
| Decertified police officers plan to sue HR Ashdown
| Vecernji List, page 4 ‘Policemen sue Ashdown’, by Dejan Jazvic – former police officers, who stayed jobless after being decertified by the UN’s IPTF, are preparing a lawsuit against the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, since the Association of decertified police officers of FBIH believe that HR Ashdown is responsible for violation of European charter on human rights and freedoms. VL explains that in an attempt to protect their rights, the decertified officers consulted a prominent lawyer, Francois Boyle, who was also a BiH representative in a lawsuit against Serbia and Montenegro before the International Criminal Court, who advised them to sue HR Ashdown at the European Human Rights Court because he allowed violation of human rights and discrimination of big number of people. VL also carries a reaction by an OHR spokesman, Mario Brkic, who reminds that HR Ashdown did not decertify the police officers. “It is important to warn that the de-certification was done by the UN and IPTF, not the High Representative”, said Brkic. |
War crimes | |
| ‘Bogdanic hides from Masovic locations of graves’
| Oslobodjenje, front and pages 4 and 5 ‘Bogdanic hides from Masovic locations of graves’, by Azhar Kalamujic – notes that it would appear that the President of the Srebrenica Commission, Milan Bogdanic, has decided to keep the information about alleged new mass graves in secrecy until beginning of June, when the OHR is to be submitted the final report about the crimes committed in former UN protected zone. According to Oslobodjenje, Bogdanic on Monday did not want to reveal when he would inform the Head of FBiH Commission for missing persons, Amor Masovic, about location of the new graves for which he (Bogdanic) claims to be new. “The Srebrenica Commission will, according to the determined plan, submit the FBiH team for searching for missing persons information about new graves”, said Bogdanic, not wanting to declare when he would do it. Questioned why he hides information from Masovic and his team, Bogdanic said the Srebrenica Commission had a need to protect the graves in order to prevent the ‘contamination’ of the location. Commenting to this, Masovic fears that the Srebrenica Commission wants to present the FBiH Commission for missing persons with accomplished facts. “I fear that the plan that Bogdanic mentions envisions going out with information on new graves in June, so the FBiH Commission for missing persons cannot pass a judgment whether those are new or already known locations”, says Masovic. The same daily within above article (in a box), under headline ‘OHR supports Masovic’, carries an OHR spokesperson, Oleg Milisic, as saying that the OHR believes that Masovic has a right to ask from the Srebrenica Commission to get the information on new graves. Milisic reminds that the Human Rights Chamber’s decision requires the competent RS institutions to inform the FBiH Commission for missing persons about possible new mass graves in an orderly manner. |
| Bogdanic hopes Srebrenica Commission report will be prepared by June 11 | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘We will forward the data (on mass graves) to the Federation Commission for Missing Persons’. FENA – Srebrenica Commission Chair Milan Bogdanic told FENA on Monday that the Commission is pressed by deadlines but that he hopes it will be able to submit the final report by June 11. He confirmed to FENA that the Commission is receiving information on new locations of mass graves and that it would organise first pre-visits to these sites in the coming days. Bogdnaic added that all the information on newly-discovered mass graves will be forwarded to the authorized bodies including the Federation Commission for Missing Persons. Based on received information the Srebrenica Commission established the existence of 14 newly discovered mass graves. Commission member Smail Cekic told FENA that in accordance with the decision of the Human Rights Chamber the Commission is responsible to provide that information to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the FBiH and International Commission on Missing Persons. “The FBiH Commission on Missing Persons needs to confirm this information”, Cekic said. Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘New graves discovered’ also covered the issue. |
| RS Government confident of “satisfactory” report on Srebrenica | FTV, RTRS, FENA – The RS Government on Monday today said that the third preliminary report of the commission for investigating events in the Srebrenica area from 10 to 19 July 1995 gave assurances that the final report would be satisfactory and devised in line with a decision of the Human Rights Chamber. At the government’s extraordinary session, which was also attended by the RS president, Dragan Cavic, it was pointed out that it was important to continue to lend support to the commission’s work. In order to establish full truth and put together the final report, the RS government appealed to anyone who has information about events in the Srebrenica area from 10 to 19 July 1995 to call anonymously on 051 314 332. |
| Milovan Cicko Bjelica still being questioned
| Herceg Bosna Radio, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Bjelica still being interrogated’, Oslobodjenje pg 4, Dnevni List, pg 14 ‘Milovan Cicko Bjelica still being interrogated’, by De. L, FENA – Milovan Cicko Bjelica, who was arrested by SFOR in Sokolac on May 14, is still being questioned, SFOR spokesperson Robert Lapreze told FENA on Monday. Lapreze was unable to say how long would Bjelica be held in detention nor to comment on the results of the questioning. Bjelica was arrested on suspicion of supporting indicted war criminals. He is suspected of being a part of the network supporting indicted war criminals Radovan Karadzic, i.e. being his key man in Eastern Bosnia. |
Political developments/education | |
| Brussels warns BiH’s authorities
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Brussels extremely seriously warns authorities in BiH’, mentioned on cover ‘Brussels warns BiH’s authorities’ – Reforms in BiH are very often being carried out thanks to decisive engagement and pressure of the international community, the members of the Coucil of EU warned in Brussels on Monday. A regular annual report analysing process of reforms in the countries having ambition to join EU emphasises that when it comes to BiH the implementation of reforms has a positive trend but a worrying thing is that these reforms are most often being carried out under pressures coming form the international community, learns Dnevni Avaz. The request for full BiH’s cooperation with the ICTY is again particularly emphasized. The EU Council concludes it will continue supporting and assisting BiH’s government in its efforts to bring the country closer to EU but that it is up to them when this will happen. |
| Update to Stolac case | Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Solution to Stolac case to be passed by inspector’, by N. Bise, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Workls on the Old Town must stop’ – President of Commission for preservation of cultural monuments of BiH, Dubravko Lovrenovic, visited Stolac yesterday where he met with the Mayor of Stolac, Zeljko Obradovic, and visited the location of Old Town in Stolac, which in the past few days saw the construction and suspension of construction of foundations for the concrete crosses. According to Mayor Obradovic, he and Lovrenovic talked about the construction of the foundations for the crosses, passing a conclusion that everything must be handled through institutions of the system, including the Commission for preservation of cultural monuments of BiH, municipal authorities and competent FBiH Ministry of Physical Planning. DL reports that the Chief Inspector of the FBiH Ministry of Physical Planning, Danijel Capelj, visited Stolac yesterday, who will, on basis of determined facts, take a corresponding legal act regarding the Old Town in Stolac case. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 12 ‘Crosses must not go on Stolac fortress’, by F – carries Dubravko Lovrenovic as saying: “In talks with Mayor of Stolac, Zeljko Obradovic, I reminded him about the conclusion of the Commission, which declared the Stolac fortress a national monument and which determines measures for protection of this national monument, which include the ban of all works, i.e. all the works that can bring into question the integrity of the monument”. According to Lovrenovic, Mayor Obradovic agrees with this. Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘The case of the Stolac fortress must be resolved by the institutions of the system’, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Let Stolac citizens resolve Stolac issue’ also carried Loverenovic’s statement on the issue. Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Who is making case city out of Stolac’ by J. Petrovic carries an editorial, which says that lately there have been numerous attempts to make a case city out of Stolac and, according to the author, Youth Forum from Stolac and its President Nerin Dizdar stand behind all these attempts. The author also calls on Dizdar to explain as to why he minds Catholic religious symbols and concludes the editorial by saying that after all these provocations the International Community keeps silent, however, if Croats would say something even less serous than that they would be immediately qualified as those who want to pull down BiH. |
| SD on education: ‘Four cantons in conflict with Ashdown’ | Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 13 ‘Four cantons in conflict with Ashdown’, by Z. Tulic – wondering whether the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, will force the four cantons (2, 6, 7, 8) to harmonize their respective cantonal education laws to the state Framework education law, the SD writes that according its sources close to the OHR, relations between the four cantons in question and the High Representative are pretty tense, but still the sides are trying to overcome the problem through negotiations. SD also reports that, as far as possibility of HR Ashdown imposing the laws is concerned, the OHR says it does not want to speculate about this way of finding of a solution. |
| Reinermann and Terzic on Law on Higher Education | Dnevni List pg 3 ‘World Bank keeps insisting on adoption of Law on Higher Education’ by De.L, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘WB insists on Law on Higher Education’ – Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, talked in Sarajevo yesterday with representative of the World Bank in BiH, Dirk Reinermann, who expressed satisfaction over successful completing of the World Bank program and reminded that all reforms apart from the higher education reform were successfully completed. During the meeting, Reinermann also said that the World Bank would continue to insist on adoption of the Law on Higher Education as one of the most important reforms in the coming period and for this reason the payment of the second tranche of the EMSAC loan, amounting to 17 million $, will be conditioned by the adoption of that law. |
| SDHR Wnendt visits pre-war tenants of Santica Street in Mostar, meets Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mostar | Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, Vecernji List pg ‘W. Wnendt in Santica Street 28’ by F, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Mostar has no more money for reconstruction in budget’ by M. Landeka and Dnevni List front pg and pg 10 ‘Wnendt: Money obstacle in reconstruction of Mostar’, by V. Soldo, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘The process of return must be completed in 2006’, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘The How much further – three years later’ project’ – Senior Deputy High Representative, Werner Wnendt, visited Mostar yesterday. DL says that within the project of the OHR’s Department for Return and Reconstruction (RRTF) a documentary ‘How much more – 3 years later’ was presented and on this occasion SDHR Wnendt met with former tenants of destroyed building on 28 Santica Street. SDHR Wnendt stated that all refugees who want to return to their pre-war places of residence must have possibility to do it and added: “Domestic authority, first of all Ministry for Refugees and Displaced Persons, set 2006 as a deadline by which the return process should be completed.” SDHR Wnendt stressed that the unification of Mostar and a new Mostar Statute will help the return process in Mostar. Dnevni List front pg and pg 10 ‘Wnendt: Money obstacle in reconstruction of Mostar’, by V. Soldo, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Mostar has no more money for reconstruction in budget’ by M. Landeka, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Mostar is the town with the biggest needs/requirements’ – during his yesterday’s visit to Mostar, Senior Deputy High Representative Wnendt met with the Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic and his Deputy Ljubo Beslic when they talked about reconstruction of housing units. During the meeting, the lack of donors’ funds was especially stressed and Jahic said: “The situation is such that we shall have to rely on our resources- state, Federation of BiH and Cantonal authorities and one of strategic goals will be reconstruction of collective housing units…This is the city with the biggest need for reconstruction in BiH and there are no political obstacles for reconstruction. We shall need assistance of the International Community with regard to this issue.” |
| Blic on political situation in BiH | Blic, pgs 12-13 ‘Paddy Ashdown runs the show’ mentioned on cover ‘Who runs BiH – domestic authority or High Representative: Politicians are incompetent, Ashdown runs the show’ by Marija Jandric – The article reads that the position of the majority of RS citizens is that High Representative Paddy Ashdown uses more and more authority because of incompetence of domestic politicians to resolve numerous problems in RS and Federation of BiH. According to public opinion, entities are losing their jurisdiction while BiH is being centralized aside the will of people and aside the Dayton Agreement. RS NA President and President of SDS Dragan Kalinic has recently warned that the leading political parties of RS are functioning under a great, most often, unsubstantiated and unjustified pressures of international mediators, which makes the political situation more complex. SDS delegate at RS NA Milan Tupajic claims citizens have many reasons to be dissatisfied because domestic politicians had not showed enough of self-initiative. ‘It is my personal opinion that the international community had neither proved itself on work nor it had helped the entities and BiH. A good example for this is the privatisation process and it would have been logical if they had helped us with their experience. Domestic politicians are responsible too, but it is the international community that is primarily responsible’, Tupajic stated. The article carries a number of insets: ‘Cavic: under a pressure of world power’ – RS President Dragan Cavic is of the opinion that ‘the independence of both of the entities is absolutely limited’ and that he would ‘wish such an environment was created in BiH in which there would be no need for governors and international missions with mandates above the Constitutional system’. ‘Ivanic: limited independence’ – BiH Foreign Affairs Minister and PDP President Mladen Ivanic has stated that the independence of domestic politicians in BiH is lesser than in any other state because of a role that has been assigned to the international community. ‘Partners’ – SnSD leader Milorad Dodik believes the cooperation with the international community can bring only good things to BiH on its path to Europe. ‘Independence’ – SPRS delegate at the HoR Tihomir Gligoric has stated that ‘it was necessary for us to regain our political independence in order to be able to join EU. In the current semi-protectorate with the existing authority, we would not be able to do so and this will keep happening to us’. ‘Imposing’ – Deputy President of SDA Seada Palavric does not think the international community was acting in a blackmailing manner. ‘The presence of the international community would not be necessary if the authority representatives were able to reach agreements on strategic issues by themselves’. ‘Strategy’ – Safet Halilovic from the Party for BiH claims the BiH authority is not jeopardized and it can do everything by themselves if it has the will to do so. |
Defence | |
| FBiH Government discussed amendments to draft laws on defence, military service
| Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Request for abolishment of two components of the FBiH Army not accepted’, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Civil military service’, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Permission for civilian service without carrying firearm’, by Miso Relota,FENA – FBiH Government on Monday considered the amendments to the Bill on Defence and the Bill on Service in FBiH Army, which were submitted in course of parliamentary discussion in FBiH House of Representatives. Regarding the Bill on Defence, the accepted amendments include the one submitted by the Commission for Defence and Security to Article 20, which specifies civil-parliamentary control over the defence-security structures, as well as the amendment that provides for civilian service of the military period without carrying firearms. |
| Diplomatic Forum on reform of armed forces, PfP membership | Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘PfP offers numerous advantages to BiH’, FENA – BiH accession to the Partnership for Peace will provide certain political, security and economic advantages enjoyed by its members, it was stated on Monday at the sixth Diplomatic Forum in Sarajevo organised by the BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the “Friedrich Ebert” Foundation. The objective of the Forum is to draw attention of the public to issues “that can have significant repercussions for the future of the country” by discussing the “Reform of BiH Armed Forces – Partnership for Peace NATO” issue. Diplomatic Forum mediator and BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative Amer Kapetanovic said that membership in the Partnership for Peace, besides political and security benefits, represents an opportunity for an economic boost in reviving and brining jobs to military industry capacities in BiH. Participants in the Forum agreed that membership in the Partnership for Peace represents a clear objective for BiH. Blic, pg. 15 ‘Bad mark for the authority’ by J. D. – “BiH armed forces reform – Partnership for Peace” diplomatic forum was held in Sarajevo yesterday. A military analyst from Banja Luka, Gostimir Popovic, resents the BiH authority for allowing the defence reform process to be conducted aside BiH Constitution, regardless to the fact he appreciates its value and thinks that it ‘gives a good basis for establishing a defence system acceptable for EU’. Popovic also stated the Dayton Agreement had not authorized the High Representative to interfere in this field, nevertheless ‘the Commission for Defence Reform has been established by his decision’. The Deputy BiH Defence Minister, Enes Becirbasic, does not think the defence reform has been non-transparent or forced. |
| VL: Names of Croat candidates for positions in BiH armed forces | Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Candidates are Jerkic, Pavlak, Stojcic, Susac, Brdar and Jelec’ also mentioned on cover, by Zoran Kresic – the daily carries names of candidates for position of generals in the future BiH armed forces from the line of the Croat people that are being vetted by SFOR. Candidates are: Milan Pavlak, Ivica Jerkic, Marko Stojcic, Robert Susac, Jugoslav Brdar and Ante Jelec. VL also learns that another candidate, namely Gordan Zadro, gave up the candidacy, and the daily notes that even the other candidates are not ‘fighting for positions’ after the first four candidates from the Croat component did not pass the vetting procedure. |
| Interview with Radovanovic | Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘BiH should enter PfP before June Summit’ – In a brief interview to NN, Nikola Radovanovic, BiH Defence Minister, says upon his return from Brussels that the candidature of the BiH for admission into PfP at the NATO June Summit in Istanbul will depend on the flow of talks between Secretary General and most senior officials of the NATO and local authorities of BiH on 28 May, as well as upon specific activities on the field. Upon his return from Brussels, he stresses that the most senior officials of NATO and EU commended the flow of defence reform in BiH. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Brucellosis in BiH
| Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 12 ‘Epidemic of brucellosis threatens’ – Four cattle-breeders from the Boracko Lake area have been received during the past weekend to the Mostar Clinical Centre on suspicion of being infected with brucellosis as the fifths person with the same diagnosis has been transferred to Sarajevo. |
| HiRep in Stockholm | Nezavisne Novine pg 9 ‘Paddy Ashdown: BiH is more secure than majority of cities in northern Europe’ – the OHR Spokesperson, Kevin Sullivan, confirmed that the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, stated at yesterday’s Tourism Presentation of BiH in Stockholm that speaking of security in BiH, BiH is far more secure than majority cities in the northern Europe. Sullivan further said that the participants of the presentation on the change of BiH image from the war zone into a potential tourist destination were mainly interested in security affairs. |