| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Izetbegovic’s burial | Izetbegovic’s burial | Izetbegovic’s burial | Defence reform |
| Del Ponte in BiH | RS Govt. on defence | Mladic arrest attempt | Opposition on defence |
| Thoughts on Izetbegovic | Del Ponte | Del Ponte | Burial of Izetbegovic |
| Oslobodjenje | Alija Izetbegovic buried |
| Dnevni Avaz | Sorrow and proud |
| Dnevni List | Sarajevo: Alija Izetbegovic buried; Minister Boric stops payment of salaries to budget beneficiaries |
| Vecernji List | Del Ponte coming with new indictments; 100.000 people at Izetbegovic’s funeral |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Glas Srpske | “Brnik” airport, Ljubljana: Agim Ceku (sp!) arrested; A bad message to Serbs |
| Nezavisne Novine | Sarajevo: Alija Izetbegovic buried; Jan Erik Oja, Chairman of BiH HJPC: We cannot prevent political influence on judges and prosecutors; ICTY Chief Prosecutor to visit BiH: Del Ponte to meet with Mikerevic and Cavic on Friday; RS opposition on defence reform: Cavic led to abolition of RS Army |
| Blic | Opposition accuses: the authority abolishes the RS Army; Jasmin Samardzic: the RS does not obstruct the return |
| Vecernje Novosti | Premier Zivkovic announced at the Serbian Assembly: search for Mladic |
Izetbegovic | |
| Izetbegovic buried at Kovaci cemetery in Sarajevo
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pgs. 1-6, Dnevni Avaz pgs. 1-19 – The former BiH Presidency Chairman and the Honorary President of SDA Alija Izetbegovic was buried at the Kovaci cemetery in Sarajevo on Wednesday. More than 100,000 people including some 80 foreign state delegations, representatives of BiH authorities and international community attended the religious service and funeral ceremony. |
| Ashdown praises Izetbegovic’s courage, wisdom
| Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Father of his people’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 5 ‘He has become father of his people’ -“The first time I met Alija Izetbegovic was in this city in August 1992. The last was last Friday. Between those two dates, he led his nation and prevailed in a war in which some sought annihilation. He became the father of his people – the person who did more than any other to ensure the survival of the modern state of BiH. It is not given to many to achieve such things in a single life time. And it is given to none who are ordinary. Alija Izetbegovic was not ordinary,” said High Representative Paddy Ashdown at the beginning of his address to the attendees at funeral ceremony for Izetbegovic. |
| Bosnian Serb ex-camp inmates condemn Ashdown’s “biased” funeral speech | RTRS, Glas Srpske pg. 2 – “A bad message to Serbs”, SRNA – The association of camp inmates of the RS has condemned most sharply “the biased and one-sided speech by High Representative Paddy Ashdown at Alija Izetbegovic’s funeral ceremony in front of the joint institutions of BiH”. They accused him of anti-Serb behaviour. The association says “it is already known from before that Ashdown has sided with the Bosniaks and it is evident from his speech today that his work in BiH is anti-Serb”. The Association also said: Actions of the High Representative will never take us to peace and progress as he is prefers only one nation – Bosniaks. He can impose another hundred laws but he will never change the views of the Serb people who see Izetbegovic as being the most responsible for sufferings of the Serbs in the tragic conflict.” According to the Association, Ashdown sent a very bleak message to the Serb people as to what they can expect in BiH, which the High Representative wants to create, followed by very loud shouts that say “Allah Akbar”. |
| Tihic calls Izetbegovic synonym for justice, freedom | BiH would probably not exist without Alija Izetbegovic, member of the BiH Presidency and president of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) Sulejman Tihic said in his speech at the funeral of Alija Izetbegovic in Sarajevo on Wednesday. “Today we are seeing off Alija Izetbegovic, the first president of the independent Republic of BiH and honorary president of the SDA, as a historic person, a great statesman, a true democrat, a humanist and a great man,” Tihic said. According to Tihic, Izetbegovic was the man of peace and the fighter for BiH, who did not allow and support revanchism. “Thanks to Izetbegovic, Bosnian Serbs and Croats do not have Srebrenica, Kozarac, Ahmici, Brcko, Zvornik, Visegrad, Foca.” |
| Head of BiH Islamic Community conveys Izetbegovic’s last wish | Head of BiH Islamic Community Mustafa Ceric addressed the mourners at Alija Izetbegovic’s funeral in Sarajevo on Wednesday. Concluding his sermon, he said that he wanted to say a few words in English. “On his deathbed, President Izetbegovic had a wish. I was asked to tell you about it today. He wished that the people of BiH be free to practice their faith and that they be safe and free from fear and poverty in their homeland. May God help us to carry his wish in the dignity of all people of the good will of the whole world,” he said. |
| CRO press on the funeral | Dnevni List (front “Sarajevo: Alija Izetbegovic buried” and pages 4 and 5 “Tekbir and Allahu Ekber echoes over Marijin Dvor in Sarajevo”, by Renata Radic) – reports that a former member and chairman of the BiH Presidency and honorary president of SDA, Alija Izetbegovic, was buried in Sarajevo yesterday. According to DL, hundreds of thousands of citizens from whole of BiH, domestic and international officials came to attend the funeral. The daily notes that the body of Izetbegovic was moved to the Marijin Dvor (a square in Sarajevo), in front of BiH institutions and that the many people cried “Allahu Ekber”, “Tekbir”. The gathered people were addressed by the Bosniak member of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, who said that “BiH survived foremost because of its patriots, and also because of Alija Izetbegovic’s policy. Therefore I agree with people who say that without Alija Izetbegovic, there probably would not be BiH”. The High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, also addressed the crowd. “He became the father of his people, the person who did more than any other to ensure the survival of the modern state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not given to many to achieve such things in a single life time”, said HR Ashdown. (also in Vecernji List, front and pages 2 and 3 “100.000 people at Izetbegovic’s funeral”, by Eldina Medunjanin and Dejan Jazvic, Slobodna Dalmacija, page 16, “Father of Bosniak nation buried”, by Zlatko Tulic, Vjesnik, page 10, “Citizens of BiH pay respet to their first president and Bosniak leader”, by Alenko Zornija) Reactions: VL (page 3, “No mourning in Herzegovina”, by MS) – says although a day of mourning was proclaimed in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) by FBiH PM, Ahmet Hadzipasic, without knowledge of Croat ministers, it was an ordinary day in Herzegovina and the local radio stations broadcast their usual programming. VL also notes that flags were not flying at half mast on municipal and cantonal buildings, and that many people were angry because the FTV focused its programming on glorification of the man who was the leader of one people only. The same papers on same page (“Commemoration without Serb representatives”, by bs) reports that SDA MPs in the RS NA held a commemorative session yesterday together with Bosniak ministers in the RS Government and Vice President of RS, Ivan Tomljenovic, who comes from the line of the Croat people. According to VL, no Serb representative attended the commemoration nor they signed in the book of condolences which is being kept in premises of SDA in the RS NA. VL (page 2, “Abuse of state”, by Milan Sutalo) – carries an editorial in which the author criticizes Sulejman Tihic’s statement made during yesterday’s funeral when Tihic spoke about Izetbegovic as “the first president of independent state of BiH”. The author reckons that presenting Izetbegovic as a head of state collides with facts since Izetbegovic never had the legitimacy from other two peoples in BiH (Croats and Serbs). “Izetbegovic loved his people, but what other two peoples did not like about him and his followers is the persistance to turn the tri-national BiH into a state of Bosnians, which would be dominated by the most populous people”, says Sutalo. Slobodna Dalmacija (page 16, “No statesmen”) – says although the Bosniak political pinnacle expected many statesmen to show up at the funeral, not a single president of a state attended the funeral, including the Islamic countries. |
| RS/Serbian press on the funeral | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3 – “Alija Izetbegovic buried”, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 – Alija Izetbegovic buried – both dailies carry reports from yesterday’s funeral of the late Alija Izetbegovic and excerpts from the speeches delivered at the funeral by the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown and Head of the BiH Islamic Community, Mustafa efendi Ceric. Apart from this report, Nezavisne Novine, on the same page carries few more items, covering all the aspects of yesterday’s funeral service in Sarajevo. The headlines are: “Emergency teams ready” – medical teams deployed in Sarajevo had only few minor interventions; “Statesmen from all over the world at Izetbegovic’s funeral” – the article brings names of foreign officials who attended the funeral; “Some 500 journalists covered the funeral” – according to Nezavisne Novine more than 500 local and international journalists reported from the funeral; “No incidents reported” – F BiH Police informed that no incidents were reported during yesterday’s funeral in Sarajevo. Blic pg. 6 ‘Alija Izetbegovic buried’, Vecernje Novosti pg. 13 ‘Izetbegovic buried’ also reported on the funeral. |
| IC TY investigated late Bosnian Muslim leader Izetbegovic | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, RTRS, SRNA – The Hague tribunal prosecutor’s office conducted an investigation against former BiH Presidency member Alija Izetbegovic, the spokeswoman of the prosecutor’s office, Florence Hartmann, confirmed to SRNA on Wednesday. She did not want to specify when the investigation took place and what war events was it focused on. “The person in question is dead now and cannot defend himself,” Hartmann said. Vecernji List (p 3, “He was under The Hague Prosecutor’s Office investigation until his death”, by Hina), Slobodna Dalmacija (p 6, “Izetbegovic was under ICTY investigation”, by Hina) and Jutarnji List (front & p 3, “The Hague on funeral day: Alija Izetbegovic was suspected of war crimes”, by Snjezana Pavic), Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 – “The Hague investigated Alija Izetbegovic’s role”, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 – “The ICTY investigation”, Blic pg. 6also carry the statement. Glas Srpske, pg. 2 – “One step forward to Partnership”- the RS President Dragan Cavic commented on the ICTY investigation on Izetbegovic and said: “The ICTY investigation confirms that a man dies, but his deeds do not.” ; Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 – “Cavic led to the abolition of RS Army” – representatives of SNSD, SP RS and DNS, Milorad Dodik, Petar Djokic and Marko Pavic stated yesterday that “one cannot be happy that a human being died, but it would be much better if there was no Izetbegovic as a politician.” They also assessed that Izetbegovic’s place was in The Hague. |
| DNS calls Izetbegovic one of main culprits for outbreak of war | RS Radio – The Democratic National Alliance (DNS) agrees with the assessments of the political agents and media who spoke of Alija Izetbegovic as one of the key agents in the events in BiH in the past 15 years, and with the assessment that he was one of the main culprits for the outbreak of the armed conflicts in BiH. “The sad image of our everyday political life is one of these long-term misfortunes that were caused by the political and ethnic exclusiveness of the leader of the Bosnian Muslims at the close of the 20th century,” says the DNS statement. |
| NN editorial on Izetbegovic | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 7 – “The cult of Alija Izetbegovic- as murky as the Bosna river” by Srecko Jurdana – the author says that the last of the leading protagonists of the Balkan drama at the end of 20th century has left the scene. Milosevic, Tudjman and Izetbegovic – a trio to remember! Eventhough, he was as much a nationalist fanatic as his two opponents, Izetbegovic operated in much worse conditions. While Milosevic and Tudjman lived like emperors in Tito’s palaces in Dedinje and Pantovcak, Alija had to sleep in the basement of a bank in Sarajevo, seeking shelter from Karadzic’s grenades. He was forced to watch helplessly as Mladic killed the people of Srebrenica. His enemies believed that such severe circumstances would break him, but he continued towards his goal: establishing the Bosniak nation, which would be firmly defined religiously, as opposed to its weak territorial definition. He was a personification of the oriental Bosnia, trapped within its historical and psychological barriers. He was contemplative and abstract, two-faced and he had enormous difficulty articulating his political goals. He never actually advocated a democratic and civic state, he only wanted authoritarian control over his own religious community. At the very beginning of the war, he was soft spoken and suggested that nothing important was happening. At the beginning of the war, Alija Izetbegovic had no Army and no weapons and he could not do anything else but send appeals for peace. But, soon after the first strikes upon Moslems in Bosnia, Alija Izetbegovic’s Islamic allies offered him generous help. He received money, weapons and Mujahedins. Central Bosnia was flooded with turbans. Very soon, the phenomenon of the radical islamisation of a European country became unacceptable for the West. When it was assessed that Izetbegovic was not a universal solution acceptable to all peoples in BiH, he was advised to withdraw. At first glance, he was a soft, fatherly figure, while in fact, he was an Islamic radical, with the authority of a sheik. Some claim that Izetbegovic is responsible for war crimes and that death saved him. Carla del Ponte is the only one who can confirm it, but is unlikely that she will do so. However, the fact is that the BiH Army (at first established as a protection force) had no mercy towards its victims and that Izetbegovic certainly knew about its actions and that captured Croats and Serbs were being killed and ritually tortured. Psychologically murky as the Bosna river, Izetbegovic goes down in history as a “father of the nation” – Bosniak nation – and a person who, along the way, made a significant contribution to the development of Balkan religious intolerance. |
War crimes | |
| Carla Del Ponte to visit BiH from October 23-24
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, FTV, Front page splash of Vecernji List, continued on page 4, “Del Ponte coming with new indictments”, by Branka Stevandic), Dnevni Avaz pg 22, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 – “Del Ponte to meet with Cavic and Mikerevic on Friday”, Blic pg. 13 Del Ponte arrives’,ONASA – Coordinator of the ICTY office in BiH Refik Hodzic said that the ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte would on Thursday arrive in BiH for a two-day visit. He added that she will meet with representatives of the OHR, EUPM, SFOR and embassies of EU member countries in Sarajevo, and will depart for Banja Luka on Friday, where she will meet with Republika Srpska officials. Hodzic could not say what the discussion topics of these meetings will be. FENA – RS President Dragan Cavic, Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic, Interior and Defence Ministers Zoran Djeric and Milovan Stankovic will have a meeting with Hague tribunal chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte in Banja Luka on Friday at her request, a statement issued by the office of the RS president confirms. |
| Cavic says RS Army ready to provide documents on Srebrenica | BHTV, RTRS, SRNA, Dnevni list p 10, “RS Army will deliver documents on Srebrenica”, by Fena,Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 – “RS Army will deliver documentation on Srebrenica’”, Vecernje Novosti pg. 2 ‘Cavic without army’– RS President Dragan Cavic told a news conference in Banja Luka on Wednesday that the RS Army was ready, equipped and duty-bound to forward all required documents to help the instigated judicial proceedings and the process of uncovering the truth. “It neither can nor will it prevent this,” Cavic said when talking about OHR allegations that the RS president would be responsible if the RS Army were not to forward the requested information about the Srebrenica case. Having said that such claims were not founded in constitutional changes, he recalled the High Representative’s decision to change articles of the RS Constitution regulating the role of the RS president in commanding the army and thus his responsibility. Cavic stressed that he did not know how someone in the authority could be blamed for something that did not exist and which could not be found. |
| Zivkovic says action underway to check on Mladic’s whereabouts | BHTV, FTV, Vecernje Novosti front page ‘Search for Mladic’, ONASA – Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic said on Wednesday evening that an action had begun at 5 p.m. to check the information on the whereabouts of Bosnian Serb war-time military commander Ratko Mladic, based on an anonymous tip. Zivkovic told reporters at the Serbian Parliament that those were routine activities since such tips had been given before already. “Nothing changes there, we have reacted to each serious tip, which is something representatives of the international community are well aware of,” Zivkovic said. The Prime Minister declined to specify who was engaged in the action and where it was taking place. According to Zivkovic, the competent authorities in Serbia will continue their investigation into Mladic’s presence in Serbia “if not every day then at least three times a week.” |
| Kurir: German intelligence hunting down Mladic, Karadzic | Belgrade’s Kurir (yesterday’s issue) ‘BND hunting down Mladic’ – Agents of the German Intelligence Service, the BND, are hunting down former RS Army commander General Ratko Mladic in Serbia, Kurir has been told by extremely well informed sources close to the military security service. Our counter-intelligence has reliable information that German spies have been very active in southern Serbia for some time. “One of the centres of the BND operative group is near Raska, from where they are monitoring developments and activities around the Djurdjevi Stupovi monastery and Sopocani,” our source says. He says that German intelligence officers earlier followed information provided by Carla Del Ponte and thoroughly searched the area around Valjevo, in the belief that they would capture Mladic there. Their intelligence has now brought them to the Raska region. “They have information that not only Ratko Mladic is hiding out there but also Radovan Karadzic. According to their intelligence, Mladic and Karadzic are assisted in hiding out by the monks from the monasteries in the area,” the sources say. Kurir’s sources say that the BND has over the last few months intensified its activities on the territory of Serbia. The German intelligence service is particularly focusing on the media. “The BND has been recruiting our journalists as associates, and a deal has already been made with some of them,” Kurir’s sources say. |
| US deny agreement on war crimes with Serbia and Montenegro | Vecernji List (p 19, by Hina) carries that a spokesperson of the US State Department has stated that he was not aware of the alleged agreement between the USA and Serbia according to which Serbia would process war crime cases before domestic courts if it extradites Ratko Mladic to the ICTY. Jutarnji list (p 11, “No ‘exchange’ of generals for Ratko Mladic, by Jovica Trajkovic) reports that The Hague has declined the possibility to cede indictments against 4 indicted Serbian generals (Nebojsa Pavkovic, Vladimir Lazarevic, Sreten Lukic and Vlastimir Djodjevic) to Serbian judiciary “in exchange for Ratko Mladic”. Florence Hartmann, Carla del Ponte’s spokesperson, is quoted as declining any deal with Belgrade about not raising further indictments on the grounds of commanding responsibility. “It is possible that the Tribunal lets some cases to the local authorities, however we will not give high-profile indictees up”, Hartmann stated for Belgrade-based “Blic”. |
Defence reform | |
| RS Government approves Defense Reform report and draft constitutional amendments
| BHTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg. 22 ‘Cavic: It is logical that the Presidency has command over the army’, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 – “One step forward to Partnership”, ONASA — The RS Government on Wednesday approved the Report of the Defense Reform Commission and the proposal of RS President Dragan Cavic for amendments to the RS Constitution. Cavic, who attended the Government’s session, said the amendments effectively transfer part of the RS jurisdiction onto the BiH level, explaining that such changes were a necessity and in line with recent decisions of the High Representative. “Whether there will be amendments made to the RS Constitution will be decided by members of the Assembly by a two-third majority, in conformity with the Constitution and the law. I will personally insist that it happens so,” Cavic told a news conference. He went on to say that the constitutional amendments relate to the part of jurisdiction of the RS President and the RS National Assembly regarding the declaration of a state of war, and the RS President’s jurisdiction over the command of the RS armed forces, which will cease to exist by the amendments. |
| Bosnian Serb opposition leaders slam army reforms | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 – “Cavic led to the abolition of RS Army”, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 – “RS Constitution violated”, Vecernje Novosti pg. 2 ‘Cavic without army’; Blic pg. 13 ‘Changes of Constitution abolish army’, Dnevni List p 10, “Cavic violated Constitution and abolished RS Army”, not signed , SRNA – Representatives of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the Socialist Party of the RS (SPRS) and the Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS) believe that the adoption of the bill on BiH defence by the BiH Council of Ministers, “with the help of the Serb ministers, violated the RS Constitution”. SNSD chairman Milorad Dodik told a news conference in Banja Luka that “by adopting this bill in emergency procedure in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly they want to bypass the RS Constitution, abolish the RS Army and create a joint army of BiH without a say from the RS National Assembly”. Dodik accused RS President Dragan Cavic “of taking part in this by voicing his public support for the ministers from the RS in the BiH Council of Ministers, which endorsed this defence bill, thus violating the RS Constitution,” Dodik said. “The Parliamentary Assembly can decide on this issue only if the RSNA transfers its powers regarding defence and to do so the RSNA must set in motion a procedure to change the constitution,” Dodik said. He also accused the ministers from the RS in the Council of Ministers, Mladen Ivanic, Branko Dokic and Slobodan Kovac, of committing a criminal act by supporting the Council of Ministers in its endorsement of the defence bill, which was forwarded to the BiH Parliamentary Assembly on October 13. The representatives of the SNSD, SPRS and DNS, which signed a charter on joint activity, said that their representatives would vote against the Parliamentary Assembly discussing the defence bill, which is on Thursday’s agenda of the Parliamentary Assembly. |
Political developments | |
| JL: “Sanader rejected HDZ BiH’s demand”
| Jutarnji List (p 4, by S. Pavic & A. Plisic) carries that Ivo Sanader, the president of Croatian HDZ, has rejected HDZ BiH’s demand for this party to propose the candidates for the Diaspora list in return for the support of Croat electorate in BiH. “No one will dictate conditions to us. We will make our lists ourselves, including the list for Diaspora, even at the cost of HDZ BiH withholding its support”, Ratko Macek, Croatian HDZ Spokesperson said. Ciro Pavlovic, HDZ BiH Spokesperson, is quoted as saying that only once the meeting of the parties’ presidents has been held will the official HDZ BiH position be known on whether it will support Croatian HDZ at the elections. Pavlovic adds: “We have not set any conditions, yet, because of the number of voters in BiH, we do expect our ideas to be taken into consideration”. HDZ BiH would not confirm media speculation of having on the Diaspora lists persons removed by the High Representative. |
| CoE delegation visited RS
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 – “Progress in Democracy”, Glas Srpske, pg. 3 – “A bag packed with obligations” – the Head of the Monitoring team of the CoE Minister’s Committee, Jean – Claude Joseff, stated yesterday in Banja Luka, after meeting the RS President, Dragan Cavic that BiH achieved significant progress in democracy. Joseff and Cavic also discussed the cooperation with ICTY and arrest of war crime indictees, opening of the archives, witness protection programs and fulfilment of the obligations BiH took over after admission to Council of Europe. RS President Cavic stated that the entities in BiH do not represent an obstacle but a solid ground for implementation of all European Conventions. Oslobodjenje pg. 7 also reported on the issue. |
| RS does not obstruct return of Croats | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 – “RS does not obstruct return of Croats”, Blic pg. 13 ‘RS does not obstruct return’ – the RS Minister for Refugees and Displaced Persons, Jasmin Samardzic said that the implementation of property laws will be completed by the end of this year, and that will create conditions for return of Croats to the RS. Samardzic denied claims of Lovro Pejkovic, Assistant to the Croatian Minister for Refugees and DPs who said that RS obstructs return of refugees in many ways. According to Samardzic, this statement is absolutely incorrect and the RS assist the return as much as possible. In an interview to Rijeka based “Novi List”, Pejkovic said that the Croatian Government will launch a program of financial assistance to the returnees to BiH, so that they can survive the first six months upon their return. According to Pejkovic, the return of Serbs to Croatia is almost completed as there are no new return requests. |
| SDP BiH to offer new programme | Dnevni List (page 8, “Programme that offers equality of peoples, protection of workers and socially endangered”, by Zvonimir Jukic) – the author says that the “strongest opposition party in the Federation of BiH”, the SDP BiH that is, during the last summer completed the main directions of its future work which will be presented to the electorate prior to municipal elections and in case of early elections in BiH. The main features of the new programme of SDP BiH reportedly tackle the economic development, prevention of emigration of young people and putting an end to growing unemployment figures in BiH. SDP also promises to the voters, should the party be in power, that it will de-block the privatization process, fight crime and corruption, advocate the “Jobs and Justice”, which has been, according to SDP, forgotten, and advocate changes to the Constitution of BiH to make BiH a normal and European country. |
Economic/social affairs | |
| DL: “Minister Boric stops payment of salaries to budget beneficiaries” | Dnevni List (front and page 3, by Miso Relota) – reports that the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Minister of Finances, Semin Boric, on Monday sent a memo without authorization to all the banks declaring himself as the only signatory for the funds of the cantonal budget i.e. the only person competent for allocation of funds from the cantonal budget. Dnevni List reminds that the HNC Prime Minister, Miroslav Coric, and Minister Boric made an agreement earlier as to who the signatories are. There are two combinations: first, the signatories are Minister Boric and Head of Cantonal Treasury, Nada Glibic, the second combination is that the signatories are Minister Boric and PM Coric. According to DL, this caused confusion in the banks and when the time came to pay out the beneficiaries of the budget, the education workers and the police officers in particular, a blockade occurred. The daily also notes that the PM Coric was not aware about Boric’s “one-sided move” and when PM Coric found about it, he sent his memo to the banks telling them to abide by the earlier agreement. DL concludes the report by saying that the whole situation has a political background, the aim of which is that Bosniaks keep the situation volatile, in other words to maintain the pressure on the work of the Mostar Commission for making of the new Statute of Mostar. 9also reported in Vecernji List, front “Minister stops salaries to police” and page 5 “Boric stops salaries to teachers and police”, by Zoran Kresic) |
Judicial reform | |
| Interview with Jan Erik Oja | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 – “We cannot prevent political influence on judges and prosecutors”- the daily carries an interview with the Chairman of the BiH HJPC, Jan Erik Oja. Oja assessed that the process of appointment of judges should be completed by April 1, 2004. He said that the results of the BiH Census in 1991 and decision on constituent status of peoples, have to be respected in the appointments procedure. Oja admitted that the HJPC cannot prevent political influence on judges and prosecutors and said that he is personally disappointed that the HJPC disciplinary commission did not do more about the complaints submitted against judges and prosecutors. |