- BiH Presidency agree on the 2002 draft Budget, disagree on financing the BiH agent before the International Court of Justice
- BiH Coordination Team for Economic Development and European Integration presents a program to reduce poverty in the country
- BiH to become a full Council of Europe member on Tuesday
- BiH Presidency meets with Brcko District leaders
- BiH hits back at Croatia’s ban on oil transit
- Croatia to lift oil transit ban after protests
- BiH hands terror suspects over to US custody
- Reactions on the deportation of six Algerians
- Dnevni List:
Srdjan Dizdarevic, champion of human rights or guardian of Islamic terrorists?- Dnevni List:
Petar Milic, the founder of Croat Christian Democrats, sends a letter to Srdjan Dizdarevic, the President of the BiH Helsinki Committee
- Halilovic to remove Federation defense Ministry leaders if they fail to agree on the defense law
- Investigation completed into the arms smuggling to Kosovo
- Behmen says Federation Government to provide money for another backlog pension
- Return process in BiH to be completed in three years
- A group of Zepce Croats before the Zenica Cantonal Court: Ivo Lozancic pleaded not guilty
- Halilovic claims BiH Constitution must be essentially revised
- Komsic says RS slows down constitutional reforms because it is afraid of losing the “statehood”
- Slobodna Dalmacija:
BiH Independent Union of Journalists on Alliance intention to appoint editors of FENA- Vecernji List:
Interview with Ilija Simic, the HSS BiH President
- Ivanic asks Jelavic to lobby against establishment of the House of Peoples in the RS
- Serb deputies against principle of ethnic representation – Petritsch vs. Petritsch
- RS National Assembly discusses privatisation process – Petritsch to decide on RS budget
- RS Government Bureau for Co-operation with the ICTY submitted 12 case files to the ICTY – Evidence against 12 Serbs
- Sarovic replies to Belkic, Halilovic and Komsic
- Reuters: French helicopter crashes in Adriatic, one dead
- Apprehension preparing of Karadzic and Mladic?
- Reuters:
Karadzic, Mladic wanted posters appear in Sarajevo- Nezavisne Novine:
Interview with Wolfgang Petritsch - OHR requests entity Governments to ensure alternative accommodation
- PDHR visits Brcko District
- Dnevni List:
Departure of Omer-Pasha Wolfgang- Slobodna Dalmacija:
Federation is a Bosniak entity - Pre-war Republic of BiH interior minister arrested in Belgrade for possession of forged documents
- Slobodna Dalmacija:
Interview with Frank Orton, the Ombudsperson for Human Rights in BiH- Vecernji List:
FBI agents warn of creation of anti-American coalition in BiH
- Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz
- Dnevni List: What was Buljubasic doing in Belgrade?
BiH State-related Issues
BiH Presidency agree on the 2002 draft Budget, disagree on financing the BiH agent before the International Court of Justice
At an extraordinary session held in Sarajevo on Friday, the BiH Presidency agreed on the draft state Budget for this year, but disagreeing on a part referring to financing the state agent in the process BiH versus FRY before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, Serb member of the Presidency Zivko Radisic was against the allocation of 420,000 marks for the purpose, as other two Presidency members, Jozo Krizanovic and Beriz Belkic voted in favor of it. At a press conference following the session, Radisic said that, at the moment, he did not want to veto this part of Budget. “This is just a proposal to be discussed by the BiH Parliamentary Assembly. I hope there will be no need for me to use this constitutional possibility, but if necessary, I will use such the authority,” Radisic said.
BiH Coordination Team for Economic Development and European Integration presents a program to reduce poverty in the country
Sunday’s Oslobodjenje reports that members of the BiH Coordination Team for the Economic Development and European Integration including BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zlatko Lagumdzija, Prime Ministers of the both Entities and authorized BiH state and entity ministers presented in Sarajevo on Saturday a strategy (program) to reduce poverty in the country to the top representatives of the international missions to BiH. The international officials, who attended the first part of the session, expressed their satisfaction with the proposed program. Head of the World Bank’s Mission to BiH Joseph Ingram said the international community would financially support public presentation of the program. Lagumdzija said the process to draft a comprehensive mid-term strategy of the BiH’s economic development, with a program to reduce poverty as its part, had been started
BiH to become a full Council of Europe member on Tuesday?
Saturday’s Oslobodjenje reports that a BiH state delegation departed on Friday for a regular January session of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly next week in Strasbourg. The Assembly is expected to decide on the BiH’s accession to the European integration on Tuesday. At a press conference before the departure, the head of the delegation, Sejfudin Tokic, said that, with the admission into the Council, BiH was leaving a marginal position concerning its relations with the Euro-Atlantic integration. “The confidence in BiH is being strengthened and its statehood and European orientation are being confirmed, which will discourage those still expecting the partition of the country,” Tokic said. He added that, however, this was just the beginning of the process since BiH would face an obligation to fulfill 91 post-accession conditions. According to Monday’s Oslobodjenje, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, and BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zlatko Lagumdzija are scheduled to address the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly, which is expected to adopt a resolution proposing the BiH’s admission into the oldest European organization. The Council’s Committee of Ministers is than authorized to declare BiH a full Council member at its first upcoming session.
BiH Presidency meets with Brcko District leaders
Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz reports that, the BiH Presidency members received in Sarajevo late on Friday a Brcko District delegation comprising Mayor Sinisa Kisic, Deputy Mayor Ivan Krndelj and District Assembly President Mirsad Djapo. The officials at the meeting discussed all aspects of the implementation of the final Brcko Arbitration decision as well as the functioning of the District institutions. They particularly pointed out at a significance of need that District achieves a full cooperation with the both entities.
BiH hits back at Croatia’s ban on oil transit
Weekend edition of both Banja Luka dailies reports that the BiH Council of Ministers decided to temporarily ban road transport of crude oil and oil products from Croatia in retaliation to Croatia’s ban on the transit of oil products through its territory. “The measure was aimed at annulling the discriminatory measure which may cause negative consequences for Bosnia’s economy”, Azra Hadziahmetovic, the Minister of foreign trade and economic relations told a news conference. She said the measure would come into force on January 20 and last for seven days. Both Bosnia and Slovenia sent diplomatic notes to Zagreb arguing that the measure has violated several international trade agreements and should be reconsidered or cancelled and threatened to report it to international trade organizations. Minister Hadziahmetovic said the CoM was ready to negotiate next week but warned that if that failed it may temporarily ban import of oil and oil derivatives produced in Croatia or re-exported by its firms as of January 27. She also said that Bosnia may revise its trade regime for high-excise goods with Croatia. She expressed a hope the dispute would be resolved in a satisfactory manner, adding that she regretted for having to take such measures even on a temporary basis.
Croatia to lift oil transit ban after protests
Croatia said on Friday it would next week lift a disputed ban on the road transport of oil products through its territory, after protests and threats of retaliation from neighbors BiH and Slovenia. The regulation banning transport of oil products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil by road will be changed next Monday, state radio reported after Prime Minister Ivica Racan held urgent consultations with cabinet ministers. Road transport will be allowed, but under strict control, the radio quoted Racan as saying. Racan also said “rigorous measures would be put in place to combat smuggling of oil products.” The BiH Foreign Ministry welcomed the Racan’s announcement for review of the decision on the oil transit ban, the Ministry’s spokesperson, Amer Kapetanovic, told Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz. “We hope that the expert groups of the two countries will next week find a modality on the final resolution of the issue both in the interest of Croatia and BiH,” he said. (Please see a comprehensive Reuters’ reporton the issue)
“Algerian Group” Case
BiH hands terror suspects over to US custody
BiH handed over to U.S. custody on Friday six Algerians (so called Algerian Group) who were detained in October on suspicion of involvement in terrorism but ordered released this week by a local court, Bosnian and U.S. officials said. The move exposed Washington to more criticism from human rights campaigners — particularly as a U.S. official said the suspects would be transferred to the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. But the U.S. insisted it would not have acted without credible evidence against the six, who are suspected of having links to the al Qaeda network of fugitive Osama bin Laden blamed for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. (Please see more comprehensive Reuters report on the hand-over of the Algerians including the statements of support and protest, UN Secretary Kofi Annan’s warning against rights abuses in war on terror and afact-box with basic personal data about the Algerians. Note that all BiH media prominently reported on the event)
Weekend reactions on the deportation of six Algerians
At a special press conference held in Sarajevo on Saturday in regard to the deportation of six Algerians from the country, President of the BiH Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Srdjan Dizdarevic accused both senior domestic and international officials of human rights abuses during the process. “We are witnesses of the hypocrisy and policy of double standards of the international community personalized in SFOR Commander John Sylvester, head of the UN Mission to BiH Jacques Klein and US Embassy,” Saturday’s Oslobodjenje quoted Dizdarevic as saying. He claimed that the deportation had been conducted following pressures and ultimatums coming from the United States, whose verbal note seemed to be more important than the judicial system of the BiH state. The deportation was assessed illegal also by the Coordination Board of Islamic Youth Organizations in BiH. In addition, Seada Palavric, the BiH Federation legal representative before the BiH Human Rights Chamber, which is expected to consider the issue on Monday, told Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz that the deportation of the “Algerian Group” would slow down and additionally complicate the BiH’s accession to the Council of Europe, since an explicit order of the Chamber had been violated in this case. At its session in Sarajevo on Friday, the BiH Presidency members concluded to ask for information about whether the human rights had been abused during the deportation procedure both from the domestic and international factors. On the other side, US State Department welcomed the decision of the BiH authorities to deport the Algerians saying that it was about very dangerous people.
Dnevni List: Srdjan Dizdarevic, champion of human rights or guardian of Islamic terrorists?
Written by Vladimir Buic (Provided by OHR Mostar)
The dramatic events on the occasion of the deportation of the so-called Algerian group from the Sarajevo Central Prison on Friday, put Srdjan Dizdarevic, the President of the BiH Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, in the media spotlight. This champion of human rights has been very subjective in declaring severe condemnations at the expense of those who, in his opinion, seriously violated human rights. Dizdarevic strongly criticized the SFOR Commander, US General Sylvester, the SRSG Jacques Paul Klein, the US Embassy in BiH as well as “traitors” in BiH – the BiH Minister of Human Rights and Refugees Kresimir Zubak and the Federation Deputy Minister of the Interior Tomislav Limov. Dnevni List says that Dizdarevic sent a very dangerous message to the BiH public by blaming only American and Croat officials for a violation of the human rights of the persons who, the USA claims to have evidence, are linked to the most wanted terrorist in the world.
Is there anyone out there who does not understand that the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BiH, while presided by Dizdarevic, is, in fact, an anti-promotion of real efforts at protection of human rights of people, irrespective of their national, racial or religious background.
Dnevni List: Petar Milic, the founder of Croat Christian Democrats, sends a letter to Srdjan Dizdarevic, the President of the BiH Helsinki Committee
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Petar Milic, the founder of Croat Christian Democrats, sent an open letter to Srdjan Dizdarevic, the President of the BiH Helsinki Committee for Human Rights. In the letter, Milic asks Dizdarevic why the Committee takes care of foreign citizens, but does not react when “Croats or the institutions that Croats find important are exposed to the terror from the international administration or the Federation institutions.”
Federation
Halilovic to remove Federation defense Ministry leaders if they fail to agree on the defense law
Saturday’s Oslobodjenje learned from sources close to the BiH Federation Government that the Entity President, Safet Halilovic, would remove BiH Federation Defense Minister Mijo Anic and his Deputy Ferid Buljubasic from offices if they do not soon agree on the amendments to the entity defense law. According to the newspaper, the main dispute between Anic and Buljubasic is related to the Minister’s persistent insisting on the two components (Bosniak and Croat) of the Federation Army, as his Deputy would rather see establishment of a single entity armed force.
Investigation completed into the arms smuggling to Kosovo
The BiH Federation Supreme Court’s investigating judge, Tadija Bubalovic, told Saturday’s Oslobodjenje that the investigation against the detained Federation Army General Hamid Bahto and others due to their alleged involvement in the arms smuggling to Kosovo had been completed. “The matter has been forwarded to the Federation Prosecution Office, which has 15 days to decide whether the indictment will be raised,” Bubalovic said.
Behmen says Federation Government to provide money for another backlog pension
Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz reports that, although the BiH House of Peoples had again failed to adopt law on the share of the succession money, the BiH Federation Government decided to transfer 30 million KM to the entity Pension-Invalid Fund in order that another backlog pension is paid. “In this way, we will fulfill our promise given to the pensioners and pay them out 14 pensions by the end of 2001 fiscal year,” Federation Prime Minister Alija Behmen told journalists on Friday in Sarajevo.
Return process in BiH to be completed in three years
Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz reports that the OHR, OSCE, UNHCR and CRPC are to organize meetings with the municipal authorities in the BiH Federation and Republika Srpska in order to point out at the importance for the latest High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch’s property-related decisions to be applied. The biggest problem in the implementation of the amendments to the entity property laws represents a lack of alternative accommodation for a large number of some one else’s property occupants. Approximately a half of million BiH citizens are waiting to return to their pre-war houses and the largest number of them occupy some one else’s property. “We presume that there are approximately 15,000 double occupants among them,” BiH Federation Deputy Minister for Refugees Mijat Tuka told Dnevni Avaz. His Ministry has proposed a return plan to the BiH Federation Government foreseeing the return of approximately 150,000 people (100,000 in the Federation and 50,000 in the Republika Srpska) to their homes in this year. Asked how long might last the implementation f the Dayton Agreement’s Annex 7, Tuka said that he believed the process of the voluntary return could be completed in three years, of course, if the international community continues to provide the financial assistance to the process.
A group of Zepce Croats before the Zenica Cantonal Court: Ivo Lozancic pleaded not guilty
According to Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, Ivo Lozancic, a senior NHI official and one among the 14 Zepce Croats accused of war crimes, appeared on Friday at a hearing before the Zenica Cantonal Court. The hearings of the Zepce Croats have failed twice so far, since not a single suspect has appeared. Lozancic pleaded not guilty to all counts saying that, in this phase of the process, he would defend himself by silence.
Halilovic claims BiH Constitution must be essentially revised
Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz quoted BiH Federation President Safet Halilovic as saying at a regular session of the Bosniak Intellectuals Congress Council in Sarajevo on Saturday that the full implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision on the equal constitutional status of all three peoples in the entire country’s territory meant a wide revision of the entity Constitutions, including the provision defining the names of the entities. He added that the BiH Constitution had to be essentially revised as well.
Komsic says RS slows down constitutional reforms because it is afraid of losing the “statehood”
In an interview with Saturday’s Oslobodjenje (Pogled supplement), the SDP BiH Vice-president Ivo Komsic said that his party was insisting on the symmetrical resolutions whet it came to the protection of the vital national interests in the both BiH entities. “We propose the introduction of the House of Peoples as the instruments for this protection. This actually means that such a constitutional mechanism is imposed in the Republika Srpska, since it has already existed in the Federation, with the same authorities,” Komsic said. He added that the international community should make it clear that, this time, there would be no compromises and that the BiH Constitutional Commission’s decision on the equal constitutional status of all three peoples in the entire country’s territory had to be implemented in full.
Slobodna Dalmacija: BiH Independent Union of Journalists on Alliance intention to appoint editors of FENA
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Independent Union of professional journalists calls on the Coordination of the Alliance for Changes to give up their intention aimed at appointing editors for the FENA news agency, reads the press release from the FENA agency. The Union also invites members of other journalists’ associations to join the protest and oppose political parties for interfering into the work of the media. The Independent Union finds the decision of the Coordination of the Alliance to appoint the Editor-in-Chief and his/her Deputy for the FENA news agency as a grave interference in the work of the media and restriction to media freedoms (…), reads Slobodna Dalmacija.
Vecernji List: Interview with Ilija Simic, the HSS BiH President
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Vecernji List carries an interview with the President of the HSS BiH, Ilija Simic. When questioned why the party did not react to the High Representative’s statement, in which he equated the BiH Croats, who are a constituent people in BiH, with the Serbs from Croatia, who are minority in the neighboring country, Simic said that the party would react but they needed time because it was too big a statement to react to it immediately. “We want to see what it means and if the High Representative does not explain what he wanted to say with it, then we will ask him,” says Simic. When asked as to what the HSS expected from the coming elections, Simic said that the election would be interesting and that the HSS were prepared to negotiate with Croat parties about joining their forces and going out together adding that the negotiations would take place in the following months, reads Vecernji List.
Republika Srpska
Ivanic asks Jelavic to lobby against establishment of the House of Peoples in the RS
Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz learned from a source close to dismissed HDZ President Ante Jelavic that, during a phone conversation on Friday, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic asked Jelavic to lobby for the establishment of a constitutional commission and not a house of peoples as an instrument to protect vital national interests in the RS. According to the source, Ivanic expressed his readiness to “pay the debt” to Jelavic, if he succeeds in the campaign related to the resolution of this issue. “I do not know what Ivanic offered as a counter-favor, but I know that their meeting is arranged for the next week, probably somewhere in Herzegovina,” the source said.
Serb deputies against principle of ethnic representation – Petritsch vs. Petritsch
Monday’s edition of Glas Srpski reports that large number of political parties in the RS National Assembly agrees with the High Representative that the Law on civil service in BiH should not provide for representation of state employees in accordance with the ethnic balance of the 1991 Census. Last week the High Representative expressed his disagreement with the Council of Ministers proposal of the Law, arguing that census cannot be a principal based on which the ethnic structure of employees will be determined. On the other side, Petritsch approach towards the same thing is completely different. When it comes to authorities in the RS and the BiH Federation. Petritsch requests that the principle of ethnic representation in line with the 1991 Census be applied. President of the Democratic Party of RS, Gavrilo Antonic says that due to non-harmonized views Petritsch was in conflict with himself. “The demands for distribution of power in line with the 1991 Census means basically that we are going back to the positions which caused the war. SDS deputy, Borislav Paravac says that Petritsch decision (Law on civil service) is a result of reality because otherwise basic human rights would be violated. “According to the 1991 Census the, after Belgrade, Sarajevo is a town with the largest Serb population in former Yugoslavia, and if the principle of ethnic representation would be applied then many Bosniaks who live in Sarajevo would not get a chance to get a job”, said Paravac.
RS National Assembly discusses privatisation process – Petritsch to decide on RS budget
Weekend editions of both Banja Luka dailies quote Republika Srpska National Assembly Speaker Dragan Kalinic as saying that the Office of the High Representative will come up with its stand on the Bosniaks’ veto on the RS budget on Tuesday, 22 January. Kalinic said that the RS National Assembly will discuss the RS budget at its next session, which will take place in the beginning of February. Weekend edition of Nezavisne Novine quotes RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic as saying that the delay in adoption of the RS budget will not hinder the functioning of the budget and the RS institutions. “The decision on temporary financing of the RS institutions enable us to function normally during the first three months”, said Ivanic and added that he hopes that Petritsch will not decide that the RS budget is aimed against vital national interests of Bosniaks.
RS Government Bureau for Co-operation with the ICTY submitted 12 case files to the ICTY – Evidence against 12 Serbs
Weekend editions of both Banja Luka dailies report that the RS Government Bureau for cooperation with the ICTY submitted to the ICTY Office of the Prosecutor case files for 12 Serbs, suspected of having committed war crimes against civilian population during 1992. Press release, issued by the Bureau, states that these 12 cases have been processed by the RS judiciary and the procedure is in accordance with the Rules of the Road. “The ICTY will further decide whether these persons will be tried before the ICTY or before the RS courts”, states the press release.
Sarovic replies to Belkic, Halilovic and Komsic
Today’s edition of Glas Srpski reports that RS President, Mirko Sarovic dismissed any possibility that the upcoming constitutional changes in the RS will develop in line with the ideas of certain politicians from the BiH federation – changing the name of the RS, it’s coat of arms and flag. “The RS will implement the constitutional changes to the extent to which it has been required to do, by the BiH Constitutional Court ruling on constituent status of all peoples in BiH”, said Sarovic. Commenting on the statements recently made by Beriz Belkic, Ivo Komsic and Safet Halilovic, the RS President said that the RS will implement the constitutional changes so that all its citizens are equal regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. Sarovic also rejected the thesis on the necessity of “symmetrical constitutional solutions” in the RS and the BiH Federation and said that these three politicians should try to resolve problems in the BiH Federation instead of turning to the RS.
International Community
Reuters: French helicopter crashes in Adriatic, one dead
A helicopter from BiH’s NATO-led SFOR peacekeeping force crashed into the Adriatic sea on Sunday killing one French soldier and injuring two others, military officials said.
SFOR said the Gazelle helicopter crashed on Sunday morning near the Croatian coastal town of Ploce, about 30 km (20 miles) from the BiH border, with three crew members on board.
Apprehension preparing of Karadzic and Mladic?
According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, the authorized members of the George Bush’s Administration are still refusing to express their opinion about more frequent speculations related to the alleged final preparations for the apprehension of the most wanted war crime suspects Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. “I am not in position to confirm this. I can only say that the United States and its allies are very interested in their apprehension and bringing before justice,” Sean McCormack, the press officer at the US National Security Council told SENSE news agency.
Reuters: Karadzic, Mladic wanted posters appear in Sarajevo
Posters featuring Bosnian Serb war crimes indictees Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic appeared across Sarajevo at the weekend in a new U.S.-backed promotion of the $5 million reward for information leading to their capture. The posters feature black and white photographs of Bosnian Serb wartime political leader Karadzic and military commander Mladic, who have both been indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague for genocide and crimes against humanity. “This is a part of a campaign to bring them to The Hague,” Karen Williams, a spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo, said of the scores of posters around the BiH capital.
Nezavisne Novine: Interview with Wolfgang Petritsch
Monday’s edition of Nezavisne Novine carries an interview with the High Representative to BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, in which he says that return of refugees is a key issue for the International Community in BiH. “It is the main reason for our presence in BiH and we shall not give up unless we enable all people to return to their pre-war homes and get their property re-instated. The second priority is the institution building process in BiH and the third priority is the economy and I am not satisfied at all with what has been achieved so far in that field”, said Petritsch.
OHR requests entity Governments to ensure alternative accommodation
Peter Bas Backer, The Deputy High Representative for the Reconstruction and Return, requested the BiH Federation and the Republika Srpska authorities to ensure alternative accommodation to the temporary users of the some one else’s apartments and houses otherwise they will be held responsible for the evictions of the people on the streets. Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz learned from its sources that, in a letter sent on January 10 to the BiH Federation Urban Planing Minister Ramiz Mehmedagic, Federation Deputy Refugee Minister Mijat Tuka, BiH Federation Ombudsman Institution, Prime Minister of the all ten cantons, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic and RS Refugee Minister Mico Micic, OHR requested allocation of budgetary funds for the secondary accommodation.
PDHR visits Brcko District
According to Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, on Friday visited Brcko, where he met with the representatives of the District authorities to discuss the current political and economic situation in the area. Hays emphasized that a progress had been made in the establishment of the multi-ethnic education system and judiciary in the District, as well as in the process of return to the area.
Dnevni List: Departure of Omer-Pasha Wolfgang
Dnevni List carries in its weekend edition an ironic article titled Departure of Omer-Pasha Wolfgang referring to a novel written by Ivo Andric. Hrvoje Bosnjak, an author of the article, says that there were many rulers in BiH, however, none of them was so cruel and crude as the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch. The author also criticizes his decision on Mandic’s removal saying that the HR is referring to the authorities that he does not have. At the end he says that in May when the HR mandate expires, the HR should take with him this novel, which has not been completed just like the High Representative’s mandate in this country.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Federation is a Bosniak entity
Slobodna Dalmacija carries on Saturday another ironic article titled ‘Petritsch: Federation is a Bosniak entity’ written by Niko Lozancic, a Federation Parliament deputy, in which he says that now it is clear to him that the High Representative removed all the Croats that ‘naďve’ Croat people elected so that he can become the High Representative of the Croat People. The High Representative has done so much for the Croat people. He removed ‘inefficient’ representatives, closed down ‘insolvent’ banks, appointed ‘efficient’ representatives’, opened a few ‘law-abiding’ banks and he has done all this to the benefit of the Croat people. The Croats will get the same rights in the Federation as Serbs, while in the RS the Croats will have the same rights as Bosniaks. The article ends up with a wish: Long live the High Representative of the Croat people!
Pre-war Republic of BiH interior minister arrested in Belgrade for possession of forged documents
Both Banja Luka dailies report that the First Municipal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade has filed a request for an investigation into the dealings of Alija Delimustafic, former interior minister of BiH, on suspicion that he committed a criminal act of forging documents. Delimustafic was in possession of several fake documents which he used, the Belgrade media reported, quoting a statement signed by public prosecutor Goran Ilic. Delimustafic and two of his assistants, Borislav Radosavljevic and (?Mladjan) Novakovic, have been in custody since 17 January 2002 on the orders of the investigative judge of the Belgrade First Municipal Court, it was announced.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Interview with Frank Orton, the Ombudsperson for Human Rights in BiH
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Slobodna Dalmacija carries an interview with Frank Orton, Ombudsperson for Human Rights in BiH, who has been in Sarajevo for a year and a half. The number of cases his Office settled in the course of 2001, that is over 600, is larger than the total number of cases the Ombudspersons’ Office settled ever since the Office was established in 1996.
He stated that the number of appeals filed during last year increased by 37% compared to the previous year, but since they meanwhile lifted their efficiency to a higher level, the number of pending cases was reduced by 44%.
Vecernji List: FBI agents warn of creation of anti-American coalition in BiH
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Inspectors of the Federation Ministry of Interior, upon a request coming from the US authorities, must complete an investigation in order to reveal names of persons who were involved in illegal awarding of BiH citizenship to persons from the so-called Algerian group. If they do not do so in the shortest period of time, the US authorities will find BiH institutions uncooperative, reads Vecernji List. The daily adds that FBI agents are also involved in the operation and that the agents are stunned with the support the Algerians are receiving from the local population. “They are stunned with the support the six are getting from some NGOs and other associations and writings of some Sarajevo papers. Some US political circles see it as a possibility of creation of an anti-American block in BiH which got Ambassador Bond worried. This has resulted in a diplomatic battle which will be fought by political representatives of the US in BiH in the days to come,” Vecernji List learns from a political analyst of the US Embassy in Sarajevo. According to available information, it is obvious that some political officials are involved in illegal awarding of the citizenship. Most of them are linked to the SDA, reads the daily (…) “It is interesting because the names of the people who took part in the dubious awarding of the citizenship have been known for quite some time already. But some persons who should be subject to criminal charges are still officiating sensitive political duties. The Alliance know who those people are, but they do not want to ruffle plenty of feathers in the pre-election period”, says the aforementioned source, reads Vecernji List.
Editorials
Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz
In the Saturday’s Oslobodjenje In Focus editorial, Editor-in-Chief Senka Kurtovic wrote that, obviously, certain mistakes had been done in awarding foreign citizens with BiH passports, but this did not mean that “we must pay for them” by abusing anyone’s human rights. In another editorial related to the deportation of the six Algerians, Zija Dizdarevic wrote in the Sunday’s Oslobodjenje that, in this case, the state and the Federation authorities had ignored both domestic judiciary and the human rights. Commenting on the same issue comparing it to the non-apprehension of Radovan Karadzic and ratko Mladic, Ibrahim Prohic wrote in the Monday’s Oslobodjenje In Focus column that the appearance of the wanted posters in Sarajevo would not be enough if they are not brought to justice in next months. In the Sunday’s Oslobodjenje In Focus editorial, Resad Dautbegovic criticized the Alliance for Change’s decision to take over the control over the Federation Fena news agency through the appointment of its Editor-in-Chief and his deputy. Almasa Bajric wrote in the Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz Commentary of the Day that it was a nonsense that Serb member of the BiH Presidency Zivko Radisic was attempting to protect interests of some other state (FRY) by threatening to veto a possible decision on financing the BiH agent in the case BiH versus FRY before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. In the Monday’s Dnevni Avaz Commentary of the Day, Sead Numanovic wrote that following the announced admission into the Council of Europe, BiH and its citizens would be closer to the Europe and its integration.
Dnevni List: What was Buljubasic doing in Belgrade?
Written by Marko Markovic (Provided by OHR Mostar)
Dnevni List carries an editorial about the mysterious Belgrade visit of the Federation Deputy Minister of Defense, Ferid Buljubasic. Buljubasic said that he went to Belgrade at the instruction from the Federation Government to negotiate about ways of collecting the 212 million-Dollar debt to BiH and that the Bosniak and Croat Presidency Members, Beriz Belkic and Jozo Krizanovic knew about it. Beriz Belkic confirmed he was aware of Buljubasic’s mission, Federation Prime Minister Alija Behmen said he only heard of it, Federation President Safet Halilovic was angry because he was not informed about it.
The daily says the Federation Defense Minister Mijo Anic, Buljubasic’s superior, was excluded from the procedure, although, under the Federation Defense Law, he is authorized to control all matters related to the military industry. Well-informed persons tend to bring Buljubasic in connection with the AID because he does intelligence tasks more often than he helps his boss Anic.
After the arrest of Alija Delimustafic, the wartime Interior Minister of BiH, analysts also link Buljubasic’s visit with the action of arresting this Sarajevo “warlord,” reads Dnevni List in conclusion.