News Headlines
- Montenegrin Government adopts draft of new relations with Serbia
- Strongest democratic coalition in Montenegro refuses to attend parliamentary talks following previous objections
- My government ready to support new opposition-lead government in Yugoslavia – Italian Foreign Affairs Minister
- Milosevic will most probably have to hold elections in November and possibly lose – Serb Democratic party President Zoran Djindjic
- SPO Leader Vuk Draskovic demands from Gelbard to prevent violence against Kosovo Serbs
- Ivan Novkovic freed after 30 days in detention for organizing opposition protests in Leskovac
- One Albanian and one Serb killed in Kosovo in last 24 hours – KFOR
- Since signing of peace agreement for Kosovo, some 177,000 refugees moved to Central Serbia and Montenegro – UNHCR
- UN Mission and parties in Kosovska Mitrovica establish transitional government lead by Sir Martin Garrod
- Richard Holbrook appointed US Ambassador to UN
- Robertson succeeds Solana
- Minister for Refugees Sulejman Garib meets with Farrand
- No political obstacles to return in Srebrenica remaining – settlers from Ilijas and Srebrenica agree to engage in two-way return
- Agreement signed to build flats for Zenica-Doboj Canton veterans
- Protection of Usora River bed to be executed by LORA foundation
- UN Mission pleased with minority employment rate in Livno despite delays
- Government declares state of emergency in Tuzla Canton due to floods
- Egyptian Ambassador gives his credentials to Chairmen of BiH Presidency Ante Jelavic
- Bicakcic welcomes newly appointed Egyptian Ambassador
- South Korean car and electronic industry delegations visits BiH
- Bijeljina Executive Board organizes fair on site of ruined mosque in celebration of City Day
- SDA holds press conference
- CD Coalition demands RS Construction Minister be relieved of duty
- Ambassador Barry and Social Democratic Party discuss OSCE working group proposal of election law
- OSCE survey reveals most BiH citizens consider officials either irresponsible or inconsiderate and demand changes
- BiH Republican party sees first draft of election law as improvement, suspension of RTV BiH natural consequence of misuse by SDA – Kljujic (full statement in BRT)
- World news
- Croatia celebrates gratitude day for Operation ‘Storm’, to be declared Army Day next year
- Sarajevo preparing for Fifth Sarajevo Film Festival
- Weather forecast
News Summary
Minister for Refugees Sulejman Garib meets with Farrand
Five months after the final Brcko arbitration decision, the Association of Brcko Returnees publicly addressed officials for not fulfilling their agreed duties in the name of over 20,000 Bosniaks and Croats awaiting return. Minister Sulejman Garib visited the BiH Federation part of Brcko Municipality, as well as Klanice and Rijeke settlements and met with Brcko Supervisor Ambassador Robert Farrand to discuss modes of accelerating returns to Brcko. Summer is well under way and the rebuilding of houses is not going ahead as planned, with only 34 houses rebuilt. That is why the cabinet of BiH Federation Vice-president Ejub Ganic is launching an initiative for ECHO to aid repairs to at least 100 houses this building season. The BiH Federation Government offers maximum assistance to two-way return by already issuing evictions from some 20 flats in Sarajevo, Serb houses in Central Bosnia and Tuzla region will also be reconstructed. Farrand sees this as a sign of dedication on the part of the BiH Federation government in seeing the necessity of two-way return. All agree that greater assistance for returns to Brcko need to be created. All misunderstandings in connection with donations administered through Promdei Bank have been cleared up.
02:09
UN Mission pleased with minority employment rate in Livno despite delays
Minority employment of policemen in Livno is behind schedule but the UN Mission is still pleased with the working group comprised of UN representatives and police, says IPTF spokesperson for Banja Luka and Bihac region Alun Roberts. Realization of phase one is delayed, but the employment of 15 Serb and 2 Bosniak policemen is expected by the end of August, phase two should be realized by the end of October and phase three by the end of the year. Roberts said the delay was created by the need to explain to the Canton Interior Minister how he cannot employ whom he pleases but strictly those on IPTF lists of qualified personnel. Commenting on the Drvar situation, Roberts says that the OSCE and OHR decision is a logical move considering that since ’97, the Municipal Council met only once, last year. Roberts also criticized the statement by Municipal Council Chairman Borivoj Mabasic who blames only the Serbs for problems, despite the fact that the investigation into incidents in Drvar is not yet completed.
01:28
SDA holds press conference
The SDA fully supports the OSCE and OHR drafted permanent election law in the event that it will encourage integration, offering greater opportunity to moderate parties, says SDA spokesperson Adnan Jahic. Regarding Carlos Westendorp’s decision to restructure the public RTV, Jahic says the party views this as a good basis for transforming TV BiH, but that the nine members of the Executive Board ought to additionally clarify this decision.
00:53
CD Coalition demands RS Construction Minister be relieved of duty
CD Coalition delegates in the RS Government demand that RS Minster for Construction and Infrastructure be relieved of duty because, despite the High Representative’s decision banning unauthorized use of building sites owned by religious communities, property is still being illegally used.
00:20
Ambassador Barry and Social Democratic Party delegation discuss OSCE working group proposal of election law
President of the BiH Social Democratic party met with OSCE Head in BiH Ambassador Robert Barry, announcing after the meeting how part of the draft of BiH permanent election law, offered by the OSCE working group, represents merely small changes leading to securing the existing situation. The SDP welcomed efforts put into the draft and proposed a public discussion on this law to include equal deliberation of the SDP pre-draft of the law from 17 July, which proposes significant changes in the election system.
00:33