- IMC closes TV Erotel – IMC press conference
- BiH PBS Steering Board introduces TV BiH Interim Management
- Radio BiH receives modern editorial desk
- OSCE will not impose election law or draft new law – Barry
- US Government supports draft election law – Frowick
- BiH Federation House of People discuss government’s economic policy measures for 2000
- BiH Presidency supports project on return of 100,000 refugee families
- RS Government extends registration deadline for privatization as well as opening new registration offices in BiH Federation
- Risk of Yugoslav instability spilling over into BiH – Carl Bildt and Robert Frowick at meeting with RS officials
- NATO Secretary-General George Robertson visits Macedonia for talks on Kosovo tension
- Greek KFOR troops transferred to Kosovska Mitrovica
- World news
- EBRD donates 40 million euros for reconstruction of BiH railways
- Ralph Johnson asks BiH Federation House of Representatives to hold urgent discussion on Law on Public Corporations
- SDA criticizes decision to replace TV BiH General Director
- BiH Constitution says nothing about parity and consensus in BiH Council of Ministers – Silajdzic
- SDP BiH opens office in west Mostar
- Sloga Coalition must reach compromise to survive – SPRS Main Board member Mirko Nozica
- Those who speak of heroes use other people’s children to wage war for them – Kljuic
- Swiss surgeons will perform 120 open heart operations in Sarajevo next year
- 20 landslides registered in Zenica
- Tuzla Municipal authorities start demolition of illegally-built buildings
- Sports
- Weather
- TV Erotel has forfeited any right it had to apply for IMC Broadcasting License
- Arms control action in Livno uncovers more weapons than allowed
- All political parties avoiding election law because they do not want to assume responsibility for it – Barry
- Serb political parties in Bijeljina disregard OHR instruction to stop land allocations until OHR reaches decision on this
- After establishment of Brcko District, we will continue offering support to Serbs there – Dodik
News Summary
BiH PBS Steering Board introduces TV BiH Interim Management
Simultaneously with the takeover of TV Erotel transmitters, the BiH Public Broadcasting System (PBS) decided to replace the TV BiH General Director with an international agent and introduce special measures in TV BiH. Only two members of the Steering Board, Eurovision representative Antonio Riva, who called the decision destructive, and Fatima Leho, voted against the decision. The main reason that Leho voted against PBS Steering Board’s decision was the provision introducing a TV BiH Interim Management in the transition period. Leho stressed that the incumbent TV BiH management was successful and had made significant progress that would be jeopardized if it were replaced during the transitional period of PBS establishment. According to Leho, the only solution is to strictly follow OHR guidelines regarding the establishment of the PBS that, in fact, say nothing about any kind of TV BiH Interim Management.
04:25
US Government supports draft election law – Frowick
The US Government supports the draft BiH permanent election law and appeals to the BiH Parliament to adopt it as soon as possible, Deputy US Special Envoy for Dayton Agreement Implementation Robert Frowick told a press conference in Banja Luka on Thursday. Frowick stressed that the importance of the election law is that it is one of main preconditions for joining the Council of Europe. Commenting on initiatives for revision of the Dayton Agreement, Frowick stated that the US Government opinion is that the peace agreement should be implemented in its entirety.
01:21
BiH Presidency supports project on return of 100,000 refugee families
The BiH Presidency, six months after BiH Federation President Ejup Ganic initiated a return project for 100,000 refugee families, finally gave its approval as well as calling on the IC to support it. Both BiH Federation and RS Refugee Ministers and entity Prime Ministers signed the project, which is expected to cost about $1 billion. The BiH Presidency forwarded the project to the Stability Pact HQ in Brussels. Ganic said that if the IC cannot donate $1 billion, it should give long-term crediting that would be returned in 20-30 years.
02:10
BiH Constitution says nothing about parity and consensus in BiH Council of Ministers – Silajdzic
“There is no basis in the BiH Constitution to insist on the principles of national parity and consensus in the Law on BiH Council of Ministers” Party for BiH President Haris Silajdzic said in Sarajevo on Thursday. “Nevertheless, if the law is passed in this form, it will represent a revision of the Dayton Peace Agreement” Silajdzic concluded.
00:26
Those who speak of heroes use other people’s children to wage war for them – Kljuic
Republicans BiH President Stjepan Kljuic commented on SDA statements that it had heroes in its membership while other parties had ‘cellar dwellers’ (‘podrumasi’- those who hid in cellars during the war). Kljuic said those kind of statements come from people who “like to wage wars on the backs of other people’s children, specifically commenting on a recent statement by Ejup Ganic that heroes attend SDA rallies while ‘cellar dwellers’ attend the rallies of other parties. At a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday, Kljuic assessed that BiH needs to implement restitution and privatization and to adopt European laws in order to prosper. Kljuic also said that the 1991 election law should be reinstated in BiH.
00:35