TV news broadcast on May 19
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| HR Schwarz-Schilling in | Tihic regarding BiH and NATO | Registration of parties for elections |
| Sulejman Tihic at | HR paid visit to | New statistics on effects of VAT |
| Central European | Talks on RS Special Prosecution | Chamber of Commerce on VAT |
| Salary coefficients for police officers | Covic on constitutional changes | Financing of Corridor 5c construction |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Salary coefficients for police officers | Police criticizes FBiH Government | Pistols found at Gradiska Border |
| Draft law on police officers | Dodik meets HJPC official | Talks on RS Special Prosecution |
| Conference on Corridor Vc in SA | New statistics on effects of VAT | Election of RS Police Director |
| Domestic companies and Corridor Vc | ICTY trial for Srebrenica genocide | Reactions to Terzic’s statement |
| Oslobodjenje | BiH in the Partnership for peace by the end of the year |
| Dnevni Avaz | 48 parties registered for elections |
| Dnevni List | Croats must have equal rights |
| Vecernji List | By helicopter on motel full of people [Helicopter of BiH Armed forces damaged roof of hotel in Doboj because it flew over too low] |
| Nezavisne Novine | Customs officers confiscated 49 pistols [Pistols were confiscated on Bosanska Gradiska border crossing point, investigation ongoing] |
| Glas Srpske | Terzic’s slap to the truth |
General political developments | |
| HR
| |
| HR
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5, announced on cover ‘A complete package of constitutional changes after elections’ by Lana Sinanovic – Following his visit to Zagreb, HR Christian Schwarz-Schilling stated in an interview to Dnevni Avaz that the accent was put on future economic cooperation between BiH and Croatia. ‘We discussed |
| Central European presidents meet in
| |
| SNSD’s Spiric calls for boycott of BiH CoM following CoM Chair’s statement re Commission for truth on sufferings of Sarajevo Serbs / other Serb officials criticise the statement
| BHT1, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘RS demanded boycott of the work of CoM’ by V. Popovic, Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Terzic’s slap to the truth’ by G. Klepic Inset ‘Paravac and Spiric’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Spiric called on boycott’ not signed, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Boycott of CoM and Terzic’ by O. V., Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Serb “strike” on the state Government’ by D. P. Mandic – After the statement of Chair of BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic on establishing of a commission tasked to investigate the faith of missing Serbs from Sarajevo, SNSD member Nikola Spiric called upon all RS members of the CoM to boycott the work of CoM until such decision is established. Namely, Terzic said that such commission would not be established as long as he is the Chair of CoM. According to Spiric, Terzic’s statement means hushing of organised crime. BHT1 – PDP also sharply criticized Terzic’s statement. According to PDP, Terzic’s statement confirmed in a venturous and offensive manner that Terzic doesn’t respect the decision of BiH Parliament Assembly. RTRS – RS Association of fallen and missing soldiers and civilians sent a letter to Terzic in this regard. RS Office for Missing Persons believes that Commission on suffering of Sarajevo Serbs should be established as in accordance with the decision of |
| Jovicic: nobody had even asked from Terzic to establish the commission / Bogdanic: this would have negative impact on forming BIH Institute for Missing Persons | Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Terzic’s slap to the truth’ by G. Klepic – Following BiH CoM Chair Adnan Terzic’s statement regarding the establishment of a commission for investigation of truth on sufferings of Sarajevo Serbs, Deputy President of RS Association of POWs Slavko Jovicic stated luckily it was not up to Terzic to give any approval on this and added ‘apart from this, nobody had even asked from him to establish the commission’. Head of RS Office for Missing and Imprisoned Persons Milan Bogdanic thinks Terzic’s statement would have a negative influence on dynamics of forming of the BiH Institute for Missing Persons. |
| PDP’s Djurkovic: RS might be forced to establish the Commission itself
| Oslobodjenje pg 2, announced on cover ‘RS will be forced to form a commission for Sarajevo’ by A. T. – PDP’s Jelina Djurkovic stated for Oslobodjenje that, if CoM Chair Adnan Terzic and F BiH Government, continue ignoring demands of BiH Constitutional Court regarding the establishment of the Commission for investigation of sufferings of Sarajevo Serbs, RS would be forced to establish the commission by itself. |
| CoM Chair Terzic: CoM should establish a commission to investigate the truth on war in entire BiH
| BHT1 – Commenting the reactions to his statement regarding the establishment of a commission for investigation of truth on sufferings of Sarajevo Serbs, CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic said that they are part of pre-electoral campaign. BHT1, FTFV – Terzic stressed that BiH CoM should establish a commission tasked to investigate the truth about war in entire BiH. RTRS – Terzic expressed regret if he had insulted families of victims explaining that CoM cannot establish commission for each municipality. “CoM can only establish commission that will determine truth in the whole BiH. I do not see any reason that RS Representatives see this idea on negative way. This does not exclude analyses about what was happening with Serbs in |
| 48 parties and 13 independent candidates registered for October elections | BHT1, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ’48 parties registered for elections’ and pg 2 ’48 parties and 13 independent candidates registered for elections’ by L. S., Glas Srpske pg 2 ’48 parties registered’ not signed, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ’48 parties and 13 independent candidates registered for the elections’ by A. T. – The deadline for registration of parties and independent candidates for October elections expired on Friday. BiH Election Commission received 48 registrations of parties and 13 registrations of independent candidates. Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ’48 parties registered for elections’ and pg 2 ’48 parties and 13 independent candidates registered for elections’ by L. S. – carries a list of parties and independent candidates who registered for elections. |
| HDZ submits application for participation in the October election
| |
| Silajdzic probably candidate for BiH Presidency member
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Silajdzic again president as of today’ by Srna, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Haris Silajdzic candidate for President of Party for BiH’ by E. Sarac – Party for BiH stated it is expected the party would reach a decision on election of Haris Silajdzic to the position of the party’s president at the 2nd convention of the party today [Saturday]. BHT1 – According to SBiH, Silajdzic will most probably be this party’s candidate for the position of BiH Presidency member. |
| HDZ 1990 registered for elections, expect to win votes of 55% of Croats
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘They expect to win votes of 55% of Croats’ by H. O. – President of HDZ 1990 Bozo Ljubic and his associates registered for October elections on Friday. Ljubic said the party registered for elections for all authority levels and they will have a candidate for BiH Presidency member. ‘It is possible that I would be a candidate for this position [BiH Presidency member]. I expect we would win 55% of votes of Croat people’, Ljubic stated. Dnevni list pg 4 ‘HDZ 1990 will gain more than 50% of Croat votes’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Covic and Ljubic running for all levels of authorities’ – also reported. |
| Weekly commentary: what does the increased number of Croatian parties mean for the Croats in BiH?
| |
| HoR Deputy Chair Dzaferovic: vote of non-confidence in CoM was attempt to destabilise it
| Oslobodjenje pg 3, announced on cover ‘Half of state Ministers “on ice”’ by A. Terzic – Following Thursday’s session of BiH Parliament, it became clear BiH CoM no longer has a support of delegates from RS, since all 12 delegates from RS voted for removal of BiH CoM. Deputy Chairman of BiH HoR Sefik Dzaferovic stated for Oslobodjenje that ‘the Char of CoM, Adnan Terzic, is in state of need’. Dzaferovic said: ‘we need to clearly say that all obstructions and crisis had come from the very RS. This latest development of events is nothing else but an attempt to destabilise CoM…’. |
| F BiH Missing Persons Commission member Odobasic criticises OHR’s statement on Palic case
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘OHR ignored rule of law’ by E. Kamenica – OHR’s press release saying there would be no postponements of deadline for finding late Colonel Avdo Palic, as according to member of F BiH Commission for Missing persons Jasmin Odoboasic, also contains an inappropriate statement. Namely, the statement OHR Spokesperson Ljljana Radetic gave on May 18 reads: ‘If RS fails to fulfil obligations in this case, then it provides F BiH with an excuse not to fulfil its obligations with regard to persons who had gone missing in |
Constitutional reform | |
| Covic expects talks on constitutional changes to be continued on Tuesday
| |
|
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘On changes to the constitution on Tuesday again’ by D. Muminovic and V. Popovic – President of HDZ 1990 Bozo Ljubic has stated that, during previous debates on the constitutional changes, HDZ delegates had been even suggesting that the process should be postponed for two or three months ‘and now similar suggestions are being presented as subsequent wisdom of same people who had refused to listen to such suggestions’. |
| SNSD presented new proposal re negotiations on constitutional changes: BiH Parliament should establish commission to deal with const. changes and legal regulations for implementation of changes
| TV Pink – Nikola Spiric, Member of SNSD Main Board, believes that negotiations on constitutional changes should continue after the October elections. At the press conference, which was held on Friday, Spiric presented a new proposal regarding negotiations on constitutional changes. According to this proposal, BiH Parliament should establish a commission that would deal with the constitutional changes and legal regulations that would provide implementation of the constitutional changes. This Commission would participate in the BiH Parliament and would have as many members as BiH Parliament. The international community should also appoint its member to the Commission but this member would not have power to participate in decision-making process. If this proposal were accepted, complementary elections along with regular elections would be held later and would refer to BiH Parliamentary Assembly. “This means the following: if we elect 42 representatives (at the October elections) and if we reach an agreement, as it was almost agreed earlier, that BiH Parliamentary Assembly counts 87 representatives, we should organize complementary elections for election of 45 representatives”, Spiric said. This proposal would be sent to political parties’ leaders who participate in the negotiations on constitutional changes, OHR, EC, Austrian Embassy, UK Embassy, US Embassy, Russian Federation Embassy and French Embassy. RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘It is possible to change the Constitution by April of 1008’ by V. P., Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘First elections, then constitutional changes’ by M. Dz., Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Commission for changes to the Constitution should be formed at BiH Parliament’ by Srna, Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Strategy on continuation of negotiations after elections was developed’ not signed – also reported. |
| HR
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5, announced on cover ‘A complete package of constitutional changes after elections’ by Lana Sinanovic – In an interview given to Dnevni Avaz following his visit to Zagreb, HR Christian Schwarz-Schilling said the stance of Croatia is that the constitutional reform is absolutely necessary for BiH because these would lead to the best organisation of the state for all three constitutive peoples. Asked whether he believes the constitutional amendments would be adopted before October elections and whether the amendments would be applied in elections, HR stated he believes the entire package of the constitutional amendments would be adopted after elections. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Participants at the Fifth Pan-European Conference in
| BHT1, TV Pink, |
| Results of implementation of VAT presented: BiH CoM and Statistics Agency satisfied
| TV Pink, RTRS, FTV, TV Hayat, BHT1, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Publ;ic revenues increased for 69%’ by R. Cengic, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘VAT made the growth of revenues for 69% possible’ by Agencies, Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5, announced on cover ‘Social funds for 25% fuller’ by M. Kavaz – Sirucic – BiH Council of Ministers (CoM) and BiH Statistics Agency are satisfied with BiH implementation of the Law on Value Added Tax (VAT) in first three months of 2006. Zlatko Hurtic, Economic Advisor to BiH Council of Ministers said that public revenues for the first quarter of this year are for 69% higher than for the same period last year. Hurtic also said that funds for social categories are for 25% higher than last year. According to Hurtic, average increase in prices in FBiH was 6% while in RS 9%. BiH Statistics Agency reported that increase in prices is smaller than expected. FBiH Government and RS Government started with payments for mitigation of consequences cased by VAT introduction as of May. TV Pink – Zlatko Hurtic said that the following step is strengthening of social care system. BHT1 – Hurtic stated that the introduction of a second VAT rate [0 VAT rate] would open up new possibilities for tax evasion. Expert Dzenan Dzonlagic commented that only the state institutions and banks see the positive effects of the VAT. |
| BiH Foreign Trades Chamber: statistics data showing positive effects of VAT not always correct
| TV Hayat – During the first four months of 2006, BiH has recorded approximately KM 4.5 billions of foreign trade turnover. The foreign trade deficit was approximately one billion and 358 millions KM. 53.3 percent of import have been covered with export, stated Deputy Chair of the BiH Foreign Trade Chamber Petar Milanovic. BHT1 – BiH Foreign Trades Chamber warns that the statistics data showing positive effects of VAT introduction is not always correct, depending on methodology. Milanovic stated that the situation in BiH couldn’t be significantly better than in other countries after introduction of VAT. Milanovic claims that, according to statistics, the export leader in RS is company “Dis Eurostandard” from Prnjavaor with export of 40 million KM after the introduction of VAT. Milanovic claims that this data is a result of a mistake. In this year, this company had 100 times lower export. This mistake, claims Milanovic, has changed the entire statistic analysis. Milanovic stressed that the positive effect of VAT is decrease of grey economy. |
Judicial issues | |
| Talks on RS Special Prosecutor’s Office were held in
| TV Pink – RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, Member of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) Sven Marius Urke and RS Chief Prosecutor Amor Bukic had talks on Friday in Banja Luka regarding the issue of RS Special Prosecution. HJPC disputed appointments of the Special Prosecutors to the RS Special Prosecution on Wednesday. Milan Tegeltija, RS Chief Special Prosecutor and other Special Prosecutors resigned on Thursday due to HJPC stance. Bukic said that both RS Government and HJPC want to reach agreement on this issue. “Ministry of Justice will submit proposal to HJPC and then we all will work together in finding the best solutions”, said Bukic. HJPC suggested to RS Government to change the Law on fight against organized crimes in order to enable HJPC to appoint prosecutors since HJPC is the only institution that has the authority to make such appointments. HJPC Chair Branko Peric said that HJPC does not want to obstruct this process in RS or to interfere in RS National Assembly’s competence in establishing new judicial institutions. Peric said that as soon as RS Government changes this Law, HJPC would open vacancies and hire Special Prosecutors. TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Changes to the Law on Special Prosecutor’s Office to follow’ by D. Risojevic, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘The valid law postponed settling of accounts’ by V. Janjic, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Law on fight against crimes should be jointly additionally developed’ by Srna, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘To find a solution for appointment of prosecutors’ by O. V., Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Without prosecutors for couple of months’ – also reported. |
| SNSD’s Spiric: SNSD considering possibility of launching initiative for introducing changes to HJPC Law
| RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Changes to the Law on Special Prosecutor’s Office to follow’ by D. Risojevic Inset ‘Spiric advocates changes to the Law on HJPC’ by V. P., Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Only criminals gained profit’ by M. Dz., Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Prosecutors encouraged criminals’ – Member of SNSD Main Board Nikola Spiric said the party is considering the possibility of launching the initiative on introducing changes to the Law on HJPC after HJPC disputed the appointment of RS Special Prosecutors, as well as to reconsider the transfer of competences in this field from entity to the state level. |
| PDP’s Trifkovic: Special RS Prosecutor’s Office should be filled in asap, HJPC should have reacted before appointments were made | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Special Prosecutor’s Office should be filled in as soon as possible’ by V. P. – PDP’s Nevenka Trifkovic stated that RS Government and HJPC should resolve issues with regard to appointment of special RS prosecutors as soon as possible in order to continue with the fight against organised crime and she added that HJPC should have reacted before Law was put into effect and Special Prosecutors were elected. |
| NN source: Personal conflict between Kreso and Simmons is reason why Kreso opposes re-appointment of the judge
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Conflict over Ante Jelavic’ by N. Krsman – British Embassy on Friday refused to comment on re-appointment of judge Malcolm Simmons as BiH Court judge because this was a matter for independent judiciary and High Representative, when it comes to foreign judges. Chairperson of BiH Court Meddzida Kreso disputed the re-appointment and a source close to |
Police issues | |
| Five candidates for the post of RS Police Director, only one satisfies all requirements
| TV Pink, RTRS, BHT1, TV Hayat – Ilija Lukic, Chair of the Independent Commission for the election of the RS Police director said that only one of five candidates who applied for the position of the RS Police director satisfies the criteria. Lukic did not want to say the name of the candidate who satisfies the criteria since Commission would have the interview with this candidate on May 26th after which should bring decision in this regard. “It seems that some of the candidates have not read the vacancy requirements…We will have the interview with this one candidate. We will evaluate him and then vote in accordance with the Operating Procedure of the Independent Commission. If the candidate gets the majority, four votes, candidate will be appointed to the position”, said Lukic. RTRS – RTRS unofficially learned that Dragan Skrbic, Sinisa Karan, Mirko Tufekdzija, Dragomir Babic and Uros Pena applied for the position of the RS Police Dir. RTRS, BHT1 – According to unofficial information, only Uros Pena satisfied criteria for the position of RS Police Director. Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Uros Pena was the only one to meet criteria’ by D. Risojevic, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Uros Pena the only candidate?’ by V. J., Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘Only one out of five candidates met requirements’ by N. Diklic – also reported. |
| Police officers sharply criticized decision of FBiH Government on salaries
| |
| F BiH Ministry of Finances: it is not true policemen would be receiving lower salaries
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Salaries had been harmonised with Rule Book’ by R. C. – F BiH Ministry of Finances claims the F BiH Government had reduced salaries of police officials and increased salaries of advisors of the appointed officials because of the harmonisation of coefficients and harmonisation of Rule Book on Salaries with F BiH Law on Public Services. The Ministry also stated it was not true policemen would be receiving lower salaries because everyone whose salary would decrease after calculation in accordance with new coefficients would receive a personal transitional sum that would compensate the decrease. |