Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| International Women’s Day | Utilities workers aid tsunami victims | Ashdown to visit B. Luka |
| Iranian President visit to BiH | 130 killed by fire in Dominican R. jail | RS Govt. with police syndicate |
| CRO Parliament Speaker in | 5 killed in | Celebration of Women’s Day |
TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Road conditions in BIH | Danish Parliament Chair in BiH | Momcilo Perisic case |
| Danish Parliament Chair in BIH | Del Ponte: “ | Orthodox priest attacked in Dobrinja |
| FBIH trade deficit | Jocic: “Mladic is not in | Snowdrifts cause troubles |
| Draft law on BIH holidays | Momcilo Perisic case | Heavy snow in Knezevo |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Danish Parliament Chair in BiH | Snow-related troubles – Konjic | Tomljenovic on RS existence |
| Iranian President visits BiH | Snow-related troubles – Gorazde | Orthodox priest attacked in Dobrinja |
| Increase of oil prices | Problems in Popovo polje | Graffiti in Ilidza |
| Airport in Mostar | Momcilo Perisic case | RS CoP & NA commission session |
| Oslobodjenje | Del Ponte: |
| Dnevni Avaz | Del Ponte: Mladic can be arrested in a few hours |
| Dnevni List | Bill of indictment against Perisic made Mostarians angry |
| Vecernji List | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Popovo Polje in fear of water |
| Glas Srpske | Priest assaulted |
| Nezavisne Novine | UN DP report: Citizens do not have trust in better future; Carla del Ponte: If |
| Blic | Works at Banja Luka Psychiatry started, barracks flooded again |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbia-related topics |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbia-related topics |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| HR visits
| RS Radio – HR Paddy Ashdown, today in |
| RS MoI workers complain of their situation
| BH Radio 1, RS Radio – The representatives of the RS Interior Ministry’s Trade Union told the RS Prime Minister, Pero Bukejlovic, that that lack of concern of former RS Governments for RS MoI workers resulted with current situation in which the Ministry cannot carry out even the basic functions. The President of the Trade Union, Dusko Jandric, announced he is to meet the RS Finance Minister Svetlana Cenic and RS MoI Darko Matijasevic to discuss concrete measures to improve the situation. |
Cooperation with ICTY | |
| Del Ponte: Mladic can be arrested in a few hours
| TV Pink, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 3 ‘Serbia knows where Mladic is and they can arrest him’, Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 2 ‘Mladic can be arrested in a few hours’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘If Serbia wanted, it could arrest Mladic in few hours’ by Reuters, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘They know where Mladic is’ – Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said in an interview for Reuters that “Serbia exactly knows where war crime indictee Ratko Mladic and they might arrest him in a few hours if they want.” According to Del Ponte, the issue of SCG cooperation with The Hague Tribunal is just a matter of political will. |
| Serbian Interior Minister says they are intensively searching for Mladic
| TV Pink, BHT, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Police search for Mladic and Hadzic all the time’, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Serbian Ministry of Interior keeps looking after Mladic and Hadzic’ by HINA, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Intensive search after Mladic’ not signed, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 8 ‘Serbian MoI keeps looking after Mladic and Hadzic’ by H – Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic said on Monday that Serbian police is still searching for the Hague Tribunal fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic. Jocic added that to date four extensive searches for Mladic had been conducted after certain information on his whereabouts had been received but none had achieved results. “I have no information on Ratko Mladic being in |
| SCG Ambassadors says BiH and SCG officials to discuss cooperation with ICTY
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘SCG officials would like to know very much where is Ratko Mladic’ by Mersiha Drinjakovic – In an interview to DA, the SCG Ambassador to BiH, Stanimir Vukicevic, says that 2005 is a year in which the improvement regarding the cooperation with the ICTY must be made. “For the first time I can tell that we expect to very soon come to the direct dialogue between SCG and BiH on these issues. I expect in this contacts and talks, which will be held at very high level, to reach joint agreement… on agreements related to cooperation with the ICTY and fulfillment of international obligations of both countries,” says Vukicevic. |
| IWPR: War Crime Trials Lottery in BiH
| TV Pink, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Many of those suspected of committing crimes will never be brought to account’ Hugh Griffiths – Hundreds of war crimes suspects in BiH are likely to evade prosecution because the judicial authorities lack resources and are frequently reluctant to mount trials, analysts say. The Bosnian state prosecutor’s office has told IWPR that it has amassed evidence implicating just over 10,000 people in war crimes. The evidence is based on documents filed by Federation and Republika Srpska, RS, prosecutors and police. Over the years, much of this evidence has been submitted to the Hague for consideration, but as of October last year the UN court had only given the go ahead for indictments against 661 individuals, to be tried by either the new War Crimes Chamber, WCC, of the Bosnian state court or district courts in RS and cantonal ones in the Federation. The WCC, which will be partly staffed by international prosecutors and judges, will take on politically sensitive cases, leaving the lower courts to process the majority of the trials. Some Bosnian politicians maintain the Hague tribunal should have given the green light for far more indictments, and failed to do so because it was insufficiently resourced to deal with the mountain of evidence provided. However, even if the UN court had approved more cases, it’s unlikely that the Bosnian judiciary would be able to cope with them, with the exception of the WCC, few have either the resources or the willingness to mount war crimes prosecutions. |
| WCC, Prosecution’s Special Dept. for war crimes to be launched on 9 March
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘First trial in few months’, mentioned on cover, by Aldijana Omeragic – The BiH Court’s War Crimes Chamber and BiH Prosecutor’s Special Department for war crimes will be officially launched on 9 March, at the ceremony to be attended also by the ICTY President Theodor Merron and ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. The detention unit will be handed over to BiH authorities by the HR Paddy Ashdown on behalf of foreign donors. The War Crimes Registry spokesperson, Edita Pejovic, told daily that for the time being no indictment has been submitted to |
| Attorney Lukic comments on proposal for transfer of cases from ICTY to
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘There cannot be a fair trial in Sarajevo’ by SRNA – Branko Lukic, attorney, has stated he disagrees with the initiative that the case Prosecution versus Zeljko Mejakic, Dusan Fustar, Dusko Knezevic and Momcilo Gruban, charged before the ICTY with crimes committed in Prijedor, should be transferred to BiH Court. Lukic, who is legal representative of Gruban, notes: “Our clients would not get a fair trial before |
| Former SCG Army Commander Perisic arrives in The Hague/indictment against him made public
| Dnevni List cover pg splash and pgs 4 and 5 ‘Bill of indictment against Perisic made Mostarians angry’ not signed, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘General Perisic went to The Hague’ by kj carry that former Yugoslav Army General Momcilo Perisic turned himself in to the ICTY on Monday. According to DL, the war crimes that Perisic has been charged with were committed on 3 locations and they are TV Pink, BHT, TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Indictment for Srebrenica, Sarajevo and Zagreb’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Momcilo Perisic in Scheweningen’ by N.N., Glas Srpske pg Perisic arrived’, Vecernje Novosti pg 14 ‘Without fuss and family’ by P. Vasiljevic also reported on Perisic’s arrival in The Hague, details of his indictment. |
Political developments/reforms | |
| Danish Parliament delegation visiting BiH
| RHB, TV Pink, BHT, TV Hayat, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘BiH must meet European standards’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘On the road to EU BiH itself must do some things’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘BiH must meet European standards by itself’ by D. Polovina Mandic, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Mejdahl: In order to get support BiH must meet EU standards’ by Fena, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘BiH must establish cooperation with The Hague’ by A. Sisic – Danish Parliament Delegation, led by the Speaker Christian Mejdahl, promised to help BiH in being admitted to NATO and EU, but they pointed out that BiH institutions had a lot to do on their own particularly in order for the country to meet necessary European standards. Representatives of both Houses of BiH Parliamentary Assembly met with the Danish delegation on Monday. During the visit, among other things, cooperation in the sector of economy between the two states was discussed. “The cooperation has to be improved. The main obstacle presents ambient, which we have to establish, in order for Danish investors to see BiH as a safe place to invest”, said Chair of the BiH House of Representatives, Sefik Dzaferovic. “The Speaker, Christian Mejdahl was also interested in situation with reforms”, said Chair of BiH House of Peoples, Velimir Jukic. In the course of the day, the Danish parliamentary delegation also met with BiH Presidency members Borislav Paravac and Sulejman Tihic (Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Reception at the Presidency’). |
| Olli Rehn: SAA negotiations with BiH start in summer
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Negotiations with BiH commence in summer’ by RFE – European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn, said that EU could commence the negotiations on the Stabilization and Admission Agreement with BiH in summer. He added that the progress in BiH is obvious, while additional efforts are needed in the field of cooperation with the ICTY and police reform. Rehn is of the view that the cooperation with ICTY has been somewhat improved due to a policy of conditioning. “SCG and BiH both recently showed serious indications that they are ready to cooperate with ICTY,” says Rehn. |
| DA: Ivanic to remain Foreign Minister
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Ivanic to stay a chief of BiH diplomacy’ by E.S. – DA unofficially learns from a PDP source that Mladen Ivanic made decision to remain at the position of the BiH Foreign Minister. This should end months long crisis in the Council of Ministers following the resignations of the PDP ministers. |
| Oslobodjenje op-ed says HR turns dismissed politicians into obedient persons
| Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘New bluff’ op-ed by Mirko Sagolj – Editorial refers to the HR Paddy Ashdown’s announcement made last Friday, on possible audits of the OHR decisions under which officials were removed from their public functions, saying it is a trial to correct mistakes. Those would be cases of “unjust removals” [such as of Nikola Grabovac and Munir Alibabic] or “draconian measures” against some other [for instance, Edhem Bicakcic]. Author underlines that this could have been done long time ago, without such public attention. “However, Ashdown’s goal is to turn dismissed politicians into entirely obedient persons again. They are his back-up personnel resource… His message is clear: I return you to politics, but you have to be obedient otherwise I will remove you, and this time permanently,” concludes the author. |
| UNDP quarterly report on BiH situation
| Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash, pg 5 ‘Citizens do not have trust in better future’ by P. Klincov – According to results of surveys, published in the latest UNDP quarterly report (for period July through September 2004), more than a half of BiH citizens from all three constitutive peoples think the future would deteriorate. The report reads 57,6 % of Serb people think the future would worsen, while 52,8% Croats and 52,5% of Bosniaks share this view. 98% of Serb population said they think economic situation is bad, 93,6% of Bosniaks and 74,7% of Croats share their opinion. Citizens mostly blame BiH politicians for the bad economic situation. |
| SNSD, SPRS, DNS claim Agreement on harmonised political action dead
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Agreement is dead in political regard’ by V.P. – The SNSD (Igor Radojicic), SPRS (Petar Djokic) and DNS (Drago Kalabic) have rejected proposal of the SDS that stances regarding Agreement on harmonised political activities should be reviewed. These three parties claim the Agreement is dead. Unlike these three parties, PDP (Vinko Radovanovic) is of the view it is necessary to hold a meeting, which would analyse all points from the Agreement. |
Crime/Security/Legal Proceedings/Incidents | |
| Ministry of Security denies connection between authorities and organised crime
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Ministry of Security denies connection between authorities and organised crime’ by D.Muminovic-V.Popovic – Commenting on the annual report of the US State Department claiming that criminals in BiH operate in agreement with corrupt politicians, BiH Deputy Minister of Security Dragan Mektic claims there is no connection between the security structures in BiH and organised criminal groups. Mektic says that it is possible that there were only “dishonourable individuals” and that there is no organised crime in BIH, but only criminal groups. He agrees with the observation that BiH was on the Balkans “drugs route”, but added that this was not only a problem for BiH, but also a problem for all police forces in the region. F BiH Interior Minister Mevludin Halilovic has said he learned about the report from the media, but added that he would thoroughly analyse it and draw conclusions. He is of the opinion that the fragmented police force, poor communication and exchange of information are the biggest obstacles in the fight against narco-mafia. Halilovic believes the situation will improve once police is untied. Nongovernmental organization Transparency International has stated that the report is nothing new and that this organisation has for years cautioned about corruption and connections between criminals and those who should fight crime. The Director of the Helsinki Human Rights Committee Branko Todorovic is of the view that there is a connection between the narco-mafia and the top political leadership in BiH. |
| US annual report on money laundering: Smugglers embezzle $ 500 million a year
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Smugglers embezzle $ 500 million a year’ by S. Karic – BiH is a significant market and a transit area for goods such as cigarettes, firearms, fuel, as well as human trafficking, the US State Department’s annual report on money laundering reads. The State Department claims that the loss of revenues, caused by the growing black market, is estimated at $ 500 million a year. The recent research indicates that between 40-60% of all economic activities in BIH concern grey market. International observers believe that money laundering is wide-spread in BiH and that is often used for political purposes through the existing financial institutions. |
| SD: Lijanovics were wired
| Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 17, mentioned on front ‘Lijanovics were wired’, by Zlatko Tulic – Commenting on the indictment that was raised against the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, and others involved, the daily reiterates the information that appeared in the media according to which the Prosecution has based the indictment on a statement of a protected witness who had twice been wired when he was talking to the Lijanovics. SD also notes that Covic should not be filing resignation because of a recent decision of the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, “by which earlier decisions of the OHR on ban of public activities of removed BiH officials are being annulled”. In that context, SD claims HR Ashdown has been criticized by both |
| FBiH Chamber of Commerce Chair Lasic comments on Lijanovici case
| Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Lijanovics are not the only ones who damaged budget’ by M. Vasilj, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 17 ‘All importers were doing the same’ by Z. Zekic – At the press conference held on Monday President of the Federation of BiH Chamber of Commerce Jago Lasic stated that Lijanovics are not the only ones who damaged the budget. He added that all meat industries did it since they were importing goods according to valid decisions. Lasis also said: ‘The same damage was made at that time as it is being made now through customs tariff, however, that was illegal at the time and not it has been legalized.’ |
| DL comments on indictment against Covic
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Heroes of a mouse hole’, by Nermin Bise – Commenting on the indictment against the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, the author says the whole situation seems to be calming down, adding that a few details have gone by almost unnoticed. Firstly, the author says some people in the HDZ, who hoped to benefit from the indictment, got it wrong, and the end result could see Covic climbing up to the top of the HDZ hierarchy. Secondly, the author notes that the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, commended Covic in an interview published last Sunday, when he wished him a successful continuation of political activities on the reform course. In that context DL claims it is perhaps Ashdown’s revenge against diplomats, who advocated for Covic stepping down and who openly opposed the HR. “Lord Ashdown already received a second yellow card, whilst stories about his successor have already started”, concludes the author. |
| VL, SD on Cegar case: Orchestrated campaign against Cegar
| Vecernji List, pg 4, mentioned on front ‘Although he won all processes, Cegar is left without anything’, by Ana Drmac – Commenting on the case of the removed commander of the FBiH Police SWAT unit, Zoran Cegar, which VL labels as “a continuation of pressure against Croat cadres in BiH”, VL notes that despite denying claims published in the media that he is running away from the Croatian judiciary and that he is medically unfit to perform the job and despite winning court cases against the FBiH Interior Minister, Mevludin Halilovic, and a Sarajevo-based newspapers (Dnevni Avaz), which led the media campaign against him, it is highly unlikely that Cegar will be reinstated. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 19 ‘Special warfare against chief of special forces’, by Milo Jukic – Carries a similar article in which the author notes that the media campaign against Cegar, which was led by ‘Dnevni Avaz’ and ‘Express’, started when Cegar de-blocked the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo, which made possible the extradition of the ‘Algiers group’. |
| New SCG legal representative appointed in the process BiH versus SciG
| Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Serbia and Montenegro appointed new legal representative with regard to BiH lawsuit’ by E. Mackic carries that Radoslav Stojanovic has been appointed a new legal representative of Serbia and Montenegro with regard to the lawsuit that BiH filed against SCiG before the Hague-based International Court of Justice. Sarajevo dailies, Vecernje Novosti pg 5 ‘Diplomacy prior to Court’ by D.Radeka also covered the issue. |
| Orthodox Priest assaulted in
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Priest assaulted’ by S. R. T. and M. Dz., Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘One was arrested over attack against Orthodox Priest’ by Srna – Orthodox Priest Zoran Kalajdzic and his assistant Milenko Vujic, both from Trnovo, were attacked in the Sarajevo suburb of Dobrinja on Monday. The attacker Edin Jaganjac was arrested, and the motive for this attack was probably religious intolerance. The article carries statements of Priest Kalajdzic describing the attack. |
| Anti-Serb graffiti in Ilidza
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Threatening messages against Serbs appeared’ by Agencies, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Serbs receive threats again’ – The insulting graffiti reading “kill a Serb”, “Moslem youth movement”, etc. appeared on Sunday in Ilidza, the Sarajevo Canton MoI confirmed. The scene was attended by the police and the Canton Prosecutor’s Office was informed of this incident. The MoI called on citizens to help identify the persons who had written the graffiti. Similar graffiti appeared in |
| Still no Agreement on VNI protection regarding Law on executive proceedings/war damage compensation
| Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Court will make decision’ by N.D. – Monday’s session of the Joint Commission of the RS NA and RS CoP failed to reach any agreement with the Club of Bosniaks regarding changes and addenda to the Law on executive proceedings. Desanka Radjevic, President of the Club of Serb delegates at CoP, told GS that final decision on this issue would be passed by the Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘No agreement on Law on executive proceeding’ by S. Gojkovic – Dusan Stojicic, RS NA Speaker, stated: “The Bosniak Club at the COP does not give up on its demand for protection of VNI on this Law. Therefore, we will wait for opinion of the American Embassy and try to harmonise stances in few days.” EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Americans awaited to make judgement’ by T. Veselinovic – Krstan Simic, member of RS NA Commission and CoP, has stated that the members of Venice Commission “were amazed how RS institutions can function at all when the issue on protection of VNI is raised for anything”. TV Pink, RTRS also covered the issue. |
| Interview with RS Constitutional Court President Zovko: Alijagic case is the priority
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4, announced on cover ‘Alijagic case is the priority’ by V. Popovic – In a page long interview to NN, Mirko Zovko, President of RS Constitutional Court, announces that Council for protection of vital national interest (VNI) with RS Constitutional Court may be established sometime next week, even on Monday. He also notes that eight cases have been filed with |
Economic/Social Issues | |
| HR-removed FBiH Finance Minister Grabovac on current economic situation in BiH
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 16, mentioned on cover ‘State at verge of hunger’ by M. Herceg carries that removed Federation of BiH Minister of Finances Nikola Grabovac stated at the public forum in Tuzla that if he had stayed at the aforementioned position the current economic situation in BiH would have been much better. Grabovac added: ‘I claim that I would know as to how to resolve the issue of the economic collapse under condition that they do not interfere in my work.’ According to him, the only way out from the crisis is that domestic experts deal with the economy, that International Monetary Fund and World Bank be reduced to a role of advisors and that the BiH Council of Ministers takes over responsibility. Talking about a value added tax, Grabovac said that it would be a big strike at the poorest citizens and that it would cause big inflation. |
| FBiH Chamber of Commerce Chair Lasic: Croats against unified Chamber of Commerce at BiH level’
| RHB, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Croats against unified Chamber of Commerce at BiH level’ by NINA – At the press conference held on Monday President of the Federation of BiH Chamber of Commerce Jago Lasic distanced himself from the initiative for establishment of the Chamber of Commerce at the BiH level. He stressed that the FBiH Chamber of Commerce was formed of the Chamber of Commerce BiH and Chamber of Commerce of the Croat Republic of Herceg Bosna and that statements about establishment of the Chamber at the state level given by individuals on behalf of the FBiH are against interests of the Croat politics in BiH. Lasic added: ‘De-centralized BiH, as well as de-centralized Chamber of Commerce is the stand of the Croat part of the FBiH Chamber of Commerce and all representatives of the Croat people at all levels should support such stand in terms of both, economy and politics.’ |