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| Tudjman’s monument | UNDP Report on youth | Pensioners’ issues | Tudjman’s monument |
| Blaskic before the ICTY | Return to Martin Brod | Professors in strike | BiH CoM session |
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| Afghanistan | Tudjman monument |
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| RS Culture | Zoran Dzindzic |
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| Oslobodjenje | Serbia against changes borders with BiH: Take everything Drina offered to you!; FBiH lost 117 mil KM; We will be left with 1% of youth |
| Dnevni Avaz | Ashdown will invite investors to BiH; Terzic: I still did not mke agreement with Colak |
| Dnevni List | Bosniaks will not accept unified Mostar; Interview with Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic: Right on local self-government should be secured and respected |
| Vecernji List | Federation Police in anti-Croat chase; Florijan Boras: Sanader does not want to organize HDZ BiH |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Glas Srpske | German daily “Die Spiegel” on expansion of Islamic warriors: Arena of holy warriors |
| Nezavisne Novine | Two years after Republika Srpska Parliament decision on illegally allocated apartments: The unfit ended at court over apartments; Zdravko Knezevic: FOSS should be interested as to who leaked information |
| Blic | RS politicians angry with foreign officials because of double standards: They had revealed monument of Tudjman, while we cannot have Draza’s monument; Imports pouring out milk |
Political developments | |
| Reactions to unveiling of Tudjman’s monument and Colak’s statements in Siroki Brijeg
| CRHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Tudjman’s role in past work in BiH was not harmless’, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Tudjman’s monument undesirable’, Vecernje Novosti pg 13 ‘The monument to destroyer of BiH’ – SDA considers unveiling monument in BIH dedicated to foreign statesmen, including the former President of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman, to be unwanted and undesirable. FTV – Revealing of the monument of Franjo Tudjman in Siroki Brijeg on Saturday provoked the reactions of different political parties. Seada Palavric: ‘SDA in BiH finds locating the monument of foreign statesman in BiH quite undesirable, even though it is Franjo Tudjman. Our party also disapproves the participation of HDZ representatives in the ceremony. The issue gets more serious considering the fact that the role of Franjo Tudjman during the war in BiH was far from harmless. Among other things, he supported the HVO during their conflicts with the BiH Army. The statements of HDZ representatives on the ceremony can be considered as a doubt to their commitment to BiH as a state.’ SDS spokesman Dusan Stojicic stressed that placing a monument followed by the statements of HDZ representatives presented a threat to all Serbs in the region. He also added that it was disturbing that low tolerance level led to removing the monument of Draza Mihajlovic in Brcko. The President of DNS Marko Pavic stressed that recent act contributed to gathering the citizens of BiH strictly on national basis. RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘A blow to stability’ – The political parties in RS have condemned unveiling of Franjo Tudjman’s monument, pointing out the lack of action from the side of the international community. Spokesperson of SNSD Nebojsa Radmanovic stated the monument indicted that that the double standards are applied in BH. Deputy President of PDP, Goran Milojevic, stated that this does not contribute to the stabilisation of BH and considers such act to be irritating. President of SPRS, Petar Djokic, stated that this act reflects years long policies of HDZ. Milanko Mijhajlica, Deputy President of SRS, emphasises that if Serbs have done something alike, the reaction of the international community and other two peoples would be immediate. Blic pg 12 ‘Tudjman yes, Draza no’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘A threat to Serbs’ – The SPRS President Petar Djokic has assessed that the International Community should not let politics from abroad to make an influence on BiH, the same as it, most probably, would not allow the Serb side to have more direct relations with Serbia and Montenegro.’ DNS President Marko Pavic has said that having the monument of Franjo Tudjman revealed at the same time when the monument of Draza Mihajlovic in Brcko is being removed shows an inconsistent position of the international community Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘SDA: Colak ends the story about third entity’ – Reactions to Barisa Colak, President of HDZBiH, statement that BiH Croats will continue to follow the Tudjman’s idea. Borislav Paravc, Serb member to BiH Presidency, said that monument to Tudjman should not be placed in BiH, because Tudjman removed Serbs from Constitution of Republic of Croatia and he generally is not a person who had made any positive contribution to BiH. Seada Palavric of SDA said that ‘This story now looks like completing the story about third entity in BiH and placement of Croats in a sort of ghetto in BiH.’ Safet Halilovic of Party for BiH, assessed that the statement by Colak was inappropriate. According to NN inset, Dusan Stojicic, SDS Spokesperson, stated that such moves as Colak’s represents a sort of a threat to Serbs living in these regions. |
| VL op-ed on reactions to Tudjman’s monument | Vecernji list pg 2 ‘Monument to Tudjman’ by Robert Bubalo – VL carries an editorial that reads that there is a furious campaign in Sarajevo-based media against the unveiling of the monument to the late Croatian President Tudjman in Siroki Brijeg. The author, who finds it normal that a monument is built to the founder of Croatian state in a town where Croats make 99% of the population, comments that Sarajevo-based media have approached the issue with lots of hate and lack of understanding. He says that it is they who, for instance, do not write about Vehabijas, do not contribute to reconciliation, as they cannot accept that the monument means something to someone – so, under pretense of tolerance, intolerance is being spread. Vjesnik pg 11 ‘Unveiling of monument to Tudmjan – Vjesnik also carries a summary of Sarajevo dailies commentaries on the event. |
| SCG submitted request for change of borders with BiH
| Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4&5 ‘Take everything Drina offers you with’, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘In Serbia, as if they revived pretensions for BiH territory’ – State Commission for borders of Serbia and Montenegro submitted it request to BiH for ‘change of border line in four areas’. Allegedly SCG Commission conditions signing of all interstate agreements with these changes. In the first area, the Commission requires the change that would be moved in a way for SCG territory to now include entire Hydro Plant Zvornik, part of Zvornik lake and part of Drina river. In the case of Hydro Plant Bajina Basta, SCG requires its total inclusion in their territory, as well as the larger parts of Rudo and Priboj municipalities. BiH Civil Affairs Ministers Safet Halilovic: ‘I believe that the issue of borders should be solved by our Presidency, and not to be satisfied with unfinished and undefined apologizes coming from individual, usually incompetent, SCG politicians. Second thing that could look very strange in this moment is the fact that these kinds of demands could be traced to the recent radical statements from Serbs on annexing large parts of BiH by Serbia, so I am afraid that this doesn’t get to be supported by official authorities from neighbouring country. But I have to say that we will not agree to such ultimate requirement.’ |
| DL on HDZBiH Presidency session | Dnevni list front, p 3 ‘Will Covic keep on subordinating party to his interests?’ by De. L. – On the eve of session of HDZBiH Presidency to take place on Monday, DL reads that the Agenda includes analysis of the work of Municipal and Cantonal Boards in the functioning of authorities on those levels, debate on the proposed Statute of Mostar, financing of joint institutions (Croat University in Mostar primarily), analysis of elections for the Croatian Parliament as well as the issue of sanctioning of those HDZ members who were candidates on other parties’ lists. DL’s source in the HDZBiH Presidency alleges that, prior to the parliamentary elections in Croatia, HDZBiH Vice-president Dragan Covic advocated conditioning of the support to the sister-party in Croatia with putting of those who had been removed by the High Representative on the lists. Yet, DL comments it is not likely that the anger turns against Covic although he has completely usurped the party’s cadre policy. To illustrate this, DL’s source says that, unlike SDA, HDZ’s position during the Inter-party Coordination is never the HDZ Presidency’s position but Covic’s ad hoc stances. Another token is that, although he joined the last party Presidency’s session when the debate on cadre issues had alaready been over, Covic ordered removals of HT director and the entire Management and replacing them with people coming from aside. DL goes on to say that this position of Covic’s was opposed by some Presidency members but Covic would not discuss it any more. |
| VL interview with Florijan Boras, diaspora rep in Croatian Parliament | Vecernji List front, pg 5 ‘Sanader does not want to sort HDZBiH out’ by Robert Bubalo – In his interview for VL, Florijan Boras, Diaspora representative in the new composition of the Croatian Parliament, says that it is clear to Croats today, to Herzegovinians in particular, that the political work of the late Franjo Tudjman is connected to the HDZ exclusively. He adds one may be Tudjman’s son but one does not have the right to his political legacy. Asked as to whether Ivo Sanader, Croatian HDZ President, will start ‘dismantling’ HDZBiH and try to reform it as per Croatian recipe, Boras says that they do care about HDZBiH but will not interfere in the relations in the HDZBiH leadership, adding that the times when Zagreb set Croat’s policy are behind us. Boras, nevertheless, adds it is quite realistic that HDZBiH reforms. He also says that Croatia’s assistance to Croats will be more abundant, transparent and faster in the future. |
Economic issues | |
| Update to ITA Director appointment
| RTRS, CRHB, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Today appointment of the top taxation officer in BiH?’ – BiH Council of Ministers will on Monday continue with their session interrupted last week, and they are expected to discuss and appoint the Director of the Indirect Taxation Administration. The High Representative Paddy Ashdown and Chief of EC delegation to BiH Michael Humphreys stated that they expect this position to be fulfilled by the end of business hours on Monday. Ministers will also hold separate session to discus changes and amendments to the Law on Administration and information on inter-departmental working group working on finding suitable locations for BiH Defence Ministry and State Information and Protection Agency [SIPA]. Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Terzic: I still did not agree with Colak’, pg 2 ‘It is illusion to expect director to be Croat’ – Prior to CoM session on Monday, Chairman of CoM Adnan Terzic stated for Avaz that he still did not reach consensus on appointment of the director of the Indirect Taxation Administration [ITA]. Three Croat ministers are against appointment of Kemal Causevic, a candidate proposed by the ITA Commission. ‘I don’t have information on whether political parties discussed this issue during the weekend. I did not succeed in coming to an agreement with my Deputy, Minister Barisa Colak. We will see what will happen at the session. I hope everyone is clear that the appointment of ITA Director is of crucial importance, especially now before the meeting of Peace Implementation Council.’ – said Terzic, adding that at this time Administration should be lead by Bosniak and that this is the first time this CoM cannot reach consensus on a issue. ‘In this situation, I really don’t known whether Causevic is disputable candidate, or the fact that he is Bosniak. Clearly, with this scheme of ministers of finances in state and entities, and cheme of positions in financial institutions, held mostly by Croats, it is ilusional to expect this Administration to be led by Croat.’ – concluded Terzic. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘SIPA to get its premises’ – Adnan Terzic confirmed that CoM will resolve the issue on SIPA location. On ITA Director, he said that: ‘Agreement on this issue has not been reached as yet. However, I still hope we would elect Director. If we failed to do that, those who will not vote for this issue should take full responsibility and face possible sanctions.’ |
| Ashdown leads BH delegation on London’s investment conference | BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Promotion of possibilities for investing in BiH’- BiH Foreign Investment and Promotion Agency [FIPA] and the UK Embassy to BiH have organized the second conference in London aimed at promoting BiH in order to attract British investors to the country. The High Representative Paddy Ashdown will lead the BiH delegation to London. BiH Deputy Foreign Minister Lidija Topic, Central Bank Governor Peter Nicol, RS Prime Ministers Dragan Mikerevic and FBIH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic will attend the conference. The Head of the FIPA Mirza Hajric gave a statement on the matter: ‘The fact that the atmosphere in BiH has improved for better will, in addition to our natural and human resources, be a great basis for the negotiations on the conference. We will also present the advantages in our privatisation process; we may nor be the strongest in the regions, but we still have something to offer. We expect the representatives of over 200 British companies to appear on the conference.’ |
| DA interview with Ashdown on economic issues, including ITA | Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Ashdown to invite investors to BiH’, pg 2 ‘It is unacceptable for HDZ to blackmail entire state’ – ‘It is time for investing in BiH. That country has stabile macro-economy, the most stabile currency in the Balkans, seriously deals with bureaucratic and other obstacles businessmen faced, Bulldozer Commission does extremely well… BiH becomes open and friendly towards investors.’ – this is the message that HR Paddy Ashdown intends to deliver to the participants of London conference on Monday. In an interview to Avaz, Ashdown confirmed that in upcoming months he will more frequently invite investors into BiH, and urged BH politicians to do the same. High Rep also stressed that economic reforms must be continued with, and also expressed his concern in the process of postponements on the adoption of set of laws in regard to indirect taxation. Asked whom he blames for this, Ashdown answered that this was, first of all, the matter for the state government: ‘At the beginning of last week I talked to Dragan Covic… and said clearly to him that it was a pity for entire process to suffer due to SDA and HDZ conflict. HDZ claims that SDA did not fulfil its promises from agreement they had… To blackmail a state for such dull matters is absolutely unacceptable. HDZ blocks appointment of Administration’s Director and I clearly said to president Covic that it was unacceptable and that it can damage this country a lot. He promise that this issue will be solved,… but it wasn’t. I hope this will be solved today or these days… Otherwise, BiH will face serious losses.’ High Representative also warned that RS authorities also failed in some aspects of the process, such as finding the building for Administration’s HQ in Banja Luka. Unless solutions are found to these problems very quickly, Ashdown stresses that European institutions will refuse to donate money for ITA and implementation of the relevant Law. |
| Quarrels inside BiH Union of Syndicates
| FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Syndicate of PPDIVUT leaving Biber?’ – Sarajevo branch of the Syndicate of Agriculture, tobacco manufacturing, waterpower engineering, and hotel management agreed to withdraw from the BiH Union of Independent Syndicates. They stressed that the President of the Union Edhem Biber has never stopped to deceive their members, in order to accomplish his personal goals. They also stressed that Biber had been encouraging the collapse of profitable companies in BiH. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Avdagic for long time tries to destabilise Syndicate and he does that for some circles’ – Answering to the accusations made against him, Edhem Biber denied all accusations, adding that leader of opposing syndicate was destabilising Union. |
| Vrankic on Aluminij | Dnevni List cover, pg 7 ‘Government either remains or falls on Thursday’ by M. Relota – DL carries Federation of BiH Minister Dragan Vrankic talking about the ‘Aluminij’ issue. Among the other things, Vrankic says: ‘The agreement from our last meeting with the OHR is to stop selection through a tender until everything is resolved. OHR representatives told this to leading people of Elektroprivreda of BiH (EP BiH) and they will stop it. There is no dilemma about it.’ DL says that Vrankic did not want to speculate whether Croat officials in the FBiH Government will withdraw if shutting down of production in Aluminij takes place and he added: ‘In terms of this, I recognize that certain forces exactly want such a result and they want to cause a crises of the FBiH Government, that is, its pulling down.’ Asked whether continuation of production in Aluminij can be expected, as well as, the removal of the current Management of EP BiH, Vrankic says that he believes that the FBiH Government is undergoing an exam on the Aluminij issue and that we shall see whether it is able to recognize what is of strategic importance for the production in BiH. He added: ‘If this Government is not ready to do it, then the current Government has to leave.’ |
| Eronet claims it will be issued with licence | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Eronet claims some ministers and CRA promised the licence for them’ – At the session scheduled for Thursday, CoM is expected to bring decision in regard to the 3rd GSM licence and its premium price. President of Eronet’s board Bozo Knezevic confirmed to Avaz that this may happen, adding that several members of CoM promised to help Eronet to become third GSM operator in the country, as that is the best option for all. |
| Daily claims FBIH lost 117 mil KM | Oslobodjenje cover ‘FBIH lost 117 mil KM’, pg 7 ‘FBiH lost 117 million KM, mass smuggling continues to grow’ – At the special meeting with Hajrudin Hadzimesanovic, advisor to FBiH Finance Minister Dragan Vrankic, scheduled for Moday, directors of Customs and Taxation administrations in FBiH, Zelimir Rebac and Midhat Arifovic respectively, will try to give explanations for rapid decline of collected taxes on excises and high-tariff goods. According to Oslobodjenje, in November 10 mil KM of taxes on high-tariff goods less were collected than in October, when again 15 mil KM was collected less in comparison with august. Daily also claims that in 10 months of this year, FBiH lost about 117 KM million, also due to trade agreements with Croatia, SCG, Macedonia, partly with Turkey, and Slovenia. |
| Farmers to protest on Wednesday | Nezavisne Novine pg 11 ‘Existence of 2 thousand farmers in danger’ – Around 2 thousand farmers from the entire of BiH will gather on Wednesday, 10 December in Sarajevo, in order to urge the BiH Council of Ministers to protect domestic production, which will have been placed in danger after the free trade agreement is put into effect as of 1 January 2004. According to Vladimir Usorac, President of the Republika Srpska Association of Farmers, the agreements on free trade with Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia and Montenegro will endanger the existence of around 500 thousand households in BiH, which live on farming. Ranko Bakic, President of the BiH Farmers Association, says that an open letter was addressed to entity governments and BiH Council of Ministers, where farmers set 13 December as final deadline by which free trade agreements should be reviewed. He says that: ‘If response is negative, we will block border crossings on 10 January 2004. BIH CoM has legal grounds to postpone the implementation of Agreements for nine months.’ The Chairperson of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, commented on this by saying that free trade agreements cannot be blocked. According to him, BiH CoM is preparing a number of legal solutions that will mitigate the implementation of Agreements on free trade. |
Mostar issues | |
| Palavric criticizes HDZ on Mostar issue | CRHB – SDA Vice President Seada Palavric stated that the behavior of the current HDZ composition is concerning when the Mostar re-organization issue is in question since it has been demanded from Bosniaks to give up city Municipalities as units of the local self-government, and in her opinion, this must not be accepted because the ultimate HDZ’s goal would be achieved in this way and that is Mostar as a Croat capital. Dnevni List front, pg 2 ‘Bosniaks will not accept unified Mostar’ by I. Glibusic – After giving Palavric’s statement on HDZ policies in Mostar, the author says that another session of the Mostar Commission will take place after which it will be concluded that they failed to reach the solution, that is, one unit of the local self-government. According to the article, the political dilettantism of SDA Mostar President Fatima Leho can be seen clearly if we compare the statements that she was giving previous years when she was presenting herself before the international representatives as the biggest fighter for unified Mostar. The author concludes that nevertheless the OHR, that is, the High Representative will decide on the future organization of the city. |
| Mostar Croat municipalities to protest over public utilities | FTV – Mostar municipalities with Croat majority will organize peaceful demonstrations on the Sarajevo – Ploce main road on Monday. The reason for organizing the demonstrations is prolonged process of establishing utility company in West Mostar, which would lead to the ecological catastrophe in the entire region. While Mostar municipalities with Bosniak majority are provided with the services for free, other municipalities have to pay for it. Establishing a single company in charge for utility services order to speed up the process, the OHR office in Mostar would solve the entire issue. In is making the additional pressure. ‘I appeal to Mostar municipalities to work on establishing a single public service. Once the issue is resolved, public services will be attainable for all Mostar citizens, and it will not longer be a political issue,’ stressed the Head of the OHR in Mostar Jacques Andrieu. The appeal refers to the municipalities with Bosniak majority, which had not transferred the authority over utility company to Mostar City. Dnevni List front, pg 9 ‘Right on local self-government should be secured and respected’ by V. Kljajic – DL carries an interview with Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic. Asked about the Mostar waste dump issue, Jahic says that due to the current situation with regard to this issue on Saturday he agreed with Mostar Deputy Mayor Ljubo Beslic to convene the session of the City Coordination on Tuesday, at which Heads of 6 Mostar Municipalities will be invited, as well as, representatives of two public utility companies and the OHR in order to discuss this issue. |
| Feral op-ed on Mostar Commission | Feral Tribune pgs 50-52 ‘Daytonism on the Neretva’ by Ivan Lovrenovic – Having given the background and the overview of the Mostar Commission’s work and political parties’ positions, Lovrenovic says that, although HDZ and SDA have completely opposite positions on Mostar organisation, many see in this these parties’ joint game aimed at blocking any Commission’s success as maintaining the status quo would suit both. As both Norbert Winterstein’s and International Crisis Group’s (ICG) proposals were dismissed by the Commission members, Lovrenovic says the deadline of 15 December is being awaited yet, having experience with similar ‘dramatic’ deadlines, one can with certainty predict that nothing will happen: the Commission will either get disbanded or will be given another deadline, Mostar’s agony will continue, and Paddy Ashdown will temporarily focus his inexhaustible rhetoric on some other topic. ‘Only once a harmonious solution for entire BiH is found will all its Mostars stop being a problem’, the author concludes. |
Other issues | |
| UNDP: 1% of youth to stay in BiH in 2020
| BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Only 1% of youth will stay in BiH by 2020’, Oslobodjenje cover pg, pg 3 ‘We will be left with only 1% of youth!’ – According to the report carried out by UNDP, if existing trend continues, in the year 2020 BiH would be left with only 1% of young people. The research shows that young people have doubts about employment in BiH, and they do not believe domestic politicians on the matter. ‘Regardless of the fact that many young people do not see their future in BiH, I believe that this country still has a chance. This Government has made things forward. And where are we heading to, I do not know,’ stressed BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Mirsad Kebo. ‘We pay great attention on establishing the strategic prepositions in order to assent young people to stay in BiH,’ stressed Adnan Terzic, BiH Prime Minister. Comparing to the report from 2002, when 62% of youth stated they would leave the country, the situation in 2003 is slightly better. FTV – ‘The first issue that de-motivates young people is the fact that there is no proper employment. There is one other thing that the report shows: young people are not satisfied with the educational system. They believe they have been shut out, and participate the process only as passive recipients,’ stressed Zehra Kacapor, UNDP Supervisor. UNDP report also shows that 90% of young people have no influence in political life, and only 6% of them are members of political parties. |