- Central Institutions-related Issues
- The BiH Ambassador to the UN to submit his resignation;
- Party for BiH protests against the OHR decision to allocate land to
relocated Serbs in Kotorsko near Doboj;
- Croatian World Congress: Croats in BiH are endangered;
- Federation
- Pensioners threaten with strike if the OHR-imposed Law on Pension
Fund is implemented;
- Federation Government increased pays, benefits for its employees;
- Progress in the implementation of the decision to integrate Zepce
Municipality;
- Republika Srpska
- SDS's Dragan Kalinic: International Community should nor close its
eyes before the SDS;
- International community
- The High Representative meets with Zivko Radisic;
- The US Ambassador Miller stresses again the US Government will not
support the SDS Government in the RS;
- UN: Unified Police Force in Mostar expected to be established next
year;
- Wolfgang Petritsch visits Sarajevo university;
- The OHR confirms that old passports could be issued until the new
ones are ready;
- New OHR, the OSCE and the OHR campaign starts;
|
Central Institutions related Issues:
The BiH Ambassador to the UN to submit his resignation:
All BiH media reported last night that the present BiH Ambassador to the UN,
Muhamed Sacirbegovic, decided to submit his resignation to this post. He
said that the resignation would take effect after it is accepted by the BiH
Presidency and the Foreign Ministry. Although Sacirbegovic did not explain
his decision at great length, he did express his dissatisfaction with the
work of the International Community and criticized "local factors" for
acting too passively. "The economic assistance and the help to the peace
implementation of the International Community are still welcome, however, it
is high time that we, as a future member of the Euro-atlantic family, take
more responsibility for the our matters," said Sacirbegovic. Media could not
find out who could be the possible replacement for the BiH diplomat.
Party for BiH protests against the OHR decision to allocate land to
relocated Serbs in Kotorsko near Doboj:
The Zenica-Doboj Council of the Party for BiH issued a press release in
which it protested against the OHR decision to allocate land to relocated
Serbs in the Doboj area (i.e. in Kotorsko). The statement stressed that this
move is completely contrary to the implementation of the Dayton Peace
Agreement and in particular to the implementation of the Annex 7. "With this
decision, the OHR makes a precedent and directly effects the changes in
national structure of the population in this area", reads the statement.
Croatian World Congress: Croats in BiH are endangered:
After a session held in Zurich, the Croatian World Congress issued a
statement in which it insisted on the International Community's respect of
the Declaration of the Rights and the Status of Croats in BiH, which was
adopted by the Croat National Council. The statement also said that all the
actions of the International Community which discriminate against one people
in BiH must stop, because they "do not contribute to the general welfare and
to the building of trust among the peoples in the country. "If the IC
continues insisting on the creation of an anational and a unitary BiH...it
will lay the foundation for another conflict in the country," reads the
statement.
Federation:
Pensioners threaten with strike if the OHR-imposed Law on Pension Fund is
implemented:
After yesterday's meeting, the Executive Council of the Federation's
Association of Pensioners announced that pensioners in all entity cantons
would organize protests and demonstrations on December 20th, in order to
express their dissatisfaction with the newly imposed Amendments to the Law
on Pension Fund. Aside from this decision, the Executive Council also agreed
to initiate a blockade of all international and state institutions seven
days after the January disbursements of pensions and if they are any lower
then the present ones. The Vice Chairman of the Association, Vladimir
Zlonoga, said that the protests are just one of the ways for pensioners to
"raise their voice against the High Representative". He also said that the
International Community has two options - to either withdraw the
controversial amendments to the Law, or to "withdraw" Petritsch.
Federation Government increased pays, benefits for its employees:
Although a month ago it denied the information about the pay increase for
its employees published in one Sarajevo daily, the Federation Government's
Official Gazette confirmed that salaries and benefits for the employees in
this branch will be raised retroactively from June 25th, 2000. Dnevni Avaz
writes that the Government also removed all the limits which thus far
prevented its workers from enjoying certain benefits simultaneously.
Progress in the implementation of the decision to integrate Zepce
Municipality:
According to Dnevni Avaz, the Zepce Supervisor, Richard Williams, informed
recently the High Representative about significant progress in the process
of the integration of the municipality. The daily writes that the Interim
Board in Zepce has been established, health institutions have re-employed
many of their pre-war workers, while Bosniak and Croat children are jointly
attending classes in at least one school in the town. OHR Spokesman, Oleg
Milisic, conformed that most nationalist insignia have been removed from the
municipality and that its authorities are presently working on drafting a
new
Statute for Zepce.
Republika Srpska:
SDS's Dragan Kalinic: International Community should nor close its eyes
before the SDS:
In an interview with the Bijeljina magazine Extra, the President of the SDS,
Dragan Kalinic, said that the International Community could not have "any
fairer partners in the implementation and the defense of the DPA then the
SDS." "The SDS has come out of the autistic phase, and our victory
contributes to the fact that the IC cannot close its eyes before the SDS",
said Kalinic. He also said that his party does not reject certain revisions
of the Dayton, but only if they are agreed upon, rather then imposed.
Commenting on the future steps of the new RS government, Kalinic said that
one of its first important moves would be the draft of a law on the
cooperation with the ICTY, which would clarify some of the jurisdictions of
the RS legal system. "It is not any less important to work on the formation
of the single or regional Peace and Reconciliation Commission, which would
investigate the background and all relevant documents of the war in BiH",
said Kalinic.
International Community:
The High Representative meets with Zivko Radisic:
At yesterday's meeting, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the
Chairman of the BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, agreed that it is necessary
that the new bodies of authority at levels are established as soon as
possible. Petritsch told journalists, following the meeting, that he was
assured by Radisic that the new government will continue insisting on the
strengthening of the joint institutions, the implementation of the economic
reform, and the return of refugees. Commenting on his attitude towards the
formation of new governments, the HR stressed that principally he is not
against or for certain parties, but against or for certain principles. "What
I support are the principles of democracy", concluded Petritsch.
The US Ambassador Miller stresses again the US Government will not support
the SDS Government in the RS:
After his talks with the PDP (Party of Democratic Progress) President,
Mladen Ivanic, and the present RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, the US
Ambassador, Thomas Miller, stressed once again that the US will not support
the RS Government if it includes any SDS representatives, despite the fact
that Ivanic may be its candidate for the Prime Minister. Miller also
reminded the officials on the amount of funds the US provides to the RS, and
said that the assistance will cease, should the SDS form a majority
government. "We will offer our help only to the pro-European parties in the
RS and the Federation," said Miller, and added that he believes that the
formation of the Alliance for Changes is possible on the whole territory of
BiH.
UN:
Unified Police Force in Mostar expected to be established next year:
A Deputy SRSG, Julian Harston, said that the police forces in the
Neretva-Herzegovina Canton will be unified next year and will have a single
budget. Harston gave this statement after his meeting with the cantonal
Minister of Internal Affairs, Dragan Mandic, and his deputy, Sefkija Dziho.
Wolfgang Petritsch visits Sarajevo university:
All Sarajevo dailies reported on yesterday's visit of the High
Representative to Sarajevo university where he talked with its Rector, Boris
Tihi, about the current problems facing the higher education in the country.
The OHR confirms that old passports could be issued until the new ones are
ready:
All media carry the OHR press release on the extension of the deadline for
the issuance of the old BiH entity passports.
New OHR, the OSCE and the OHR campaign starts:
All Banja Luka and Sarajevo dailies carry the entire press release on "Dosta
je" campaign.
BiH news agencies carry the OHR press release on the meeting between the High Representative and the SDS leadership - Mirko Sarovic and Dragan Cavic.
|
