BH-Central Institutions BIH and Yugoslavia establish diplomatic relations: Jadranko Prlic says Free Trade Agreement between BiH and Croatia to be signed on Tuesday: Federation BiH Croats will not accept one person-one vote concept: Refugee returns to Podrinje halted: The President of BiH Union of Refugees and DPs talked with the members of the Mostar City Administration: Republika Srpska Constitutive session of RS National Assembly: Dragan Cavic, the RS Vice President: We are ready to use the opportunity Milorad Dodik, the RS PM: Unnatural Alliance for forming of authorities Zivko Rasdisic, Presiding of BiH Presidency: New atmosphere RS businessman will not buy OBN: International Community Secret organization OPO threatens representatives of the international community in BiH: Yugoslav President failed to visit the RS despite earlier announcements: FRY President Vojislav Kostunca congratulated Sarovic and Cavic US Ambassador Thomas Miller: No progress without reconstruction of religious objects Wolfgang Petritsch, HR to BiH called NATO to continue arresting war crimes suspects Editorials: GS Editorial: New winds Oslobodjenje editorial: Hide and Seek Oslobodjenje editorial: The triumph of the SDS Central Institutions related Issues: BIH and Yugoslavia establish diplomatic relations: Another top story over the weekend was the establishment of diplomatic relations between BiH and Yugoslavia. As reported by the media BiH Foreign Minister, Jadranko Prljic and his Yugoslav counterpart, Goran Svilanovic signed an agreement on the establishment on diplomatic relations on Friday in Belgrade. This is to be the first step in improving the relations between the two countries and both officials expressed their satisfaction with the move. Jadranko Prlic says Free Trade Agreement between BiH and Croatia to be signed on Tuesday: Zagreb daily Vjesnik reported that Jadranko Prlic, BiH Foreign Minister told the daily in an interview that as far as the possible support of Croatia to the BiH Federation is concerned, it should refer primarily to civilian needs, education, culture and those issues which are definitely in function of the preserving of the Croat identity in BiH.' Prlic said that the agreement will be signed in Zagreb on Tuesday. Federation BiH Croats will not accept one person-one vote concept: BiH Croats cannot and will not accept the "one person - one vote," concept because this would degrade Croats to a second rank nation, Oslobodjenje's Monday's front page story quotes Ante Jelavic as saying. Bosnian Croat member of the BiH Presidency who was once again elected as the President of Croat Peoples Assembly said that Croats are for BiH but not for a BiH that will not treat them as an equal and constituent nation. Interesting enough while according to Dnevni Avaz one of the conclusions of the Assembly session says that Alliance for Changes "would be an illegal and completely illegitimate and as such cannot rule in the territory with Croat majority," Oslobodjenje quotes Jelavic as saying that he is prepared to cooperate with the SDP and an "eventual alliance if it is formed." Zagreb daily Vecernji List reporting on the same subject said that the Croat People's Assembly on Saturday adopted the conclusions which, by the general opinion, will not shake up the BiH public nearly as much as the decisions from the Novi Travnik session, held a month and a half ago. What seems to be the most important conclusion from Tuzla is the rejection of the OSCE decision referring to the election of deputies to the Houses of Peoples. It was concluded that the authorities which the IC is attempting to establish through the so-called Democratic Alliance, will be illegal and illegitimate, and therefore, will not be able to govern the Croat-majority areas. However, there was no precise answer as to what to do should the executive authorities be formed outside of the will of the Croat People's Assembly after all. No one could offer a judgment of this because, according to the organisers, the session was a working one and the guests from the religious and cultural life of Croats, were not invited to the session. This removed the speculations that some participants from Novi Travnik changed their opinion in the meantime. Ante Zvonar from the NHI remained consistent and sat on the working Presidency, explaining that the most important thing for him was to follow Cardinal Vinko Puljic. The Assembly was attended by 483 deputies from the HDZ, Croat Christian Democrats, HSP and HKDU. Their representatives were elected to the Presidency. All the decisions were passed unanimously and unexpectedly fast. A longer discussion was led only on the subject of the constitutional and legal position of Croats in B&H. Still, neither then nor in the final conclusions did anyone refer to the completion of the court process of Dario Kordic, the day before the Assembly. Since the announcement of the Assembly to the day of the session, the surprise over the fact that it was held in Tuzla, abated. Earlier, such arrivals of Croat politicians, but never so many of them, especially on the occasion disputed by the IC, caused greater attention and were mostly considered as direct attacks on the multi-ethnicity and proper coexistence in Tuzla. Apart from the deputies and prominent Tuzla Croats inclined to the HDZ, those who had a job to do also arrived at the Bosnian Cultural Centre in Tuzla. It will be known from reactions by international institutions as whether the noticed local clerks employed with the international organisations did their job. Refugee returns to Podrinje halted: Following a series of incidents in Podrinje, the return of refugees to this eastern BiH region has been stopped. In order to continue the process of return to Glogova and Bratunac refugee organizations and SDA regional branch demand that SFOR, IPTF and local police establish a check point in Glogova and that the region is cleared of mines. SDA regional office said it supports the peaceful protests that are scheduled for mid-day Monday in front of the OHR building in Sarajevo. Refugee Association from Kotorsko announced that some 50 representatives of their organization will also demonstrate in front of the OHR building but a day later, that is on Tuesday, Sarajevo papers said. The President of BiH Union of Refugees and DPs talked with the members of the Mostar City Administration: Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija reported that Merhunisa Zukic, the President of the BiH Union of Refugees and DPs and Hamdija Jahic, Marica Raspudic, Franjo Boskovic and Omer Pajic, the members of the City Administration, talked in Mostar with 50 pre-war residents of Santic Street and Boulevard about the reconstruction of the housing facilities and infrastructure in this part of Mostar. According to Marica Raspudic, the residents who want to return to this part of the city are the only ones who insisted on its reconstruction, so far. However, in order to start with the reconstruction, besides the will of the citizens, the engagement of the politicians and experts is also necessary, Raspudic stressed. The residents of Santic Street and Boulevard demanded at the meeting that the evictions, from the flats that they temporarily occupy, be suspended until it becomes possible for them to return their homes. Merhunisa Zukic, the President of the Union promised that next week she will talk with Thomas Miller, the American Ambassador in BiH that the facilities in Santic Street and Boulevard be a priority in the reconstruction of the facilities by the international donations. Zukic also stated: 'Since the pre-war citizens of Mostar started coming back to Mostar, I hope that the EU will support its reconstruction.' Republika Srpska Constitutive session of RS National Assembly: Reporting on the constitutive session of RS National Assembly Oslobodjenje said that SDS with the support of PDP, DNS and Socialist Party has secured comfortably the 51 percent majority it needed and Dragan Kalinic for the third time since the end of the war was appointed the President of the Parliament. Newly elected RS President Mirko Sarovic and his deputy Dragan Cavic were sworn in at the session. RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik told the press that he is not an optimist and that SDS will not be able to fulfill all the promises that it will be more cooperative with the IC. Both RS dailies report extensively on constitutive session of the RS National Assembly, at which the President and Vice President elects Mirko Sarovic and Dragan Cavic officially took up the offices. Presiding of BiH Presidency Zivko Radisic, Members of Council of Ministers Spasoje Tusevljak, Jadranko Prlic and Tihomir Gligoric as well as representatives of religious communities in the RS and of diplomatic core attended the ceremony. "IC Representatives, although invited, haven't attended the session. At the beginning of the session both anthems were played: BiH and the RS, the dailies report and the two flags put up. New leadership of the RS NA was also elected: Dragan Kalinic (SDS) became a RS NA Speaker, for a third time, Zoran Djeric (PDP) and Sulejman Tihic (SDA) Deputy Speakers and Mirko Stevanovic (SPRS) General Secretary. In the address to the RS NA Deputies the New RS President Mirko Sarovic said that "the most important goals are to preserve the RS, and BiH, to build a democratic society with democratic institutions, to get integrated into a free world and to enable citizens to live better." Dragan Cavic, the RS Vice President: We are ready to use the opportunity Both Banja Luka dailies reported that Dragan Cavic, Vice President of the RS assessed that priorities for the new government in this entity should be "realistic revision of everything done by the previous authorities and election of the government comprised of competent experts who would have stabile support in the RS NA for conducting of reforms". Cavic did not want to reveal the name of the new PM candidate but had warned that the PM should respect all institutions and the function he/she carries. Commenting announcements on cessation of financial support for the RS and BiH, Cavic said confirmed that leaders of parties which will be involved in legislative and executive authorities in the RS addressed a letter to Washington asking for support to continue with initiated reforms of economic system. RS PM Milorad Dodik stated that by establishing of alliance SDS/SPRS/PDP/DNS a bad favor was done to the RS. Both Glas Srpski and Nezavisne Novine said that RS PM Milorad Dodik stated that by establishing of alliance SDS/SPRS/PDP/DNS a bad favor was done to the RS. "This alliance is completely unnatural and created because of technical conduct of authorities as well as promotion of personnel from parties which joined SDS", said Dodik to Beta news agency. According to him, SDS won the elections on completely different concept from what it promotes now. "At the RS NA session we saw BiH flag and coat of armor for the first time and heard BiH anthem for the first time. We have heard certain new promises of the RS President...They have a majority, they can elect whoever they want and do whatever they please, but I think that, with such behavior, the SDS jeopardizes a mechanism of functioning of the RS, established by the DPA", warned Dodik. Zivko Radisic said at first RS NA session, completely new atmosphere of tolerance, mutual understanding and respect was shown, Both RS dailies reported that Presiding of BiH Presidency Zivko Radisic said that, at the first RS NA session, completely new atmosphere of tolerance, mutual understanding and respect was shown, which should represent a future for both, the RS and BiH. In his statement to SRNA Radisic expressed hope that, after this session, institutions in the RS would work differently and that many thing wouldn't be as they used to. According to him, the RS President would have a special role in it. RS businessman will not buy OBN: Oslobodjenje reported that RS businessman Gavrilo Bobar will not buy the OBN television. OBN officials told the daily that Bobar changed his mind and decided not to buy the television after all. OBN will continue its broadcast and the search for a new potential buyer. The agony of this expensive media continues and it is clear to all that attempts to make OBN a stable TV have gone bust, Oslobodjenje said. International Community Secret organization threatens representatives of the international community in BiH: The story that occupied the attention of media over the weekend was a threat letter a secret organization sent to international community representatives. Dnevni Avaz reported on the front page on Saturday that an unknown organization OPO, "Youth Resistance Movement," sent a letter to the High Representative, heads of OSCE and UN Missions to BiH and to most media in BiH saying that this is "just the first warning letter while demonstration of our power you will soon experience." IC representatives were troubled with the letter and local police officials have started an investigation, Dnevni Avaz said. RS news agency SRNA quoted IC officials as saying the did not receive the letter. Yugoslav President failed to visit the RS despite earlier announcements: Dnevni Avaz front page story on Monday informs us that despite the fact that local RS officials announced his visit to the RS and participation in Saturday's constitutive session of RS National's Assembly, Yugoslav President, Vojislav Kostunica in the last moment changed his mind. According to the daily Kostunica was instructed by the representatives of EU countries not to take part. The French Ambassador to Yugoslavia passed this message to Kostunica also informing him of a plan created by relevant diplomats in Sarajevo to completely ignore the return of SDS to the RS National Assembly. FRY President congratules Sarovic and Cavic: Both Banja Luka dailies reported that FRY President Vojislav Kostunica congratulated Mirko Sarovic and Dragan Cavic on occasion of taking over of the RS President and Vice President Offices. Kostunica did not attend the inauguration ceremony. GS writes, not stating the reason. US Ambassador Thomas Miller: No progress without reconstruction of religious objects Glas Srpski and Nezavisne Novine carry a statement of the US Ambassador to BiH Thomas Miller saying that BiH couldn't move forward as long as there were politicians who used local rules as an excuse to obstruct reconstruction of religious objects. "Religious object have to be reconstructed", said Miller in the programme "Focus" on Mostar Television. Wolfgang Petritsch, HR to BiH called NATO to continue arresting war crimes suspects: Glas Srpski carries statement of the HR in which he calls for NATO to continue with arrests of war crime suspects in BIH "because having them on the lose unable disappearance of fearful atmosphere which could be used in BiH in political purposes" GS carries SRNA report mentioning the meeting of the HR with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as well as with Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorgos Papandreu, and Danish Defense Minister. Note: SRNA news piece falsely quoting the HR's speech in Stockholm did not appear in today's RS press. Editorials: Oslobodjenje's editorial: Hide and Seek Oslobodjenje's Monday editorial written by Ibrahim Prohic, asked that what does the international community really want from BiH and what de facto doing here? What is its responsibility for the implementation of the peace process and how to increase this responsibility? Questions like this were a year ago considered as almost bogohulni. But, as it became clear that the general situation (vital political, economy and social processes) are not developing even close to expectations and wishes, the criticism towards the role of the international community mediators intensifies. The initial lack of determination, inconsistency of the international factors were replaced by a series of easily spotted mistake, especially in the period prior to November elections. With their attitude towards nationalistic parties and paper threats they have allowed the ruling leaders to steer up the fears voters had, intensify the threats and to by buying votes and applying pressure to provide the needed election result. The penalties for this were shamefully mild and symbolic and were counterproductive. Encouraged by this the national parties now openly threat the international mediators. Anonymous threat of the unknown and unidentified group OPO to Petritsch, Barry and Klein confirms that the dark forces of destruction are raising their heads. All this is far from a politically neutral situation, even further away from progress. After five years of involvement and billions of Marks spent the international community cannot run away from shared responsibility for failure. The initial doubts of independent and opposition leaders today are becoming open explicit criticism. Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, for example, feels that the international community contributes to legalization of destruction and division (political and economy) achieved by war. Constitutive session of RS National Assembly has shown and the structure of the established parliamentary majority illustrates this. If the Alliance for Changes fails we will have a political remake of 1990 situation in BiH. BiH drama has reached a critical stage that demands that, along with criticism of the effects of the peace process, a public question is asked about the intentions of the international community. It is about time to end the hide and seek game. Oslobodjenje's editorial: The triumph of the SDS: Oslobodjenje's Zija Dizdarevic in his Sunday editorial said BiH parties with headquarters in Sarajevo (SDA, SBiH, SDP, NHI) together won 18 percent of votes in the RS National Assembly, which is by four percent lower then the score at the previous general elections. One of the reasons for such a drop is the lack of the political interest of relocated individuals to cast their votes in the areas of pre-war residence. The voice of Bosniaks and Croats in the RS, and the voice of the parties representing them in that entity, is increasingly becoming weaker, which may present a great threat to their political being and the recreation of the multiethnic character of BiH. Meanwhile, mono-national parties in the RS are so strong that an easy creation of a strong parliamentarian majority is already quite certain. The SDS, as a political actor in the RS and in BiH, is not only surviving but is progressing together with all its political connotations (war, genocide, expulsions, discrimination, crime), while its founding fathers indicted of committing war crimes are still at large. The SDS is in power in nearly two thirds of municipalities in the entity, and it continues fostering the atmosphere of fear and terror in return areas. Five years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, the SDS succeeded in reducing the return on the level of "a demographic exception". What is the secret of success of the SDS? First, it is the manifestation of the fact that nationalism is an established factor of the Serb national being in BiH. In addition, the SDS is considered to be the crucial subject in the fight for the all-Serb cause in BiH, and is to this day being rewarded for its "war time achievements". The banning of the Serb Radical Party from participating in the elections, Vojislav Kostunica's sympathies for the SDS, Richard Holbrooke's antagonistic suggestions and Haris Silajdzic's pleas for "no entities in BiH" just strengthened the party and homogenized the voting body in the RS. The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, virtually approved the return of the SDS in to the RS Government by securing the party's leadership's signature on the joint statement suggesting the SDS has to play by the OHR rules. This move also ensured the creation of a majority alliance (coalition) in the parliament lead by the SDS. Upon great joy of the SDS, and their partners, the HDZ and the SDA, the dispute over the RS Government caused a rift between the US Ambassador to BiH, Thomas Miller, and the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch. This is quite dangerous because the SDS will be able to influence the functioning of the joint state institutions and bodies. Only the Alliance for Changes may prevent the SDS from keeping the entire BiH in the check-mate. GS Editorial: New winds Glas Srpski's editorial Seal (by Milenko Kindl) comments establishment of diplomatic relations between BiH and FRY, suggesting that situation in Balkans region would positively change after this. "Lack of confidence was replaced by cooperation and suspense by better future for everyone", concludes Kindl.

The BiH Media Round-up is being compiled primarily for the OHR's internal purposes under time pressure. Please disregard grammar and typing mistakes. The mentioned media reports do not reflect OHR views, and the OHR does not take responsibility for them.

OHR BiH Media Round-up