- BH-Central Institutions
- Free Trade Agreement between BiH and Croatia signed:
- Meeting on natural gas crisis fruitless:
- Talks on succession of former SFRY ended in Brussels: First results next year
- Opening of BiH diplomatic office in FRY
- Federation:
- Kotorsko refugees protest in front of OHR building:
- Party for BiH sticks to its Action Plan:
- Croat People's Assembly in B&H replies to OSCE Spokesperson Luke Zahner - 'Jelavic asks for a dialogue'
- RS:
- RTRS Steering Board names General Director:
- Oleg Milisic, OHR Spokesperson condemned the latest attacks on returnees to the RS: Police on the move
- Sulejman Tihic, Deputy Speaker of the RS NA: Ivanic made diplomats cross
- Changes in Srebrenica OMI: Gordana Rosuljas resigned
- Tihomir Gligoric freed of Charges by the decision of Basic Court in Derventa
- International community:
- Statements on BiH entering Partnership for Peace premature:
- High Representative establishes a special working group for Mostar:
- ICG releases a new report on situation in BiH:
- World is running out of patience - George Robertson, NATO Secretary General,
- Sir Arthur Watts: No progress in succession talks so far
Editorials:
- Dnevni Avaz: Games with Gas
- Glas Srpski: Debt Collecting
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Central Institutions related Issues:
Free Trade Agreement between BiH and Croatia signed:
BiH Council of Ministers delegation led by its President, Martin Raguz
signed in Zagreb on Tuesday the Agreement on Free Trade between BiH and
Croatia, Oslobodjenje reported on today's front page. According to the
agreement BiH will from the beginning of next year export its goods to its
neighbor customs-free while by the year 2004 Croatian export to Bosnia
will be fully liberated, the daily said. During the meeting the two
high-ranked delegations also agreed to establish a group on ministerial
level that will exclusively deal with refugee return process.
Both Banja Luka dailies reported on the signing of the agreement.
Meeting on natural gas crisis fruitless:
Dnevni Avaz reported that Tuesday's meeting of entity ministers and
natural gas distributors in the OHR headquarters turned out to be
fruitless. The only concrete thing agreed was that a new meeting be
scheduled for January 9th next year. Prior to the meeting RS distributor
Gaspromet from Pale reduced the pressure in the pipeline some 50 percent
and the outcome depends on the Gaspromet and the pressure OHR is supposed
to apply, BH Gas officials told the daily.
BH Gas officials also said that the are preparing energetic
counter-measures to the behavior of Gaspromet and those who support it
saying they might stop the import of natural gas to BiH completely what
would effect companies and factories in the RS and force them to close
down.
Talks on succession of former SFRY ended in Brussels: First results next
year:
Both Banja Luka dailies reported that member of the BiH team taking part
in talks on the succession of the former YU property, Spasoje Tusevljak,
stated to Srna that serious issues regarding succession had been agreed on
during the two-day meeting in Brussels. Tusevljak explained that the
plenary session had defined the procedure of future work in finding a
solution to the succession, but that the criteria of the division of
property had not been discussed. According to him, the representatives of
BiH, the FRY, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia and the International Mediator,
Arthur Watts, had discussed separate issues, such as the right to property
and pension. It was agreed that talks would be continued in February next
year.
Opening of BiH diplomatic office in Yugoslavia:
Glas Srpski reported that Mile Akmadzic, who should have been BiH
Ambassador to FRY is to take over Embassy of BiH in Skopje from January
3rd of the next year, GS carries. The post of BiH Embassy is still vacant.
The spokesperson of BiH Ministry of Interior Hajrudin Somun stated that it
was only known that this office would be taken by an representative of
Croat people, according to previous agreement of BiH Presidency.
Federation related issues:
Kotorsko refugees protest in front of OHR building:
Addressing the protesters from Kotorsko who demonstrated in front of the
OHR building in Sarajevo on Tuesday Alexandra Stilgmayer, OHR spokeswoman
said that the land allocated for building of Serb homes in Kotorsko is
public property and until the restitution law is passed the municipality
has the right to reallocate it. She explained that from the legal point of
view the decision is valid because neither religious nor cultural
buildings existed earlier on this land. The protesters demanded they be
received by the High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch, the daily said.
Party for BiH sticks to its Action Plan:
Party for BiH sticks to its Action Plan and expects an answer from the
High Representative on Wednesday, head of this party, Haris Silajdzic told
Dnevni Avaz. He feels that there are no partial approaches to what his
party has offered as a condition for its participation in executive
authority and establishment of the Alliance for Changes.
According to Silajdzic he met with Petritsch on Monday and the
establishment of the RS ``House of People, or whatever this institution is
going to be called,'' was discussed. Silajdzic insisted that vital
interests that are under the jurisdiction of this institution have to be
clearly defined, the daily said.
Croat People's Assembly in B&H replies to OSCE Spokesperson Luke Zahner -
'Jelavic asks for a dialogue':
"For a longer time now, OSCE Spokesperson Luke Zahner, with his
inappropriate and tactless statements, has been showing clearly that
democracy in complex state communities is a foreign term to him and that
he does not understand the political situation in B&H, which he,
nevertheless, 'interprets' at the top of his voice. It was his statement
for Republika, published in the text with the headline 'Jelavic's threats
to the IC are damaging for Croats in Bosnia,' that made us react.
For the sake of proper informing of the public, we have to clarify some of
the allegations published in the text and statements by the OSCE
Spokesperson.
Jelavic states the facts which neither the OSCE nor Zahner can deny by
anything. Jelavic is not threatening the IC, but wants a dialogue on the
correct partnership basis. It is not correct that the Croat People's
Assembly is in violation of the DPA. The Assembly protects the Agreement
and if the OSCE had complied with it, the Croat People's Assembly would
not have been founded in the first place. Barry and Zahner, by their
actions, want to reduce the Croats in B&H to a national minority, and
recently, they have been saying this openly, just like the SDHR Matthias
Sonn.
The Croats in B&H and the Croat People's Assembly, express full readiness
to build a sovereign and autonomous B&H on the principles of full
constitutional and institutional equality of the Croat people with the
other two. Otherwise, it is only the IC that will bear the responsibility
for Barry's 'political experiments' and the consequences that may result
from the Barry-like implementation of the election results."
RS related issues:
RTRS Steering Board names General Director:
Banja Luka dailies and Oslobodjenje reported that RTRS Steering Board has
on Tuesday named Jelena Davidovic as the General Director of this media.
The Board did not specify for how long a period Davidovic will carry this
duty. RTRS functions according to special arrangements passed by the High
Representative and has international supervisors named by the OHR. Special
arrangements and international supervision will stop once a Law on
Radio-Television is passed in the RS, Oslobodjenje said.
Milisic condemns latest attacks on returnees in the RS:
GS reports on IO's press conference in Sarajevo yesterday quoting OHR's
spokesperson Oleg Milisic as condemning the latest attacks on returnees to
the RS
Sulejman Tihic, Deputy Speaker of the RS NA: Ivanic made diplomats cross:
GS carries statement of Sulejman Tihic, Deputy RS NA Speaker to "Dnevni
avaz":
"Diplomats accredited in BiH and top people from the OHR and OSCE did not
appear at the constitutive RS NA session because they were not satisfied
with the move of Mladen Ivanic to take PDP into alliance with SDS".
Changes in Srebrenica OMI: Gordana Rosuljas resigned:
Glas Srpski said that the head of OMI Srebrenica Gordana Rosuljas resigned
yesterday.
"There are no conditions for normal work in this department since there is
no construction or alternative accommodation for refugees in Srebrenica
and the pressure for freeing of occupied housing units is enormous", said
Rosuljas.
As the letter of resignation reads, this OMI has resolved 589 citizens'
claims, 78 apartments were freed and 30 Bosinak houses to most of which
people can move in.
Only one Bosinak family returned to these houses and the rest remain
empty, GS carries the resignation letter.
[also see CPIC Presser]
Tihomir Gligoric freed of Charges by the decision of Basic Court in
Derventa:
Glas Srpski also reported that according to a decision of Main Court in
Derventa, Tihomir Gligoric, CoM Minister for Civil Affairs and
Communications was freed of charges. Gligoric was charged with committing
of "an act heavy violating security of public security".
International community related issues:
Statements on BiH entering Partnership for Peace premature:
Oslobodjenje reported that in his address to the Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Council last week the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch said that
BiH politicians' statements on entering the Partnership for Peace are
premature. Petritsch that such statements will be premature ``until
leaders in BiH show their will to implement a joint defense policy through
the Standing Committee on Military Matters.
The High Representative also said that Bosnian politicians have to start
reaching difficult decision on their own if BiH wants to benefit from
membership in Euro-Atlantic institutions, the daily reported.
High Representative establishes a special working group for Mostar:
Sarajevo papers reported that the High Representative has established a
special working group for Mostar. The group consisting of OHR personnel
will cooperate with Mostar City Administration in order to secure help in
establishment of a financially sustainable community in this city. During
his meeting with Mostar Mayor, Safet Orucevic and his deputy, Neven Tomic
the High Representative said he supports the efforts of Mostar authorities
in securing finances within the city, including fund Elektroprivreda has
to pay to the city.
ICG releases a new report on situation in BiH:
ICG has released on Tuesday its latest report on situation in BiH,
Sarajevo papers said. The report said that recently-held elections in BiH
have shown once again that five years since the war and despite five
billion dollars of international aid international community have not been
able to provide basis for a functioning state that could survive the
withdrawal of the IC from BiH.
World is running out of patience - George Robertson, NATO Secretary
General:
George Robertson, NATO Secretary General, wrote for Split daily Slobodna
Dalmacija marking the anniversary of the arrival of peace forces to the
neighboring country, and urges for reforms. ``B&H should follow the
example of Croatia and FRY,'' Robertson said.
"Progress is considerable, but there is still much left to be done, and
fast. The IC has had enough of the slowness that the peoples in B&H are
showing in meeting their obligations in accordance with Dayton, and in
taking certain difficult steps for their country to come to a position of
functioning independently. The more the patience of the IC runs out, the
more the international financial, political and military assistance will
be reduced.
A look at the others reveals to B&H the possible awards that a real reform
brings about. First the RC and then the FRY split with the former
extreme-nationalist and violent politics and embraced the co-operation
with the IC. As a result, these two countries are becoming more and more
stable and wealthy. The slow progress in B&H presents a strong contrast to
it" Secretary General said.
Sir Arthur Watts: No progress in succession talks so far
Sarajevo-based Onasa news agency on Wednesday reported that the
International mediator for the issue of succession of the former
Yugoslavia Sir Arthur Watts said that the meeting of the
countries-successors of the former Yugoslavia, held on Tuesday after
a two-year break, did not discuss the core of the problem.
Watts said that holding of the meeting itself in Brussels was a success,
and the officials agreed to hold another meeting in February in Ljubljana.
He added that he would be disappointed if no agreement is reached in
the next few months.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek said that he did not believe the
possibility of comprehensive agreement on the succession of the
former Yugoslavia.
"Things are getting complicated in regard to issues that we thought
were solved. Now Macedonia and BiH suggest a change of the
formula of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the distribution
of former Yugoslavia's assets, after Belgrade had agreed to the formula,"
Drnovsek said.
Editorials:
Dnevni Avaz: Games with Gas
DA's Indira Catic in an editorial said that the threats of Pale's
Gaspromet have turned on the red lamp that warns that the strategic public
companies have to be united and act on the state level. Yesterday morning
Gaspromet, a company that claims it was established by the RS government,
has decreased the natural gas flow by 50 percent. Completely unauthorized.
In last seven days BH Gas officials have done everything to convince their
partners from the other entity that their behavior is illegal and
senseless. They have explained, that everything was agreed with Nis Gas
from Novi Sad.
But Gaspromet officials clearly showed that they are not prepared to play
a fair game.
On other hand they've sent a warning message that tells us that
functioning of double, that it, entity public companies cannot be
tolerated anymore. Such strategic companies should be united and act on
the state level. It is about time to stop the monopolistic directors from
the RS who want to preserve the status quo. It is very convenient for them
because it is the easiest way to fill their pockets up.
But, now someone should decide what is more important: interests of such
directors or those of Federation and even RS citizens. Surely they would
be happier if one company would bring natural gas to their homes, when one
company would supply them with electricity, water.... That all disputes
between the Federation and the RS on such issues would stop.
Because of the senseless behavior of the company from Pale citizens of the
Federation and Sarajevo residents ask themselves if they'll have gas
today. Who will and when stop all this? For now we know that BH Gas cannot
do this. Can the RS government, which, obviously controls Gaspromet?
Glas Srpski: Debt Collecting
Brankica Tejic in her editorial said that after pessimistic prognosis by
the IMF and WB and assessed de-balance in the Public Fund of
Pension-invalid insurance for period of May 1999. to March 2000. of
41.113. 000 KM, pension payments were late. In the middle of this year the
RS government made a decision on the new tax rates in order to get more
income for the pension fund.
However, the ending of the year 2000. will be remembered for protests of
pensioners who, in this way, asked for their pensions to be paid. What
they were living on, in a meantime, would remain as an unsolved puzzle.
Protest walks of pensioners were taking place during the pre-election
campaign, which leaves enough room for claims that this issue was
politicized.
What bean as a social problem ended as an internal conflict of current
leadership and that between representatives of around 50 000 of Banjaluka
pensioners. The conflict was about who was legal leadership and who was
not.
In a meantime, the HR for BiH Wolfgang Petritsch made a decision according
to which this category of population should be paid pensions regularly by
the tenth of each month, but in amount of means collected by the
Pension-invalid fund. So, according to the information from the competent
fund, regular pensions for October and November were paid, and pensioners
received 80 KM and less. They were also Promised that one part of May's
and other four full pensions would be paid, together with health care free
of charge and postponed payments for communal services and other monthly
fees.
Competent people in the Public Fund for Pension-invalid insurance of the
RS are making lists of people who owe them and are not paying their debts,
amongst which, according to the amounts, state companies in the RS are on
the top of the list. This specially goes for affiliates covering region
Srpsko Sarajevo and Bijeljina, where forest husbandry and wood processing
companies are in the lead in debts. It remains to be seen if pensioners
will get their deserved pensions after debt collecting. According to them
(pensioners), the new RS government has to take a decision on this issue
or the protests and blocking of streets in the RS town would be continued
in the third millennium
CPIC Presser - Tuesday December 19th, 2000
Attacks on Returnees and OMI Officials
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch finds the attacks aimed at
stifling the returns process completely unacceptable and condemns them in
the strongest possible terms.
The last few days have seen serious attacks on returnees in Glogovo
(Bratunac), Fazlagiceva Kula (Trebinje) and Serb Gorazde, Janja, but this
is just one side of the violence and intimidation coin.
Employees of the RS municipal offices of the Ministry of Refugees - OMI's
- have been threatened and attacked in Foca, Pale, Serb Gorazde and Serb
Ilidza and in many cases by the Association of War Veterans.
With one notable exception, when Police in Pale successfully arrested and
prosecuted the perpetrators of an attack on returnees there has been
little or no official reaction. It is a fact that few investigations are
undertaken there are fewer arrests and even fewer persecutions. For a
country that wishes to join Europe this is a woeful display of the
disregard for basic human rights and protection of innocent people against
politically motivated violence.
It is clear that extremists hope that they will prevent people from
returning. This will not be allowed to happen. The IC, thorough the RRTF
structure has been meeting to see how best the security of returnees can
be assured.
The OHR expects that the Police will investigate fully each of these cases
and bring them to court, but furthermore, that the local and RS
administrations will make their positions clear on these cases.
The OHR expects the condemnation of violent attacks against returning
civilians, and support for the people who are implementing the law of the
RS and the directives of the RS Ministry of Refugees from the Ministry
itself, and political leaders in the RS, such as the new RS President and
speaker of the RSNA. To remind you, only a week ago they both signed a
statement upholding the DPA and the return process.
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