- BH-Central Institutions
- Alliance for Change to be established today:
- BiH Council of Ministers decided to establish a state commission to
investigate the Balkan Syndrome:
- Federation
- Bicakcic leaves the Federation Prime Minister post:
- Federation Constitutional Courts rules in favor of Mostar City
Council:
- Constitutive session of Federation House of Representatives
postponed:
- Discussion between Federation government, OHR and World bank on
pensions cut short:
- Federation Privatization Agency extends the deadline for collection
of certificates:
- Head of Pensioner Association -Pension Law unlikely to bring any
positive changes:
- IPTF and SFOR in Action: Is there any bugging (eavesdropping)
equipment in the police station in Bjelave?
- Republika Srpska
- Sead Avdic (SDP BiH vice-president) - House of peoples in the RS NA
is the condition for the Alliance;
- Dragan Kostic (DNS) - Deputies will decide on two-chamber
parliament;
- Nebojsa Radmanovic (DSP) - It is not necessary to change the RS
Constitution;
- Mirko Banjac (SDS) - Anything is possible;
- The RS NA session to take place on January 12th;
- ICTY:
- The Hague welcomes Biljana Plavsic's decision to turn herself in:
- Dodik - The RS Government will give guarantees to the Tribunal;
- Svetozar Mihajlovic (SNS) - Let them say what they signed;
- Interview with Krstan Simic (Plavsic's attorney);
|
Central Institutions related Issues:
Alliance for Change to be established today:
Oslobodjenje reported on its Thursday's front page that the documents
created by the member parties of the Alliance for Change could be signed
today with the approval of the High Representative thus establishing the
Alliance. SDP Vice-president Sead Avdic told a press conference that that
the documents focus of several issues of vital importance for BiH: economy
reform, passing of crucial laws and struggle against corruption. The
documents also say that an institution should be formed in the RS National
Assembly intended to implement the Decision on Constitutionality. It
should be an institution similar to the House of People, the daily said.
BiH Council of Ministers decided to establish a state commission to
investigate the Balkan Syndrome:
BiH Council of Ministers at its session on Wednesday has decided to
establish a state commission that is to investigate the so-called Balkan
Syndrome. The Commission is to use all the resources and investigate the
potential danger for BiH citizens. The Council also decided to ask NATO to
participate in the commission NATO established to determine the effects of
the use of depleted uranium in the Balkans, Oslobodjenje said.
Federation
Bicakcic leaves the Federation Prime Minister post:
Dnevni Avaz's front page reports that Federation Prime Minister, Edhem
Bicakcic has on Wednesday left this post after four years. Bicakcic will
take over the position of the General Director of Elektroprivreda on
Thursday. According to the Federation Constitution Dragan Covic should
take over the position from Bicakcic but he has not decided whether he
will do so, Dnevni Avaz said.
Federation Constitutional Courts rules in favor of Mostar City Council:
Oslobodjenje reported that Federation Constitutional Court ruled that
federal legal decisions to transfer the old hard currency savings of BiH
citizens into certificates are unconstitutional. Court officials said that
the Federation government has to obey the decisions of the Court and find
a solution for the old hard currency savings.
The Constitutional Court also ruled in favor of Mostar City Council's
decision, that is, that the decision that Elektroprivredas have to
compensate for the use of power plants on the Neretva river is
constitutional.
The daily said that OHR regional office in Mostar supported Court's ruling
in the Mostar City Council case.
"This is a decision we hoped for, which we fully supported and found it
as the only just solution," Avis Benes, OHR spokeswoman said.
Constitutive session of Federation House of Representatives postponed:
Sarajevo papers reported that the earlier announced constitutive session
of the Federation House of Representatives, originally scheduled for
Thursday, has been postponed till Monday January 15th afternoon. According
to information from Federation House of Representatives the Collegia met
on Wednesday and accepted the request for the postponement from the
Alliance for Change, papers said.
Discussion between Federation government, the OHR and the World Bank on
pensions cut short:
Dnevni Avaz reported that a meeting between Federation government
officials and the OHR and the World Bank officials on the subject of
pensions was cut short. The discussions on the payment of pensions in the
Federation held in the OHR headquarters in Sarajevo on Tuesday were
unsuccessful because the parties failed to reach an agreement. The
stumbling point was Federation government's decision to pay the August
2000 pensions in January this year and it is expected that the meeting
will be continued today.
OHR spokesman, Chris Bird told the daily that the discussions "were
constructive," but declined to give details saying that talks will be
continued.
Federation Privatization Agency extends the deadline for collection of
certificates:
Federation Privatization Agency has decided to extend the deadline for
collection of certificates by the privatization investment funds for
another month, Oslobodjenje reported. According to this decision the
privatization investment funds will be allowed to collect certificates
from federation citizens till February 12th. So far the eleven
privatization investment funds have collected two billion KMs worth of
certificates and it is expected that another 200 million will be collected
during the extension, Privatization Agency officials told the daily.
Head of Pensioner Association -Pension Law unlikely to bring any positive
changes:
Commenting the OHR-imposed Law on Pensions Fund in an interview with the
OBN Television, the President of the Association of Pensioners in the
Federation, Enver Sarajlic, said that the mentioned law will unlikely
bring about any positive changes. He sad that the controversial amendments
to the law "will create more damage then benefits for pensioners in BiH".
Sarajlic stressed that the imposition of this law by the High
Representative was quite unfair and badly timed, since the month of
January is one of the most difficult months of the year in terms of
securing the finances. "It is impossible to implement the pensions law
over night," said Sarajlic, and added that its implementation requires
steady funds and regular contributions to the PIO in order to realize the
timely disbursement of pensions each month.
Commenting on his meeting with OHR officials on Wednesday, Sarajlic said
that he had the impression that "these individuals are not very well
informed and have not studied extensively the PIO Fund and the entire
social insurance system in BiH", and are consequently not competent to
discuss this issue. "Their ignorance is understandable", he said, "They
just come and go". Finally, Sarajlic said that the OHR could provide some
concrete help to pensioners if it ensured that its national employees
start paying contributions to the PIO Fund. "This would amount to 15
million KM, and that is quite a substantial sum of money," Sarajlic noted.
"Of course, this is just the lesser of two evils, but it's a starter". At
the end, Sarajlic, contradicting his earlier statements, concluded that
his Association is not against the law per se, but its present
implementation. He also blamed the World Bank for insisting on the
imposition of the law in order to protect "its own interests in the
Balkans" (did not clarify).
IPTF and SFOR in Action: Is there any bugging (eavesdropping) equipment in
the police station in Bjelave?
Dnevni Avaz reported that fifteen members of the IPTF and the SFOR entered
the police station in Bjelave (neighborhood in Sarajevo) which is also the
seat of the Criminal Department of the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of
Interior. The Italian "Carabinierri", US soldiers and the IPTF showed up
unexpectedly and requested to undertake an inspection of the building.
The immediate cause of the inspection undertaken by the IPTF, and which
was supported by the SFOR, was an article in the Bosnian Croat weekly
"Hrvatska Rijec" dated December 19th. The aforementioned article claimed
that the building on Bjelave houses the equipment which is used to
eavesdrop the OHR, the OSCE, and the UN mission to BiH. This was confirmed
by an SFOR Major Alan Human (sp?).
"We cannot believe everything that is written in the article, but we took
the article seriously. It resulted in this inspection. Naturally, it is
not that important what information were also a cause of this action. I
can just tell you that a dozen of people we found in the building were
very pleasant and offered us all necessary help," - the Head of the CPIC
Media Operations, Ulf Senprih (sp?) told Dnevni Avaz.
Senprih could not tell us what exactly they were looking for in the
Bjelave police station. He confirmed that the IPTF and the SFOR will check
all the documents they find, and he could not tell as to how long will the
investigation last.
"I hope that we will find something. I really cannot tell you now what
will happen if it turns out that the allegations are true," Senprih said,
adding that more details of the investigation will be known today.
`Hrvatska rijec," without naming the source, reported that the modern
equipment is "in the hands of Interior Minister Ismet Dahic." The weekly
stated that the equipment is allegedly one of the biggest secrets of the
Sarajevo Interior Ministry.
In the story on the bugging (eaves dropping) equipment, the weekly said it
is very hard to enter the building. Even Zeljko Mijatovic, the second man
of the canton criminal police was not permitted to enter the building.
Mijatovic's inspection of the building in December, according to Hrvatska
Rijec, was prevented by Sabrija Fisovic, the head of the Department for
surveillance and bugging. The weekly said that Fisovic is a person that
has (Isme) Dahic's (Canton Minister of Interior) full confidence.
Republika Srpska
Sead Avdic (SDP BiH vice-president) - House of peoples in the RS NA is the
condition for the Alliance:
Nezavisne Novine said that Sead Avdic (SDP BiH vice-president) confirms
that according to the Operational program of the Alliance for Changes,
implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court's Decision on
constitutionality of all three peoples in BiH also foresees establishment
of the House of Peoples and Inter-ethnic relations Council in the RS NA.
Avdic told press that this will protect vital and national interests of
Bosniaks and Croats in the RS i.e. creation of climate where all peoples
will be equally treated before the law. Avdic says that he expects the
High Representative to sign the documents agreed by the Alliance for
Changes members.
Dragan Kostic (DNS) - Deputies will decide on two-chamber parliament:
According to Nezavisne Novine, Dragan Kostic (president of DNS) told SRNA
yesterday that introduction of the house of peoples in the RS NA should be
discussed only by the RS NA deputies. "Regardless of the initiatives
coming from the other entity and regardless of the possibility that the
High Representative might propose it, the RS NA deputies must discuss this
issue. This proposal is coming from the Federation and is aimed at
destabilization or creation of unfavorable climate in the RS especially
now when the RS NA is formed and when we are about to form the Cabinet",
says Kostic.
Nebojsa Radmanovic (DSP) - It is not necessary to change the RS
Constitution:
Nezavisne Novine on Thursday reported that Nebojsa
Radmanovic (DSP) says that it is not necessary to change the RS
Constitution in order to establish the house of peoples in the RS NA and
implement the BiH Constitutional Court's Decision on constitutionality of
all three peoples in the entire BiH. Commenting on initiative of the
Alliance for Changes, Radmanovic says that the BiH CC Decision might be
implemented by forming some other bodies that do not demand alternation of
the RS Constitution.
Mirko Banjac (SDS) - Anything is possible:
Commenting on possibility that the High Representative might make decision
on introduction of house of peoples in the RS NA, Mirko Banjac says that
everything is possible, Nezavisne Novine said. "We, in the RS, will be
having such problems as long as we have leadership that neither has
strength and willingness to respect majority of its own people", says
Mirko Banjac.
The RS NA session to take place on January 12th:
Both Banja Luka dailies reported that the Cabinet of the Parliament's
Speaker, Dragan Kalinic has announced that the session of the RS National
Assembly has been scheduled for Friday, January 12 at 11: 00 in Banja
Luka. As it has been announced earlier, the new RS government is to be
constituted at this session.
ICTY related issues:
The Hague welcomes Biljana Plavsic's decision to turn herself in:
Officials of The Hague War Crimes Tribunal welcomed the decision of former
RS President, Biljana Plavsic to turn herself in and come to face the
court in The Hague. Plavsic is indicted for crimes committed during the
war in BiH and her first appearance in front of the court is expected on
Thursday, Sarajevo dailies reported.
According to Carla Del Ponte, the indictment was issued under seal on
April 7th, 2000, and alleges that Plavsic committed crimes against
humanity, violated the laws and customs of war and gravely breached the
Geneva Conventions in BiH in 1991 and 1992.
Banja Luka dailies reported that the Prosecutor's intention is to apply to
the Chamber to have Plavsic and Krajisnik tried jointly.
Milorad Dodik says that the RS Government will give guarantees to the
ICTY:
Both Banja Luka dailies reported that Milorad Dodik says that the RS
Government will give guarantees to the ICTY so that Biljana Plavsic is
allowed by the Tribunal to stand trial in absence. "The guarantees will be
drafted tomorrow and we have to consider in which form", says Dodik.
Svetozar Mihajlovic (SNS) - Let them say what they signed:
Glas Srpski and Nezavisne Novine reported that Svetozar Mihajlovic (SNS
vice-president) says that the SNS demands the RS leadership to inform
public on what was it that they signed regarding the cooperation between
the RS and the ICTY. "We are terrified with reactions and statements of
some politicians after Plavsic's departure to The Hague. "First of all, we
will be defending the RS in The Hague, and we have to prove that civil war
in the RS was not going on, and that there was no aggression. This is one
of the key issues we shall advocate for in the following period", says
Branislav Lolic (SNS top-official).
Interview with Krstan Simic (Plavsic's attorney):
Today's edition of "NN" carries one-page long interview with Krstan Simic
(Biljana Plavsic's attorney and SNSD top official). Apart from other
things Simic says that indictment is not surprise, but the most important
issue is whether Plavsic had real impact on the events or she was just a
"decoration". Simic says that the defense team will ask the ICTY to allow
Biljana Plavsic to stand trial in absence. As to the initial appearance of
Plavsic before the Trial Chamber that will take place today, Biljana
Plavsic will plead not guilty.
|
