- BH-Central Institutions
- Protests "welcome" the Croatian Parliament Delegation in Sarajevo;
- Ante Jelavic sends an open letter to Wolfgang Petritsch - "I am
ready for a dialog";
- Center for Protection of Minority Rights asks for the change of the
term "others" in the BiH Constitution;
- Martin Raguz claims International Community officials pressure
deputies in the House of Representatives in order to influence the
election of the Chair of CoM;
- BiH Constitutional Court to make a final ruling in the case of Ante
Jelavic vs. Provisional Elections Commission;
- Federation
- Exhumation works on Sarajevo cemetery Lav suspended;
- Republika Srpska
- RS Ministry for Urban Affairs to evaluate the Islamic Community
complaint about Ferhadija;
- DSP urges like-minded parties to form loose alliance;
- International community:
- PIC Steering Board Asks the High Representative to resume with the
Economic Reforms in BiH;
- Wolfgang Petritsch's interview with SRNA news agency;
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Central Institutions related Issues:
Protests "welcome" the Croatian Parliament Delegation in Sarajevo:
Croatian Parliament's delegation lead by Zdravko Tomac arrived to Sarajevo
on Thursday and held talks and consultation with the three members of the
Presidency, the Chair of the Council of Ministers, representatives of
several political parties, as well as with high officials in the
International Community. "We came to talk with all those who want to
improve the relationship between the two sovereign and friendly states,"
Tomac told journalists, and added that his five members delegation had no
intention of interfering in the political processes and inter-party
disputes in BiH, or in any way supporting any single party, in particular
the HDZ. "It would be quite silly if the coalition which worked so hard on
destroying the HDZ in Croatia came here to support the very party," noted
Tomac with the friendly doze of irony. Still, a group of a hundred
citizens gathered in front of the Presidency building in Sarajevo and
peacefully protested against the visit.
Ante Jelavic sends an open letter to Wolfgang Petritsch - "I am ready for
a dialog":
In an open letter addressed to the High Representative, Wolfgang
Petritsch, the Croat member of the BiH Presidency and the leader of the
HDZ, Ante Jelavic, said that the HDZ is working on the implementation of
elections results at all levels of authority, and will take part in the
constituting of the BiH and the Federation House of Peoples only after the
Constitutional Court rules in the case of the PEC rules and regulations.
Jelavic also said that he is open for a dialog. "I am open for solutions
which will, on the basis of the BiH Constitution, confirm the democratic
orientation of BiH with three constitutive peoples and equal citizens, but
I oppose the politics of exclusion and radicalism," stressed Jelavic in
his letter.
Center for Protection of Minority Rights asks for the change of the term
"others" in the BiH Constitution:
At a recently held conference, the Center for Protection of Minority
Rights, asked for the removal of the term "others" from the BiH
Constitution, and its replacement with the actual names of national and
ethnic minorities existing in BiH. Representatives of these minorities and
other political figures present at the conference concluded that the term
"others" is inadequate and it allows for the discriminatory treatment of
minorities. Center officials told Oslobodjenje that the initiative in a
written form will be forwarded to the High Representative, Wolfgang
Petritsch.
Martin Raguz claims International Community officials pressure deputies in
the House of Representatives in order to influence the election of the
Chair of CoM:
The BiH Presidency nominee for the Chair of the Council of Ministers,
Martin Raguz, told BH Press that certain officials in the International
Community exert pressure on deputies in the BiH Parliament's House of
Representatives in order to influence the election of the future Chairman
of the Council. He said that he will reveal the names of the diplomats
during the next session of the House, and stressed the IC targeted mostly
smaller RS parties which have not signed an official agreement with the
Alliance. Raguz expressed hope that the deputies in question would resist
the influences, and vote in accordance with their orientation.
BiH Constitutional Court to make a final ruling in the case of Ante
Jelavic vs. Provisional Elections Commission:
Croatian newspapers carried numerous commentaries and speculations about
the possible outcome of the case, presently before the Constitutional
Court, about the constitutionality of PEC decision to change the rules and
regulations for the elections of deputies to the Federation House of
Peoples. According to some Croatian dailies, like Slobodna Dalmacija and
Vjesnik, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Constitutional
Court will succumb to the pressures of International Community officials,
like the US Ambassador to BiH, Thomas Miller and his British colleague,
Graham Hand, and claim its lack of jurisdiction in this case. "Such a
decision would certainly defame the institution of the Constitional Court,
which claims to be an independent and apolitical body," wrote Slobodna
Dalmacija. More moderate Vjesnik comments that, whatever the decision be,
it will have a far reaching consequences for the relationship between the
International Community and local factors in BiH.
Federation
Exhumation works on Sarajevo cemetery Lav suspended:
OHR spokesman Chris Bird told SRNA that Pokop (Sarajevo company providing
funeral services) employees yesterday stopped filling in the open mass
graves at the Lav cemetery in Sarajevo which contain the remains of Serbs
killed in the BiH war. He said that it was agreed at a meeting with Pokop,
and the other institutions involved, that work will be stopped
indefinitely until the RS and FBiH Missing Persons Commissions reach an
agreement on the issue.
Republika Srpska
RS Ministry for Urban Affairs to evaluate the Islamic Community complaint
about Ferhadija:
The RS Ministry for Urban Affairs said it would evaluate the complaint of
the Islamic Community pertaining to the reconstruction of Ferhadija mosque
in Banja Luka, and come out with a conclusion next week. A month ago, the
Islamic Community protested against the urban permit issued by Banja Luka
authorities, and which allowed the construction but with some
architectural changes. RS authorities also wanted to postpone the works in
order to undertake an excavation project on the same land. Islamic
Community officials threatened to start working on the construction in
February even if the permit is not obtained.
Today's edition of "Nezavisne Novine" quoted Kemal Zukic, the general
manager of the Islamic Culture Center, as saying that the High
Representative should impose the decision on the issuance of construction
permit for Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka, explaining it as the only way
for construction works to start. "Otherwise, RS authorities will never
issue the permit", said Zukic, and added that it is quite obvious that
those who are to issue the permit cannot do it because of fear of being
marked as the traitors of national interests.
DSP urges like-minded parties to form loose alliance:
The Democratic Party of Socialists (DSP) will in future act as a
constructive parliamentary opposition in the RS, while at the level of the
joint institutions of Bosnia-Herzegovina it will continue with
consultations to form the Council of Ministers together with the Alliance
for Change and other RS parties with whom it has formed a floor group.
This was decided at a session of the DSP's main committee, which was held
yesterday. The DSP decided to launch an initiative to strengthen the
opposition block in the RS, urging all parties with a similar programme -
socialist, social democrats, and moderate political streams - to agree on
the extent of future co-operation, ranging from activities in a coalition
or co-ordination to unity, the DSP statement said.
It was stated at the main committee session that the Serb Republic and its
citizens "need a strong alternative to the ruling right-wing" and that
"the DSP is ready for the sincere talks with like-minded parties".
International community related issues:
PIC Steering Board Asks the High Representative to resume with the
Economic Reforms in BiH:
Federation media report that the PIC (Peace Implementation Council)
Steering Board asked the High Representative to continue with the economic
reforms in BiH, and schedule a meeting of the working group for economic
issues in order to prevent the economic and social crisis in BiH from
occurring.
Wolfgang Petritsch's interview with SRNA news agency:
Both Banja Luka dailies carry the interview High Representative, Wolfgang
Petritsch gave to SRNA news agency, and in which he explained his views on
perspective of BiH, the current developments in the BiH Council of
Ministers, the BiH Presidency, the RS Government and the participation of
the SDS in it, Haris Silajdzic and some other issues.
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