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- HDZ-related News (see also editorials)
- HDZ wants Croat Republic in BiH;
- HDZ official says the world cannot erase nationalist parties in BiH
with a stroke of a pen;
- HDZ Interim Government to be led by Martin Raguz:
- Some Croat National Assembly parties are drafting a constitution for
the Croat Republic in BiH;
- Some Croat National Assembly parties are drafting a constitution for
the Croat Republic in BiH;
- SFOR can arrest politicians following the Mostar Assembly;
- Federation
- Former Federation Deputy Prime Minister also responsible for illegal
transfers of funds;
- Bicakcic claims Orucevic and Radoncic are the leaders of criminal
political Mafia;
- Constitutional Commission Official says proposed changes will give
Serbs "constituent" status
- Republika Srpska
- Milan Ninkovic, General Manager of RS Railroads, on The Hague list?:
- The Special Relations Agreement to be signed on Monday;
- Editorials:
- Vjesnik: It is not about the third entity:
- Vjesnik: 'Puljic and Mesic will not come to the Croat People's
Assembly';
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HDZ-related News (see also editorials):
HDZ wants Croat Republic in BiH:
At a round table of the Croat National Assembly held in Travnik, the vice
president of the HDZ, Marko Tokic, said that Croats in BiH should have
their own republic. "If there is a Republika Srpska in BiH, why couldn't
Croats have Republika Hrvatska (Croat)?", asked Tokic. His party colleague
Ivo Andric Luzanski also stressed that BiH has to be redefined in such a
fashion as to provide Croats with "their own space" which would reflect
the will of Croat voters. Other participant blamed the Protestant Masonic
Lodges (!?) for conspiring against Croats, while some said the oil is the
prime reason why the International Community has to support Bosniaks in
BiH, who have strong ties with Arab Muslims. Although participants at this
round table expressed numerous ideas about the reorganization of the
state, it was concluded that the final decision will be made at the
session of the Croat National Assembly which is scheduled for March 3.
Meanwhile, Federation media report that representatives of international
organizations in BiH are very critical of the recent political moves and
radical statements made by certain high officials within the HDZ.
Oslobodjenje quotes OHR spokesman, Oleg Milisic, as saying that it is
disturbing to see the HDZ further isolating its people. He also said that
the possible creation of a third entity in BiH would be unconstitutional
and would present a clear violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
HDZ official says the world cannot erase nationalist parties in BiH with a
stroke of a pen:
Speaking at a press conference, Zdravko Tomac, the deputy president of the
Croatian Parliament, said that BiH should not strive towards implementing
the policy of the former Yugoslavia in BiH. "In other words, this is not a
brotherhood and unity - it is impossible to turn Croats and Serbs into
Bosniaks," said Tomac, and added that he agrees with the thesis that Croat
and Serbs should be able to express their respective national feelings but
within BiH. "Bosniaks as the most numerous people have to take care about
the equality of other two people, in particular of the Croats," said
Tomac, and called representatives of the HDZ and of the International
Community to sit together and try to find a way out of this difficult
situation. He also said that it is impossible to erase the nationalist
parties from the political scene in BiH with one stroke of a pen, and
stressed that the IC cannot just change the elections results in BiH
without establishing a protectorate.
HDZ Interim Government to be led by Martin Raguz:
According to Zagreb's Republika, an anxious and scared high-ranking HDZ
official, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that a group of legal
experts from Mostar, consisting of Josip Muselimovic, Barisa Colak,
Ljubomir Zovko and Zvonko Miljko, drafted a document about the creation of
Croat self-governance which would represent a
one-year transitional solution until, as the HDZ expects, the
re-organization of BiH. The HDZ official has confirmed that Martin Raguz
will be the president of the executive authority of the Croat
self-governance, whereas Dragan Covic and Bozo Ljubic will be his
deputies; there will be 6 ministries altogether.
It is understandable why the disappointed and politically-wise but worn
out Raguz and Covic have accepted to govern the parallel authority, but it
is not clear why "moderate" Bozo Ljubic has done so. Republika reports
that the Croat self-governance would include the Legislative and the
Presidential Councils which would represent the executive authority.
Deputies who at the general elections last November won mandates for the
House of Representatives of the FBiH and the RS National Assembly, as well
as for the Cantonal Assemblies, would be elected to the Legislative
Council. The members of the Croat People's Assembly's Presidency,
Governors and Vice-Governors of cantons and Heads of Municipalities of
Zepce and Usora would be elected to the Presidential Council. It is
interesting that the decision on creating the parallel authority will,
after all, be publicly announced at the Croat People's Assembly session,
although Ante Jelavic, the HDZ BiH president, said at a Forum held in
Vitez some days ago that the creation of the third entity, i.e. the
Inter-Cantonal Council, would not be publicly talked about because of the
"interests of the Central Bosnia and Posavina Croats, but that it would
be worked on in secrecy".
Some Croat National Assembly parties are drafting a constitution for the
Croat Republic in BiH:
Zagreb's Jutarnji List reports that the HDZ will proclaim the
establishment of a special form of a self-government in territories with
Croat majority in BiH. However, this should just be a temporary solution
until an agreement on full reorganization of BiH is reached. At the same
time, Jutarnji claims, the HDZ will offer a special document - the
platform on the future organization of BiH. If the International Community
does not take the document seriously, the HDZ will be ready to call for a
new referendum. Commenting on the possible outcome of the Assembly, Petar
Milic of the Croat Christian Democrats said that he hopes that the
Assembly will make a decision on the separation from the Federation, and
stressed that the CCD is already working on the draft Constitution of the
Croat Republic in BiH.
SFOR can arrest politicians following the Mostar Assembly
According to Republika, Wolfgang Petritsch, the High Representative for
BiH, has at his disposal a whole range of "strong measures" which include
the possibility of removing individual officials. In case of one's
forcible taking control of BiH borders, Petritsch can send SFOR forces
against one. The most rigorous measure, taking of which - following the
Saturday session of the Croat People's Assembly - some of the HDZ BiH
leaders are certain of, is the possibility of arresting some of the
political officials. The OHR will not announce their moves until they have
heard the Mostar gathering's conclusions which they in advance qualified
as illegal.
Federation
Former Federation Deputy Prime Minister also responsible for illegal
transfers of funds:
According to Dnevni Avaz, a subject of an OHR corruption investigation is
also the former Federation Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of
Finance, Dragan Covic. According to daily's source, Covic is responsible
for redirecting donation funds to catholic religions structures in
Herzegovina and Central Bosnia, thereby "stimulating" church leaders to
encourage their followers to vote for the HDZ or to turn out for the
November referendum. "HDZ manipulates with Croats for their political
purposes," Father Ivo Markovic, the leader of inter-religious service in
Sarajevo told Avaz, and added that the allegations coming from the OHR are
true.
In an interview with Slobodna Dalmacija, Covic said that he was aware of
the transfer of Federation funds to accounts of the Association of
families of fallen soldiers, but stressed that he does not know what the
beneficiary did with the money afterwards.
Bicakcic claims Orucevic and Radoncic are the leaders of criminal
political Mafia:
Although, he refused to say who is the new Hamdija Pozderac (a subject of
one of the biggest financial scandals among Bosniaks prior to the war) in
the SDA lines, Edhem Bicakcic openly accused Safet Orucevic, the former
Mostar Mayor and Fahrudin Radoncic, the owner of 'Dnevni Avaz', who used
to be very close to the SDA top. Commenting on the High Representative's
decision to remove him from the post of the General Manager of
Elektroprvreda, Bicakcic said that: 'The heads of the criminal-political
mafia, who issued statements at the same time when my replacement took
place, can give you the answer to this question and these people are Mr.
Orucevic and Mr. Radoncic.'
Bicakcic is shocked by the behavior of the SDA in the whole case. He
called the reaction of his party 'weak', and he is surprised that the
highest bodies of the party including Alija Izetbegovic did not issue any
statement and supported him. Bicakcic does not want to talk about a
possible connection between the weak reaction of his party and actions of
Orucevic and Radoncic, and he asks the SDA to clarify whether this
relation exists. 'If there were accusations that this party received some
money, then it is logical that the competent bodies of this party issue
the statement about it", Bicakcic stated and reminded that despite
everything he will not leave the party.
He said that he is not afraid of the court process and he believes that he
does not need a lawyer to defend him. Bicakcic also did not spare the OHR
in his statement given to 'Hrvatska rijec', saying the HR 'replaced him
retroactively' and illegally and stressed that it would be fairer if the
OHR declared the international protectorate publicly. He concluded that
the political showdown with him was planned during the last seven months,
along with the media campaign against him.
Constitutional Commission Official says proposed changes will give Serbs
"constituent" status
Jakob Finci, chairman of the Constitutional Commission of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Federation, has said that a constitutional
change in the FBiH will bring the Serbs in this entity recognition as a
constituent nation.
"Wherever Bosniak and Croatian are mentioned as official languages, there
will be an amendment that will introduce Serbian as an official language
of the FBiH as well," Finci said, suggesting that once these amendments
come before the parliament for adoption there will not be too much
discussion, since the changes are not too complicated.
In an interview to [Banja Luka-based daily] Nezavisne Novine, Finci said
that it was likely that there would be eight to 12 amendments to the
constitutions of the RS and the Federation, and that there would be
parties in both entities that "will find reasons to obstruct the
constitutional changes, with the explanation that their ethnic group will,
regardless of being constituent, be endangered by the changes to the
constitution".
Finci outlined that all the citizens of BiH should have equal rights, and
not be divided into first and second-class citizens, that is members of
constituent and non-constituent nations. He said that the Dayton accord
could be changed if the peoples in BiH agree upon that, and that it could
also be changed so that a member of the BiH Presidency could be elected
not only from the ranks of the Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats, who are the
three constituent nations in BiH.
Republika Srpska
Milan Ninkovic, General Manager of RS Railroads, on The Hague list?:
Oslobodjenje reports that the new RS government and the SDS may have to
face strong criticism, or even sanctions, of the US Administration because
of the appointment of Milan Ninkovic to the post of the RS Railway General
Manager. According to the daily, Ninkovic is not only a Serb nationalist
from the region, but an ultra nationalist whose name is on The Hague list
of indictments. Apparently, Ninkovic blackmailed the SDS into his
appointment by threatening to high party officials in Banja Luka that he
would inform The Hague about their war-time activities. In addition, the
daily claims that Ninkovic made a deal with the International Community as
well, and conditioned his testimony by their silent approval of his
appointment.
The Special Relations Agreement to be signed on Monday:
Both Banja Luka dailies report that a representative of the RS Protocol
confirmed that the Agreement on special and parallel relations between the
RS and the FRY will be signed on Monday, March 5, in Banja Luka. The FRY
delegation will be led by the President Vojislav Kostunica and the FRY
Foreign Minister, Goran Svilanovic. Today's edition of Glas Srpski quotes
OHR spokesman Patrik Volf as saying that the OHR has not been informed yet
on the exact date of the signing ceremony. "The OHR expects to be duly
informed on the exact date of signing the Agreement and of Kostunica's
arrival to Banja Luka", said Volf.
Meanwhile, RS dailies carry reactions by SDA officials who say that
representatives of all peoples in BiH should be involved in the process of
drafting of this agreement. "Otherwise, this is an agreement between Serb
from the two sides of the Drina," read the SDA press release. In an
interview with the RTV BiH late last night, the president of the SDA,
Alija Izatbegovic, said that he was extremely disappointed to learn that
the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, took part in this dubious
process and went to Belgrade on his own, without representatives of BiH
state institutions. (Srna news agency carries excerpts from the agreement
- see the attachment!)
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Editorial:
(Provided by the OHR Mostar)
Vjesnik: It is not about the third entity:
The preparations for the Croat People's Assembly, which is to be held in
Mostar on Saturday, are going as scheduled. It is expected that the
Assembly will pass a decision to establish the interim self-government of
Croats and to produce a platform for negotiations on the future
organisation of B&H. Those documents are still being co-ordinated, but as
a senior Croat official who wanted to remain anonymous said, one should
not expect any exceptional turnabouts in the contents of those documents
or, perhaps, giving up on their passing in the last moment, despite the
pressures from some of the international representatives.
The Croat People's Assembly is a legal institution because it consists of
the legally elected representatives of the Croat people in B&H, who won
almost plebiscite-like support at the elections in November last year. It
is, in fact, the only possible "Croat response" in this moment,
considering the fact that the process of inaugurating of the authorities
in B&H is developing through the electoral engineering and imposition of
the authority of the Alliance, beyond the will of the Croat people, claims
Vjesnik's source.
When it comes to the "Croat interim self-government," i.e. its
establishment, it is uncertain as to whether it will be called
Inter-Cantonal Council or else, but "it is absolutely something that is
legally, i.e. constitutionally grounded." It is not Herzeg-Bosnia, or a
sort of a third entity, as some speculate, but "an interim solution
pending the final organisation of B&H" by which the interests of the Croat
people, which are currently endangered, will be protected.
What substantiates this are the indications about the platform for
negotiations on the future organisation of B&H. The platform speaks about
reformation of the internal organisation of B&H into the Federal B&H,
which would consist of a number of Federal units, which would be
established in areas with Muslim, Serb and Croat majority. Each of the
Federal units should equally regulate the rights of the other two peoples,
and the common Federal institutions would be established on the principles
of parity, consensus and rotation.
This, as far as the Croat member parties of the Croat People's Assembly
are concerned, leaves an open space for negotiations about the future
organisation of B&H. Still, it is as clear that Dayton has been "ended" by
all the alterations made to the detriment of Croats, and the Federation,
in such a proportion of powers, has become unsustainable for the Croat
people in B&H, and, Vjesnik's source says, establishing of the 'interim
Croat self-government" is a necessity.
Vjesnik: 'Puljic and Mesic will not come to the Croat People's Assembly':
by Alenko Zornija
Vrhbosna Archbishop, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, most likely, will not attend
the session of the Croat People's Assembly. He apologised and said he will
be busy with some commitments arranged earlier, similarly to Croatian
President Mesic and some other dignitaries invited.
The IC have a very unfavourable view of the actions of the HDZ and the HNS
parties, but for the time being, one can find out only informally about
the steps they intend to take after 3 March: "The High Representative will
use his powers if necessary," said a senior official of Petritsch's
office.
"We have a response which rules out the use of force, but will efficiently
prevent the illegal funding of the parallel structures should the HDZ
establish them at the Assembly in Mostar. Those structures will not be
able to do what they plan and take the money from customs duties and taxes
and redirect the original revenues of the Federation," said one of the
leading officials of the Alliance for Changes.
Obviously, the Croat drama in B&H continues. The relations between the HDZ
on the one side and the IC and the Alliance parties on the other, are
getting tightened up and the space for any sort of compromise is getting
narrower. Obviously, the HDZ, together with the other HNS parties, will
exert extreme pressure in order to get a new constitution, a new election
law and new elections. However, it is a very risky game. In any case, the
position of the Croat people in B&H is desperate at the moment, with
extremely uncertain prospects.
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