- BH-Central Institutions
- Who will replace Ante Jelavic in the BiH Presidency?;
- HDZ-related news
- Wolfgang Petritsch: Why Jelavic had to go?;
- Peace Implementation Council Steering Board supports dismissals of
Jelavic and his party colleagues;
- Council of Europe supports Petritsch's decision;
- Media say Jelavic will be forgotten;
- HDZ BiH rejects decision of the High Representative;
- BiH Bishop Conference condemns behavior of the International
Community;
- HDZ Intercedes for International Conference on BiH;
- OHR to undertake severe measures against Croats officials;
- Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency says possible changes to the
BiH Constitution must be discussed within legal institutions;
- RS officials accuse Croatian government for interfering in BiH
internal matters;
- Croatian President says cantonization of BiH would only freeze
ethnic cleansing;
- Croat official expresses support to the plan of cantonization;
- International Community rejects the idea of cantonization of BiH;
- Federation
- Financial Police starts an investigation in Elektroprivreda BiH;
- Republika Srpska
- RS Constitution to be harmonized with the BiH Constitution;
- RS Supreme Defense Council accepts a document of BiH Defense Policy;
- International community:
- French Foreign Minister visits BiH;
- Wolfgang Petritsch visits Sarajevo restaurant Fantasia to
congratulate the International Women's day;
- US Ambassador says the US disagrees with the plan of canonization of
BiH:
- Brcko District
- Foreign and local officials mark the Anniversary of Brcko District;
- Editorials
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Dayton as the "elimination" of Ante Jelavic and
the HDZ;
- Jutarnji List: Has Petritsch listened to Bishop Peric?;
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BiH -related Issues:
Who will replace Ante Jelavic in the BiH Presidency?;
Shortly after the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, announced his
decision to remove Ante Jelavic from all public functions in the country,
Federation media began speculating on his possible successor in the BiH
Presidency. According to Dnevni Avaz, it is expected that that the new
Croat member of the Presidency will be elected in accordance with the
recently imposed law on filling a vacancy in this joint body. Certain
media speculate that Jelavic's successor could be Jozo Krizanovic of the
SDP, however unidentified party sources say that his is not a likely
option, since Krizanovic has not even taken his vow in the BiH
Parliament's House of Representatives. The new law stipulates that
Jelavic's immediate successor should be Mariofil Ljubic, one of deputy
chairmen of the BiH House of Representatives. However, Avaz reports, it is
not certain whether Ljubic would accept this move. BiH Presidency
spokesman Boris Kujundzic told the daily that the High Representative is
looking into the situation and will later today (Friday) meet with the
Chairman of the Presidency, Zivko Radisic. He added that it is possible
that both members from the Federation in this body will be elected in the
process which is yet to be determined. Kasim Trnka, legla advisor of the
Bosniak member of the Presidency, also confirmed this possibility, but
added that the possibility of holding the new Presidential elections is
still relevant. However, he expressed his doubts about the latter option,
since BiH still does not have a permanent election law or sufficient funds
for the new elections.
HDZ-related news (see also editorials)
Wolfgang Petritsch: Why Jelavic had to go?:
All Sarajevo dailies carry the commentary written by the High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch and published in The Financial Times,
titled "Why Jelavic had to go?".
Peace Implementation Council Steering Board supports dismissals of Jelavic
and his party colleagues:
The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council issued a statement
of support yesterday for the decision of the High Representative, Wolfgang
Petritsch, to remove Ante Jelavic and three other HDZ members from public
functions. All Sarajevo dailies carry the OHR press release.
Council of Europe supports Petritsch's decision:
The Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer expressed his
support for the decision of High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to
remove Ante Jelavic and other HDZ officials from all public posts.
"I have a complete understanding for this step, which needed to be
taken to
show that separatist moves are not an option for any of the political
tendencies
in BiH," Schwimmer said. "The divisive attitudes expressed by Jelavic
and the so-called Croat National Assembly are completely against the
Dayton Agreement, and are detrimental to the BiH Croat people and their
secure future within the BiH Federation," he added. The Secretary General
said that such moves to undermine the agreed political structures
blighted the optimism that had greeted the formation of the State-level
House of Representatives and its agreement on the new Council of Ministers
to lead the country. "The actions of Jelavic and his cronies can only
be detrimental to BiH's
progress on joining our Organization," Schwimmer concluded. He expressed
his hope that those forces would change their position in favor of
democratic progress and future Council of Europe membership, the press
release read.
Media say Jelavic will be forgotten:
Sarajevo dailies, Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz, carry today identical
editorials about the dismissal of Ante Jelavic and three other senior HDZ
officials. According to Avaz, despite the current tension in BiH, Jelavic,
like Nikola Poplasen - the removed former RS President - will be soon
forgotten. His dismissal, Avaz writes, is not only the end of one sad
political career, but a symbolic end of one fatal dream - the dream of an
independent state of Croatia within BiH. Oslobodjenje comments that this
move of the HR should not only mean the removal of obstructionist
officials, but should provide for an atmosphere which is not conducive to
their obstructionist work.
HDZ BiH rejects decision of the High Representative:
The HDZBiH Presidency, at its today's session with Ante Jelavic presiding,
rejected the decisions of the High Representatives on the removal of
Jelavic, Tokic, Luzanski and
Batinic. At the press conference held after the session Jelavic said that
he would not participate any more in the work of the BiH Presidency as
well as that all political bodies established after the general elections
in BiH had been illegal for the Croatian people.
Jelavic stated that he would continue to perform the duty of the HDZBIH
chairman because only the party bodies could remove him from the position.
One of the removed HDZ BiH functionaries, Marko Tokic, declared that he
became the new HVO civil commander after the Croatian BIH Presidency
member had been removed. Setting forth this confirmation Tokic referred to
the conclusions of the Croatian National Parliament when he was appointed
as the president of the Croatian self-government.
BiH Bishop Conference condemns behavior of the International Community:
Members of the BiH Bishop Conference expressed their disagreements with
the way in which representatives of the international community in BiH
ignore the political will of the Croat people expressed at the general
elections in November last year. At a session held on Thursday in Sarajevo
the Bishop Conference discussed the present position of the Croat people
in BiH, and concluded that the International Community took away the
equality away from the Croats. Its members also called on the IC to find
an appropriate solution for the current crisis though a dialogue with the
legal representatives of the Croat people in BiH. At the end, members of
the Bishop Conference adopted the principles expressed by the Bishop Ratko
Peric at the session of the Croat National Assembly in Mostar.
HDZ Intercedes for International Conference on BiH
The (now dismissed) HDZ Vice President and the President of the interim
Croat self-government, Marko Tokic, said that his party will insist on a
new international conference on BiH, which would find solutions to the
present political crisis. He told the Beta news agecnythat it would be the
best if Croatia dared to propose such a conference. He assessed Drazen
Budisa's proposal on a new territorial-administrative order in BiH as very
interesting and in accordance with the platform on a democratic and
self-sustainable BiH, adopted at the session of the Croat National
Assembly (HNS) in Mostar.
OHR to undertake severe measures against Croats officials:
According to Slobodna Dalmacija, the International Community
representatives are intending to undertake new punitive measures against
the HDZ officials who keep persisting on the realization of the Croat
self-government in BiH. One of the measures mentioned was bringing charges
against those officials, while the option of arrest of individuals
suspected of war crimes has not been ruled out either.
The IC, according to SD's source, cannot allow the establishment of the
Croat self-government in BiH because it constitutes a violation of the
GFAP. According to the source, Jelavic and the HDZ had enough space and
time to show their willingness to co-operate in the building of the state
institutions and the economic programs aimed at getting out of the crisis
that the BiH society found itself in.
As sanctions that will follow against the leadership of the Croat
self-government, mentioned are a ban on traveling to the EU countries,
taking away of Croatian passports, reinforced control of borders with the
Republic of Croatia with the purpose of suppressing illegal trade, and a
few economic measures which would prevent establishing of a separate
financial system.
It was stressed that the BiH Central Bank and the Federal Banking Agency
would be asked to hinder the work of the Hercegovacka Bank, through which
the revenues from customs duties and taxes would be re-allocated to the
institutions of the Croat self-government.
The IC is also intending to intensify their control in all of the public
companies that are functioning in the Croat-majority cantons and the
Pension Fund, and within that, they will use SFOR units if necessary.
Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency says possible changes to the BiH
Constitution must be discussed within legal institutions:
A discussion about possible changes to the constitution of BiH must be
conducted within the legal institutions of BiH and in line with the law on
appropriate procedures, the Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Halid
Genjac, said when commenting on official Zagreb's initiative for the
abolishment of the entities and the cantonization of Bosnia-Hercegovina.
"There is no single dogma or holy scripture in BiH, and any subject can be
discussed but in the relevant manner and through relevant procedures,"
Genjac told a news conference in Sarajevo. He stressed that the
constitution of Bosnia-Hercegovina could be changed only if legitimate
initiatives were to be launched and if the deputies in the BiH
Parliamentary Assembly were to make such a decision.
"[Croatian Prime Minister Ivica] Racan has opportunities to voice his
views, because Croatia is one of the signatories to the Dayton Agreement
and it plays a role in its implementation, but within this accord and in
the manner showing support for it," Genjac said.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the SDA, Sefik Dzaferovic, told SRNA today that
his party was in favor of Bosnia-Hercegovina as a state of multiethnic
regions, organized around economic, geographic, historical and other
principles.
"The SDA adopted this position at its 2nd Congress," Dzaferovic said,
adding that in such a case the state authorities would adhere to accepted
standards of modern European states
RS officials accuse Croatian government for interfering in BiH internal
matters:
The RS government also commented on the proposal of certain Croatian
officials for the cantonization of Bosnia-Hercegovina, claiming that it
would not allow changing the territorial and constitutional structure of
BiH and of the RS from the definition laid down by the Dayton Agreement.
The government in its response said that it deemed this proposals as very
dangerous. The RS government fully supported the view expressed by the
chairman of the BIH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, who said that "the Croatian
president's statement represented a direct interference in internal
affairs of this country", and urged the BiH Foreign Ministry to condemn it
as such and to send a protest note to Croatia", said the statement
published by the RS government.
The Serbian Democratic Party says that "the political circles in Croatia
and BiH that aspire to reorganize BiH" should "keep their hands off of the
RS and the Dayton BiH." The SDS warned that "any idea of rearranging BiH
that might threaten the present Dayton and constitutional position of RS
and BiH will meet with all the resistance afforded by political and
democratic means."
Croatian President says cantonization of BiH would only freeze ethnic
cleansing:
Commenting on the proposals for the cantonization of BiH, and which are
coming from Croatia, the Croatian President, Sipe Mesic, said that it is
too early to discuss any major changes to the Dayton Peace Agreement.
"Once people return to their homes, once BiH starts functioning as a
state, we can proceed with revisions," said Mesic, and added that any
early actions would simply freeze the situation.
Croat official expresses support to the plan of cantonization:
Anto Kovacevic of the Croatian Christian Democrats Union (HKDU) said he
welcomes the move of certain Croat officials who advocated the
cantonization of BiH, saying that only a cantonized and highly
de-centralized BiH could provide guarantees for the equal status of all
peoples living in the country.
International Community rejects the idea of cantonization of BiH:
According to Zagreb's Republika, representatives of the International
Community will most likely reject the proposal of the Croatian government
for the cantonization of BiH. Unidentified sources among Western diplomats
say that no changes to the DPA are acceptable at the moment, but that they
will still wait to see an official proposal for the revision of the
Dayton.
Federation
Financial Police starts an investigation in Elektroprivreda BiH:
According to Dnevni Avaz, inspectors with the Financial Police started
early yesterday an investigation of the Elektroprivreda BiH. Inspectors
told the daily that no one tried to prevent their action, and expressed
their satisfaction with the acting general-manager Ognjen Markovic, who
enabled them to carry out their investigation. According to Avaz, the
Financial Police found out on Thursday that the removed General Manger,
Edhem Bicakcic, is still working in the company, now as a business advisor
and even has his own cabinet in the Elektropriovreda building. Avaz
reports that the FP will be looking into books and registers of business
transactions from 1995 on.
Republika Srpska
RS Constitution to be harmonized with the BiH Constitution:
The RS Government, in general, accepted proposals and ideas of the team
of experts for harmonization of the RS constitution with the BiH one, at
its session yesterday. At one of its session to follow, the Government
will discuss suggestions of the ITF, which was appointed by the High
Representative and was also dealing with changes of constitutions.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Petar Kunic, said that the RS Government has
appointed a commission comprising 11 members, and which will be in charge
of working out the Law on the RTRS.
RS Supreme Defense Council accepts a document of BiH Defense Policy:
The RS Supreme Defense Council accepted in general the harmonized draft
document on the BiH defense policy. The press release issued by the RS
President's Cabinet states that after the procedure and the consultations,
held at this session, the RS President, Mirko Sarovic, appointed
General-Colonel Momir Zec as the RS Deputy Chief-of-Staff.
International community related issues:
French Foreign Minister visits BiH:
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine arrived in Sarajevo on Friday, his
first official visit to Bosnia since a first non-nationalist
administration (since 1991) came to power last month. During his 24-hour
stay, Vedrine is to meet with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers,
Bozidar Matic and the BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija.
"I came here to express the commitment of France toward stability,
democratization and the unity of Bosnia-Hercegovina," Vedrine told
reporters
upon his arrival.
The French embassy said earlier in a statement that Vedrine would
"encourage Bosnian authorities to make progress in carrying our reforms
needed
for democratization and economic development of Bosnia-Hercegovina." The
French foreign minister unveiled a commemorative plaque dedicated to eight
French soldiers who were killed at Sarajevo's airport while serving in the
UN peacekeeping mission during the war in Bosnia. Vedrine is also to meet
with the chairman of BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, and with the High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch.
Later Friday, Vedrine will have talks with the RS Prime Minister, Mladen
Ivanic.
Wolfgang Petritsch visits Sarajevo restaurant Fantasia to congratulate the
International Women's day:
Sarajevo media reported that the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch,
and his family visited yesterday Sarajevo restaurant Fantasia which is ran
by the Women Cooperative "Our Hope". Petritsch used this occasion to
congratulate to all women the March 8, the International Woman's Day.
US Ambassador says the US disagrees with the plan of canonization of BiH:
The US ambassador to BiH, Thomas Miller, said in an interview for SRNA
news agency that the Croatian proposal for the abolition of the Entities
and a new territorial organization is unacceptable for the US. Explaining
what 'separatist forces in the RS' means - to be avoided by Belgrade -
Miller said that they are "forces not supporting the full implementation
of the Dayton accords nor the integration of BiH into Europe." He also
welcomed the High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch's dismissal of the
Croat member of the BiH Presidency, Ante Jelavic, and three of his
associates. Regarding the Agreement on special ties between RS and FRY,
Miller stressed that Dayton allows this type of agreement and that it is
in the interests of all the peoples of BiH and reinforces relations with
FRY.
Brcko District:
Foreign and local officials mark the Anniversary of Brcko District:
Both Federation and RS media report that various international and local
officials celebrated the first anniversary of the Brcko District. The High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, who was also present at the ceremony
said that Brcko shows to everyone in BiH the way to Europe, and stressed
that, after one year, Brcko is much safer place for life.
Editorials:
(Provided by the OHR Mostar)
Slobodna Dalmacija: Dayton as the "elimination" of Ante Jelavic and the
HDZ:
Unless Wolfgang Petritsch removes Ante Jelavic, he himself might be
removed soon. This is the sort of speculation that could have been heard
recently in the Sarajevo diplomatic circles. It is obvious that the HR has
been under strong pressure from the IC to take radical actions against the
officials of the "nationalistic HDZ." Petritsch has removed from all
functions the highest legitimate representative of the Croat people in
BiH, Ante Jelavic, and another three senior party officials - Marko Tokic,
Zdravko Batinic and Ivo Andric Luzanski. However, we do not believe that
he has secured for himself to stay (survive) in BiH for much longer.
Not only does the main problem in BiH remain unresolved, but it has
actually become more acute. The problem is the inequitable constitutional
and realistic position of the peoples in BiH. Using their extensive
powers, Petritsch, like Carlos Westendorp before him, substituted the work
of the institutions with their own decisions, whereas the institutions
themselves still remain very inefficient. Still, one must admit that there
has been some progress recently in the work of the central institutions,
although Petritsch passed all the important laws by a decree.
The crisis in BiH is indeed deep, and not only in political or
constitutional terms, but economically as well. This is certainly the most
critical time for the implementation of the DPA and a question that
suggests itself is how its implementation can go on. Which of the Croat
officials will Petritsch, Barry and others talk to after the political
elimination of the HDZ and the Croat National Assembly leaders? Can Croats
be represented by election losers, the leaders of the parties that won a
few hundred votes each, and the number of ministers from some of those
parties is bigger than the number of mandates they won. Finally, how do
the Alliance intend to realize their policy in the cantons where the HDZ
won 80% or more mandates?
There will be no change of Dayton. Dayton is to be implemented, and those
who fail to do it, will be removed like Jelavic. This is the message from
the IC. However, if this is really Dayton, this administrative and
territorial structure in BiH and those non-functioning institutions,
inequality of peoples and violation of human rights, then its
implementation should stop as soon as possible.
The IC does not have a problem with the signing of the Special Relations
Agreement between the RS and the FRY in Banja Luka, on the Bairam Day, in
a ceremony without any BiH symbols and in the absence of any Croat or
Bosniak representatives. The Principal Deputy High Representative, Ralph
Johnson, said all of that is in conformity with the Dayton, and Zlatko
Lagumdzija, the Alliance leader, says he would have gone to Banja Luka,
but he could not because of Bairam. And that is all.
At the same time, Montenegrin ministers stated in Podgorica that they find
it clear that Belgrade is planning to compensate losing of Kosovo with the
Republika Srpska. Bosniak politicians have stopped commenting on it, but
all statements by Croatian officials in Zagreb have been analyzed and
condemned in Banja Luka, as a rule.
The media under the control of the international factors, i.e., all the
major ones, have interpreted the most recent statements from Zagreb and
the moves of Belgrade in the old, communist manner. In other words,
Belgrade and Zagreb are to blame for all troubles in BiH, and were it not
for their greater-state politics, BiH would be an idyllic country.
Judging from how the things stand now, Dayton was the most favorable for
Serbs, as they were granted one whole entity, while Bosniaks are trying,
with the help from the IC, to turn the BiH Federation into the other
entity in which they would have an absolute domination, and also, they
might change something in the RS to their favor in the long run.
While Serbs have "two birds in the hand" and Bosniaks "one in the bush,"
Croats only have a piece of paper with the principles as to how to
organize BiH in the way to make all the peoples equal. Besides, Croats
have the self-proclaimed Croat self-government and the hope that someone
will reply to their proposals some time. Drazen Budisa's proposal on the
cantonisation of BiH is nothing new and is, in fact, very similar to the
concept produced by the Croat National Assembly.
Will at least some Bosniak politicians have the courage to declare their
opinion on the Croatian proposal which means abolishment of entities,
which they have been opposing so far, or will they follow the IC in the
silent revision of Dayton and expect someone else to finish their job for
them? However, by that time, the RS would be in a much tighter embrace of
Serbia.
Jutarnji List: Has Petritsch listened to Bishop Peric?:
The High Representative stated in the last edition of the Croatian weekly
'Globus': 'I am embittered and shocked with the speech of Bishop Peric and
I cannot begin to describe the intensity of hatred and his support to the
sentenced war criminals that he expressed in his speech.'
However, the whole speech was published in 'Glas Koncila' on March 11.
Even if you read it most carefully you cannot find a shred of hatred in
it. One can agree or disagree with the Bishop but one has no right to
impute to him something that he did not say. It seems that the HR did not
read this speech, or at least, he did not read its original version or its
authentic translation.
His superiors will not read it either, and neither will millions of those
all over the world who heard his statement. What he told the Bishop can be
easily memorized and repeated. Why would those who appointed him the
supervisor and caretaker of the peoples, which according to them are not
mature enough to be their own masters, not believe him? However, since the
situation is the way it is, would it not be better to proclaim a
protectorate openly? Then it would be known that this is not the democracy
of sovereign peoples in a sovereign state but, perhaps, training for the
democracy under a watchful eye of the supervisor and caretaker.
Still, also in this case, he should not be allowed to spread untruth all
over the world. As far as the alleged support to the sentenced war
criminals is concerned, it is well known that the secular courts are not
impeccable. Because of this, it is allowed to lodge appeals, to restart
processes etc. The Bishop neither condemned the Tribunal nor put the
sentences into question, he only expressed a fear of thousands of citizens
in Croatia and B&H that The Hague does not serve only justice but also
politics. One can be shocked by the fact that the church representative so
much interferes into the politics, but even a shock is not a justification
for the falsifying of his words.
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