- BiH/Central institutions:
- BiH Council of Ministers adopts the program of work for this year:
- Federation:
- Federation government decreases taxes on fuel to match prices in the
RS:
- CRA issues permanent broadcasting licenses to three more media in
Tuzla region:
- Federation Supreme Court to hear three former top Federation
officials:
- Fighters for 'the Islamic Republic in BiH' sent a warning letter to
the Croats in the Central Bosnia: We shall slaughter Ustashas if they do
not abolish a self-rule
- The protest of the Associations, established as a result of the
Homeland War, from the Konjic Municipality: Mr. Petritsch, You have
seriously violated the Constitutions of BiH and the Federation and the DPA
- Ivo Lozancic will be replaced by General Zeljko Glasnovic
- Relations between the HDZ and the International Community in BiH
more tense than ever: Petritsch informed George Bush on the situation in
Bosnia-Herzegovina by phone
- Steering Boards of the Mostar Pensioners Fund, Croat
Telecommunications and the Post Offices and the Sume Herceg-Bosna -Full
Support to Croat self-rule
- Republika Srpska:
- RS Government held session yesterday
- RS Prime Minister Talked to the USAID Director and French Ambassador
to BiH
- International Community:
- SFOR guarantees security in BiH:
- High Representative reports to UN Security Council:
- US prepared to continue their help to BiH:
- Head of OHR Economic Department meets journalists:
- Conference "BiH in Europe - link diversity," began in Sarajevo:
- Meeting of the Economic Task Force
- UN Mission to BiH on Bratunac case
|
BiH State Institutions-related Issues
BiH Council of Ministers adopts the program of work for this year:
BiH Council of Ministers at its session held in Sarajevo on Thursday has
adopted the program of its work for this year, Sarajevo papers reported.
The program precisely determines the obligations of the council and the
time frame for the implementation. The Council also adopted the global
frame for the strategy of economic development in BiH till the year 2004
and discussed the takeover of border crossings by the State Border
Service, dailies said.
Federation related issues:
Federation government decreases taxes on fuel to match prices in the RS:
BiH Federation government at its session on Friday decided to decrease the
taxes on of fuel in the Federation, Dnevni Avaz reported. The measure is
intended to equalize the prices of fuel in the Federation with the prices
in the RS, Federation officials said. The measure is a temporary one and
will last no longer than three months, that is until RS Government brings
its taxes on fuel back to the previous rates, Dnevni Avaz said.
CRA issues permanent broadcasting licenses to three more media in Tuzla
region:
CRA (former IMC) after reviewing their complaints decided to issue
permanent broadcasting licenses to Radio Kladanj, TV Tuzla and Radio
Lukavac. Fifteen electronic media complained after CRA issued permanent
broadcasting licenses in the Tuzla region and only these three media were
additionally granted these licenses, CRA officials told a news conference
on Thursday.
Federation Supreme Court to hear three former top Federation officials:
A hearing will be organized in front of the Federation Supreme Court next
Tuesday for three former top Federation officials. The Court after hearing
Edhem Bicakcic, former Federation Prime Minister, Dragan Covic, his deputy
and Mehmed Alijagic, former Finance Minister will decide should the
investigation in the work of these three officials started by the
Financial Police be continued. Federal prosecutors asked the Supreme Court
for an investigation into the work of the three officials some 15 days
ago. The criminal charges the Financial Police raised against Bicakcic
were one of the reasons why the High Representative removed him from the
position of General Director of Elektroprivreda, Oslobodjenje said.
Fighters for 'the Islamic Republic in BiH' sent a warning letter to the
Croats in the Central Bosnia: We shall slaughter ustashas if they do not
abolish a self-rule
The warning letter, signed by the organization 'Ussame bin Laden-BiH'
says: 'If they do not abolish the proclaimed Croat self-rule until 20
hours this evening, we shall immediately attack and slaughter everyone we
encounter, women, children, even those in cradles, everyone who is the
ustasha,' Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija reported.
The Croats from the Central Bosnia, are constantly exposed to pressures
and threats, and the last one came from the Islamic terrorist organization
'Ussame bin Laden-BiH' which was not known by now. Authors of the letter
ascribe themselves a role of 'the movement for the liberation of the
Islamic Republic BiH'.
The threat mainly refers to the Croats from the Lasva Valley. If they do
not fulfill their request they will start with the attack at 19:55 this
evening. The terrorists will attack Novi Travnik, Nova Bila, Busovaca and
Kiseljak, while in the villages Podkraj, Djelilovac, Secevo, Nula and the
other neighboring villages, whose inhabitants are mostly Croat returnees,
they will kill everyone and they will burn the villages down. They will
also attack Police Stations and they will kill the ustashas, that they
find there.
The letter was found in the settlement called Turbe, near Tarvnik, at the
kiosk, in which Amra Beklija works. At a hand-made envelope was written
that the owner of the kiosk has to hand over the letter to the Police,
because otherwise they will blow up her and her kiosk.
The protest of the Associations, established as a result of the Homeland
War, of the Konjic Municipality: Mr. Petritsch, You have seriously
violated the Constitutions of BiH and the Federation and the DPA
According to Slobodna Dalmacija they stressed: 'Mr. Petritsch, your mouth
is full of democracy and constitutionality, and for this reason the things
that you are doing are nothing but irony. You were talking at the RTV BiH
on Wednesday evening about democracy and constitutionality, and you even
threatened, because the world will accept your idea of the democracy.
However, as many political analysts claim, the world saw you through. Mr.
Petritsch, have you seen that the real exodus of the Croats, who are
leaving for the third countries for good, started, to a large extent
because of your idea of democracy, and also because of illegal evictions,
which are very disturbing especially in Mostar West. These illegal
evictions have created the situation that many people became displaced
persons and subtenants in their own Municipality Konjic.
Finally, let Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks to agree by themselves about the
internal organization of BiH, and help them in this process. This is the
role of the DPA and your mission.'
Ivo Lozancic will be replaced by General Zeljko Glasnovic
Zagreb daily Republika reported that although it can not be felt in the
public yet, the SFOR Command, in cooperation with the international
representatives in charge of BiH and wider region, is taking resolute
actions in secrecy. It could be found out unofficially that a sudden
turnabout would happen in regard to the resolution of the crisis of the
Croat component of the BiH Federation Army. An unnamed source in the
Federal Defence Ministry confirmed that SFOR managed to 'persuade' the
unsatisfied officers of the Croat component led by general Antun Luburic,
who recently signed a petition against the appointment of General Ivo
Lozancic to the position of the Commander of the Joint Command of the BiH
Federation Army, to come fand talk with Mijo Anic, the Minister of Defence
of the BiH Federation, and express their loyalty to him. It is unknown
whether they really did so, or they found a new reason to step out from
the BiH Federation Army. The meeting is, allegedly, the first step. The
second step is withdrawal of Ivo Lozancic from the position of the Acting
Deputy Commander. It will happen after the election of the Croat member of
the BiH Presidency, who is, at the same time, a civil commander of the
Armed Forces of the BiH Federation.
Relations between the HDZ and the International Community in BiH more
tense than ever: Petritsch informed George Bush on the situation in
Bosnia-Herzegovina by phone
Nedjeljna Dalmacija reported that the IC's general position is that there
will be no negotiations with the HDZ until the party is back in the
institutions and that there will never be any talks with the politicians
who were, as a sanction for the Croat People's Assembly's decisions,
replaced by the High Representative. "Jelavic is a lost case. He is a
loser in politics", Wolfgang Petritsch, the High Representative of the
International Community in BiH stated. The International Community wants
to accept the Croat People's Assembly not even as an NGO.
The relations between the HDZ and the IC are tenser than ever before.
People in the HDZ hope that a new conference on BiH, at which the Dayton
solutions would be revised, might be held by autumn. They are particularly
encouraged by the unconditional support of the Catholic Church, and one of
the Croat People's Assembly official has told us that the American
president himself got interested in the Croat issue in BiH.
"He had no information on the events in BiH, which is normal; but then he
got intrigued by the letter which he had received from the Vrhbosna
Archbishop, Cardinal Vinko Puljic. After that, he called Petritsch by
phone", the official says.
Have George W. Bush and the High Representative Petritsch talked at all
and what it was about cannot be confirmed at the moment, yet it is a fact
that both official Washington and official Bruxelles have given
unconditional support to Petritsch's decisions and that the new BiH
Government has been given support by the entire International Community.
Steering Boards of the Mostar Pensioners Fund, Croat Telecommunications
and the Post Offices and the Sume Herceg-Bosna -Full Support to Croat
self-rule
Bosnian Croat news agency Habena reported that the Head Office of the
Mostar Pension Fund in Mostar, along with its field offices, is giving
full support to the decisions of the Croat National Assembly and to the
Croat self-government.
"Most of the members of the Pensioners Fund, the director and the
employees of the HO of the Pension Fund-Mostar are at the disposal of the
Coordination Board of the Croat self-rule", it has been said in their
press release. The employees and the governing bodies of the Croat
Telecommunications and Post Offices in Mostar are giving full support to
the Croat National Assembly and their decisions as well. The decision to
support the CNA was made at yesterday's session of the Steering Board and
the management bodies of the Croat Telecommunications and the Posts
Offices.
The Steering Board of the public company Sume Herceg-Bosna, has also
placed itself at the disposal of the Croat National Assembly.
In their press release they pointed out the decision of the CNA on
self-government is a correct model to the final solution of the
development of the economy in the self-sustainable Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Republika Srpska:
RS Government held session yesterday
Both RS dailies report on the RS Government session that was held
yesterday in Banja Luka. The government discussed first draft of the RS
Budget for the year 2001, according to which domestic income would be 730
million KM. As Mrs. Milica Bisic, Advisor to the RS Prime Minster Mladen
Ivanic said the government plans to decrease material expenditures,
capital investment and investment maintenance, to regularly service
foreign obligations as well as obligations to finance Common BiH
Institutions and to pay out salaries to the budget beneficiaries on
regular basis.
The government also adopted pre-draft of the Defamation Act. This draft,
after process of harmonization with the representatives with the
International Community, would be sent to the RS National Assembly.
RS Prime Minister Talked to the USAID Director and French Ambassador to
BiH
Both dailies report on meetings of the RS Prime Minister Mladein Ivanic
with the USAID Director Edward Kadunc and Ambassador of France to BiH
Bernard Bajolet.
During the talks with the USAID Director, programmes of the USAID
Assistance to BiH and the RS, which are ongoing were discussed as well as
process of privatization. According to both Ivanic and Kadunc this process
should be moving much faster.
With the Ambassador Bajolet, current political situation was discussed
specially stressing complicated political relations caused by the HDZ
politics. Ivanic agreed with Bajolet that the basics of the DPA shouldn't
be jeopardized.
International Community:
SFOR guarantees security in BiH:
Oslobodjenje on its front page Friday quotes SFOR Commander Gen. Richard
Dannatt as saying that "SFOR guarantees security," in BiH. Gen. Dannatt
told the daily that if anyone makes an unauthorized move towards the
weapons and ammunition warehouses SFOR troops will swiftly react.
Commenting on the latest development in the Federation army and departure
of some officers of the Croat component of the Federation Army, SFOR
Commander said that more than 20 thousand international troops in BiH
guarantee the safety in this country.
High Representative reports to UN Security Council:
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch in his address to the UN
Security Council on Thursday appealed that measures be taken to apprehend
indicted war criminals in BiH and that BiH borders remained unchanged,
Dnevni Avaz reported on its third page. Petritsch in his regular report to
the Security Council said that borders in Southeastern Europe must not be
changed and also lobbied that the involvement of the international
community in BiH be continued, the daily said. Other dailies also
prominently reported on Petritsch's address.
US prepared to continue their help to BiH:
United States support the strengthening of joint institutions and are
prepared to continue their help to BiH, US officials said after meeting
with the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Bozidar Matic. The US
Ambassador to BiH, Thomas Miller and James Pardew, representative of the
US State Department after meeting with Matic also said that establishment
and functioning of State Border Service is of utmost importance and that
the US might provide additional aid for the State Border Service, dailies
said.
Head of OHR Economic Department meets journalists:
Daniel Besson, head of OHR Economic Department at an informal meeting with
journalists in Banja Luka has presented the OHR's economic strategy for
the upcoming period, Oslobodjenje said.
"Economic reform is essential in BiH and this is why the OHR has been
seriously working on this issue since last year," Besson told reporters
and added that the representatives of the international community need the
help of local authorities and BiH citizens as well.
Besson also reminded the press that the High Representative has last year
imposed 26 laws that are mostly tied to economic issues and expressed his
worry with the lack of will of local officials to pass the laws
themselves, Oslobodjenje said.
Conference "BiH in Europe - link diversity," began in Sarajevo:
Conference "BiH in Europe - link diversity," began in Sarajevo on
Thursday, Sarajevo papers reported. Representatives of the Council of
Europe, Senior Deputy High Representative, Matthias Sonn, other
international community representatives as well as local officials will
take part in this conference. Sonn told the conference that unity in
diversities is the concept on which the future of Europe depends. Council
of Europe's Special Envoy said that Sarajevo is the perfect place for
promotion of diversty. The conference will continue on Friday, papers
said.
Meeting of the Economic Task Force
Glas srpski and Nezavisne novine report on the meeting of the Economic
Task Force that was held in Banja Luka yesterday.
The International institutions heard the RS Government's economic strategy
plan for this year.
"We realize that the Government inherited a very difficult situation but
from what we heard at his meeting, the Government obliged itself to the
creation of single market in BiH and it offered satisfactory economic
measures", said PDHR Ralph Johnson.
Johnson also expressed his satisfaction over a meeting of the two entity
Prime Ministers who discussed economic policies.
This meeting was attended by the members of the ETF (OHR, IMF, WB, USAID,
and donors) and the RS Government representatives.
UN Mission to BiH on Bratunac case
Glas srpski quotes UNMIBH spokesperson Doug Coffman's statement on
Bratunac case:
"The local police in Bratunac have submitted a crime report to the
Bijelina District Court against 14 individuals for their participation in
the hostile gathering in front of the Bratunac local police station that
occurred last Friday. The charge was Article 363 of the RS Criminal Code,
"enabling the escape of persons deprived of Freedom". The ringleader is
in police custody and the Prosecutor is requesting the investigative judge
to thoroughly investigate all 14 perpetrators.
Arrest warrants have been issued for the three suspects Mirko Todorovic,
Zoran Gvozdenovic and Zoran Milosaljevic, who participated on the March
15th shooting of a vehicle in which several Bosniac DP's were in. After
being released from police custody due to the violent protests outside of
the Bratunac police station the three are believed to have fled to
Yugoslavia."
|
