- BiH/Central institutions:
- Council of Minister to discuss the Elections Law on April 5;
- HDZ-related News:
- Over 7000 troops walk out of HVO barracks across the Federation;
- Federation Defense Minister sacks three more disloyal HVO
commanders;
- SFOR increases patrols in Herzegovina;
- Foreign currency rapidly being transferred from Herzegovina to
Croatia;
- Croat National Assembly preparing document for resolving the crisis
in BiH;
- Alternative Croat Coordination set up in Sarajevo;
- Globus: Plunder of the Decade: 105 million DM for Herceg-Bosna;
- Republika Srpska:
- SDS official comments on Petritsch's statement about SDS's
cooperation with the ICTY;
- International Community:
- Special Coordinator for the Stability Pact Bodo Hombach visits
Sarajevo;
- Wolfgang Petritsch meets EU Troika;
- Foreign minister, Hague tribunal's Del Ponte discuss closer
cooperation;
- Editorials:
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Herzegovinian records;
- Oslobodjenje: Self-rules;
|
BiH State Institutions-related Issues
Council of Minister to discuss the Elections Law on April 5:
During his meeting on Wednesday with members of both chambers in the BiH
Parliament, the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Bozidar Matic,
said that the Council of Ministers will discuss the Elections Law on April
5, and that its text should be submitted in the parliamentary procedure
some time in May. He stressed that the adoption of this Law is one of the
main requirements for the accession of BiH to the Council of Europe.
During the meeting, Matic asked deputies in both Houses to urgently place
17 laws imposed by the High Representative on the agenda for ratification.
He said that these laws must be adopted in the original text, and should
pass the parliamentary procedure as smoothly as possible. "There will be
no discussion on this issue," said Matic and added that whoever "opens his
mouth will do it for nothing". He stressed that these laws are major
embarrassment for BiH and are set in stone for now. "Procedure for their
change could be initiated only after the Parliament adopts them," said
Matic.
HDZ-related News:
Over 7000 troops walk out of HVO barracks across the Federation:
Habena news agency quotes the Command Headquarters of the Croat component
of the Federation Army (HVO) source as saying that over 7000 of total 8000
members of the HVO walked out of their barracks on Wednesday and went
homes. The Command explained that the barracks were sealed shut, while
only security guards and some SFOR troops remained on the sites in order
to secure the weapons. "Soldiers will stay home and will receive 500 KM in
pay, which was secured by the Croat National Assembly (HNS) until the
political solution of demands of the Croat people in BiH is reached,"
Drazenko Primorac, a senior HDZ official told the press yesterday.
This information about 7000 troops leaving the Federation Army has not
been officially confirmed by Federation Army or Ministry of Defense
officials, however reports about the increasing number of HVO barracks in
Orasje, Kiseljak, Posavina, and others being abandoned during Wednesday
confirm the seriousness of the situation.
Federation Defense Minister sacks three more disloyal HVO commanders:
The Federation Defense Minister, Mijo Anic, decided on Wednesday to
dismiss three additional HVO commanders who ceased to be loyal to the
Federation Army. Marinko Ljoljo and Mladen Nikolic, who commanded the
Third Guardian Corps and the Rapid Reaction Force, as well Ivan Antolovic
were removed from their post and adequately replaced. The Federation
Ministry also confirmed yesterday that it assumed control over the Fourth
Guardian Corps in Orasje, when 960 officers and soldiers declared their
loyaly to the Federation Army. However, the recently dismissed commander o
f this corps, Ivo Filipovic, denied this information, saying that over 90
percent of the soldiers and their superiors in this area decided to follow
orders of the Croat National Assembly and leave their barracks.
Meanwhile, the dismissed officer Marinko Ljojo told Slobodna Dalmacija
that certain FA military officials are going around the Federation
offering 10,000 KM to senior HVO officers in order to secure their
loyalty to the Federation Army and to "illegally elected Croat officials."
Ljoljo accused officers, Ljupko Rajic and Zivko Totic of those illegal
actions.
SFOR increases patrols in Herzegovina:
Jorg Lehmann, the Spokesman of the SFOR Multinational Division Southeast,
warned at the press conference on Wednesday, that SFOR holds 'any
independent military structure of BiH Croats' unacceptable. " SFOR will
not recognize such an organization. He confirmed that SFOR is closely
monitoring the developments in the Southeast Sector and that it increased
a number and frequency of patrols in the region. "SFOR supports all the
efforts to bring back the political stability into the lives of those
serving in the Army of the BiH Federation, especially in the Croat
component of the Army," Lehmann said. He emphasized that SFOR 'recognizes
only the mandates of the members of the BiH Presidency, Defense Ministry
of the BiH Federation and Joint HQ of the Federation Army in Sarajevo.'
Foreign currency rapidly being transferred from Herzegovina to Croatia:
According to Oslobodjenje sources, several international and Federation
financial institutions are presently investigating more frequent cases of
large transfers of foreign currency from accounts in the main banks in
Herzegovina to the Republic of Croatia. The same source told the daily
that only in the past few days several million DM have been deposited into
accounts of Zegrebacka Banka in Capljina. Most of these funds apparently
originated in Herzegovina. Oslobodjenje also reports that several million
US dollars have been airlifted during the last week from Mostar to Zagreb.
Most of this money has been apparently withdrawn from Hercegovacka Banka,
which has been (in) famous for hosting HDZ accounts of dubious nature.
Croat National Assembly preparing document for resolving the crisis in
BiH:
According to Oslobodjenje, an expert team of the Croat National Assembly
(HNS) has been preparing a document titled "Provisional Basis for
overcoming the present political and constitutional crisis in BiH" which,
as its name suggests, would provide for the resolution of the current
difficult political situation in the country. Sources close to the HNS
told the daily that the document would offer the very minimum conditions
to which this body would agree. Among other things, the HNS suggests that
the International Community should cease penalizing officials of the Croat
self-rule since this could only lead to the political and economic
instability and social uprising. Furthermore, the HNS would demand that
the OHR withdraws all decisions pertaining to the self-rule in BiH. The
document would also suggest the consistent implementation of the
"constituent peoples" decision of the Constitutional Court and the
standardization of human and citizens' rights in the country. According to
Oslobodjenje, the HNS will ask for the creation of the two chamber
parliaments in both entities, with House of Peoples which would include
even number of Croat, Bosniak and Serb deputies. Moreover, the election
law would be changed so as to enable each people to elect its own
representatives in the institutions of authority. Zagreb's Vecernji List
reports that the same document proposes either the cantonization of BiH or
the creation of the state with three federal units, in the case that the
International Community "continues showing unwillingness to implment the
CC decision. Oslobodjenje source said that the final draft of this
document should be completed by the end of this week, however, it is not
certain as to when it will be presented to the public.
Alternative Croat Coordination set up in Sarajevo:
The New Croat Initiative (NHI), Croat National Union (HNZ), Croat Peasant
Party (HSS), Croat National Council, Work for Prosperity, Forum 2000, and
the Croat Forum 2000 formed yesterday a Croat coordination, which is to
coordinate activities of individual political parties and non-governmental
organizations. Former rector of the Mostar University, Marko Tadic, was
elected the first president, while this post will rotate among member
every month. Ilija Simic of the HSS said that by creation of this body,
initiators wanted to show that there are still respectable Croat parties
and organizations in BiH who think differently that the HDZ. Dnevni Avaz
reports that there are indication that the Coordination could be a nucleus
of a future political party, but these speculations cold not be officially
confirmed. Media agree that this body could change a great deal in lives
of Croats.
Globus: Plunder of the Decade: 105 million DM for Herceg-Bosna:
Globus quotes a documents showing how much money the INA(Croatian Oil
Industry) lost in its business transactions with numerous companies in
Herzegovina and with the authorities of the so called Herzeg-Bosnia in the
period between 1995 and 1998, when high shipments of fuel were sent to the
HVO, the Interior Ministry of the Croat Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, the
Monitor company [owned by Ljubo Cesic Rojs], Ante Jelavic, and even to
Radovan Karadzic in the Republika Srpska.
In a recent political broadcast of Radio Dubrovnik, Ivo Jurisic, the
Director of the INA affiliate in BiH (Interina), who was a close associate
of the INA Director Andrija Kojakovic before the latter assumed the post
of the Ambassador in London, admitted in cold blood that 105 million DEM
disappeared without a trace!
The debts of the HVO and the Herzeg-Bosnia Interior Ministry were taken
over by the Construction Company Monitor, owned by General Ljubo Cesic
Rojs. Back in 1997, INA claimed 5.83 million DEM from Monitor, 101,000 DEM
from the Aluminium Factory, and 18,000 DEM from the Vrhbosna Archdiocese,
and what they collected was 0 DEM.
During the period of major hostilities, while one fourth of Croatia was
still occupied, cisterns from Trebinje with signs written in the Cyrillic
script, but with the HVO registration plates and an escort of the HVO
Military Police, were transporting fuel day and night from Rogotin, via
Stolac and on to Trebinje for a month and a half. The mass-scale
transportation did not go unnoticed by the population and the Croatian
Army members at the checkpoints around Stolac were watching the enemies
supplying themselves with fuel. The formal "importer" for Bosnia and
Herzegovina was a certain Circle International. The company sprang up
during the war, under the influence of Jadranko Prlic and Vladimir Soljic.
Where did the large amounts of fuel, delivered to the HVO, end up? It is
assumed that a considerable part of it was sold on the black market,
through various political power-wielders in Herzeg-Bosnia, and another
part to the Republika Srpska during the oil embargo. According to some
information, some of the fuel which was ordered from INA for years without
ever paying for it, was used, and the other part of it was sold on the
other side of the front line.
Republika Srpska:
SDS official comments on Petritsch's statement about SDS's cooperation
with the ICTY:
Today's addition of Nezavisne Novine carried fist reactions of RS
politicians to the recent statement of the High Representative that the
SDS should make good on its promises to cooperate with The Hague Tribunal
and deliver Radovan Karadzic, perhaps the most high profile BiH war crime
suspect. Commenting on HR's statement, Nedjeljko Djekanovic, a member of
the SDS Executive Board, said that Petritsch is entitled to say whatever
he wants and whenever he finds it necessary. "Do you think that someone
from the SDS will arrest and deliver people to the ICTY? The SDS is a
political organization which has its program. We work normally, we do not
arrest," said Djekanovic, and added that there are bodies who are in
charge of apprehension of indicted war criminals. Asked to comment whether
the document signed by the SDS in December implied the apprehension of
Karadzic, Djekanovic asked " Do you think that the SDS singed this
document in order to have Karadzic arrested?," and added that the document
implied the cooperation between the RS institutions and the ICTY.
Commenting on Petritsch's suggestion that the SDS expels Karadzic from the
party, Dejkanovic asked "What would the formal exclusion really mean?"
International Community :
Special Coordinator for the Stability Pact Bodo Hombach visits Sarajevo:
All Federation media reported on yesterday's visit of the Special
Coordinator for the Stability Pact, Bodo Hombach, to Sarajevo. During his
stay in the BiH capital, Hombach met with the BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko
Lagumdzija and the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch. Only
electronic media in the Federation and all RS dailies reported on the
latter meeting. See the OHR press release.
Wolfgang Petritsch meets EU Troika:
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, held yesterday a high level
talks with senior European Union officials and discussed the issue of
illegal migration. Only Oslobodjenje carried the OHR press release.
Foreign minister, Hague tribunal's Del Ponte discuss closer cooperation
The Hague tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, and BiH Foreign
Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija have agreed at a meeting in Sarajevo that it
was important to draw up an umbrella law on the cooperation between
Bosnia-Hercegovina and the tribunal, which would "improve the
cooperation", a statement by Lagumdzija's office says. It adds that Del
Ponte said that the tribunal was prepared to help find the funds for the
protection of the tribunal's witnesses. During the talks it was said that
the issue of a liaison officer with the tribunal would be seriously
considered. According to Del Ponte, the liaison officers, one from each of
the nations, should have equal conditions for work with the tribunal.
Editorials:
Slobodna Dalmacija: Herzegovinian records
By Petar Milos
The Croat people in BiH have only one problem. Instead of thinking about
jobs, salaries, education of their children, reconstruction of the roads,
sports, theatre, they are concerned about one problem, and that is their
national equality and survival. The jeopardized position makes (almost)
all of them united in one family. And when they collectively try to ask
for their national rights, then the international administrators call it
nationalism, chauvinism and even fascism.
Please, how can such a small people, who is disappearing, be imputed
conquering intentions. Whom can they occupy and who said that? Why doesn't
anybody want to hear what they are asking for? Do they think that a huge
majority of the Croat employees in the state administration are ready to
leave their job and salary for some exhibitionism and provoking of the
international community? No, they just want to warn the world about their
position. Some leading persons from Croatia even accuse Herzegovinians
that they want to be occupied by Croatians. I do not know where they read
it. Didn't they massively vote at the referendum for BiH? But not for this
kind of BiH. They want to be equal and live in a state with a thousand of
problems, in which they will think about their job, computers, salary,
roads, sports, culture...They want a state in which they will not need
their relatives to help them survive.
Oslobodjenje: Self-rules
By Zija Dizdarevic
BY electing new members of the BiH Presidency, the Democratic Alliance for
Change will start ruling the main state institutions. Beriz Belkic and
Jozo Krizanovic should replace Halid Genjac and Ante Jelavic... Finally,
the collective head of the state will be without the troika SDA, HDZ and
SDA which has been dictating the fate of the this country for more then a
decade...
However, the Alliance is powerless in the RS and on the territory which is
under the control of the HDZ. The High Representative, Wolfgang
Petritsch, is the key subject in shaping the post-electoral ambiance. The
RS and the SDS should be forced to change their behavior towards the
constitutional changes which would ensure the constituent status of
Bosniaks and Croats in the RS. The confrontation with the "Croat
self-rule" is still ahead of us, while the question of the abandoned HDZ
seats in the Parliaments is lingering. At this time of "self-rules" it is
up to Petritsch to prove himself the strongest "self-ruler".
|
