- BiH/Central institutions:
- BiH Ambassador to the UN involved in embezzlement of $6,5 million;
- SDA Threatens To Walk Out of Parliament Over Election Results
Implementation;
- BiH Parliament's House of Peoples to endorse candidates for the BiH
Presidency;
- BiH Council of Ministers to consider 60 draft and proposed laws in
2001;
- HDZ-related News:
- Croat National Assembly claims that 8,000 Croat soldiers walked out
of HVO barracks;
- Army for Sale?;
- Removed HVO officer denies receiving any pay for his loyalty to the
HNS;
- Headquarters for Defense of identity and national interests of
Croats asks for formation of municipal headquarters;
- Croat Associations and Institutions support Croat National Assembly;
- International Community asks Zagreb to revoke Croatian diplomatic
passports to HDZ officials;
- OHR: HDZ rejects offer for Dialogue;
- SDHR Matthias Sonn concerned about HDZ actions;
- US Ambassador to BiH says the HDZ is acting as the third entity
already exists;
- ICG Balkans Program Director: Decisions of the HDZ were prepared in
advance;
- Zagrebacka Banka : No unusual cash transfers from Herzegovina;
- Federation:
- Federation government: OHR finally agreed to pay financial
obligations for their local employees;
- International Community:
- OHR: There can be no restitution without a financial program;
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BiH State Institutions-related Issues
BiH Ambassador to the UN involved in embezzlement of $6,5 million:
The main news in the Federation media today is the report that the former
BiH Ambassador to the UN, Muhamed Sacirbegovic, is involved in the
embezzlement of $6,5 million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs budget
and donation funds. According to Sarajevo dailies, the BiH Ministry filed
on Thursday a criminal charge against Sacirbegovic for the abuse of office
and irresponsible business behavior. A three-members commission of the
Foreign Ministry, which was in charge of investigating the allegations,
confirmed that Sacirbegovic frequently withdrew funds from the Ministry's
account, failed to justify his expenditures, while the his financial books
also contain numerous inconstancies.
SDA Threatens To Walk Out of Parliament Over Election Results
Implementation:
The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) threatened yesterday to withdraw its
delegates from the BiH and BiH Federation Parliaments unless a revision of
implementation of the election results in legislative authorities takes
place. "The implementation of results in the authorities is not proceeding
in accordance with results of the November elections. That is why we ask
for revision, i.e., the re-elections for certain posts," SDA
Vice-President Sulejman Tihic told a news briefing. "We do accept the
principle of majority in the executive authorities, but we cannot do that
in the legislative authorities," Tihic said, adding that all positions in
the legislative authorities are controlled by the Alliance for Changes
after the November elections. Asked by a journalist if this request and
the subsequent re-election could provoke a new crisis or a blockade of
institutions, Tihic said that this is unnecessary, and that, if there is
good will, the re-election could be completed in 15 minutes. He added that
it could be a matter of agreement which functions in authority would go to
SDSA representatives.
BiH Parliament's House of Peoples to endorse candidates for the BiH
Presidency:
At a session held today in Sarajevo the BiH Parliament's House of Peoples
confirmed the election of new Croat and Bosniak members of the BiH
Presidency, Jozo Krizanovic and Beriz Belkic, who were endorsed by the
House of Representatives on Tuesday. "We are expecting that the new
members of the Presidency take an oath some time next week," Boris
Kujundzic, the Presidency spokesman told the press. However, it appears
that there is a slight confusion as to before whom the new members, if
confirmed, need to give their oath - before the both chambers of the
Parliament or only one.
BiH Council of Ministers to consider 60 draft and proposed laws in 2001:
The BiH Council of Ministers designed yesterday a plan of legislating
activities for the year 2001. According to media, the Council is to
consider 60 draft and/or proposed laws, including the Elections Law, by
the end of this year and forward them further into the parliamentary
procedure. The CoM also decided that the Ministry of Treasury should, in
accordance with the budget, pay the first batch of funds which are
directed to the Human Rights Chamber in order to make its work more
efficient.
HDZ-related News:
Croat National Assembly claims that 8,000 Croat soldiers walked out of HVO
barracks:
According to a Croat National Assembly (HNS) statement, members of the
Croat component of the Federation Army complied with decisions of
"legitimate representatives of their people" and temporarily left their
respective military formations. HVO senior officers confirmed to the HNS
that by 14 hours on March 29, only 50 Croat soldiers remained in the HVO
barracks, however, they too are preparing to leave. "Despite various
misinformation, pressures and blackmails of the illegal Federation
Ministry of Defense, about 8,000 members of the HVO complied with the
advise of the Croat National Assembly," read the statement. The HNS also
said that soldiers will remain out of their barracks until the political
situation in the country is resolved.
Spokesman of the SFOR in BiH, Andrew Coxhead, could not confirm this
information or the number of Croat soldiers who allegedly abandoned their
barracks.
Croat National Assembly also accused the Federation Defense Minster, Mijo
Anic, of trying to manipulate the HVO soldiers in order to fill the now
empty HVO barracks. "Had Mr. Anic considered himself a legitimate Defense
Minister, he would use his commanding authority instead of casual media
plea to conscripts to fill the abandoned HVO barracks," said the HNS in a
separate statement.
Army for Sale?:
According to Slobodna Dalmacija, certain HVO officers now loyal to the
Croat National Assembly accused Federation Army (FA) and Ministry of
Defense officials of offering bribes to demobilized or retired officers
and promising them high ranking positions in the Federation Army. HVO
General Zlatan Mijo Jelic, who resigned his post in the FA and declared
loyalty to the HNS, told the press yesterday that the money for the
alleged bribes has been secured by the Federation Defense Ministry.
However, the Minister of Defense, Mijo Anic, strongly rejected these
allegations dismissing them as the propaganda of the National Security
Service, who is primarily responsible for the bribes and threats to Croat
soldiers in the FA. Anic said that not a single Defense Ministry assistant
has a personal car or any other privileges, since their disloyal HVO
predecessors took all cars, computers and mobile telephones with them to
Mostar.
Removed HVO officer denies receiving any pay for his loyalty to the HNS:
The former commander of the Fourth Guardian Corps of the Federation Army,
brigadier Ivica Filipovic, stationed in the Bosanska Posavina region,
denied the allegations in the daily press according to which the removed
officers had received considerable sums of money in order to implement the
conclusions and decisions of the Croat National Assembly. He also refuted
the allegations that the soldiers of the Guardian Corps were paid their
salaries yesterday. In his statement, he accused the new Ministry of
Defense that it deliberately refused to pay the December salaries earlier
in order to render the loyalty to the Ministry more attractive. He added
that the new minister and the commanding structure are unprincipled
because in offering the new contract for signature they give the salary
earned under the old contract.
Headquarters for Defense of identity and national interests of Croats asks
for formation of municipal headquarters:
The Headquarters for Defense of Identity and National Interests of Croats
in BiH invited local associations of victims of Homeland War to create
municipal headquarters and staff them with Croat representatives of
institutions [does not specify which institutions]. The headquarters also
asked the Federation Defense Minister, Mijo Anic, to cease issuing orders,
and to withdraw those already made. The organization also called all
officers to "return and stay with their own people, so as to avoid being
stigmatized."
Croat Associations and Institutions support Croat National Assembly:
Habena news agency carries a list of various Croat associations and
institutions which have expressed their support to the decisions of the
Croat National Assembly:
- Sarajevo Association of Croat invalids of the Homeland War
- West Herzegovina Association of Croat invalids of the Homeland War
- Herzegovina-Neretva cantonal council of youth and the HDZ of
Hercegovina-Neretva canton
- Zepce Association of families of fallen and missing Croat soldiers
- Siroki Brijeg associations sprang forth from the Homeland war
- Herzeg-Bosna canton associations sprang forth from the homeland war
- HVIDRA Orasje
- Coordination of associations sprang froth from the Homeland war
- Posavina association of Homeland War veterans and valunteers
- Steering Board of the Public Company "Zeljezara HB" (Steelworks),
Mostar
- Cantonal center for observation and informing of Central Bosnia
canton
- Croat Demo-Christians
International Community asks Zagreb to revoke Croatian diplomatic
passports to HDZ officials:
Diplomatic sources in Sarajevo told Dnevni Avaz that the International
Community asked Zagreb (Croatia) authorities to revoke diplomatic
passports to dismissed HDZ officials, Ante Jelavic, Ivo Andric Luzanski,
Zdravko Batinic, and Marko Tokic. The same source said that the four could
soon be proclaimed personae non grata, i.e., could find themselves on the
EU list of persons who are denied travel visas. "Since most of these
officials have Croatian diplomatic or service passports, they do not need
visas for entering most Western countries. It would be pointless to place
them on the lists of people who are denied visas, since they do not need
them. That is why we asked the Croatian authorities, on several occasions,
to take away Croatian passports from these officials," the same source
said. He added that the Croatian government is not very willing to do
this, since this act could have very unpleasant consequences for it. The
Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the HDZ could confirm Avaz story.
OHR: HDZ rejects offer for Dialogue:
According to the OHR, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, is
concerned that yet another offer he has made to the HDZ to represent the
interest of the Croats of BiH and address all matters of concerns with
legal structures, has not yet been answered. All Federation and RS
electronic and some print media (Avaz) carry the OHR press release. In addition, all media reported that OHR spokesperson
Alexandra Stiglmayer denied the claims of The Financial Times that the
High Representative will meet an HDZ member and the HNS negotiating team
leader, Martin Raguz. Stiglmayer explained that the OHR could only meet
Raguz as a moderate representative of the HDZ, but not as a representative
of the so-called Croat self-rule.
SDHR Matthias Sonn concerned about HDZ actions:
Commenting the present political situation in BiH, the Senior Deputy High
Representative, Matthias Sonn, told the press in Mostar that he is
concerned that the former leadership of the HDZ undertook measures which
are detrimental to the vital interests of the Croat people in BiH. "The
OHR has indicated on several occasions that the doors are wide open for
Croats, including those who are in the HDZ, as long as they stick to legal
BiH and Federation institutions which could protect the interests of
Croats," said Sonn.
US Ambassador to BiH says the HDZ is acting as the third entity already
exists:
In an interview with Slobodna Dalmacija, the US ambassador to BiH, Thomas
Miller, said that he is very concerned about the present political
situation in BiH. "I think the situation is really serious, especially
since there is a political party which is behaving as the third entity
already exists. Commenting on the fact that numerous soldiers of the Croat
component of the Federation Army are leaving their barracks, Miller said
that this is very unfortunate, in particular since there are reports of
frequent bribery and intimidation. "We have heard about the pressures
exerted on the soldiers and officers of the Croat component of the
Federation Army to make them do whatever the third entity wants them to
do," said Miller, and added that he just learned that one of the former FA
officers, now loyal to the HNS, Slavko Marin, was just given a new flat in
Mostar. He said that he cannot understand why Croats refused to sit around
a table and discuss problems which are bothering them.
"I think that the people in the HDZ who are not involved in crimes and who
are, in fact, people of good will, but are caught in between two boulders,
should reach an agreement and decide about their future. I think they are
in a very difficult position, having the leadership such as Sopta,
Jelavic, Rojs and others - of course I can keep naming - who are involved
in criminal actions, but they have to resolve it on their own, instead of
asking us to do it for them," said Miller.
ICG Balkans Program Director: Decisions of the HDZ were prepared in
advance:
In an interview with Zagreb's Vjesnik, the director of the ICG's Balkans
Program, Mark Thompson, said that decisions of the HDZ BiH were most
likely prepared in advance. "The OSCE decision to change the elements of
the election procedure before the last elections served as an excuse and
Ante Jelavic took advantage of it. The fact that they did it is a
reflection of a certain success of the international organizations, during
the past few years, in their attempts to strengthen the Bosnian central
institutions and marginalize certain groups within BiH, which are, let us
say, 'anti-Bosnian', because they do not want that BiH functions as a
state which can be a normal member of the international community.
According to the reports I have read, they were unofficially reconsidering
the proposals on the BiH cantonisation. It is ironic that the same terms
are being used in Mostar and Zagreb, from the parties that are definitely
not natural allies. It is a challenge for the international community to
deal with the realistic and legitimate fears of the Bosnian Croats, which
are smaller in number than Bosniaks and Croats, and to try to legalize the
HDZ BiH at the same time.
The illegal financing sources of the HDZ BiH should be cut and it
primarily means an efficient operation of the Federation Customs. The
Croatian Government has to do everything they can, from their side of the
border, in order to prevent illegal operations. This should be demanded
from Croatia, as the DPA guarantor and a mature member of the
international community."
Zagrebacka Banka : No unusual cash transfers from Herzegovina:
In reaction to the article published in Sarajevo Oslobodjenje yesterday
saying that bags of Dollars are being taken out of Herzegovina and
transferred to Croatia, Hrvoje Poljak, the Director of the Office for
Corporation Communications of the Zagrebacka Bank said that there have
been no unusual cash transferred from Herzegovina." However, since
Zagrebacka Banka took over a part of property and liabilities of the
Tuzlanska Banka, which is filing for bankruptcy, the former has been
transferring large sums of money to the region of the Tuzla Canton, in
order to pay out the depositors. "Thus, one can only say that the Bank has
recently sent huge amounts of cash to the BiH Federation, but absolutely
not that it has received any," said Poljak.
"This is absolutely an inaccurate information, a mere canard. We even went
through all the statements of account in order to check if a considerable
amount arrived at the very last moment. However, there was no unusual cash
income from BiH," said Kristina Laco, the Director of the Office for
Corporation Communications of the Zagreb-based Privredna Bank.
Federation:
Federation government: OHR finally agreed to pay financial obligations for
their local employees:
At its yesterday's session, the Federation government, among other things,
discussed the ways to more efficiently fill the Federation budget and
reduce illegal employment and corruption. In reference to that, media
reported that the government received support from the OHR who promised to
declare all of its local employees and to start paying "financial
obligations" for them. According to Oslobodjenje, there are about 20,000
employees with very high salaries.
According to BH Press, the Federation Finance Minister, Nikola Grabovac,
said on Thursday that an agreement has been reached with the OHR that
local employees within this organization start paying contributions
(pensions insurance) to their salaries. He added that this fits into the
entire concept of the new government - the enforcement of better financial
discipline.
"We cannot ask a worker from some factory to pay contributions, and an OHR
employee not to. OHR is the first one to understand this situation and is
ready to, together with us, sign an agreement about paying contributions
," Grabovac said, and added that this is a good signal for all others.
International Community :
OHR: There can be no restitution without a financial program:
OHR Spokesman Oleg Milisic told Dnevni Avaz that there is no law
stipulating that the entities have to undertake the restitution of
nationalized property, and that it is up to their respective governments
to pass laws in this field or not. Commenting on the statement of the
Minister of Urban Planning and Environment, Ramiz Mehmedagic, that his
ministry will soon submit the proposed restitution law to the government,
Milisic said that the Federation government would first have to create a
plan of possible financial consequences of such law. He said that OHR
representatives discussed this issue with experts from other countries and
learned about enormous costs of the restitution process. "The restitution
is very expensive and the entities should not take part in the
implementation of such law without a prior analysis of its financial
capabilities," said Milisic. He added that if the Federation government
accepts the text prescribing the natural restitution, it will have to
compensate the present occupancy rights holders. "There should be a legal
framework protecting these people, for example, a right to use these flats
for life, or certain restrictions on rents," said Milisic. He explained
that vakuf property should be treated equally as all other nationalized
units.
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