- Slobodan Milosevic arrest:
- Slobodan Milosevic, former Yugoslav President arrested
- Former FRY President Slobodan Milosevic apprehended
- Vladan Batic, Serbian Justice Minister on arrest of Milosevic
- Vojislav Kostunica, FRY President on arrest of Milosevic
- Carla Del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor at the Hague Tribunal on arrest of
Milosevic
- The US President George Bush Welcomed the Arrest of Slobodan
Milosevic
- Wolfgang Petritsch, High Representative to BiH on arrest of Slobodan
Milosevic
- Reactions of the RS Politicians on Arrest of Slobodan Mlosevic
- BiH/Central institutions:
- Edhem Bicakcic files a complaint to BiH Constitutional Court
- BIH Parliament House of People confirmed the election of two new
members of BiH Presidency:
- BiH State Border Service takes over the Neum border crossing:
- Self-censorship: 'Media in Mostar are controlled by the current
authorities, and those in Sarajevo by the High Representative!'
- Federation:
- Livno: The Associations from the Homeland War continue to occupy
military facilities in the Canton - The premises of the Command of the 1st
Guard's Brigade occupied
- The statute made President Isakovic angry
- The HR expressed his readiness for a political dialog: The dialog is
the only way out from the crises
- Headquarters for support of disbanded HVO troops established:
- RS:
- Momcilo Krajisnik and Biljana Plavsic before the Hague Tribunal on
April 4th
- International community:
- The High Representative says idea to change borders in the Balkans
is wrong:
- OHR supervisor says 4,000 Bosniaks will return to Foca this year:
- Senior Deputy High Representative says the international community
will not tolerate establishment of a para-state:
|
Slobodan Milosevic arrest related issues:
Slobodan Milosevic, former Yugoslav President arrested
The attention of media over the weekend was focused on the arrest of
Slobodan Milosevic, former President of Yugoslavia. Milosevic who was
arrested on Sunday in Belgrade by Yugoslav authorities, is indicted by The
Hague Tribunal but it is still unclear will Yugoslavia cooperate and will
Milosevic stand trial for war crimes. He is being held in Belgrade on
charges of corruption and abuse of power.
Sarajevo papers on Monday continued to report on the front pages on the
Milosevic arrest. They carry various reactions of local and international
officials on the arrest.
Former FRY President Slobodan Milosevic Apprehended
Both RS dailies (Glas srpski and Nezavisne novine) extensively report on
apprehension of Former FRY President Slobodan Milosevic.
Milosevic was apprehended Sunday morning, sometime before 5, 00 AM and
taken to Central Prison in Belgrade. The dailies report that there was no
resistance or application of means of enforcement during the arrest.
Warrant for arrest of Milosevic was issued because of crimes committed
violating the Article 26. of FRY Criminal Code (gaining of property in an
illegal fashion and misuse of position).
Toma Fila, Milosevic's lawyer stated that Milosevic would be detained for
30 days, to which decision Fila said would file a complaint.
Vladan Batic, Serbian Justice Minister on arrest of Milosevic
Nezavisne novine and Glas srpski:
Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic stated that initiation of procedure
against former FRY President Slobodan Milosevic had no political dimension
nor it was connected to the 31 March deadline, set by the US
Administration to the FRY authorities.
At he press conference Batic denied possibility of Milosevic's extradition
to the Hague Tribunal due to the lack of appropriate legislation (Law on
Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal). Passing of this Law was scheduled
after elections in Montenegro.
Vojislav Kostunica, FRY President on arrest of Milosevic
Glas srpski and Nezavisne novine carry statement f FRY President Vojislav
Kostunica commenting arrest of the Former President Slobodan MIlosevic"
"Slobodan Milosevic alike any other man is not worth civil conflicts and
bloodshed. Nobody should be untouchable. An individual should not
jeopardize general or national interest of a state."
Carla Del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor at the Hague Tribunal on arrest of
Milosevic
Glas srpski and Nezavisne novine carry a statement of the Hague Tribunal's
Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte to the AP:
"Former FRY President can be trial for ordinary criminal in Belgrade but
should, after that, be extradited to the Hague where he would have trial
for war crimes. I think that, in a next couple of months , maybe to the
end of the year, MIlosevic should be extradited to the Hague."
The US President George Bush Welcomed Arrest of Slobodan Milosevic
Both RS dailies carry statement of the US President George Bush over
arrest of the Former FRY President Slobodan Milosevic. The US President,
George Bush, expressed his encouragement over the beginning of cooperation
between the FRY and the Hague Tribunal. He has also called upon the FRY
President, Vojislav Kostunica, to make sure that his predecessor, Slobodan
Milosevic, is brought before justice in The Hague, RS's Glas srpski and
Nezavisne novine carry.
Wolfgang Petritsch, High Representative to BiH on arrest of Slobodan
Milosevic
Both RS dailies (Glas srpski page 3; Nezavisne novine page 4 with HR's
photo) and Sarajevo dailies carry the OHR Press release.
Reactions of the RS Politicians on Arrest of Slobodan Milosevic
Glas srpski and Nezavisne novine carry reactions of the RS politicians to
arrest of Milosevic given to SRNA"
The BiH Presidency Chair Zivko Radisic expressed satisfaction that the
arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic ended up
peacefully. He said that the Milosevic's arrest was a confirmation of the
existence of a legal state and that no one was not and could not be
above the law and the Constitution gal institutions.
President Mirko Sarovic thinks the arrest of former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic was an internal matter of Serbia and
expressed satisfaction that the major crisis was avoided. Whole event of
the arrest should not be used as a political tool but should to be treated
as the question of democracy, law and justice.
The RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic believes the arrest of former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic was internal matter of Serbia and FRY. In his
opinion it is of great importance there were no casualties during the
arrest and no major clashes although it did not seem that way in the
beginning.
BiH/Central institutions related issues:
Edhem Bicakcic files a complaint to BiH Constitutional Court
Oslobodjenje over the weekend reported that Edhem Bicakcic, former
Federation Prime Minister who was removed from the post of the Director of
Elektroprivreda by the High Representative has filed a complaint to this
Petritsch's decision to the BiH Constitutional Court. The 11-page
complaint said that the High Representative by his action has violated a
number of Constitutional Courts decision as well as the European
Convention of Human Rights.
Bicakcic also finds Petritsch's decision unconstitutional and asked the
Court to take his complaint into consideration, Oslobodjenje said.
BIH Parliament House of People confirmed the election of two new members
of BiH Presidency:
Sarajevo papers over the weekend reported that BiH Parliament House of
People has confirmed the election of Beriz Belkic and Jozo Krizanovic as
members of BiH Presidency. The House on Friday has confirmed that Belkic
and Krizanovic are the replacements for Halid Genjac and ousted Ante
Jelavic and are the new Bosniak and Croat member of the Presidency. The
High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch has congratulated the duo and said
that he expects that the Presidency will actively promote urgently needed
reforms in BiH, papers said.
BiH State Border Service takes over the Neum border crossing:
Dnevni Avaz reported that BiH State Border Service has taken over the
border crossing in Neum. The service will control 60 kilometers of land
and 12 kilometer of sea border in Neum, officials said. This takeover is
especially important because Neum is on a tourist route on the Adriatic
coast, Dnevni Avaz said.
Self-censorship: 'Media in Mostar are controlled by the current
authorities, and those in Sarajevo by the High Representative!'
Otvorene Novine reported that a survey conducted four years ago among the
students of journalism in Mostar, showed that the students here are much
more sensitive to the issues of Croat national interests than are, for
example, their colleagues in Croatia, and that they place those issues
before the principles of the profession they are educated for.
Journalists are placed before the unnatural choice between the national
and professional ideals, which brings along many of the "deadly" sins of
the profession, and one of the most capital ones is self-censorship.
Jozo Pavkovic, the Head of the Vecernji List correspondent's office in
BiH: "Journalists often have problems with their colleagues who side with
certain political structures and are very sensitive to what does not suit
to those structures. On the other hand, when I arrive in Sarajevo, a few
colleagues reproach me for some coverage of mine, some article I did a
week before on a certain subject. When I asked my colleagues in Sarajevo
as to why none of them published the letter of the Bishops' Conference,
many of the journalists and editors told me that nothing that the High
Representative may dislike could be published. The media in BiH today are
edited by the High Representative alone! There is more censorship in the
Sarajevo media than there is self-censorship in the Croat journalists,
although both cases are deplorable and speak as to what kind of society we
live in."
Federation:
Livno: The Associations from the Homeland War continue to occupy military
facilities in the Canton - The premises of the Command of the 1st Guard's
Brigade occupied
" It is not even necessary to have a permit from the Municipality since
the municipal authority is also a consistent part of the Croat people,"
Dragan Konta, the Spokesman of the Livno HVIDRA said according to Split
daily Slobodna Dalmacija. When the representatives of the Association
entered the building of the Command of the 1st Guard's Unit 'Bruno Busic'
in Livno, one of the soldiers in charge of providing security measures in
the building warned them that his superiors had ordered him no to allow
any civilian enter the building. However, no one cared about his warning.
Without any incidents the representatives of the associations, along with
journalists, entered the building. The Cantonal Minister for defenders,
Mladen Djapic, joined them later and supported the move of the
associations. At a brief press conference, Dragan Konta, the Spokesman of
the Livno HVIDRA, called the Croat people for unity and persistence in
their struggle for their own benefit and said that the associations would
stay in the occupied premises until the Croat issues in BiH are finally
resolved in a political manner and until the HVO re-enter the premises.
The statute made President Isakovic angry
Zagreb daily Vecernji List reported that after four months suspension the
session of the Stolac Municipal Council was held. It lasted four hours and
it passed in a dynamic and sometimes heated atmosphere. The text of the
municipal budget for 2001 drew the attention. It amounts to modest
1,395.000 marks. The budget was finally adopted under a watchful eye of
the OSCE Representative.
The situation boiled when they started the discussion on the coordination
of the Statute of the Stolac Municipality with the Law on the Local
Self-rule. Revolted by the course of the session related with the Statute
of the Stolac Municipality, Kemal Isakovic, the President of the Municipal
Council, repeated ten times, at least, that he is the President of the
Council in Stolac, and after that he led the session rather nervously.
The HR expressed his readiness for a political dialog: The dialog is the
only way out from the crises
Vecernji list reported that members of the Main Board of the HDZ BiH
expressed their pleasure that the HR expressed his readiness for the
political dialogue as the only proper way out from the deep political and
institutional crisis. Perica Jurkovic, the Secretary General of the HDZ
BiH, reminded that the participation of the HDZ BiH in the process of a
full implementation of the Constitutional Court decision on the
constituency of the peoples on the whole BiH territory has never been put
into question.
'As the victorious party, we are aware of the obligation to represent and
stand for the interests of the Croat people and citizens, who elected us
as their legitimate Representatives, in all political negotiations.'
Along with the Platform for the Democratic and Self-sustainable BiH, as
the document of the Croat National Assembly, which came about as the
result of their attempt to find the solution for the internal organization
of BiH, they also handed over to the OHR the Platform for Negotiations
with the IC Representatives in BiH and other important subjects, issued on
March 22, 2001.
Headquarters for support of disbanded HVO troops established:
Sarajevo-based Onasa news agency reported on Monday that the associations
formed in the Central Bosnia Canton after the war in BiH have established
headquarters for the protection of the identity and Croat national
interests in all municipalities in the Canton in
order to provide support to the disbanded soldiers of the Vitez's 3rd
Corps and
the 1st Guard Motorized Brigade.
According to a coordinator of the headquarters, Ante Jakic, all
temporary
disbanded soldiers from the Croat Defense Council (HVO) are
"automatically
members of the branch offices of the Association of Volunteers and
Veterans,"
and the Association "takes over the care and the responsibility for them."
He said he believed SFOR will "bring the soldiers of the Bosniak
component
of the Federation Army to the barracks where the HVO has been deployed so
far,"
because the barracks are currently guarded by "several soldiers
who have
expressed loyalty to their Croat peoples."
"We are afraid that SFOR and illegitimate representatives will
come and
force the soldiers to withdraw from the guard in the 3rd Corps," Jakic
said.
Estimating that this would mean the "occupation," he said the
municipal
headquarters for the protection of the identity and Croat national
interests are
"the only institutions that will make sure that Federation Defense
Minister Mijo
Anic and newly appointed Commander of the 3rd Guard Motorized Brigade
Marinko
Palavra, under the Federation insignia, do not bring Muslims into the
Croat
barracks."
Jakic said the headquarters have warned that SFOR would be
responsible for
all possible consequences provoked by the entrance of the Bosniaks
into the
Croat barracks.
"If this happens, the headquarters will first try to, through
SFOR, make
them leave, because they do not belong here, and if SFOR and the
international
community do not expel them, I do not know what will happen then," Jakic
said.
RS related issues:
Momcilo Krajisnik and Biljana Plavsic before the Hague Tribunal on April
4th
Both RS dailies report on the first appearance of the former RS President
Biljana Plavsic and the former member of the Presidency of BiH Momcilo
Krajisnik before the Hague Tribunal, on Wednesday, 4 April. They are
accused of genocide and crimes against the humanity in BiH during 1991 and
1992. This appearance is part of the preparation process for the start of
the trial.
RS related issues:
The High Representative says idea to change borders in the Balkans is
wrong:
"There will not be a new Dayton," Dnevni Avaz's Monday's front page
quotes the High Representative as saying. Wolfgang Petritsch in an
interview told the daily that the idea to change borders in the Balkans is
wrong and what BiH and the Balkans need is Europezation what represents a
guarantee for future regional stability.
The High Representative also said that he welcomes the arrest of Slobodan
Milosevic adding that this is a positive step.
Petritsch also said that the arrest shows that "no one is above law,"
and that this especially goes for war-time Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan
Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
"Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot fully concentrate on building
their future until they clear the things from the past," the High
Representative told Dnevni Avaz.
OHR supervisor says 4,000 Bosniaks will return to Foca this year:
The OHR's supervisor in Foca, George Vlachogiannis told Dnevni Avaz that
it is expected that some 4,000 Bosniaks will return to this town.
Vlachogiannis said that funds are needed for the reconstruction of houses
and apartments in Foca and for the revival of economy in the region. He
expects that in addition to the aid from European Union he hopes that
western countries will individually donate money for Foca. According to
him 500 Bosniak families have returned to the Foca region so far, mainly
to the surrounding villages.
Senior Deputy High Representative says the international community not
tolerate establishment of para-state:
Senior Deputy High Representative, Matthias Sonn during his Friday visit
to Mostar said that "the international community will not tolerate the
establishment of an unconstitutional and possibly criminal para-state in
BiH," Dnevni Avaz reported on Saturday.
Sonn said that the future the HDZ is now offering to Bosnian Croats is a
future of poverty and isolation from the rest of BiH and Crotia as well.
|
