- BiH/Central institutions:
- New member of BiH Presidency removes two high-ranked Croat officers
from their posts:
- BiH Presidency holds first consultative meeting, sets its
priorities:
- BiH Foreign Minister visits Germany:
- Communication regulatory Agency to issue licenses to GSM operators
in BiH:
- Bozidar Matic, the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers: BiH
does not have an army, but three party phalanxes
- Federation:
- War-time commander of BiH Army in Srebrenica testifies in front of
The Hague Tribunal prosecutors in Sarajevo:
- Croat police officials do not acknowledge Federation authority
- Mostar: Croat National Assembly publishes its Platform for a
Democratic and Self-sustainable BiH - Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and other
peoples in BiH are ready to ensure full national equality
- Mostar: HDZ BiH Secretary General Perica Jurkovic writes to the High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch - Platform for Democratic BiH is a
document of the Croat National Assembly
- Sarajevo: Cardinal Puljic meets SFOR representatives - Fear of a
repeated migration of Croats
- RS:
- RS Pensioners Will Get Paid on Monday
- Republika Srpska National Assembly to Convene in Ten Days
- March passed and no one has been buried in the Potocari cemetery
- International community:
- OHR Special Envoy in Bijeljina denies rumors:
- Head of OSCE Mission to BiH supports Federation Defense Minister:
- Matthias Sonn, the Senior Deputy High Representative, strongly
criticises the behaviour of the HDZ leading officials - International
community cannot accept an unconstitutional state in BiH
- Head of OSCE announces departure:
- Brcko District:
- In Brcko District 29 judges sworn in:
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BiH/Central institutions related issues:
New member of BiH Presidency removes two high-ranked Croat officers from
their posts:
Jozo Krizanovic, recently appointed member of BiH Presidency decided to
remove General Zlatan Mijo Jelic and Colonel Mario Bradara from their
posts in the Federation Army, Dnevni Avaz reported on Tuesday. Both
members of the Croat component of the Federation Army were removed for
abuse of office and failure to obey the subordination in the chain of
command. Both removed officers earlier rejected the new Federation Defense
Minister, Mijo Anic and the legal system of the joint command in the
Federation Army. Minister Anic called upon all Croat officers and
soldiers, members of the Croat component of the Federation Army, who left
their posts to return to their duties by mid-day Friday and renew their
contracts.
BiH Presidency holds first consultative meeting, sets its priorities:
BiH Presidency, after two new members were named last week, held the first
consultative meeting on Monday, Sarajevo papers said. It was agreed that
the first working meeting will be held on Thursday and that the current
political situation in BiH, especially the issues regarding the Croat
self-rule, will be discussed. The Presidency has also set its priorities
for the upcoming period, the priorities that will enable normal
functioning of the BiH state, the Presidency troika told reporters after
the meeting.
BiH Foreign Minister visits Germany:
BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija is on his way on a two-day
official visit to Germany, Sarajevo dailies reported. Lagumdzija will meet
a number of German officials as well as representatives of Volkswagen.
During his visit it is expected that the two countries will initiate an
agreement on improving the cooperation between Germany and BiH and on
joint protection of investments, papers said.
Communication regulatory Agency to issue licenses to GSM operators in BiH:
Communications Regulatory Agency is planning to by the end of April issue
two licenses for GSM mobile telephone operators, Agency officials
announced. The two operators will cover the entire BiH territory, that is
both entities and this process will directly introduce competition in BiH
and will as a result have an improvement of services and a reduction of
prices. The Agency will also open a tender for a third GSM operator in BiH
what will additionally improve the situation in this sector, papers said.
Bozidar Matic, the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers: BiH does not
have an army, but three party phalanxes
Matic told Zagreb daily Vecernji List: "I do not think that what happened
in the Army is a great harm. First of all, BiH does not have an army but
it has three party phalanxes founded by the three national parties and it
is natural that an army cannot be made out of those. Perhaps it is good to
disband it all and to start establishing a genuine army some day, if BiH
needs one at all.
I do not see all that happens so tragic, but I do feel sorry for the
people who will remain jobless, for those who left the HVO because of the
political pressure. Perhaps someone will make sure that they receive their
salaries for a couple of months, but I doubt it could be done for a longer
time period as I know what financial discipline is being prepared.
Q: When do you plan to visit the Herzegovina-Neretva, the Herzeg-Bosnia
and the West Herzegovina Cantons, which are Croat-majority areas and how
to carry on?
A: The Council of Ministers will work professionally and in a
de-politicised manner for the well being of all the BiH citizens. We will
suppress crime, improve the country's image and make sure that there is an
inflow of foreign capital for the development of investments and
reconstruction of the country. I will soon have talks with the opposition,
i.e. with the national parties with the aim for them to help in the part
of our programme which they agree with. I have no ambitions for that
position and I perform it at the request of the SDP BiH which has a sound,
healthy programme and vies of things.
Federation related issues:
War-time commander of BiH Army in Srebrenica testifies in front of The
Hague Tribunal prosecutors:
Sarajevo papers reported on the front pages on Tuesday that Naser Oric the
war-time commander of BH army troops in Srebrenica testified in front of
The Hague Tribunal prosecutors in Sarajevo on Monday. Oric appeared
voluntarily but a rumor that he was arrested triggered demonstrations in
front of the UN headquarters in Sarajevo. Refugees from Srebrenica at
first peacefully demonstrated but later the protest almost turned into
violence as they broke into the premises. UN security and local police
prevented the further escalation as well as Oric who emerged from the
building and assured the demonstrators that he was not arrested, papers
said.
Croat police officials do not acknowledge Federation authority
Sarajevo-based Onasa news agency reported on Tuesday that Interior
Minister of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Dragan Mandic and another
19 Croat officials of the cantonal Interior Ministry (MUP) and
municipal police departments said early on Tuesday in a public
statement they no longer acknowledge the authority of the BiH Federation
MUP nor its subordination to the Federation MUP.
Twenty officials of the MUP of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton term in
their
public statement the new Federation authorities
"anti-constitutional,
illegitimate, and coup-like."
Those officials state they support the decisions of the Croat
National
Congress (HNS) of March 3, when the BiH Croat Democratic Union (HDZ) and
other
parties gathered in the HNS proclaimed self-styled "Croat self-rule."
Mandic and other officials of the MUP of the Herzegovina-Neretva
Canton that
signed the statement say that "in spite of the difficult political
situation
they will, in accordance with their legal authority, provide protection
to the
Croat people and members of other peoples in the Herzegovina-Neretva
Canton",
adding that they will "continue their professional cooperation with the
IPTF,
without yielding to political pressures."
Mostar: Croat National Assembly publishes its Platform for a Democratic
and Self-sustainable BiH - Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and other peoples in
BiH are ready to ensure full national equality
Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija said that the Platform was addressed to the
legitimate representatives of the Bosniak and Serb peoples in BiH, the
signatories and witnesses of the Dayton Agreement, the UN Security Council
and the High Representative in BiH, and they are expected to declare
themselves on it and convene an international conference on BiH in the
shortest time possible.
Mostar: HDZ BiH Secretary General Perica Jurkovic writes to the High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch - Platform for Democratic BiH is a
document of the Croat National Assembly
"Our intention to participate in the process of full implementation of the
BiH Constitutional Court Decision on the constituency of peoples has never
been disputable. As the victorious political party at the general
elections, we are aware of our obligation to represent, in the political
negotiations, the interests of the Croat people and the citizens who
voted for us and elected us as their legitimate representatives.
The Platform for a Democratic and Self-sustainable BiH is a document of
the Croat National Assembly in BiH. The document is a result of the
process of seeking a solution for the internal organisation of BiH, with
the goal of a consistent implementation of the Constitutional Court
Decision on the constituency of peoples.
We expect you to finally initiate the acceptable forms, within which it is
possible to achieve a full political dialogue, and those are certainly not
your constitutional commissions that the respectable gentlemen Slavo Kukic
and Mato Tadic have already abandoned."
Sarajevo: Cardinal Puljic meets SFOR representatives - Fear of a repeated
migration of Croats
Slobodna Dalmacija reported on Tuesday that Vrhbosna Archbishop, Cardinal
Vinko Puljic met at his residence with the Deputy Commander of the SFOR in
BiH, General Roger Duburg, and the US Political Advisor for the SFOR,
Thomas Lynch, accompanied by the Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in
BiH, Msgr Jean-Francois Lantheaume.
The guests presented to Cardinal Puljic their view of the situation and
said that a way out should be sought by political means.
The Cardinal expressed his fear that the current depressing situation
could lead to a repeated mass-scale migration of Croats from this region.
He also stated that individuals in the diplomatic circles want to blame
the Church in BiH for the newly arisen situation.
"The international community does not have the courage for a fair
analysis, but always looks for someone else to blame," stated Cardinal
Puljic.
He said that he wants Croats to be seen as the people that has the right
to live in this region and demand equality throughout BiH.
RS related issues:
RS Pensioners Will Get Paid on Monday
Payment of March pensions in the RS will start on Monday, April 9th. The
pensions will be increased for 10% compared to the February amounts.
As announced from the RS Pension-Invalid Fund, pensioners will, together
with pensions for March, get the part of unpaid pensions from the previous
year.
Republika Srpska National Assembly to Convene in Ten Days
The tenth session of the RS National Assembly will be held between 10th
and 15th of April. The final date for the RS National Assembly session
will be confirmed at the consultative meeting of heads of caucuses which
will be held in Banja Luka.
March passed and no one has been buried in the Potocari cemetery
Despite the announcement that burial of Srebrenica massacre victims in the
Potocari cemetery would begin in March, the month has passed and no one
was buried, Jutarnje Novine reported on Monday.
According to Sadik Ahmetovic, Srebrenica municipality official,
authorization was given to local farmers to start preparing the land where
the Memorial center and the cemetery are to be built, for planting their
seeds there.
"OHR is unprepared to fulfill the given promises. The High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch did not establish the coordinating team
of the international community and there are no indications that this will
happen any time soon," Amir Suljagic, member of coordinating body of
Srebrenica refugee associations told the daily and added that if the
international advisory group was formed all activities would be defined
very fast.
International community related issues:
OHR Special Envoy in Bijeljina denies rumors:
OHR Special Envoy for Bijeljina, Francois Perez has denied the rumors that
the OHR has banned the distribution of land in this municipality to
refugees and displaced persons, Sarajevo papers said. Perez told Bijeljina
Bobar radio that according to High Representative's decisions state-owned
land can be distributed but only according to valid laws and without
discrimination.
The Special Envoy also expressed his satisfaction with the growing
interest of Serb refugees to return to their pre-war homes in the
Federation, Sarajevo papers said.
Head of OSCE Mission to BiH supports Federation Defense Minister:
Head of OSCE Mission to BiH, Robert Barry said that he fully supports the
new Federation Defense Minister, Mijo Anic and his actions. Barry in a
statement also invited Croat officers, members of the Croat component of
the Federation Army to respect the chain of command in the Federation Army
and avoid being manipulated by certain political forces, Sarajevo papers
reported. Barry and OSCE welcomed the swift action of BiH member of
Presidency, Jozo Krizanovic who over the weekend named Ivan Zeko as the
new Deputy Commander of the Federation Army, the statement said.
Matthias Sonn, the Senior Deputy High Representative, strongly criticises
the behaviour of the HDZ leading officials - International community
cannot accept an unconstitutional state in BiH
Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija reported that the Senior Deputy High
Representative said that the goal of Croats as a constituent people can be
successfully achieved only in the institutions of the system.
Those who keep coming up with demands outside of the framework of the
legitimate institutions will achieve nothing but a failure, stated
Ambassador Sonn. He added that "the international community cannot
tolerate the creation of an unconstitutional and possibly criminal
para-state in BiH."
"The future that the HDZ leadership holds out to Croats is one of
increasing impoverishment and isolation of BiH from Croatia and Europe, as
well as isolation from Croat(ian)s outside of BiH," Slobodna Dalmacija
quotes Ambassador Sonn.
"The fact that the HDZ's hare-brained adventure could well put the jobs,
salaries and pensions of thousands of Croats at risk does not seem to
bother some members of its leadership. The isolation and poverty of their
own people appears to be acceptable for as long as a handful of complacent
profiteers from the HDZ can keep their villas and luxury flats in the
Ministarka building and their foreign bank accounts.
It is clear that this personal fiefdom will collapse. It is just a matter
of time, which makes the current situation all the more ridiculous,"
stated the Senior Deputy High Representative, adding that it does not have
to be this way.
Head of OSCE announces departure:
The head of the OSCE mission in Bosnia, Robert Barry, is leaving the post
on May 1, he told Dnevni Avaz in an interview.
Barry told the paper that he was satisfied with what the OSCE had
accomplished in Bosnia under his mandate which began in January of 1998.
"The day I leave, I will feel that we have succeeded in numerous areas
that we worked on in Bosnia-Hercegovina," said the US diplomat. The OSCE's
permanent council has not yet named his successor.
Brcko District related issues:
In Brcko District 29 judges sworn in:
Dnevni Avaz reported that 29 judges were sworn in on Monday in Brcko
District bringing to the end the establishing of the single judiciary
system in the District.
"The establishment of the Brcko District judiciary represent a
significant success and is the result of a joint effort," the OHR said in
a statement.
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