- BiH/Central institutions:
- BiH Presidency to hold its first working meeting:
- BiH Foreign Minister says Germany supports the new concept of
authority in BiH:
- Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers meets the BiH Inter-religious
Council:
- Press release from Jerko and Mladen Lijanovic, officials in BiH
authorities - HDZ policy is damaging for Croat people
- BiH changes, Dayton stays
- Federation:
- Removed Croat officers stole a large number of official vehicles:
- Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Interior Minister holds a presser:
- Croat protest meeting held in Busovaca:
- Federation Parliament House of Representative's Constitutional
Commission meets:
- Federation to establish a special coordinating body:
- Livno: Following the allegations that the Cantonal Ministry of
Interior officials supported the Croat National Assembly - IPTF initiate
an investigation
- Marko Tadic, the president of the newly-established Croat
Coordination: We have chosen the methods different from the Croat National
Assembly's (HNS) ones
- The new Federation authorities threaten the businessmen who support
the Croat self-rule with kamikaze-solutions: Blockage of Croat firms would
block the Federation
- RS:
- Day of the RS Police Celebrated
- Commission for Constitutional Issues at the RS National Assembly in
Session
- Session of the RS Supreme Defense Council Held In Banja Luka
- RS Government to Convene Today
- Contract Signed between the RT RS (Radio-television RS) and the RS
Telecom
- International community:
- Senior Deputy High Representative, Matthias Sonn visited
Zenica-Doboj canton:
- Representatives of the World Bank Met With RS Leadership
- Frank Brozovich, the President of the Association of American
Croat(ian)s, in his open letter to the High Representative, Wolfgang
Petritsch, supports the Croat self-rule - USA changes its policy to BiH!?
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BiH/Central institutions related issues:
BiH Presidency to hold its first working meeting:
BiH Presidency is scheduled to on Thursday hold its first working meeting
after two new members were elected, Sarajevo papers reported. The
Presidency will discus the current political situation and the
implementation of its role as the collective leader of the BiH state,
office of the President of the Presidency Zivko Radisic said in a
statement. The troika will also discuss the report on the work of State
Border Service in last year, papers reported.
BiH Foreign Minister says Germany supports the new concept of authority in
BiH:
BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija upon return from his two-day
official visit to Germany told reporters in Sarajevo on Wednesday that top
German officials expressed their support to the new concept of authority
in BiH, Oslobodjenje reported. Lagumdzija told a press conference that an
Agreement on Mutual Protection of Investment was initially signed and that
this agreement will be the basis for the strengthening of economic ties
between the two countries. Lagumdzija also said that the representatives
of Volkswagen said that this company will remain in BiH and even expand
its presence, the daily said.
Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers meets the BiH Inter-religious
Council:
Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Bozidar Matic met with the
representatives of the BiH Inter-religious Council in Sarajevo on
Wednesday. The main topic of the meeting was the status of the religious
communities in BiH and future activities to straighten the spirit of
cooperation and trust in the country.
Press release from Jerko and Mladen Lijanovic, officials in BiH
authorities - HDZ policy is damaging for Croat people
"With the purpose of providing objective information to the public, we,
the Ivankovic brothers - Jerko, a delegate in the BiH House of Peoples,
and Mladen, the Minister without Portfolio in the Federation Government -
feel it necessary to explain to the Croat population in our state the real
reasons of our engagement," Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija quoted the
brothers as saying.
"We started our engagement in the legislative and executive authorities
for the very reason to avoid leaving the Croat national interests to
political adventurousness, which starts to develop, in the organisation of
the Croat National Assembly, outside of the state institutions, and that
could result in incalculable consequences for the future of the Croat
people in BiH.
We have neither personal nor material, nor political, nor ideological
motives that would force us to this action, but are motivated by the
situation that the Croat people is in and by the destroyed economy in our
state.
With the most recent decisions of the Croat National Assembly, the agony
of the economy, especially our Croat economy, will go on like this for the
fact that it will be reduced to a micro-location, i.e. the territory of
the presently promoted self-rule, without any chances for us to note
economic development outside of that territory. This will eliminate the
Croat economy from all economic trends forever.
Should we fail to attain the institutional equality of the Croat people in
BiH, we will retire. However, if we do succeed in our intentions, which
undoubtedly we will because we have no private interest in it nor could
anyone bribe us, we rightfully expect all those who brought us in the
current situation of general decadence to retire from the political scene
and never represent the Croat national interests, i.e. Croats in general,
anywhere," reads the press release.
BiH changes, Dayton stays (by Ivan Saric)
Zagreb daily in an editorial said that the initiatives for the change of
the RS Constitution have become the subject of political debates in that
entity, where a more than interesting situation appears. That situation is
that the Party of Independent Social Democrats, headed by former prime
Minister Milorad Dodik, who is thought to be the leader of the moderate
political option, sharply criticizes the ruling coalition, where the SDS
is the strongest, because they agree on initiatives for the change of RS
Constitution "behind the back of the public."
That is one reason more to leave the final solution to the international
representatives in BiH. To be honest, in that case too, the question of
internal organization of BiH will not be definitely taken off the agenda,
not just because the initiatives, which cannot be realized with the
changes of constitutions of the two entities, are in circulation, but
because, according to some opinions, the equal position of all peoples and
citizens will not be secured by solutions proposed by the OHR and the OSCE
Mission. Thus, Sarajevo Dnevni Avaz notices that "the essence of changes
proposed for the FBiH Constitution is significantly in disharmony with the
proposed changed for the RS Constitution." That can be proved on several
offered provisions of changes to the entity constitutions, but the most
illustrating is the one according to which in the BiH Federation, the
delegation of authority between the constitutive peoples is entirely
specified, while for the RS Constitution, it is proposed that constitutive
peoples are "justly represented in the bodies of authority," writes the
Sarajevo daily.
Federation related issues:
Removed Croat officers stole a large number of official vehicles:
Dnevni Avaz on its front page reported that the removed Croat officers of
the Federation Army stole a large number of official vehicles. The
vehicles that belong to the Federation Defense Ministry were taken by the
ousted officers of the Croat component of the Federation Army. The
Ministry does not have the exact number of vehicles but the daily
speculates that hundreds were stolen. Federation Defense Minister, Mijo
Anic told the press that a public appeal will be issued for the return of
the vehicles and a deadline for their return will be set soon, the daily
said.
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Interior Minister holds a presser:
Dragan Mandic, Interior Minister of the Herzegovina-Neretva canton, who
along with other 20 Croat police officials said they do not recognize the
Federation Interior Ministry as their authority, held a press conference
in Mostar on Wednesday. Mandic told reporters that Croat police officials
did not stop their work and will continue to carry out their duties.
Mandic said that police officials are "not immune to politics," and this
is why they signed the document of support to the Croat National Assembly
(HNS).
"We will continue to work but will keep an eye open to see what the
politics are doing," Mandic told reporters.
UN spokesman, Stefo Lehman told a news conference that the UN "believe
that most of the police officials signed the document under HDZ
pressure," and that sanctions against those who signed are being
considered, Oslobodjenje reported.
Croat protest meeting held in Busovaca:
Some 3,000 Croats gathered on Wednesday at a protest meeting in Busovaca,
Sarajevo media reported. The meeting called "Recognizing and confronting
the traitors of Croat people," was organized in support of the Croat
National Assembly and a message to the three top international community
representatives, Wolfgang Petritsch, Robert Barry and Jacques Klein was
sent. The message said that during their mandate the three have done
"damage, injustice and evil to the Croat people."
"It is time to stop and change your decisions," the message said adding
that if they cannnot do this they should leave the country because they
are "guilty for everything."
Federation Parliament House of Representative's Constitutional Commission
meets:
Federation Parliament House of Representative's Constitutional Commission
held a meeting in Sarajevo on Wednesday, Sarajevo papers said. At the
meeting it was concluded that the High Representative should urgently name
the remaining two members of the Commission in order to enable this
institution to finally start working.
Jakob Finci, the President of the Commission said that once all the
members are named the commission will within 30 days pass all the
necessary changes of the BiH Constitution according to the Decision on the
Constituency of Nations, papers said.
Federation to establish a special coordinating body:
Dnevni Avaz quoting an unnamed Federation official said that as a response
to the Croat self-rule the Federation will establish a special
coordinating body that will have the task to prevent further deterioration
of the situation in the Federation.
The body will have seven members and these measures have a strong support
of the international community representatives: the OHR, OSCE, SFOR and
the embassies of most influential countries, the unnamed official said.
This increased level of security in the Federation is the result of recent
activities of the HDZ and Ante Jelavic and the developments in the Defense
Ministry, the army and the police, same source said.
Livno: Following the allegations that the Cantonal Ministry of Interior
officials supported the Croat National Assembly - IPTF initiate an
investigation
IPTF members started an investigation in the Herceg-Bosna Canton Ministry
of the Interior on Wednesday morning to inquire into the allegation of the
dismissed Interior Minister's Chief of Staff, Petar Buljan, that 99% of
the Ministry employees signed for support to the decisions and conclusions
of the Croat National Assembly.
As Slobodna Dalmacija claims to have found out from reliable sources, IPTF
members require from each employee to state in writing as to whether or
not he/she supports those decisions and conclusions.
Also, the IPTF are trying to identify the persons who initiated the action
of the Ministry employees' declaration of support to the Croat National
Assembly.
Marko Tadic, the president of the newly-established Croat Coordination:
We have chosen the methods different from the Croat National Assembly's
(HNS) ones
"The Croat Coordination is an expression of aspirations of some Croat
parties and intellectuals to jointly influence solving of the burning
issues of Croats in BiH. We are not a counterpart to the HNS nor do we
intend to operate in the same fashion. We might have the same goals when
it comes to Croats' vital interests, but it is obvious that we have chosen
different methods", Tadic said according to Zagreb daily Vecernji List.
The change of the Election rules, including the decision on the election
of the deputies to the House of Peoples, is in Tadic's opinion completely
wrong and the international community bears considerable responsibility
for it. This decision of the international community may not be malevolent
but is utterly clumsy, Tadic said, adding that the Croat Coordination
would request a correction of this decision in the Permanent Election Law.
The new Federation authorities threaten the businessmen who support the
Croat self-rule with kamikaze-solutions: Blockage of Croat firms would
block the Federation
Zagreb daily Vecernji List in an editorial said that Ph. D. Nikola
Grabovac threatens to treat the businessmen who do not pay the customs and
tax funds to the Federation budget as non-payers. He claims that the
Payment Operations Bureau in the Croat self-rule territory might function
for several days only. He threatens with taking away the working permit
from the banks that would carry out the money transfer abroad on behalf of
the companies which would carry out internal payment operations through
the Croat self-rule's Payment Operations Bureau. What foreign bank would
bring its capital to BiH should Grabovac's kamikaze-decisions really start
functioning?
Threats with embargoes on export and import activities on the Croat
self-rule territory are coming from Sarajevo. And how could then the firms
from the Croat areas in the Federation which would remain loyal to the
authorities in Sarajevo function? If export and import are blocked for the
Aluminium Factory, which exports goods in the amount of 350 million Marks
per year, what would business partners in France, Germany and Croatia say?
Who would Bosnian thermo -electric power plants sell electricity to? By
blocking the work of Herzegovinian firms, the Croatian export to BiH would
be blocked by a billion Marks at least. And Sarajevo claims to have the
support of the new Croatian authorities to discipline BiH Croats.
If Croat firms in the Federation would get blocked, the Federation would
fall apart like a house of cards. The Bosniak part of the Federation
cannot function without economy in Croat cantons. Is Sarajevo aware that
Croat importers credit the merchants in the Bosniak areas of the
Federation and thus also the budgets of the Bosniak cantons? Are Grabovac
and Petritsch aware that their solutions will "force" Croat businessmen
into making business via Republika Srpska, a macro-economy expert asks
himself?
RS related issues:
Day of the RS Police Celebrated
Both RS Dailies report on celebration of the RS Police Day. President of
RS, Mirko Sarovic and Vice President, Dragan Cavic and the RS Prime
Minister Mladen Ivanic received a Police delegation on occasion of 4th
April, the RS Police Day. The delegation was lead by the RS Interior
Minister Perica Bundalo.
Special UNSG Envoy Jacques Paul Klein, IPTF Police Commissioner Vincent
Coeurderoy, as well as the RS Defense Minister Slobodan Bilic
congratulated the Members of the RS Interior Ministry.
Commission for Constitutional Issues at the RS National Assembly in
Session
Glas srpski extensively reports on the session of the Commission for
Constitutional Issues at the RS National Assembly. At the session, held in
Banja Luka yesterday, discussed introduction of this Commission in the RS
Constitution and vital interests of constituent BiH peoples.
According to Miroslav Mikes, President of the Commission there were three
options on including of the commission into the RS Constitution: first was
not to change the existing constitution; second, initiated by the OHR, to
make a commission as a separate article of the Constitution and third that
the future Assembly should have two houses or to introduce a House of
Peoples.
Session of the RS Supreme Defense Council Held In Banja Luka
Glas srpski reports on the session of the RS Supreme Defense Council which
was held in Banja Luka yesterday. The main topic of the discussion was the
military budget for the year 2001. It was concluded that funds allocated
for funding of the RS Army were not satisfactory. Several proposals for
the change of the budget were addressed to the RS Government and the RS
national Assembly from this session.
RS Government to Convene Today
RS Dailies announce the 16th session of the RS Government. Programme on
maintenance of social stability in the privatization process and the
proposed act on change of the decision on Creation of the Fund for
Development and Employment.
Contract Signed between the RT RS (Radio-television RS) and the RS Telecom
Glas srpski reports on signing of contract between the RT RS and RS
Telcom, on collection of the RT RS's subscription fees via telephone
bills. RT RS subscription fees will be specially marked on the telephone
bill (6KM).
Since paying of subscription fee is an legal obligation of citizens, fees
from those who do not have a phone would be collected via PTT (postmen
will be going from door to door).
International community related issues:
Senior Deputy High Representative, Matthias Sonn visited Zenica-Doboj
canton:
Senior Deputy High Representative, Matthias Sonn visited Zenica-Doboj
canton on Wednesday, Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz reported. Sonn visited
Zenica where he met with top local officials and behind closed doors
discussed about the political priorities in this canton and the economy
reform.
"OHR welcomes the efforts of the new canton administration that started
to work in a positive direction. I support the new government in its
efforts to overcome the difficult economy situation," Sonn told reporters
after the meeting. He added that his earlier announced visit to Zepce was
canceled, the daily said.
Sonn said that progress has been noted in a short period of time in Zepce.
"However we are little disturbed with the wrong stories and rumors on a
small number of people that are in every way trying to sabotage the High
Representative's decision on Zepce," Sonn said.
Representatives of the World Bank Met With RS Leadership
Glas srpski and Nezavisne novine report on the meeting between the RS
Leadership and the representatives of World Bank (WB).
During the meetings it was assessed that the economic situation in BiH and
its both entities very difficult and that no state could live on foreign
aid and donations.
Peter Stack, Executive director of the WB stressed that BiH is at the very
bottom of eastern Europe, including Balkans in terms of foreign
investments.
New governments should use the opportunity they have and achieve progress
in BiH so it could join EU, RS dailies carry conclusion of the meeting.
Frank Brozovich, the President of the Association of American Croat(ian)s,
in his open letter to the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch,
supports the Croat self-rule - USA changes its policy to BiH!?
In his open letter, published in Slobodna Dalmacija, Brozovich replies to
the High Representative Petritsch's letter published in The New York
Times, as Slobodna Dalmacija says, in which Wolfgang Petritsch expressed
his surprise about the changes in the US policy to BiH.
"The Pentagon is withdrawing from BiH partly because your Office played a
big role in creating the potentially explosive tensions between ethnic
groups, which might result in a renewed army conflict," reads Brozovich's
letter to the High Representative.
Brozovich says in the letter that ethnic intolerance has grown to the
level on which it was before 1995, and that the High Representative holds
the responsibility for it. In Brozovich's opinion, Wolfgang Petritsch was
applying "different standards for Muslim, Serb and Croat communities."
"Your policy has been so directed that Muslims benefit from it, and you
obviously demanded nothing from Serbs. Croats in BiH have been the target
of your draconian measures," reads the letter.
"You can rest assured that we politically support the position of the
Pentagon and we actively stand against yours," Brozovich's letter reads in
conclusion.
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