BiH/Central institutions: BiH Presidency discussed the current situation in BiH: BiH Council of Minister does not send the proposal of Permanent Election Law for further procedure: Association of Dobrinja I and IV refugees says both neighborhoods should be part of the Federation: Election Appeal Sub-commission ceased to exist: Federation: Federation government cutting down taxes: Croat Associations take over army barracks in Orasje, Busovaca and Vitez: Brcko: The President of the Croat National Assembly talked with local HDZ officials: Ante Jelavic: Snap elections are very possible Mijo Anic, the Federal Minister of Defense, met in Mostar with Alian Richard, the French Minister of Defense, and they held a press conference: The 4th Guard Brigade has been formed, and the 3rd Guard Brigade will be formed soon Benes about obstructions by HDZ and SDA HVO: Deadline for reporting to the army units expires today RS: Session of the RS Government Held Yesterday Delegation of German Businessmen Visited Republika Srpska International community: SFOR opens its first base in Eastern Bosnia: OHR and the IC support the Federation coordinating body: Hercegovacka Banka: (a brief summary of report that came in till 3 p.m) Bosnia overseers strike against Croat self-rule TV BiH noon news on Hercegovacka Bank , Friday April 6 Bosnian Croat news agency Habena on HB HNK Education Minister's statement: HDZ statement on Hercegovacka Banka: BiH/Central institutions related issues: BiH Presidency discussed the current situation in BiH: BiH Presidency at is session in Sarajevo on Thursday discussed the current political and military situation in BiH. The Presidency has warned that current attempts to create para-military formations is destructive and jeopardizes the integrity of BiH and has also condemned any politicization of armed forces. The presidency troika has also expressed its support to Federation government and other institutions in their attempts to preserve the legal state of the Federation Army, Oslobodjenje said. BiH Council of Minister does not send the proposal of Permanent Election Law for further procedure: BiH Council of Ministers also held a meeting on Thursday, Sarajevo papers reported. The Council discussed a number of issues, among them the OSCE's working version of the BiH Permanent Election Law. It was agreed that the Ministry of Civil Affairs along with the Working Group additional analyses the proposal before it is sent out for further procedure. The Council also discussed the European Bank credit for the reconstruction of railways in BiH worth some 21 million Euros. Head of OSCE Mission to BiH, Robert Barry criticized the Council for failing to reach an agreement on the draft of the election law, papers said. Association of Dobrinja I and IV refugees says both neighborhoods should be part of the Federation: The Association of refugees from Dobrinja I and IV expect that the Arbitrator Diarmuid Sheridan will decide that both of these Sarajevo neighborhoods will be part of the Federation, Association officials told the press. Abdulfetah Hadzic, President of the Association told reporters that this association does not agree with Federation government official's proposal that Dobrinjas remain divided saying that they hope that the arbitrator will not choose this option, Oslobodjenje said. Election Appeal Sub-commission ceased to exist: OSCE has announced that the Election Appeal Sub-commission has after five years ceased to exist, Sarajevo dailies reported. The EASC has according to Annex 3 of the Dayton Agreement handed over the authority to BiH institutions. The Head of the OSCE, Robert Barry told the press that EASC has contributed to the peace process and political development of BiH. Federation related issues: Federation government cutting down taxes: Federation government is cutting down its taxes, Dnevni Avaz reported on its front page on Friday. The government has sent on Thursday to the parliament three proposals of a law intended to ease the economy. Part of this law is a cut of taxes on salaries from 76.1 to 68.97 percent. Nikola Grabovac, Federation Finance Minister that as a result of the new measures the prices of goods in the stores might also decrease. Croat Associations take over army barracks in Orasje, Busovaca and Vitez: Members of the Croat Associations established during and after the war took over on Thursday the army barracks in Orasje, Oslobodjenje reported. Prior to this, the members of the Croat component of the Federation Army left the barracks and sealed the offices and other premises. Representatives of the Croat Associations said they will remain in the barracks until the Croat issues in BiH is solved, the daily said. The Representatives of the Associations also took over the army barracks in Vitez and Busovaca, Oslobodjenje said. Brcko: The President of the Croat National Assembly talked with local HDZ officials: Ante Jelavic: Snap elections are very possible According to Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija Jelavic stated that, so far, he is satisfied with the implementation of the decisions of the Croat National Assembly. He stressed that the HNS recommendation with regard to military issues was respected. As far as the political issues are concerned the process is completely under control and a certain consensus of BiH Croats exists. Jelavic stated that the Croat self-rule is only an instrument by which they will reach a final Croat freedom. He stressed that all three peoples who live in BiH have to be constitutive in both BiH entities. According to him, it is necessary to establish House of Peoples with three Clubs. Also, ethnic issues of national minorities and the others should be regulated by Law. Talking about the attitude of the Republic of Croatia towards the political situation in BiH, Jelavic stated that Croatia does not have to be a hostage of the fate of the BiH Croats. He is expecting that the problem of a double citizenship will be solved as soon as possible, since, on the contrary, the Croats in BiH would become a national minority. Mijo Anic, the Federal Minister of Defense, met in Mostar with Alian Richard, the French Minister of Defense, and they held a press conference: The 4th Guard Brigade has been formed, and the 3rd Guard Brigade will be formed soon Slobodna Dalmacija said that the French Minister stressed that France fully supports the new Government. He also stressed that one political movement tends to bring into question efforts to establish peace. Mijo Anic called on the members of the Croat component of the Federal Army, especially those form the territory of Herzegovina, to respond to the invitation of the Federal Ministry of Defense to form brigades. The forming of the 4th Guard Brigade has been completed, the forming of the 3rd one will be completed soon and the forming of the 1st one and the 2nd one has been expected. He also stated: 'Nobody had a right to disband a Company called the Federal Army. Nobody had the right to put at stake the people who have nothing to live on. The Croat component of our Army is completely politicized.' He also spoke about some illegal activities within the Croat component of the Federal Army. He mentioned the case of a weekly delivery of wine to the HVO division in Posavina, as well as, the fact that the files of this Ministry are being destroyed on a daily basis. The press conference was held in Mostar East under intensified security measures. Benes about obstructions by HDZ and SDA According to Zagreb daily Vecernji List the OHR expressed its extreme dissatisfaction with the fact that Governments in none of the Cantons in their area of responsibility have been formed or properly formed. In the words of the OHR Spokesperson Avis Benes, this raises a question about true intentions of those elected politicians. Benes stressed it is also particularly tragic that in the Canton 7 the SDA is abundantly helping the HDZ in obstruction of the Government formation and functioning. HVO: Deadline for reporting to the army units expires today Federation Defense Ministry addressed a public announcement to all the soldiers of the First Guardian Division of the Federation Army that the final deadline for reporting to their duties in the army expires at 12:00 hrs today. Failing to report and renew a contract with the army by the deadline will be taken as a unilateral termination of the contract with the Croat component of the Federation Army. After the deadline, the staffing of the Croat component of the Federation Army will be done by public vacancy notices until the army is organised with the envisaged number of soldiers. RS related issues: Session of the RS Government Held Yesterday Both Glas srpski and Nezavisne novine report on the session of the RS Government which was held in Banja Luka yesterday. At the session the Government adopted information on problems in protection of children in the RS. Apart from that a programme on maintenance of social protection during the privatization process was discussed, which will be discussed at one of the following sessions of the Government after incorporation of certain changes. Information related to construction of the RS Government and Parliament Building in Banja Luka, the government decided to discuss the issue with BL Town authorities. Possibility of temporary allocation of plot for other purposes would be looked into, since there are no financial possibilities to continue the work on this object. The Government also decided to sell four of its vehicles and to, out of funds gained by it, help municipalities Krupa, Jezero, Bosanska/Srpska Kostajnica and Kalinovik. Fund gained form sales of one vehicle would go to Republic Board of Families of fallen and missing soldiers for the last war. The "Mercedes" used by the former RS Prime Minister will be sold as well. Delegation of German Businessman Visited Republika Srpska Glas srpski reports on visit of delegation of German businessmen to Republika Srpska. During the visit the y met with the RS Prime minister Mladen Ivanic and the RS Minister for Foreign Economic Relations Fuad Turalic. After the meeting Minister Turalic stated that the projects which have already been carried out or the ones still ongoing in the RS were discussed at the meeting. Special Attention was paid to projects to be carried out in the year 2001. The head of the Delegation Herman Walker stated that the German Government supported economic reform in BiH. "We will support specifically reform of payment an tax systems and will contribute financially to development of small and medium-size enterprises", he said. International community related issues: SFOR opens its first base in Eastern Bosnia: SFOR has on Thursday opened its first base in Eastern Bosnia, all Sarajevo media reporetd. An operational base with some 150 SFOR soldiers was officially opened in Glogova , near Bratunac in the presence of representatives of the RS government, SFOR officials, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Ralph Johnson and the US Ambassador to BiH, Thomas Miller. Opening of this base will provide a secure environment and additional support to the two-way return process, SFOR officials said at the ceremony. OHR and the IC support the Federation coordinating body: OHR officials said that the international community will support the activities of the Federation coordinating body that is to consist of seven Federation officials, Oslobodjenje reported. "The activities of the Croat National Assembly called for a concrete response of Federation officials and the OHR is encouraged to see that local authorities are taking positive actions in this direction," Oleg Milisic, OHR spokesman told a news conference on Thursday. Milisic added that OHR is not involved in the establishment of the coordinating body but is prepared to have contacts with it. Hercegovacka Banka related issues: Bosnia overseers strike against Croat self-rule SARAJEVO, April 6 (Reuters) - International peacekeeping troops in Bosnia blocked a bank controlled by Croat nationalists on Friday in a dramatic crackdown on separatist moves which threaten the stability of the war-torn Balkan state. Four military transport vehicles took up positions around the bank's headquarters in the Croat nationalist stronghold of Mostar in southern Bosnia, a Reuters reporter said. Bosnian radio reported similar moves at a branch in the town of Orasje. A spokesman for the international community's High Representative in Bosnia said troops from the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) were acting with U.N. and local police forces to take over Herzegovacka Banka's eight branches. The private bank is the financial backbone of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, which has led moves to break up Bosnia's joint Muslim-Croat federation over the past month. Its branches are spread across the Croat parts of the federation. "There has been a joint operation this morning between SFOR, IPTF (the International Police Task Force), Ministry of Interior and financial police to establish an international provisional administration in Herzegovacka Banka according to a decision by the High Representative," See the press release TV BiH noon news on Hercegovacka Bank , Friday April 6th Top story of TV BiH noon news on Friday was their report from Mostar where SFOR and OHR implemented the High Representative's decision on imposing a provisional administrator for Herzegovacka Bank. TV BiH footage showed a crowd that gathered in front of the HB building. The crowd protested, threw eggs and stones at SFOR and IPTF members guarding the building and their vehicles. As a group of civilians tried to flip over an IPTF Land Rover another group of people verbally assaulted IPTF and SFOR officials and tried to force their way into the building. TV also reported on SDHR, Matthias Sonn's press conference held this morning in Mostar. TV BiH also had a brief phone report from their correspondent in Vitez who said that there were no incidents reported in front of the Hercegovacka Bank building there. See the press release . Bosnian Croat news agency Habena on HB Bosnian Croat news agency Habena reported on Friday that OHR has imposed temporary management (SIC!) (provisional administrator) in Herzegovacka Bank in Mostar. On Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. SFOR troops surrounded the bank and masked persons armed with long barrel weapons entered the premises. Having in mind that persons who entered the building spoke our language it is believed they are from the Federation MUP. Employees of the bank were handed over a document that said that the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch has reached a decision on provisional administrator on the bank and were told to leave the premises, Habena said. Toby Robinson was named the provisional administrator and with this decision all the authorities of the bank employees and the director are handed over to the temporary management. Bank's spokesman Milan Cutalo said that the action is "absolutely illegal because this is a private bank and not a public institution." Cutalo claims that the bank has on Thursday invited the representatives of the Federation Banking Agency, representatives of the Central BiH Bank and OHR Anti-Fraud team to come to the bank and inspect its operations. HNK Education Minister's statement: Habena news agency carries a statement of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Education Minister, Mirjana Dujmovic regarding the SFOR's action in Hercegovacka Bank on Friday. The statement expressed bitterness and surprise with the behavior and the action of SFOR troops who were in the vicinity of elementary and high schools armed and with armored vehicles. "We cannot understand that this is being done by soldiers who come from the civilized world who here spread fear and create traumas among children, their parents, teachers and citizens of this town," Dujmovic said in the statement. She also said that because of the security of students in the regions where SFOR troops are based classes will be cut short and there will be no classes in the afternoon shift, Habena said. HDZ statement on Hercegovacka Banka: Habena news agencies carried a statement of HDZ regarding the events in Mostar. HDZ strongly condemns the "armed robbery of the private Herzegovacka Bank and its branch offices carried out with unseen repressive measure by masked officials of the Federation government, SFOR and IPTF," the statement said. "There were no reasons for armed entrance into the bank." "HDZ call upon all Croat officials who have recently declared themselves as its legal representatives to stop such attacks and protect law and order," the statement said. HDZ called Jozo Krizanovic, Bozidar Matic and other Croat representatives to come among their people and explain why such measures are being carried out. "The Croat people think that it was you gentlemen who order these actions," HDZ statement said.

The BiH Media Round-up is being compiled primarily for the OHR's internal purposes under time pressure. Please disregard grammar and typing mistakes. The mentioned media reports do not reflect OHR views, and the OHR does not take responsibility for them.

OHR BiH Media Round-up