- BiH/Central institutions:
- BiH Council of Ministers adopts Draft Election Law
- The Agreement of Custom Administration Offices of Croatia and BiH
- HDZ-related news
- Federation Ministry of Interior presses charges against Herzegovina
police chiefs
- The UN suspends 17 officers
- Criminal charges against Croat autonomy seekers?
- Hercegovacka Banka officials deny malpractice and condemn the raid
by International Community
- Hercegovacka Banka representative claims that Petritsch has a
criminal plan
- Hercegovacka Banka: HB funds could go to Petritsch's private account
- Clients of the Hercegovacka Bank from Posavina: SFOR plundered us!
- Provisional Administrator invited Hercegovacka Banka customers to
open accounts elsewhere
- Inter-cantonal Institute of Health Insurance of Mostar: Costs of
health services to be reimbursed by Petritsch
- Presidency of the Croat National Assembly welcomes the visit of the
US Secretary of State to BiH
- Media in Croat majority areas is pressured by the HDZ
- Croats hold demonstrations in Orasje
- Col. Knezevic denies speculations that he has been abducted
- International forces caused agitation in the shrine of the Queen of
Peace
- HDZ choosing moderate members for their negotiating team
- Croat Christian Democrats: Stop demonstrating force
- Croat National Assembly sends an open letter to Croats in Croatia
- OSCE: The international community did not enter into a conflict with
the HNS only for the crimes in the HDZ leadership
- OHR's Alexandra Stiglmayer: HDZ extremists resemble Milosevic's ones
- Republika Srpska
- Report on the Session of the RS Government
- Sulejman Tihic Says It Was Not the Wind Who Destroyed Ferhadije
Mosque
- International Community
- US Secretary of State visits BiH capital:
- Editorials
- Slobodna Dalmacija: The Croats in BiH are the victims of the
allegiance of Zagreb
- Republika: Federation authorities to abolish national secret
services
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BiH/Central institutions related issues:
BiH Council of Ministers adopts Draft Election Law:
The BiH Council of Ministers adopted on Thursday the Draft Election Law
which was initially proposed by the OSCE Mission to BiH. Council's
spokesperson confirmed that the draft law was passed , however with two
alternative solutions, one of which pertains to the election of members of
the BiH Presidency and the other one to the election of deputies to the
BiH Parliament's House of Peoples. The draft will be sent to the BiH
Parliament shortly, and the Council suggested that the Parliament holds an
extraordinary session in order to ensure that the law is adopted by the
end of May.
The Agreement of Custom Administration Offices of Croatia and BiH:
The circulation of all kinds of commodities between the Republic of
Croatia and BiH will in the future be organized only over the border
crossings, which the custom administration offices of the two states
agreed upon, the Federal Custom Administration informed. In order to make
an efficient control of export and import activities and make order in the
foreign trade business operations, it was agreed for the border crossings
to be in Orasje, Izacic, Kamensko, Gorica and Doljani. The mentioned
border crossings will be open for 24 hours for all kinds of turnover ,
regardless of the origin of goods and country from which it is imported.
HDZ related News
Federation Ministry of Interior presses charges against Herzegovina police
chiefs:
The Federation Ministry of Interior pressed charges yesterday against two
Herzegovina police chiefs for not doing enough to stop violence which took
place last Friday in Mostar and other towns in Herzegovina. The
Hercegovina-Neretva Canton Minister of Interior, Dragan Mandic, and Acting
Head of the West Herzegovina Canton Ministry of Interior, Vinko Culjak,
were accused of "obviously acting dishonestly while exercising their
duties and powers."
The UN suspends 17 officers:
The United Nations mission to BiH said on Thursday it had suspended 17
senior police officers in Herzegovina for having lent their support to
separatists living in their communities. It said it had also asked the
High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to suspend the officers' chief
Dragan Mandic and two other senior officers. He said all the policemen had
refused to recognize the authority of BiH Federation Ministry of Interior.
In a statement, the United Nations said it had suspended the 17 policemen
for a month, "for having refused to recognize the organs of the Federation
and for having sworn obedience to illegal structures." It said the
officers would not be able to go to work, wear their uniform or wear their
badges. The UN's spokesman in Sarajevo Douglas Coffman told AFP that
during the 30-day-suspension an inquiry would be carried out to see
whether the police had acted of their own will, or under duress. "If we
conclude that they acted of their own free will, they will be fired,
Coffman said. He said the Federation's interior ministry has also lodged a
complaint against the top policeman Mandic and another Croatian police
chief Vinko Culjak. He said the two policemen had let demonstrators riot
against NATO-led peacekeeping forces' takeover of Hercegovacka Banka.
Criminal charges against Croat autonomy seekers?
"There is a comprehensive documentation of the events of last Friday and
we
will insist on having it used for an investigation and for criminal
charges against the perpetrators," said OHR Spokesperson Alexandra
Stiglmayer. According to the information that leaked from the
well-informed sources, possible arrests should be done by the Federal MoI
with the help of SFOR. It is said that a special unit is being prepared in
Sarajevo and it is supposed to be used in delicate situations such as
this, because strong reactions of the public are expected and perhaps even
more extensive riots than those of
last week.
Hercegovacka Banka officials deny malpractice and condemn the raid by
International Community:
Officials of the blocked Hercegovacka Banka denied on Thursday charges of
financial malpractice and termed the raid conducted by members of the
International Community as "robbery". "It would be unimaginable in any
country in the world that a private bank should be raided by masked
gunman," bank's spokesman, Milan Sutalo told a news conference which was
held in Zagreb. He added that bank's officials held a presser in the
Croatian capital in order to break a "media blockade and a veil of
propaganda which was imposed by the OHR." Sutalo also dismissed any
charges leveled against the bank and accused the High Representative,
Wolfgang Petritsch, of lying about it operations. He denied that the bank
has been used to funnel customs proceeds to the Croat self-rule in BiH.
Hercegovacka Banka representative claims that Petritsch has a criminal
plan
"Hercegovacka Banka is not the aim, the aim is to destroy Croats! The raid
into the Hercegovacka Bank is the realization of the plan to discipline
Croats, which is manifested through financial and economic destruction of
the Croat people, which may lead to biological annihilation of Croats, as
a consequence. It is not about the Hercegovacka Bank, the HDZ or the Croat
National Assembly. It is about the realization of a criminal plan," said
Milan Sutalo, the spokesman of the HB. "Petritsch, who claims that Bishop
Peric is a man of hatred, can make a decision, referring to the Dayton
Agreement, and say that he will suspend Cardinal Vinko Puljic, because he
is breaching the Agreement, and appoint a new cardinal. He can probably
suspend the good Lord. However, the problem is that Petritsch not only
takes for himself divine and tyrannical powers, but also he tyrannizes
everyone who does not want to participate in his plan," Sutalo holds.
Hercegovacka Banka: HB funds could go to Petritsch's private account:
Milan Sutalo, the spokesman of the HB, said that the decision of the High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to establish a provisional
administration in this bank suspends the legal system of BiH and leave the
employees of the Hercegovacka Bank without any legal protection. He
stressed that HB shareholders hold that the Article 7 of the Decision is
very much disputable. The Article says that the governmental bodies,
officials, financial and other policemen will have immunity from criminal
prosecution, while carrying out their duties. Article 10, for example,
gives authority to the Provisional Administrator, to sell all the funds
and to get rid of any liabilities of the Hercegovacka Bank. "According to
this Decision, it is quite possible for Petritsch and Provisional
Administrator Toby Robinson, to take for themselves the assets of our
depositors and put the money to private accounts, and will not be held
accountable for that. I am not saying they will necessarily do so,
although it is one of the legal consequences of the act, which even
tyrants do not do, because, even in the dictatorships the courts and
prosecutor's offices exist, at least formally, " Sutalo said.
Clients of the Hercegovacka Bank from Posavina: SFOR plundered us!
Clients of the Hercegovacka Bank living in the Posavina Canton established
a co-ordination body for protection of their deposits. On Wednesday, the
clients signed a petition asking the High Representative, Wolfgang
Petritsch, to urgently enable them to have a free access to their deposits
and capital. Joso Markovic, one of the clients, said that his working
capital is blocked and that the opened account in another bank does not
mean anything to him, because that account does not include the capital,
which would be at his disposal. Markovic also said that all grants for his
company are in the Hercegovacka Bank.
Provisional Administrator invited Hercegovacka Banka customers to open
accounts elsewhere:
The Provisional Administrator of Hercegovacka Banka, Toby Robinson, said
in a statement for the press that she is very concerned about the
interests of Hercegovacka Banka customers who are affected by the closure
of this institution, and which was caused by the incidents last Friday.
Robinson also invited Hercegovacka Bank clients to open accounts
elsewhere, i.e., in other banks in order to continue normal financial
transactions. All Federation media carried the OHR press release (very
prominently).
Inter-cantonal Institute of Health Insurance of Mostar: Costs of health
services to be reimbursed by Petritsch
The Inter-Cantonal Health Insurance Institute of Mostar called on Thursday
all health institutions located in the Croat-majority areas to contact
exclusively the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch and the
Provisional Administrator of the Hercegovacka Bank, Toby Robinson, for the
reimbursement of their health services. By the decision of the High
Representative, the funds of the Health Institute, among other things,
have been blocked in the Hercegovacka Bank. The Mostar Clinic Hospital, as
well as other health institutions in the Croat majority areas, warned that
due to the blockage of
funds with the Hercegovacka Bank, they can not provide medicines, medical
supplies and food for the patients any more.
Presidency of the Croat National Assembly welcomes the visit of the US
Secretary of State to BiH:
At a session held yesterday, the Presidency of the Croat National Assembly
(HNS) welcomed the visit of the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, to
BiH and stressed that this visit may encourage resolving the most serious
crisis in BiH since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement. The HNS
condemned once again the raid on Hercegovacka Banka and stressed it will
hold the High Representative and members of the "illegal Federation
government" responsible for any unwanted consequences of their actions.
Media in Croat majority areas is pressured by the HDZ:
According to ONASA news agency, the Hotline for Journalist (Free Media)
registered an alarming increase in number of calls and complaints coming
from journalist working with radio and television stations which are
located in the areas with Croat majority. Apparently, most complaints
refer to threats and pressure on staff of certain media made by the HDZ
and its satellites who favor the Croat self-rule in BiH. According to
report, numerous Croat media in those areas said that they received
concrete directions as to how and when they will air statements issued by
various Croat parties and veterans associations.
Croats hold demonstrations in Orasje:
Upon the initiative of several Croat veterans associations, including
HVIDRA, and the HQ for protection of identity and national interests of
Croat people in BiH, several thousands Croats gathered yesterday in
Orasje. Aside from the usual International Community-bashing, the
president of the Posavina veterans association, Ivo Maric, also dismissed
the speculations that the commander of the Fourth Guardian Corps, Tomo
Knezevic, had been hijacked. "Col. Knezevic is alive and well and is with
his family. He called our (HVO) Command and confirmed that he had left the
barracks due to pressure of the SFOR who tried to force him work against
his own people," said Maric. According to Vecernji List, Knezevic also
addressed the rally in Orasje via mobile phone saying that he is "crying
for not being able to be with them" and asked them not be tricked by
speculations about his alleged kidnapping.
Col. Knezevic denies speculations that he has been abducted:
Tomo Knezevic, the recently appointed commander of the 4th Battalion,
phoned yesterday the Croat radio in Orasje to deny speculation that he had
disappeared. During the telephone conversation he said that he was alive
and well, adding that he reached the decision on the disbanding of the
military units of the 4th Battalion by following his conscience. Knezevic
said that he made his decision after receiving an order from the BiH
Federation Defense Minister Mijo Anic and the deputy commander of the
Bosnia-Hercegovina federation army to use force to prevent members of the
associations of war veterans from entering the barracks of the 4th
Battalion's Sons of Posavina motorized brigade. "I could not follow the
orders and I decided to make this move," Knezevic said.
International forces caused agitation in the shrine of the Queen of Peace:
Friar Ivan Sesar, a parish priest from Medjugorje, sent a protest letter
to Wolfgang Petritsch, the High Representative in BiH, Jacques Klein,
Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, SFOR commanders in BiH
and Thomas Miller, the US Ambassador in BiH, regarding the demonstration
of force of the SFOR forces in the shrine of the Queen of Peace in
Medjugorje. Sesar stressed that international forces and their APCs
created confusion and agitated the visitors in Mejugorje.
HDZ choosing moderate members for their negotiating team:
Veso Vegar, a close associate of Ante Jelavic, told Jutarnje Novine that
the HDZ is presently working on structuring its negotiating team for
possible talks with representatives of the International Community. Vegar
also confirmed the speculations of Zegreb's Nacional that the IC will
support a moderate Martin Raguz as one of the HDZ negotiators. "We are
ready for negotiations, however it is not up to us whether they will take
place or not. That depends on the International Community, and thus far,
we have had several telephone conversations with them in connection with
the possible talks, but nothing official," said Vegar. Tihomir Begic, the
former Aide to Jelavic, also told Jutarnje that the dialogue is absolutely
necessary at this time, since the situation may end in a complete chaos.
Croat Christian Democrats: Stop demonstrating force:
"Shocked by the vehemence of the air and land 'care' which the
representatives of the international community have been displaying
recently for the Croats in BiH, the Croatian Christian Democrats request
the international community and the High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch
to stop demonstrating their democracy with guns drawn and the finger on
the trigger at least during the Easter holidays" - it is said in a
statement of Croatian Christian Democrats. "At the same time we appeal to
all Croatian men and women to preserve their peace and dignity, all in
keeping with the decisions of
the Croatian National Assembly, and to persevere in their demands for
freedom and equality. We would like to remind Mr. Petritsch that in his
native country the will of the majority is respected, regardless of
whether one likes it or not, and so we kindly ask him not to 'whisper' to
us whom we should elect. We have been learning our lesson for the long 50
years of Communism when everything that was Croatian was stamped out" -
the Christian Democrats point out.
Croat National Assembly sends an open letter to Croats in Croatia:
Inspired by the current political situation, the Croatian National
Assembly BiH sent today an open letter to the Croatian people in the
Republic of Croatia asking them to
understand the political position of the Croats in BiH. "Croatian people
and citizens of the Republic of Croatia, we expect you to understand our
problem, as a part of the same Croatian people, do not allow the
government you elected to place itself at the service
of the international administration in BiH which is anxious to make the
Croats in BiH a pliable and disinherited minority. Do not allow them to
build a new Berlin wall between us, to mine the borders and to put barbed
wire and other obstacles... "What we need is not the empty phrases of
Croatian officials about their being obliged by the Constitution to care
for the Croats in BiH, but rather a clear declaration that the Croats in
BiH are a
constituent people who consequently claim all the rights due to them. We
also need a clear declaration about the deficiency of the Dayton Peace
Agreement and about the need of its being amended towards equalizing the
rights of all peoples and citizens, instead of
implementing the Dayton first and then changing it. Once this Agreement
has been implemented as it is, there will be no need to amend it later for
there will be no Croats in BiH by that time. There will only be the
ethnically clean Republika Srpska and the Bosniak BiH Federation.
OSCE: The international community did not enter into a conflict with the
HNS only for the crimes in the HDZ leadership
In an interview with Nedjeljna Dalmacija, OSCE spokesman, Luke Zahner said
that : "Instead of being pleased with the election success in some parts
of the country and, pursuant to that, negotiating with the Alliance for
Changes about the formation of the Federal Government, the HDZ decided to
boycott, obstruct and walk out of the authorities. In short - they did not
want to share the power. I do not think they ever wanted to negotiate. If
the HDZ cannot be a constructive opposition at the entity level, then I
think it calls in question the 'D' in their name." In Herzegovina, where
it is not clear as to whether the Federation authorities are respected,
the powers of the international community could go in the direction of a
full protectorate. It is a fact that the international community will in
no case recognise the self-rule, just as it is a fact that the HDZ will
not recognize the legitimacy of the Government in Sarajevo. And someone
must be the authority. The HDZ is on the way of no return. The chances for
negotiations are getting poorer day by day. It is much more likely that
the situation will be solved
by SFOR than that it will be solved around a table.
OHR's Alexandra Stiglmayer: HDZ extremists resemble Milosevic's ones
In an interview with Nedjeljna Dalmacija, OHR spokesperson, Alexandra
Stiglmayer: "There are the democratic ways by which one can change the
things that one does not like - for instance, a change of the entity
constitutions. Also, there are the undemocratic, unconstitutional, illegal
and violent ways - that is what those Croat extremists in BiH are trying,
and it is similar to how the Croatian Serbs tried to proclaim "Srpska
Krajina" in Croatia back in 1991, which has not survived. The OHR appeals
to the members of the police, the Federation Army and all the officials to
act within the Federation institutions. Only in that way are the rights of
Croats in BiH guaranteed, instead of using the tactics of
inciting the people and advocating the language of hatred, which very much
resembles the first days of Slobodan Milosevic."
Republika Srpska:
Report on the Session of the RS Government
Both BL dailies report that the RS Government decided to dismiss steering
and executive board in several RS enterprises - Sveto Kovacevic is
appointed to the post of general manager of ODP "Metal Banja Luka" and
Sveto Garaca is new general manager of Banja Luka Milk Factory. The papers
also report that leading people of "RS Lottery", Bijeljina-based "Drina"
Company and General Hospital "St. Luke" in Doboj were dismissed.
Commenting on the situation in "RS Telkom", Minister Dokic says that debt
of this company amounts to 106 million KM, which is 2,65 times more than
planned.
Sulejman Tihic Says It Was Not the Wind Who Destroyed Ferhadije Mosque
In a brief interview for "Nezavisne novine" Sulejman Tihic explains his
views on the Croat self-rule, the work of the RS Government and the
reconstruction of Ferhadija mosque. Commenting on the establishment of the
Croat self-rule, Tihic says that he, in a certain way, understands why the
HDZ is not satisfied, but at the same time stresses that they have chosen
the wrong way to resolve the problems. As to the work of the new RS
Government, Tihic said that it is still early to comment on it, but
stresses that the SDA is not satisfied with a fact that not a single
Bosniaks was appointed to any post in the RS Government, public
enterprises, RS - organizations and institutions.
As to reconstruction of Ferhadija mosque Tihic said that it was "not the
wind who destroyed Ferhadija, but those who were in power in Banja Luka at
the time", and that those who did it should help its reconstruction. "The
federation authorities should do the same when it comes to the
reconstruction of orthodox and catholic churches", says Tihic.
International Community
US Secretary of State visits BiH capital:
US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived to Sarajevo early Friday for a
brief visit at the end of his Balkan tour. Powell arrived to Sarajevo
airport from Skopje shortly after 2:30 pm where he is to meet with the
High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the commander of the SFOR
troops, US General Michael Dodson.
Powell is to meet later with the members of the BiH tripartite presidency
and representatives of the Federation government.
Editorials:
Slobodna Dalmacija: The Croats in BiH are the victims of the allegiance
of Zagreb
By Ivica Marijacic
This is the height of tragicomedy and hypocrisy. One organic part of the
national being is suffering the consequences of a brutal international
force, while the domestic yes-men, obliged, in line with the Constitution,
to take care about the Croats in emigration, are celebrating and approving
the same force, along with other people's Minister. The situation into
which the Croats there have been brought can not be given any other name
but agony. On the same day when SFOR raided the Hercegovacka Bank, the
leading Croatian politicians, in the centre of the Croatian political life
in Zagreb, were repeatedly toasting Zlatko Lagumdzija, the BiH Foreign
Affairs Minister and were delighted with the SFOR actions against Croats,
as if the violence against the BiH Croats was not, at the same time, the
violence against Croatia, or jeopardy of the Croatian national interests.
Republika: Federation authorities to abolish national secret services
The new authorities in the BiH Federation have decided to abolish the two
secret services which stand in their way of taking over the power. SNS
(National Security Service) Director is currently Zeljko Siljeg, a former
JNA officer and former commander of the military police who is known for
crying when he was ordered to arrest the perpetrators of the attack at
Hans Koschnick. The Service employs around 70 persons but there are a
bigger number of field agents on the payroll. The persons of confidence
and influence are also Deputy Director Ivan Duspara, who is in charge of
Bosanska Posavina, and Jozo Lucic, who operates in Central Bosnia. The SNS
is located at the "Institute building" in Mostar and disposes with as many
as 76 vehicles, the poorest car in the car park being a Golf 4. The
Service functions in a few sectors, Pero Krndelj is in charge of the
operational tasks, Marko Strbac material and financial department, and
Vjeko Vukovic is
in charge of the narcotics department. Contacts with the international
agencies go via Ilija Vincetic. The Service is financed from several
sources. A monthly amount of 320 000
DEM used to be allocated from the Federation Budget, and considerable
means
were also allocated from the cantons, but it is hard to establish as to
how
much money was collected through the "racket." The main task of the SNS
agents is not national security but exclusively the protection of the
interests of the HDZ criminal group and they are absolutely in the service
of one party alone. By all accounts, the vast
majority of those agents are involved in dubious criminal acts. The
international community has a special interest in the abolishing of the
service because its real power and foul intentions have been particularly
notable in the past days with the service exerting tremendous pressure on
all those who express their loyalty to the new authorities. The SNS is a
real fortress of the HDZ and only once it is pulled down could one start
speaking about democratisation of the party. In reality, it is Ante
Jelavic, Stanko Sopta and Mijo Jelic that directly administer and command
the "notorious" SNS. Lawyer Josip Muselimovic, who is usually chosen as
the defender of clients in staged court processes, has a big influence as
well. Jelavic's agents are very active in spending the
taxpayers' money. They all have flats in Mostar, Split or Zagreb, a few
expensive cars, mobile phones and open bank accounts. They are known for
tremendous pressures and for buying votes in the election periods on which
occasions they themselves admitted to have loads of foreign currencies and
behaved arrogantly.
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