BiH/Central institutions: BiH Presidency members to visit Banja Luka today State and Federal Radio to start programming on Monday (Vecernji List) HDZ-related News: OHR Mostar: Toby Robinson is having difficulties because of the lack of assistance of the old management Finance Ministry of Hercegovina-Neretva Canton asks tax payers to use its new accounts in Zagrebacka Banka The Manager of Vitez Fund to Wolfgang Petritsch: Serbos Invest is in a hopeless situation (Slobodna Dalmacija) HDZ concerned about the security situation in Central Bosnia Vecernji List: Hercegovacka Banka employees and management pray that the devil leaves Petritsch Globus: Interview with Tonino Picula, Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs - It would be absurd of SFOR to arrest Ante Jelavic while Karadzic is still at large INA Petroleum Company director used to take commission for himself (Vecernji List) INA Director had deals with General Ljubo Cesic Rojs (Globus) Federation: Vitez police arrests a suspect in the SDP bombing Split's Slobodna Dalmacija changes its editor-in-chief Republika Srpska: RS Prime Minister announces raising 14 indictments of alleged war criminals RS National Assembly discusses the Law on Privatization of socially-owned apartments RS National Assembly says arbitration decision on Dobrinja should be examined by the Constitutional Court Cornerstone for Ferhadija mosque to be laid down on Monday International Community: The High Representative to visit Banja Luka today The High Representative calls for a health reform in BiH European Commission to reconstruct 70 houses in Mostar area BiH State-related issues: BiH Presidency members to visit Banja Luka today The three members of the BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, Jozo Krizanovic and Beriz Belkic, are to visit the RS capital later today (Thursday) as a part of their comprehensive tour of cities and towns across BiH. According to the Presidency's spokesman, Boris Kujundzic, the three will hold separate meetings with the entity and municipal officials as well as with representatives of religious communities in the RS. State and Federal Radio to start programming on Monday (Vecernji List) The PBS BiH and BiH Radio would start with their program on Monday, 07 May. The decision was made by the Founding Board of the PBS and marked in that way the beginning of the work of the state PBS. For quite a long period of time, the public radio service has been expected to start operating since the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, several months ago, made the second decision on re-organization of the public radio service, which announced a full reconstruction of the existing RTV BiH. The process of establishing of the new public radio and television ran separately. Many people believed that the public radio service would start functioning much sooner, because of lesser technical requirements. The beginning of the work of the BiH Federation Radio, which is the entity radio service, is announced to happen on 07 May. HDZ-related News: OHR Mostar: Toby Robinson is having difficulties because of the lack of assistance of the old management At yesterday's press conference, the head of the OHR South, Colin Munro, said that all the documents and computers which were confiscated during the most recent action in Hercegovacka Banka were returned on April 27, in order to enable the canton authorities to proceed with the collection of contributions and taxes. He stressed, however, that the bank could not be used for deposit transfers for the time being. Speaking at the conference, Munro also said that the Provisional Administrator, Toby Robinson, expressed her deepest regret that the shareholders of this bank repeatedly refuse to cooperate or to engage in a dialogue. "It is obvious that the behavior of the shareholders prevents any cooperation of the bank's staff with the Provisional Administrator," said Munro, and added without the necessary cooperation, bank's customers will have to wait longer before they could use their accounts. Finance Ministry of Hercegovina-Neretva Canton asks tax payers to use its new accounts in Zagrebacka Banka The Ministry of Finance of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton issued today a public statement calling for all taxpayers to pay in the public revenues to the new deposit accounts which were opened by the Government of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton in the Zagrebacka Banka d.d.Mostar and Mostar branch Univerzal Bank d.d. Sarajevo. The Government opened new accounts in the mentioned banks after the Hercegovacka banka stopped working due to the armed attack of the SFOR members and Federal MUP on Apr 6 on the Bank, which was deposit bank for the Cantonal budget, the statement says. The Ministry of Finance, in co-operation with the Tax Administration, will undertake all legal measures against legal and physical persons who fail to pay in their liabilities, the statement points out. The Manager of Vitez Fund to Wolfgang Petritsch: Serbos Invest is in a hopeless situation (Slobodna Dalmacija) According to Slobodna Dalmacija, the blockade of the Hercegovacka Banka has stopped the flow of many financial operations and life, in general, on the territories of the BiH Federation and in the Central Bosnia as well. This is also obvious from the letter that Franjo Livancic, the Manager of the Fund 'Serbos Invest' Ltd. Vitez, sent to the High Representative. In the letter, Livancic said that this Fund was established in order to participate in the process of the big privatization of the companies in the BiH Federation. The founders of the Fund, 112 physical persons and corporations, paid in a required initial capital on the account of the Hercegovacka Bank Mostar. In order to promote the Fund in the public, to collect certificates, pay for certain fees and current business operations they used means from the initial capital deposited with the Hercegovacka Bank Mostar. By the blockade of the Hercegovacka Bank, which is the only deposit Bank for the Serbos Invest Ltd. Vitez, the work of this Fund and the collecting of the certificates have been completely stopped. HDZ concerned about the security situation in Central Bosnia The Central Bosnia HDZ Cantonal Board stressed in a press release that the security situation on the territory of the Central Bosnia and the whole Federation is very complicated. Such a situation, which is even disturbing, has been primarily caused by the economic-political situation, which additionally deteriorated and has been complicated by the blocking of the work of the Hercegovacka Bank, which caused the cessation of many financial operations and made it impossible for clients and depositors to control their money. According to the HDZ, the situation further deteriorated following the decision of the Federation Defense Minister Mijo Anic who banned the disbursement of the overdue salaries to the members of the Croat component of the Federation Army. The HDZ press release terms this 'the deprivation of the basic human rights' and as unwillingness of the IC to have a dialogue. The Cantonal HDZ Board also asked the International Community to make concrete steps in order to establish the peace and progress in BiH 'on the grounds of democracy, and not "demoncracy", through a dialogue with legal and legitimate representatives of the Croat people, and in accordance with the election results. Vecernji Lisrt: Hercegovacka Banka employees and management pray that the devil leaves Petritsch In the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the suspended employees and the management of the Hercegovacka Bank set on to their pilgrimage from Mostar to the Shrine of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje, in order to "pray that the justice wins in their case." According to Vecenji List, they started the exhausting trip, 30-km long, from Mostar where the employees from 30 towns, in which the affiliates of the private Bank are located, gathered. In the course of their pilgrimage, by making a big sacrifice, they were praying for their return to work and the victory of justice over violence and evil. "We felt the devil was attacking us. All the way we were praying to God to show us the way out of this difficult situation. We were praying for the people who are not aware of the damage they have been inflicting on us, so that the devil could leave them and that God gives us the strength to stand unblemished and honest while keeping the cross," said Ljilja Zovko, a suspended employee of the Hercegovacka Bank. Globus: Interview with Tonino Picula, Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs - It would be absurd of SFOR to arrest Ante Jelavic while Karadzic is still at large Tonino Picula, the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated the following in answer to a question about his prognosis of further developments in BiH: "In my judgment, the key lies in an emancipation of the Croat electorate in BiH from the HDZ. In order for the process of political pluralism among BiH Croats to stand any chance, a certain part of the HDZ that are not inclined to their current extremist chiefs must become materially and politically independent and get stronger. The proclaming of the Croat self-rule in BiH is nothing else but an attempt of a certain group of people from the HDZ leadership to keep the financial and political monopoly in that territory even at the price of severe conflicts with the international community. The leadership of the Croat self-rule again tried, in a bad manner, to implicate the official politics of the Republic of Croatia as an advocate of such an illegal and damaging project." Asked about Croatia's possible reactions if the SFOR should arrest Ante Jelavic, Tonino Picula stated: "I do not know if he really is involved in certain criminal actions. It is up to the investigators and the Court to decide about that. However, arresting Jelavic while Radovan Karadzic is still at large seems extremely absurd to me. What sort of a message would that be?" To the interviewer's remark that the international community representatives have been reproaching Zagreb authorities for their financial assistance to the Croat leadership and their lack of decisiveness towards the group led by Ante Jelavic, Picula said they reduced the financial assistance from Zagreb to Mostar and that some of the international community representatives had asked for the assistance to continue with a full transparency and a certain reduction. Picula said that those from the West, therefore, have no right to reproach Croatia because they advised it to keep sending the money. In his words, they set aside some funds for BiH Croats from this year's State Budget, but not a single Kuna has been sent so far. In answer to a question as to what happened to 54 million DEM from Croatia that ended up in a special account of the HDZ in the Hercegovacka Bank, Picula said "it is a financial sub-skin tissue that was accumulated in the course of last year. Once the funds crossed the border they were no longer under our control." The Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that the international community strengthened the HDZ BiH by changing the election rules. As for the Dayton Agreement, in his opinion, it played a huge role but cannot provide all the answers, "which is logical really, because back in 1995 one could not foresee the processes that were to happen later in BiH and a wider region. Now the process of revising of the chief Dayton provisions is underway. I spoke to Wolfgang Petritsch some ten days ago. He gave me a few very encouraging pieces of information. The most important thing is that the preamble of the new Constitution of Republika Srpska will be changed. It will no longer be a state of the Serb people, but a state of the constituent peoples in BiH, therefore - Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats. Thus begins the process of reintegrating Republika Srpska into BiH, which is essential for the survival and reconstruction of our closest neighbouring country," concluded Picula. INA Petroleum Company director used to take commission for himself (Vecernji List) The investigative procedure is presently taking place in several cantonal courts in the BiH Federation against a number importers and distributors of petroleum and petroleum products, who left to the INA Company million-worth debts for fuel. According to the statement of our anonymous interlocutor, who is very much knowledgeable about the trade business with petroleum and petroleum products, legal proceedings were instituted several months ago, pursuant to the intervention of the INA Management from Zagreb. Big debts in INA Company were made at the time when Ivo Jurisic was at the leading position of INA's holding for BiH. As our source says, he used to sell INA's fuel to his business associates in BIH at a considerably lower price, and he took some commission from the quantity of fuel he sold. Various financial improvisations were used for several years to falsely present the amount realised from INA's fuel sold in BiH to the main office in Zagreb. Our interlocutor says that the actions of the HVO to whom INA used to distribute the fuel, were often used as a cover for providing fuel for big oil magnates in BiH, who now have a monopoly on export and distribution of petroleum and petroleum products. INA Director had deals with General Ljubo Cesic Rojs (Globus) Following a request from the State Attorney Radovan Ortynski, the INA delivered to his Deputy Dragan Novosel the documentation about the business operations of the company's affiliate in BiH, Interina, which lost high amounts of money. It was motivated by the text published in Globus a few weeks ago, in which it was explained as to how the INA's affiliate in Sarajevo, Interina, by making business deals with the HDZ's junta in BiH, created a deficit of 105 million DEM. This means that an investigation into the INA's business operations in the neighboring country is to follow, and it could find fault with a number of prominent persons from the politics and oil business. Ivo Jurisic, who was the Director of the Interina at the time when the huge loss occurred, is now an official of the Croat National Assembly. Upon a question from Globus as to whether an investigation has indeed been initiated, Mario Dragun, the INA Spokesperson, replied positively. According to Dragun, it is about the business documents referring to the arrangements with the Monitor company based in Grude, the famous HVO Logistic Centre that was headed by Ljubo Cesic Rojs, Ante Jelavic, General Ivan Medic and others for years. Having heard that the story about the oil supply of the units in the neighbouring country was becoming a subject of the investigators' interest, Ljubo Cesic Rojs said in a close company that, if he should be named, he would publish the information of how much oil and oil derivatives the Croatian Army brigades spent in BiH, which he allegedly has records of. What Cesic is trying to prove in that way is that it was the Croatian Army units leading the Oluja operation from the BiH territories that made the major debt to the INA at the time in question, 1995, and that the HVO only had a minor role in it. Still, the thing with the oil supply of the HVO or the HV is not the only one that needs to be cleared up when it comes to the INA's operations in the closest neighbouring country. Even without the HVO, there remains around 20 million DEM of debts of various mickey-mouse companies, most of them under the sponsorship of the HDZ, which were selling the INA's fuel without thinking it necessary to pay for what they ordered, reads Globus. Federation: Vitez police arrests a suspect in the SDP bombing The Vitez police and the Ministry of Interior of the Central Bosnia canton arrested one suspect in the Monday bombing of the SDP building in this town. The police refused to disclose the identity of the detained suspect or the possible motives for the bombing. Most political parties in the Federation, including the HDZ, strongly condemned this attack and stressed that such incidents do not contribute to the atmosphere of security in the town or the entity. The OHR also condemned the bomb attack against the SDP offices in Vitez, calling it a terrorist act which is aimed at destabilizing BiH by using violence and other undemocratic means. (All Federation media quite prominently carried the OHR press release) Split's Slobodna Dalmacija changes its editor-in-chief Drazen Gudic, the newly appointed Editor-in Chief of Slobodna Dalmacija, did not want to give a long statement on Wednesday: "I was surprised by this election and, first of all, I have to elaborate a strategy, I have to talk with people and I have to find the best solutions for the newspaper. I would like to have fast changes and that the newspaper does not suffer. Naturally, I will insist that the journalists do their job professionally." Gudic has been writing for Slobodna' and he has been the Editor-in-Chief of 'Nedjeljna' for many years. Josip Jovic, a removed Editor-in Chief, said that the removals in 'Slobodna Dalmacija' have been exclusively motivated by political reasons and not by economic and financial ones. I wish a lot of success to the new Editor-in-Chief and I am calling on readers to read 'Slobodna' in the future as well." Republika Srpska: RS Prime Minister announces raising 14 indictments of alleged war criminals The RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, told Tanjug news agency that thew first fourteen indictments for the alleged war crimes will be brought in the next ten days and stressed that the proceedings would be carried out in local courts. Ivanic also said that the RS cannot ignore the existence of institutions such as The Hague Tribunal, but added that the entity's relations with the ICTY must be clearly defined. "The ignoring of the ICTY will keep us in the situation in which only our people are arrested or killed during the arrest. Then we see political officials competing in condemning it. Thereafter, everything is forgotten until the next arrest," said Ivanic. RS National Assembly discusses the Law on Privatization of socially-owned apartments The RS National Assembly decided yesterday that socially-owned apartments in this entity would be privatized by no more then 60 percent of the old foraying currency savings, while the remainder value of apartments would be paid in cash. According to this law, the occupancy rights holders who left their apartments between April 30, 1991 and December 19, 1998 will be able to purchase their homes in the one-year time from the date the apartment has been officially returned. The Minister of Urban Planning, Nedjo Djuric, said that the law would take effect within 30-50 days from the day it is officially promulgated, unless the OHR has objections. RS National Assembly says arbitration decision on Dobrinja should be examined by the Constitutional Court The RS National Assembly asked the Chairman of the BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, to initiate the discussion about the arbitration decision on Dobrinja I and IV before the BiH Constitutional Court. Deputies in the Assembly also asked the OHR and the Federation authorities to coordinate the evictions of Dobrinja residents with the resolution of their housing problems, and to adequately compensate those families who invested funds in these neighborhoods. Cornerstone for Ferhadija mosque to be laid down on Monday Nezavisne Novine report that the ceremony of laying the cornerstone for the reconstruction of the Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka will take place on May 7th. Vladimir Tutus, the head of Banja Luka 's Public security center said that "this event has the elements of high risk and possible provocation could be expected." He added that the center will take all necessary measures to prevent any incidents. Tutus also said that a number of the IC representatives will attend the ceremony. The cornerstone will be laid by the Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community in BiH Mustafa ef. Ceric. As expected, several thousands Bosniaks from the whole BiH will attend the ceremony. International Community: The High Representative to visit Banja Luka today The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, is also to arrive to Banja Luka later today (Thursday) for a two day visit to the RS capital. During his stay, Petritsch will hold various meetings with RS authorities and opposition leaders. He will also address the participants of the International Railway Conference which is to take place in Banja Luka on Friday, May 4, 2001. Federation media noted that the two visits (one of the High Representative, the other of the BiH Presidency) are oddly taking place at the same time and speculate that something is happening in the RS or is about to happen. (OHR Media Advisory was covered by all media quite prominently) The High Representative calls for a health reform in BiH During his visit to the Kosevo Hospital in Sarajevo, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, called for reform in the way healthcare is managed in BiH to ensure public funds filter down to those who really need them. Petritsch said the increased communication and cooperation between both health institutions and governments on various levels, transparent collection and disbursement of public funds to health institutions could ensure a better and more efficient health service. (All Federation media carried the OHR press release; Dnevni Avaz and Jutarnje Novine carried also several shots of the HR and Nora Petritsch visiting the Kosevo Hospital). European Commission to reconstruct 70 houses in Mostar area European Commission signed contract worth 1 million Euros for the reconstruction of 70 houses in the municipality of Mostar, a statement issued by the Information Office of the European Commission said. The project will be to the benefit of returnees of all ethnic groups (14 Serb, 28 Bosniaks and 28 Croatian). Danish Refugee Council with close co-operation with the authorities of the Mostar municipality made plan of the project which includes the reconstruction of 50 houses in each of the seven municipalities. Apart from the reconstruction of the houses, the project includes 71 680 euros for the activities on the opening of work posts and support in agricultural material.

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