Office of the High Representative BiH Media Round-up

BiH Media Round-up, 08/05/2001

  • Federation:
    • HDZ awaits an answer from the High Representative
    • Charges to be raised against former Federation Defense Minister
    • All pensioners in Federation to receive minimal pensions in April
    • Under a contract between the Federation Defense Ministry and the World Bank - 15 million Dollars to demobilised soldiers of the Federation Army
    • Livno: Session of the Headquarters for Protection of Homeland War Dignity - Manipulations of the Croat army must stop
    • Mostar: The Commission for Election and Appointment of Judges in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton about Petritsch's decision and Milisic's statement - Mostar judiciary neither depends on anyone nor conducts a national segregation
    • There has been no reply to the HDZ's call for negotiations addressed to the High Representative, and the HDZ's negotiating team leader Bozo Ljubic stated: OHR has had no objections to the composition of the negotiating team
    • Ljubic starts negotiations with Petritsch
    • Agreement with the IC to be checked through a referendum
    • Jadranko Prlic, Chairman of the Croat Co-ordination, stated in Mostar yesterday: Croats need to elect their own representatives to the Houses of Peoples

  • RS related issues:
    • RS Interior Ministry says perpetrator of Trebinje incidents identified
    • Explosive device thrown at the house of Trebinje Islamic Community head
    • OHR Special Envoy in Trebinje says police behavior hurts more than blows
    • RS Prime Minister says no indicted war crimes suspects live in the RS

  • International Community:
    • Sarajevo: Cardinal Puljic meets with Dr. Christian Schwarz-Shilling, the International Mediator for the Federation and Republika Srpska- All in favour of dialogue, but no one is talking
    • OHR will talk but will not negotiate with the HDZ

  • Banja Luka incidents and reactions:
    • Incidents in Banja Luka and reactions (Federation media)
    • Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency calls for an extraordinary Presidency meeting
    • RS media reports:
    • Report on Banja Luka Incident - Ferhadija Mosque Destroyed Again;
    • Wolfgang Petritsch Says RS Authorities Are Responsible for Violence;
    • Interview With Thomas Miller - RS Leadership Is Responsible;
    • Graham Hans Says Riots And Violence Were Orchestrated By SDS;
    • Jacques Paul Klein Condemns Preventing of Laying Corner Stone for Ferhadija Mosque - UN Mission Cannot Demand Sanctions for RS;
    • Report on Meeting of RS Leadership - Politicized Religious Event;
    • Mladen Ivanic Says RS Did Not Need This;
    • Zlatko Lagumdzija - Ask Ivanic and Klain Who Is Responsible;
    • Sulejman Tihic Says This Is Just Another Trebinje Scenario;


Federation:

HDZ awaits an answer from the High Representative
Bozo Ljubic, Vice-president of HDZ and the head of HDZ negotiating team said that HDZ has named a six-man team to negotiate with the international community representatives, Oslobodjenje reported on Tuesday. Ljubic said that he has on Friday sent a letter to the High Representative asking him to start negotiations but has not received a response from Petritsch. Ljubic still expects that the negotiations could start this week adding that the international community did not comment on participation of any of the members of the HDZ negotiating team, Oslobodjenje reported.

Charges to be raised against former Federation Defense Minister
Sarajevo papers reported that the Federation Defense Minister, Mijo Anic has announced on Monday that the Ministry will raise charges against the former Defense Minister, Miroslav Prce because he has not handed over the necessary documents on the Croat component of the Federation Army. All the deadlines have passed and Prce has not submitted the documents and Minister Anic will ask the relevant authorities to raise criminal charges, Antun Mrkonjic, Defense Ministry spokesman told the press. ``Minister Prce will have to explain why he failed to hand over the documents and answer where these documents are now,'' Mrkonjic said.

All pensioners in Federation to receive minimal pensions in April
Both Oslobodenje and Dnevni Avaz reported that because of slow payments into the Pension Fund and the fact that only 22 of the needed 40 million KMs have been collected all pensioners might receive minimal pensions in April. If nothing changes soon all pensioners will have to survive with just 117 KM pensions they will receive, the daily said.

Under a contract between the Federation Defense Ministry and the World
Bank - 15 million Dollars to demobilised soldiers of the Federation Army Split daily Slobodna Dalmacija reported that the first contracts of employment for demobilized soldiers, whose new jobs will be financed by the World Bank, will be signed on May 17. This agreement was made in Sarajevo on Monday in a meeting of the World Bank representative Maniza Naqui with the Federation Minister of Defense Mijo Anic and his Deputy Ferid Buljubasic, in which the Director of the World Bank Mission to BiH, Joseph Ingram, was present as well. The first stage will include employment offers for 500 to 800 Federation Army members who were demobilized in 1999 and 2000. The World Bank allocated 15 million Dollars for this project and the Netherlands, Italy and Norway are also willing to help.

Livno: Session of the Headquarters for Protection of Homeland War Dignity
Manipulations of the Croat army must stop Slobodna Dalmacija reported that the Headquarters for Protection of Homeland War Dignity and Croats' Rights in BiH called the political leadership from their session in Livno to secure the funds for the payment of salaries to the HVO members and to stop the political manipulations of the Croat component of the Federation Army. The Headquarters also requested that a meeting be arranged for next week with the participation of the Cantonal associations of the Homeland War and the representatives of the newly elected authorities in Canton 10, but the press release from the Headquarters' session does not read what the subject of the meeting should be.

Mostar: The Commission for Election and Appointment of Judges in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton about Petritsch's decision and Milisic's statement - Mostar judiciary neither depends on anyone nor conducts a national segregation
The Commission for Election and Appointment of Judges in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton issued a press release regarding the transfer of the jurisdiction for the HB-related events to the Canton Court in Sarajevo, Slobodna Dalmacija said. "Since Mr. Milisic was explicit in stating that the judiciary in Mostar is not working independently only in the cases against Croats, it is clear that he thinks that the independence of the judiciary, and consequently its functioning in general, has been jeopardized by an undefined sort of influence on the holders of judicial positions who work on the cases of indicted Croats, and this narrows down the circle of the holders of judicial positions who are not working independently." The Commission appeals to OHR spokesperson Oleg Milisic to present it with the evidence which would prove that individual judges in specific cases, and especially in the cases against Croats, acted partially and illegally, or were subject to influence, pressures, threats or interventions from any side or for any purpose, so that the Commission can initiate the proper legal proceedings in that regard. The Commission says "it is necessary to react immediately and undertake all the measures available to suppress the aforementioned negative influence on the judiciary and eliminate the personnel who violated the Code of Judges or Prosecutors." "In that case," reads the press release, "there would be no need for a transfer of the cases against persons of any nationality to either the Canton Court in Sarajevo or any other court outside of our Canton or Mostar."

There has been no reply to the HDZ's call for negotiations addressed to the High Representative, and the HDZ's negotiating team leader Bozo Ljubic stated: OHR has had no objections to the composition of the negotiating team
Zagreb daily Vecernji List said that Bozo Ljubic, HDZ BiH Vice President and the head of the party's negotiating team stated for Croat Radio Herceg-Bosna on Monday that the High Representative has not replied to the letter that the HDZ sent to him on Friday regarding a start of the negotiations, but Ljubic expects the negotiations to start as soon as some time this week. "There have been talks all the time, but there have been no negotiations," stated Bozo Ljubic. He added that he has been advocating institutionalisation of the negotiations with the international community and the BiH authorities since the very beginning. He refuted the allegations published in some of the Sarajevo newspapers, which quoted sources in the OHR announcing that the international community would not talk with HDZ senior officials Dragan Covic, Mijo Brajkovic and Martin Raguz. "The international community has not declared its opinion on any of the negotiating team members," stated Ljubic. He added that the principles contained in the Declaration of the Croat National Assembly in BiH will serve as the platform for negotiations. Ljubic asserted that the Croat National Assembly has not, "factually," established the Croat self-rule, but that the Inter-Cantonal Council was "a forced means of achieving a full constitutional and realistic equality which was completely abolished by the pre-election and post-election engineering." Bozo Ljubic believes that the future lies in "resolving problems within the institutions of the system." Similar reports were published also in Slobodna Dalmacija, Republika and Vjesnik (see below)

Ljubic starts negotiations with Petritsch
Zagreb daily Vjesnik's Alenko Zornija said that "Although they were advocating rather moderate attitudes since the beginning of the crisis, Covic, Raguz and Brajkovic might be undesirable interlocutors for the IC, but also for the parties of the Alliance because they were involved in the project of the Croat autonomy which has never come to life officially. On the other side, Ivo Vincetic and Rudo Vidovic are rather unknown party members and they were included in the negotiating team primarily because they wanted that the team members are coming from different BiH regions. Although the international community prevented the establishment of the self-rule (which has never been formally proclaimed) with the use of force, the constitutional and legal position of the Croat people in BiH has not been resolved. It is clear to the IC officials and the Alliance parties that the problem exists and even prominent Croats from the block of the ruling parties support the idea that the HDZ (that the large number of people voted for) participates in the resolving of this problem. Naturally, they insist that they work on it within the authority institutions and through a parliamentary procedure," reads the Vjesnik article.

Agreement with the IC to be checked through a referendum
Marko Tokic, the President of the Croat self-rule and Vice President of the HDZ BiH, gave a special statement for 'Vjesnik' on the occasion of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of preventing the tanks of the so-called JNA to pass through Polog, a village near Siroki Brijeg. Tokic stated: 'I believe that the High Representative, as well as all those who want to negotiate, have been officially informed about it by the recently appointed negotiating team of the HDZ BiH.' Tokic stated that 'there is not a single Croat anymore who can personally pass a decision that something was signed or agreed, but such a decision has to undergo a check among the Croat people through a referendum.' He expressed his belief that the negotiations with the international representatives will be 'a long and difficult process'. General Stanko Baja Sopta delivered a speech at the joint session of the Municipal Council of Siroki Brijeg and the HDZ Municipal Board of Siroki Brijeg on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of preventing the tanks from passing through Polog. He stressed that the Croat unity and readiness to sacrifice were crucial for the success of the Croat people in the creation of the Croat(ian) state and in the struggle for equality and sovereignty in BiH. He called on the Croats not to be disunited but 'to stand united as they did in Polog 10 years ago when they clearly showed the enemies that they could not pass,' reports Vjesnik

Jadranko Prlic, Chairman of the Croat Coordination, stated in Mostar yesterday: Croats need to elect their own representatives to the Houses of Peoples
Vecernji List reported that Dr. Jadranko Prlic, the BiH Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Chairman of the Croat Coordination, condemned the incidents in Banja Luka and Trebinje and appealed to the authorities and the international community to deal with the violent persons. Prlic added that the "most recently displayed violence represents retrograde trends which drive BiH farther from the world." Vecernji List says that Prlic could not explain the differences between the program of the Croat Coordination and the HNS Platform of a Self-sustainable BiH. "Prlic said that the Coordination stands for the BiH Election Law that would allow members of each of the peoples to elect their own representatives to the Houses of Peoples, which is exactly why the HDZ, the party that Prlic left last year, refused to participate in the authorities and established the temporary Croat self-rule. Prlic and most of the Croat Coordination member parties agreed to participate in the authorities in accordance with the unconstitutional election rules for the Houses of Peoples passed by the OSCE. In his press conference, Prlic also stood for the principle that BiH Presidency Members be elected in the House of Peoples, which is also a part of the HDZ's Platform of Negotiations, just like the forming of a common BiH army with national components, reads the Vecernji List article.


RS related issues:


RS Interior Ministry says perpetrator of Trebinje incidents identified
RS Interior Ministry officials told the press that some of the perpetrators of violent attacks in Trebinje on Saturday have been identified. Zoran Glusac, RS MUP spokesman said that legal action will be carried out against the persons identified as key players of Trebinje incidents when several people, including representatives of the international community were injured.

Explosive device thrown at the house of Trebinje Islamic Community head
Sarajevo papers reported that an explosive device was thrown on Sunday night at the house of the head of the Islamic Community in Trebinje, Izet Capin. Fortunately, there were no wounded but the house and the surrounding were damaged. Capin told the press that he will remain in Trebinje despite the attack because it is his town as well.

OHR Special Envoy in Trebinje says police behavior hurts more than blows
Daniel Ruiz, OHR Special Envoy in Trebinje, who was attacked on Saturday in an interview told Dnevni Avaz that more than the ``cowardly and inhuman behavior of police hurt him more than the blows.'' ``I will leave Trebinje only once the police arrests the perpetrators and when they receive adequate jail sentences,'' Ruiz told the daily.

RS Prime Minister says no indicted war crimes suspects live in the RS
RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic told reporters that there are no indicted war crimes suspects in the RS. Ivanic told Belgrade daily Blic that ``not a single person publicly indicted by The Hague Tribunal is currently in the RS.'' Ivanic also said that for him the ICTY is a ``one-sided court because the entire war-time leadership of the RS is accused of war crimes as opposed to key persons from the Bosniaks and Croat people.''


International community related issues:


Sarajevo: Cardinal Puljic meets with Dr. Christian Schwarz-Shilling, the International Mediator for the Federation and Republika Srpska- All in favour of dialogue, but no one is talking
Slobodna Dalmacija said that the Vrhbosna Archbishop Cardinal Vinko Puljic yesterday met with Dr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling, the International Mediator for the Federation and Republika Srpska. Dr. Schwarz-Schilling said he was surprised with the fact that there is so much talk about a dialogue, but no one is talking with the purpose of resolving the problems. Cardinal Puljic reiterated that the root of the problems lies in the wrong moves made prior to the elections. There was a mistake that no one would admit or correct, stated Cardinal Puljic. He asked his guest to use his authority and make sure that SFOR actions be as few as possible in the future as those sow disturbance and insecurity among the people and make the people move from this region. Cardinal Puljic expressed his disapproval of the OHR, which, as he said, applies double standards as far as returnees are concerned. While around 8,000 Serbs have returned to Drvar alone, which deserves every commendation, around 2,500 Croats have returned to the entire territory of Republika Srpska, and the OHR is doing too little to advance returns to that territory. Both of them agreed that the international community and the Croat political officials have made too many wrong moves, but that all of the Croat people must not be punished for that.

OHR will talk but will not negotiate with the HDZ
Bosnian Croat news agency Habena reported on Tuesday afternoon that OHR spokesman, Oleg Milisic, told a stated today that there is no basis for any negotiations between the OHR and the HDZ. At a press conference in Sarajevo Milisic said that the HDZ, or rather the elected representatives of this party, should return to the legal government institutions, for it is their obligation to the electorate that had placed confidence in them. The HDZ is expected to behave responsibly, the OHR spokesman added. Speaking about a dialogue, the OHR thinks that the HDZ representatives should seek solutions through the legal institutions and in the talks with legal BiH authorities. According to Milisic the OHR is ready to talk with HDZ representatives who had not taken part in counter-constitutional activities, but negotiations are out of the question.


Banja Luka incidents and reactions:


Incidents in Banja Luka and reactions
Sarajevo papers on Tuesday seemed to have room only for one story - the incidents in Banja Luka and the reactions. ``Fascism on the streets of Banja Luka,'' reads Oslobodjenje's headline. ``After Trebinje, even worse in Banja Luka - Fascist encouraged by RS authorities,'' Dnevni Avaz said. Papers said that scores of people were wounded in the rampage of Serb nationalists who prevented the ceremony of laying of the cornerstone for the Ferhadija mosque in Banja Luka on Monday. In addition to reports on the incident papers carry numerous reactions of local and international officials. Oslobodjenje quotes the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch as saying that the incidents were a ``terrorist attack on the rule of law, human rights and freedom of religion.'' ``What happened in Trebinje as well as Banja Luka has to be seriously punished in order to prevent such things from happening again,'' Petritsch said. Dnevni Avaz quotes the High Representative as saying that he finds the RS authorities responsible for the violence. US Ambassador to BiH, Thomas Miller said that the US government most strongly condemns the actions of demonstrators in Banja Luka and will hold the RS authorities responsible. Head of UN Mission to BiH, Jacques Paul Klein, who was present at the ceremony that turned into an incident said that this was an action of extremists, who are ``obviously well organized.'' BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija who was personally one of the targets of the extremist said that Fascism in BiH has not been conquered and that the events in Banja Luka clearly show that. Head of the Islamic Community, Reis-ul-Ulema, Mustafa Ceric told a news conference that Bosnian Serb member of BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic and RS President, Mirko Sarovic should resign from their post ``in the name of civilization.'' RS top authorities held a meeting on Tuesday and condemned the violence in Banja Luka. The office of the RS President, Mirko Sarovic in a statement said that RS authorities feel that every individual in the RS has to have full freedom of religion. ``However, we are against giving political motivation to events that essentially have religious character as they initiated national tensions and slow down the building of trust in the country,'' the statement from Sarovic's office said. According to RTRS report during the meeting the RS Interior Minister, Perica Bundalo and Chief of Banja Luka police, Vladimir Tutus have offered to resign from their posts.
High Representative appalled at outbreak of violence in Banja Luka

Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency calls for an extraordinary Presidency meeting
Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Beris Belkic called for an extraordinary meeting of the Presidency that is to discuss the violence in Banja Luka. The Presidency is to meet on Tuesday morning and will discuss the events both in Trebinje and Banja Luka, papers said.

Report on Banja Luka Incident - Ferhadija Mosque Destroyed Again
Today's edition of "Nezavisne novine" carries lengthy report on the Incident that happened in Banja Luka yesterday when the corner stone for Ferhat Pasha's mosque in Banja Luka was supposed to be laid. The report begins with flyers that appeared in Banja Luka yesterday morning in which anonymous author called on Serbs to prevent the ceremony from taking place. It seems that the contents of the flyers anticipated the events that happened during the day. Demonstrators, gathered across the site where Ferhadija once used to be, started singing chetnik's songs and broke the windshield on Lagumdzija's car. At that moment one could also see a person who was carrying pig's head stuck on a picket. The crowd was growing and the RS police forces tried to separate the crowd from Bosnikas who arrived to Banja Luka. Few minutes later, when Jacques Klein arrived, the crowd managed to break the police cordon and the beating of Bosniaks who were at the site began. Fortunately many of them took shelter in the IVZ building together with Mr. Lagumdzija, Austrian Ambassador Jandl and three RS ministers. Authors of the article were at the spot when 18-year old guy beat up older Bosniak man. When he finished with it few guys surrounded the man and started chanting: "Kill, kill, kill the Turk". At 2 o'clock PM Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic arrives at the site and warns that he will not leave the IVZ building till the last person from the building is not evacuated. In a meantime, SDS leaders, Sarovic, Cavic and Kalinic are tried to calm the situation down calling on demonstrators to disperse, but they were not very successful in their attempts. The demonstrators set on fire several buses with which Bosniaks arrived to Banja Luka. The BL Firemen tried to extinguish the fire but demonstrators prevented them from doing their job. After that the crowd started attacking and trashing shops owned by non-Serbs. According to unofficial information, three BL secondary schools discharged students early in the morning which may indicate that well prepared organizers stand behind the event.

Wolfgang Petritsch Says RS Authorities Are Responsible for Violence

Both BL dailies carried the entire OHR Press release in the HR blames the RS authorities for yesterday' s incident in Banja Luka.

Interview With Thomas Miller - RS Leadership Is Responsible

Today's edition of "Nezavisne novine" carries interview with US Ambassador to BiH Thomas Miller in which he explains his views on the Banja Luka incident and possible consequences the RS will have to take for it. He says that there are many nice people in the RS but there is also a certain number of people who support violence and who are responsible for the incident that took place in Trebinje and Banja Luka. Ambassador Miller also thinks that the RS leadership is responsible for these incidents. "When the crowd headed towards us I saw policemen who were doing nothing to prevent it, they were just standing by, which I find totally irresponsible. Commenting on consequences of the BL and Trebinje incidents, Miller says that the biggest losers are RS citizens. "The fact is that the RS Police cannot fulfil its basic duties, that is, compliance with law and maintenance of peace and order, and the whole world will view this message in this way. How can you expect investments if you are not capable of maintaining peace and order?", says Mr. Miller. US Ambassador Miller also criticizes RS President and Vice-president, Sarovic and Cavic for their failure to react to Trebinje and Banja Luka incidents duly. "Our office was trying to get in touch with RS President and the Vice-president but they were not available. How is it possible to have a crisis like this one and not being able to contact them. What kind of message is that?", says Mr. Miller

Graham Hans Says Riots And Violence Were Orchestrated By SDS

Reporter of "Nezavisne novine" made a brief interview with British Ambassador to BiH Mr. Graham Hand while his was "captured" in the IVZ building. Ambassador Hand says that they will all stay together with the Prime Minister Ivanic till evacuation of all innocent persons ends. "I think this is a shame. The people have been encouraged to come here and in return they are hurt. Watching older people bleeding was really dreadful. These people did not do any harm to anybody", says Mr. Hand.

Jacques Paul Klein Condemns Preventing of Laying Corner Stone for Ferhadija Mosque - UN Mission Cannot Demand Sanctions for RS

UN Special Envoy, Jacques Paul Klein strongly condemns the incident that happened yesterday in Banja Luka. Commenting on possible introduction of sanctions to the RS Mr. Klein says that UN as a diplomatic body cannot demand introduction of sanctions to the RS and there is nothing the UN can do in that regard. As to those who attacked the innocent civilians, Mr. Klein says that this incident will be widely condemned. "It is a shame that such a small group of people represents the entire nation and you can only imagine how the international media will view these events. The public will be told that Serbs once again are terrorizing innocent men and women. What kind of heroism is that", says Mr. Klein. He commended work of the RS Special Police Squad who, as he says, managed to maintain peace and order. "The Police forces did their best and I can also say a great deal of work. The Special Squad set up the cordon around the IVZ building, which was very efficient and enabled older people who took shelter in the IVZ building to be evacuated", says Mr. Klein.

Report on Meeting of RS Leadership - Politicized Religious Event

Both BL dailies report on the meeting of the BL leadership that took place last night in Banja Luka. The meeting was attended by RS President and Vice-president, Sarovic and Cavic, Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, RS NA Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, BiH Presidency member, Zivko Radisic, RS Minister of Internal Affairs, Perica Bundalo and Chief of the RS Intelligence Service (OBS), Dobro Planojevic. After the meeting they issued press release in which they strongly condemned yesterday's incident and violence in Banja Luka and requested the RS Ministry of Interiors to conduct investigation about the incidents and to identify perpetrators and instigators, regardless of the side they represent. (Note: Late last night the RTRS reported that Chief of Banja Luka Police, Mr. Tutus and RS Minister of Interiors, Perica Bundalo offered their resignations.)

Mladen Ivanic Says RS Did Not Need This

Both BL dailies quote Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic as saying that it is evident that this event will be extremely detrimental to international positions of the RS. "The RS did not need this incident. Now we have to soberly analyze everything that happened. What I said million times is that citizens have to have a possibility to express their religious beliefs. It is a minimum every civilized country has to provide and we will keep insisting on it. I think there was too much politics in this event. About reconstruction of the mosque as well. The fact is that the incident took place and now we will have to face the consequences. However, stand of the RS Government is that law is foe everyone. I am quite certain that reaction of the IC will be very harsh", says Mr. Ivanic.

Zlatko Lagumdzija - Ask Ivanic and Klain Who Is Responsible

After he was evacuated from the IVZ building BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija made a statement to the press: "I hope that the people who participated in the incident will be held accountable. This does not credit any of the participants. As to responsibility, you should ask Mr. Ivanic and Mr. Klein.

Sulejman Tihic Says This Is Just Another Trebinje Scenario

Both BL dailies quote Vice-president of the RS NA, Sulejman Tihic as saying that the Banja Luka incident is repeat of the Saturday's incident in Trebinje, but that the BL incident was much better organized and much more dangerous. The IC is responsible for it as much as the RS Government.

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