- Decisions on the reconstruction of 800 national monuments to be made in a year
- Tokic accuses Croatia of using border issue for political purposes
- Serb refugees from Croatia eligible to vote in BiH
- The Alliance for Change Coordination holds regular meeting in Sarajevo
- LDS BiH calls on Petritsch to impose amendments to the entities’ Constitutions
- Dnevni List:
Meeting of BiH political parties with Croat prefix – Invitation rejected by Anic and Lijanovici - Vecernji List: Brkic was sending invitations because Jelavic would be boycotted
- Dnevni List: NHI regarding HDZ’s invitation – We are ready to talk about position of Croats in BiH
- Oslobodjenje: Pro at Contra – Petritsch and Ivanic on the 1991 census as the basis for the composition of the RS Government
- Vecernji List: In clinch – Kalinic and Petritsch on constitutional reforms
- RS Prime Minister says he will not implement imposed constitution
- RS Vice-president Cavic says power should be distributed in accordance with elections
- RS NA Speaker says constitutional changes require two-thirds majority
- RS Government to set 30-day deadline for war crime suspects to surrender to The Hague Tribunal
- PDP Spokesman comments on Dodik’s statement
- Reuters: Defiant Milosevic faces epic war crimes trial
- Mesic says position of Croats in BiH should be improved but only through the state institutions
- Serbian Justice Ministry: Plavsic Abides by the Conditions Defined in the Guarantees
- Dnevni List: Lijanovici are out of game
- Dnevni List: On Tuesdays from the right – How to establish third entity without too many questions: WHY?
- Dnevni List: Has American policy in Balkans and BiH changed?
- Vecernji List: All-Croat political noise
BiH State-related Issues
Decisions on the reconstruction of 800 national monuments to be made in a year
BiH Federation Minister of Urban Planning Ramiz Mehmedagic told Dnevni Avaz that the High Representative’s decision related to the preservation of the national monuments would ensure their restoration without a complicated procedure of getting necessary approvals. He said that the State Commission for the Preservation of the National Monuments, established in accordance to the Dayton agreement’s Annex 8, was expected to process approximately 800 requests in this year and decide which facilities were of a national importance.
Tokic accuses Croatia of using border issue for political purposes
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
The Speaker of the House of Peoples of the BiH Assembly, Sejfudin Tokic, today accused officials of the Republic of Croatia of using the border issue between BiH and the Republic of Croatia at Kostajnica for current political purposes, trying to demonstrate an excess of patriotism and to establish different relations among political parties, both Nezavisne Novine and Glas Srpski report. “This does not refer to the Kostajnica border issue alone, but among other things, also to the port of Ploce,” Tokic said, adding that the dispute should be resolved in a way agreed upon at a session of the Inter-State Council for Cooperation between BiH and the Republic of Croatia. “However, I hope that the issue regarding the border between BiH and Croatia will be solved within one month, because this does not refer to a large chunk of territory, but rather to the expression of good will to facilitate normal life for the citizens of both Hrvatska Kostajnica and Bosanska Kostajnica,” Tokic said.
Serb refugees from Croatia eligible to vote in BiH
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Both Banja Luka dailies quote president of the BiH Election Commission, Lidija Korac, as saying that all Serb refugees from Croatia who acquire citizenship of the RS/BiH will be eligible to vote at the forthcoming elections scheduled for autumn this year. She told Srna news agency that according to the BiH Election Law, all citizens who acquired BiH citizenship in accordance with the current legal procedure, have the right to vote. “This means that Serb refugees from Croatia who currently live in the RS or in the BiH Federation and who acquired RS/BiH citizenship in accordance with the BiH Law on citizenship, will be eligible to vote at the next elections”, said Korac.
Federation
The Alliance for Change Coordination holds regular meeting in Sarajevo
Oslobodjenje reports that, at its regular meeting in Sarajevo on Monday, the Coordination Body of the Alliance for Change concluded that all political parties belonging to the Alliance were supporting the affirmation and equality of all peoples and ethnic groups in the entire BiH. The Body therefore assessed as unnecessary a meeting of representatives of so called BiH Croat political parties. The Alliance leaders rejected to return temporary released war crime indictee Sefer Halilovic to the Office of the BiH Federation Minister of Social Welfare, Refugees and Displaced Persons. They requested Halilovic’s party, BPS, to nominate a new candidate for the post as soon as possible.
LDS BiH calls on Petritsch to impose amendments to the entities’ Constitutions
According to Oslobodjenje, the BiH Liberal Democratic Party (LDS) on Monday called on High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch to urgently impose the amendments to the entities’ Constitutions in line with the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling on the constituent peoples. LDS Vice-president Strajo Krsmanovic told a press conference in Sarajevo that this issue had to be resolved before arrival of the new High Representative.
Dnevni List: Meeting of BiH political parties with Croat prefix – Invitation rejected by Anic and Lijanovici
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
In relation to the meeting of BiH parties with Croat prefix, today’s Dnevni List carries Miljenko Brkic (HNZ-Croat People’s Community) as saying that Ilija Simic (HSS), Stjepan Kljujic (Republicans), Zdravko Hrstic (HSP), Petar Milic (Croat Christian Democrats) Mijo Ivancic (Croat Christian Democratic Union), Ante Paponja (Croat Christian Democratic Revival) and Ante Jelavic (HDZ) confirmed that they would show up at the meeting. When it comes to the NHI, Mijo Anic, speaking on behalf of the party, refused to take part in a meeting which is being insisted on by “politically dead people”. The daily also reads that Mladen Ivankovic’s (Working for Prosperity) participation is under a question mark, because he suggested that the meeting took place within legal institutions of state of BiH indirectly calling on the HDZ to send its representatives (MPs) back to the House of Peoples. Apart from leaders of the parties, invitees include parliamentary officials from the line of the Croat people such as Mariofil Ljubic, Ivo Komsic and Ivan Brigic as well as Croats who participated in the Commission for changes to Constitution of FBiH. Brkic said that the idea is to agree upon a joint approach in the Parliament, the House of Representatives and House of Peoples (Federation Parliament), in order to have vital national interests protected through House of Peoples in both BiH entities. “Introduction of the so-called Constitutional Commission in the RS would be the worst solution that could happen and is totally unacceptable for Croats and Bosniaks. No commissions and committees could replace House of Peoples because commissions can protect nothing – they can only discuss things and if an issue is not agreed upon it goes to the RS Assembly which is dominated by one people”, says Brkic. The daily also reads if the Croat parties agree today that House of Peoples has to be introduced in the RS, they would request representatives of the Bosniak people to reach a consensus in the matter, so they could go out with a joint solution. Brkic also said that they would not talking about possible election coalitions, reads Dnevni List.
Vecernji List: Brkic was sending invitations because Jelavic would be boycotted
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
According to the participant of Tuesday’s meeting, from the office of Ante Jelavic, an unrecognized HDZ President, invitations for the meeting were sent to a few addresses. However, since there was a fear that if Jelavic organizes the meeting it might pass without the participation of leaders of the parties, gathered around the ruling Alliance, at the end, Miljenko Brkic, a leader of the Croat Peoples’ Community, took over the role of an organizer. Brkic believes that all those who were invited will respond to their invitations.
Petar Milic stated: ‘We have to work on the symmetry of the entities, and then we shall make a progress. We should either make entities out of the Federation or the RS should be cantonized.’
Ilija Simic from the Croat Peasants’ Party (HSS), stated that the reason for his participation at the meeting is a fact that the meeting was organized by Brkic, who, certainly, has good intentions and who is concerned about the situation on the Croat political scene and about a slow progress of democratic processes. He added: ‘Media, probably deluded by the HDZ circles, keeps publishing that Jelavic convened the meeting. However, I have to say that in that case I would not attend the meeting because I do not believe that the HDZ is concerned about the Croats in BiH and about BiH as a state. On the other hand, Jelavic has been removed from all public positions and this is the second reason because of which I would not respond to the invitation.’
Stjepan Kljujic, the President of the Republicans, stated: ‘During one of the meetings, that the Alliance had with European Ambassadors in BiH, French and British Ambassadors stated that the one should not be too energetic and should not present ultimatums because BiH is a country of compromise. However, I believe that when important issues are in question there is no place for compromise. ‘
NHI’ s press release says that they would participate at the meeting only if some of the institutions of the Croat people, which are not under patronage of any political party, organize the meeting.
Dnevni List: NHI regarding HDZ’s invitation – We are ready to talk about position of Croats in BiH
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Regarding the meeting of the Croat parties, NHI issued a PR which reads that NHI pointed out long time ago that there was problem with constitutionality of peoples in BiH, especially when it comes to the Croat people and Croat returnees to the RS adding that the NHI’s efforts in the matter had not been recognised. “Therefore it is our pleasure to know that people realise that radical steps must be taken in the matter, steps in the interest of the Croat people. The New Croat Initiative is ready to participate in discussions that would render that issue (…) In that sense, the NHI’s stance is that the party would take part in direct discussions under a condition that an organiser of such meeting is an institution of the Croat people in BiH which is not under patronage of any political party”, reads NHI PR, carries Dnevni List.
Republika Srpska
Oslobodjenje: Pro at Contra – Petritsch and Ivanic on the 1991 census as the basis for the composition of the RS Government
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, said in an interview with SRNA news agency that a proposal to use the 1991 census as the basis for the ethnic composition of the Republika Srpska Government was an acceptable mechanism to ensure full representation of the constituent peoples and the others in the Entity authorities. Commenting on such Petritsch’s position, RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic said he was surprised with the statement of the High Representative. He assessed that by such a position, Petritsch was giving support to only one side in BiH.
Vecernji List: In clinch – Kalinic and Petritsch on constitutional reforms
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Dragan Kalinic, President of the RS people’s Assembly: ‘Without two thirds of votes of representatives in the RS Parliament there is no adoption of Constitutional Amendments. Political talks on the constitutional changes in the RS will be continued, but they cannot substitute the Assembly’s decision. The crucial issue, that has been discussed, is a ground for the forming of Executive Authority after the elections in October. It is unacceptable for Serbs that that ground for the forming of the RS Government is a census from 1991.
Wolfgang Petritsch, High Representative to BiH: The proposal is to use the census from 1991 as a ground for the ethnic composition of the RS Government. It is acceptable mechanism for securing of a full representation of the constituent peoples and the others in the RS. A request of a certain number of Bosniaks, Croats and other Ministers, who are not from the line of the Serb people, to participate in the Government would encourage the parties in the RS, that exist in the RS at the moment and most of them have a Serb prefix.
RS Prime Minister says he will not implement imposed constitution
“The RS Constitution cannot be imposed, nor I have the intention to implement the imposed solutions”, said RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic commenting on the High Representative’s statement that the 1991 Census is a good basis for distribution of power in the RS. “I shall implement only those solutions that enjoy the support of two-thirds majority in the RS National Assembly”, said Ivanic. He also said that it is not very good and politically wise to come up with views that encourage only one party in negotiations on the constitutional changes. He said he was surprised that in the middle of the discussion on the constitutional amendments, the High Representative for BiH came up with a view that practically means support to only one, Bosniak side. “With this approach, the High Representative practically prevented the possibility of reaching an agreement”, said Ivanic. He assessed that demand of Bosniak parties that the 1991 Census should be used as a basis for distribution of power, regardless of the election results and that house of peoples should be introduced in the RS National Assembly is basically an attempt to block the RS institutions. Ivanic said that after this demand the Bosniak parties would come up with another proposal and that is the elimination of the RS institutions and transfer of their authorities to the BiH common institutions. (Glas Srpski and Nezavisne Novine)
RS Vice-president Cavic says power should be distributed in accordance with elections
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Glas Srpski quotes RS Vice-president, Dragan Cavic, as saying that the ongoing discussion on constitutional amendments shows that all relevant political and public figures in the RS are united in their view that the 1991 Census is unacceptable as a basis for distribution of power. “The 1991 Census is neither rational nor reasonable. Constitutional amendments in the RS and in BiH should mirror the elections, and power in the RS should be distributed in accordance with constituent structure”, said Cavic. He stressed that the most rational approach is the one that, in the end, follows the demographic changes. “I think that all structures in the RS cannot accept anything that goes bellow this minimum”, said Cavic and added that it is very encouraging that relevant political structures in BiH show willingness to reach an agreement on constitutional amendments and implement them in both entities.
RS NA Speaker says constitutional changes require two-thirds majority
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
The chairman of the presidency of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and Speaker of the RS National Assembly, Dragan Kalinic, said on Saturday that “there will be no adoption of the constitutional amendments without the two-third majority of the delegate in the RS NA supporting them”. “The political talks on the constitutional changes in the RS will be continued, but they cannot substitute a decision of the Assembly. Those which the two-third delegates decide will be the obligatory decision for the change of the constitution,” Kalinic said at the election meeting of the SDS municipal board in Zvornik. Kalinic said that “the crucial issue which has been discussed is the base for the formation of the executive authority after the elections in October”, adding that it is unacceptable for Serbs that base for the formation of the RS government be the census from 1991. He believes there are no basis for the insisting on the symmetry of the RS Constitution and the BiH Federation Constitution, since the BiH Federation was created before the signing of the Dayton Agreement. “If the two constitutions are the same, then one constitution is sufficient – the Constitution of BiH. In that case, there are no constitutions of the entities, so there are no entities. Because of that, the Serb delegates cannot accept that variant,” Kalinic said. Commenting the advocating for the introduction of the name “Bosniak language”, he said that the language cannot be a symbol of the statehood, but that it must have a linguistic origin, adding that “the best variant of this amendments would be that Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats speak their languages”. At the election meeting in Zvornik, a new municipal board of the SDS was elected, which comprises of 33 members who will elect at the next session the president and other bodies of the party.
RS Government to set 30-day deadline for war crime suspects to surrender to The Hague Tribunal
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Both Banja Luka dailies quote RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, as saying that the US administration is of view that the constitutional changes should be agreed on by political institutions of the RS and BiH and that ready-made solutions must not be imposed. At the same time, the US Department of State expects the BiH political parties to make more radical moves and be ready to make significant and compromises and concessions, said Ivanic. During his visit to the States, the RS Prime Minister had meetings with representatives of the National Security Council, the Department of State, US Congress, World Bank and the IMF. “There were not threats and blackmails as it had been before. They assessed that a progress has been made in filed of property implementation and we were criticized for our relations with the ICTY. I told them that the RS Government does not have the information that Karadzic and Mladic are currently in the RS”, said Ivanic. Commenting on Milosevic trial he said that trials in the ICTY are individual trials and cannot have a negative impact on the RS. “The RS is verified in Dayton and the IC representatives made it very clear that the DPA should not be changed because it would open Pandora’s box”, said Ivanic. He also commented on situation in the RTRS (RS Radio Television). “As far as the situation in the RTRS is concerned, I think that the time has come for the Interim arrangements to be annulled. I do not have the intention to take responsibility for something that I have not participated in. This is my answer to all those who made decisions, starting from structures within the RTRS to the representatives of international institutions who think that the RS Government should pay bills”, said Ivanic. As to BiH lawsuit against the FRY, Ivanic said that the BiH lawsuit against the FRY is not legitimate because it had not been filed on behalf of BiH as defined by the DPA. Apart from that, the Serb representatives did not participate in defining of the lawsuit and that is why it cannot be treated as a lawsuit filed by BiH as defined by the DPA, said Ivanic. Ivanic also confirmed that the RS Government would give war crime indictees 30 days to surrender to the ICTY. “The entity’s government is to deliberate this proposal formally and adopt the decision to call on all persons listed in public indictments to surrender voluntarily”, said Ivanic. He added that this was the correct principle to adopt for their own enhanced protection.
PDP Spokesman comments on Dodik’s statement
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Commenting on yesterday’s statement of the SNSD leader, Milorad Dodik that the US administration wants to see moderate political parties cooperating in the RS, meaning that the SNSD could possibly create coalition with the PDP, PDP Spokesman, Igor Crnadak said that it is too early to talk about any coalition with any party. “PDP will accept talks with all democratic parties who put the interest of the RS ahead of its narrow partisan interests. It is too early for talk about coalitions because inter-party elections have not been finished yet. Therefore it is very difficult to talk about inter-party cooperation that will possibly be formed before or after the elections”, said Crnadak.
International Community
Reuters: Defiant Milosevic faces epic war crimes trial
Slobodan Milosevic stepped into the dock on Tuesday to face a war crimes trial that promised to be almost as protracted, tortuous and bitter in its way as the Balkan wars he fought for a decade. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia opened an epic case involving hundreds of witnesses, scores of alleged atrocities and a tangle of legal arguments drawing fine distinctions among varieties of massacre and persecution. “I recognize that this trial will make history,” said chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte in her opening remarks. She said the tribunal had been established by an international community “shocked to witness the vicious disintegration of a modern state”. “The events themselves were notorious and a new term, ‘ethnic cleansing’, came into common use in our language,” Del Ponte said as the white-haired Milosevic, 60, glowered at her across the courtroom. “Some of the incidents revealed an almost mediaeval savagery and a calculated cruelty that went far beyond the bounds of legitimate warfare,” she added. At the heart of those events had been Milosevic.
“Beyond the nationalist pretexts and the horrors of ethnic cleansing, behind the grandiloquent rhetoric and the hackneyed phrases, the quest for power is what motivated Slobodan Milosevic,” Del Ponte said. “An excellent tactician, a mediocre strategist, Milosevic did nothing but pursue his ambition at the cost of unspeakable suffering inflicted on those who opposed him or represented a threat for his personal strategy of power,” she said. Prosecutors expect the trial of the former Yugoslav leader in the tribunal’s anonymous grey courthouse to last at least two years. Many observers expect Milosevic, who refuses to even recognise the court’s right to judge him, to try to make it last for ever. His is the biggest European war crimes prosecution since Hitler’s henchmen were tried at Nuremberg after World War Two. He is charged with crimes against humanity in Croatia in 1991-92, genocide in the 1992-95 Bosnian war and crimes against humanity in Kosovo in 1999. (click here for comprehensive Reuters reports on the event)
Mesic says position of Croats in BiH should be improved but only through the state institutions
According to Oslobodjenje, the Office of the Croatian President announced on Monday in regard of a letter it had received by dismissed HDZ BiH leader Ante Jelavic that Croatian President Stjepan Mesic was supporting the improvement of the position of Croats in BiH but only through the state institutions. Mesic believes that any unconstitutional action may produce only negative consequences.
Serbian Justice Ministry: Plavsic Abides by the Conditions Defined in the Guarantees
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
The Serbian Justice Ministry said on Monday that the former President of the Republic of Srpska (RS) Biljana Plavsic fully abides by the conditions defined in the guarantees issued to The Hague Tribunal by the Serbian Government for her release on bail, reports Tanjug. The Ministry denied the reports of the daily Danas, published on February 8, according to which Plavsic had sent a letter to the federal and Serbian bodies saying that the former Bosnia-Herzegovina Interior Minister Alija Delimustafic is the one who should take the credit for her escape from Sarajevo. Delimustafic was arrested in Belgrade on January 17. The guarantees issued by the Serbian Government for Plavsic’s release on bail envisage a ban on her communication with the media, codefendants and possible prosecution witnesses. The statement said that Plavsic has sent no requests to the Serbian Government or competent federal bodies and cautions that “such irresponsible press reports throw into question not only Biljana Plavsic’s future status, but also the status of all other indicted Serbs for whose release the Government could eventually issue guarantees”. Justice Minister Vladan Batic said Monday that this daily’s reports “are downright misinformation, deceit and lies”, underlining that at issue is “a tendentious article that makes Plavsic’s position even more difficult”. “It is also an attempt to discredit the guarantees of the Serbian Government and make admiral (Milan) Jokic’s position more difficult, who should be released on bail any day now”, said Batic. The Serbian Government has also issued guarantees for Jokic, an official of New Democracy, member of the governing coalition in Serbia. In line with the principle of command responsibility, Jokic has been indicted for crimes in the Dubrovnik battlefield, and has voluntarily surrendered to The Hague Tribunal. The Justice Ministry also rebutted the information published by the weekly “Nacional” on February 8 on the former RS President’s alleged moving to Dedinje (Belgrade residential area), for security reasons.
Editorials
Dnevni List: Lijanovici are out of game
Written by I. D. Granic (Provided by OHR Mostar)
Dnevni List carries an editorial written by I. D. Granic in which he says that recent events around Lijanovici and their Working for Prosperity party show that aforementioned party was used as a façade for the current authorities and that the same authority wants to elbow it aside. “The Lijanovici-Behmen conflict showed that the situation in the “Lijanovici” Company is difficult which was kept under wraps. Mladen Ivankovic requested that there should not be additional audits in his company, which shows that everything is not quite right within the company. Lijanovic’s statement that somebody from the Alliance is trying to destroy the company is an attempt to avoid the financial audit, and if irregularities were found they would justified it by saying that it was politically motivated”, read Dnevni List.
Regarding the BiH Economic Block, an initiative launched by the Working for Prosperity, the author says that it a Lijanovici Block because everything that favours them in terms of economic results will benefit local community in forms of new jobs and more money for the state.
With regards to Mladen Ivankovic refusal to attend the meeting of Croat parties, I. D. Granic says that the move is more than a political own-goal in light of Mladen Ivankovic statement when he said that there was House of Peoples that protected national interests saying that the protection was evident when centralisation of institutions in the Federation took place during which the “representatives” of the Croats, including Mr. Ivankovic, did not react at all.
Dnevni List: On Tuesdays from the right – How to establish third entity without too many questions: WHY?
Written by Marko Tokic (Provided by OHR Mostar)
There is no way to tumble the RS apart from introducing a House of Peoples in that entity, pursuant to the Constitutional Court’s Decision on constitutionality of the peoples. The decision was a political not a judiciary one thus making the entities unnecessary. Why replicate two-chamber Parliament and tripartite administration that we have at the state level? The decision, in its essence, abrogates entities and introduces cantonization of the country. The practice in the political life of the Federation abrogated the Cantons!!! That’s why we in BiH do not have something that might be called consistent political idea on internal organisation. Those who would like to abolish the entities, through their dominant political willingness and with an IC support, are abrogating the principles according to which the entities could be abolished. Those who took the decision to abolish entities, by the Constitutional Court’s Decision, are running away from the consequences of their own decision and organising some sort of constitutional-legal impromptu as if the Dayton experiment on Herzegovinians and Bosnians was not enough. One must not forget that the Decision was taken by three international judges – because they were told to do so in the name of the IC’s policy (which swears in the independence of the judiciary) because the Bosniak judges’ votes were not decisive but served as a helping hand; let’s not forget that these Bosniak judges often vote by simply following the international judges: “It is not right, but it is useful”. That remark – that the Constitutional Court is used to impose political decisions – Mark Wheeler, Head of the ICG for BiH, comments as “an excellent mechanism that can save the DPA from itself”. To prove that the DPA is not functioning, therefore that BiH is not functioning too, confirms Jacques Paul Klein in his famous interview, AKA as a historic truth on ethnic- genesis of the Bosnian kingdom that is accepted by all Croat(ians) apart from Ivan Lovrenovic, who is a Bosnian. Describing the state of the DPA, the implementation of it and that state of the country that should function in accordance to the Dayton constitutional-legal improvisation, Klein says: “There is no goal, no continuity, no responsibility”. Everyone who wants to learn the basics of elementary logic knows that two cannot be showed into three. Either a cantonization or there is not a consistent implementation of the Decision; either three entities or there is no basic symmetry – without that, it is only yet another constitutional-legal improvisation at the expense of the Croat people. “There is no the RS without BiH, neither there is BiH without the RS”, says Zivko Radisic. If you are capable, go and tumble it, we are not supporting it; we are helping you, pursuant to the Constitution of BiH and the Constitutional Court’s Decision, to introduce a House of Peoples with three caucuses. The Croats’ request remains the same: same rights for all three peoples, says Marko Tokic, reads Dnevni List.
Dnevni List: Has American policy in Balkans and BiH changed?
Written by Marko Markovic (Provided by OHR Mostar)
(…) What has changed in the American approach if the investigation and process against the mujahedeens are the only new things? Maybe the threat against BiH citizens has gone with Bensayah Belkacem and his mates? Maybe the new arrests will show who killed (Croat) policemen Bilic and Valjan, who attacked Catholic facilities in Sarajevo, Zenica, Bugojno and elsewhere? And finally, can we conclude that the terrorism factor in the country has been stripped down to minimum? Judging by Klein, Petritsch, Sylestre and Bond’s statements, there is a readiness to send the “Government”, albeit if it’s called the Alliance, “to hell if it does not co-operate in every issue”. Unnecessary truckling to Croats in Bosnia and especially in Herzegovina, is graceless after all they have done and said about the Croats: more than 100 removed politicians, violent raid into the Hercegovacka Banka, trials over “thoughts and failures to act”, insults of Croat politicians and prelates that have nothing to do with politics etc. But we differently take and perceive their messages. Do they represent a turnabout in the American policy or admitting of their own mistakes? Should it be seen as completion of another experiment, this time Croats witnessing their happy-end? Or is it just another facelift before the departure? (…) One might say that there has not been a radical change in anyone’s policy towards these areas, but one thing is unavoidable, if we do not agree among us, a new conference on organisation of BiH, and perhaps on the arrangement of the whole region.
Vecernji List: All-Croat political noise
Written by Radoslav Dodig (Provided by OHR Mostar)
In terms of politics, Croats in BiH are seeking themselves again. Newspapers announce that on Tuesday, February 12, 2002, a meeting of all political parties with a Croat prefix will take place in Sarajevo. Tuesday is the last dynamic day of carnival ceremonies, and for this reason I cannot understand that they will discuss such serious issue on so frivolous day. Leaderships of the Youth organizations of the Croat political parties also announced an all-Croat political rally. I believe that young people, who are terribly apolitical, would not initiate such meeting if they were not encouraged and pushed by old fixers.
Dr. Miljenko Brkic, the President of the HNZ, and Ante Jelavic, an unrecognized HDZ President, agitate the most that the meeting of Croat political parties takes place. Jelavic is doing this in order to impose the HDZ as the main political boss among inert voters, while Brkic does it because of romantic and media motives, with a skillful managing in the conducting of all-Croat dialogue.
I think that results of such meeting will be poor, with a great political pathos and considerable media noise. Even if they jointly define Croat interests in BiH, they will only remain something written on the paper, far from political application in a political life. During the pre-election time, each loudmouth will be referring to it as to an all- protecting Croat umbrella. An inventory of the Croat political responsibility for the period from 1990 to 200 should be made. A present political composition does not want and will not make it, because many of them were witnesses and participants of failed political ideas and projects. It seems to me that there would be the political noise the most at the meeting.
Headlines
Oslobodjenje
- Trial of Slobodan Milosevic starts today before The Hague Tribunal: the creator of aggression, genocide and all the evil
Dnevni Avaz
- False companies owners to be sanction for tax evasion
Jutarnje Novine
- An historic trial starts in The Hague: Milosevic’s idea on the Great Serbia killed 200,000 people
Dnevni List
- A meeting of leaderships of Croat political parties in Sarajevo Hotel Delminium: Only Anic and Lijanovic refused invitations
- Marko Tokic, a member of the HDZ Presidency: How to establish the third entity
Vecernji List
- A meeting of leaders of Croat political parties in Sarajevo today: Brkic was sending invitations because Jelavic would be boycotted
- From February 15 new codes of GSM networks will be used: Instead of 066 three dialing numbers for cellar phones in BiH
Glas Srpski
- Milosevic trial begins today;
- RS Prime Minister says he will not implement an imposed constitution;
Nezavisne Novine
- Milosevic trial begins today
- Mladen Ivanic says Constitution cannot be imposed;
- Alija Behmen says BiH will not be an oasis of good-for nothings;