- OHR requests the parliaments of the two BiH entities to adopt constitutional amendments by 1700 hrs on Thursday at the latest
- Solana and Petritsch urge BiH entity’s parliaments to adopt amendments in accordance to the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Interview with Safet Halilovic, President of Party for BiH
- Vecernji List: HDZ BiH General Secretary Josip Merdzo claims that Bosniak majority will support HDZ-proposed amendments
- Dnevni List: OHR says parties rejecting the Agreement want to keep people in fear
- High Representative answers letter by RS Vice-President Cavic
- RS Constitutional Commission holds session in Banja Luka – draft amendments to the Constitution not discussed
- RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic comments on constitutional changes in BiH
- Milorad Dodik answers to SDP accusations: Lagumdzija is a Bosniac’s war leader
- DNS on Thursday’s session of RS National Assembly
- Fena: BiH SGV supports Petritsch
- BiH Presidency holds session in Sarajevo
- BiH House of Representatives again failed to discuss draft budget for this year
- Vecernji List: Contract on construction of Old Bridge signed in Mostar
- Vecernji List: Bomb attacks in Herzegovina continue
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Problems with drinking water still exist in Stolac
- OHR protects RTRS from political influence: High Representative requests withdrawal of the RTRS Law from the parliamentary procedure
- Del Ponte expects Karadzic in The Hague this year
- Reuters: Belgrade names war crimes wanted, urges surrender
- High Representative lifts suspension of RS apartment privatisation
- An OHR vehicle involved in fatal accident
- Oslobodjenje: Spite of SDA
- Glas Srpski: RS National Assembly session: Constitution – part two?
Constitutional Reforms
OHR requests the parliaments of the two BiH entities to adopt constitutional amendments by 1700 hrs on Thursday at the latest
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, requested both Houses of the BiH Federation Parliament and the Republika Srpska National Assembly to adopt amendments to the entities constitutions, which would be in accordance to the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision and the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement on its implementation, by 1700 hrs on Thursday at the latest. According to all Sarajevo dailies, the parliaments of the both entities are expected to discuss the issue at their session scheduled for Thursday. If this does not happen, the High Representative is likely to impose the amendments after the session of the Peace Implementation Council’s Steering Board to be held later in the afternoon. The leaders of the SDP (Vice-president Ivo Komsic) and Party for BiH (President Safet Halilovic) announced parliamentary representatives of their parties would support adoption of the constitutional amendments, which were in accordance with the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling and the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement. On the other side, senior officials of SDA (Vice-president Seada Palavric) and HDZ (Presidency member Barisa Colak) said the parliamentarians of their political parties would not support the proposed amendments unless they are altered according to their respective demands. The amendments to the BiH Federation Constitution cannot gain the necessary majority without SDA and HDZ votes. However, SDP’s Komsic told journalists on Wednesday that not all HDZ and SDA parliamentarians agreed on whether they should vote for or against the Federation Government-proposed amendments, so that it was premature to predict the voting outcome. On Thursday, OHR issued a press release in which, the High Representative, reiterated that the deadline for the adoption of the amendments expires tonight. (Fena news agency carried the Press Release)
Solana and Petritsch urge BiH entity’s parliaments to adopt amendments in accordance to the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement
Reuters and BiH media report that the European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, on Wednesday in Sarajevo joined the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, in urging the parliaments of the two BiH entities to adopt constitutional amendments in accordance to the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling and the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement in order to move faster towards EU integration. Solana was in Sarajevo ahead of an April 18 deadline set for Bosnia’s two regional parliaments to amend their respective constitutions in line with a ruling by the constitutional court on equal rights.
“In the coming hours the leaders of this country have the responsibility to act in the manner that they claim that they want to act,” Solana said after meeting Petritsch. “We want you to get as close as possible to the European Union but for that the country also has to move forward,” he emphasized. For his part, Petritsch said the SDA and HDZ representatives should vote for the proposed amendments and show they are interested in the future of BiH. According to Petritsch, by their vote, SDA and HDZ will decide on whether they will continue cooperation with the international community or they will be excluded from (out of) progress to be made in the country.
In the course of his visit to BiH, Solana also met with the BiH Council of Ministers Chairman, Dragan Mikerevic, BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, the Prime Ministers of the BiH entities, Alija Behmen and Mladen Ivanic, as well as the Head of the UN Mission to BiH Jacques Paul Klein. The preparations for the upcoming EU police mission in BiH was in the focus of all discussions.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Interview with Safet Halilovic, President of Party for BiH
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Slobodna Dalmacija carries an interview with the President of Party for BiH Safet Halilovic in which he criticizes the RS NA for the way they adopted amendments to the RS Constitution, saying that the amendments discriminate Croats and Bosniaks in the RS, which triggered his party to announce withdrawal of the signature from the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement. Halilovic says that the IC’s reactions to the whole deal were weak and that the OHR were passive. “That triggered the decision of the Party for BiH’s Presidency to withdraw the signature when the Sarajevo Agreement is being flagrantly breached (…) the decision is still on”, says Halilovic. Halilovic goes on to say that the decision of his party prompted certain reactions from the High Representative who said that the Agreement must be fully implemented in both entities which creates a new situation. According to Halilovic there are two alternatives, either that the Karadzic’s Constitution which cements current segregation in the RS remains or to have the Sarajevo Agreement with its imperfections, the Agreement which, in his opinion, offers a chance to start from scratches. Halilovic also says that the HR is working with the RS NA on amendments which will be in conformity with the Sarajevo Agreement and that he got assurances from the HR that the Agreement must be fully implemented.
Vecernji List: HDZ BiH General Secretary Josip Merdzo claims that Bosniak majority will support HDZ-proposed amendments
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Vecernji List reads that the today’s session of the Federation Parliament’s House of Representatives can be labeled a historic one due to the fact that the MPs will discuss the amendments to the Federation Constitution and carries a short interview with HDZ BiH Secretary General Josip Merdzo in which he reiterated that the HDZ would vote for the amendments if they are to ensure a consistent implementation of the Constitutional Court’s Decision. Merdzo says that it is particularly related to the election of the Federation President and Vice President and confirmation of the Federation Government in both chambers of the Federation Parliament. According to Merdzo, Croat Caucus together with leaders of parties gathered around the HNS, will meet prior to the session of the HoR to ascertain the final stances on constitutional changes and amendments. HDZ BiH Secretary General believes that the Bosniak majority within the HoR would support HDZ’s amendments.
Dnevni List: OHR says parties rejecting the Agreement want to keep people in fear
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Dnevni list carries OHR South Spokesperson Avis Benes as saying about OHR’s deadline for adoption of the amendments, that will in full, and without corrections, incorporate the Agreement on implementation of the Decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH on constituency of peoples. Benes stated: “The OHR expects from the Entities to act in a reasonable and responsible manner and adopt the amendments to the Constitutions because it is the only way towards fully functioning BIH, which has its place in Europe. The amendments ensure multi-ethnicity in both Entities as well as the representation of all three nations in executive, legislative and judicial authority. Those who refuse to recognize this are obviously the parties that do not want to see BIH as a part of Europe and who do not want to be a partner of the International Community. Those are the parties that can survive only by keeping the people in a constant paranoia in which the members of their nations are the main victims. Those are the parties that have no strength for vision and to assume responsibility for decisions that can improve the position of the people that they allegedly represent. Those are the parties who alike this existing unjust situation because it constantly gives them grounds for keeping the people in fear. In the Federation those parties at this moment are HDZ and SDA. Speaking about the agreement, one thing has to be clear to everybody and I think it is clear and that is the agreement is not a perfect one. No party and the IC either are 100% satisfied with it. However, it is a consequence of the political compromise and agreement reached among the parties in BIH, it is the most realistic possible at this moment and it is a good base for positive changes that will happen as its consequence. Therefore, the decision to vote against the agreement is the decision to support discrimination of Croats and Bosniacs in the RS and Serbs in the Federation”, Benes said. Slobodna Dalmacija and Vecernji List carry similar stories on the same issue.
High Representative answers letter by RS Vice-President Cavic
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, in a letter sent on Wednesday to RS Vice-President Dragan Cavic, replied to concerns raised by Mr Cavic regarding the constitutional amendments in the Federation and the status of the constituent peoples in the Cantons of the Federation. The High Representative agreed that the letter and spirit of the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement of 27 March 2002 must be implemented in full in both the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to ensure the constituency of the Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats throughout the territory of BiH. The High Representative noted that the agreement provides for the harmonization of the Cantons constitutions with its principles. In his letter, the HR clarified the fact that according to the agreement “within nine months of the adoption of the amendments to the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina the principles which are contained in the Agreement shall be applied to the Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is further provided that vital interest protection mechanisms shall be established in the Cantons and minimum representation has to be guaranteed with regard to the Cantonal Governments.” (Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz carried the Press Release)
RS Constitutional Commission holds session in Banja Luka – draft amendments to the Constitution not discussed
According to Dnevni Avaz, the Republika Srpska Constitutional Commission held a session in Banja Luka late on Wednesday but discussed only certain draft laws, which is usual procedure ahead of each parliamentary session. The amendments to the RS Constitution and their possible harmonization with the Mrakovica-Sarajevo Agreement was not the subject of discussion since not a single authorized body or individual had requested so.
RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic comments on constitutional changes in BiH
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Belgrade Based daily Blic carries statement of RS prime Minister Mladen Ivanic on constitutional Changes in BiH.
“Constitutional Amendments passed by the Republika Srpska National Assembly fully reflect the Decision of BiH Constitutional Court on constituency of peoples in BiH as well as the spirit of Sarajevo Agreement. I think that the parties and the RS Parliament did their part of the job”, stated Ivanic after meeting with Javier Solana in Sarajevo on Wednesday. Ivanic also said that some “technical corrections” to the amendments were possible and that the leadership of the RS National Assembly and its Constitutional Commission would clean up the text (passed by the RSNA with their changes) so that there would be no reason for concern when it comes to constitutional changes in the RS. Ivanic assessed that there was no reason for attempts to create an artificial balance between the RS and FBiH. “The ones who think like that (to create a balance) have to take responsibility for what they are doing”. He said that the International Institutions – by putting the essence of the problem on the RS, are trying to deflect the difficulties in having the constitutional amendments passed in the Federation, where currently political relations are such that conditions to pass the amendments do not exist.
Milorad Dodik answers to SDP accusations: Lagumdzija is a Bosniac’s war leader
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
The President of the RS Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Milorad Dodik replied to allegations of the SDP (Social Democrat Party) that he was acting under SDS dictation. Dodik recalled that the SDP President, Zlatko Lagumdzija was a member of the BiH Government during the war and that many times, he attended secret dinners with Alija Izetbegovic and other representatives of Bosniak nationalist streams. Nezavisne Novine quote Dodik as saying: “RS has capacities (meaning ability) to fulfill what it promised and there should be no problems about that. However, the problem is strong pressure put on the High Representative by the Federation media. I hold it against the High Representative for not reacting on numerous offensive comments about him, publicized during the negotiations and I wonder what would happen if something like that came from the RS. Even though the role of the High Representative during the negotiations was constructive, the final phase of the negotiations remained unclear. I do not understand why the international community pressures SDA and HDZ to sign the Agreement, when Lagumdzija signed something that is impossible to implement. We shall see how the Federation will manage all this, but it is clear that Lagumdzija cannot do anything without SDA and HDZ.”
DNS on Thursday’s session of RS National Assembly
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
The Vice President of the Democratic People’s Alliance, Jovan Mitrovic, stated yesterday in Banja Luka, that at today’s session of the RS National Assembly his party delegates would request representatives of the current RS authorities to say publicly what exactly have they signed in Sarajevo recently. According to the Glas Srpski report, Jovan Mitrovic claims that Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, Vice President of the RS, Dragan Cavic and Speaker of the RS NA, Dragan Kalinic signed an agreement with the representatives of the international community accepting certain obligations as conditions for BiH’s admission to Europe. Mitrovic claims that the agreement was signed in Zagreb, in autumn 2000. He emphasized that his party opposes pressures on the RS President, Mirko Sarovic and implementation of the Sarajevo Agreement (Mrakovica-Sarajevo agreement), without the consent of the RS NA as it would represent a capitulation of RS.
Fena: BiH SGV supports Petritsch
The BiH Serb Civic Council – Movement for Equality on Wednesday sent an open letter to the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, in which it expressed its support for Petritsch’s efforts aimed at the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision on the constituency of the peoples in a symmetric way in the both BiH entities, according to a press release issued by the Council.
“In that context, we support the Sarajevo Agreement on the implementation of the Constitutional Court’s decision, and we expect you to undertake the measures which will ensure its full realization in both BiH entities,” the release read.
The acceptance of the amendments to the Constitutions of the Entities must necessarily be treated as an issue of implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement in the sphere of human rights protection and the abolishment of the discrimination of the Serb people in the Federation, and the Bosniak and Croat peoples in Republika Srpska.
BiH State-related Issues
BiH Presidency holds session in Sarajevo
At its session in Sarajevo on Wednesday, the BiH Presidency launched an initiative for the election of the BiH Constitutional Court judges. According to all Sarajevo dailies, the Presidency also adopted a platform for talks with the NATO Secretary General George Robertson, who is expected to visit BiH on Thursday.
BiH House of Representatives again failed to discuss draft budget for this year
All Sarajevo dailies report that, at its session held in Sarajevo on Wednesday, the BiH House of Representatives failed to discuss the draft budget for this year. The parliamentarians from the Republika Srpska (except SDP’s Dragan Stanimirovic) were against putting the issue on the agenda, due to a long-standing dispute over the financing from the budget of the BiH agent in the case BiH versus FRY before the Hague-based International Court of Justice.
Federation
Vecernji List: Contract on construction of Old Bridge signed in Mostar
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Vecernji List reports that a contact on (re)construction of the Mostar’s Old Bridge worth 15,5 million US$ was signed yesterday in Mostar. According to the contract signed by the CEO of the Turkish ER-BU and representatives of the PCU, the Unit for reconstruction of the Old Bridge, the bridge is to be reconstructed in 18 months time. VL also reports that the Republic of Croatia has yesterday donated 1,2 million KMs for the reconstruction of the Old Bridge. All Croat/Croatian dailies carry similar articles.
Vecernji List: Bomb attacks in Herzegovina continue
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
In light of the incident that occurred in Ljubuski yesterday morning at 0445 hrs, when an Audi A6, an official car of the West-Herzegovina Canton Finance Minister, got blown up, Vecernji List carries an article about the overall security situation in the Canton. It says that the security situation has reached a critical phase and that perpetrators of similar incidents that have taken place in the WHC in the past few months have not been revealed. VL says that the perpetrators have used a similar recipe i.e. all cars have been blown up by high explosives and in early morning hours and that the targets of these attacks are always persons involved in politics and sports. VL says that rumours are that the attacks have been organised by certain intelligence circles and that some companies that offer protection services are behind the attacks. The daily also carries UN spokesman Stefo Lehmann who did not want to deny the aforementioned thesis. “All options are open”, says Lehmann in the same time criticising the work of the WHC Police that is, in Lehmann’s opinion, opposing the reforms. Lehmann also says that the security situation in the WHC is deteriorating adding that had the police been professional it would have revealed some perpetrators of these terrorist acts.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Problems with drinking water still exist in Stolac
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Slobodna Dalmacija carries an article about the troublesome situation in Stolac with regards to the drinking water the town is being supplied with. SD reads that the Head of Stolac Municipality Zeljko Obradovic has requested an OHR arbitration to solve the matter.
The well/spring Stolac is being supplied from is located in the newly founded Municipality in Berkovici in the RS, and as the daily says, Stolac is under pressure from Berkovici. The two Municipalities, actually three, including the Ljubinje Municipality, have struck a contract on March 2, 1998, according to which the Stolac Municipality is obliged to pay seven workers (3500 KMs a month) of the Berkovici Municipality who maintain the well. Head Obradovic is of an opinion that the contract is detrimental to the Stolac Municipality firstly because the Stolac Public Utilities Company is not in charge of the well and the infrastructure installed at the site before the war was used for supplying of Stolac only and not Berkovici, secondly because as Head Obradovic puts it, the most important reason is the bad water the Stolac Municipality gets. Obradovic stresses that one is not obliged to honour the agreement if the water is of a bad quality.
Vecernji List also carries Mr. Obradovic. This time the daily says that Mr. Obradovic has launched an initiative for organization of a donors’ conference for Municipality of Stolac which is to be held in May this year at which projects of reconstruction would be represented.
Dnevni List carries an article about Stolac too. It says that there are evident steps forward in the Municipality in terms of property laws implementation and in terms of schooling of Bosniak children. DL goes on to say that these positive developments are not followed by a proper action of foreign donors who should, in DL’s opinion, invest funds into revival of Stolac economic potentials.
Republika Srpska
OHR protects RTRS from political influence: High Representative requests withdrawal of the RTRS Law from the parliamentary procedure
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch requested the withdrawal of the Draft RTRS Law from the agenda of today’s session of the RS National Assembly, due to the fact that it (the Law) “contains some problematic provisions, including those relating to the founder, the appointment/dismissal of the Board of Governors as well as the relationship with the public broadcasting system”. In his letter to the RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, excerpts of which were publicized by Nezavisne Novine, Petritsch said: “It is essential that this law reflect the highest European standards on the eve of BiH’s accession to the Council of Europe.” Commenting on the High Representative’s letter, the RTRS Director General, Jelena Davidovic expressed hope that an appropriate solution would be found, jointly by RS National Assembly, RS Government and the OHR.
International Community
Del Ponte expects Karadzic in The Hague this year
The ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, said on Wednesday she believed wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s most wanted men, would be brought to The Hague court later this year, more precisely by October 10, Reuters and Sarajevo dailies report. Del Ponte said she wanted Karadzic to face a joint trial in October together with Biljana Plavsic and Momcilo Krajisnik, his close allies during the 1992-95 war and like him indicted for genocide. “I expect that Karadzic will be transferred to The Hague to (stand) trial by October this year because October is the date for the trial against Krajisnik and Plavsic,” she said. “I have some indication…and I have hope, obviously, because I will not repeat the trial that will start in October,” del Ponte told reporters when asked why she believed Karadzic would be in The Hague by then. She was speaking in Sarajevo during a Balkan trip that will take her to Belgrade on Thursday and Pristina on Friday. Del Ponte said she would demand in Belgrade that the authorities arrest Mladic, also accused of genocide in Srebrenica. “Mladic is a simpler issue. We know where he is, we know who is protecting him,” del Ponte, who has accused the Yugoslav army of shielding Mladic, said. “In my opinion it is just a political decision to arrest him and to transfer him to The Hague.” Del Ponte said her court, expected to stay open for another 5-6 years, would not close down until the two top fugitives faced justice in The Hague. “The tribunal will not close the door without Karadzic and Mladic in court.” In the course of her visit to Sarajevo, Del Ponte met with the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, Head of the UN Mission to BiH Jacques Paul Klein and the BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija. In an exclusive interview with Dnevni Avaz, Del Ponte emphasized that almost the entire RS was helping Karadzic to avoid apprehension.
Reuters: Belgrade names war crimes wanted, urges surrender
Yugoslavia’s government on Wednesday piled pressure on war crimes suspects, publishing the names of 23 people wanted by The Hague tribunal and calling on them to agree within three days to give themselves up. The government said it would start a legal procedure ultimately leading to arrests and handovers for those who did not heed its last-ditch appeal and surrender voluntarily. It was the latest move in a dramatic few weeks in which Belgrade has had its U.S. aid allocation frozen, passed a law to cooperate with the tribunal many Serbs despise and seen an indicted former minister kill himself rather than submit to it. Among those on the list are two of the world’s most wanted men, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and military chief Ratko Mladic. Neither, however, has shown any readiness to surrender and their whereabouts are not publicly known. The appeal appeared designed to persuade suspects they had no choice but to surrender in the hope of avoiding unpopular arrest attempts which could also cause bloodshed.
High Representative lifts suspension of RS apartment privatisation
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, today issued two Decisions lifting the 4 December 2001 freeze on the Republika Srpska law on socially owned apartment privatisation. The freeze, imposed by the High Representative, affected the privatisation of apartments to which new occupancy rights had been issued after 1 April 1992. The freeze on privatisation was imposed in the RS and the Federation to prevent illegal privatisation. The freeze on privatising socially-owned apartments in the Federation remains in place. (Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz carried the Press Release)
An OHR vehicle involved in fatal accident
At around 13.30 on Wednesday, an OHR car carrying three German bodyguards, employed by Internationale Bodyguard und Sicherheitsagentur, on a duty trip was involved in a fatal collision with another car near Visoko. The two occupants of the other car were killed. One occupant of the OHR car is in critical condition; the other two are being treated for their injuries. The cause of this accident has yet to be established. The High Representative and all his staff extend their condolences to the family and friends of those who were killed and their hopes for the full recovery of those who were injured. (All Sarajevo dailies report on the incident with quoting the OHR Press Release)
Editorials
Oslobodjenje: Spite of SDA
In the Oslobodjenje In Focus column, Zija Dizdarevic writes that a pressing was underway by the High Representative, EU and US on the domestic politicians to fully accept the Agreement on the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling on the constituency of the peoples. According to Dizdarevic, the SDA is a special target of the pressures, because, without its votes, the constitutional amendments cannot be passed in the BiH federation Parliament. “The SDA does not offer any reasonable arguments to support its rejection of the Agreement,” Dizdarevic writes. He concludes that if SDA does not accept the proposed amendments to the BiH Federation Constitution it will be considered not only as a political enemy by the international authorities, but it will also declare itself as an opponent to BiH democratic perspective.
Glas Srpski: RS National Assembly session: Constitution – part two?
Written by Gojko Dakic
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Will the delegates of the RS National Assembly discuss constitutional changes again, at today’s session of the RSNA, in spite of the fact that the item is not on the agenda? Judging from the statements of the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, delegates in the RS and Federation Parliaments should put an end to this issue today. Putting an end to it, according to Petritsch, means that the constitutional changes should be harmonized with the so-called Sarajevo Agreement. We say “so called” due to the fact that this “paper” was signed by only three out of eight parties, that participated in the negotiations. Also, during the last few days, the High Representative kept saying that the adopted amendments on the RS Constitution were not in line with the Sarajevo Agreement. On the other hand, the Chairman of the RS Constitutional Commission, Miroslav Mikes, is of the opinion that these (RSNA) constitutional changes were adopted democratically and that the National Assembly should not deal with that issue any more. “If something additional needs to be done, it can be done in the final editing of the text of the amendments and through the Constitutional Law which regulates the implementation of amendments.” – Mikes said. The President of the RS Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Milorad Dodik claims that the High Representative is being strongly pressured by Zlatko Lagumdzija, who advocates unitary BiH and that he (Lagumdzija) is the one to be blamed for the political crisis in BiH. It should be recalled that the Peace Implementation Council obliged the Parliaments of RS and BiH Federation to pass the constitutional amendments in the first week of April. The RS did so and the Federation did not. Nobody objected on the Federation’s failure to do so. In the negotiations about constitutional amendments, Cantons in the Federation were moved out of harm’s way. The RS Vice President Dragan Cavic, warned the High Representative of that two days ago. In an open letter to the High Representative, Cavic said that the Cantons have judicial, executive and legal authority. In spite of all that, Cavic wrote in his letter, not a single principle of constitutionality and equality of nations, including the protection of the vital national interest, was even mentioned or adopted at the cantonal level.
Headlines
Oslobodjenje
- Carla Del Ponte in Sarajevo: Karadzic in The Hague by October 10
Dnevni Avaz
- Carla Del Ponte for Dnevni Avaz: SFOR need a plan to apprehend Karadzic
Jutarnje Novine
- The ICTY Chief Prosecutor meets with Petritsch, Klein and Lagumdzija: Del Ponte knows where Mladic is
Dnevni List
- New bomb in Herzegovina: Herzegovina wakes up to sound of bombs instead of roosters
- Avis Benes at yesterday’s press conference held at Hotel Ero in Mostar: Parties that are against Agreement want to keep people in fear
Vecernji List
- HDZ BiH Secretary General Josip Merdzo claims: HDZ’s amendments will be supported by SDA
- Bomb terror in Ljubuski again: Minister Brkic’s car goes airborne!
- Agreement on construction of Old Bridge signed in Mostar: New Old Bridge in a year and a half
Glas Srpski
- FRY Federal Government: Indictees called to surrender
- ICG protects Lagumdzija
- Sarajevo: Petritsch answered to Cavic’s letter
Nezavisne Novine
- ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte in visit to Sarajevo: Karadzic in The Hague by October
- Milorad Dodik, President of the SNSD: Lagumdzija is Bosniac’s war leader
- Republika Srpska: Petritsch requests withdrawal of the RTRS Law