- Petritsch meets with leaders of the eight leading BiH political parties on constitutional reforms
- RS press: Petritsch met with representatives of eight BiH parties – Discussion on vital national interest
- Lagumdzija says establishment of the Rule of Law crucial for further economic reforms
- The BiH Human Rights Chamber bans extradition of drug dealers from BiH
- A protocol on the 2002 return process signed in Sarajevo
- BiH parliamentary delegation meets with FRY President
- Jutarnji List:
Belkic says neighbors interfere into BiH internal affairs
- Fena: Draft amendments to the Federation Constitution sent into the parliamentary procedure
- Hamid Bahto pleads not guilty in arms smuggling trial
- Dnevni List:
Lagumdzija and Behmen in Mostar and Capljina- Dnevni List:
Turnabout in process against Ante Jelavic, Marko Tokic, Ivo Andric Luzanski, Zdravko Batinic, Petar Milic, Miroslav Prce and Dragan Curcic - HDZ returns to the BiH Federation House of Peoples
- Veteran’s protests to take place after Moslem prayer in Sarajevo on Friday
- RS against centralized printing of CIPS documents
- SDS’ Desanka Radjevic comments on her participation in HRT’s “Latinica” show
- RTRS and TV Srna requested by the ICTY to provide video tapes for the period between 1991 and 1993
- AFP:
Liechtenstein company buys majority stake in an RS company
- Reuters: Milosevic hears of baby’s death on forced march
- CRA: PBS did not provide full broadcast from The Hague
- Petritsch to brief PIC Steering Board on constitutional reforms, streamlining efforts on Thursday
- OHR supports BiH Presidency initiative to explore modalities for war crimes processing in BiH
- Vecernji List:
Interview with Dr Zdravko Tomac, a Vice President of the Croatian Parliament
- Dnevni Avaz: Without prompting from the neighborhood
- Dnevni List: Does anyone care about Dario Kordic?
- Dnevni List: Minutes of the last year’s talks of Monsignor Luka Pavlovic with OHR’s Colin Munro and Dr Anwar Azimov
- Vecernji List: Is the leading Croat party in BiH becoming a seed-plot of new Croat parties
BiH State-related Issues
Petritsch meets with leaders of the eight leading BiH political parties on constitutional reforms
According to Oslobodjenje, the leaders of the eight leading political parties in BiH again did not succeed to agree on bringing closer their positions related to the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision on the constituent peoples at the second meeting in the OHR building in Sarajevo held on Tuesday at an initiative of the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch. SDA President Sulejman Tihic told the newspaper that the meeting had not resulted in any concrete agreements apart from expressing a good will for the continuation of the talks. “I believe we should wait and see what kind of the agreements will be made in the RS, since there are a series of still opened issues there, which need to be resolved. The BiH Federation is prepared to implement the Constitutional Court’s ruling immediately,” Tihic said. The political parties from the Federation accepted the proposal that the vital national interests were to be resolved at the level of BiH House of Peoples. However, it is still disputed whether the vital national interests should be specified, or each people should have the right to define it according to the concrete situation. OHR Spokesman Patrik Volf told Dnevni Avaz that, at the meeting, the High Representative had reiterated the international community wanted local politicians to resolve the issue. In a statement for the same newspaper, SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdzija said he was not satisfied with the meeting. Safet Halilovic (Party for BiH), Dragan Kalinic (SDS), Milorad Dodik (SNSD), Kresimir Zubak (NHI), Petar Kunic (PDP) and Mariofil Ljubic (HDZ BiH) also attended the meeting. The participants agreed to meet again without representatives of the international community in Sarajevo on Sunday, as the next meeting with Petritsch was scheduled for March 8.
Note: Below is summary of the RS press reports on the same event
RS press: Petritsch met with representatives of eight BiH parties – Discussion on vital national interest
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Srna news agency quotes OHR Spokesman, Oleg Milisic, as saying that the High Representative for BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, is not satisfied with the results that have been made during the consultations by 8 ruling political parties in BiH on the implementation of the decision on the constituent status of the peoples. Milisic said after last night’s meeting between Petritsch and the political leaders that the High Representative still supported the framework working program, accepted by the political parties. This program defines vital national interests and means to protect them. The High Representative warned that the time was running out, particularly if there is a serious intention to apply the decision by the BiH Constitutional Court in the forthcoming elections. This also means the change of the Election Law, Milisic said. Nezavisne Novine quotes leader of the Party of Independent Social Democrats, Milorad Dodik, as saying before the meeting that the SNSD will insist on a realistic solution and compromise. The paper reports that one more meeting will be held by 2 March so that the final meeting could take place on 6th or 7th March when hopefully a final solution could be reach.
Lagumdzija says establishment of the Rule of Law crucial for further economic reforms
Oslobodjenje quoted BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zlatko Lagumdzija as saying on Tuesday that the establishment of the rule of law was one of the most important pre-conditions for further economic reforms. However, according to Dnevni Avaz, Lagumdzija emphasized following a meeting with an US delegation headed by Ambassador William Taylor, the coordinator of the US assistance in Europe and Asia, that the judicial system as a basis for the rule of law was not something, which might be reformed either by the Council of Ministers or the entity’s Governments. “The parliament has limited capacities in this area as well. The executive authorities must not interfere in judiciary. The reform of the judicial system is therefore the authority of the international community and the Office of the High Representative,” Lagumdzija said. “The judicial system (in BiH) is still too inefficient and overstaffed. The appointed judges and prosecutors often do not meet professional requirements. It does not matter whether, actually, there is or there is no corruption in this sector, since the public believes that there is. These problems are visible to all of us, but the judicial sector reform is still one of the slowest. Neither BiH nor its citizens can afford to wait further,” Lagumdzija added.
The BiH Human Rights Chamber bans extradition of drug dealers from BiH
According to Oslobodjenje front-page story, the President of the BiH Chamber for Human Rights Michele Picard on January 31 this year ordered the BiH authorities to by March 11 prevent execution of the order made by the BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees on the extradition of Fedali Unal from the country. Unal is under the Austrian police investigation due to his alleged involvement in the illegal drugs smuggling.
A protocol on the 2002 return process signed in Sarajevo
Oslobodjenje reports that the members of the BiH Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons comprising BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Kresimir Zubak, Deputy High Representative and head of the RRTF Peter Bas-Backer, BiH Federation Deputy Minister for Refugees Mijat Tuka, RS Minister for Refugees Mico Micic, Head of the Brcko District Refugee Department Ivo Andjelovic and Head of the UNHCR Mission to BiH Werner Blatter signed in Sarajevo on Tuesday a protocol on the mutual cooperation in planning and realization of the 2002 activities related to the return of refugees and displaced persons. “Together, we set 16,000 priorities for the reconstruction in the entities, and at the next meetings we will make projects fro their implementation,” Zubak emphasized following the meeting.
BiH parliamentary delegation meets with FRY President
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Nezavisne Novine reports that Tuesday’s meeting of the BiH parliamentary delegation with FRY President Vojislav Kostunica and FRY Prime Minister Dragisa Pesic agreed that free trade agreement should be ratified as soon as possible, so that it comes in force on 1 April. A member of the BiH delegations and the Chairperson of the House of Representatives, Zeljko Mirjanic, stated that the meeting had also discussed the signing of a protocol on the return of refugees by BiH, FRY and Croatia. If Zagreb should not be interested, the protocol would then be signed between BiH and FRY, Mirjanic said.
Jutarnji List: Belkic says neighbors interfere into BiH internal affairs
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
The 2-day visit of the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to Belgrade, has been assessed in Sarajevo as interfering of the neighboring countries into the internal BiH affairs of BiH again. Beriz Belkic, the Chair of the BiH Presidency, warned that Petritsch’s visit to Belgrade is a direct invitation to FRY to actively participate in solving the issue of the constitutional changes in BiH. He reminded that this call of Petritsch’s followed the visit of Croat politicians from BiH to Zagreb. Belkic also warned that the “intensified care of Zagreb and Belgrade for internal BiH situation” brings that country 10 years back and that it revives the practice of “meddling with internal BiH affairs”. Sarajevo warned that, after Croat politicians from BiH asked Zagreb for help, the very same move by Serb politicians from Banja Luka in Belgrade is to follow.
Note: This is full translation of the article, in which it is not specified where Belkic made this statement, whether he told this in a statement for the newspaper or somewhere else.
Federation
Fena: Draft amendments to the Federation Constitution sent into the parliamentary procedure
In the continuation of its 46th session on Wednesday, the BiH Federation Government adopted draft amendments to the FBiH Constitution, and as an authorized body, forwarded them to the both houses of the Federal Parliament for further procedure. The proposed document includes the solutions proposed by the Constitutional Commission of the Federation House of Representatives and the amendments prepared by the Federal Ministry of Justice on the basis of proposals and suggestions from earlier sessions of the Entity Government. The amendments fully reflect the request from the Decision of the BiH Constitutional Court on constituent peoples, reestablishing their equality on the whole state territory. This is visible already in the amendment to the first Article of the Federation Constitution, which says: “Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs as constituent peoples, together with other citizens of the BiH Federation, on equal footing arrange the Federation as defined by Annex II of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH.” The symbols of the Federation are proposed to be the coat of arms, the flag and the seal, while the national anthem is an attribute of the state as a whole, but not of the Entities. The Bosnian, Croatian and Serb language are equal as official languages, and the official alphabets are Latin and Cyrillic. The Government proposes a reduction of the number of MPs. So the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament would have 98 representatives, instead of the present 140, and the House of Peoples 51 delegates, that is 17 from each constituent people. Consequently the number of representatives in the legislative bodies at the cantonal level would also be reduced by between 20 and 35 delegates. It is proposed that that the Federation president should have two vice-presidents from different constituent peoples rotating during a four-year term.
Hamid Bahto pleads not guilty in arms smuggling trial
Oslobodjenje reports that the BiH Federation Army General, Hamid Bahto, pleaded not guilty to all counts of the indictment during the first day of the trial for arms smuggling to Kosovo opened before the BiH Federation Supreme Court in Sarajevo on Tuesday.
Dnevni List: Lagumdzija and Behmen in Mostar and Capljina
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Dnevni List reads that unlike Alija Izetbegovic, who never counted on West Herzegovina in his plans, the President of the SDP, Zlatko Lagumdzija, is using a completely different tactic. “We could call it ‘divide et impera’“, reads the daily. Unhappy with the status of his party in Herzegovina, Lagumdzija decides to visit the “impenetrable fort”. It is indicative that Lagumdzija was accompanied Federation Deputy Minister of Interior Tomislav Limov and Federation Minister of Commerce Andrija Jurkovic, coming from Capljina and Ljubuski respectively, both members of the SDP. The official protocol said that the aim of the visit was a tour of “Norfish” Fish Farm in Blagaj, talks with Mostar officials and a visit to Capljina, where they talked to representatives of “Neretva-E” Company, the contractor that is reconstructing the destroyed bridge over Neretva in Capljina. The finished touches on the bridge are being carries out in the past few days, so their visit to Capljina, the timing of it, is very indicative. Croats in Capljina see it as a party-related visit with the Capljina SDP wanting to take credits for the reconstruction. Just a reminder, the funds for reconstruction were secured in September 2000, after an initiative instigated by the then Federation Deputy PM Dragan Covic and Deputy Minister of Finances in Canton 7 Dragan Vrankic who were helped by other HDZ officials from Capljina, C7 and the Federation. The daily accuses the SDP officials of sloppy behavior towards the Mostar Mayor and Deputy Mayor and journalists gathered in Mostar’s City Administration building, in other words their time of arrival to Mostar was prolonged on three consecutive occasions without any explanations. Journalists even considered leaving the Mostar’s City Administration boycotting and protesting against the behavior of the SDP’s officials. The paper says that it had later learned that the reason behind the delays was an “unplanned” feast at “Norfish”. Sarajevo-based journalists, who followed the SDP, confirmed this information adding that none of them would have passed the Breathalyzer that evening.
Dnevni List: Turnabout in process against Ante Jelavic, Marko Tokic, Ivo Andric Luzanski, Zdravko Batinic, Petar Milic, Miroslav Prce and Dragan Curcic
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Under a headline “Constitutional Court rules in favor of Ante Jelavic: Trials to be continued in Mostar”, Dnevni List carries a recapitulation of events in the process against Ante Jelavic and other 6 six suspects that is being conducted by the Sarajevo Cantonal Court. In relation to the appeal lodged by Ante Jelavic’s attorney, Josip Muselimovic, to the BiH Constitutional Court (CC) on December 28, 2001, who requested that the Mostar Cantonal Court be assigned with the case, Dnevni List carries Josip Muselimovic as saying that he has information that the Constitutional Court has discussed the appeal and that he had some information pertaining to it that should not be disclosed to the public as yet. Muselimovic is convinced that the CC will rule in favor of his client i.e. that it will forbid the Sarajevo Court to conduct any further actions in the case. On the other hand Dnevni List itself says that it has learned from sources close to the CC that the appeal has been accepted and that the CC has decided that the Cantonal Court in Mostar is to be assigned with the case. Vecernji List carries a similar report.
HDZ returns to the BiH Federation House of Peoples
Oslobodjenje reports that the General Secretary of the HDZ BiH, Josip Merdzo, sent a letter to the BiH Election Commission President, Lidija Korac, informing her that the party was intending to fill the rest of 16 vacated Croat seats in the BiH Federation House of Peoples.
Veteran’s protests to take place after Moslem prayer in Sarajevo on Friday
Oslobodjenje quoted Mehmed Focic, the president of the BiH Association of the Demobilized Soldiers, as saying that the war invalids, members of the families of killed soldiers and the demobilized soldiers would due to their poor social position hold peaceful protests in front of the BiH common institutions building in Sarajevo on Friday immediately after the regular weekly Muslim prayer.
Republika Srpska
RS against centralized printing of CIPS documents
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
The RS government does not accept centralization of the printing of documents in one place as outlined by the CIPS (Citizens’ Identity Protection System) project, a statement issued by the government’s press office says. A letter by Deputy Prime Minister Petar Kunic sent to the BiH minister for civilian affairs and communications, Svetozar Mihajlovic, says that the closure of 20 offices, nine of which are in the RS, is possible and acceptable only if the same number of offices is closed in the BiH Federation. Regarding the announcement that post offices will handle acquisition work and work with clients, the RS government is firmly behind its view that acquisition work cannot be done by anyone else but bodies of the state administration. The RS government regards as unacceptable radical deviation from the set and presented project of realization, which it has learned about from information by the RS Interior Ministry. The RS government is voicing dissatisfaction in particular with the fact that changes are being made after two years of work on the CIPS project and without set and acceptable solutions and without consultations and agreements with the RS relevant bodies. Regarding funds for the issuing of documents, the RS government believes that the only acceptable solution is that the funds are allocated to the entities’ budgets, since the entities are duty-bound to finance joint institutions. The letter concludes by saying that the government fulfilled all its obligations regarding this in a timely fashion and that it will continue to do so. Today’s edition of Nezavisne Novine quotes BiH Minister for civil affairs and communications, Svetozar Mihajlovic, as saying that the government’s letter is aimed to discredit him before the decision on next CoM chair is made. Mihajlovic also says that letters like this one have no grounds and that the technical concept of the CIPS project cannot be changed without consent of governments of both entities.
SDS’ Desanka Radjevic comments on her participation in HRT’s “Latinica” show
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Both Banja Luka dailies and all Banja Luka-based TV stations quote SDS deputy in the RS National Assembly, Desanka Radjevic who participated in “Latinica” on Croatian Television (HRT), as saying that more than a half of what she actually said was cut out from the program, thus creating a completely wrong picture on her participation in the program. “After the film that talks about prison-camps and rapes of Bosniaks was aired, I said that there were prison camps for Serbs and these prison camps were much more brutal than the Manjaca prison camp. I also mentioned Tarcin prison camp as an example of a camp where people could not normally breath not to mention that they had been tortured in the most brutal ways. I also said that in every nation there is psychopaths who rape, but the problem is that “Latinica” only focused on Serbs who rape girls. I asked them why did not you give an example of a nine-year old girl who was raped by a Croat male and I gave his full name. I also mentioned several examples of Serb women who were raped, but all these things were cut out”, said Radjevic. Radjevic also said that the part of the show when she mentioned the name of a Serb male, Mirko Graorac, who is currently in prison in Croatia. “This man is in prison because he is sentenced on charges that he was a jailer in Manjaca. The truth is that Grahovac was a prisoner in “Lora” in Split. The entire process was a staged process. I also gave the names of is torturers in Lora and witnesses who gave false testimonies, Croatian generals – Zarko Tole and Vlado Ugrin. This part was also cut out so that the Croatian generals, who gave false testimonies, are not discredited”, said Radjevic. She said that “Latinica” is an example of ignominy and added that many things that Miodrag Zivanovic said were also cut out, but Zivanovic could only benefit from it.
RTRS and TV SRNA requested by the ICTY to provide videotapes for the period between 1991 and 1993
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Glas Srpski quotes an anonymous source as saying that an ICTY prosecutor requested that the RTRS and TV-Srna provide the ICTY with the videotapes that cover the period of time between January 1st 1991 to March 1993. The paper quotes the letter that the RS Government Bureau for cooperation with the ICTY sent to the RTRS that the requested tapes are relevant for Radovan Karadzic, Momcilo Krajisnik, Biljana Plavsic and Nikola Koljevic. The letter states that the tapes pertain to the conflict in the RS and that the focus is on participants of the war, combat actions, movements of population, detention facilities, victims, destruction of property or any other aspects of the conflict. The article concludes that it is very interesting that RTRS (RS Television) did not exist as TV-Srna at the time, nor TV Srna ever existed or exists now.
AFP: Liechtenstein company buys majority stake in an RS company
The Republika Srpska Government on Tuesday sold a 65 percent stake in the UNIS ZDP pipe production factory to Balcan Steel of Liechtenstein for 562,000 euros (488,000 dollars). Under the contract, according to the Government, Balcan will also invest an additional 2.9 million euros into the factory, located in the northern town of Derventa, within next three years. Balcan Steel has also pledged to keep all 392 workers on the job for the next three years and to pay off the factory’s 5.1-million-euro debt.
International Community
Reuters: Milosevic hears of baby’s death on forced march
Slobodan Milosevic listened on Tuesday to a Kosovo Albanian widow’s grim account of her baby’s death during her family’s exodus from their village in 1999 after Serb forces torched two disabled elderly women alive. The witness, who lost her husband and one of her five children during the deportation of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, struggled to keep her emotions in check as she told the Hague war crimes court about her family’s plight. Ajmane Behramaj, 32, said she had seen Serb guards setting fire to two elderly disabled women on a tractor-trailer because they were unable to walk under escort to the Albanian frontier. Reuters article
CRA: PBS did not provide full broadcast from The Hague
According to Oslobodjenje, in the light of recent reports in the media on reporting about the trial of Slobodan Milosevic by BiH public broadcast services (PBS, FTV and RTRS), Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA) has carried out an analysis of the programs in question and found that these broadcasters failed to perform one of their most important roles of public broadcasting: offering full and accurate information to viewers and listeners. This finding in particular, refers to the second day of the trial of Milosevic, and coverage concerning parts of indictment related to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Petritsch to brief PIC Steering Board on constitutional reforms, streamlining efforts on Thursday
Dnevni Avaz and Jutarnje Novine report that the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board is meeting in Brussels on Thursday at the level of Political Directors. “The High Representative will brief the Steering Board on the latest political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, among other things on developments regarding the reform of the Entity Constitutions. Other important items on the agenda will be the streamlining of the work of the International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as judiciary reform. As you know, the High Representative has been tasked by the Steering Board to finalize details on the proposal regarding streamlining ahead of Thursday’s meeting,” OHR Spokesman Patrik Volf told a press conference in Sarajevo on Tuesday.
OHR supports BiH Presidency initiative to explore modalities for war crimes processing in BiH
Dnevni Avaz reports that the Office of the High Representative welcomes the initiative undertaken by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency on Monday to establish a working group to examine the modalities of domestic war crimes prosecution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “On November 8th, the High Representative announced his on-going development of a strategy for the ‘Rules of the Road’ Court proceedings. As part of this strategy, and in light of suggestions made last year by the Prosecutor and the President of ICTY regarding possible remission of ICTY cases to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Office of the High Representative looks forward to co-operating closely with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities on this important issue,” OHR Spokesman Patrik Volf told journalists in Sarajevo on Tuesday.
Vecernji List: Interview with Dr Zdravko Tomac, a Vice President of the Croatian Parliament
Interview conducted by Robert Bubalo (Provided by OHR Mostar)
We are proposing some initiatives to the IC, and in the light of it, Minister Picual met with the High Representative in Brussels. We want to make the IC engaged in a way, that it makes some moves in order to secure equality of all three peoples on the whole BiH territory. I have heard that I have been harshly attacked by some people from the RS because of the stands that are, actually, the stands of the Croatian Parliament but also of the IC.
With regard to the meeting held between Prime Minister Racan and representatives of the Croat parties from BiH, have the relations between Croatian and BiH SDP been aggravated due to this meeting?
I do not know it yet. However, I can notice that Zlatko Dizdarevic, a BiH Ambassador in Croatia, has started to interfere in the Croatian policy through media. At the time when the Croat self-rule was proclaimed, I said in Mostar that through the conflict with the IC nothing could be achieved. Each kind of radicalism will damage Croats, and it should be acted only through the institutions of the system, no matter how difficult it is.
It seems that some people got scared that the Croats will not be a subject of constant IC criticisms and a whipping-boy for all problems in BiH any longer.
I believe that the demand on the third entity is a consequence of the situation that the Croats are in, that is, of an easy-going attitude of the IC towards the fact, that 7 after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the RS has remained an ethnically cleansed state of the Serb people, that is, that Milosevic is standing the trial, while the result of his policy and the policy of Radovan Karadzic have been legalized.
Having in mind these facts, the existence of the RS as the ethnically cleansed state, in any case, legitimizes the right that the Croats demand their own entity. However, I have always claimed that everything should be done to transform the RS in its present form and to secure equality of all three peoples on the whole territory. The demand on the third entity might become stronger if the Constitutional Court decision on constituency of BiH peoples was not implemented consistently, if the Karadzic’s and not the Dayton RS was legalized, if Croats in the Federation were deprived of the right that the DPA guarantees them. In that case none could object the Croats in their demand to find some new solutions.
The thing, that the HR stated recently unintentionally, illustrates a psychological situation in BiH. He said that by the constitutional changes equality of Bosniaks and Croats in the RS, and Serbs and Croats in the Federation should be secured. From this statement it comes out that the RS is a Serb entity, that the Federation is a Bosniak entity and that the Croats get protection in each entity with those who do not have their entity. We should not talk about a new DPA, but we should go back to the principles of the DPA. These principles are a BiH as an integrated and democratic state, BiH as a modern European, civic state and BiH as a state of 3 constituent peoples on the whole BiH territory.
My relation with Ivo Komsic were friendly and correct, and for this reason I was surprised by his ‘welcome’ in Sarajevo and the demonstrations organized against the coming of the members of the Croatian Parliament. Afterwards, he came to Zagreb and in the Bosniak Cultural Club we had a talk. I told Bosniaks something that they did not want to hear. I told them that it is wrong to advocate thesis that all people in BiH are Bosnians of different religions. I told them that it is a dangerous policy that reminds me of a breakup of Yugoslavia. I am sorry that Komsic did not attend the meeting with Racan. Also, I am sorry that Lagumdzija is aggravating relations with Croatia.
Editorials
Dnevni Avaz: Without prompting from the neighborhood
Written by Fadil Mandal (Full translation)
Wolfgang Petritsch in Belgrade told Vojislav Kostunica and Zoran Djindjic that the constitutional changes in BiH had to be carried put without the influence of the neighbors. On the other side, in an interview with the Rijeka-based Novi List, Zlatko Lagumdzija rejected a possibility that the Croatian Government and the BiH Council of Ministers harmonize (agree on) a common position on the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling on the constituency of peoples. “The constitutional reforms can be passed through a political consensus in the relevant BiH institutions, and with an assistance of the international community,” Lagumdzija said. The statements of the two top officials are sending several important signals. Both Petritsch and Lagumdzija are decisive not to permit the interference from aside when it comes to the decision essential for the future of BiH. The lectures from the history of these areas made them be so cautious. Simply, Bosnia has never benefit from the Serbia’s and Croatia’s interference in its internal affairs. Moreover, almost by a rule, the conflicts in BiH have been generated and imported from Belgrade and Zagreb. The current constitutional reforms represent an opportunity that, for the first time in the recent history, BiH politicians, without any prompting from the East and the West, agree on the crucial issues related to the future destiny of the country. The chance should not be missed. With a subtle assistance coming from the international community and Petritsch himself, BiH might, through the consensus on the constitutional reforms, send a genuine and the first message to the world that it is capable build the road leading towards the community of the European peoples by its own.
Dnevni List: Does anyone care about Dario Kordic?
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Today’s Dnevni List carries an editorial written by its Editor-in-Chief, Marko Markovic, in which he says that the spectacular trials against Slobodan Milosevic and arrival of 62 indictments, indictments related to crimes against Bosniaks only, have cast a shadow on destiny of Dario Kordic and other Croat martyrs in Scheveningen. Markovic asks who is looking after them now, where are their lawyers and people who saw them off at the Split Airport. “Analysts assess that The Hague will only host Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic in the future, whilst the numerous suspects will be processed before domestic courts. The Hague prison cells are already crowded, trials cost millions on dollars, they last too long, indictees (Milosevic) open awkward issues and invite leading politicians to stand as witnesses. People who know the situation and history of secret talks in BiH are convinced that Karadzic would be an even more unpleasant witness for many European and American politicians than Milosevic is at the moment. It includes their official policy in BiH including the hiding (and participation) of crimes committed in BiH during the war. In that context many believe that a possibility of elimination of Karadzic is not ruled out. The USA, being the main financier of the ICTY, is getting more reluctant to spend money on over-paid ICTY Judges and the accompanying staff. That’s why one can expect that Karadzic and Mladic will be the last travelers to The Hague, whilst in the future the court would be a supervisor of national judiciaries and get involved in cases when deemed necessary i.e. when unhappy with the practice of national courts”, says Markovic, reads Dnevni List.
Dnevni List: Minutes of the last year’s talks of Monsignor Luka Pavlovic with OHR’s Colin Munro and Dr Anwar Azimov
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Dnevni List claims to be in possession of minutes of talks held between Monsignor Luka Pavlovic, the General Vicar of Bishops Ordinariate in Mostar, on one side and Colin Munro, former Head of OHR South, and Dr. Anwar Azimov, Senior Advisor for Human Rights, on the other. According to the paper the talks were held on August 31, 2001, and they dealt with religious issues and issues of reconstruction of religious facilities with a special focus on reconstruction of the Careva mosque in Stolac.
Monsignor Pavlovic welcomed the guests on behalf of Bishop Peric saying that nobody was interested in the state of human rights during the communist times in former Yugoslavia.
Azimov acknowledged the Bishops words saying that the Bishop’s role is now as important as ever, because of inter-national and inter-religious relations in the area.
Munro is carried as saying that the High Representative has started an initiative wanting to have people as mediators between religions and ethnic groups. “Religious leaders should get involved in the program of tolerance and process of lasting peace in order to have the country join Europe as soon as possible. This representative will personally make sure that every citizen is enjoys his/her human rights”, said Munro.
Pavlovic replied to it by saying that the best thing was to put it on paper so they could respond to it.
After that Azimov said that he had met with the Inter-Religious Council (IRC) in Sarajevo two days ago and that he liked the dialogue among the representatives of the Council. He also said that he would request that a Consultative body with the IRC is formed and that he would like the same body to be established at regional levels. OHR Mostar backed the motion up saying that it would gladly take part in those meetings. It was also said that there was a Swedish humanitarian organization willing to allocate money for reconstruction of religious facilities.
Monsignor Pavlovic responded to it by saying that they have verbally and in written form informed Bishop Jevtic (Orthodox Church) and Mufti Smajkic that they were willing to solve any religious issues, without going into politics and construction-related problems. “If they had any religion-related problems they can always call us, put it in writing and we will try to solve it (…) but we do not want to be led or bonded by the IC representatives because we can have a dialogue without international mediators. It is astonishing that the representatives of the IC misinform their superiors about the Catholic Church-other religions in Herzegovina relationships; allegedly the representatives of the Catholic Church do not attend celebrations of other religious groups – which is not true. They attended every celebration they have been invited to. If the Bishop (Peric) could not make it, somebody else went on his behalf”, said Pavlovic.
Azimov addressed the problem in Stolac, which worried the OHR, the problem being the construction of (Careva) mosque in town centre. He also said that they talked to the Mufti (Smajkic) yesterday. Azimov went on to ask what’s the Catholic Church’s position in the matter.
Monsignor Pavlovic said that 175 Catholic facilities were destroyed since the arrival of the Turks and that the mosque was built on foundations of a destroyed church in 1519. He said that the destroying of the mosque in 1993 was a similar crime saying that a crime is a crime no matter if it’s committed in the 15th of 20th century. “Construction of the mosque on foundation of a Catholic church would be an even bigger crime. Had we requested that a Catholic church be constructed on the same very site that would be interpreted as a sign of hatred towards the Muslims (…) That crime was committed in the 16th century and should not be repeated in the 21st century. That’s why we suggest that the site be preserved and turned into an archeological section or a museum which will not motivate hatred. We are amazed with the IC unilaterally supporting the Muslim side in the matter and the propaganda aimed against the Hum Cross. We erected the Cross to celebrate the Great anniversary, 2000 years of Jesus Christ’s birth. The Cross is to us Christians a symbol of salvation, reconciliation, forgiveness, love and peace among people (…) Our intention was a noble one and not the challenging one, as the other side sees it”, says Pavlovic.
Munro talked about the Annex 8 that deals with reconstruction of all destroyed religious facilities and in that sense the mosque should be reconstructed. He said that one should look into future not past.
Monsignor Pavlovic responded by saying that their stances were different. “You come from England which was a great colonial force that does not want to look back into the past, its colonies and slaves. We can’t do without our history because we were colonized; we were slaves and subjects to foreign invaders. To erect the mosque in Stolac again, it means to turn Catholics into serfs once again and to establish the “headmen” who would dominate and lift the Islam above the Catholicism”, says Pavlovic.
“I do not see the Islamic fundamentalism as the one standing out in BiH”, says Munro.
Pavlovic told him to change his glasses because he does not see much. Pavlovic also said that Catholics are opposing the construction of a Catholic church in Stolac’s centre, having that in mind, if they go on with the construction of the mosque, they would not be able to stop Croats from constructing a church on the same spot.
Azimov said that he would like to meet the Bishop and that it would be good that religious leaders meet and solve the problem among them, reads Dnevni List.
Vecernji List: Is the leading Croat party in BiH becoming a seed-plot of new Croat parties
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Due to the HR’s decision on the suspension of almost complete HDZ leadership, HDZ is in a sort of isolation. Also, there are the problems regarding the HDZ registration. Aware of these problems HDZ leadership has announced a possibility of holding a Central Board session in order to elect its new leadership and thus meet conditions for its re-registration and application for the elections. Naturally, it implies that Ante Jelavic, an unrecognized HDZ President, resigns.
He stated many times that he would resign if he were an obstacle for HDZ. However, many people in the HDZ top do not agree with this decision, believing that he should stay the HDZ President, because he is a legal President, who has been elected three times to this position. They base their stands on the legality of the elections.
However, it seems that most of them have realized that is does not worth to insist on this, but that they should adjust to the realistic situation and implement changes, that will make possible a normal functioning of the party and a victory at the next elections. It is well know that HDZ has never been a monolith party. As in all other people’s parties, and especially movements, what HDZ has been for years, many different groups have always existed. However, it seems that, now, one group is ready to leave HDZ and form its own party. Namely, as some people say, although not in public, one part of them is not ready to be in the party that has trust of the greatest part of the Croat people, that wins at the elections but, which is not able to implement its program, serving the interests of its people. Also, they do not want to listen constantly as to how the responsibility is being shifted to the International Community. They agree that it is necessary to hold the session of the HDZ Central Board and the election of a new party’s leadership in order to be able to start with the preparations for the elections on time. However, they say that some people want to change the party’s Statute at this session in order to elect the HDZ Presidency but not an Acting HDZ President, which is in the line with the Statute and a program’s orientation of HDZ. They believe that it is an attempt to inaugurate the party’s Presidency on the model of Party for BiH, so that the party can be led from the shadow, as Haris Silajdzic does.
If the course of events, during the session of the Central HDZ Board, takes this direction there are those, who will not agree with it and they are even ready to leave HDZ. Although, these rumors have been circulating for weeks, none of those, who are ready do it, do not want to confirm it. However, allegedly, they have already been organizing themselves and at the session of the HDZ Central Board they will appear as already formed faction. Allegedly, Mariofil Ljubic, a representative in the BiH Parliament, is a leader of the faction, and most of other HDZ representatives are with him.
The Central HDZ Board should take place on March 9. This event crystallizes three groups. It seems that whether they will reach a consensus or a considerable part of HDZ will leave the party, depends on the fact whether they will change the Statute, whether possible changes will be only of a formal nature or they will change a very essence of HDZ.
Ante Jelavic is a leader of the first group. Together with him are high-ranked HDZ officials: Josip Merdzo, Niko Lozancic, Marko Tokic, Ivan Bacak, Rade Bosnjak, Ivan Bender, Vinko Zoric, Slavica Josipovic, Miroslav Prce, Ivan Mandic, Stipe Maric, Marinko Glija, Pero Markovic, Zdravko Batinic, Martin Raguz.
Dragan Covic, an HDZ Vice President is the leader of the second group, and together with him are Miroslav Coric, Rudo Vidovic, Davor Cordas, Vesna Covic, Nikola Antunovic, Ivo Andric Luzanski, Franjo Ljubic, Stjepan Mikic, Ivica Antunovic. It has been believed that this group is close to the first one, but that it would accept the cooperation with the third one, as well. Still, it does not have strength to openly come forward with their special leader.
The third group is led by Bozo Ljubic, who has been an HDZ Vice President for a long time and a man that circles of the International Community wanted to see as the HDZ President. A part of original HDZ objects him because, during the last Emergency HDZ Convention, he did not want to put forward his candidacy for the position of the President. There are also his brother Mariofil Ljubic, who, allegedly, has already announced a formalization of the faction, Damir Ljubic, Mirko Bakovic, Zeljko Obradovic, Jozo Maric, Ivo Vincetic, Mijo Matanovic, Mate Franjicevic and Dragan Vrankic.
Headlines
Oslobodjenje
- Human Rights Chamber bans extradition of drug dealers from BiH
Dnevni Avaz
- Dismissed soldiers to be compensated with 10,000 KM each
Jutranje Novine
- General Bahto: If I am guilty, shoot me
Glas Srpski
- SDS deputy comments on her participation in “Latinica” – Scissors for TV ignominy;
- War crime trials to be held before BiH courts – Judiciary on test;
Nezavisne Novine
- Trains crash in Austria – Five persons dead, 30 injured;
- “Latinica” censored;
Dnevni List
- Turnabout in trials over introducing of Croat self-rule and disbandment of HVO: Constitutional Court rules in favour of Ante Jelavic – Trials to be continued in Mostar
- Protest of Association of Judges of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton: Police summons Judges for informative talks
- List of The Hague indictees contains only Croats and Serbs: No Bosniaks among 62 indictees
- After the rules on appointment/election of MPs have been harmonized to the Constitution: 16 HDZ MPs returning to House of Peoples!?
Vecernji List
- Zdravko Tomac, Deputy Speaker of Croatian Parliament: If RS remains Croats get third entity – Federation dominated by Bosniaks
- Goran Mihaljevic, Croat Liaison Officer to ICTY: Domestic courts only dealing with crimes against Bosniaks
- With announcement of closing down of Mostar University (West): Students worried for their diplomas
- Trials against arms smugglers begins in Sarajevo: General Hamid Bahto denies charges