05.12.2001

BiH Media Round-up, 5/12/2001

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BiH State-related Issues

  • Bosniak member of the Presidency: It is time that BiH becomes less dependent

Federation

  • Mosque construction site attacked by Croat nationalists in Stolac
  • Provisional Administration to pay small depositors, calls for patience
  • Vinko Puljic meets Azimov and Kieffer at the Cardinal’s residence in Sarajevo
  • Bosniak couple found dead in their homes in Bosanski Petrovac

Republika Srpska

  • Mirko Sarovic – I would respond to ICTY Summons
  • SDS party says Karadzic should surrender to Hague tribunal
  • ICTY Spokeswoman Says FRY Authorities Should Arrest Mladic
  • RS Deputy Justice Minister and RS PM’s Advisor for Cooperation with the ICTY Have Different Views on Cooperation with the ICTY

International Community

  • High Representative imposes amendments to Property Laws
  • High Representative, PIC Steering Board to discuss streamlining of International organisations in BiH
  • OHR: Jelavic is illegal president; local courts to decide on the legality of the party
  • UN Mission to BiH to operate with only a quartet of its capacity by December 2002
  • USA approves 900,000 dollars for Bosnia’s defence programme in 2002

Editorials

  • Slobodna Dalmacija: A word or two about the newly established language on the Federation TV
  • Vecernji List : Petritsch introduces State Gendarmerie

 

 

BIH State-related Issues

Bosniak member of the Presidency: It is time that BiH becomes less dependent

Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Beriz Belkic, expressed hope yesterday (Tuesday) that the PIC Steering Board will, during this week’s session, support the efforts of the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, on reorganization of the international engagement in BiH. In a statement for Oslobodjenje, Belkic said that he fully supports High Representative’s initiatives referring to the strengthening of the state institutions and the rule of law, economic reform and the return of refugees. “In this manner, the High Representative seeks to synchronize all activities and place all important issues under one roof,” said Belkic, urging all relevant state institutions to fully cooperate with the OHR in the effort to make BiH less dependent of foreign aid and more economically self-sustainable.

 

Federation

Mosque construction site attacked by Croat nationalists in Stolac

SRNA news agency reported that a group of some 15 persons destroyed the fence surrounding the [re]construction site of the Careva mosque in Stolac at around 2210 Monday night. Under the Dayton agreement, the mosque site is inside a protected zone. The fence was taken down with chain saws and the destruction was accompanied by [Croat] nationalist songs and sporadic shooting, BiH Radio 1 reported. The same source said that no one was injured in the incident and that the situation was calm on Tuesday, when the construction work resumed.

Bosniak representatives in the Stolac authorities issued a statement yesterday urging the BiH state institutions and the international forces to intervene to prevent more serious incidents. According to the statement, the mosque fence was destroyed by a group of well-organized nationalists.

The head of Stolac municipality Zeljko Obradovic also expressed his outrage with the event. “I condemn the latest incidents in Stolac and demand that the police and judicial institutions launch an investigation. I would like to tell those who would like to make Stolac a problem town that they will not succeed, because there is and will be a place for all in Stolac,” he told Fena news agency. Spokesperson of the OHR, Avis Benes, and of the UN Mission to BiH, Stefo Lehmann, also condemned the incidents in Stolac in strongest terms possible. “Police should be more active, because no one was arrested or detained, although the perpetrators are known,” said Benes. The Stolac incident was the front page story in Oslobodjenje, and the leading news in all electronic media in the Federation. All Croatian dailies also extensively cover the story.

Provisional Administration to pay small depositors, calls for patience

Dnevni List quotes Johan Verhayden, the spokesman of the Provisional Administration of Hercegovacka Banka, as saying that the forthcoming payoff of the bank’s small depositors is not unique and that other banks under administration would be able to use the same practice with regards to payoff of 5000 KM to every small depositor. He added that the case of the Hercegovacka Banka is specific because the said bank had around 40.000 small depositors at 30 branches in the Federation of BiH. Verhayden calls on the small depositors to remain patient promising that they would get paid.

Vinko Puljic meets Azimov and Kieffer at the Cardinal’s residence in Sarajevo

Slobodna Dalmacija reported that the Cardinal Vinko Puljic, the Archbishop of Vrhbosna, on Tuesday met with Anwar Azimov, an ambassador in charge of religious affairs with the OHR, and Claude Kieffer, Senior Education Advisor of the OHR.

The meeting started with a discussion on the matters of education in BiH and his prominent guests said they wanted to establish a full cooperation with the churches and religious communities in the country. Kieffer said that the culture and history of religions are compulsory school subjects, which the BiH Council of Ministers conceded in March.

Cardinal Puljic said he was open to dialogue and expressed his disagreement over the OHR practice of sidestepping the legal Church representatives during discussions on the aforementioned school subjects.

The Cardinal also said that the tolerance that the OHR wishes to build through these subjects in schools, is not toppled by religion or religious communities, but due to the policy of seizing territory.

They also discussed the positive work of the Inter-Religious Council of BiH in the process of reconciliation and forgiveness among the peoples.

Anwar Azimov stated that the UNMIBH Mission will cease their activity in BiH, and the OHR and the OSCE reduce their activity and influence in this region in December next year.

Bosniak couple found dead in their homes in Bosanski Petrovac

All Sarajevo media report that an elderly Bosniak couple, Mehdin and Safeta Taib were on late Monday night found dead in their apartment in Bosanski Petrovac. Police confirmed that the cause of death of the two was violent, but refused to speculate as to whether this incident had anything to do with ethnic-related violence.

 

Republika Srpska

Mirko Sarovic – I would respond to ICTY Summons

Today’s edition of Nezavisne Novine carries an interview with the RS President, Mirko Sarovic, in which he says that he does not know where Radovan Karadzic is. He also rejected allegations that he went to Moscow to meet with him. Sarovic refused to comment on RS Prime Minister [Mladen] Ivanic’s appeal to Karadzic and Ratko Mladic to voluntarily turn themselves in. When asked whether he should respond to the ICTY summons and appear before the court as a witness in the Krajisnik-Plavsic case, if he were summoned by the Krajisnik’s defense, Sarovic said he would always respond to the court summons if it could help the truth.

SDS party says Karadzic should surrender to Hague tribunal

FENA reports that Vukan Vojinovic, a senior SDS official and a deputy in the RS National, told the Banja Luka based Nes radio that the RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic’s decision to urge war crimes suspects Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic to surrender to The Hague tribunal was the right one. He stressed that the RS should cooperate with The Hague tribunal but not only when it comes to individual cases.

ICTY Spokeswoman Says FRY Authorities Should Arrest Mladic

Nezavisne Novine quotes ICTY Spokeswoman, Florence Hartmann, as saying that the ICTY still has not received the answer from the Belgrade authorities on the ICTY’s request on extradition of Ratko Mladic. Hartman told the paper that the arrest of Mladic could be the only answer. “The ICTY has reliable information that Mladic is Serbia and that the FRY Army protects him. This information has been confirmed by many other sources. Mladic has been seen in various Belgrade neighbourhoods during the past few weeks. It is the obligation of any country to extradite the indicted war criminals. If authorities fail to do it then they have to take responsibility for such decision. We can only request them to fulfil their obligations, but we do not decide on consequences they might suffer if they fail to arrest indicted war criminals”, said Hartman. She did not want to comment on Ivanic’s appeal to Karadzic and Mladic to voluntarily turn themselves in, stressing that the RS Government is responsible for arrest and extradition of indicted war criminals.

RS Deputy Justice Minister and RS PM’s Advisor for Cooperation with the ICTY Have Different Views on Cooperation with the ICTY

Nezavisne Novine quotes the Deputy RS Justice Minister, Mladjen Mandic, as saying that the RS Government will do everything in its power to make sure that witnesses of the Krajisnik’s defense respond to summons. Mandic did not dismiss the possibility that the RS Interior Ministry could detain the witnesses, stressing that the RS Criminal Code envisages detention in these cases. “RS Interior Ministry should detain witnesses if they fail to respond to summons”, said Mandic. However, he thinks that detention of witnesses will not be necessary because they will probably respond. When asked whether the RS Interior Ministry is going to detain the witnesses, Mandic said that it depends on the RS Interior Minister. Mandic also said that, according to the RS Law on Cooperation with the ICTY, the RS Government has the obligation to make available witnesses of defense but also witnesses of prosecution and that the place (RS or The Hague) where witnesses will be questioned depends on the ICTY. The paper also quotes RS Prime Minister’s Advisor for cooperation with the ICTY, Sinisa Djordjevic, as saying that the Krajisnik’s defense received the approval from the ICTY to question certain number of witnesses. “Krajisnik’s defense will question the witnesses in the RS and the questioning will be voluntarily. “The witnesses will not be put under pressure to give their testimonies and the RS Police are not going to detain them”, said Djordjevic.

FRY Ambassador Visited Banja Luka

Both Banja Luka dailies report that the RS President, Mirko Sarovic and the RS Vice-president, Dragan Cavic met with FRY Ambassador to BiH, Stanimir Vukcevic in Banja Luka yesterday. After the meeting Sarovic told press that the meeting concluded that the RS is very interested in signing the free trade treaty between BiH and the FRY, which will further contribute to the establishment of special and parallel relations between the FRY and the RS. They also discussed the forthcoming meeting of the Inter-state Council for cooperation between BiH and the FRY, which is expected to convene in Sarajevo by the end of this year. Ambassador Vukicevic said that the free trade treaty between BiH and the FRY was significant for the improvement of economic cooperation. He stressed that the agreement would soon be signed. RS Vice President Cavic said that the talks had pointed out the view that the DPA was the basic document that defined the organization of BiH and that it was not possible to exceed the framework of this agreement.

RS Government Appointed Goran Milojevic As New General Manager of the RS Housing Fund

Both Banja Luka dailies report that the RS Government appointed Deputy RS Minister of Urbanism, Goran Milojevic as General Manager of the RS Housing Fund. Milojevic was relieved from the ministerial post due to conflict of interest. “Glas srpski” quotes RS Minister of Urbanism, Nedjo Djuric, as saying that the process of privatization of socially-owned flats in the RS has been finalized with the appointment of Milojevic. According to Djuric the privatization of socially-owned flats can start in the RS in 10 days.

 

International Community

High Representative imposes amendments to Property Laws

The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, issued on Tuesday a package of thirteen Decisions comprehensively amending the property laws of both entities. In a statement for the press, OHR said that changes were urgently needed, as the increase in the pace of the property law implementation has stalled over recent months, forcing many people to wait before repossessing property. The imposed amendments will reduce the possibility of manipulation and delay, allow for the speedier eviction of multiple occupant, and ensure the full right of refugees and displaced persons to “freely return to their homes of origin,” as guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement. News agencies and electronic media carried the OHR press release.

High Representative, PIC Steering Board to discuss streamlining of International organisations in BiH

Oslobodjenje quotes OHR spokesman, Patrik Volf, as saying that the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, will be in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday to attend the meeting of the Peace Implementation Council’s Steering Board on the level of Political Directors. “The discussions will mainly focus on the streamlining of the International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the spring of this year, both the EU General Affairs Council and the Contact Group at ministerial level requested the High Representative to initiate and lead a streamlining process of the international civilian presence in BiH in order to improve co-ordination and efficiency,” said Volf. He added that aafter extensive discussions, the OHR will now present a comprehensive proposal on streamlining and “recalibrating” the structure and activities of the International Community in the civilian sector of peace implementation to the Steering Board in Brussels. (Only Oslobodjenje carries the report; BiH Radio One and Federation Radio began their morning news today with this item)

OHR: Jelavic is illegal president; local courts to decide on the legality of the party

Commenting on yesterday’s article in Dnevni Avaz which speculates that the HDZ could not be legally registered as a political party because of the re-election of Ante Jelavic (unrecognized by the International Community) to the post of the party president, OHR spokesperson Mario Brkic said that local courts need to decide on this issue. “The fact is that, since March 7 of this year, Mr. Jelavic is illegally on that post, as he has been removed by the High Representative,” said Brkic.

UN Mission to BiH to operate with only a quartet of its capacity by December 2002

SENSE agency reports that the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, proposed in his most recent report to the Security Council that the UN Mission in BiH be reduced to a quarter capacity by the end of the year 2002. Annan explained that this reduction is reasonable as the mission will have, by that point, accomplished its primary mandate. He however urged UN member-countries to provide additional 6,4 million USD in the coming period which is needed for adequate training of BiH police and State Border Service.

USA approves 900,000 dollars for Bosnia’s defence programme in 2002

All media in BiH carried ONASA item reporting that the United States will in the next year as well finance part of the programme of the military stabilisation in BiH. The US government has already approved the amount of 896,717 US dollars for the implementation of the first stage of the programme in 2002, and which involves the continued implementation of the “Train and Equip” programme for the BiH Federation armed forces. In a press release, the Federation Defence Ministry said the US government and the American company MPRI already signed a contract on the extension of the “Train and Equip” programme for the first half of the next year. The United States also provided a new software for the Battle Simulations Centre, worth 35,000 dollars, to be installed by the end of the current year.

The military stabilization programme is an international effort spearheaded by the US government and aimed at enabling the BiH Federation Armed Forces, in accordance with the NATO standards, to deter armed aggression and to defend the BiH Federation.

The implementation of the programme had begun in 1996 and under the programme over 150,000 troops were demobilized and the training, tactics and doctrine, all relying on the new equipment, were reorganized

ICMP opens second DNA laboratory in Sarajevo to help the identification process of victims of war

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) has opened a second DNA identification laboratory in BiH, in hope to accelerate the identification process of victims of the 1992-95 war. The opening ceremony of the laboratory, equipped to isolate DNA from victims’ bone marrow, was held in Sarajevo on Tuesday night and was attended by the widow of the late Jordanian king Hussein, Queen Noor.

 

Editorials

(all editorials provided by OHR Mostar)

Slobodna Dalmacija: A word or two about the newly established language on the Federation TV

Written by Petar Milos

The article quotes a Herzegovinian as saying that the Federation Television is not that bad after all. He said: “The Federation TV has aired more reports about Croats in BiH in one month than the HTV did in two years. You have a coverage about us, you have reports in the newscast, live broadcasts of sports events from Siroki Brijeg, Citluk, Mostar… And you can hear ganga (a Herzegovinian traditional folk song) much more often than you could on the HTV.”

Milos says the essential issue is the right of the Croat people (as a sovereign people in BiH) to their own media and, consequently, their own TV program. According to Milos, in that case there would be no need to make comparisons between the number of reports about Croats on the FTV and HTV, because it reduces Croats to an object of observation, instead of being the subject and instead of talking about themselves while appreciating the opinion of others.

“To have and to create one’s own program means to speak about oneself (instead of others saying it), and that means responsibility as well. Responsibility for one’s own word about one’s own people. Instead, we have a situation that others only speak about the people, instead of criticizing what Croats think or say about themselves. (…)

Not even the statistics could help. Broadcasting of reports, coverage, recordings, ganga, traditions, religious ceremonies… referring to Croats in BiH on the FTV with the current concept has a completely different intonation than it would have if those were broadcast on a Croat channel. This way, it looks like insincere favor currying. It would be different if those were broadcast on a Croat channel.

Sports reporters during the broadcasts of matches from Siroki, Mostar or Ljubuski, are doing fine. All of the players are ‘our players.’ The reporters support them and all that. Still, why would the same broadcast not be aired on two channels with two reporters commenting. One in Croatian, the other in Bosniak language. I have seen that in Switzerland. There they have each event of the state importance broadcast in three languages – German, French and Italian.

The language used on the FTV is – ridiculous. A little of Serb, a little of Bosniak, a little of Croatian, and the Yugoslav language most of all. It is a hybrid language that not even professors can comprehend, not to mention children. It is the language in which ‘tisucu (Croatian for ‘a thousand’) hiljada (Bosnian/Serb for ‘thousands’) of players play soccer’,” reads the article.

Vecernji List: Petritsch introduces State Gendarmerie

The High Representative for BiH will suggest a more robust engagement of the IC in BiH in the next two or three years. For this and other proposals, which will be discussed by the Political Directors of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, Petritsch asked a support from the Americans. Petritsch informed members of the US National Security Council, Greg Schulte and Deano Pittman, that he intended to solve problems within the Alliance and that the Council of Ministers were working well, “although the Bosniaks tend to accumulate power, leaving the IC to solve the problem of the Croats”. Petritsch also said that laws are being adopted with difficulties because of obstructions coming from the Serb MPs. He added that the economic reforms and the reform of the rule of law (judiciary and police) were the two important pillions the OHR focused its attention to. Regarding the police reforms, he said that he firmly believed that now was the right moment for tougher measures such as the police at the state level. “The nationalists have a lesser support nowadays and we should use the opportunity to introduce the European model in BiH”, said Petritsch. His exposition was commented by Schulte who said that the mistake was done on day one when the High Representative should have been given stronger authorities. Regarding the reduction of SFOR troops he said that the goal is not the reduction of the force for the sake of it but creation of pre-requisites that would enable the reduction; prepare them for European integration. Interlocutors agreed that there had not been a coherent approach to military issues in BiH and that even the SFOR Commander had difficulties with co-ordinations. “First there should be a vision what BiH should have. Such an analysis should also then influence the police reforms because that could be a good option for reduction of entity armies and introduction of Gendarmerie at the state level”, concluded the interlocutors.

Petritsch on Croats: “Moderates” separating from HDZ

Petritsch informed his interlocutors in the US that “a large fraction of the HDZ moderates” want to leave the party. “The project of a para-state was dismissed by Jelavic and his associates”, ascertains Petritsch adding that “the integration of the Croats can be achieved if the criminal and radical elements were eliminated”. The HR commended the official Zagreb for supporting the IC but minded their passive role.

Petritsch at State Department: Arrest of Karadzic a signal to Muslims

Petritsch talked to the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitagon, on the SFOR role in BiH “which should have had a bigger influence on the integration of the entity armies”. Armitagon agreed that SFOR should accomplish much more before it withdraws foremost to arrest Karadzic and Mladic. “We badly want to arrest Karadzic and Mladic. That would be a strong signal to the Muslim world”, said Armitagon. Regarding the reduction of SFOR troops he said that it was not a secret that the US Defense Secretary wants to speed up the SFOR departure.