23.02.2000

OBN News Review, 23 February 2000

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Headlines

  • Pre-election campaign for the municipality elections in April started officially today – a message of Robert Barry was that voters will not vote for national politics but for essential issues relevant to all citizens
  • OHR denied allegations that they initiated adoption of the law on amnesty last year
  • Refugees from Kosovo arrive in Macedonia again – Macedonian Army alerted
  • Russians closed the border with Chechnya

Sarajevo

A pre-election campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina started officially today. The municipality elections will be held on April 8th. Announcing the beginning of the pre-election campaign, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Robert Barry, said that this was a definite confirmation that local elections would not be postponed. Only in Srebrenica and Brcko, local elections will be held afterwards. Some 2,5 million voters will be able to come to the elections. The report was produced by OBN reporter, Amarildo Gutic.

This was followed by a statement made by the Head of the OSCE Mission in BiH about the current political situation in the RS. Mr. Barry was asked to comment on the situation in the RS after the RS Socialist Party’s decision to leave the Sloga Coalition and the reasons for the decision. Mr. Barry said that the Congress of the Socialist Party was held in Belgrade and that Milosevic invited socialists from the RS to join him in hiss efforts to de-stabilize Milorad Dodik’s Government. He added that there were differences between the Socialist Party members and that they would understand that it was in their interest to cooperate within the Sloga Coalition.

Banja Luka

This was followed by a report on announcements made by representatives of the SDS party and the Alternative Council of Ministers in Banja Luka today. The Alternative Council of Ministers think that stepping out of the Socialist Party from the Sloga Coalition would further de-stabilize the RS, although this opened a possibility for the Party to find its own identity. SDS party think that socialists made a good move having in mind forthcoming local elections but that they would lose if they continue with their current unclear policy, OBN reporter from the town, Tatjana Lajsic, confirmed.

Sarajevo

An item on the reaction of the political parties in respect to the forthcoming municipality elections in BiH. Socialist-Democrat Party think that a time for changes, and new people has come. However, the Party for BiH think that the elections will not provide changes to the general situation in the State. The piece was produced by OBN reporter, Damir Kaletovic.

Mostar

At today’s press conference held in Mostar, representatives of the Croat Demo-Christian Party said that they were in favour of Mostar as a united town, capital of the Croat Republic of Herceg Bosna.

World

KFOR representatives announced that the current situation in Kosovska Mitrovica is calm and that KFOR soldiers were deployed in all parts of the town. Safet Bisevac reported for TV INFO from Skopje that some 50 Kosovo Albanians entered Macedonian territory last night. This was followed by a piece on the Croatian Government proposal to decrease the salaries of Croatian officials. The report on current events in the world was produced by OBN journalist, Zeljka Lekic.

Mostar

Representatives of the UN Mission in BiH think that the proposal made for the uniting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Neretva Canton unacceptable. They asked the Croat officials to stop the obstruction of the establishment of joint police forces. The Spokesperson of the UN in Mostar, Stefo Lehmann, said that it was important that Croat authorities comply with the UN requests because this would be a sign of their good will and trustfulness, OBN reporter from the area, Mirsad Behram, confirmed.

Sarajevo

OHR denied allegations made by the BiH Federation that they initiated adoption of the law on amnesty last year. OHR’s Legal Department asked for cancellation of the law. The OHR Spokesperson, James Fergusson, said that OHR was satisfied with the law on amnesty adopted in 1996. But the definition of the “amnesty” term has been changed with another law. The report was produced by OBN reporter, Amarildo Gutic.

This was followed by a piece on workers in the BiH Federation metal industry. More than 9,000 metal industry workers in the BiH Federation have been without jobs. Today in Sarajevo, a meeting between the workers representatives and the trade union was organised in order to discuss the issues. Another problem which lies ahead of this industry is the process of privatisation. The report was produced by OBN reporter, Sevko Bajic.

Banja Luka

A piece on the protest of several thousand citizens in Banja Luka. They protested against the eviction of soldiers in the town until they were provided with alternative accommodation, OBN reporter from the area Sanela Zivkovic, confirmed.

This was followed by a piece on the project “Hocu kuci” (“I Want To Go Home”) launched by the Coalition for Return and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights from Serbia. Suzana Vukcevic produced the report for TV INFO from Banja Luka. The project should help refugees to return to their homes.

Travnik

A reconstructed Center for Social Security was opened in Travnik today. Yesterday, such a center was opened in Prijedor. The project, funded by the Government of Finland, should support social security issues in BiH, Olivera Dimac confirmed for OBN.

Sarajevo

A piece on a piano concert in Sarajevo was presented.

Sport

Reports on NBA and hockey were presented.