Headlines
- The first prisoner of the Hague Tribunal detention unit, Dusan Tadic, was given a final sentence of 20 years in prison, without a right to be released before July 2007
- Mitar Vasiljevic from Visegrad, arrested yesterday, arrived at the Hague – Esma Kurspahic, one of those who survived, talks about his crimes to TV INFO
- Mirko Sarovic took over presidential authorities – session of the RS National Assembly interrupted
- The new Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia is Ivica Racan from the HSP party and his Deputy is Goran Granic, from the HSLS party – members of the Government will be announced tomorrow
- Since August 1999, 1,200 Russian soldiers have died in Chechenia, the Russian Headquarters admitted for the first time
- Topic of TV INFO – constituency of peoples in BiH
The Hague
Dusan Tadic, previously sentenced to 25 years in prison, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and pronounced guilty of crimes against humanity and violation of war customs and participation in killing and molesting Bosniaks in the Prijedor area since 1992. Late last night, Mitar Vasiljevic, indicted for war crimes committed in Visegrad was transferred to the Hague. The report was produced by OBN reporter from the Hague, Vjera Bogoti.
Visegrad
This was followed by an interview made with Esma Kurspahic, one of a few of those who survived crimes committed near Visegrad in 1992. Mitar Vasiljevic has been indicted for these crimes as well. Esma Kurspahic explained how Mitar Vasiljevic and others robbed them first and than locked up them in a house and set a fire. The piece was produced by OBN reporter, Anes Alic.
Banja Luka
An item on the continuation of a discussion in the RS National Assembly on the new government was continued today. Mirko Sarovic, the RS Vice President, took over presidential authority today. In front of the representatives of the RS National Assembly he said that as from today he is pronouncing laws, appointing judges and doing all other things which are connected to the RS security. After that, a session of the RS National Assembly which began this morning was interrupted and will be continued tomorrow, OBN reporter from Banja Luka, Tatjana Lajsic, confirmed.
Zagreb
A report on the establishment of the new Croatian Government. The new Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia is Ivica Racan from the HSP party while his Deputy will be, Goran Granic, representative of the HSLS party. The report was produced by OBN reporter from Zagreb, Gordana Simonovic.
World
For the first time, the Russian Headquarters admitted great losses in Chechenia. They announced that 1,200 Russian soldiers have been killed in Chechenia since August last year. Snow storms over Grozny prevented attacks of Russian planes against the Chechen capital. Heaviest fights have been conducted in the center of the capital. This was followed by an item on a three day Forum on the Holocaust currently held in Stockholm. The President of the Pakistan Supreme Court and several other judges have been dismissed because they refused to be loyal to the military authorities. The piece on current events in the world was produced by OBN journalist, Gordana Frimel.
Banja Luka
The King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic with his family arrived at Banja Luka today upon an invitation of the RS Government. The representatives of the Serbian opposition parties should also come to Banja Luka tomorrow. The cause of the gathering was the continuation of the “Saint Andrew Sabor”.
In November last year, a pan-Serb declaration was adopted and it was agreed that the opposition parties from Serbia and Serb diaspora would work together in order to change the present situation in Serbia. The report was produced by OBN reporter from Banja Luka, Suzana Vukcevic.
Election Law
OSCE decided to remove the eighth chapter from the Draft Election Law which regulates the election of the BiH Presidency. The election procedure will be determined afterwards. The presidential election in BiH will be held 2002.
Constituency in BiH
A piece on the constituency of Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the current constitutions of entities, Serbs are not constituent people in the BiH Federation, and Bosniaks and Croats are not constituent in the RS. According to the Dayton Peace Agreement, constitution of the entities should be balanced. This has not been done to date. In two days, another discussion about requests for constituency of all three people all over BiH will begin in front of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The report was produced by OBN reporter, Amarildo Gutic.
This was followed by interviews made with the BiH politicians about the constituency issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Kresimir Zubak (NHI), Sejfudin Tokic (SDP), Halid Genjac (SDA), Zoran Tomic (HDZ), Predrag Radic (Coalition for the RS), Petar Djokic (SPRS), Krstan Simic (SNSD). The piece was produced by OBN reporter, Damir Kaletovic.
Travnik
A report on the regular meetings of seven mayors, four of them from the Srednja-Bosna Canton in the BiH Federation and three from the RS, with the representatives of the regional office of the International Community in Travnik. Today, representatives from the RS were not able to come. The meeting was evaluated as very useful because problems which obstruct the process of return in the area were discussed, OBN reporter from the area, Olivera Dimac, confirmed.
Mostar
The UNHCR representatives said that they were not satisfied with the results of return in the area although the first stage of the process has been finished, that is return to empty, clean houses. UNHCR will continue to support so called return of minorities and this will mainly depend on social and economic changes, OBN reporter, Mirsad Behram, confirmed.
Banja Luka
Police officers from the RS who finished training and checking of IPTF in Banja Luka were awarded with the first IDs, OBN reporter from Banja Luka, Biljana Arsic, confirmed.
Sarajevo
A report on the promotion of “Kosovo – kratka povijest” (Kosovo – a Short History) by Noel Malcolm in Sarajevo today. The report was produced by OBN reporter, Mirna Sadikovic.
Sport
A piece on local basketball was followed by reports on international tennis and football.