Inauguration of the Brcko District
A poll made on the streets of Brcko was presented. Citizens were asked to comment on the official establishment of the Brcko District. The International Community needed more time than expected after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement to find a solution for this town. Brcko District is a completely de-militarised area. The management of the District is a local interim Government whose most important task is to solve the issue of refugee return. However, the International Community will continue with close monitoring of the District. The High Representative in BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, stressed the importance of refugee return. The report from Brcko was produced by OBN reporter, Amarildo Gutic.
Sarajevo
Only a few hours before the meeting with the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, the BiH Presidency adopted provisions on the functioning of the state border service. A working group, which will make preparations for the session of the International Council for Cooperation between Bosnia and Croatia, was established. The session of the Council is scheduled for March 24th. The report for TV INFO was produced by Sanjin Beciragic.
Visit of the US Secretary of State
The US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, came to a visit to Sarajevo this morning. Ms. Albright had meetings in the US Embassy building in Sarajevo where she met BiH opposition parties representatives, Zlatko Lagumdzija and Kresimir Zubak. After she attended the ceremony of the Brcko District inauguration, Ms. Albright came to Sarajevo and met with the BiH Presidency members, OBN reporter, Danijela Bozic, confirmed. In the Sarajevo hotel Holiday Inn, the US State Secretary and the European Commissioner, Chris Paten, held a press conference. Tomorrow, the US Secretary of State, will meet the Montenegrin Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, in Sarajevo and after that she will visit Banja Luka where she will meet the RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, and the Republic of Croatia Foreign Minister, Tonino Picula.
Banja Luka
The High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch visited Banja Luka today. At the press conference held in the Banja Luka press center, Mr. Petritsch expressed his dissatisfaction with the processes of refugee and property return in the RS. Mr. Petritsch’s message to the RS politicians was that if they did not want a revision of the Dayton Peace Agreement then they would have to participate in the work of the BiH joint institutions and fight for the implementation of Dayton. The report for TV INFO was produced by OBN reporter from the area.
Kiseljak / Mostar
An item on the protests of the citizens of Kiseljak and Mostar because of the verdict on the General, Tihomir Blaskic, by the Hague Tribunal. The organisers of the protests were the Croat political leadership and ex soldiers’ associations. OBN reporter from Kiseljak, Olivera Dimac, reported that thousands of Croats from all over Srednja Bosna came to Kiseljak in order to express their dissatisfaction. They said that the trial of Blaskic was the trial of the entire Croat people in BiH. Similar protests were organised in the town of Mostar as well, OBN reporter from the area, Blazica Kristo, confirmed.
Mostar
The Head of the OHR in Mostar, Finn Lynghjem, commented on the resignation of the Mayor of the Mostar Jugozapad municipality. Mr. Lynghjem said that this was another game of the HDZ party aimed at stopping the process of return and by introduction of legislature in the town. The report from the town for TV INFO was produced by OBN reporter from the town, Mirsad Behram.
World
In a traffic accident which occurred in the Tokyo subway, at least four people were killed and thirty four injured. The UN Secretary General, George Robertson, said that NATO would not tolerate extremists who intentionally cause violence, separatism and ethnic hate in Kosovo. The European Union will send 360 million dollars of support to Kosovo during this year. This was followed by reports on Chechnya, Austria, Middle East and the USA. OBN journalist, Gordana Frimel, produced a piece on the current events in the world.
Buzim
Employees of Radio Buzim went on a hunger strike because they did not receive their salaries for the last two years. Journalists of this radio station think that the lack of funds was not the main reason for not paying them salaries from the municipality funds. The journalists also protest because of the intervening of local authorities in the work of the station. OBN reporter from the are, Azra Bajramovic, produced the piece for TV INFO.
Pale
An item on a donation of first aid equipment from the Red Cross International Committee and the International federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent for twenty municipalities in the RS. Very soon, a similar action will be organised in the BiH Federation as well. The report was produced by OBN reporter, Sevko Bajic.
Sarajevo
A piece on the OSCE Mission in BiH, Robert Barry, addressing the occasion of the International Day of Women, March 8th. Mr.Barry stressed the importance of the role of a woman in the political life of the country, OBN reporters, Zeljka Lekic and Mirna Sadikovic, confirmed.
Sport
Reports on local and international football were presented.