| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Lozancic on personnel | Terrorist attack in Riyadh | Terrorist attack in Riyadh | Covic’s comment on Tihic |
| Electricity for Aluminium | Old bridge | Circle 99 on PBS | Defence reform in RS |
|
| Military production in RS | Steel industry in BiH | Student announce protest |
|
| Fight against cancer |
|
|
| Oslobodjenje | New price of electricity shuts down Aluminijum?!; Following wiretapping affair: Why investigator Sufta kept silent? |
| Dnevni Avaz | Federal Minister Zigic announces: Crime from Markovic’s privatisation will be tackled |
| Dnevni List | Possible changes in Government of Federation of BiH; Governments of other states will not be given concessions; Party for BiH for single Mostar |
| Vecernji List | Only American base will be in Tuzla; Old Bridge will be completed on time; Parents for petition, minister threatens |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Glas Srpske | Republika Srpska PIO Fund: Pensions today; Terrorist attack in Ryad: Bloody signature of Al Q’Aeda |
| Nezavisne Novine | Crisis in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Halilovic says: We will discuss our participation in authority’; Terzic says: Party for BiH participates in authority for personnel affairs; Banjaluka: Students announce blockade of University |
| Blic | Dragan Cavic: ‘Without Republika Srpska there will be no Bosnia’; Nikola Spiric: ‘SDA and HDZ do not want conducting of census’ |
Political | |
| Spiric on defence reforms and population census
| CRHB, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg. 5 ‘SNSD insists on abolishment of recruitment’, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Fear from census’, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘SDA doesn’t want population census’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘SBSD delegates will not vote’ –SNSD representative and the BiH House of Representatives Speaker Nikola Spiric confirmed that the party will not vote for the adoption of the Law on Defence if it envisages recruitment, as SNSD is of stand that BiH should be demilitarised state with only professional army. In the case certain principles are not changed, they will not vote for the adopting of the Law on Indirect Taxation either. The party especially objects the provision on the Chairman of ITA management board that states that s/he must be a foreigner. In addition, party also opposes too wide powers to be exercised by the Director, while the principle of division of the resources is not considered good. Spiric also adds that he opposed international auditors’ to perform distribution of indirect taxation incomes in five-year time. Regarding the population census, Nikola Spiric said that SDA was not in favour of it, as it would finalize any SDA’s story on dominance of Bosniaks in some regions. Blic pg 13 ‘SDA and HDZ do not want census’, Dnevni List pg 7 ‘SDA and HDZ do not want to have census’ – On new census in BiH, Spiric stated: ‘Majority of several hundreds of thousands of BiH citizens who went abroad and took foreign citizenship are the Bosniaks, so a census would deny SDA’s stories on the Bosniak domination in these areas.’ He adds that the HDZ is also against organization of census because of similar reasons. Talking about the position of the Serbs in Mostar, Spiric notes it is “very difficult” and that the assimilation of the Serbs in the city has begun. Spiric also notes that there are no Serb representatives in the Mostar Commission and that, when it comes to employees in the administration, out of 126 employees, only 3 are the Serbs. |
| Lozancic: some FBiH officials could be dismissed | CRHB, Dnevni List front, pg 3 ‘Possible changes in Government of Federation of BiH’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 17 ‘Possible removals of ministers’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Dismissals in government possible’ – In an interview to FBiH Radio, FBH President Niko Lozancic announced a possibility of certain staff changes in the FBH Government. Of course, this is to happen if he was proposed to do so by the FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic. ‘A number of ministries in FBiH Government have harder time coping in existing situation.’ – said Lozancic adding that together with his deputies he will review the work of the government and every individual minister by the end of year. Lozancic stated that ministers have to be more determined and responsible in their field. Asked whom the government is responsible to, to the Parliament, himself or the parties, Lozancic answered: ‘The government is mostly answers to OHR, then in lesser extent to the Parliament and the least to Vice Presidents and me.’ |
| Cavic on Tihic speech during Izetbegovic’s funeral | Blic pg 13 ‘Without Srpska there is no BiH either’, Dnevni List pg 10 ‘Tihic’s announcements on disappearance of RS are big illusion’, Nezavisne Novine pg. 2 ‘Tihic statements on Republika Srpska abolishment are pure illusion’, Glas Srpske pg. 3 ‘Sarajevo as Teheran’ – In an interview to BH Radio 1, Cavic said that “as much there is BiH, so much there is Republika Srpska. If there is no Republika Srpska, there will be no BiH either. Tihic and also those like Tihic should know this.’ RTRS – RS President added he was more worried by Tihic’s statement that Izetbegovic was buried on ‘shehid’ graveyard at his own wish, while it is general knowledge that shehids are not fighters for the state, but Islam. |
| Terzic criticises Party for BiH | Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 3 ‘Crisis to appear in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ – Safet Halilovic, President of the Presidency of Party for BiH, again warned coalition partners, especially SDA, that Party for BiH would seriously re-consider its further participation in authority, if it assessed that the implementation of reforms did not bear expected fruit. The Chairperson of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, responded on this announcement by saying that Party for BiH should indeed re-consider its further participation in further authority, because the only goal it has is related to personnel affairs. |
| Party for BiH supports united Mostar | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘ Mostar must be united’, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Mostar indicates whether we are for BiH’, Dnevni List front, pg 3 ‘Party for BiH for single Mostar’ – the Presidency and Executive Board of Party for BiH held a session in Mostar yesterday, unanimously adopting a document the party will insist on in the process of making of the new Statute of Mostar. The document the party Presidency has adopted, treats Mostar as one unit of local self-government with its statute, budget and single city administration. According to Sahbaz Dzihanovic, an advisor of the SBiH in the Mostar Commission and Vice President of SBiH, there are parallelisms in the City administration of Mostar, the role of City Council is diminished and the municipalities have all the authorities. “The 1991 census is the basis we must start from in finding solutions for the city of Mostar”, said Dzihanovic adding that even the little progress in Mostar is a product of the IC’s influence. Former Mayor of Mostar, Safet Orucevic, stated that the SDA had betrayed the unification of Mostar and that an image of the SBiH, as traitors of the Bosniak people, is being served to the public. “I am the traitor because I fight for abolishment of three municipalities with the Bosniak majority, but I also fight for the City of Mostar in which the Bosniaks are equal”, says Orucevic. |
| VL: Ferhatovic is advisor to Winterstein | Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Ferhatovic is Winterstein’s advisor’ – VL reports that “Enver Ferhatovic, a university professor of Sarajevo Law School, is an advisor to the President of OHR’s commission for administrative restructuring of Mostar and making of its statute, Norbert Winterstein. Ferhatovic is close to the SDA top and is a member of that party so the objectivity of his counseling role in the Mostar Commission is questionable.’ |
Economy and social issues | |
| Aluminij warns it would shut down if electricity price raised for 31% | Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 3 ‘New electricity price shuts down Aluminijum?!’, Slobodna Dalmacija page 17 ‘Because of increase of electricity price Aluminij faced with shutting down?!’, CRHB, FENA – The negotiations on the price of the electric power for Aluminium factory in 2004 are currently lead between BH Elektropriveda and US-German group Daimler-Chrysler. Although the present contract regulates delivery of the electrical power until the end of 2004, prices were already increased for 13% in August this year. However, management BH Eletropriveda demands further 31% increase. Aluminium management claims that this would mean that 36% of the price of final product would go for costs of electricity only, which would force the factory to cease the production and leave approximately 5000 people without jobs. Aluminij further stresses that the price of electric power for similar factories in the world is 17,3 $US/MWH, while they pay 32 $US. |
| Kasumovic demands cancellation of ITA Director vacancy announcement | FTV, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Kasumovic: I demand annulling of vacancy’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Kasumovic demands cancellation of the announcement’ – Former candidate for the position of the Indirect Taxation Administration Director, Fuad Kasumovic, sent a letter to the Comission for Indirect Taxation, asking for withdrawal of the renewed vacancy announcement. He stressed that the competition could not have been repeated since he and the other candidate Milan Kudic did not give up on their candidacy. Letters reads Kasumovic assumes unauthorized persons to have issued the vacancy announcement, as the Commission was not active at the time. He also asked for the protection of his rights by FBiH Ombudsmen and BiH Justice Ministry. |
| WB welcomes reforms on electric power system | CRHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Priorities for further support’, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘New 50 million credit’ – Head of World Bank office in BH, Dirk Reinermann, congratulated BH and entity governments on the reforms in the areas of electric power and privatisation projects supported by the World Bank. Addressing the Coordination Board for Economic Development and European Integrations that met on Saturday in Doboj, he called all the governments to remove the last obstacles towards fully operational agency for security of investments, which would also promote BH products. He also urged for speeding up the property issues and awarding licence to the third GSM operator. Reinermann added that the improvement in the area of social security would allow World Bank to financially support reforms, such as unification of all veteran’s organisations in the entities. In addition, the World Bank will ensure 50 million US dollars of credit for the economic management social adjustment to the new government’s reforms project currently on going. As a part of this project, state authorities have to adopt the roof law on the higher education. |
| WB warns against increase of salaries and pensions in RS | Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘Pays to be cut, then EURO 124 million loan to follow’ – Dirk Reinermann, Head of World Bank Office in BiH, announced that Bosnia and Herzegovina will get a loan from World Bank amounting to EURO 124 million, only if it continued to maintain the fiscal discipline. Commenting on announcement of the RS Government regarding pays and pensions increase, he said that ‘BiH is again at crossroad. Government is challenged to reduce public expenditures, including cuts of pays at public sector.’ FTV – Dirk Reinerman stated that ‘salaries could not be increased and the first priority is the social program. Fiscal stability is key challenge for stability and Stand-by arrangement.’ |
| VL on audit of Elektroprivreda RS | Vecernji List pg 2 ‘They were buying flats for SDS members by miners’ money’ by G. Knezovic – VL carries that losses that the OHR’s Auditor’s Commission revealed in the RS Elektroprivreda and which amount to 200 millions KM, were mostly incurred in the work of mine and thermo-electric power plan Gacko. VL also says that the audit revealed that 20 million KM earned by the miners were spent for unknown purposes. According to the newspapers, after the OHR did not receive satisfactory replies, they gave a new deadline (by Monday) to the Gacko Municipal Administration, that is, Head of the Municipality Milan Radmilovic, to publish as to where the funds earned by miners ended up. VL also says that according to unofficial information local SDS was financed by the miners’ money, the flats were bought to high-ranked SDS officials and money was also used for terrorist actions against returnees in Eastern Herzegovina. |
| Terzic on Vc corridor | Dnevni List front ‘Governments of other states will not be given concessions’, pg 9 ‘Governments of other states will not be given concessions over BiH territory’ by R. Radic– Commenting on the construction of Corridor Vc and the letter of intention of the Croatian Government, the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, says: ‘ I said that I agreed to everyone investing in BiH. But, it is impossible to expect that the Croatian Government appears as a side interested in getting a concession. You cannot find it anywhere in the world, and it will not be a practice in BiH that government of other states get concessions for no matter how many years. It is unacceptable to me and I expect the CoM to take a position on that.’ |
| DL says decision on 3rd GSM licence in two weeks | Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Decision of owner of licence in two weeks’ by R. Radic – DL says that the BiH Council of Ministers should in the next 15 days take a decision as to who is going to be awarded the 3rd GSM licence in BiH. After that the Communications Regulatory Agency should issue the licence, otherwise the “Eronet’s” licence will be revoked as of January 1, 2004. The same paper (front “Governments of other states will not be given concessions” and page 9 “Governments of other states will not be given concessions over BiH territory”, by R. Radic) carries the Chair of BiH CoM, Adnan Terzic, as saying: ‘Who is going to get the third GSM licence, that will be determined by the CRA. The amount for the licence will be determined by the BiH CoM.’ Asked when something concrete will happen regarding the 3rd SM licence, Terzic says: “I expect it in the next one month”. |
| Pensions in RS
| Glas Srpske cover page ‘Pensions today’ – The payment of October pension will commence in Republika Srpska today. The pensions will be increased for 6%. |
| Students in RS threat to block University | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg. 2 ‘Students announce blockade of University’ – Dejan Brkljic, member of the Crisis Centre of the RS Student’s Union, announced that: ‘Students’ Union of Republika Srpska will today forward a written request for negotiations to the RS Government. Unless response to this request is provided by Friday, the students would block the University.’ They request the entire facility of “Rajko Balac” military barracks be transferred onto University, and that Government should provide resources for the barracks reconstruction. This request should be met and resources made available by 1 March 2004. |
| NN interview with Hadzipasic on privatization | Nezavisne Novine weekend supplement Revija pgs 4-6 ‘New management of public firms are not immune on political influence’ – In a a lengthy interview to NN, FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic says that the prepared draft Law on control of privatisation should enable all those people, who hold 5% of ownership to urge analysis of contract obligations and to have any sort of influence, if contract was violated or broke. He says that all public firms will be subject to control. Commenting on recent OHR proposal regarding model law on corporate governance, Hadzipasic says that it represents an introduction of order into corporate governance, noting that some changes and addenda to its proposals will have to be made. On this model law, he say that some procurement cases cannot be blocked in the firms according to principle of “three offers”, because many firms need to obtain over thousands of spare-parts. In this manner, the firm would be blocked, if this issue were included under public procurement. He further said that not a single firm has so far implemented decision of Government to reduce operational costs in public firms for 10%. |
| DA interview with Minister Zigic on privatization | Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Criminal from Markovic’s privatisation to be tackled’, pg 5 ‘We will sanction the crime committed in Markovic’s privatisation’ by Adi Hadziarapovic – FBiH Industry Minister Izet Zigic, Vice President of Tuzla Canton Bajazit Jasarevic and Cantonal Industry Minister Mustafa Burgic visited the Soda Factory, as the part of their activities to assist the revival of the production by deciding on preparatory activities. In an interview to DA, Minister Zigic said that Soda factory is a symbol of Tuzla industry and as such in case it strengthen its production it would impact investment possibilities in the entire region and broader. As for the measures the FBiH Government decided to carry out in order to speed up the privatisation process, Zigic stressed that those would enable efficient privatisation and help in the discussions with possible investors. FBiH Government established the proposal of the Law on privatisation contracts’ control, which will also include events during so-called Markovic’s privatisation. |
| Zitoprerada strike continues | Oslobodjenje cover, pgs 4&5 ‘Forgotten by both people and Law’ – Daily writes on the workers of Bihac’s company Zitoprerada, who were in the focus of public attention during the summer over their hunger strike. Workers have ceased the strike on 31 August after being visited by FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic who promised them that their Slovenian buyer, Citrus company, will be restrained from the facilities until the end of court procedure for eliminating privatisation contract. However, Oslobodjenje claims nothing has done anything to date, while the workers continued with the strike placing tend in front of Una-Sana Government’s building. They still protest, with shifts during the night. Daily further features several strikers, and gives their personal stories. |
Security issues | |
| Cavic on defence reforms
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Final stance of Republika Srpska on defence reform by the end of this month’; Glas Srpske pg. 3 ‘Srpska gets its Army’ – RS President, Dragan Cavic, stated that the final stance of Republika Srpska regarding defence reform will be passed during the course of this month. He noted that Republika Srpska Army will not have supreme commander resting with Republika Srpska President, but instead BiH Presidency. He admitted that proposed defence reform provisions contain couple of provisions, which reflect the state of reasoning, time and compromise, but open the BiH door towards Partnership for Peace. RTRS by Gordana Cimesa – After being passed in the parliamentary procedure, the draft amendments to the RS Constitution that refer to the RS army have been available for the public consultations. Following the discussion, amendments will go before the parliament once again, before being finally included in the Constitution. RS President Dragan Cavic said that all those suspicious of the RS Army ‘survival’ were either uninformed or use the issue for their own political interests. Covic added that everything was done to ensure RS army to stay on RS territory, to keep its barracks, and to maintain training of the recruits only in those barracks in RS. However, while Covic did not manage to convince representatives of the RS veterans’ organisations in this. Veterans said were confused especially with the the second part of the defence reforms, as announced by the Chairman of the Commission for Defence Reform James Lochner, which envisage BiH to have a single army after it applies for NATO membership. As for the future chain command, some military experts believe that BH Ministry will make proposals, than ask for the approval from the BH Presidency to perform military exercise on the RS territory. RS Ministry of Defence will have only powers in the recruiting and providing budget. |
| Update on the newest wiretapping affair in Sarajevo | Oslobodjenje cover, pg 3 ‘Why investigator Sufta kept quiet?’ by S. Mesetovic – Daily wonders whether the newest wiretapping affair in Sarajevo, which includes 30 foreign diplomats being bugged in Olomanka building just next to OHR building in Sarajevo, will ‘shake’ foreign judiciary stationed in our country. Oslobodjenje claims that the international investigators of the Independent Judicial Commission Ismet Sufta, an Albanian from Pec, as well as his colleague Kerim Celik received several complaints from Izet Hajradinovic, owner of Olomanka building, in regard to his conflict with Albanian Kabas Krasnici. However, mentioned investigators failed to respond to the claims, while Krasnici also filed complaints in Olomanka case and was answered in the shortest time. Oslobodjenje’s account of the case background: after three years of court procedure where Krasnici and Hajradinovic were arguing about the ownership over the building, Sarajevo Cantonal Court confirmed the building was owned by Hajradinovic. However, Krasnici appealed to this decision, and managed to transfer the case in Zenica where he allegedly had connections in Cantonal Prosecutors’ Office and Court. Oslobodjenje writes that Zenica judge Mustafa Hasic decided that building was not Hajradinovic’s, while judge Nermin Tesnjak [following request by cantonal prosecutor Ahmed Agic] issued search warrant of the building in Ljubljanska street no. 9, which was carried out by the FMoI last month. Tesnjak also ordered bugging Hajradinovic’s phone numbers, without knowing that he had registered 31 phone numbers and that half of the diplomatic core resides in his building. Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Court in Zenica ordered wiretapping of building in Ljubljanska 9 Street’ – The OHR Spokesperson, Oleg Milisic, said that international community institutions do not comment on intelligence activities in BiH, even when there is a possibility that international officials may be subject to such. Zlatko Miletic, Police Director at the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirmed that wiretapping was indeed requested, but never implemented. |
| Update on issue of SIPA HQ | Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Why nobody from authorities issued tender for SIPA location?’ / ‘I have agreed to Lukavica’ by E. Sarac – BH Civil Affairs Minister and a member of the Council’s of Ministers Board for Political Issues Safet Halilovic stated for DA that he never agreed to locating SIPA [State Information and Protection Agency] in Lukavica. ‘I claim that I never agreed to, voted or accepted SIPA HQ to be in RS territory, that is in Lukavica.’ – claims Halilovic. The issue around SIPA headquarters was raised after Board for Political Issues of the CoM forwarded the proposal for Lukavica to CoM, however CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic took it off the agenda saying that the Board never consulted him. Both Terzic and SDA President Sulejman Tihic strongly opposed such initiative, adding that important security institutions would be located in RS, that would make them at ‘disposal of Radovan Karadzic’. After media report on this, another member of the Board, BH Human Rights and Refugees Mirsad Kebo also denied he agreed to the proposal [other two members of the Board are Barisa Colak and Slobodan Kolac], for which Avaz claims that foresees moving into the building in Lukavica that has not yet been fully reconstructed, which would cost tax-payers and budget users 9 million KM. At the end, DA says that only strange issues is why Minister Barisa Colak did not issue tender for the best offer. |
| VL on coup d’état affair | Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Coup promoted by Croats’ by Zoran Kresic – VL reports that inspectors of the FBiH Interior Ministry and Federation Intelligence Service (FOSS) questioned a Croat (female) employee of the Secretariat of the BiH Presidency about the report on the ‘coup d’état’ which appeared in the Sarajevo press before the Presidency members had a chance to read it. The author believes that this indirectly accuses the Croat employees and the whole Office of the Croat member of BiH Presidency of continuation of the affair, noting that the affair, in fact, was between the Bosniak top from SDA on one, and Zlatko Lagumdzija and Munir Alibabic Munja on the other side. VL also notes that first reports were published in Ljiljan magazine, labeled by VL as ‘unofficial paper of SDA and Bosniak member of BiH Presidency.’ VL also notes that many employees of Sulejman Tihic’s office came in from Ljiljan. |
| FBiH Defence Ministry and Army faced with large debts | Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Companies and citizens demand 65 million KM through Courts’ – Following demand by the FBiH House of Representatives, FBiH Government submitted the information on the situation in FBiH Ministry of Defence and Army. In addition to the proposal to eliminate doubling of work, Government also concluded that it was necessary to find additional financing sources and to create a programme for taking care of Ministry and Army employees who are about to stay without their jobs. The documents also indicate that the soldiers’ standards were ‘under the level of tasks and obligations’. Information also indicted that 3.500 suites were filed due to unpaid pensions contributions and salaries in amount of 65 million KM, excluding court expenses. |
PBS | |
| Session of Circle 99 on PB system reforms | FTV, Oslobodjenje cover, pgs 4&5 ‘Exiting crisis through two thirds of pre-war subscription level’ – ‘PBS will get out of the crisis when its incomes are minimum two thirds of pre-war subscription level that state television was receiving’ – stated Drago Maric, General Director of PBS addressing the Circle 99 session held on Sunday, entirely devoted to the issue of public broadcasting reforms. Maric added all three public broadcasters collected only about 1.8 million KM, which is a third of the amount state television was collecting through subscription before the war. In addition, Drago Maric added PBS encounters financial difficulties as the Communications Regulatory Agency imposed limitation to the advertising time of 6 minutes per hour. In regard to staff reduction, Maric could not give details. FTV Director in resignation Jasmin Durakovic said citizens must not allow private media stations to become more listened to/watched that public ones. BHTV 1, CRHB – Drago Maric, a keynote speaker at the session, stated: ‘PBS system is a modern concept in line with best European practices. We enjoy large independence, but lack of financing has been serious problem.’ It was said new proposal, as signed by the entities’ prime ministers, will now enable Parliaments to have stronger control over the broadcasters, and there will reduce the independence level. |
Legal issues | |
| NN interview with IJC Head Rakel Surlien | Nezavisne Novine pg. 8 ‘Better laws for better judges’ – NN carries out the page-long interview with Rakel Surlien, IJC Head, who has been engaged in judicial reform in BiH. Commenting on press question why results of the ongoing judicial reform are not observable as yet, although eight years passed since the war ended, Surlien said that it takes time to implement radical reforms. She noted that reforms IJC launched include new Laws on Criminal Proceedings, etc. According to her, these Laws will increase efficiency level of judges and prosecutors. She also said that the first effects of the implementation of these Laws would be seen sometime at the beginning next year. She also referred to a third phase of reform, which includes reorganisation of courts and prosecutor’s offices. (For example, there have been 98 prosecutor’s offices in BiH and this number is to be cut down to 18.) She added that number of judges is to be cut, while the number of prosecutors is to remain more or less the same, because the responsibility of prosecutor’s has been expanded with these new Laws. She added that IJC has so far received 3800 complaints against the work of judges and prosecutors. On this, she added that not single of these cases is related to corruption. |
ICTY | |
| DL interview with ICTY Outreach in BiH Refik Hodzic | Dnevni List front, pg 2 ‘500 cases with label ‘A’ returned to FBiH courts’ by I. Glibusic – DL carries that during the last few days 5 court cases with label “A” arrived to BiH from the ICTY, which disturbed the public. In an interview given to the Radio Free Europe, an ICTY Outreach in BiH, Refik Hodzic, stated that those are not the court cases of the ICTY but of domestic courts that deal with processing of the war crimes. According to Hodzic, so far, over 500 cases sent to the ICTY were returned to the courts in the FBiH under label ‘A’ and about 30 cases to the Republika Srpska. Hodzic also announced that a conference, which will see participation of high-ranked officials from the ICTY, would take place on December 5 and 6 in Sarajevo. According to Hodzic, the ICTY representatives will try to explain to the victims what it is about when small sentences are passed and when early release is in question. Hodzic added that they will try to explain the system according to which ICTY is working, because the institution of pleading guilty and making an agreement between the Prosecutor and defense is something that people in BiH are not familiar with. |