| RADIO HERCEG BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| BiH Presidency’s session | BH Presidency session | Bogdan Subotic released | Minister of Defence |
| BiH Defence Minister | Minister of Defence | BH Presidency session | B. Subotic released |
| HDZ/SDA relations | HDZ/SDA relations | Minister of Defence | RS Opposition’s R. Table |
| Mostar Statute | Bogdan Subotic released | HDZ/SDA crisis | International Fair in BL |
| Oslobodjenje | BH politicians on Paddy Ashdown’s London messages: not BiH officials but HR bearing responsibility |
| Dnevni Avaz | Toby Robinson to be key witness (in trial of Ante Jelavic) |
| Dnevni List | “Wnendt: Mostar will be living according to European rules”; “Early elections only way out” |
| Vecernji List | ”Colak proposed measure against outvoting”; “Showdown: Banja Luka citizen D.B. (31) found shot in head in his BMW” |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | “Prisoner in Kula Srpska Ante Jelavic: Weapon for Croatian Army and BiH Army arrived to Rijeka from Iran with knowledge of USA”; “Defenders from Tomislavgrad dissatisfied with their own Association: They received and sold construction material?” |
| Glas Srpske | Srebrenica Commission: The Hague acts on request |
| Nezavisne Novine | Murder in Banjaluka: Darko Bojanic murdered; Round Table in Banjaluka: Elections as the only way-out for Republika Srpska; Banjaluka: Bogdan Subotic accuses SFOR of illegal detention; BiH CoM: Nikola Radovanovic appointed as BiH defence minister; Authority crisis in F BiH: Barisa Colak claims HDZ will not leave the authority |
| Blic | General Subotic free: I was imprisoned |
Defence reform | |
| Terzic appoints Nikola Radovanovic as BiH defence minister
| FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 6, mentioned on the front page ‘Radovanovic appointed BiH Defence Minister’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Terzic appointed Nikola Radovanovic’, Dnevni List last page, “Nikola Radovanovic new Defence Minister”, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘Nikola Radovanovic appointed as BiH defence minister’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Radovanovic as defence minister’, Blic p 12 ‘Radovanovic for Defense Minister’, SRNA – Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic, with the agreement of the international community, on Tuesday appointed Nikola Radovanovic as the first BiH defence minister, the Council of Ministers has reported. The statement says Radovanovic has acquired a respectable military education, including diplomas from the Military Academy’s ground force department, General Staff College and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. Radovanovic also has an Oxford University MA in international relations and diplomatic studies. SRNA – RS President Dragan Cavic on Tuesday submitted to the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, the proposal to appoint Nikola Radovanovic, from Banja Luka, as the new BiH defence minister, the RS president’s office reported. President Cavic proposed Radovanovic after carrying out talks and coordination with the RS political party representatives, members of the BiH Council of Ministers and members of the international community. Nikola Radovanovic was born in 1960 and is currently employed in the BiH Foreign Ministry, heading the department for peace and security, with the diplomatic rank of ministerial advisor. |
| OHR on lateness in appointment of BiH Defence Minister | Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘Non-serious government’, Vecernji List page 2, “Chances for Partnership for Peace”, by eme, Blic p 13 ‘Not everything is lost’, FENA – BiH’s chances for joining the Partnership for Peace at the NATO Summit in Istanbul in June are not lost, but are significantly reduced after the BiH authorities have once again failed to appoint the first BiH defence minister, the spokesperson of OHR, Mario Brkic, told a press conference in Sarajevo on Tuesday. After Dragomir Dumic has given up on the candidacy for defence minister, Brkic said that OHR expects BiH Council of Minister to forward a new name of the candidate for this function. “The ruling coalition must show greater seriousness in carrying out this process and appoint a credible candidate who will be able to do his job professionally and qualitatively”, said Brkic. |
| Covic on process of BiH Defence Minister appointment | Herceg Bosna Radio, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Candidates for military commanders on check’, FENA – Regarding the appointment of the first BiH defence minister, I think that we as the members of BiH Presidency have obeyed the necessary deadlines in performing the relevant duties, the member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, said on Tuesday following the session of the BiH Presidency. Responding to questions on the “current situation in regard to appointing the State defence minister and the set deadlines”, Covic reminded that the “Serb representative should put forward the candidate for defence minister”. “We did not define at all who this person is, from which party, etc”, he added. He emphasised that “all further activities are on BiH Council of Ministers and the communication of the Council of Ministers Chair with those representatives of the Serb people that need to propose the candidate”. “I regret this, because truly we should have had a competent person for this function a long ago and, in line with all deadlines, we should have already had the BiH defence minister appointed”, said Covic. When asked to comment the fact that the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, “directly called BiH Presidency in relation to a game on appointing the defence minister”, and the “fact that BiH authorities are not talking about the concrete man, but only about from which political party he comes and what is his nationality”, Covic shortly responded that the constitutional authority for the issue is on BiH Council of Ministers. |
| NATO official expects BiH to be invited to join PfP in June | BHTV, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Invitation to join PfP in June’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘It is possible that BiH joins PfP this year in Istanbul’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3, ‘BiH will be asked to join PfP in June’, Dnevni List page 5, “Macedonian recipe for BiH’s joining Partnership for Peace”, by R. Radic, FENA – Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe Admiral Rainer Feist said in Sarajevo on Tuesday that he expected BiH to be invited to join the Partnership for Peace at the NATO summit in Istanbul this June. He urged representatives of the BiH authorities to do extra work regarding this. Admiral Feist said in a statement given after the talks with the members of the BiH Presidency, that NATO was determined to support BiH on its road to European and Trans-Atlantic integration processes. At the same time, he announced that works would start on the formation of a NATO HQ in BiH “which was discussed with the BiH Presidency members”. BiH Presidency chairman Sulejman Tihic stressed that views were exchanged about the forthcoming replacement of the SFOR troops with EU forces. Tihic said that all Presidency members were reassured that BiH was very likely to be invited to join the Partnership for Peace this June. He stressed that there was a realistic chance of meeting all preconditions by the set deadline. The BiH Presidency members briefed the NATO guest about the course of the defence reform. They also discussed issues of importance for stability and consolidation of trust in BiH and the region as a whole. |
| James Locher on BiH’s joining Partnership for Peace | Dnevni List (page 11, “Too slow steps towards NATO”, not signed) carries that after the meeting with President of the RS National Assembly Dragan Kalinic, Chairman of the Defence Reform Commission James Locher warned that May 5 is the final deadline to pass necessary laws and resolve disputable issues from the area of the defence reform at the level of joint BiH institutions and entities since then NATO will start to work on estimation of BiH capability to join partnership for Peace. Locher said that by the end of this month the BiH Presidency should submit a report on the defence reform to the NATO’s Secretary General and added that he expects that most of the problems will be resolved by then. |
| BiH politicians on HR’s London messages, slowness of reforms | Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5 ‘BiH politicians transfer responsibility to HR’ – According to the newspaper, it seems that the latest High Representative’s criticism of BiH authorities do not worry most senior officials of SDA, HDZ, SDS. Among other things, Paddy Ashdown said recently in London that the fact the adequate candidate for the BiH Defence Minister had not nominated on time showed non-serious attitude of BiH authorities towards PfP accession process. Adnan Terzic (SDA) agrees with Ashdown if only the lateness in the appointment of the BiH Defence Minister is the resons for criticism. “But if someone’s intention is in question to admit BiH in PfP together with Serbia and Montenegro that such the statements are really dangerous,” said Terzic. HDZ’s Josip Merdzo said that the SDS and not other political parties should explain lateness in nomination of BiH Defence Minister. Beriz Belkic from the Party for BiH supports Ashdown’s criticism saying there are no arguments to oppose the HR’s statement. Dnevni Avaz pg. 5 ‘Citizens know to little on implementation of reforms in BiH’ – Interview with Beriz Belkic, the member of the Party for BiH’s Presidency and the deputy to the BiH Parliament. Belkic reiterated that he had on three occasions so far requested OHR and HJPCs to report to the BiH Parliament on the judicial reform in BiH, but that he had not received any response. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Ashdown should clearly say who is the culprit’ – Commenting on Ashdown’s criticism due to the lateness in implementation of reforms, Chairman of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic said the HR should be more specific and clearly say who was the culprit for this lateness. |
| Statement of Day: BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Mladen Ivanic | Dnevni List (page 2) carries in its ‘Statement of Day’ BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Mladen Ivanic as saying: “All state institutions function in a way that they should function.” |
Political developments | |
| BiH Presidency session
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ’36 BiH soldiers in Iraq as of September 1’, Oslobodjenje pg. 5, mentioned on the front page’, ONASA – The BiH Presidency accepted a report of the inter-resource task force on recommendations on the deployment of BiH armed forces in international peacekeeping operations, Chairman of the BiH Presidency Dragan Covic told reporters after the session on Tuesday. The Presidency ordered the state and entity institutions to undertake all necessary measures to prepare a mine clearance contingent of 36 members, which will be ready for deployment in Iraq by September 1. The Presidency said that BiH liaisons will depart for the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, where they will discuss the necessary deployment requirements. On a similar note, the Presidency ordered the BiH Council of Ministers to incept the necessary procedure for drafting legal, financial and other acts that will regulate the engagement of BiH in future peacekeeping operations. Covic said that the Presidency voiced its support for the priorities and goals defined in the BiH Development Strategy for the period from 2004 to 2007, and accepted the BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic’s report on the UN Council of Security session, held on March 3 in New York. The Presidency passed decisions on the appointment of director to the BiH State Border Service, signing of the Convention on money laundering, raids and confiscation of property gained through criminal activity, and the Copenhagen Declaration on anti-doping in sports. The Presidency also accepted the Romanian president’s invitation to attend the May meeting of presidents of countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Covic said that the Presidency offered accreditation to ambassadors of Thailand and Nigeria, accepted the Agreement on amendments to the Agreement on the Sava river basin, and Protocol on river traffic thereto. It also ratified the BiH – Romania agreement on trade and economic cooperation, Convention on offering telecommunication resources in alleviating the consequences of natural disasters, and the Agreement on occasional international passenger transport. Vecernji List (page 2 “De-mining unit from BiH goes to Iraq in September”, by Eldina Medunjanin), Dnevni List, page 3 “36 members of BiH Armed forces go to Iraq”, by E. Mackic, Slobodna Dalmacija, back page “Members of BiH armed forces go to Iraq”, by D. Pasic also report that the BiH Presidency has taken a decision to send a mine-clearance team to Iraq, which should join the Coalition forces by September 1, the latest. The unit will have 36 members. The decision comes at a proposal of an expert group, which considered possible participation of BiH in international peace missions. Dnevni List (page 2 “Soldiers for prosperity”, by Meri Musa) – suggests that BiH authorities, foremost the BiH Presidency, should be focusing on more important issues, such as appointment of BiH Defence Minister, “so we can at least hope to join the Partnership for Peace”. DL argues that instead of doing so, BiH authorities are opting for an easy way to get contracts in Iraq, by sending troops, whose lives will be in danger. |
| Crisis in FBiH Government; HDZ/SDA relations
| Vecernji List (front page splash “Colak proposes measure against outvoting” and page 3 “No decisions without Croats”, by Zoran Kresic) – argues that the President of SDA, Sulejman Tihic, was not at liberty to independently decide and sign a document that was offered to him by the President of HDZ BiH, Barisa Colak, which introduces mechanisms of prevention of decisions that do not have a support of at least one Croat minister in the FBIH Government. During a meeting held in Sarajevo between Tihic and Colak , Tihic apparently said that he first had to hear the “opinion” of the SDA top. Admitting that Tihic did not sign the document that the HDZ offered, Colak said: “We want such an agreement so it is not possible to take decisions by outvoting on national basis”. VL also carries Tihic as saying: “It is important to create mechanisms in order not to have outvoting on national basis, and not to have that people are not coming to government sessions”, said Tihic. According to VL, the two parties will harmonize a joint document either today or tomorrow in order to have a functioning government. (Dnevni List, front and page 7 “Outvoting on national basis prevented”, by Miso Relota) Slobodna Dalmacija (page 9 “No decisions without agreement”, by Zdenko Rerig) – reports that according to a general agreement between Tihic and Colak, the FBIH Government will in the future take decisions after reaching an agreement about them, and in case of problems that the Government cannot solve, those issues would be solved by a coordination body comprising of presidents of HDZ, SDA and SBiH. Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 4, ‘Barisa Colak claims HDZ will not leave the authority’ – Barisa Colak, HDZ President, yesterday said that HDZ will not leave the authority. He added that the Croat Ministers would take part at Thursday’s session of Federal Parliament. He said that: “I spoke with SDA President, Sulejman Tihic. I think we are on the right path to overcome the problems.” Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Colak: We still support Niko Lozancic’s request for removal of Premier Hadzipasic’ – HDZ BiH does not see any reason why to continue partnership functioning of the Federation of BiH if mechanisms are not established/agreed to ensure that the important decisions are not made through outvoting in the FBiH Government but exclusively through agreement. FTV also carried a very similar Colak’s statement last night. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘SDA prepares blank resignations for its ministers’ – Elmir Jahic, SDA Vice President, yesterday said that SDA will demand from its representatives at executive authority to sign blank resignations without dates and to hand them to the SDA Presidency. The Presidency will be able to activate these resignations if and when need arises. Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘President of the political parties should be involved in resolving disputed issues’ – SDA Vice President Elmir Jahic told FENA late on Tuesday following session of the SDA leadership that the most senior party officials were of the opinion the president of the ruling political parties should be in the future involved in the process of resolving possible disputed issues inside the FBiH Government. Nezavisne Novine editorial by Josip Blazevic, pg. 7, ‘There will be more of this’ – The author is writing about the current rifts at Federal Government. He stresses that nobody is now clear as to what SDA and HDZ would like to do, concerning Ahmet Hadzipasic. He is supportive of NHI claim that SDA and HDZ are playing games without restrictions. The author claims there will be more of those rifts in the future. Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT and FTV also covered the issue last night. Vecernji List (page 2 “OHR’s decasyllable and Croat strategy”, by Zoran Kresic) – draws a parallel between the situation in Mostar and in the FBiH Government noting that whilst the High Representative for BiH, by enacting the Mostar Statute, calmed the Bosniaks’ fears of Croat domination in Mostar, a month and a half later, the Bosniaks display their supremacy in the FBiH Government, which was commented by the OHR as “the problem between the Federation partners”. The author sees the OHR’s comment as a hypocrisy, which confirms doubts that the process of Mostar restructuring would be an isolated case, a precedent with a sole purpose to protect the Bosniaks, whilst on the other hand, dominant Bosniaks are suggested to stamp on the Croats in the FBiH Government. The author sees the remedy in a long term strategy, “the only thing is that nobody has come up with one”. Dnevni List (page 9 “When money is in question, national interests get invoked”, by R. Radic) – carries reactions of several journalists, commentators and analysts regarding the crisis in the FBiH Government, including reactions of the editor-in-chief of “Slobodna Bosna”, Senad Avdic, who argues that the current FBiH Government cannot survive, which was first realized by the SDA, when it tried to remove the FBiH PM, Ahmet Hadzipasic. Avdic also says that the “marriage” between the SDA and HDZ is unnatural which is manifested in “the SDA’s request to remove the Prime Minister or HDZ’s withdrawing from meetings”. DL also carries professor Slavo Kukic, who does not rule out a possibility that the SDA and HDZ are doing everything in harmony, in coordination, in order to maintain the present political and national frustration, and homogenize the electorate. |
| SDHR Wnendt meets with Mostar leaders | Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg. 10 ‘Six Mostar municipalities to be abolished next Monday’, FENA, Dnevni List (front page splash and page 14 “Wnendt: Mostar will live according to European rules”, by V. Soldo), Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘Problems between HDZ and SDA will not reflect on Mostar’ – report that the Senior Deputy High Representative, Werner Wnendt, after visiting the City administration of Mostar, assessed that there was a progress in implementation of the Statute of Mostar, expressing pleasure regarding cooperation with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mostar. “Although they do not completely agree with the implementation, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are working on implementation of the Statute because of welfare of the citizens of the city”, said SDHR Wnendt, announcing a visit of the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, for March 15. Mayor Hamdija Jahic stressed that the implementation was going on in an excellent cooperation between the six municipalities and City administration and that basic pre-requisites for the complicated and hard process had been created, the aim of which is to offer undisturbed services to the citizenry. “The City Council, whose session is scheduled for this week, must take necessary decisions. There is an interim financial plan for the period between March 16 and May 31, by which a single city budget should be adopted”, says Jahic. According to DL, Mayor Jahic and Deputy Mayor Ljubo Beslic stressed the difference between the formal-legal pre-requisites and final implementation of the Statute, asking for the citizens’ patience in case of possible difficulties. Vecernji List (page 2, “Mostar municipalities disappearing”, by F) – stress that SDHR Wnendt stated that on March 15, the Mostar municipalities would disappear. (also in Slobodna Dalmacija, page 16 “Unification according to plan”, by M. Landeka) |
| PDHR Hays says Mostar should use experience from Brcko | Vecernji List (page 6 “Mostar should learn from experience of Brcko District”, not signed) – carries the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, as saying: “This is a small micro-cosmos which faced solving of problems from the past and which assumed responsibility. The only way for the future is that the people have the right to vote when it comes to its destiny. Everybody is waiting for a solution to Mostar. That’s the city where politicians opposed a solution, whilst the citizens were in favour of solutions. The time has come for those in Mostar to listen and learn from experience of the District”. |
| RS opposition parties organise round-table discussion on political situation in RS/BiH | BHTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5, ‘Elections as the only way-out for Republika Srpska’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘No building through destruction’, Blic p 13 ‘Protests as of March 23’, Dnevni List front and page 11 “Early elections only way out”, by De. L. -SNSD, DNS (Democratic People’s Alliance) and SPRS (Socialist Party of Republika Srpska) on Tuesday in Banjaluka organised the Round Table under the title “Can we go on like this?”. These parties are of the view that the situation in BiH is too serious and early elections need to be run. Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, said that the time has come to talk when and how early elections will be run, in order to evade social riots. The Republika Srpska President, Dragan Cavic, assessed that holding of early elections would be counter-productive for Republika Srpska. He also said there are no conditions necessary to disband Republika Srpska National Assembly. Goran Milojevic, PDP Vice President, said that this gathering was summoned in order to create atmosphere necessary for holding protests on 23 March. He also warned that NGO’s are instruments in the hands of opposition parties. The RS Parliament Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, said that protests could result in destruction of Republika Srpska institutions, which could lead the state in chaos. Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Early elections in BiH’ also covered the issue. |
War crimes | |
| SFOR released Subotic, satisfied with information provided by him
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘SFOR released Bogdan Subotic’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 10 ‘SFOR satisfied with information they received from Subotic’, Blic p 12 ‘SFOR satisfied with information’, FENA – SFOR is satisfied with the information received in questioning Bogdan Subotic, who was recently detained due to suspicion that he supports the indicted war crime suspects. Although Subotic was released late on Monday, SFOR will continue the investigation into his eventual involvement with the network of supporting the indicted war criminals, the spokesperson of SFOR, Dave Sullivan, told a press conference in Sarajevo on Tuesday. SFOR has carried out the investigations and collected the information that will be used in further searches for the indicted war crime suspects and their supporters. |
| Subotic says he is still under investigation of SFOR | Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2, ‘Bogdan Subotic accuses SFOR of illegal detention’; Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘Justice prepared’, Blic front page and p 12 ‘Serbs have put me on the black list’,Belgrade Nacional p 2 ‘General Subotic released’, Dnevni List page 2 “Subotic accuses SFOR of violation of human rights”, FENA – The retired RS Army general, Bogdan Subotic, who was released late on Monday by SFOR after being detained for six days, told a press conference that SFOR had treated him fairly. He however believes that the act of his apprehension itself has violated his basic human and civil rights and freedoms. Subotic refused to answer journalist questions, and did not comment on SFOR’s allegations that he is a supporter of the indicted war criminals, due to which he was apprehended on March 3 at his family house in Banja Luka. “I am still under the investigation of SFOR”, said Subotic. |
| Srebrenica Commission | Oslobodjenje front page, pg. 3 ‘Many persons on both sides were killed in Srebrenica’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 9 ‘ – Chairman of the Srebrenica Commission Marko Arsovic said in Banja Luka on Tuesday that a large number of persons on both sides had been killed during the armed conflict in the town in July, 1995. Arsovic told journalists that it was still premature to speak about killed Bosniak civilians primarily because it was still unknown if those civilians had been armed or not. Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘The truth’ In Focus column by Senka Kurtovic, Oslobodjenje Editor-in-Chief – Kurtovic says the statement made by Arsovic on a large number of people killed on both sides in Srebrenica clearly shows that the truth on the 1995 massacre in the town will never be established through the RS Government’s commission. “The truth once again remains under the shadow of daily politics. And the daily politics is more and more cruel towards the (Srebrenica) victims and their families. The truth about Srebrenica will genuinely be the truth only when the responsibility is claimed in RS,” wrote Kurtovic. Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Fresh speculations about Srebrenica’ Commentary of the Day by Mirela Kukan. The statement made by Marko Arsovic is a repeated attempt to equalize criminals and the victims, although it is clear there is no means to erase evidence on the massacre, according to the author. Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘The Hague acts on request’ – Marko Arsovic, Chairperson of Srebrenica Commission, yesterday told Glas Srpske that The Hague Tribunal has acted on request of this Commission and delivered all documentation it possesses on Srebrenica events to its Office in Sarajevo. The files are to be handed to ICTY Office in Banjaluka on 11 March, when Srebrenica Commission members would be able to review it. |
| Brochure on crimes in Srebrenica
| Oslobodjenje pg. 3, FENA – The Srebrenica and Zepa Mothers Association is preparing the printing of 5.000 to 7.000 copies of a brochure to be handed out by Association members in the streets of the Hague and Sarajevo on the same day when surviving victims of the Srebrenica massacre file a lawsuit against Holland, Association President Munira Subasic told FENA Tuesday. The brochures will be “accompanied” with 30 cards, first ten showing exhumations and identification of victims, next ten showing burials and the remaining cards showing graffiti sprayed by Dutch soldiers in Potocari. Funds provided by the FBiH Government will be used to print the brochures. |
| Stevic denies Tomic
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6, ‘I did not have authority to investigate on special police’ – Branko Stevic, Deputy Mayor of Bijeljina and first candidate for BiH defence minister, yesterday denied claims by Dusko Tomic from Childrens’ Embassy of Medjasi, who linked him with the crimes against Bosniak families in the village of Balatun in September 1992. ‘ Stevic says: “No international organisation nor anybody from Bijeljina has ever brought my name in connection with this crime. Even Tomic has been previously mentioning some names, but has never made any reference to my name before.” Stevic also expressed his view that statements by Tomic are aimed at changing the course of the investigation. He also said that Police Station, whose Commander he was, could never investigate into special police acts. |
Crime/security/investigations | |
| Murder in Banjaluka
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2, ‘Darko Bojanic murdered’ – Hana Vranjesevic, Banjaluka District Prosecutor, confirmed that Darko Bojanic (32) was murdered in front of a building in Nova Varos settlement of Banjaluka on Monday, 8 March. Police officer yesterday found Bojanic in his vehicle. His friends claim he had last heard of him on Monday morning, 8th March. Bojanic was believed to be connected with money extortion. He was also allegedly connected with drug dealers. |
| Toby Robinson to be key witness in trial of Ante Jelavic | Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 3 ‘Toby Robinson to be key witness in trial of Ante Jelavic’ – According to the newspaper, the BiH State Prosecution Office has these days come in possession of evidence indisputably confirming office abuse by Ante Jelavic, Miroslav Prce and Miroslav Rupcic in case of Hercegovacka Bank. All evidence are based on the financial documents collected by the Bank Provisional Administrator, Toby Robinson. |
Economic/social issues | |
| OHR announces presentation of Bulldozer Phase Two results
| Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Presentation of the second phase of the Bulldozer process’, FENA – On Wendesday the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, Federation Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic, RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic and Brcko Mayor Branko Damjanac will take part in an event in Jajce during which representatives of the Bulldozer Emergency Reform Units and the Chairs of the Bulldozer Committees will review the status of 50 reforms identified under Phase II of the Bulldozer Process and report on the implementation of 50 reforms enacted under Phase I of the Process. More than 50 businesspeople and representatives from International and BiH organisations will attend the event, which will be held at the Alloy Wheels Company, the spokesperson of OHR, Mario Brkic, told a press conference in Sarajevo on Tuesday. The venue has been chosen because Alloy Wheels is a successful example of a BiH company that has combined substantial investment with a talented workforce and established itself as a competitive exporter to Europe and further afield. Improving the BiH business environment – the core goal of the Bulldozer Process – will make it easier for other companies to emulate Alloy Wheels’ success, attracting investment and creating more jobs, said Brkic. |
| DL: “Voting on changes of Law on Bankruptcy questionable” | Dnevni List (page 4, by M. Relota) carries that continuation of the 10th session of the House of Representatives of the Federation of BiH Parliament has been scheduled for today. Chairman of the HoR of the FBiH Parliament Muhamed Ibrahimovic stated that the FBiH budget for 2004 will not be discussed during today’s session since this proposal has not arrived to the FBiH Parliament yet. Talking about the proposal of the law on changes and amendments of the Law on Bankruptcy, Ibrahimovic said it is questionable whether this issue will be discussed at today’s session or it will be forwarded to the FBiH Government to prepare a social program, that is a program for taking care workers who are going to lose job. |
| Contract between Aluminij and Croatian “TLM” signed | Dnevni List (page 7, “Biggest trade contract between companies from BiH and Croatia”, not signed) – reports that the General Manager of “Aluminij” of Mostar, Mijo Brajkovic, and President of Management of “Factory of Light Alloys” (TLM) from Sibenik, Croatia, Zdravko Petkovic, signed a contract worth 55 million Euros in Sibenik yesterday. According to this contract, Aluminij will deliver 36 000 tons of raw aluminum to TLM during 2004. DL says that Brajkovic and Petkovic stressed that this was the biggest trade contract that has been signed between Croatian and BiH companies so far. |