Political Developments/Reforms |
RS Government proposed new police reform concept | RTRS, SRNA , Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘New proposal on police reform’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘RS Government proposed new concept’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘RS police remains’ – The RS Government on Friday offered a new police reform Proposal in accord with the three EU principles but within the framework of the RS, FBiH and BiH Constitutions, the RS Government said. “A BiH Law on Police would define the institutions, bodies and competencies of police structures which would insure their full effectiveness,” says the Proposal. It states that the BiH Police Ministry would have jurisdiction over criminal acts in the jurisdiction of the BiH Prosecution and Court, as well as the authority to take appropriate action throughout BiH in accordance with decisions and orders from the BiH Prosecution and Court. The Proposal stipulates that the RS police ministry and RS police represent a sub-system of the security system of RS, having in mind the competencies of district prosecutors and the areas covered by district courts. One of the criteria for the formation of functional local police districts ought to be the jurisdiction of district prosecutors and the areas covered by district courts. It states that the election of bodies, officials and personnel shall be done in accordance with the appropriate laws. “The period for the implementation of police reform is five years, beginning in 2006, by the reduction of police ranks and other employees. Legislation in accord with the three EU principles is to begin being enforced in 2007,” says the RS Government press release. This Proposal on Friday was presented to the major political parties in RS and to all RS parties having seat in the RS Parliament, to the high representative, Paddy Ashdown, the members of the PIC , the EU commissioner for enlargement, Olli Rehn, the EU High Representative for common foreign and security policy, Javier Solana, and to the head of the European Commission delegation to BiH, Michael Humphries. The Proposal is accompanied by a letter from RS premier Pero Bukejlovic. “We believe that the proposed solutions shall contribute to meeting the last remaining condition for the commencement of talks with the EU on stabilisation and association. If you agree with our approach to police reform, we hope to get your personal engagement to ensure that this document should get the necessary political support of the IC and the RS Parliament,” says the letter. |
OHR is considering new RS Govt police reform proposal | RTRS, SRNA , Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘OHR is considering the proposal’ – The OHR received the RS Cabinet’s proposal for police reform in BiH and they are currently looking into it, SRNA was told by OHR Spokesman Oleg Milisic. “The proposal is presently being reviewed, and this will last as long as necessary,” he said. The RS Government on Friday offered a new proposal on police reform, one in accord with the three EU principles but within the framework of the RS, FBiH and BiH Constitutions. |
RS Government proposal on police reform unacceptable – an international official | Nezavisne Novine cover page, pg 3 ‘RS Government proposal on police reform unacceptable’ – “RS Government has offered nothing new,’ and International Community official told the daily late on Friday. ‘RS Government has not accepted three EC principles and the current proposal is the same one the RS Government has been presenting in the course of the past year. The principles offered by RS Government are simply not equal to the three EC principles,” said the official. This is paving the path for the change of the Dayton structure of BiH through challenging the survival of RS in this form, and that will be a response to the obstructions coming from RS authorities. EU Foreign Ministers will on Monday send a clear signal to PIC members that an issue of the further existence of RS in this form should be put on the agenda. The next meeting of PIC Steering Board is scheduled for October 7. |
SDS, PDP officials on new RS Govt police reform concept | Pink Milka Mrdja- During the meeting with three largest RS Parties, RS Government has proposed new concept for police reform, which should fulfil three European principles and protect interests and stances of the RS. Meeting was held on invitation of RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic, and was attended by RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic and representatives of SDS and PDP, but no one from SNSD has showed up. Vice- President of SDS Mladen Bosic didn’t want to comment this new concept, but he stressed that this proposal should fulfil all European principles and protects RS interests at the same time. “ SDS has been supportive toward the work of negotiating team and we truly want them to find solution which would be acceptable for all of us. We hope that this concept, which they have proposed, will came upon the approval of the IC and of FBiH political structures”, stated Bosic. Representatives of PDP have also given their support to the new concept. “When it comes to PDP, European principles are acceptable for us and we consider that solution can be reached without violating of RS Institutions”, stated Vice- President of PDP, Goran Milojevic. PM Bukejlovic has announced meetings with other RS parties as well, in order to locate solution for police reform, which will satisfy all European principles and all constitutive peoples in BiH. RHB , BHT, Hayat, FTV carried similar reports/statements on the issue. |
BiH HoR adopts defence laws | Pink Zeljko Mandic, RHB , BHT, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5, mentioned on cover ‘BiH Armed Forces to be composed of three regiments’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘BiH got a single army’ – During the session of BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives, Representatives have passed the Law on Defence and Law on Army Service, which is the first step in defence reform, which predicts total professionalism, abolishment of conscription and establishment of three national infantry units. These two Laws were the only points of the agenda, and even though over hundred amendments were proposed majority of them were rejected. Session was held in two parts, in the first part Representatives have passed the Amendment of SNSD’s Representative Milorad Zivkovic, which predicted reserve composition in 50% of active composition, but being that NATO standards predict exact amount of 50%, Representatives have made a recess after which they have discussed the Amendment again and rejected it. In a mean time, BiH Presidency has held its session to discuss markings, flags, names and ceremonial days for three national units, in order to avoid delays after passing of Laws. It was decided that units will be named: First Infantry Guardian Regiment, Second Infantry Ranger Regiment and Third Infantry RS Regiment. BiH House of Peoples will vote on the defence laws at the session scheduled for October 5. |
HDZ leader Covic raises the issue of third entity/federal unit | BHT, RTRS – HDZ President Dragan Covic stated in Banja Luka on Friday that his party have intention to fasten the procedure on making the constitutional changes, which would include establishment of three federal units instead of two existing Entities. He announced that this will be one of the subjects for the HDZ Main Board session scheduled for 7 October. Covic stated that constitutional changes in BIH are necessary. He stressed that the government in entity or state level is not functioning. He stressed that HDZ will advocate for BIH organised in 3 levels – state, middle and municipality. Covic also spoke with representatives of HDZ Banja Luka in order to strengthen party infrastructure before next general elections. Dnevni List pg 8 ‘Talks on constitutional changes, crime!?’ – Sources close to HDZ told the daily that the main reason for Covic’s visit to Banja Luka was his meeting with SDS President Dragan Cavic and talks on a possible joint strategy with regard to the announced constitutional changes and criminal proceedings against HDZ and SDS officials. Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Three federal units and more regions in BiH’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Croats should get their federal unit’ also covered the issue. |
BiH Presidency member Jovic said Croats have no rights in BiH | Oslobodjenje pg 28 – Pogled weekly supplement ‘All rights are taken away from Croats’ – In an interview with the daily, Chairman/Croat member of the BiH Presidency Ivo Miro Jovic said that the Dayton Agreement had created a dysfunctional and unfair country (out of BiH) at the cost of one people, the Croats. “A country has been created that foresees either assimilation or disappearance of Croats,” said Jovic. |
War Crimes |
ICTY’s Del Ponte visits Montenegro, Croatia | Pink, RHB, FTV, RTRS – ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte on Friday visited Montenegro and met with Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic, after which Del Ponte stated that she is very pleased with Montenegrin cooperation and repeated once more that main preoccupation of the ICTY is arrestment of all indictees, first of all Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Del Ponte stressed that ICTY has daily communication with Podgorica and that Montenegrin authorities have enabled full access to all documents. In the course of the day, Del Ponte also visited Zagreb , where she met with President Stjepan Mesic and PM Ivo Sanader and Del Ponte expressed disappointment because Ante Gotovina is still at large. Del Ponte stressed that she still doesn’t know what her report will be like, regarding Croatian cooperation with the ICTY. Vecernji List cover page, pgs 8-11 ‘Accelerating Serbia , slowing down Croatia ’, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 also covered the issue. |
Matijasevic responds to Ashdown | RHB , BHT, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Without political background’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Matijasevic accepts Ashdown’s suggestions’, Dnevni List pg 6, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 – RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic replied on Thursday to High Representative Paddy Ashdown, expressing regret that the recent press conference in relation to war crimes over Serbs was understood as political move and interference of politics in police work. Matijasevic said suggestions of Ashdown related to the careful and professional usage of information about alleged war crimes have been accepted. Previously, Matijasevic refused to deliver a written report on this issue to the OHR, stating that only RS Government and National Assembly can request such report. |
RS Government adopts amended Srebrenica report | RTRS, RHB , Pink, BH, Hayat, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘RS Government adopted amended report’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Amended Srebrenica report goes to BiH Prosecution, ICTY’, Dnevni List pg 8, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Names will remain secret for the public’ – The RS Government on Friday adopted the amended report of the task force for the implementation of the decisions from the final report of the commission investigating the events that transpired from 10 to 19 July 1995 in Srebrenica. The report that will be signed on Tuesday [4 October] was unanimously adopted by the members of the Srebrenica task force. The task force representatives pointed out that new information had been gathered based on the documents of the Drina Corps provided by the Hague tribunal [International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia] but warned that nothing could be announced as yet. According to the RS Government, the Srebrenica task force has completed its task and the mandate from the letter of the High Representative Paddy Ashdown. “The RS government has yet again proved its determination and commitment to thoroughly investigate the events in and around Srebrenica from 10 to 19 July 1995 . The government expects that the method of work of the Srebrenica task force will set an example for further investigation of the suffering of all peoples in Bosnia-Hercegovina,” said Cvijeta Kovacevic, head of the RS government’s Public Relations Office. Although the government adopted the report on Friday before the meeting of the task force, chairman Jovan Spajic says there was no disagreement and that all institutions that were charged with submitting certain information did that to the best of their ability. “Everything the relevant RS institutions were able to submit until the present moment has been sent to the task force,” Spajic said. OHR representatives expect to receive the report but warn that its details will not be revealed even then. According to OHR spokesperson Ljiljana Radetic, the report will be forwarded to the Bosnia-Hercegovina Prosecutor’s Office and the Hague tribunal for further investigation. The details of the report will not be revealed in order not to hinder any possible future criminal proceedings. The report will be signed on Tuesday, 4 October, after certain technical problems, primarily the inclusion of new sentences, proposals, and suggestions, have been eliminated. Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘The report will be forwarded to prosecution, ICTY’ also carried OHR statement. |
Lawyers request war crime trials before BiH Court under former socialist Yugoslavia laws | Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘Lawyers request trials before BiH Court under SFRJ laws’ – Regarding the war crime processing before BiH Court, prosecutors say the indictees should be tried under the new Criminal Code, while lawyers believe the former socialist Yugoslavia’s (SFRJ) legislation was more suitable. |
Economic/Social Affairs/Education |
Registration of VAT users to be completed successfully | RHB , Pink, BHT, Hayat, FTV – ITA Assistant Director Dinko Corluka stated that process of registration of VAT users has been implemented successfully. According to information from ITA most of users were registered in Sarajevo , followed by Banja Luka , Tuzla and Mostar. Director of Indirect Taxation Agency Kemal Causevic has said that about 25 thousand of economic subjects and physical subjects will register for VAT. Causevic reminded that deadline for registration expires on Friday, September 30th, stressing that there is no reason for prolonging of that deadline. |
BiH Minister Halilovic, SDHR Ney discussed education, status of cultural institutions | Pink, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Three priorities’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 – BiH Minister of Civil Affairs Safet Halilovic and SDHR Martin Ney have concluded that reform of education, status of seven cultural institutions and Department for Youth are very important issues for BiH, especially for its progress toward European integrations. |
RS Government’s letter to PDHR over statistics | RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 – RS Government sent a letter to Principal Deputy to HR Lawrence Butler . RS Government stresses that they are declining Butler ’s accusations on obstruction of efficient gathering of statistical data in BIH. The Government reminds Butler that it concluded that the text of agreement on the work of joint professional statistic structure in BIH proposed by OHR is not in accordance with RS and BIH laws on statistics. |
DA: Vc corridor will cost KM 6.2 billion | Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 3 ‘Vc corridor will cost KM 6.2 billion’ – According to a study submitted to the BiH Transport and Communications Ministry, the construction of Vc corridor through BiH will cost 6.2 billion KM. |