| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Protection of Neretva river | PIC on economy | Sentence for Obrenovic | Session of RS NA |
| Teachers Strike in KS | Law on indirect taxation | Human Rights Day | Session of BiH HoP |
| Law on indirect taxation | Human Rights Day | PIC meeting in Brussels |
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| 6 children killed in Iraq | No agreement in Mostar |
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| Oslobodjenje | Federation lost 20 mil KM; Tihic participates chauvinist campaign; Pensioners will not give up on their demands; Obrenovic sentenced to 17 years of prison |
| Dnevni Avaz | Zilic on Oja’s selection of judges and prosecutors: CoE’s standards not respected!; Obrenovic sentenced to 17 years of prison; Overdue pensions to wait |
| Dnevni List | Joint HQ of FBiH Army against discharges: Proposal of measures on taking care of 5.000 troops prepared; Apartheid against Croats in Bugojno; Commission did not reach consensus on all issues |
| Vecernji List | Croats of Bugojno seek help from President Dragan Covic: Bosniak authority gives away Croat land; Leaders discussing additions to Dayton |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Single city is nothing going to happen |
| Glas Srpske | Gradiska City Hall: Return and pay |
| Nezavisne Novine | Milan Bogicevic: London “Vitol” to deliver crude oil to oil refinery; Zelimir Rebac: US intelligence agents investigating death threats to my family; Farmers on protest: BiH farmers announce blockade of borders; Republika Srpska National Assembly : Republika Srpska got new laws on defence and army |
| Blic | The murderer of an old man has been treated at the psychiatric clinic: Patients out on streets without supervision; Draft law: Mandatory training instead of serving of military service; Gradiska: Apartments empty, returnees are hesitating |
Political issues | |
| Norbert Winterstein on Mostar Commission
| CRHB, BHTV 1, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘All for a city, SDA in a favour of municipalities’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Fatima Leho defended preserving municipalities calling upon Dayton’, Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 15 ‘Single city is nothing going to happen’, Dnevni List front, pg 7 ‘Commission did not reach consensus on all issues’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Winterstein: Only SDA wants to see six municipalities survive’ – ‘Agreement on the new Statue of Mostar has not been achieved, but we are on the good path’, Norbert Winterstein, Mostar Commission Chairman, stated at press conference held in Mostar on Wednesday, following the failure of the Commission to agree on future administrative structure and electoral system. Commission members have reached consensus on the vital national interest protection and the protection mechanism that is to be applied is the one applied at the FBiH level: the position of Deputy Mayor is to be abolished and the Mayor, City Council President and the Secretary should not be from the lines of the same people. The Administration structure is to reflect the 1991 census. Agreement has also been reached on transparency in administration as well as on the unified budget. Most Commission members, apart from Fatima Leho of SDA are in a favor of having all competencies transferred on the City level. As for the debate on the changes to the Constitution, Leho was the exception again. During the negotiations on the election system, various proposals were presented yet there was no agreement on that issue either. Chairman Winterstein is reported to have said that his Report on the Commission’s work would be handed to the High Representative Paddy Ashdown who is to decide on how to proceed, which will be announced some time in January in 2004. Winterstein added the status quo should not be maintained and that the status of Mostar issue was one of the topics for the negotiations on joining the EU. FTV – Norbert Winterstein noted that the SDA was the strongest opponent to any changes on abolishing a municipality-based structure or changing their number. Commenting that it was even more difficult to reach any decision on electoral units, Winterstein said: ‘I stressed the need to prepare for the next elections in fall 2004, but my impression is that there are some deals under the table.’ SDA official Fatima Leho commented that the party did not want to give up 6 municipalities, while HDZ announced Mostar could not be a single municipality, then there were also some other places such as Bugojno and Travnik that should have more municipalities. |
| SDP and SBiH blame SDA and HDZ for Mostar Commissions failure | Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Through national interests one cannot built better future in BiH’, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘HDZ and SDA responsible for Mostar’ – Sahbaz Dzihanovic, members of the Party for BiH’s presidency, stated at the press conference on Wednesday that HDZ and SDA were directly responsible for the Mostar Commission failure. He also stressed that SBiH could not endorse wither SDA proposal, which foresees division, or HDZ’s, which would ensure Mostar to be Croat city. ‘Everything went smoothly until agenda included the issue of functions’ distribution. We could not agree to HDZ’s request for Croats to have overwhelming majority.’ – said Dzihanovic. Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Chance for compromise’ – SDP Vice President Zeljko Komsic stated at the press conference held on Wednesday that Mostar should be structured as a single multiethnic entirety with the representative and executive authorities that reflect the results of the 1991 census. He added that he still sees a chance for compromise. Komsic also noted that it was however better for local politicians, primarily the citizens of Mostar, reach a political solution that suits them the best, pointing out that the imposed solution is not good. He stressed SDP believes that gathering based on a national basis by the territorial principle is the worst possible option. |
| DL editorial on Mostar Commission | Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Zero’ by Vedran Kljajic – DL reads it was an illusion to expect that the Mostar Commission would solve the issue of Mostar despite the hope that the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, had in it, adding it is another example of debacle and that one should not believe that exponents of nationalist movements can come up with a result. Noting that Mostar will remain a divided city since there is no consensus on administrative set-up and elections rules, the daily awards a ‘zero’, read ‘F’, to ‘all the commissions, their members, OHR, comedians that consider themselves politicians, artists and intellectuals’. |
| Councilors CD Coalition appeals to citizens of Mostar | Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Imposition of platform by certain parties and International Community’ – Councilors of the CD Coalition in the Mostar City Council have sent an appeal to citizens of Mostar protesting against the way of formation and work of Mostar Commission. The councilors believe that the way of work during the making of a new city statute was inappropriate and not in function of reaching the best solution acceptable to the majority of citizens and all three peoples. According to their knowledge, ever since the Mostar Commission started working, certain political parties and representatives of the IC had been trying to impose a platform. It is the councilors’ opinion that only a solution that guarantees equality of all the peoples is an acceptable one. |
| [SD editorial on Coalition’s appeal] | Slobodna Dalmacija pg 15 ‘Mostar as – Srebrenica?!’ by Marin Erceg) – SD reacts to the CD Coalition’s position claiming that the appeal is in fact an explanation to the public why the CD Coalition is not accepting the High Representative’s principles. The author could not help notice that the CD Coalition is using the same terminology and political principles the Croat National Assembly (HNS) used in its efforts to achieve the equality of the Croat people in BiH, believing that the only difference between the two is that the HNS was referring to the whole of BiH whilst the CD Coalition is referring to Mostar only. “In other words, what the Croats seek in BiH, the Bosniaks seek in Mostar. In other words, the Bosniaks would like to create another state out of Mostar”, says the author. |
| PIC meeting in Brussels | Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Development Strategy in the Parliament in January’, Dnevni List front, pg 3 ‘Next three years crucial for BiH’ – Representatives of the BiH authorities, led by the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic, BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic, and BiH Treasury Minister Ljerka Maric, joined economic experts nominated by the Peace Implementation Council, and representatives of the international financial institutions and aid agencies at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday under the chairmanship of the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown. The goal of the meeting was reaching consensus on the priority of economic reforms over next 18 months to two years, and to coordinate donor and investment strategies in order to secure the maximum positive impact in terms of economic self-sustainability for BiH and improved living standards for its citizens. IC praised BiH authorities on the results achieved, and drew attention to the need for tax and regulatory reform, industrial and administrative restructuring, and the importance of the application of business laws, and they highlighted the importance of providing an effective social security net to support that process. BHTV 1 – Chairman of CoM Adnan Terzic presented the report on the economic situation and priorities in up coming period, and stressed: ‘Representatives of other countries said to be satisfy that we started to discuss economic instead of political issues and they were interested to hear about our priorities and structural reforms.’ Foreign economic experts believe fiscal reform and public administration are key priorities. Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays stated: ‘It is necessary to prepare 6-month action plan for quick onset of the process to fulfil conditions set up by EU.’ FTV – PDHR Donald Hays said that ‘it was emphasized that a government size should be reduced and private sector strengthened… It should be defined as to who is to lead future initiatives for changes.’ HR Paddy Ashdown warned that citizens have not felt positive impact of ongoing reforms. The session will recommence on Thursday, and the discussions on intelligence, judicial system and public administration will take place. |
| VL: Political leaders to discuss BiH organizational set-up | Vecernji List front ‘Leaders discussing additions to Dayton’, pg 3 ‘Leaders on Vlasic discussing building-on of the Dayton’ announces informal talks of political parties (those participating in the BiH authorities) this weekend in Travnik and on Vlasic mountain. Representatives of Serb, Bosniak and Croat political parties have confirmed their attendance. This is seen as a some kind of answer to the recent Platform on joint activities by the opposition parties. Participants are to discuss additions of Dayton constitutional arrangements and the aim is to “find a compromise between more obvious need to create efficient system which would make the country economically sustainable, and demands for guarantees for protection interests of constitutive peoples.” After the first meeting on Vlasic, it is envisaged to have an additional one by the end of the year. Consequently, in January the representatives of the international community should be informed about possible conclusions. Vjesnik pg 10 ‘Leaders in BiH start talks that may lead to change of Dayton’ by Alenko Zornija – adds that the announced meeting may be the most serious domestic politicians’ attempt to come to an agreement, without IC pressures, on possible changes in the internal organization of BiH. A topic of the meeting will be the BiH Croats’ concern about their constitutional and legal position. The author hints that the opposition’s reaction to the meeting will be mild. Dragan Covic is reported to have discarded the allusion that the political leaders are preparing the DPA revision. |
Defence reforms | |
| RS adopted Law on changes to RS Defence and Army Law
| CRHB, RTRS, BHTV 1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Training instead of conscription’, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 5 ‘Republika Srpska got new laws on defence and army’, Blic pg 13, ‘Mandatory training instead of military service’ – Late on Wednesday night, Republika Srpska MP’s adopted Law on changes and addenda to the Law on RS Defence (44 MP’s voted pro, 21 contra and 8 abstained from voting) and Law on addenda and changes to the Law on RS Army (44 MP’s voted pro, 20 voted contra and 8 abstained from voting). The Law on changes to Defence Law defines that RS has its Army, which is a part of the BiH Armed Forces. RS Army is organised in accordance with the Laws of RS and BiH. The Law stipulates that RS Army is consisted of professional and reserve composition. The term conscription was replaced with the term mandatory training of four months duration, through which all men from 19 to 27 years of age should go. The Law also stipulates that service at reserve composition is a general duty for all citizens between 19 and 40 years of age (for men) and 35 years of age (for women). The Law also stipulates that it is an obligation of all RS citizens to defend and protect the territory and constitutional order of RS and BiH. Six amendment proposed by SNSD (regarding abolishment of conscription) did not obtain enough votes. As for taking an oath, the oath of BiH Armed Forces will be taken by military officials from now on. All soldiers are to carry insignia of RS Army and BiH Armed Forces. |
| FBIH Army warns BiH Presidency must make official decision on reductions | FTV, CRHB, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘No volunteer dismissal of soldiers’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Without decision there will be no dismissals of soldiers’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Reduction of armed forces to follow’, Dnevni List front, pg 5 ‘Proposal of measures for providing for 5,000 soldiers made’ – Spokesperson fro Joint FBIH Army Command Brigader Hamza Visca and Zoran Dupara warned that announced reduction in the number of FBiH Army troops cannot be carried out without the decision formally made by the BiH Presidency. They explained that there were some uncertainties as to when reduction will start. ‘Defence Law was adopted and we expected BiH Presidency to make decision on decrease of the armed forces, probably to 8000 in FBiH and 4000 in RS. Without that decision, the dismissal process cannot started’ – stressed Visca. Both officers stressed that the stand of the Joint Command is that Army should keep the most professional soldiers, while FBiH Defence Ministry and Government are expected to adopted proposed set of dismissal criteria forwarded to them by the Command. |
Economic and social issues | |
| BiH HoP adopted ITA Law in original form
| RTRS, CRHB, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Law on Indirect Taxation Adopted’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘The Law on Indirect Taxation system adopted’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 5 ‘Further discussions on number of regional centres’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘One Law, two texts’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Establishment of system of collection of revenues on basis of indirect taxation’ – BiH House of Peoples adopted draft Law on Indirect Taxation at the session held on Wednesday in its original form. Law envisages seat of the ITA branch offices in 4 regions, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar and Tuzla. Since the BH House of Representatives adopted the amendment to the law, which also foresees fifth regional office to be opened in Brcko, both proposals will be sent to the BH Parliamentary Commission for further coordination. The European Commission firmly repeats that there should be only 4 ITA seats, as opening of the fifth would be completely cost-ineffective. EU assistance for establishment and initial functioning of the indirect taxation system in the amount of 15 million Euros depends on the answer. FTV, BHTV 1 – BiH HoP Serb delegate Bosko Siljegovic commented: ‘Serb representatives are ready to go back to original draft that outlines 4 regional offices, or to even reduce it to three.’ SDA representative Halid Genjac said: ‘I expect that the first draft with 4 offices will be passed in HoR.’ |
| Causevic on ITA and VAT | Blic pg 12 ‘VAT as of January 2006’- ITA Director Kemal Causevic claims that VAT could be implemented in BiH only as of the beginning of 2006. He has stated that he was sure that the draft law on VAT would be sent in the parliamentary procedure next year as well as that the three existing Customs Services would be unified. Dnevni Avaz pg 13 ‘Introduction of VAT will eliminate smuggling and black market’ – Kemal Causevic stated that it will take certain time to have fully functional Indirect Taxation Administration [ITA], and that he believes this process would be about 2 years long. He also stressed that the introduction of the value added tax [VAT] would actually mean the beginning of full operation ITA. Causevic announced that existing three customs administration will be merged in the second half of the next year, once ITA has a single account: ‘All incomes from customs and import actions in the first period will be directed to that account, while entities will be in charge of collecting trade tax. That will be the case by 31 December 2005, meaning that the Administration will be fully operation only in 2006 when VAT should be introduced.’ – said Causevic who could not comment whether prices will be increased once VAT is introduced, but stressed that citizens will have a lot of benefit from it. Asked there is a place for Fuad Kasumovic, the best candidate for the position in the first competition fun, inside ITA, Causevic answered positively. |
| Talks on Mostar Waste Disposal Site
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Una – common treasure’, List front ‘Ministers on pollution’ pg 4 ‘Sanation of Vihovici waste dump starts in July’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 4 ‘Polluted Neretva threatens Adriatic sea’, Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Federation and Croatian Government involved in sanation of Vihovici lake’, CRHB – Croatian Minister of Environment and Urban Planning, Ivo Banac was visiting Sarajevo on Wednesday, and he met with the BH Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Minister, Dragan Doko and FBH Minister of Environment, Ramiz Mehmedagic. The topic of was protection of Una river and integrated management of Neretva and Trebisnjica rivers. In addition to environment issues, topic of the discussion was also waste disposal sites. The “Vihovici” waste dump, a pond which contains high concentration of ammonia water and which poses threat to the Neretva river basin, will be taken care of in July next year, confirmed Mehmedagic, after his meeting Banac. Minister Mehmedagic also said that that 5,5 million KMs would be allocated for the purpose from the FBiH budget. Mehmedagic also believes that the waste extracted from the ‘Vihovici’ waste dump should be disposed off at the ‘Uborak’ waste dump. |
| Ombudsmen said dismissals in BH Gas and HP violated Law
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Ombudsmen demand annulment of decisions for removals in BH Gas and HP’, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Illegal removals in BH Gas and HP’. Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Against removals of directors’, Slobodna Dalmacija back, pg ‘Annul illegal removals’ – FBiH Ombudsmen, Vera Jovanovic, Esad Muhibic and Branka Raguz, forwarded their findings and conclusions to the FBiH Government regarding the dismissals in management and supervisory boards of two public companies, BH Gas and HP [Croatian Posts] from Mostar. Ombudsmen demanded from the FBiH Energy, Mining and Industry Minister Izet Zigic and FBiH Transport and Communications Minister Nedzad Brankovic to annul the decisions on dismissals stressing that in both cases the dismissal procedure was not implemented according to the relevant Law. |
| Pensions issues discussed among entities’ funds and ministers | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘15.000 pensioners in RS want to receive money in FBiH’ – Authorized RS and FBiH Ministers, Mico Micic and Radovan Vignjevic respectively, as well as leaders of RS and FBiH Pensions Funds, Jovo Kosmajac and Bakir Mujkic, agreed at the meeting held in Sarajevo on Wednesday that regardless of the reforms carried out on the pension and invalid insurance, there should be an agreement draft which would regulate the issue of a single basis for pay out of the pensions. Blic pg 13 ‘Unsuccessful agreement on payment of pensions’ – The representatives also discussed the Human Rights Chamber decision, in accordance with which ‘the Federation of BiH must ensure the payment of pensions in accordance with the place where it has been earned’. It was only agreed that another meeting would be held in Banja Luka next Wednesday. The RS representatives say they were willing to sign such an agreement that would be in accordance with the Human Rights Chamber decision, yet the opposite side has refused it, explaining it by saying that ‘they have no money for such changes’ and ‘it would cause a strike on the Fund’. |
| FBiH pensioners insist on pay of out an overdue pensions by end of year | Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Overdue pensions still waiting’, ‘Government doesn’t offer solution for three overdue pensions’ – After FBiH Social Affairs and Labour Minister Radovan Vvignjevic withdrawn the FBiH Government’s proposal of the measures regarding the pension and invalid insurance, president of the FBiH PIO/MIO [Pensions-Invalid Insurance] stated that it would have been better if the plan was adopted: ‘The session should have solved something, because this now means new postponement. Pensioners must be dissatisfied, and it is up to government whether the new and better plan will be made by the end of year.’ However, President of the Pensioners Party Husein Vojnikovic said that Minister did the right thing, as there were many critics directed against the proposal, which did not specify what would happen with the 500 million KM debt towards PIO/MIO. Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘They are not giving up on the requests’ – However, president of the FBiH Pensioners Association Jozo Ljiljanic said that the association was not satisfied with withdrawal of the plan. He believes that this move by the Government brought more anxiety inside pensioners’ population, and adds that one overdue pensions should be paid by the end of this year. |
| Oslobodjenje: tax frauds damage FBiH budget for 20 mil KM | Oslobodjenje cover splash ‘Federation lost 20 million KM’ – Following up on the story about FBiH losing several millions of KM due to decreased tobacco production, Oslobodjenje writes in Thursday issue that the tobacco production was not reduce, on the contrary. Director of Sarajevo Tobacco Factory Sefik Lojo confirmed that production has increased and that this year profit will be quite larger than previous. Daily carries that Hajrudin Hadzimesanovic, advisor to FBIH Finance MInister, concludes that 30 million KM loss of money coming from tobacco company was not caused by decreased production, but the fact that a large quantity is being sold in the black marker, avoiding pay out of the applicable taxes. Also the issue that needs to be solved is illegal production of tax stamps [to be found on every cigarettes package, confirming taxes were regularly paid]. Director of FBiH Tax Administration Midhat Arifovic said that FBiH and Cantonal budgets lost about 20 million KM due to unpaid excise and tobacco tax. |
| NN interview with FBiH Customs Director | Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 8 ‘US intelligence agents investigating death threats to my family’ – Zelimir Rebac, Director of the Customs Administration of the FBiH, said in a short interview to NN that he got hold of information regarding involvement of a person in death threats addressed to his family. He said he had recently had a meeting with the US agents, who will take over further investigation on this issue, bearing in mind the fact that findings compiled by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Internal Affairs are worthless. He furthers denied claims by some federal media, that claimed he, together with former directors of SBS and FOSS respectively, Tomislav Mihalj and Ivan Vuksic, racketeered some wealthy firms from Herzegovina region. On appointment of Kemal Causevic as director of ITA, he said that: ‘It is obvious that since the beginning of this process, the political arbitration was of crucial importance. The entire process of appointment showed shameful face of local officials and failure of international community to follow its principles. Accordingly, the national determination of a candidate is traded with.’ |
| BiH farmers to block roads | Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 3 ‘BiH farmers announce blockade of borders’, Dnevni List pg 8 ‘Farmers announced the blockade of border crossings’, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Blockade of the Gradiska, Brcko and Kamensko crossings’ – Around 100 farmers from all over the BiH (Bijeljina, Banja Luka Citluk, Zenica and other cities) yesterday gathered in front of Syndicate Home in Sarajevo and held a meeting, where they decided that the farmers would block the state borders on 1 January 2004, unless BiH Council of Ministers postponed the implementation of the Agreements on Free Trade with Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. |
War crimes | |
| Obrenovic sentenced to 17 years for Srebrenica related crimes | BHTV 1, FTV, Oslobodjenje cover, pg 8 ‘Dragan Obrenovic sentenced to 17 years of prison’, Dnevni Avaz cover, pg 3 ‘Dragan Obrenovic sentenced to 17 years’, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Dragan Obrenovic sentenced to 17 years’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Obrenovic got 17 tears’ – The wartime RS Army Commander of Zvornik Brigade Dragan Obrenovic was sentenced by ICTY to 17 years of prison for the war crimes. He pleaded guilty at the start of a trial process and admitted his guilt for expulsion of population on ethnic basis in Srebrenica. The judges found he did not either prevent or sanction brutal atrocities against civilians, and apply advantages for pleading guilt, regretting expressed and cooperation with ICTY. Obrenovic will have a chance to be released after completion of two thirds of his sentence. |
Legal issues | |
| Lagumdzija: Tihic manipulated by Avaz | Oslobodjenje cover, pg 7 ‘Sulejman Tihic participates chauvinist campaign’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg4 ‘Tihic is a pawn in a filthy game against judiciary’ – Following the decision made by Sarajevo Canton judge temporary banning Dnevni Avaz to write about Zlatko Lagumdzija, Sarajevo daily Avaz was told to ignore the court’s ruling and continue with writing on Lagumdzija. After member of BH Presidency Sulejman Tihic appeared at the cover page in Wednesday’s issue of Avaz criticising court ruling, as ‘it presented censorship and a breach of a freedom of media’, Oslobodjenje carries out the statement by Lagumdzija which reads that Tihic allowed himself to disgrace the position of the Presidency member and be used in someone else’s private ‘chauvinist’ campaign. Further harshly criticising in details Tihic’s statement, Oslobodjenje concludes that Avaz’s ‘ignorance’ of the court was contributing to ‘bringing down the state, and creation of wild place, a jungle ruled by beasts of all kinds.’ Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Court Council’s decision is waited on’ – After Avaz in past two days made series of allegations and accusations directed against judge who made decision, Nevenka Milosavljevic-Jancic, Oslobodjenje writes that the same judge banned magazine Dani to write about Avaz owner Fahrudin Radoncic. Sarajevo Cantonal Judicial Council will consider theis issue in next few days, and by that time no official can make any comments. Attacked judge said she would restrain from any comments at this moment. FBIH Ombudsmen for media Mehmed Halilovic supported her, adding that the level of self-regulation in BiH of print media was very law. |
| Avaz says it would not be ‘silenced by chauvinism’ | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Shattered SDP attacks Tihic and justifies brutal censorship’; ‘Avaz’ will not be silenced by UDBA-like planting of the chauvinism; ‘’Avdic: Reis called judiciary anti-Bosniak!’; ‘Oslobodjenje protects Milosavljevic due to avoidance of 3 million KM debt’; ‘Continue with disclosing affairs and crime’; ‘There is still the personality and the work of a ‘comrade’ to be praised’ – Avaz brings a series of articles regarding the decision to temporarily ban them from writing on SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdzija, whose press release daily carried in Thursday issue. Articles mostly refer to press releases issued in support of Avaz [by Association of Veteran Invalids of Central Bosnia; Bosnian Party of Right; OKO publishing house]. |
| Zilic: Oja and HPJC did not respect CoE’s standards | Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘CoE’s standards not respected!’; pg 5 ‘Oja chosen judges and prosecutors with moral mortgages’ by Husein Orahovac – Avaz brings an interview with Ahmed Zilic, ‘a Council of Europe’s legal expert and prominent lawyer’, in a cover page story. Interview reads that the the appointments of the judges and prosecutors carried out by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in BiH, lead by Jan Erik Oja, is not entirely in the accordance with the CoE standards as ‘democratic part of Europe expects countries in transition not to reappoint persons that breached basic human rights and freedoms during communist regime.’ [Note: comment by reporter]. Zilic added that the procedure in which HJPC appoints judiciary staff ‘breaches all European standards’, and while he insisted on implementation of the ‘lustration’ in judiciary, he also said that BH judiciary was not respecting standards. Answering whom to blame for non-respect of CoE standards in judiciary, Zilic said: ‘Oja as the chairman of HJPC, is certainly responsible. But, the law on HJPC was firstly imposed by the High Representatives, members of the HJPC were appointed by the High Rep, and therefore he would have to be the most responsible person when it comes to the implementation of CoE standards in judiciary reform in BiH. Following two of them, anaemic local authorities are next [in a line].’ |