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| Pope John Paul II speech | NATO meeting in Brussels | Tihic before ICTY | Tihic before ICTY |
| NATO meeting in Brussles | Tihic travels to the Hague | Sentences in ICTY | NATO meeting in Brussels |
| Tihic before ICTY | Protest of miners | NATO summit on Monday | Iraq developments |
| AIDS |
| AIDS | Midlle East situation |
| Oslobodjenje | SDA, HDZ holding the destiny of Mostar Serbs in their hands |
| Dnevni Avaz | Midhat Arifovic, the FBiH Tax Administration – Special team to start its action |
| Dnevni List | “Border crossing Crveni Grm closed down”; “High Representative also stands behind ‘state coup’ !? “ |
| Vecernji List | Post war rich men go for checking”; “Perhaps production too will stop in Aluminij” |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Glas Srpske | Serb refugees from Zenica region faced problems: Double dead-ends |
| Nezavisne Novine | Safet Halilovic: SDA will have to accept our requests; NATO to decide on reduction of SFOR troops today; LNM Group “checking” on Mines in Ljubija and Zenica iron and steel plant |
| Blic | RS Constitution and defense: Recruits, at ease!; 3,000,000 KM from legalization |
Political developments | |
| Mostar restructuring
| Oslobodjenje front page, pg. 7 ‘Fate of Mostar Serbs in hands of SDA, HDZ’ – Pre-war Mostar Mayor and the current member of the Mostar City Council Radmilo Braca Andric, who had participated in work of the first and failed Mostar commission, told the newspaper that not a single people in the town should have neither more nor less than the other peoples. According to 1991 census, Serbs were making 17 percent of the Mostar population, they are a constituent people as well, but they are not appropriately treated in talks on the Mostar status. According to Milan Jovicic, the Vice-president of the City Council, nobody consults Serbs about anything. Oslobodjenje pg. 7 ‘SDS has sold Serbs’ – “Supporting the principle of ethnic/national municipalities or the minimising of the problem means disappearance of Serbs from political scene in Mostar and division of the town on Croat and Bosniak part. That would be final victory of SDS in Herzegovina, which sold the Serbs in the Neretva valley and left them to HDZ during the war,” former Mostar Mayor Safet Orucevic told the newspaper. Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Statement that Bosniaks must have local self-rule is the same with the HDZ policy from 1996’ – “The SDA Mostar positions are jeopardising the Bosniak policy in BiH allegedly through protecting the Dayton principles and through standing for mono-ethnic referendums and ethnic municipalities. The statement that Bosniaks must have their local self-rule is exactly the policy of HDZ from 1996 against which we fiercely fought,” said Orucevic in a statement for the newspaper. |
| BiH Council of Ministers to hold its session today
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Appointment of the ITA Director’, FENA – The BiH Council of Ministers is expected on Monday to discuss the draft amendments to the law on BiH public attorney’s office. The appointment of the Indirect Taxation Administration director should also be on the agenda. The Council of Ministers is also expected to discuss the report of the working group tasked to find premises for the Ministry of Security – BiH State Information and Protection Agency, amendments to the report on implementation of the CIPS project, as well as the report on activities of the state coordinator for preventing human trafficking and illegal immigration in BiH. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3, ‘Kemal Causevic – test for SDA and HDZ’ – NN quote Elmir Jahic, SDA Vice President, saying that Kemal Causevic will today be appointed as the first ITA Director. He also confirmed that no party arrangement was reached between SDA and HDZ in regard to appointment of ITA Vice President. The author points at the fact that criminal report has been filed against Causevic for destruction of somebody else’s property. |
| Interview with SDP President Zlatko Lagumdzija | Dnevni List (front and pages 4 and 5, “High Representative also stands behind ‘state coup’!?”, by Z. Jukic) carries an interview with SDP President Zlatko Lagumdzija. Lagumdzija talks about strengthening of SDP and says that the International Community does not support SDP and the whole opposition although these parties used to have support of previous international officials in BiH. Wondering as to why this happened, Lagumdzija says: “I believe it is possible to give a few interpretations for this situation, however they can be reduced on two and they are – it is either a wrong estimation of people who represent the IC or about their deliberate intention to make some other type of a state here.” Lagumdzija also talked about the affair ‘state coup’ and asked as to who was standing behind ‘this monstrous construction’ Lagumdzija says: “The current Head of the Federation Intelligence Agency (FOSS) told officially that according to the law, the whole document on ‘the state coup’ was sent at 14 addresses. However, when I took the report, I saw that 13 addresses only were stated and I asked the FOSS official which is the fourteenth address. The FOSS official said that it is being implied, that is, that it is about the High Representative. FOSS was working directly for the High Representative because all information and complete transcripts of phone calls was submitting to him.” |
| NN interview with Party for BiH’s Halilovic | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 4, ‘SDA will have to accept our requests’ – In an interview to NN, Safet Halilovic, President of Presidency of Party for BiH, says that if SDA did not accept requests by Party for BiH, it would result in serious political consequences, after which it would be uncertain how the authority would function at all. On this, he announces a meeting between top officials of these two parties in the near future. Speaking of defence reform, Halilovic confirmed that Party for BiH would support adoption of this law, “although it is not completely satisfied with the proposals offered”. |
| SNSD on Republika Srpska capital | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6, ‘SNSD persists in its initiative that Banjaluka should be Republika Srpska capital’ – Milorad Dodik of SNSD yesterday confirmed that SNSD would persist in its initiative for change of Republika Srpska Constitution, namely its part which would define and declare Banjaluka as Republika Srpska capital. In order to launch this process, it is necessary to obtain votes of 28 MP’s. |
| Avaz on crisis in HNC Government | Dnevni Avaz (page 4, “Today as well Bosniak Ministers will not attend scheduled session of Government”, by F.V.) carries that 4 Ministers from the line of the Bosniak people, who froze their work in the Herzegovina-Neretva Government a few weeks ago, had a new round of talks with representatives of the OHR South on Friday in order to find a way out of the crisis in the executive authority bodies of the Canton. One of these 4 Bosniak Ministers, who wanted to stay anonymous, stated: “The meeting did not give expected results, and the OHR took rather disinterested stand on the whole case. Our talks with representatives of the International Community have turned into an informative meeting and this is the last thing we wanted. I believe that we are in a deep crisis and only a strong arm of High Representative Paddy Ashdown can take us from it.” The source added that many talks between Cantonal SDA and HDZ Boards took place, however, they did not give any concrete results. The source said: “It was agreed to speed up resolving of the crises in a way that it would be made possible for HNC Minister of Finances Semin Boric to run the Ministry of Finances at his own discretion and according to his authorities. Although HDZ representatives accepted this is idea in principle, they and, first of all HNC Prime Minister Miroslav Coric, did not realize it and thus the items that we had agreed did not show up on the agenda of the session. For this reason the Ministers did not want to come at the Government’s meeting at the beginning of the week.” |
Defence reform | |
| Oslobodjenje’s Prohic comments on defence reform
| Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Alibi’ In Focus column by Ibrahim Prohic – The Defence Law has been passed regardless of an artificially produced dramatic scenario, said Prohic at the beginning of the column. “This is an already seen scenario: obstructions, resistance, threats, walking out of the parliamentary sessions, calling on the national interests and will of the people, dramatisation by the point of boiling and than acceptance of what the international mentors defined. Why playing such a game?,” wonders Prohic adding that it is just about a cheap alibi technology of ruling. “Their (governing politicians’) goal is not to solve social problem but just to remain in power,” concludes Prohic. |
| Avaz Commentary of the Day: Dodik’s recruitment
| Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Dodik’s recruitment’ Commentary of the Day by Almasa Hadzic – The author claims that SNSD leader Milorad Dodik’s request for abolishment of the recruitment/regular military service would have sense if he before that launched and headed a campaign for full demilitarisation of the region. |
| Dodik/Dzaferovic on military service
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘Recruitment and military service erased’ – The article brings some views of political officials regarding the constitutional amendments adopted at Republika Srpska National Assembly on Friday. While Milorad Dodik of SNSD is convinced that these amendments erased the military service and stipulated professional and reserve composition of Army (without provision that Army is only consisted of soldiers serving military service), Sefik Dzaferovic, Co-Chairperson of the BIH House of Representatives, claims that this is not true. Dzaferovic notes that this issue was clearly defined in BiH Constitution, which includes these three aspects. He also expressed hope that BiH will today get a defence law at BiH level and that political parties would demonstrate seriousness and responsibility to do that. |
| Op-ed by Dodik in NN
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed by Milorad Dodik, ‘Farewell to arms’ – In the opinion editorial, Milorad Dodik of SNSD writes about the adopted constitutional amendments, reiterating that military service will not be included into Law on Defence. He claims that full demilitarisation of BiH should be the final aim of this reform. In his view gradual establishment of mutual confidence can be grounded on demilitarisation. He points at need for starting with improving army professionalism, because it is also a part of process of building democratic institutions. According to him, reduction of military facilities in BIH, abolishment of mandatory military drafting and gradual demilitarisation would equate with permanent renunciation from war. He claims that demilitarised BiH would be protected through peace and international guarantees. He concludes the article by raising a question as to why Balkans could not become an ocean of peace instead of powder keg. |
| Kalinic on defence reform | Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘Srpska on European course’ – the RS Parliament Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, on Sunday in Teslic stated that the recent constitutional changes represents a part of constitutional changes process, which has come over the entire region of Balkans. He noted that Republika Srpska did not want to be marked as obstructionist of these processes. He said that: “What has been transferred into BiH level now will not be in the hands of BiH in few years time, but Europe instead.” |
| VL editorial on defense reform | Vecernji List (page 2, “Entity with the Army that it does not control”, by B. Stevandic) carries an editorial on the defense reforms. The author says: “Entity authorities, in the area of defense this time, were something that the Republika Srpska had to sacrifice in order to show to the International Community that it is a part of BiH oriented on reforms and that it will not be a stumbling point on the way of BiH towards Partnership for Peace and European integration. The problem is in the fact that each time when the RS has to prove that it supports reforms it loses some authority and this leads towards shutting down of this entity.” |
| BiH HoR expected to adopt Defence Law on Monday | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘BiH Law on Defence on agenda today’ – BiH House of Representatives (HoR) on Monday should adopt the Defence Law. As a reminder, this law yesterday got support from the House of Peoples. Defence Law regulates joint civilian command, parliamentary control and unified command chain at the BiH level. It also foresees establishing of BIH Defence Ministry as well as ministries at entity level. “My position on defence law remains the same. It seems to me that SDS didn’t act in the right way, we proposed abolishing of regular military service and we got support from most of the FBiH parties and I think that the SDS didn’t here think about RS interests or the BiH interests,” said the Chairman of the HoR, Nikola Spiric. Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 2 ‘Sefik Dzaferovic: I expect adoption of the Defence Law’ – The Vice-preside4nt of the BiH House of Representatives, Sefik Dzaferovic, expects the House members to at today’s session express seriousness and responsibility and vote for the draft Defence Law. |
| NATO to discuss reduction of SFOR | BHTV, Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaqz pg. 2 ‘Decision on reduction of SFOR troops to be made today’, Oslobodjenje pg. 4, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2, ‘NATO to decide on reduction of SFOR troops today’ – Ministers of defence of NATO will meet in Brussels on Monday to decide on reduction of SFOR mission from 12 to 7 thousands. Member countries expect both BiH and SCG will meet conditions for joining PfP by mid next year. NATO secretary Robertson announced some decision can be made during December in accordance with agreed taking over of SFOR mission by EU forces. US wants to make sure their mission is accomplished and all armies have good co-operation with the ICTY as one of conditions for PfP. Ministers will underline need to have successful defence reforms in BiH, so BiH may be serious candidate for PfP membership next June. |
| Participation of BiH members in peace keeping missions questionable | Vecernji List (page 3, “Women do not want to go in Army abroad”, by E. Medunjanin) carries that the participation of members of the BiH armed forces in the UN peacekeeping missions is questionable since none female member of the BiH armed forces is interested in being a member of a peacekeeping unit abroad. VL says that it is possible that a bigger engagement of BiH soldiers in the peacekeeping missions, for instance in Iraq or Afghanistan, will come into question due to the lack of interest of women for this sort of professional engagement. |
War crimes/organised crime | |
| Tihic to discuss BiH-ICTY cooperation during visit to The Hague
| BHTV, Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg. 3, mentioned on the front page ‘My duty is to answer the Hague Tribunal’s invitation’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘Tihic to testify against Milosevic’; Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘Sulejman Tihic to testify’ – Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency member Sulejman Tihic has left for The Hague, where, at the invitation of the Hague tribunal, he will testify in Milosevic’s trial on Tuesday. Although he could not reveal details of his testimony, it is believed that Tihic will talk about the situation in Samac at the beginning of the war and the period which he spent in detention. More than a year ago Tihic made contact with representatives of the Hague tribunal about his possible testimony in the court case against Milosevic. During his visit to The Hague he will probably meet representatives of the prosecutor’s office. “We are likely to discuss our cooperation with the Hague tribunal, what we should do in order to improve this cooperation and make this process more efficient, and we will probably discuss the transfer of cases to the judicial institutions of BiH,” said Tihic at the Sarajevo Airport on Sunday. |
| M. Ivanic on BiH lawsuit against SCG | Dnevni List (page 2, “Withdrawal of law suit at the moment is not realistic”, by De.L.) carries excerpts from the BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic’s interview to Belgrade’s Vecernje Novosti. Ivanic stated that this lawsuit is the last big problem in relations between two countries and it would be the best if a solution could be achieved. However, Ivanic thinks that “there is no consensus among leaders of Bosniaks to enter some negotiations on compromise solution since none of them has courage and readiness as well as political framework to undertake such a move. Therefore, withdrawal of the law suit is not realistic at the moment”. As for the relations with OHR, Ivanic said that they were in an up and down phases and at the moment they are ‘correct with a trend of improvement’. |
| VL on Action Plan for the Fight Against Organized Crime
| Vecernji List (front “Post-war rich men to be checked” and page 16 “Rich men and tycoons must prove how did they acquired wealth“, by Dejan Jazvic) announces new Action Plan for the Fight Against Organized Crime by the BH Government which is to comprise provisions that post-war rich men and tycoons have to present background of the property and money they posses. International organizations take a lot of credit for this plan and the author thinks that they are the ones who should guarantee implementation of it, i.e. so that this initiative is not be stopped by influential tycoons. VL also claims that this could bring the leading coalition a support of the public, but also warns that lots of resistance will come from the segments of ruling parties themselves. Also, that there is no existing legal framework which could guarantee a successful revision. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Special team of the FBiH Tax Administration goes into action | Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 5 ‘Special team goes into action’ – Interview with FBiH Tax Administration Director Midhat Arifovic. Arifovic announced a fight without any compromise against all abusing the law. “I have established a special team that will be mobile 24 hours,” said Arifovic adding that the team was made of the best tax inspectors in then Federation. |
| DL: ‘Border crossing Crveni Grm – Mali Prolog closed down’ | Dnevni List (front and page 3, by De. L.) carries that after a prolonged deadline expired, Director of the Federation of BiH Customs Administration Zelimir Rebac signed the decision on the ground of which the border crossing Crveni Grm – Mali Prolog will be closed down today for traffic of goods. A DL source close to the BiH Council of Ministers confirmed that there is a small war of various political and private lobbies on one side and strong so-called road and oil lobby on the other side regarding this issue. The source said that the BiH CoM and the FBiH Government want to have monopoly over traffic of oil and oil products through recently established state company ‘DO TERMINALI’ and they want to direct transport of oil and oil products through railways exclusively. |
| Electricity price for ‘Aluminij’ | Vecernji List (front and page 5, “Perhaps, production will stop as well!”, by Z. Kresic) carries an interview with Assistant of the ‘Aluminij’ General Manager Vladimir Bozic regarding the fact that Elektroprivreda BiH (EP BiH) decided to terminate one-sidedly the contract on delivery of electricity to Aluminij. Asked to comment on the journalist’s conclusion that EP BiH acted contrary to the instruction of competent Minister Izet Zigic and Federation of BiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic, who promised to ‘Daimler Chrysler’ that everything will be fine, Bozic says: “I would place it in the context of partisan disputes, but also in the context of ambitions of individuals. The press conference of EP BiH at which representatives of miners appeared and which was an attempt to cover up real problems is the best proof for it.” Dnevni List (front and page 7, “Threat with blockade of roads due to termination of electricity delivery to ‘Aluminij’ ”, by M. Skoko) carries on the same issue that many companies and their employees depend on ‘Aluminij’ and one of these companies is ‘Autoprevoz teretni Promet d.o.o. Mostar ‘ whose owner Ilija Pehar says that the issue of electricity price for ‘Aluminij’ is a product of petty political games. Pehar also said that in case that EP BiH stops with delivery of electricity for Aluminij’ his company will block roads and competent institutions. |
| VL on Illegal construction in Mostar East | Vecernji list (pg.4 “Orphanage taken away from children”, by Zoran Kresic) again points out the problems of illegal construction in East Mostar. The author claims that the last initiative of the Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic to cancel parallelisms is just a make-up in order to hide numerous illegalities in the Bosniak-majority areas in Mostar. Listing some examples, the author also wonders why the Cantonal Prosecutor Mirsad Resulovic who started the initiative on revision of number of illegal construction in Croat-majority areas has not shown interest in usurpation of the Orphanage and subsequently construction of business center on that location to which the OHR South has moved in. |
| British company to buy BiH iron mine and plant | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘LNM Group “checking” on Mines in Ljubija and Zenica iron and steel plant’ – The British Company LNM Group has recently commenced with inspection into the current situation and management of Mine in Ljubija. Officials of this firm are expected to commence with same inspection of current situation at Zenica Iron and Steel Plant “BH Steel”. According to Frenk Panier, Vice President of LNM Group, this firm will make contracts with authorities of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina following these inspections. |
| Serb refugees from Zenica region faced with return problems | Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Double dead-end’ – The article writes about problems with which Serb refugees from Zenica region are faced. Namely, they are to vacate somebody else’s property they are currently living in Srebrenica, Bratunac and Zvornik and cannot stay in Republika Srpska, but cannot return to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina either, since their houses are destroyed. Some of many problems they are facing with is that municipal authorities in Zenica region for example seek evidence from them which would prove who and when demolished Serb houses. Another problem is that mujahedeens have occupied some houses. |
| Bulldozer Committee-initiated reforms
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3, ‘Bulldozer reforms soon’ – NN bring press release by ERU, which says that the newly-appointed Emergency Reform Units (ERUs) – young civil servants tasked with steering Bulldozer reforms through government and parliamentary procedure so that benefits can be delivered to citizens as quickly as possible – held a plenary meeting in Jajce on Friday 28 November and drew up a campaign plan for implementing the next 50 Bulldozer reforms. These reforms are designed to cut cumbersome bureaucracy and unnecessary regulation, and make it easier to create jobs and attract investment. In the second phase of the Bulldozer Initiative, the Bulldozer Committees presented 50 reforms to the BiH governments on 10 November. At today’s meeting the ERU’s committed themselves to securing enactment of these reforms by 31 January 2004. |
| RS National Assembly on pensioners, social protection | Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘Same rates for benefits’; Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6, ‘Increase of PIO benefit rejected’ – At its session in Banjaluka on Saturday, Republika Srpska National Assembly did not adopt the proposed law on changes and addenda to the Law on benefits, proposed by 3200 pensioners and voters from Republika Srpska. This proposal set that benefits to PIO Fund should have increased, in which order pensions would have increased. RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, stated that the Republika Srpska Government accepts position taken by Republika Srpska pensioners, noting that Republika Srpska cannot search for solution for eventual improvement of material status of these categories of people through increase in benefits. Instead, according to him, the benefits should reduce gradually. Republika Srpska Parliament then adopted Law on addenda to Law on Republika Srpska Railways and also the Law on changes and addenda to the Law on social protection. |
| Volas on International Confederation of Independent Unions
| Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Agreement then membership’ – Cedo Volas, President of Republika Srpska Syndicate Union, confirmed that Republika Srpska Syndicate Union has an equal status as the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Syndicate Union before the International Confederation of Independent Unions. Volas sad that this was agreed at Saturday’s meeting between officials of Syndicate Unions of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Confederation. According to him, representatives of International Confederation proposed that Syndicate Unions of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina should adopt agreement on establishment of confederation at BiH level, in order to ensure its accession into International Confederation by June 2004. |
| Initiative of Coalition of Returnees’ Associations | Dnevni List (page 5, “Returnees demand old names of streets and employment”, by Z.J.) carries that the Coalition of Returnees’ Associations will launch an initiative before the authority institutions and the International Community in order to make the atmosphere of the return more acceptable. They will demand employing in the authority institutions according to the census from 1991, abolishment of all ethnic and religious symbols from public institutions and return of the names of streets and towns that they had in 1991. |
Education | |
| Head of Sarajevo University Boris Tihi on autonomy of Universities
| Dnevni List (page 4, “Without autonomy of University there is no successful reform”, by Fena) carries that Head of the Sarajevo University Boris Tihi stated at the session of ‘Krug 99’ that without autonomy of the Universities in BiH, which does not exist at the moment, there is no a successful reform, and without the successful reform there is no self-sustainable and prosperous BiH. He added that the Universities would lose a lot if they do not get financial autonomy. Sarajevo media also covered the issue. |
| Meeting between R. Beecroft and representatives of Council of Students of Mostar Grammar School | Dnevni List (page 4, “OSCE donates computer equipment to Council of Students of Mostar Grammar School”, by De. L.) carries that Head of the OSCE Mission in BiH Robert Beecroft met with representatives of the Council of Students of the Mostar Grammar School. The students stated that they want a high-quality education. DL says that as a response Beecroft announced donation of computer equipment to the Council of Students, which is the first joint Council of Students in Mostar. The OSCE issued a press release quoting Beecroft as saying: “The Council of Students from Mostar confirmed that the education reform refers exactly on the students. It is encouraging to see them included in the work of their school and their future.” Vecernji List (page 2, no title, by zc), Sarajevo media also covered this meeting. |