Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS(12,00 hrs) |
| SBS confirms arrest of a person | Protests in | Cavic on Mladic |
| Alleged Al-Qaeda network in BiH | Protests in | RSNA in session |
| Registry Office agreement signing | Tadic vehicle’s attacked in | EU document on the Balkans |
TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| RS NA in session | Mladic -RS Army employee | Radomir Njegus resigned | Covic under investigation |
| Stojicic, Markovic on ICTY | Radomir Njegus resigned | RS NA held session | Radomir Njegus resigned |
| SDU criticises Matijasevic | Reports against Bosniaks | Ashdown on Mladic’s file | HR on Mladic |
| BIH vet. border inspection | Markovic on ICTY | Serry on NATO role in BiH | Serry on PfP membership |
| Oslobodjenje | Criminal investigation against Covic launched |
| Dnevni Avaz | Lies from Pale on thousands killed Serbs |
| Dnevni List | Beslic loses support of a part of party? |
| Vecernji List | Four thousand pupils will not complete school year |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Judge interviews member of BiH Presidency |
| Glas Srpske | Police detected evidence on suffering of Serbs: |
| Nezavisne Novine | Following request of Darko Matijasevic: Radomir Njegus filed resignation; Predrag Markovic: SiCG will extradite Hague fugitives; Branko Dokic: Falsified transport licences discovered at BiH Ministry of Traffic; Dragan Covic interrogated over “Lijanovic” case |
| Blic | Police found evidence on crimes against Serbs in |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related topics |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbian related topics |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Zenica workers stage protest in
| BH Radio 1 – About 1000 workers form companies in Zenica, BiH Steel, Steel factory, Mine and Metalno, as well as the workers from companies in Gorazde, have gathered in Sarajevo today to protest over the incapability of authorities to adopt the law on return and privatisation of the apartments. Protesters say that this law would enable companies to return unclaimed apartments and which would be later given to workers. In FBiH, there are in total 7000 such apartments. Protesters are awaiting to be addressed by the FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic. |
| Iron-casting plant workers hold protest rally in
| BH Radio 1 – About 180 workers of the iron-casting plant in |
| RSNA in session
| BH Radio 1, RS Radio – RS National Assembly has continued today its regular session discussing the draft law on courts. Representatives have mostly agreed that the judicial reform has not given expected results adding that the citizens are still dissatisfied with the work of judiciary. The draft law also aims to change the jurisdiction of the courts and their internal structure. RSNA is to halt the regular session, and will commence the special session whose only agenda item is the discussion on the RS Government’s information on the police reform. |
| Del Ponte blames NATO for failures to arrest PIFWC
| BH Radio 1 – ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, told BBC that the Radovan Karadzic was not captured because there was no political will to do so. Del Ponte added that NATO had enough intelligence to find all the court’s most wanted men, including Karadzic. A spokesman for NATO, James Appathuray, said that her remarks were unfair. Del Ponte concluded that the situation has now changed, but it is too late as NATO is leaving |
| Cavic on Mladic
| RS Radio – In regard to the issue of Ratko Mladic, Dragan Cavic, RS President, stated that in 1996 and in accordance with Decree issued by the-then RS President, Biljana Plavsic, Mladic has been dismissed of duties as the Head of RS Army General Staff, which also terminated his status at the RS Army. Cavic stressed that the former 30th Cadre Centre of RS Army was under the control of the SCG Defence Ministry. He said: “According to information I hold, RS has provided no payments or allowances from RS budget to any war crime suspects…Accusations that RS has been violating the |
| EU document on deployment of troops in the Balkans
| RS Radio – The document called “Deployment of European troops in the Balkans”, which is expected to be adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union reads that EU is in a complete possession of political, economic, security and defence instruments, necessary for identifying solutions to many problems in the Balkans. |
| Serbian President attacked in
| BH Radio 1 – Serbian President Boris Tadic was attacked on Tuesday evening in |
Crime/Cooperation with ICTY | |
| BiH Presidency member Covic under investigation over Lijanovic case
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 7 ‘Criminal investigation against Covic launched’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Dragan Covic informed on launch of investigation’ by M. Kukan, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ’Dragan Covic interrogated over “Lijanovic” case’ by A. Durmo, ONASA, HINA – Prosecutor Mats Mattson from the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption at the BiH Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday officially informed BiH Presidency member Dragan Covic about the request for launching an investigation against him in relation to the case of meat industry Lijanovici, Covic’s lawyer Josip Muselimovic said. “We have been informed about the contents of an order, or rather a request for launching of investigation. My opinion is that such request cannot be linked with Covic in any way,” Muselimovic said. According to earlier media reports, at the time when Covic was the BiH Federation finance minister he allegedly exempted Lijanovici from taxes, thus violating the customs law. In such the way, according to the media, he damaged the BiH Federation budget for dozens of millions of KM. Slobodna Dalmacija, front pg splash ‘Judge interviews member of BiH Presidency’ and pg 8 ‘Covic questioned before Court of BiH’, by Zlatko Tulic, Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Lijanovici express support to Prosecution’, by N. Dedic, N. Bise, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Request for investigation has nothing to do with Covic’, mentioned on front ‘Covic interviewed because of Lijanovici’, by Zoran Kresic also covered the issue. SD learns from a source close to Court of BiH that Dragan Covic will be interviewed again on December 30. |
| DL: Covic running out of options
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Sokol’s two eyes’ (Sokol – Hawk), by Nermin Bise – Carries a commentary in which the author argues that Covic has always dodged criminal reports and indictments, however the author notes that was the case before when domestic judges and prosecutors were dealing with those cases. The author goes on to say that Covic is running out of options, foremost because he cannot invoke the immunity and because there is not more law on pardon. Finally, the author notes that if the push comes to shove, Covic’s last trump cards are Tihic and Paravac, “unless they find themselves in similar troubles”, concludes the author. |
| War crimes against Serbs in
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Lies from Pale on thousands killed Serbs’, pg 2 ‘Odobasic: Story on thousand of missing Serbs are fabrications’ by E. Sarac – FBiH Missing Persons Commission claims that RS Commission for Missing Persons in not in possession of the lists of missing Serbs. FBiH Commission’s Jasmin Odobasic commented that this is the reason why his office have reserves towards any information on missing persons coming from Serb side. This follows the statement given by Chief of the Public Security Center Istocno Sarajevo, Dragomir Andan, who said that about 5000 boxes with detailed information on suffering of Serbs in the war was found. “The story on thousands of missing Serbs in Sarajevo region is absolute fabrication, as well as the story on even a thousand killed in Pofalici and Otoka [Sarajevo settlements],” said Odobasic. Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘New lies about Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Sarajevo files on crimes’ by S.S.; Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘RS Police have found data on sufferings of 5,000 Serbs from Sarajevo’ by Srna; EuroBlic cover ‘Evidence on sufferings of 5,000 Serbs in Sarajevo’ and RSpg1 ‘Evidence on crimes’ by Dusanka Stanisic, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Information about 5000 Serb victims collected’ by eme, bs – Head of the Public Security Centre East Sarajevo, Dragomir Andan, stated that 5000 documents with information about Serb wartime victims (1992-1995) from the Sarajevo area had been found. The documents allegedly contain information pertaining to location of graves, who killed the victims and even some photographs of the victims. BHT also covered the issue. |
| Ashdown says Mladic file proves RS breached
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Mladic’s personnel file is scandalous and it shows that RS breaches Dayton provisions in a flagrant way,’ Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘Mladic’s file a proof of violation of Dayton agreement’, by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 6 ‘Ratko Mladic discharged from Yugoslav army only in 2001’, by D. Pasic, ONASA – Commenting on the revelation of Ratko Mladic‘s personnel military file published in Tuesday’s press, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, said that the document indicates that the RS, through the VRS [RS Army], had for a full seven years, been in flagrant breach of Dayton and their international obligations by formally retaining Ratko Mladic on their books and perhaps even paying him while claiming they didn’t know where he was. “We have now seen for ourselves Ratko Mladic’s personnel file,” said the High Representative. “The fact that as recently as two years ago, the VRS had an employer/employee relationship with Mr Mladic is scandalous, and is an indication of the flagrant disregard that the RS authorities and especially the VRS have held towards their Dayton commitments and their obligations to the International Tribunal in The Hague,” Ashdown added. He said that this document supports comments made by the ICTY chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte last week, in which she noted that there are fundamental systemic weaknesses built into the law enforcement and security structures in the RS. “What does this tell us about the collusion of the VRS in Mr Mladic’s continued evasion of justice and their willingness to cooperate with the ICTY?,” said the High Representative. “This is proof of systemic institutional weaknesses that exist – in particular in the RS Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defence. The RS must break with the past if it wants a modern European future,” Ashdown emphasized. He noted that the document also contradicts the claim by the RS authorities that the institutional links between the Yugoslav Army (VJ) and VRS were severed back in 2000 and 2001. “If Mr Mladic was registered with both the VJ and the VRS, why did his personnel file never appear back in 2000 and 2001 when the authorities were claiming to have severed the link?” said the High Representative. Ratko Mladic’s personnel military file was published today. It showed that he was discharged from the VJ in 2001 and from the VRS in 2002. His discharge from the VRS was issued by decree of then RS President Mirko Sarovic in March 2002. Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘RS authorities were violating Dayton’ by P.K.; Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Srpska was violating Dayton’ by N. Zelenovic; EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Ratko Mladic was receiving salary from RS budget’ by M. S.– Apart from carrying statement of Paddy Ashdown, NN and GS also carry the comment of Goran Radivojac, Spokesperson for RS Premier, who stated that Ratko Mladic has not received pension or any other allowances after the-then RS President, Biljana Plavsic, hadordered it in 1996. Without excluding the possibility that 30th Cadre Centre was providing some allowances to Mladic, Radivojac said that this unit had nothing to do with the RS Army. He noted that RS authorities back in June 2002 ended all connections with this Centre, following which defence systemhas entered the phase of reforms. On this he added that “qualifications on systematic omissions at RS Defence Ministry are not in place”, adding the same comment applies to RS MOI, since it has gone through the IPTF certification process. |
| Serbian, RS speakers urge Hague suspects to surrender
| Herceg Bosna Radio, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Call on war crime indictees to surrender’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘States must not be sacrificed because of individuals’, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Tribunal is the last obstacle’ by G. Dakic; Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Call to Hague indictees to voluntarily surrender’, ONASA – Republika Srpska National Assembly Speaker Dusan Stojicic and his Serbian counterpart Predrag Markovic signed in Banja Luka Tuesday a joint statement in which they call on all the persons indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague to surrender. “Considering that the issue of full-scale cooperation with the ICTY is the last insurmountable obstacle on the road of the RS, BiH and Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) to full membership of the Euro-Atlantic structures, we call on all the persons indicted for war crimes by the ICTY to surrender of their own free will, and on relevant authorities and institutions in both countries to meet their commitments in terms of their mutual and inter-state cooperation as soon as possible,” read the joint statement. Markovic said that Serbian executive bodies will intensify activities aimed at extraditing indicted war criminals. “Serbia is committed to do so, regardless of from which territory indicted war criminals come,” stressed Markovic, after the meeting with Stojicic. |
| NN interview with Serbian speaker Markovic | Nezavisne Novine cover ‘SiCG will extradite Hague fugitives’ and pg 4 ‘Mladic is not in Serbia’ by V. Popovic – In a brief interview to NN, Predrag Markovic, Serbian Parliament Speaker, claims that the executive bodies of Serbia are determined to extradite Hague war crime suspects, adding that all indictees, who fail to voluntarily surrender and are within AoR of Serbian authorities, would be arrested. He announces some concrete measures on this issue after the Laws at the state level are harmonised. He stresses that Ratko Mladic is out of reach of Serbian authorities, stressing there has been no indication over the past year that he is hiding in |
| RS Interior Minister Matijasevic orders PSCs to arrest war crime suspects
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Measures aimed at arresting war crime suspects need to be intensified’ – RS Interior Minister Darko Matijasevic stated following Tuesday meeting with the RS MoI Collegium that he has given clear orders to the PSC Chief’s in Banja Luka, Trebinje, Bijeljina, Doboj and East Sarajevo, regarding their duty to intensify activities aimed at detecting, identifying and arresting war crime suspects, and also orders stipulating intensified activities in the fight against organized crime. (Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Two tasks to police’ by S.S.; EuroBlic RSpg3 ‘Chiefs got clear instructions’ by Dusanka Stanisic) |
| Dnevni Avaz: RS Government still has not paid 500.000 KM for Potocari
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘RS Government still has not paid 500.000 KM for Potocari’ by S. Skuletic – Beriz Belkic, the chair of the Foundation ‘Potocari – Srebrenica memorial’, said that RS Government has not paid 500.000 KM it was supposed to by the end of the year. To remind, in March 2003 BiH Human Rights Chamber ordered RS Government to pay 2 million KM compensation to the Foundation in 2003, and additional 2 million KM in next 4 years. Belkic said that RS respected the decision of the Chamber and paid initial 2 million KM in September 2003, however that since it did not pay a single KM. “I have tried to address the issue with the President of the RS Government, Dragan Mikerevic, twice and in written, reminding him of the obligation however I did not get official answer,” Belkic concluded. RS PM’s spokesperson, Goran Radivojac, commented that there is no doubt whether RS Finance Ministers will pay out this sum, as it has already been planned assuring this will certainly happen by the end of the year. |
| OHR: Tihic and Ashdown to sign Registry Agreement on Wednesday
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Tihic and Ashdown to sign agreement today’, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Agreement on establishing of Registry Office with Court of BiH’, by NINA, FENA – BiH Presidency member Sulejman Tihic and the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, will on Wednesday in the Presidency Building sign an agreement setting up the Registry within the Court of BiH, the OHR spokesperson, |
| Blic: Gojko Jankovic was informed on arrest
| EuroBlic, pg. RS3 ‘Gojko Jankovic was informed on arrest’ by M. J. – Sources close to International Community are in a possession of the information that high officials of RS MoI have deliberately obstructed the attempt of arresting of Gojko Jankovic in Foca on October 30, by allegedly informing him of the action before it was launched. Jankovic was seen in Foca the day before the action, but on the day the action was undertaken he was not in the town. The information in possession of IC says RS MoI high officials, including Deputy Chief of Police in Foca Zoran Ostojic, have warned Jankovic of the action. Sources claim Minister Darko Matijasevic is undertaking strict measures to arrest war crimes indictees, however, there are “people at RS MoI who support them (war crimes indictees)“. |
SFOR/EUFOR/NATO/PfP | |
| Terzic meets EUFOR Commander Leakey
| FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Implementation of good SFOR’s experiences’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘General Leakey offered assistance in fight against corruption and crime’, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘EUFOR will help in combat against organized crime’, by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘Cooperation in fight against corruption and crime agreed upon’, by D. Pasic, Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘A joint fight against crime agreed on’ by M. Cubro ,FENA – BiH Council of Ministers Chair Adnan Terzic on Tuesday received the Commander of EUFOR, Major General David Leakey. Terzic welcomed the EU Force in BiH and expressed hope that their mission would be successful for the benefit of BiH citizens. He confirmed the preparedness of all military and security forces in BiH to participate fully and cooperate in the successful implementation of the EUFOR Mission, it was announced by the Council of Ministers. General Leakey confirmed the readiness of EUFOR to support BiH officials in their efforts against corruption and organized crime. In this context, Terzic and Major General Leakey talked about the modalities of cooperation between the EUFOR Mission and the Council of Ministers, which will ensure the necessary support to EUFOR troops in fulfilling the security tasks in BiH. |
| Serry says main task on NATO to help implementation of defence reform in BiH
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘NATO to continue hunt on the Hague fugitives’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘150 civilians and officers to work in NATO Headquarters’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Four tasks for EUFOR’ by A. Sisic, ONASA – Assistant Secretary General of NATO for operations and Chairman of the Working Group for the Balkans Robert Serry said on Tuesday that the main task of the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo will be to assist in implementation of reform in the field of defense and strengthening of defense structures at the state level. Serry told a press conference that operative tasks of this headquarters will be to help the arrest of persons indicted for war crimes, to participate in anti-terrorist activities within the global campaign against terrorism and to be engaged in intelligence activities in cooperation with forces of the European Union. He said that there will be no military troops in the NATO Headquarters, in which 150 civil employees will work. According to Serry, the handover of the mandate between SFOR and EUFOR, which will take place on Thursday in |
| Scheffer and Solana to attend SFOR/EUFOR handover ceremony in
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Scheffer and Solana to arrive in Sarajevo tomorrow’, FENA – The joint ceremony to mark the completion of the NATO’s peace Stabilisation Force and the inauguration of the European Union Force (EUFOR) and the permanent NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo will be held at Camp Butmir in Sarajevo, on Thursday, December 2, the SFOR spokesperson, Mark Hope, told a press conference in Sarajevo on Tuesday. The ceremony will be attended by dignitaries from BiH and around the world, and followed by a press conference to be given by the Secretary General of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union and High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana. |
| NN op-ed on departure of SFOR
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Departure of SFOR’ by Almedin Sisic – The author claims that “nothing would change in BiH, since the military mission of the European Union in BiH would have the same mandate, equal force and identical number of troops as NATO.” Her notes that the public is dissatisfied with the fact that the strongest military force, now withdrawing, has not succeeded in arresting in Ratko Maldic and Radovan Karadzic, which causes large frustration amongst local population. Cynically toned, he noted that NATO forces managed to apprehend Saddam Hussein in few months, and failed to do the same thing for nine years. |
| Ivanic says it can hardly be expected that BiH will be admitted into PfP on December 9
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘No chances for BiH’s accession to PfP’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘No accession to PfP following Carla Del Ponte’s report’, FENA – Following the presentation of report by the ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, before the UN Security Council, it can hardly be expected that BiH will be admitted into the Partnership for Peace in this phase and on December 9, BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic told Fena on the occasion of the NATO ministerial meeting to take place on December 9 in Brussels. “The decision on membership does not have to be made on summits or ministerial meetings. It can also be issued at the meetings of ambassadors who are regularly meeting every month in Brussels, so that it is up to us to remove this great obstacle that refers to the insufficient cooperation with the Hague Tribunal”, said Ivanic, adding that in his opinion it can hardly be expected that this could happen in December. |
Police affairs/reforms | |
| RS Police Director Njegus resigns
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Dragomir Andan to be new RS Police Director?’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Radomir Njegus resigns’, FENA – The director of the RS police, Radomir Njegus, has tendered his irrevocable resignation from the post on Tuesday. Njegus tendered his resignation at the session of the independent committee for the appointment and nomination of the police director, held in Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘Radomir Njegus filed resignation’ by D. Risojevic; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Njegus filed resignation’ by V. Janjic – Along with information on resignation of Radomir Njegus, NN also carries comment of Dragan Mikerevic, RS Premier, saying that: “This is one of faster options for resolving this crisis situation, because if it had lasted, it could have had consequences upon the work of the RS MoI and the authority itself.” |
| Matijasevic on Njegus’s replacement
| ONASA – Republika Srpska Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic said on Tuesday he will propose persons who could ensure more efficient work of the Ministry of Interior for the new director of the RS Police instead of former Director Radomir Njegus. During a pause of a session of the Board for Election and Control of Work of Director of the RS Police, at which a request for dismissal of Njegus was being discussed, Matijasevic said he will consult representatives of political parties, institutions of the RS and international community. He rejected a possibility for appointment of a Bosniak to the position of director of the RS Police and said that only a Serb could be appointed to that position. Matijasevic has requested dismissal of Njegus due to “non-cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, obstruction of all activities of the RS MUP and negative position toward the RS minister of interior.” |
| Matijasevic and Cavic with Humphreys and Priebe
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Satisfactory solution for police reform possible’ by SRNA – Darko Matijasevic, RS Interior Minister, on Tuesday stated that there is “enough space for optimism that a qualitative and satisfactory solution for police reform would be found”. He added after the meeting he and Dragan Cavic, RS President, had with Michael Humphreys, Head of EC delegation to BiH, that: “The constitutional and legal position of the RS MoI is still clear and there is room for optimism.” The meeting in Matijasevic confirmed that East Sarajevo PSC detected five thousand documents, which would serve in criminal prosecution of persons, who committed crimes against Serbs in Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Agreement to settle everything’ – Cavic stated that: “It is absurd to implement reforms, which simply are not acceptable for all the sides, and I think that there are models on solution of police reform, with consensus and agreement.” Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Cavic: We do not want to be obstacle to implementation of reforms’ also covered the issue. |
| Avaz interview with Priebe
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘I called Matijasevic and Cavic to respect stances and recommendations from Brussels’ by Sead Numanovic – In an interview to DA, EC Director for the Western Balkans, Reinhard Priebe, says that EC has commended the progress BiH achieved in its path to meet 16 conditions necessary to begin with Stabilization and Association Agreement. Priebe, who met on Tuesday with CoM Chair Adnan Terzic, RS President Dragan Cavic and RS MoI Darko Matijasevic, said that he hopes that the negotiations on SAA will start next year. He also said that EU will insist on implementation of the reformatory process, not only on adoption of the reforms directed laws and that “the negotiations can be suspended at any time in the case of some serious thing”. On the police reform, Priebe acknowledged this issue will be difficult to solve, however stressed that “police in BiH must be entirely and seriously restructured and rationalized.” Priebe discussed this issue with Cavic and Matijasevic, as well as the cooperation with the ICTY, and he adds that he called both to listen to recommendations coming from |
| Colak: SIPA must have priority
| Dnevni List, pg 8, mentioned on front ‘SIPA needs to have priority over other all other institutions’, by Jurislav Petrovic – Carries an interview with the BiH Security Minister, Barisa Colak, in which he notes that SIPA (BiH’s Agency for information and protection) is facing problems on daily basis, which are consequences of lack of funds. In that context, Minister Colak says the State institutions should be getting more money, noting that the position of the RS representatives, who reject to allocate more money to the State, is unacceptable. Colak also notes that SIPA has accommodation related problems, and he reckons that a possible solution to these problems are moving of some FBiH Ministries to Mostar, which has been prescribed by the law, however it was never implemented. |
Political developments | |
| Russian Ambassador: Ashdown has no powers to repeal the Law on Pardons
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Ashdown has no powers to repeal the Law on Pardons’ by A.O. –The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the BiH, Alexander Grischenko, stated for daily on Tuesday that HR Paddy Ashdown should not have repealed the Law on Pardons, as he did not have authorities. “I don’t say that the Law was. It is not questionable that it had its weaknesses. But, the decision of the High Representative is hard to comprehend, as the rule of law must be applicable to everyone… Not even the broadest interpretation of the |
| RSNA session
| Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Srebrenica Report taken of the agenda’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Kalabic with empty talk’ by D. Zec; Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘No discussion on Srebrenica and police’ by V.P.; EuroBlic RSpg2 ‘Report on the Internet as well’ by R. R., ONASA – The 21st regular session of the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly started on Tuesday with a discussion on the proposed agenda. The 20th session was ended before that with the adoption of the amendments and addenda to the Standing Orders of the Assembly harmonized with the constitutional amendments on constituent status of peoples. The proposed agenda includes several proposals for the law on amendments and addenda to the law on banks, to the law on forests and on criminal procedure. Delegates are also expected to declare themselves on a report of the Assembly Board for Economy and Finances on a report of the chief auditor on the revision of financial reports of the budget users for the year of 2003. The police reform in BiH, the final report on Srebrenica and the initiative of delegates of the BiH Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the BiH Parliament for the change of the BiH Constitution were not discussed at the 20th session because they were removed from the agenda. |
| DL: Mostar will not be getting new Mayor today
| Herceg Bosna Radio, Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 2 ‘Beslic loses support of a part of party?’, by S. Bjelica, Z. Jukic – Notes that Mostar will not, for the time being at least, be getting the new Mayor because the Mostar City Council (MCC), which was suppose to meet today (Wednesday) and elect the new Mayor, as well as President and Deputy Presidents of the MCC , will not be holding its session today because Caucuses of peoples in the MCC could not reach an agreement within themselves on proposal of candidates for the leading posts. As a result, all three Caucuses took a decision to ask from the OHR to postpone the session for seven to ten days time. According to Goran Bilic (HDZ), the Croat Caucus could not reach an agreement about the distribution of posts. DL’s sources within the HDZ reveal that a part of HDZ councillors within the HDZ are withholding the support to Ljubo Beslic, who is the HDZ’s candidate for the position of Mayor of Mostar, because there are in fact two fractions in the HDZ of Mostar, one gathered around Miroslav Coric, which is controlled by Dragan Covic and which supports Beslic, and the other gathered around Ivan Musa, Goran Bilic and Jadranko Lovric, which allegedly wanted to see Bilic as the new Mayor. |
| SD criticizes BiH Election Law
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 17 ‘Plavsic can put forward her candidacy at elections, while professor Grabovac cannot do it’ by Z. Tulic – Carries a commentary about a provision of the BiH Election Law, which says that war crime suspects who turned themselves in and war criminals who served their sentences can put forward their candidacy in elections in BiH. The author goes on to say that on the other hand those who were removed on the ground of the decision passed by the High Representative, IPTF or SFOR Commanders cannot put forward their candidacy as long as the OHR as an institution exists in BiH or until the HR passes a different decision. |
| Pudaric on F BiH HoP
| Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘F BiH authorities ignore Serb Caucus’ by A. Sekulic – Svetozar Pudaric, SDP of BiH delegate at the F BiH House of Poeples, notes that the ruling majority on the F BiH has no political will to resolve the issue of Serb delegates at the HoP, because they are sitting in wait of seeing this issue resolved at some upcoming elections. |
Economic/social issues | |
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| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘For tenancy rights holders either compensation or substituting apartment’, mentioned on cover, by A. Omeragic – Article refers to the decision of the FBiH Government to adopt the changes to the Law on Apartments despite the objections from the parliament, commenting that this move showed once more that Government was taking a stance against the restitution. It further outlines the details related specific cases in which tenancy rights holders have a right to purchase apartments. Inset ‘Equalizing the rights’ carries statement by FBiH Urban Planning Minister, Ramiz Mehmedagic, who explains that Government estimated that the price for all unclaimed apartments should be between 300-600 KM per square meter. In addition, it also carries that new housing related regulations endorsed by the Government, it legalized the practice to assistance refugees returning to RS to purchase their homes. The Vakuf Directorate strongly criticized this decision of the Government. Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Owners reject, tenancy rights holder support decision of the FBiH Government’ by A. Basic – DA brings that the decision of the Government angered the owner of nationalized apartments, who called it scandalous. Minister Mehmedagic explains that “the Government believes that the tenancy rights holders have a right to purchase apartments, it is up to Parliament of FBiH whether it will allow it.” |
| VL: 4000 pupils in FBiH flunk out of school every year
| Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Four thousand pupils will not complete school year’ and pg 5 ‘4000 pupils will flunk this’ by M. Bozanic – Carries an article which says that 4000 pupils of primary and secondary schools in the Federation of BiH will flunk out of school this year. According to teachers that VL contacted, reasons behind these worrying statistics are outdated curriculums, which resulted in pupils not interested in classes. |
| VL says KIA’s promises of investments to BH Steel never came to be
| Vecernji List, pg 5 ‘Kuwait co-owns Steel’, mentioned on front ‘Kuwait owns BH-Steel’, by Zoran Kresic – The author argues that the Kuwait-based KIA got its 41% of shares in the BH Steel of Zenica through some dodgy deals that included settling of BiH’s pre-war debts to Kuwait and debts that had been incurred by the wartime government in Sarajevo, namely by the then BiH Foreign Minister Haris Silajdzic. VL goes on to say that announcements of new investments to BH Steel by KIA worth 60 million US$ never came to be, and VL carries an anonymous source in the FBiH Government, who says that some 30 million |
| BiH Veterinary Office takes over control at BiH border crossings
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Office for Veterinary takes over control at border’, by NINA, Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Veterinary Office takes over inspections’, by vr, Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘Better protection of people and animals’, by D. Pasic, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘BiH got Border Veterinary Service’ by N.K.; EuroBlic RSpg12 ‘At BiH Customs’ by Srna – The Veterinary Office at the State level took over the competence over control of products of animal origin at BiH border crossings at a ceremony that was held at Sarajevo airport yesterday (Tuesday). According to the Head of OHR’s Economic Department, Patrice Dreiski, from this moment onwards, the State bodies will be able to guarantee for quality of imported products. |
| Alleged affair at BiH Ministry of Traffic and Communication
| Nezavisne Novine cover ‘Falsified transport licences discovered at BiH Ministry of Traffic’ by A. Sisic – Branko Dokic, BiH Minister of Traffic and Communication, claims that the General Inspector at the BiH Ministry of Traffic and Communication completed investigation into abuses of international licences for transport of passengers and goods and detected some forgeries. Dokic noted that “data show that Ministry acted correctly.” |