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| Trial of Muamer Topalovic | Mine explosion killed 5 in Domaljevac municipality | 5 returnees into Domaljevac-Samac municipality died in mine accident | Five returnees killed by land mines in Domaljevići |
| Orao report to have political consequences for RS, said RS President Dragan Cavic | Muamer Topalovic pleads guilty for murder of Andjelic Family | Muamer Topalovic plead guilty for murder of three Andjelic family members | RS government appoints acting manager of RS Elektroprivreda |
| Russia to veto new resolution on Iraq | BHTV1 publishes details about report on performance of Elektroprivreda BiH | Privatisation of big enterprises in BiH is uncertain | RS President meets SNSD leader Dodik |
| Strike in HB Canton elementary schools continues | Russia against draft new resolution on Iraq | Issuance of ID cards | SDS and PDP think there is no political crises |
| Oslobodjenje | Topalovic admitted murder of the Andjelics |
| Dnevni Avaz | The Balkan Evil: RS Intelligence Service works for Karadzic |
| Dnevni List | Topalovic admits crime; Federation Government and OHR still have not officially requested investigation on funding of HDZ BiH; Obstruction of Beslic’s appointment for Deputy Mayor |
| Vecernji List | Killed Croats over Iraq and Afghanistan?!; D. Hays: Karadzic’s money in Belgrade; Ljubljanska bank sued in Strasbourg; Projectiles from Gabela smuggled to Uganda |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Topalovic: I was not myself, human life is sacred to me; Slezak was requested 2 million KMs |
| Glas Srpski | In Skuljevic near Domaljevac five Serbs got killed: Mine killed returnees |
| Nezavisne Novine | Trial for triple murder commenced in Mostar; Mine explosion near Samac/Bosanski Samac: Five Serb returnees killed; The Hague: RS NA MP giving testimony to investigators |
| Blic | Mine killed five Serb returnees; Dragan Cavic: Srpska’s institutions are passive; SFOR action because of RS Army intelligence officers; Strike at University because of two unpaid salaries |
Crimes | |
| Dnevni Avaz: RS Intelligence Service works for Karadzic
| Dnevni Avaz front-page, pg. 2 ‘Risto Zaric is a player of war criminal Velibor Ostojic’ – The US Administration has, while announcing the launch of the Balkan Evil operation, directly accused the RS Intelligence Service of providing protection to the most wanted war criminal Radovan Karadzic. Although Washington is not directly pointing finger at Chief of the Service Risto Zaric, there are many reasons indicating that the US accusations are justified and that exactly Zaric is one of the key people among Karadzic’s protectors. Vecernje Novosti pg. 5 – According to a source close to the RS Intelligence and Security Service, that service is in panic after the US State Department’s statement which says that the Service, together with Momcilo Mandic and Milovan Bjelica, has been harmonising its activities in hiding Radovan Karadzic. The same source says the RS Intelligence and Security Service has decided to transfer the most of documents to some safer place in fear of SFOR investigation. |
| Karadzic’s letter | Podgorica’s magazine ‘Istok’ (East) carried on Monday a letter written by Radovan Karadzic in which he claims that he will not be tried in the Hague if Americans respect the agreement from the Dayton’s signing ceremony period. “Richard Holbrooke offered me to withdraw from the public life in exchange for American protection when it comes to the Hague Tribunal. I have fulfilled my part of deal, and now Americans are fulfilling their part”, Karadzic’s letter reads. Karadzic says that Holbrooke decided about that upon Alija Izetbegovic’s proposal: “Remove Karadzic and Bosnia will be solved”. (Vecernje Novosti pg. 5 headline ‘He agreed with Holbrooke’) |
| OHR on Mladic and Karadzic | Vecernje Novosti pg. 5 (headline ‘Ashdown without proofs’) report that the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, does not have concrete proofs that Ratko Mladic is in Serbia. As OHR spokesman Mario Brkic told Novosti, Ashdown said that General Mladic is probably somewhere in Belgrade. Commenting on the SFOR action, Brkic said that the OHR have information that clearly link Momcilo Mandic and Milovan Bjelica to the financing and supporting of Radovan Karadzic’s organisation. “Evidence is clear and solid but we would not go into the specifics at the moment”, Brkic said. |
| SFOR is checking confiscated documentation | Deputy SFOR spokesperson Dale McKakne (spelling!) said that the documentation took away on Friday during the SFOR action was still being analysed. He refused to talk about the results of inspection, saying it was too early to talk about. Guess is that the SFOR aim was documentation of RS Army Intelligence Service. The Serb Sarajevo Municipal Board of SDS, which president Milovan Bjelica was removed on 7 March, at its yesterday’s extraordinary session expressed its shock over behaviour of SFOR soldiers who did not act in line with their mandate. The SDS Board thinks there were other ways to check documentation and asks the High Representative Paddy Ashdown to explain his decision on removing Bjelica. (Blic pg. 7 headline ‘They were looking for intelligence information?’) |
| Topalovic pleaded guilty | Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5, Dnevni Avaz pg. 3, mentioned on the front page ‘Topalovic admitted horrible crime’ – Muamer Topalovic on Monday admitted before the Mostar Cantonal Court he had murdered three members of the Andjelic family in their home in the village of Kostajnica near Konjic on December 24 last year. He however denied the committed crime had been religiously motivated. “I admit the guilt and responsibility but I deny committing a premeditated or religiously motivated murder”, said Topalovic. He also said that he “wanted to draw attention to injustice that happens to Moslems throughout the world because of the so-called American war against terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and because of things happening in Bosnia”. (Vecernji List,front and page 3, by Z. Kresic and R. Soldo, “Topalovic: I admit, I killed Andjelics”, Dnevni List, front and page 41, by N. Dedic, “Topalovic admits crime” and Slobodna Dalmacija, front and page 15, by Darko Juka, “Topalovic: I was not myself, human life is sacred to me”, Jutarnji List, page 4, “Christmas three led me to Andjelics”, Nezavisne Novine, page 3, ‘Muamer Topalovic denied he committed murder on religious grounds’, Blic pg. 6) |
Affairs | |
| RS to suffer political consequences over Orao
| Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘RS to suffer heavy consequences over Orao’, FENA – A report on the Orao affair will cause political consequences for the RS, and a reaction of the international community to the report is expected to follow after a session of PIC on March 28 in Brussels, according to RS President Dragan Cavic. In the statement for journalists in Banja Luka on Monday, Cavic confirmed that an amended report on the affair would be delivered to SFOR Commander William Ward by March 17. Cavic said he expected a balanced reaction by the international community to the report. (Vecernje Novosti pg. 7 headline ‘Political consequences’; Blic pg. 7 headline ‘On Orao by 17 March’) |
| Ashdown to present report on audit of BiH Elektroprivreda | Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Ashdown to present findings on BiH Elektroprivreda’ – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, is likely to present findings of the audit into the BiH Elektroprivreda operations on Wednesday or Thursday, FENA was told in the OHR on Monday. OHR does not want either to confirm or deny BiH media speculations on a large number of irregularities revealed by the audit, and the Office will not make any public statements all until official presentation of the report. Dnevni List (page 2, “Findings of audit of Elektroprivreda BiH during mid-week”) also carries the FENA report. |
| Seizure of Meho Obradovi’c house requested | Oslobodjenje pg. 7, mentioned on the front page ‘Seizure of Meho Obradovic’s villa requested’ – The special auditor’s team of OHR has recommended the Financial Police to investigate into how Meho Obradovic, the former BiH Elektroprivreda General manager, had gotten money for construction of a luxurious villa, which the Malaysian Embassy is now placed in. The new Elektroprivreda management has been recommended to seize properties of Obradovic, who has not paid back a loan of 150,000 KM. |
| VL: Interview with PDHR Hays on special audits | Vecernji List (front page “D. Hays: Karadzic’s money in Belgrade” and page 5 “Corruption common for Elektroprivredas”, by Dejan Jazvic,) carries an interview with Principle Deputy High Representative Donald Hays. With regard to the audits carried out in RS Elektroprivreda, Elektroprivreda of Croat Community of Herceg Bosna and Elektroprivreda of BiH, Hays says that he is not satisfied at all with the explanations that he received from these companies because they only tried to deny facts. According to Hays, only the Head of Elektroprivreda of BiH admitted that there was something wrong in the business operations of his company. Asked whether the claims that war criminals were financed by the money coming from public companies are correct, Hays says: “We do not have any proofs for it, however, we talked with some people from the RS who told us that they noticed some illegal activities that are related to giving support to Radovan Karadzic.” Asked as to how closer the Karadzic arrest is after blockade of property of Milovan Bjelica and Momcilo Mandic, Hays says: “I will tell you that we are a step closer to that goal than we were before the sanctions were taken.” |
| DL: “Federation of BiH Government and OHR have not sent official requests for investigation on HDZ BiH financing yet” | Dnevni List (front and page 5, Fena) carries a BiH Election Commission’s spokesperson, Maksida Bajramovic, as saying: “The BiH Election Commission has not received yet from the OHR and Federation Government an official request for the investigation on possible violation of rules on financing of political parties in the case of Elektroprivreda of Croat Community of Herceg Bosna (EP HZ HB) and HDZ.” In addition DL carries that the OHR’s audit report on the financial transactions of EP HZ HB has not been forwarded yet to the Federation Ministry of Interior (MoI) so that this Ministry could act in accordance with the conclusion of the Federation of BiH Government, which says that if the Federation MoI judges as necessary it should launch an investigation on possible illegal activities in this company. (Oslobodjenje pg.3, Slobodna Dalmacija last page“Documents on Elektroprivreda audit are not available to MoI yet”) |
| Vecernji List says Toby Robinson is selling ERONET stocks | Vecernji List (page 4, by Zoran Kresic, “Toby Robinson sells ERONET shares”) says that the Provisional Administrator for Hercegovacka bank, Toby Robinson, announced at the last session of “Hercegovina osiguranje” Supervision Board, a sale of ERONET package of stocks (around 35%) due to “inability” to invest, together with other owners, 300 million KMs in the next year and half, the amount the licence for ERONET is most likely to be evaluated at. In this context VL says experts believe “Hercegovina osiguranje”, second biggest insurance company in BiH, together with a revived “Hercegovacka bank”, once the bank’s stocks have been sold, would not have such problems. In this context, VL says Robinson and the OHR do not think that way. VL reiterates that the motive for “destruction” of the bank is to make way for foreign banks and goes on to say that the same pattern is used in the Elektroprivredas affairs. In this context, VL says that a paid advertisement by EFT (Energy Financing Team) that appeared in the media points to forged and ill audit reports on business operations of the RS and Herzeg-Bosnia Elektroprivredas, which leads the author to say that the audits hint that the international administration in BiH has become the most corrupt of all in BiH. VL says EFT claims the international auditor who signed the RS Elektroprivreda audit, Dalle Ellen Ralph, is not listed in any list of internationally recognized auditors. In this context, VL says the OHR, in order to hush up the big affair, has already canceled services of the “special auditor”. |
| Vecernji List says Federation BiH smuggled shells to Uganda | Vecernji List (front and page 2, by M. Zovko, “Projectiles from Gabela smuggled to Uganda”) claims to be in possession of documentation that shows that a whole shipment of mortar shells, 8256 of them, from the Federation Army’s warehouse in Gabela near Capljina that was originally sent to Vitez for dismantling ended up in Uganda. According to VL, former Federation Minister of Defence Mijo Anic cleared, with knowledge of the Logistics Corps, the transportation of the shells from Gabela to Vitez and the shipment of the shells to Uganda. Moreover, VL claims there are indications that former and current Federation military structures did business with Iraq. |
| Dnevni List says communication in Federation MoD compromised | Dnevni List (front and page 3, by I. B., “Generals send letter to prime Minister without knowledge of Minister”) learns from sources close to the Federation Government that the Federation Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic a few days ago received a letter from the Commander and Deputy Commander of Federation Army, General Dudakovic and General Zeko in which the Generals informed the PM about the critical situation the Army is in stressing poor wages, housing problems etc. DL comments the problems is the Generals addressed the PM behind the Defence Minister Miroslav Nikolic’s back thus compromising the communication within the MoD since it is the Defence Minister only who addresses the Government. Apparently, PM Hadzipasic was forced to send a letter to Minister Nikolic informing him of the “scandalous move by the Generals asking him how it is possible it occurred”. DL says it is not known what Nikolic reaction is going to be like. |
| Pantelija Dakic appointed acting RS EP director | Nezavisne Novine, page 2, ‘Pantelija Dakic new Acting Director of RS EP’; Glas Srpski, page 3, ‘Dakic is new Director’ – At its session in Banja Luka yesterday, RS Government appointed Pantelija Dakic from Banja Luka as the Acting Director General at RS Elektroprivreda. According to press release issued by the RS Government Bureau for Public Affairs, Dakic was born in 1946 in Podgorje (Mrkonjic Grad municipality), graduated at Faculty of Mechanic Engineering in Sarajevo in 1972, obtained Masters degree in 1977 and became Ph.D. holder in 1980. He is working and living in Banja Luka. At the present time, he assumes the function of the Director at firm Db Kon and works part-time as regular at Faculty of Mechanic Engineering in B. Luka. (Blic pg. 6, Vecernje Novosti pg. 19) |
| Serbian Ministry of Energy demands details regarding cooperation with EFT | The Serbian Ministry of Energy and Mining requested on Monday the Serbian Electric Power Industry (EPS) to submit detailed documentation with regard to all contracts of cooperation concluded with a London-based company, Energy Financing Team (EFT), over the past two years. Bearing in mind the findings made by the High Representative Paddy Ashdown’s auditing office with regard to relations between EFT and the EPS, the Serbian Ministry of Energy and Mining also requested a short description as well as a copy of every contract concluded with the British company from the EPS, the Ministry’s statement said. The ministry also demanded of the EPS that it answer the following questions: whether contracts were drawn up exclusively based on procedures which were based on tenders; which criteria were used to accept offers; also – if the best offers were not accepted – which criteria the EPS used to make its choice; and why an opportunity to buy electric power for the past winter season through a previously published tender in the RS had been missed. The statement said that the Serbian Ministry of Energy and Mining had also requested from High Representative Paddy Ashdown the findings by the auditing office with regard to relations between the RS Elektroprivreda with the EFT. This ministry, as the statement said, will inform the citizens of Serbia about business relations between the EPS and EFT “as soon as it is acquainted with the complete details of their cooperation”. (Nacional pg. 7 headline ‘Ashdown’s investigation on Vuk Hamovic’s business reached Serbia’, Nezavisne Novine) |
| EFT surprised by Serbian ministry’s request for audit | “We are surprised with the decision by the Serbian Ministry of Energy and Mining to make a statement today saying that it has requested from the Serbian Electric Power Industry (EPS) a survey of all documentation regarding the business conduct with EFT, which it had already done ten days ago”, EFT executive director Svetislav Bulatovic said on Monday. “We find it very strange that this statement was made today given the results of the tender released by the EPS regarding sales of electrical power surpluses,” Bulatovic emphasized. “Given that the tender was public, we know that EFT made the best offer,” Bulatovic said, while also giving the following warning: “If, however, it so happens that EFT should be damaged because of this statement, we will consider that the ministry committed a very serious breach and will consider further moves on our part”. (Nacional pg. 7 headline ‘EFT accuses Ministry of influencing on tender’s results’) |
| CIPS | Nezavisne Novine, page 5, ‘People older than 65 years of age may get documents free of charge’ – Adnan Terzic, Chairperson to the BiH COM, stated that around 400 thousand elderly people in the BiH may get new documents free of charge. He explained that: “IN accordance with the existing Laws, all elderly people above 65 years of age get permanent ID cards. Accordingly, if those persons have already got permanent ID cards, they should get new ones free-of-charge.”. He noted that “the talks on the price of new ID cards are still ongoing. The final decision on this will be reached in the near future.” Nezavisne Novine, page 6, ‘Issuance of new ID cards commence in Banja Luka’ – BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs and Communications and the Directorate for the implementation of CIPS project yesterday commenced with the issuance of new ID cards for the citizens of Banja Luka. The BiH CoM warned that all old ID cards with entity insignia must be replaced within one year. The working hours of the Office is from 08:00 till 17:00 hrs every day, at Medicinska Elektronika building (Street of Vuk Karadzic #6). |
Political developments/statements | |
| Cavic meets with Dodik
| Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Cavic following meeting with Dodik: I will launch further reforms in the RS’, Nezavisne Novine, page 3, ‘Cavic promised economic reforms’; Glas Srpski, page 3, ‘Time for action’ – Both dailies report on yesterday’s meeting between RS President, Dragan Cavic, and the SNSD President, Milorad Dodik, in Banja Luka. According to them, the meeting did not discuss the eventual re-composition of political scene in the RS. Cavic stated that he would use his constitutional rights and launch initiatives aimed at “concrete progress in further implementation of economic reforms in the RS.” SNSD position is that it is necessary to rehabilitate the role of the institution of the RS, in order to improve coordination with the institutions of the RS. Cavic stated that the meeting with SNSD did not have a political character, stressing that it would not result in re-composition of the political scene in the RS. Cavic views Orao affair as one of two serious issues, which the American Administration regards as stumbling block in relations between State Department and the RS authorities. He stressed that “RS will put an end to Orao affair and the supplemented report on affair will be finished by 17 April”. Cavic also added that the issue of joint army is neither practical or in accordance with the constitution. His stance is that the imposed solutions in this region cannot be maintained for long, owing to “severe and bloody conflict”. The only comment Dodik gave regarding the meeting was that “SDS, PDP and SDA cannot find solutions to many problems and they stick together only in order to affirm their party interests.” Blic pg. 7 headline ‘RS institutions intolerably slow’; Vecernje Novosti pg. 19 headline ‘Full stop on robbery’; Nacional pg. 11 headline ‘Dodik requests action and not coalition’ also report on the meeting. |
| Kunic criticises HR | Glas Srpski, page 5, ‘Laws beyond Law’ – Petar Kunic, PDP representative at the House of Representatives to the BIH Parliamentary Assembly, stated that “no legal act, declaration or Annex 10 of the DA gives a right to HiRep to pass and impose laws”. According to Kunic, Bonn Declaration is binding act by its authority, in spite of its political and not legal nature. Bearing in mind that the Declaration is passed by Steering Board for Peace Implementation Council for BiH, the acts provide authority to HiRep. However, Bonn Declaration states that HiRep can only pass temporary decisions, under condition that some important measures are to be undertaken, and the democratic institutions cannot reach an agreement on that. According to Kunic, “the most important point is that HiRep should pass his decisions for verification to the BiH Presidency or the BiH CoM, instead of Parliamentary Assembly. Conclusively, he is not authorised to pass laws, because if he were, he would have to pass the laws for verification to Parliamentary Assembly.” Kunic goes on to stress that: “The role of the HiRep is to arbitrate between nations, if they cannot reach an agreement, instead of passing laws.” |
| Oslobodjenje’s Mirko Sagolj: Ashdown, finally | Oslobodjenje pg. 2 In Focus editorial by Mirko Sagolj ‘Ashdown, finally’ – “The two actions having been carried out in the past days by the international community – tightening the circle around Karadzic and Mladic and audit into the operations of the three power systems – are the reasons for certain optimism,” wrote Sagolj. |
| DL editorial: “Ashdown should be supported now” | Dnevni List (page 6, by Slavo Kukic) carries an editorial saying that the situation in BiH is very difficult at the moment and it is at the level at which it was at the time immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed. The editorial says that the statements saying that it does not matter as to who is in power in BiH, nationalists or all the others referring to High Representative Paddy Ashdown’s statement given after the elections in BiH took place contributed to this situation, as well as the statements given by the artists concerned about “national issues”. The editorial says that it does matter who is in power because BiH will have to rely on its own powers in future. Kukic also says in spite of all clumsiness that the HR demonstrated, the HR should be supported in his showdown with crime, referring to the introduction of a value-added tax, unique customs system and audit of public companies. According to Kukic, the HR should sanction masterminds, who stand behind these companies, and not small fishes. |
| VL editorial: “Ashdown should be supported now” | Vecernji List (page 4, by Radoslav Dodig) carries an editorial saying that newspapers are full of stories on crime and embezzlements in BiH companies. The editorial says: “And what out guru, his Excellency High Representative Paddy Ashdown is doing? We learn from newspapers again that the HR likes bulldozers… European protectors cannot understand functioning of BiH in terms of politics, state and economy. The system of feudalism and original accumulation of capital rules in BiH.” Dodig also says that in order to prevent crime, corruption and embezzlements it is necessary to build judiciary, inspection and audit services, prosecution, Police etc. The editorial concludes: “Marxists used to say that the ultimate goal is withering away of a state. BiH might be eaten by the bulldozers.” |
| SRS’s press conference | “We could not agree with the actions of international military and civil forces in BiH and we condemn every action that is out of their mandate“, Ognjen Tadic, former secretary general of the SRS, said at a press conference on Monday. According to Tadic, the last action by SFOR and OHR creates new negative circumstances in the RS. “We think that if there are reasons for removing state officials then domestic authorities should deal with that in order to show that the RS is a legal state”, Tadic said. (Belgrade Nacional pg. 11) |
Other issues | |
| Reactions to Human Rights Chamber decision
| Glas Srpski, page 2, ‘Altering the truth’ – “The decision by the BiH Human Rights Chamber launches the process, whose end is not in sight”, stated Boro Peulic, President of RS Board of families of the imprisoned and killed soldiers and missing civilians. He emphasised that: “Serbs have grounds, on which they could sue international community and other side for developments, where Serbs were victims. This also includes the dislocation of the bodies of the killed Serb soldiers from the grave at Ozren mountain.” He is of the view that the Human Rights Chamber is applying the same methods as other international organisations or organisations in the BiH Federation, whose aim is to satanise Serbs and miminise the number of Serb victims. According to him, one-sided approach in the process of establishing the reasons and consequences of the war cannot contribute to the process of reconciliation. He also reiterated that the Board would not give up on its intention to press charges against BiH Federation for having dislocated the remains of murdered Serbs from the mass and single graves. |
| Mine explosion in Samac area | Glas Srpski, cover page story, ‘Mine killed returnees’; Nezavisne Novine, page 11, ‘Five Serb returnees got killed’ – Both dailies report on yesterday’s mine explosion in Samac area (Brvnik settlement), when Kojic couple Milan and Goja (54 years), his son Djordje (34), Goja’s mother Mileva Skuljevic (69) and her cousin Jovo Skuljevic (53) got killed. The explosion took place when Djordje, while cleaning the place on the field (where they were working) to place the lunch pulled an almost invisible thread. Milan, Goja and Jovo were instantly killed, while Djordje and Mileva sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital, where they died. (Sarajevo media and Blic pg. 16 also reported on the explosion) |
| Testimony to ICTY investigators | Nezavisne Novine, page 3, ‘Milan Tupajic giving testimony to ICTY investigators’ – Milan Tupajic, SDS representative to the RS NA, yesterday went to The Hague to attend the second meeting with the ICTY investigators and discuss the issue of murdering of Bosniaks in 1992 in the Sokolac village of Novoselci. During the war, Tupajic was the Vice President of the Sokolac Municipal Assembly. Florence Hartmann, Spokesperson of the ICTY Prosecutor’s Office, told NN that she is not informed on this case related to Tupajic. Refik Hodzic, Head of ICTY Outreach Programme in BiH, also denied any knowledge on this. (Blic pg. 7) |
| Situation in Bocinja | “Serbs from Bocinja are to file charges with the Human Rights Department against the BiH Federation, because according to them, it has enabled foreign citizens to buy Serb property in the Federation”, said Bocinja municipal Speaker Vaso Zekic. He feels that in this way, the Federation government is attempting to prevent the return of Serbs to their property in the Federation. According to Zekic, only 106 of 450 Serb families that used to live there before the war have returned to Bocinja, near Maglaj. However, even those returnees could move away from Bocinja, since they find themselves under constant pressure from MUjahedeens who continue to convince them to sell their property. Zekic added that eight Serb families have left Bocinja so far and claims that the Maglaj authorities are persuading Serbs to sell their properties to Mujahedeens. (Blic pg. 6 headline ‘Eight families moved away’) |
| DL on appointment of Deputy Mayor of Mostar | Dnevni List (front and page 14, by M. Malic, “Obstruction of Beslic’s appointment for Deputy Mayor”) learns from a source close to international organizations in Mostar that councilors of CD Coalition in City Council of Mostar (CCM) most probably will not attend today’s session of the CCM which should discuss appointment of Deputy Mayor of Mostar. The candidate for the post is Ljubo Beslic (HDZ BiH). DL says reasons behind the obstruction lies in a fact that the Mostar branch of SDA want to maintain monopoly over the key office in the City (Mayor-Deputy Mayor) in order to hush up several financial malversations in the city and cases of illegal construction. DL goes on to say the CD Coalition initially tried to obstruct the appointment by requesting Beslic to submit his program of work and when the Coalition did not get a support for their idea from the OHR, it simply decided to prevent the appointment by simply not turning up for the session. In this context, DL says if the scenario goes ahead like that, the Head of OHR South, Deputy High Representative Jean-Pierre Bercot, announced in unofficial contacts with local political parties a possibility of discussing sanctions against some Mostar leaders. The daily also says the opposition in the CCM has already prepared a program of activities in the Council. The first point would be request for removal of the leaders of the CCM who obstruct the Council’s work and the person most responsible for it at the moment is the Deputy Speaker Milan Jovicic. |