| FED TV (19,30 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Minister Hadzovic still refuses to pay disability pensions | BH Presidency addressed UN Security Council | BH Presidency addressed UN Security Council |
| Unsatisfied workers in Cazin, Bihac and Bosanska Krupa block Una-Sana government | Candidates for CoM Chair | OSCE mandate in BiH prolonged
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| Krivaja company heads requesting GM’s resignation | RS Trade Unions request Unemployment Fund | Summit on EU expansion |
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| BiH and Croatia failed to get European Football Championship |
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| Oslobodjenje | SBiH trying to convince Silajdzic to accept SDA’s offer; New Ids from January 2; Ministers Anic, Maslesa and Tuka working illegally; Protesters blocked building of government in Bihac; Resignation of Ljiljana Karadzic |
| Dnevni Avaz | There will be no extraordinary elections; BiH and Croatia out; Ashdown requested propositions from 500 businessmen; Honouring September 11 victims; |
| Dnevni List | UN Security Council session held in New York: BiH will not be Balkan ‘No man’s land |
| Vecernji List | In spite of rule on national key: most of Financial policemen are Bosniaks |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Federation ministers led by Prime Minister Behmen decided to lien up their pockets: Before its leaving Government increased its salaries: 5500 Marks to each of them! |
| Glas Srpski | RS Health Insurance Fund on health insurance for vulnerable categories; Ljiljana Karadzic-Zelen resigns from post of RS Red Cross head – Pressures make her resign |
| Nezavisne Novine | RS Pensioners’ Association warns Prime Minister Ivanic: Pensioners are starving; Teachers will go on strike because of salaries |
| Blic | Delegates from Srpska voted for financing the lawsuit against FRY; Banja Luka without heating; Spiric: Yugoslavia to expel all those who support the BiH lawsuit; Miletic: RS delivered 65 indictments to the Hague |
OHR/International community |
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| HR requested proposals from businessmen
| Avaz pg. 1 and 4, Oslobodjenje pg. 15 ‘Support to businessmen in BiH’ – following an initiative by HR Ashdown, a questionnaire was sent to 500 local businessmen on what needs to be changed or improved in order to improve businesses and create more working places in BiH. “HR’s position is clear. If BiH is to become attractive for businesses and necessary investments, we will provide the best possible help to the business community because they understand the issue the best,” stated OHR Spokesperson Mario Brkic. According to OHR Spokesperson Braithwaite, they have already started receiving answers to the sent questionnaire. He also emphasised that OHR and so-called Bulldozer Commission would soon present the first ten measures necessary to stimulate BiH businesses. In a separate article on pg. 4 ‘Sad that internationals are doing the job that our government is not capable of’ – a statement by Mirza Hajric, Director of the Agency for Improving Foreign Investments in BiH. According to Hajric, the Bulldozer Commission action is a response by the IC to the slow implementation of recommendations for improving the business environment. “It makes me sad that internationals established the Bulldozer Commission because we should have done it,” said Hajric. | |
| HR Ashdown meets Italian Deputy Foreign Minister | Avaz pg. 2 ‘NATO will change rules for no one’, Oslobodjenje pg. 9 ‘Italy will continue helping BiH’ – meeting of HR Paddy Ashdown and the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Antonione. The Italian Deputy Minister stated that Italy was interested in the speedy implementation of reforms in BiH that would bring the country closer to Euro-Atlantic integration. He further emphasised the importance of introducing BiH customs administration and VAT. Ashdown said that it was up to BiH whether to form the defence ministry. “NATO set up norms for the membership. Now what do you think – will BiH have to adapt to those requirements or NATO will change them for BiH. I think the later is very unlikely to happen,” said HR Ashdown. Italian Foreign Minister also met with BiH Foreign Minister Lagumdzija. Glas Srpski pg. 3 ‘Italian diplomat meets with Paddy Ashdown – One defence ministry’. | |
| OHR on Citizenship Law | Oslobodjenje pg. 9 ‘Paddy Ashdown in the interest of citizens’ – a statement from OHR regarding the changes to the Law on Citizenship. “I can only tell you that HR will act in the matter in the best interest of BiH citizens,” stated OHR Spokesperson Mario Brkic. | |
| Clarke appoints two new councillors | Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Supervisor appointed two new councillors’, Avaz pg. 10 ‘Two councillors appointed in the District Brcko Parliament’ – Brcko Supervisor, Henry Clarke, revealed at yesterday’s press conference names of two selected councillors in the Interim Brcko Assembly. The two councillors are Ahmet Dervisevic, Brcko SDA President, and Branko Damjanac from SPRS. According to Clarke, the second Bosniak representative will be elected in the second round. | |
| Mostar OHR Head Bercot accused of secretly co-operating with HDZ | Dnevni List pg. 1 and 3 ‘Secret meeting for creation of another crisis in Mostar’ – the Vice President of Mostar City Council, Milan Jovicic, accused the Head of OHR South, Deputy High Representative Jean-Pierre Bercot, of secret co-operation with the HDZ regarding the future organisation of Mostar as one municipality. DL learns from a SBiH councillor in the Mostar City Council, who wanted to stay anonymous, that councillors of the CD Coalition and the SDP held a meeting on Thursday where they discussed HDZ’s request that Mostar be organised as one unified municipality. “Milan Jovicic was making the most serious accusation against OHR Head Bercot. He was saying throughout the meeting that the IC in Mostar and Bercot should not be trusted because they were allegedly cut a deal with the HDZ”, stated the source. The same source added that Jovicic also had personal motives related to their discussion about the so-called Action plan, which was adopted by the CD Coalition councillors without HDZ councillors. Furthermore, President of CD Caucus Suad Hasanefendic and councillor Jadranka Kevric made the heaviest criticisms of Ambassador Bercot. Other councillors allegedly more or less restrained especially SBiH reps who supported latest statements by former Mayor of Mostar Safet Orucevic that Mostar should become one municipality. The source could not reveal future moves by the CD Coalition and SDP regarding the platform they offered to OHR (i.e. when it would be elaborated in detail). DL says that the platform is just cheap talk on multi-ethnicity that has been ‘sold’ to the IC for the last seven years whose expire date has passed. | |
| OSCE Mission extended | Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘OSCE mandate extended’, Avaz pg. 2 ‘OSCE Mission mandate extended for another year’ – the OSCE Permanent Council extended at yesterday’s regular session in Vienna a decision on extending the OSCE Mission in BiH mandate for another year. The Council also extended the mandate of the OSCE Ambassador Robert Beecroft. | |
| EU offers to take over from SFOR
| Reuters – The European Union will offer on Friday to take over a military peacekeeping mission in Bosnia from the US-led NATO alliance, a draft EU summit statement said. The offer reflected a new division of labor between the United States and Europe in which the EU gradually takes on responsibility for the Balkans, freeing up US forces for other global missions, notably in the ‘war against terrorism’, diplomats said. “The European Council also indicated its willingness to lead a military operation in Bosnia following SFOR (Stabilization Force),” the draft issued by the Danish EU presidency said. It set no date for a hand-over to the EU’s fledgling military rapid reaction force but said initial consultations should be held by February. SFOR was deployed to help implement a US-brokered peace accord that ended the 1992-95 Bosnia war. NATO’s presence in the force has been reduced to 12,000 from 19,000 this year, most of which are European troops. | |
| Statement by Ingram | “The first thing I would do is to make public and very transparent requesting for the accelerated privatization of the strategic enterprises. At the same time, I would apply the law on the bankruptcy of the enterprises as was successfully done in Hungary. As the second thing, I would stimulate creating of a favorable ambient that would be attractive for foreign investments. I would introduce a single register for enterprises from the entire BiH ASAP. This would mean the application of the same sales taxes in both entities. Thirdly, I would speed up the reforms of the judicial system and I would simultaneously indicted some’ big fishes’ for the economic crimes and arrest them. The fourth thing, I would swiftly rationalize the state institutional expenditures. And finally, I would bring young people to the state bodies with fresh ideas and modern attitudes.” This was stated by the Head of the WB Mission to BiH, Joseph Ingram, in an interview with this week’s BH Dani, answering a question what he would do if he would be the head of the state body in charge of the creating of the economic space in BiH. Vecerenje Novosti pg. 9 ‘Bankruptcy threat’ – also reported Ingram’s statement. | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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| BiH Presidency in NY
| Avaz pg. 1 and 2, Oslobodjenje pg. 9 ‘Strengthening trust in BiH institutions’ – members of the BiH Presidency yesterday addressed the UN General Assembly. The Chair Sarovic thanked UN Mission on the job well done in BiH and presented BiH’s nomination for the non-permanent membership in the UN SC for the period between 2010 and 2012. Dragan Covic said that BiH has to ensure sovereignty, constituency and protection of human rights and citizens freedom for Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats. Sulejman Tihic said that BiH still needed UN’s help. He also spoke about Srebrenica. “I’d like to remind this important institution that families of the killed still have not returned to Srebrenica, and the dead have not been buried yet. Because of all this I am requesting that the UN help the construction of the Potocari memorial centre.” Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘BiH Presidency address UN SC – BiH facing a new start’, Glas Srpski pg. 3 ‘The end of dependence era’. | |
| HR to address BiH HoR | Avaz pg. 8 ‘The distribution of leading posts in parliamentary commissions agreed’ – according to daily’s sources, HR Ashdown should address the forthcoming session of the BiH HoR on December 17 this year. This was agreed during yesterday’s session of the extended HoR Collegial. The following issues were also put on the next session’s agenda – the changes to the Law on Citizenship and the establishment of the Parliamentary commissions. The HoR Chair, Sefik Dzaferovic, stated that they agreed the posts would be distributed on the basis of the election results. | |
| New IDs in two months | Oslobodjenje pg. 1, 4 and 5 – inhabitants of the Sarajevo Centre municipality will be the first to be issued the new IDs starting with January 2 next year. Kresimir Kevo, the Regional CIPS Project Manager, stated that they were implementing the project gradually, and therefore not all BiH citizens would be able to get their IDs at the same time. | |
| New passports | Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Entity travel document not valid’ – an announcement from the BiH CoM following yesterday’s media reports that the old passports would remain valid until the end of January next year. The announcement reads that old passports have expired on 28 of November this year. Apparently, problem has been caused due to the incorrect interpretation of internal instructions by the BiH SBS regarding a procedure for BiH citizens who turn up at the border crossings with old passports. | |
| ‘Orao’ affair | Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Suspect remain in prison?’ – the Bijeljina County Court is reviewing a decision by the Criminal Council of the Bijeljina Main Court on the extension of detention for ‘Orao’ affair suspects. Dragomir Zivanovic, President of the Main Court in Bijeljina, told SRNA that they would reconsider whether to keep in prison Milan Prica, Teodosije Kecman and Gordan Santrac Slobodna Bosna by Suzana Andjelic (Explosive for Iraq seized in Rijeka produced in Prijedor’s Ljubija!?) – “It is clear that the international community show an unexpected patience when it comes to the investigation of the Orao Aviation Institute, although they (the leading international organizations) admit that the report on the issue prepared by the RS authorities is incomplete. They did the same in September this year after Mladen Ivanic’s government had accepted an initial report made by the entity’s Defense Ministry that was saying that there had been no evidence on ‘Orao’s’ trade with Iraq. In the latest letter addressed to the RS President Dragan Cavic, Ashdown, Beecroft and Ward stated that the international community had to be sure the sanctions were not needed, and that this would happen only if the report specified details about what had occurred in ‘Orao’, who was responsible for that, and what measures would be taken to put army and military industry in the framework of civic and democratic control.” Blic pg. 7, Nacional pg. 9 and Vecernje Novosti pg. 11 – a statement by the RS Army General in retirement, Radoslav Pandzic, one of the ‘Orao’ affair suspects. He sent a letter through his legal representative in which he informs the Bijeljina Basic Court that he would turn in to law enforcement agencies only if military legal bodies of the FRY were to interrogate him. The President of the Bijeljina Court confirmed that the Court was now aware of the exact address, where General was living at the moment. Accordingly, a court subpoena would be addressed. | |
| VL on Federation Police | Vecernji List pg. 1 and 3 – the Federation Financial Police (FP) is still dominated by Bosniaks, despite requests to the Federation Ministry of Finance that the national structure in the FP be balanced along the national key. According to VL, the latest analysis shows that out of 108 inspectors, 82 are Bosniaks and adds that only Mostar and Livno branches are properly organised whilst other branches are dominated with inspectors coming from one people only. Apart from this problem, the daily also stresses another one regarding the top positions in the FP. VL claims that the Chief Inspector and his Deputy, Zufer Dervisevic and Miroslav Vidovic, have been doing their jobs outside the mandate for two years. They had been relieved by the Federation Government on November 2, 2000 following HR Wolfgang Petritsch’s decision, only to be reinstated ten days after under condition that that the Alliance for Changes makes another appointments once it was established. According to the daily, the Federation government has not done it until present days by lobbying and using different schemes. | |
| Interview with Lagumdzija | Dnevni List pg. 1 and 7 ‘Zlatko Lagumdzija, BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs: “High Representative is introducing some sort of unofficial protectorate’ – an interview with Zlatko Lagumdzija, the BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs. Lagumdzija said that during the OSCE Conference in Porto they discussed the implementation of the election results in BiH. “We also discussed this issue in the context of the exchange of opinions about the engagement of the IC in BiH, which has changed since the arrival of the new High Representative in BiH. The concept of partnership between the IC and domestic authorities has deteriorated and has been heading towards the introduction of some sort of unofficial protectorate by the HR. Ultimately, it can have negative consequences for BiH. Instead of encouraging partnership and will of reformers forces to fully implement the changes it seems as if sometimes the new High Representative unfortunately is dragging down the partnership and secures unnecessary authorities for himself.” Lagumdzija also said that the impression was that representatives of the countries that have a leading role in the IC were still concerned about the arrival of national parties to power. “The one can see that they are concerned about the judgments that the nationalists can be reformers.” | |
| Pensioners and teachers on financial situation | Nezavisne Novine pg. 1 and 10 – the representatives of the RS Pensioners’ Association met yesterday with Mladen Ivanic. After the meeting, the President of the RS Pensioners ’Association, Rade Rakulj, said that pensioners could not accept that an average pension in the RS was 120 KM. Rakulj said that the situation in the FBiH was much better and that average pensions were much higher then in the RS. He said they requested from the RS authorities to ensure better and more efficient work of the RS Tax Administration and start applying the Law on privatisation. Nezavisne Novine quotes (pg.9) President of the RS Trade Union of Education Workers Ranka Misic as saying that protests of budget beneficiaries, scheduled for 26 December, will be a sort of a revolution. She said that budget beneficiaries, especially teachers, were extremely dissatisfied with their financial situation. She also said that the budget rebalance foresaw more funds then planned and it perfectly made sense that the surplus was used to pay salaries to workers. “However, that did not happen”, said Misic. | |
| Ljiljana Karadzic resigns from Red Cross | Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 9, Avaz pg. ‘Ljiljana Karadzic submitted resignation’, ONASA, Reuters, Nacional pg. 9 – the wife of former Bosnian Serb leader and indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic bowed to pressure from international aid donors and resigned on Thursday as head of the Bosnian Serb Red Cross. Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA said Ljiljana Zelen-Karadzic stepped down despite a vote in the governing assembly of the local Red Cross against a move to replace her that had been backed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “She decided to resign because of pressure from the international community which resulted in the Red Cross headquarters not having funds to operate and to offer help to those who need it,” a source close to Zelen-Karadzic said. The source added that Zelen-Karadzic, whose husband is one of the most wanted men in the world, had yielded to pressure from top Bosnian Serb Red Cross officials. They urged her to quit despite the support she received from the Assembly. “We are not celebrating today but we are certainly welcoming her decision,” Pascal Cuttat, the head of the ICRC delegation in Bosnia told Reuters in the capital, Sarajevo. The ICRC called publicly on Zelen-Karadzic to quit in May. Cuttat said funding to the local Red Cross in the Serb part of Bosnia had been hit because her presence was putting off donors. “Every time we wanted to talk to the donors about assistance they would start by putting forward the issue of the Serb Republic’s Red Cross Presidency. Now, we can get down to work together to assist all the people who need our help,” he said. | |
| Tumic denies that certain FBiH officials were ‘working illegally’ | FENA – Secretary in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation government, Ismet Trumic, yesterday emphatically denied reports in some Croatian and Bosnian media that some ministers in the FBiH government ‘were engaged in illegal work’. Trumic said that sinister circles with political background orchestrated the allegation. “Federation Ministers Mijo Anic (defence) and Ramo Maslesa (interior) and Deputy Ministers Alija Remzo Baksic (trade) and Mijat Tuka (refugees) were appointed by the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation President. Contributions for the pension fund were regularly deducted from their payrolls. This means that all obligations towards the state were fulfilled. I cannot see how anyone can say that they engaged in illegal work,” Ismet Trumic said. | |
| HVIDRA protests | FENA – the HVIDRA Association and the associations of the families of the killed or missing Croatian defenders of the Municipalities of Vitez and Travnik yesterday invited their members to come to a peaceful protest rally to be held on 16 December from 10:00 to 12:00 hours at the crossroads of the Zenica-Vitez-Busovača road, in the place of Kaonik. The reason for the protest rally is the suspension of the payment of October disability pensions to the HVO war victims of the FBiH Army by the lady minister for the matters of defenders, Suada Hadžović. A free-of-charge bus has been provided for protestors who will set out from in front of the premises of associations in Donje Putićevo at 09:00 hours. Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Road blocking from Monday’ – a statement by HVIDRA President, Andjelko Barun. Announced yesterday in Livno which roads and border crossings would be blocked from Monday (December 16) and throughout Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. | |
| Jutarnje Novine editorial | “The removed BiH Federation Finance Minister, Nikola Grabovac, had once been trying very hard to persuade domestic officials, but also the IMF representatives that the collection of the sales taxes on the high-tariff goods from the retailers/final consumers was a wrong move. He was describing the absurdity of such policy saying that it was like spilling the feathers from the pillow in the wind and then collecting them up,” wrote Ruzdija Adzovic in Jutarnje Novine’s editorial. He concluded that it was strange that the international experts nowadays advocating for the VAT introduction had not then been aware of the genuineness of Grabovac’s thesis. | |
Political parties/new government |
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| SDA reaction to Silajdzic’s decision
| Avaz pg. 3 ‘Terzic: if Silajdzic drops out the SDA will nominate their member for the BiH PM’ – a statement by the SDA Vice-President, Adnan Terzic. Commenting on the information of Silajdzic refusing to accept the post of the BiH PM, Terzic stated that if this was true then the SDA would put forward their candidate. He however remains an optimist regarding the SDA – SBiH talks. He stated that they could agree for SBiH to get more posts then they should get following the election results, but to split equally posts between the SDA and the SBiH was out of the question. | |
| SBiH trying to change Silajdzic’s mind | Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 6 – the daily claims that the SBiH has not yet accepted the fact that Silajdzic will not accept the post of the BiH PM. Safet Halilovic, the SBiH President, stated that the party would continue convincing Silajdzic of the importance of him accepting the post. Halilovic claims that they want guarantees that reforms outlined in the SBiH platform will be implemented. The daily recalls that HR Ashdown personally gave guarantees to Silajdzic by supporting his course of reforms. The article claims that the most likely candidates from the SDA, in case Silajdzic finally declines the offer, are Mehmed Corhodzic, Nedzad Brankovic and Hasan Muratovic. According to a mini-survey the daily conducted amongst the SDA members, most opted for Corhodzic, the respectable Director of ‘Borac’ in Travnik. Avaz on pg. 5 ‘Silajdzic’s decision does not mean his final retirement from politics’ – an interview with Halilovic. Asked what position he would like to assume in the future, Halilovic stated that Silajdzic nominated him for the CoM Chair and the party accepted it. He however claims that he always saw himself remaining within the Federation level authority. Oslobodjenje commentary on pg. 2 ‘To the right’ by Zija Dizdarevic – that the uniting of the HDZ, SDS and SDA has taken the country backwards. Furthermore, the joining of the PDP to the block has finally moved the BiH political scene to the right, claims Dizdarevic. “If the SBiH joins the alliance, it will be the final triumph of the right wing.” Vecernji List pg. 14 by Eldina Medunjanin – an editorial saying that Haris Silajdzic does not want to accept the nomination for the position of BiH PM. It has been speculated that Silajdzic is not ready to accept this position because he is aware of a huge responsibility and problems that the BiH government will face within the coming period. VL says that according to the BiH political circles, the IC has already decided to support the candidacy of Barisa Colak, an HDZ candidate, in order to ensure a full cooperation of HDZ in the process of reforms. Also, to bring an end to a long conflict between the HDZ and IC, and apparently this was the main reason why Silajdzic decided to give up this position. “Aware that the International Community will not give up its plans, after loosing at the elections for a Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Silajdzic did not want to accept a role of a loser again.” VL also speculates whether the Party for BiH will join the SDA in the forming of a wider ruling Coalition. The article says that this issue caused division within the SBiH. | |
| SDA on RS government | Avaz pg. 8 ‘Requesting at least three seats in the RS government’ – a statement by the SDA Vice-President, Elvir Jahic. He said the party would support Mikerevic if the SDA members were to be given at least three ministerial posts that belong to Bosniaks. “The SDA should get minimum three ministerial posts, one of which should be of the RS Vice-President,’ said Jahic. | |
| SDU | Avaz pg. 8 ‘Avdic: the Alliance did a lot, but a common person has not benefit from it’, Oslobodjenje pg. 10 ‘Urgently conduct a revision of privatisation’ – a statement by Sead Avdic, the Acting SDU (Social Democratic Union) President, at the party’s first press conference. Said that the party would request from the privatisation agencies in the FBiH and RS to urgently present a report on the level of the implemented privatisation in certain BiH companies. He said that unless the issue was solved urgently, there would be social riots in springtime. Furthermore, he informed that the SDU plans to promote next week a legal project – the Law on Work at the BiH level. This is an attempt to better the level of protection of workers in BiH. As for the dynamics of the introduction of VAT set out by OHR, the party thinks that it fails to meet the needs of BiH. They request that a project on VAT be presented next year and implemented possibly by the end of the next year. They also openly called on HR to proclaim the Dual Citizenship Law by the end of the year. | |
| SNSD press conference | Nezavisne Novine pg. 2 – quoting SNSD Deputy in the BiH House of Representatives (HoR) Nikola Spiric as saying that if BiH wins the case against the FRY then the SDS will propose that a portion of BiH funds will be allocated to Serbs in BiH, and not only to Bosniaks and Croats. “Criminals who led us into the war will participate twice in dividing up the loot – first time when they started the war and during the war, and the second time after they received the money from the war reparations. The SDS and PDP supported financing of the BiH lawsuit against the FRY because they do not have the strength to fight some members of their parties who want to be in power at any cost”, said Spiric. | |
| Kalinic on RS government | FENA – quotes SDS Chairman Dragan Kalinic as saying that the new RS government will probably be formed by the end of this year or by January 10 next year at the latest. He said that there would be at least three SDS ministers in the RS government. In an interview with the Prnjavor-based Kanal 3 television last night, Kalinic said that the new government had already secured the parliamentary majority without the SDA deputies in the RS NA. Kalinic said he wanted the new government that would be composed of experts, true professionals, those who will be capable of cooperating with each other and who will be gathered around the future RS Prime Minister. Kalinic said that the work of the future RS Government would be judged by reforms that the future government implements and not by the ministers’ party affiliation. According to him, there are forces inside and outside the RS who want to use social unrest to overthrow the government that has not been formed yet. | |