| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Pope threat emails | Sljivancanin’s arrest | US threats BiH | Bank robbery in B.Luka |
| Strike in HB Canton | US threat | PIC meeting | Sljivancanin’s arrest |
| Croatia on ICC | SDA and HDZ on HNC | Corridor VC | Rehn in Banja Luka |
| Middle East conflicts | BiH’s population |
| Racan invites Serbs back |
| Oslobodjenje | Sulejman Tihic announced establishment of the HNC Government |
| Dnevni Avaz | Premier Terzic: Sale of 10 strategic enterprises |
| Dnevni List | Will OHR remove Tihic; FBiH Government owes workers 55 million KMs; Banking lobby supports organized crime in region |
| Vecernji List | Inspectors sealing gas stations |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Smaller salaries SDA and SBiH officials |
| Glas Srpski | Dispute between “Farming” and private firms: Who will plow whom? |
| Nezavisne Novine | Doctors warn: 11 persons in BiH died of heat; BiH Central Bank: Accounts of bank owned by Momcilo Mandic blocked; Republika Srpska Trade Inspection: Inspectors target 12 fuel-stations; the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina budget losses KM 20 million through sale of false drinks; Branch office of Nova Banjalucka Banka robbed: A thief robbed KM 8 thousand |
| Vecernje Novosti | Search for Sjivancanin |
| Blic | Another bank in Banja Luka robbed; Ashdown punished SDA and Party for BiH; Gradiska: pensioners threaten with blocking the border |
| Slobodna Bosna | Let us preserve achievements of the homeland-liberation war (refers to illegally gained properties during and after the war) |
| B-H Dani | Ivan Lovrenovic: My response (to polemics/conflict amongst BiH intellectuals); Failure of Public Broadcasting Service – A visa for the past |
| Ljiljan | FDS: Lost Alija and Zlatko’s battle |
Political developments | |
| PIC session
| BHTV 1, Croat Radio Herceg Bosna – Peace Implementation Council adopted at a session at the level of political directors in Sarajevo on Thursday a decision on establishment of the Special Council within the BH Court for processing the war crimes. Council will consist of international and local experts and, in the same time, BiH state prosecutor’s office is going to be established. Establishment of the special council is going to be done by the OHR with assistance of the ICTY experts. President of the ICTY Theodor Meron: “Council is going to continue ICTY efforts ]in processing all the war crimes which would lead to reconciliation.” Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, RTRS – BiH Justice Minister Slobodan Kovac talked on Thursday with President of the ICTY Theodor Meron and Senior Deputy High Representative Bernard Fassier about processing the war crimes at the BiH Court. It is now up to Steering Board of the PIC to bring final decision on implementation of this project, says Kovac. Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Human Rights Chamber operates by the end of the year’, FENA – The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) met at the level of political directors in Sarajevo on 11th and 12th of June 2003 in Sarajevo. Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s State and Entity governments also attended. The Steering Board, reaffirming the importance of effective protection of human rights in BiH according to European standards, considered the report presented by SDHR Bernard Fassier on the future of the Human Rights Chamber (HRC). They recalled that the HRC had been established under Annex VI of the Dayton Peace Agreement at a time when BiH was not a member of the Council of Europe and its judiciary was incapable of handling human rights cases. They agreed that the mandate of HRC should be transferred to the institutions of BiH as part of the process of strengthening and localizing human rights protection in BiH, and that the HRC should cease accepting new cases in the near future, with a target date of 31 July 2003. While the modalities of the transfer require further discussion with relevant institutions, they urged the HRC to take all appropriate measures to deal with pending cases by 31 December 2003. The Steering Board stressed again that the transfer plan must provide effective protection of human rights in BiH in accordance with European standards. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘BiH must show it possesses values which EU is based on’, ONASA – Following a presentation by Prime Minister Terzic, the Steering Board discussed BiH’s progress with the European Union’s Stabilisation and Association process. They reaffirmed that the road to EU membership offered the best prospects for long-term prosperity and stability for BiH, but whether and when BiH joined the EU depended on BiH and the pace of its reforms. It is up to BiH, as for all potential candidates for EU membership, to meet the standards required and to show that it shares the values upon which the Union is founded. The faster it does so, the more rapidly it can make progress on the road to Europe, as several of its neighbours have demonstrated already. The Thessaloniki summit later in June will be an important opportunity for BiH to demonstrate to the EU that it was determined to undertake the necessary reforms. |
| HNC Government formation | BHTV 1 – After Wednesday’s High Representative’s decision on sanctions against HDZ and SDA, leaderships of those parties send an opposite instructions to their cantonal branches. SDA President Sulejman Tihic: “I am disappointed with the fact that deputies failed to vote for the government in accordance with the protocol Mr. Colak and myself have signed. Therefore, all the deputies and presidents of the cantonal board and assembly are invited today for the special session of the presidency and hopefully we will sort that out and appoint government on Monday.” Chairman of the Executive Commission of the Party for BIH Izet Zigic: “We had a special (session of the) commission last night giving support to the stands of deputies. We think that way Serb candidates have been recommended does not reflects neither constitutional changes nor peoples’ equality we have guaranteed by the BiH Constitution and constitutional changes in the Federal Constitution”. Reporter brings statistics on HR’s sanctions against parties and opinions of people of Mostar who support HR’s decision. (Nezavisne Novine, page 6, ‘Tihic supports Ashdown, Party for BiH supports its delegates’) Oslobodjenje front page, pages 4-5 ‘Sulejman Tihic announced the establishment of the HNC Government’ – The seven SDA deputies to the HNC Assembly were disappointed with a Thursday SDA Presidency’s decision requesting them to vote for the composition of the cantonal government agreed by Sulejman Tihic and Barisa Colak. Even a conclusion made by the Presidency according to which the mechanisms to protect vital national interests and prevent any domination in the cantonal bodies have to be included in the HNC Constitution could not have satisfied them. Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘SDA requests for Ashdown’s intervention’ – Chairman of the HNC Assembly Omer Cevra, one of the participants at the Thursday’s session of the SDA Presidency, told the newspaper that the Party would again request High Representative Paddy Ashdown to, through changes of the HNC Constitution, ensure equality of all peop0les in the Canton. Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Ashdown expects explanation from Tihic and Halilovic’ – The newspaper carries OHR Spokesman Vedran Persic’s statement on the issue. Oslobodjenje pg. 2 In Focus column by Zija Dizdarevic ‘Pocket policy’ – Dizdarevic comments on the situation regarding the HNC Government formation saying that SDA has once again betrayed its voters by allowing international officials to treat trhem as immature politicians. Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Deputies requested to vote for proposed composition of the HNC Government’ – The SDA Presidency and its Herzegovina-Neretva Cantonal Assembly members on Thursday demanded from SDA representatives to vote for the proposed cantonal government in line with the agreement signed by SDA and HDZ leaders Sulejman Tihic and Barisa Colak. According to a press release issued by the Democratic Action Party (SDA), the SDA Presidency also called on the Party for BiH to endorse the proposed government since such a development is in the best interest of the HN canton and BiH citizens, demanding, however, that mechanisms to protect vital national interests be introduced in order to ensure the equality principle. The newspaper on the same page carries Party for BiH Zigic’s statement on the issue. Blic pg. 7 ‘Ashdown punishes SDA and Party for BiH’; Vecernje Novosti pg. 5 ‘Ashdown punishes two parties’ report on the HR’s Wednesday decision to sanction SDA, Party for BiH. BH Dani pg. 6 Bosnian Barometer – The magazine awarded Paddy Ashdown with two stars (very good move) for his statements and action regarding the non-establishment of HNC Government |
| CRO press on HNC Government | Vecernji List (front and page 2, by E. Medunjanin, Z. Kresic, “Mostar causes rift between SDA BiH and SBiH”) and Dnevni List (page 12, by F, “High Representative expects Tihic and Halilovic to restore authority in HNC”) – report that the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, requested Presidents of SDA and SBiH to explain why members of the parties in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton voted against the proposal of composition of the HNC Government which was prior to the voting signed by the parties’ HQ. “The High Representative expects them to restore authority over their party colleagues in HNC and undertake measures which would ensure that the obligations which have been taken upon be respected”, says an OHR spokesperson, Vedran Persic. VL also reports that the SBiH Executive Commission supported its members in the HNC Assembly saying that the HNC PM designate, Miroslav Coric, ignored the SBiH proposals regarding the appointment of a Serb minister in the Government. VL (page 2, by E. Me., “Party for BiH is at fault”) – says the President of SDA, Sulejman Tihic, admitted that the sanctions imposed by the HR were justified. VL goes on say that Tihic hoped the Government would be formed on Monday and regarding the insubordination of SDA MPs in the HNC Assembly, VL says Tihic tried to justify it by blaming the SBiH MPs. “The explanation we in SDA got was that our MPs did not want crush partnership with SBiH, so they voted against the appointment of the Government. SDA MPs were in favour of the Government, but they were uncomfortable with voting differently as Party for BiH and stay alone with HDZ on the other side”, says Tihic. On the issue of SDA-SBiH rapport, Dnevni List, (page 7, by P. Radic, “Tremors in ruling coalition”) says its sources say that the SBiH Executive Commission is considering a review of its relationship with SDA if an information that Tihic gave consent to Coric to appoint a Serb minister turns out to be true. According to DL contact, SBiH is not ruling out an option of going into opposition. VL (page 3, by Misijana Brkic, “Forming on Government down to international community”) – an interview with HNC PM designate, Miroslav Coric. Coric points finger at representatives of political parties from the line of the Bosniak people saying they want to maintain parallelisms. Questioned how the whole deal is going to end, Coric says: “I think it is clear we cannot form the Government in the canton by ourselves. I assume the story will be ended up by the international community.” Dnevni List (front and page 7, by Miso Relota, “Will OHR remove Sulejman Tihic”) – says if the pressure applied by the SDA HQ against its HNC Board does not give results, one should raise the issue of removal of President of SDA, Sulejman Tihic, by the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown. DL also says the experience has taught us that “the OHR wrath” will hit some people from HDZ “for the sake of not letting down the tradition”. In that context, the author mentions the HNC PM designate, Miroslav Coric, and the current and future candidate for Interior Minister, Goran Bilic. Dnevni List (page 6, by Pejo Gasparevic, “Masks are falling”) – an editorial in which the author says SDA and SBiH showed most straight forwarded spite against the IC thus dethroning the HDZ when it comes to lack of co-operation with the IC. Gasparevic wonders whether the IC will apply the same rules it had applied on the Croats before saying that current OHR measures against SDA and SBiH are mild. Dnevni List (page 12, by D. K., “Early elections are necessary”) – a report from SDP press conference in Mostar at which members of SDP Mostar stressed the High Representative had to take more radical measures, foremost the dissolving of HNC Assembly and organization of early elections. Slobodna Dalmacija (page 17, by “Rift within SDA”, by Marin Erceg) – an editorial which says the rift between the SDA HQ and SDA in HNC has been going on since 1992 because the Mostar SDA has often claimed that Mostar Bosniaks are neglected and that Sarajevo only cares for its interests. Regarding the latest deadline for formation of the HNC Government set forth by the High Representative, Erceg notes that connoisseur believe SDA HQ will have tough time breaking the resistance of the SDA in Mostar adding that the SDA HQ is ready to take radical measures to maintain the party’s credibility and avoid further punishments. |
| FBiH HoP adopts criminal laws | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV 1, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Laws on harmonisation’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘Prosecutors to have right to grant immunity without courts’ control’, Dnevni list front page & p 5, “Set of laws from criminal legislation adopted”, by Onasa, Slobodna Dalmacija last page, “Set of criminal laws adopted”, by Blazica Kristo – Federation House of Peoples adopted on Thursday a number of laws belonging to the criminal legislation and consolidated the law on civil service. Discussion on these laws was finished at the last session after OHR recommended non-adoption of unacceptable amendments. Federal Justice Minister Borjana Kristo said government has supported 8 out of 18 amendments. |
| Cavic, Kalinic meet with Rehn | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV 1, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz, Blic pg. 7 ‘Still risky for investors’ – RS President Dragan Cavic and RS National Assembly Speaker Dragan Kalinic held separate meetings on Thursday with Elisabeth Rehn, Chairperson of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe Working Table for Human Rights, Democracy and Media. Rehn stated that obvious progress was made in the area of human rights in RS and BiH. According to Rehn top issue at this point is development of economy – for investitures to come BiH needs rule of law. |
| Conflict of interests | Nezavisne Novine, page 7, ’13 MP’s in BiH must give up on one function’ – BiH Election Commission has so far prepared a list of 13 MP’s at various levels of authority in BiH, who will have to give up on one of two functions, in accordance with the Law on incompatibility of functions. |
| SB on UNDP survey/Ashdown | Slobodna Bosna pgs. 9-10 ‘The most expensive officers have been thought out by Ashdown and not by local bureaucracy’ By Asim Metiljevic – According to Metiljevic, the claim that BiH is spending 64% of its GDP in politicians and bureaucracy, recently spoken pout by Paddy Ashdown, reveals a lack of HR’s elementary knowledge about the character of the BiH government crisis and possibilities of its overcoming. Metiljevic adds that since the BiH’s GDP amounts approximately 10.5 billion KM as all the budgets in the country total less than five billion, it is not possible that 64 percent of GDP is being allocated for the administration. |
| BiH Presidency meet Inter-religion Council | Vecernji List (page 4, by D. Jazvic, “Issue of restitution of property of religious communities close to solving”) – BiH Presidency and Inter-religion Council had a meeting yesterday and the Council requested making and adoption of the Law on religious freedoms and legal position of religious communities in BiH. The two sides concluded that lack of laws in the matter is one of the biggest problems. VL carries the President of Jewish Community in BiH, Jakob Finci, as saying the Council gives its support to the work of BiH Presidency and BiH CoM however, the Council wants that the issue of restitution of property to religious communities be solved. Reportedly, the Chair of Presidency, Borislav Paravac, stated the Presidency had shown its readiness to cooperate when three religious communities were given back its facilities in Banja Luka prior to the Pope’s visit. Sarajevo dailies also covered the meeting. |
Crime | |
| US might sanction 15 countries over human trafficking
| BHTV 1, FTV, – BiH could face sanctions over human trafficking soon. US threatens to impose sanctions against 15 countries including BiH, for not taking enough efforts in fighting human trafficking. US Secretary of the State Colin Powel says 800,000 to 900,000 persons are being trafficked every year through borders around the world. At Thursday’s session, Council of Ministers haven’t discussed this issue but Assistant BiH Minister of Human Rights and Refugees Ivica Martinovic says it is possible that US sanctions could be discussed at tomorrow’s part of the session. Both Sarajevo dailies also report on the issue. Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 Commentary of the Day by Edina Sarac ‘Fresh warning to BiH from Washington’ – Sarac concludes that BiH should in the most serious manner accept fresh US announcement on possible sanctions over human trafficking. Dnevni list front page & p 3, by D. Kozina, Nezavisne Novine, page 6, ‘Possible sanctions against BiH’ also cover the issue. |
| Almir Abdulah identified as person who sent threat e-mail to Pope | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna – 21-year old Almir Abdulah has been identified as person who sent threat e-mail during Pope’s visit to Croatia. The Federation of BiH Ministry of Interior to press charges against Abdulah for terrorism. |
| Another office of Nova Banjalucka Bank robbed | RTRS, Blic pg. 7 – Another office of Nova Banjalucka Bank was robbed on Thursday – this time in settlement Oblicevo. This is the fifth time that this bank was robbed in the territory of Republika Srpska. Last week 1,2 million KM were robbed from Nova Banjalucka Banka and police has not arrested anyone so far. According to eyewitness accounts there was only one person at gunpoint, who hid money under his clothes. Police blocked off the entire settlement immediately after the robbery. According to unofficial information 10,000 KM were from the bank Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 2, ‘Armed robber took away KM 8 thousand’ – Around 14:30 hrs yesterday, an armed criminal robbed the branch office of Nova Banjalucka Banka, located in Mejdan settlement of Banjaluka. The robber took away KM 8 thousand. At the moment of robbery, two bank clerks were in the bank premises. There were no eyewitnesses to this crime, although the bank is surrounded by buildings and small market place. |
| Update to Mandic case | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 2, ‘Accounts of bank owned by Momcilo Mandic blocked’ – Ten days ago, BiH Central Bank has blocked the accounts of Privredna Banka Serb Sarajevo, owned by Momcilo Mandic. Dragan Popovic, Director of Privredna Banka, yesterday told NN that the BiH Central Bank had to do so, because Privredna Banka did not possess the reserve of money, necessary for bank transactions. And this has resulted from “well-known developments about the bank”. BiH Central Bank decided to block the accounts of Privredna Banka Serb Sarajevo following the recommendation of the Republika Srpska Banking Agency. NN learnt at OHR that Toby Robinson spent some time at Privredna Banka Serb Sarajevo over the past weeks, where he was collecting documentation and information, that are still being reviewed. |
| Lawsuit against Tihic and Terzic
| Blic pg. 7 ‘They sue Terzic and Tihic’, RTRS – The Association of the detainees of Republika Srpska will submit the lawsuit at the Human Rights Chamber against the member of Presidency of BiH Sulejman Tihic, Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic, against five non-governmental organizations from Sarajevo and Cantonal Government in Sarajevo. Vice-president of the Association Slavko Jovicic said that the reason for the lawsuit is Tihic’s and Terzic’s statements that Serbs committed aggression in 1992 against BiH, which violate Dayton’s qualification of war in BiH. |
| SB on EU blacklist | Slobodna Bosna pgs. 12-13 ‘Kalinic, Amfilohije Radovic, Vasilije Kacavenda, Vracar cannot go to EU countries’ By Adnan Buturovic – Buturovic writes that, next week, OHR will complete a so called Serb list (of unwanted persons). The persons from the list will be banned from entering EU countries territory due to their support to terrorist activities, organised crime and war crime indictees. According to the magazine, among others, the list will contain names of Dragan Kalinic, the current RS NA President, Milenko Vracar, former RS Finance Minister and current Nova Banjalucka Bank Director, Amfilofije Radovic, Head of the Serb Orthodox Church in Montenegro, and Vasilije Kacavenda, the Orthodox Tuzla-Zvornik Bishop. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Privatisation of strategic companies
| Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 2 ‘Sale of 10 strategic companies’, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Ten large-scale BiH companies on sale’ – The BiH Council of Ministers and the Governments of FBiH and RS are prepared to in next 180 days implement 120 reforms aimed at acceleration of BiH’s integration into Europe. “As the prime ministers, the three of us agreed on the necessity that planned reforms are carried out in six months,” CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic told Dnevni Avaz. The three premiers will discuss the issue at their meeting on Mrakovica today. According to Terzic, the planned reforms include the sale of at least ten strategic companies in BiH within the period. BHTV 1 – Privatisation of strategic companies in the RS goes very slow. RS Government thinks there are two reasons for that: Low competitiveness of the companies and lack of confidence of investors in the RS business environment. Very few companies have worthwhile competitiveness out of which Fruktona Factory from Banja Luka was bought by German investor. |
| Customs Administration activities in F BiH | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 3, ‘The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina budget loses KM 20 million through sale of false drinks’ – The wide distribution and sale of the false alcohol drinks causes the budget loss of KM 20 million in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to Rudolf Udiljak, Head of Anti-smuggling activities at Customs Administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated Customs Administration has launched an action, aimed at reducing potential budget losses. |
| FBiH inspectors carry out control of tax payers | Vecernji List (page 2, by M. Be., “Inspectors closed down 81 catering facility”) – report that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) authorities are conducting more thorough controls of taxpayers with an aim to improve collection of revenues. The first wave of controls is carried out in catering facilities, and in that context, VL says the authorities carried out inspection of 95 facilities in the Zenica-Doboj Canton. Out of that number, 81 facilities have been shut down over failure to give receipts to their customers. The same papers (front and page 3, by Ivan Kaleb, “20 gas stations sealed”) reports that 20 gas stations and 46 catering facilities in the West-Herzegovina Canton have been shut down by FBiH and cantonal tax authorities because these tax payers did not use cash registers in their business operations. |
| Trade inspection in Republika Srpska | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 3, ’12 fuel-stations targeted by inspectors’ – During the so far activities performed in the action “Oil 2003” (since 16 April), the Republika Srpska Trade Inspection filed violation reports against 12 fuel-stations, three firms and four persons from Brcko and Republika Srpska, owing to reasonable suspicion that they performed illegal trade in oil and oil derivatives. |
| Land dispute in Gradiska | Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Who will plow whom? – The private firms and farmers from Nova Topola, Cerovljani and Laminci (Gradiska munucipality) have usurped 1730 hectares of land, which the plow without any compensation to its original owned, “Farming” firm. According to Bogoljub Vidovic, Director of “Farming”, the firm was practically deprived of its property without any compensation. Therefore, the firm has filed lawsuits against those firms and farmers plowing its land, demanding from them to pay out the compensation. |
| Money laundering – One suspect arrested in Banjaluka | Nezavisne Novine, page 5, ‘Tihomir Lukic arrested for money laundering’ – Banjaluka police on Wednesday arrested the co-owner of the firm “Uzdah” (A sigh) d.o.o. Doboj, Tihomir Lukic from Vinkovci in Croatia. He is suspected of having attempted to money launder KM 1,452,000 through his bank account at Kristal Banka Banjaluka. |
| Gacko plant update | Nezavisne Novine, page 5, ‘Removals at RiTE “Gacko” today’, Blic pg. 7 ‘Replacements in Gacko today’– Following decision by the Republika Srpska Government , Radoslav Stanjevic, General Manager of RiTE Gacko, Vojin Vukotic, Director of Mine Gacko, and Miodrag Doder, Director of Thermal Power Plant, should today be removed from their positions. |
| CoM to discuss Law on unification of Customs and Tax Administrations today | Nezavisne Novine, page 3, ‘Law on unification of customs administration be discussed today’– The proposed transitional law on unification of customs administration and the establishment of the indirect tax administration will be discussed at today’s resumption of the session of the BiH Council of Ministers. Dnevni List (page 3, by M. R., “Draft law on merging of customs administration sent for final processing”) – BiH Council of Ministers yesterday discussed the draft law on merging of customs administrations and establishment of administration for indirect taxation. BiH Deputy Minister for Refugees and Human Rights, Ivica Marinovic, stated after the session that the CoM detected a few technical shortcomings of legal nature, which will be tackled by the Ministry of Treasury. |
| Dani’s Pecanin on BiH telecommunications | BH Dani pg. 3 op-ed by Senad Pecanin on the third GSM license/telecommunications – “It is obvious that unforeseen resistance by usually anaemic BiH prevented Ashdown, Hays and Bond from liberalising BH telecommunications by planned shock therapy by which the criminal Eronet would have been licensed,” wrote Pecanin. |
| BH Dani on BiH PBS transformation | BH Dani pgs. 24-28 ‘Visa for the past’ By Emir Imamovic – “One move with the pencil and everything is returned to the very beginning: FGTV remains without property, all having value belonged to BHTV but only in the Federation. RTRS, which is theoretically a part of public service, remains untouched in the latest division. Such an extremely poor result of the former RTVBiH transformation has been achieved by a small group of ambitious but also extremely irresponsible persons including John Shearer, Jasmin Durakovic and Marija Topic Crnoja,” reads the article. |
| Military industry workers’ protest | Dnevni list (front page & p 8, “FBiH Government owes 55 million KM to the workers”, by E. Mackic) reports that around 300 workers of military industry from Central Bosnia region gathered yesterday in front of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Defense Ministry’s building in Sarajevo in order to get the answer as to when the contributions for their pension and invalid insurance would be paid. They claim that the FBiH Government owes them 55 million KMs and that contributions to the workers of some of the companies have not been paid since 1992. The workers gathered despite a letter from Munib Tahirovic, FBiH Deputy Minister of Defense, which read that the issue of the length of employment and pension contributions would soon be systematically resolved for all the workers in FBiH and that this entity’s Government would discuss the issue on June 19. The workers complained about the lack of this Ministry’s support. Sarajevo dailies, electronic media also report on the issue. |
Other developments | |
| Jordanian Queen Noor visited mass grave on Javor Mountain
| BHTV 1 – Jordanian Queen Noor visited on Thursday a mass grave site on the Javor Mountain near Vlasenica. Teams of the international and Federation commissions for missing persons are conducting exhumations of Bosniaks killed during the war. It is believed that mass grave contains around 200 bodies out of which teams exhumed 120 already. This was a first Queen Noor’s visit to a mass grave site in BiH. Both Sarajevo dailies, Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘Meeting with the chosen’ also reported on the visit. |
| Transitional law on education | Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘The bag full of amendments’ – The members of the Legal and Constitutional Commission of the House of Peoples at the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Bosko Siljegovic, announced that the House will most likely hold a session on 18 June and discuss the Framework law on primary and secondary education. He also said that 67 amendments have been proposed on this framework law. |
| SB once again on Alibabic case
| Slobodna Bosna pgs. 5-8 ‘Ashdown removed Alibabic after Vuksic had given him a tape secretly recorded for Croatian HIS (intelligence service)’ By Senad Avdic – According to the article, the operation of secret recording former Head of FOSS Munir Munja Alibabic was conducted in western Herzegovina in October 1999 by the members of the National Security Service (SNS) at an order by then Service’s Head Ivica Primorac. The current acting Head of FOSS and a SNS officer at the time Ivan Vuksic was responsible for the operative execution of the task. The magazine got these information from the Zagreb headquarters of the Croatian intelligence service and they were confirmed by a few former officers both of HIS and SNS. |