14.10.2002

OHR BiH Media Round-up, 14/10/2002

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Headlines in Print Media  

Oslobodjenje: 200,000 illegal immigrants wait to enter Europe (from FRY, Bulgaria, Macedonia); Amnesty International – Mistake made towards the Algerians should be corrected 

Dnevni Avaz: New measures – Ashdown freezes all replacements; Interview with Sulejman Tihic – Bosnia and Bosniaks need Silajdzic  

Dnevni List: Scandal at Mostar University, legal stealing from Mostar students

Vecernji List: 45 persons injured in bomb explosion in discotheque near Kakanj

Slobodna Dalmacija: For ICTY Bobetko is a fugitive

Glas Srpski: Why does not Banja Luka town administration discuss South 7 Plan?; Communists chide Petritsch

Nezavisne Novine:Blast in a night club in Indonesia – 182 persons dies; A hand grenade thrown at “Ara” Discotheque in Kakanj – 39 people wounded; Ashdown sends letter to parliamentary political parties in BiH – Profession above political acceptability

Blic: SFOR in “Orao”, a secret operation; The second round barely beyond “quorum”; Floods in Semberija; Henry Clarke: District is waiting an election law

Vecernje Novosti: The second round, lower turnout

FRY Nacional: Elections: law turnout; Regardless of the election outcome, Milutinovic will surrender to the Hague when his mandate expires

Post-election statements/commentaries

“I believe that Haris Silajdzic should even after such the results in the race for the Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency remain in the politics because both Bosnia and the Bosniaks need him. What I want to say is that, concerning both myself and the SDA, we are open for the cooperation with Silajdzic and the Party for BiH, and I think Silajdzic should see himself on the second most important position which will belong to the Bosniak people,” said in an interview with Dnevni Avaz (p 5, mentioned on the front page) SDA leader Sulejman Tihic, who is according to the preliminary results most likely to become Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency. Asked to comment on the reforms recently proposed by the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, Tihic said that his party fully accepted all the priorities set by Ashdown, but that, in his opinion, it was not enough. “For example, the High Representative, when it is about the state government, revokes the principle of rotation at the top position, but he did nothing (proposed nothing) in terms of the establishment of the state ministries of defense, finace, interior. He speaks nothing about the customs service, the state own sources of income etc,” Tihic emphasized.

Sead Avdic, the SDP BiH Vice-president, believes that there is a realistic possibility for the establishment of the authority without national political parties at the level of BiH, in the Republika Srpska and in the Sarajevo, Tuzla, Gorazde and Una-Sana Cantons. In the statement for Dnevni Avaz (p 3), Avdic said  that a block of political parties might be made of PDP, SNSD, SPRS and SNS from RS and SDP, Party for BiH, Working for Prosperity, NHI, BOSS and Party of Pensioners from the Federation. “This block would have 22 deputies at the state level, meaning the majority in the BiH House of representatives,” Avdic emphasized.

“Claims by some political parties that a base is being prepared for the election fraud through the allocation of the compensatory mandates are totally groundless,” a member of the BiH Election Commission, Hilmo Pasic, told Dnevni Avaz (p 2). He added that a possible decision to allocate compensatory mandates to certain parties that had gained less than 3% of votes was fully in compliance with the Election Law.

The elections in BiH were not decided by those who voted but by those who did not appear at the polling stations, it was said at a regular session of the Circle 99 Independent Intellectuals Association held in Sarajevo on Sunday. The introductory speeches on the issue were delivered by the prominent BiH journalists and political commentators Gojko Beric, Hamza Baksic and Zoran Udovicic. They together with the participants in the discussion assessed that a slogan: “Fear and the Hope,” was the best description of the post-election situation in BiH. (Dnevni Avaz, p 4, Oslobodjenje, p 6, mentioned on the front page)

“The results of this year’s elections are for many disappointing. Only started reforms have been brought into question. There are enough both theoretical and pragmatic arguments to claim that a political model of national political parties cannot ensure necessary social functionality. So, will the darkness cover this country? One should not rush with the answer. The resolution of the current crisis will depend on will the social processes be dominantly determined by the new authorities from one side, or by the High Representative, opposition and the public from the other,” Ibrahim Prohic wrote in Oslobodjenje In Focus column.

The most responsible one for malfunctioning of the state and state institutions in BiH is the International Community, that did not have enough courage to implement the Dayton Accord in full, and therefore the RS not only remained existing, but is the strongest obstacle for functioning of BiH as a state today”, writes Miso Relota in his commentary on the elections in Dnevni list (page 11). “Non-existence of a true opposition to HDZ within Croat political milieu in BiH, with a large number of small parties that have support only in certain areas, is equal to the non-existence of real opposition program to SDS. Within Bosniak political milieu both problems are present, large number of smaller parties and lack of opposition program, which leads to a conclusion that significant difference among parties is on personal and not on program level”, writes Relota.

Besim Spahic in his editorial in Dnevni List (page 4) writes that at the past elections, “voters have recognised a lack of qualitative political cadres that could lead us faster to prosperous future“, but also adds that a low turn out is an indicator of “not understanding the public responsibility and giving reigns to those whom they don’t support, regardless of that being ‘national’ or parties from the ‘Alliance’. It is obvious that appeals of international organisations, and invitations of leaders of leading world forces failed to convince one million people in BiH to vote, and over one million and several hundreds of thousands to vote for parties for democratic changes”. The author also says that ‘national’ parties are not the same any more and that they will “in any case have to be controlled and obedient partners to the International Community, that will not hesitate this time, to remove anyone who confronts the plan of the IC, and drafted tempo of Europeization and globalization of BiH“.

Vecernji List (page 2, by Lj. Djikic) carries that the decision on constituency of all three  peoples on the whole BiH territory will be applied for the first time after the elections in BiH, that took place recently. Djikic concludes that ‘the second decision that Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, has passed these days, that is, the one about two-thirds majority, will certainly prolong the constituting of the Cantonal authorities.’ The author states an example of the Herceg Bosna Canton that failed to organize fully the Cantonal authority for the last, two-years mandate when only a majority vote was necessary for the organization of the authority. The author refers that this situation emerged because the census has changed in most of the Cantons since 1991. Djikic concludes: ‘The situation is similar in most other Cantons, and it will take time, patience, skillful negotiators and new coalitions to organize the Cantonal authorities.’

Vecernji List (front and page 2, conducted by Robert Bubalo) carries an interview with Mladen Ivankovic Lijanovic, the President of People’s Party Working for Prosperity. He and his brother Jerko stated that ‘their party is a winner on the Croatian territory, SDA is the winner among the Bosniaks, while SNSD is the winner in the RS’. Mladen Ivankovic Lijanovic added that ‘the parties belonging to the Alliance are the losers, especially SDP, and apart from them, HDZ, since they lost a great support of voters compared with the last elections.’ Asked whether the national issue was more important to voters than the living conditions at the last elections, Mladen Ivanknovic Lijanovic stated that ‘it is clear that the national issue should not been pushed aside, however, if one cannot support oneself by his/her salary that person will lose himself/herself.’ He also stated that the inter-party elections follow and the party will keep strengthening.

Ashdown to freeze all the replacements; other High Representative-related moves

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, will freeze until further notice all the appointments on the positions in the state institutions and enterprises, Dnevni Avaz (front page and p 3, title: Ashdown freezes all the replacements) learns from the reliable sources in the international community. Until the Agency for Civil Service, headed by Jakob Finci, is not brought into position to fully perform its duties, the appointments of the heads of the state institutions will not be made under the old practice, but, if necessary, by the High representative himself.

Vecernji List (page 2, by T.N.) reads that the High Representative Paddy Ashdown will send a letter to Presidents of ten political parties about public officials and carries excerpts from the letter: “All parties now have task to protect independence of the public officials, in the army, in the police, public companies and wider public sector. Until adequate institutions are established, the High Representative will be ready to fully implement the task of control. Public administration is not, and the High Representative will not allow it to become, a playground for political suitability”. The daily reads that the meeting with parties is planned for October 22, when PDHR Ambassador Donald Hays should inform representatives of the parties with intentions of OHR on this issue. (Nezavisne Novine, p 3, also reports on the issue)

Vecernji List (page 2, by Gorden Knezovic, title “More money to citizens and less to politicians”) carries article, which says that the High Representative Paddy Ashdown is requesting big changes in the State budget. “Large amount of money that was earlier spent on army and politicians should be allocated to health and education institutions, judiciary, police and social funds. The article says that after High Representative abolished positions of ten cantonal presidents and parallel ministries, further reduce of costs will be planned through rationalisation of the state structure that has four levels. Ashdown wishes to achieve the plan with transfer of authorities from cantonal to entity level and from entity level to the state level. Ashdown warned that BiH will never be accepted into European integration ‘as two or three unsuccessful para-states within one failed state’ ”. The author reminds that the GDP in BiH is estimated 1,200 US$, which makes it the most undeveloped state in Europe, and which is 21 % below the world mean.

Vecernji List (page 2, by N. Jurcevic, with title “Reforms will have to be imposed”) carries article about reforms that High Representative Paddy Ashdown announced and says that HDZ-HD-HNZ Coalition declared that it accepts HR’s suggestions and that they are also part of their Social-Economic Program, SDA leaders also stated that they support the mentioned package of reforms but that they would include some more, while voices from the RS are sending message that some suggestions are good for discussion and some of them should be rejected. The author explains position of parties from the RS with the fact that reforms are setting new relations between entities and central government, which does not match positions of Serb parties. They are supporting the idea that Dayton Peace Accord must not be changed and that authorities that the RS has should remain, while Ashdown’s reforms are aimed towards strengthening the central institutions and weakening of the entities. Therefore, concludes the author, one could expect that Serb parties fail at the Ashdown’s six tests.

Vecernji List (page 3, by Milo Jukic) reads that decisions of the High Representative Paddy Ashdown on appointment of heads of Security Information and Protection Agency (SIPA) and Independent Board for Selection and Control in MoI were made “on the same day when BiH public was interested only in results of the elections”. The author says that appointment of Sredoje Novic, as Serb member of SIPA Agency, was expected, it was a big surprise for many that Emir Bijedic and, especially, Dragan Lukac, who was backed by Kresimir Zubak, were appointed. The author says that things are even more complicated when it comes to the seven members of the Board, saying that it is first impression that all seven were chosen as suitable persons, citizens of Sarajevo and without experience in police work. Giving short backgrounds for each of the seven Board members, the author asks: “Why was Ashdown is such hurry to appoint members of the Agency and of the Board, when in several days new members of Presidency BiH (competent for appointment of heads of the Agency) will take their positions, as well as new members of Federation Parliament (and among them the Commission for appointments, that is competent for appointment of the heads of the Board). Is it that until the moment the election results came, that (by his function) well informed High Representative believed that at those positions some other people would be elected, and not those that he wanted  to see?”, Jukic finishes his editorial.

Vecernji List (page 46, by Ivica Pjanic) carries an editorial saying that Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, is the only constant in our TV lives. His need for photographing does not stop even in these slippery political times.’ Pjanic praises the HR’s appearance in ‘Dileme’, a FTV political magazine, by saying that ‘the HR has shown again his diplomatic skill, which has never been brought in question, however, the HR is truly too present in media.’ Pjanic also wonders whether people from OHR design a TV program or its is a consequence of the Editor-in-Chiefs’ ideas and goes on to say: ‘I believe that nobody would be surprised that the HR shows up in the first domestic TV soap opera called ‘Visa for Future’, whose topic is placed in the present time, and the lack of character that embodies the HR is almost felt in this soap opera.’

Nezavisne Novine quotes (p 6) the BiH Deposit Insurance Agency general Manager, Josip Nevjestic, as saying that the BiH Deposit Insurance Agency continues with its work despite that fact that a law on abolishment of entity deposit insurance agencies still has not become effective. “As far as I know, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, still has not passed the law on cessation of the application of the Law on deposit insurance agencies in RS and BiH Federation. Regardless, the BiH Deposit Insurance Agency will continue to work because the law on BiH level has been passed”, said Nevjestic. The paper says that OHR spokespeople could not confirm whether the High Representative imposes such law. “I know that the BiH Central Bank Governor, Peter Nicholl, asked for that after the meeting with RS Prime Minister Ivanic”, said OHR Spokesman Patrik Volf.

Algerian Group

The Amnesty International strongly supports position of the BiH Human Rights Chamber, according to which the human rights of the four Algerians were abused by their transfer to the US authorities in January this year. The organization therefore request the BiH and the BiH Federation institutions to find way how to correct their mistake and injustice made to the Algerians. (Oslobodjenje, p 3, mentioned on the front page, Dnevni Avaz, p 9)

With regard to the issue, Kresimir Zubak, the BiH Minister for Human Rights, told Dnevni Avaz (p 2) that the BiH state bodies knew very well what they had to do in case of the “Algerian Group.” “However, we have still not received the Human Rights Chamber’s decision and I am still basing my position on the media reports on the issue, which, of course, is not enough relevant ground for more serious analysis of the future state of BiH moves in this matter,” Zubak emphasized.

More than 200,000 illegal immigrants wait in FRY, Bulgaria, Macedonia to enter Western Europe

More that 200,000 citizens of China, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and India are currently staying in FRY, Bulgaria and Macedonia waiting for their chance to illegally enter Western Europe, Oslobodjenje (front page, pages 4-5) learns from the international sources. The same sources say the majority of the illegal immigrants will try to cross the BiH state border on their way towards the west.

War crimes, related news

Slobodna Dalmacija (last page, Hina), Vecernji List (page 5, by Z. Kresic) and Dnevni List (page 2, by Fena) carry that National Federation of American Croats opposes The Hague Prosecution, that in a part of a bill of indictment issued against Slobodan Milosevic, for war crimes committed in BiH, treats Croat and Bosniak victims in a different way. In a letter that this association sent to the State Department and Congress, the American Croats demand that ‘evidence on genocide committed over Croats stay in the ICTY files. VL also says that they also called on the BiH and Croatian authorities to protest and demand a change of The Hague decision with regard to this issue, since they have not declared their stands on this issue yet.’

Dnevni List (page 7, by Hina) carries that Interpol has issued an arrest warrant against Janko Bobetko, a retired Croatian General, at the request of The Hague because of charges for the crime committed against humanity, violation of Geneva Conventions and rights and customs of war. The article says that ‘the Interpol’s Office in Zagreb is acting according to a regular procedure and it informed a Ministry of Justice about the issued arrest warrant’. The article says that ‘this Ministry is supposed to hand over the arrest warrant to a competent court and only then the Police arrests the person against whom the issue warrant was issued, on the ground of the investigative judge’ order.’ (FRY Nacional, p 5)

Dnevni List (page 4) carries that on the eve of the elections in Austria, the Communist Party of Austria has issued a press release saying that Wolfgang Petritsch, a former High Representative and an official of Socialist Democratic Party of Austria, is responsible for NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia. The press release says that ‘Petritsch is responsible for unacceptable conditions that were set to Yugoslavia at the negotiations in Rambouiet and Petritsch is the one who caused an unnecessary war that brought Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo a lot of sufferings.’ (Oslobodjenje, p 7, Glas Srpski, front page)

SFOR inspects Orao Aviation Institute – All offices broken into

Glas Srpski reports(p 3) that the SFOR finished the search of the Orao Aviation Institute and that the last group of SFOR troops left the Institute yesterday afternoon. The paper states that the public has not been told about the reasons for this search except the brief press statement that the action was part of the regular inspection. The paper quotes SFOR Spokesman Sean Mell as saying that this was just a regular inspection and that SFOR still does not have any results. He stressed a very good cooperation that SFOR had with the Aviation Institute management, adding that the inspection is not related to the affair on the Orao’s alleged involvement in arm selling to Iraq. Mell denied that SFOR used force when entering the Aviation Institute. However, the security guards in the sugar refinery confirmed that SFOR did use force when entering some rooms in the factory. Nezavisne Novine, Oslobodjenje carried similar stories (p 3). Vecernje Novosti p 5, Blic, p 7, also published articles on the SFOR inspection.

Federation affairs

Vecernji List (page 3, by Zdenko Jurilj) carries that believing that they were exposed to political discrimination and that the Law on Intelligence Service was violated during admission to the Federation Intelligence Service (FOSS), 70 former SNS officials (Croat Security Intelligence Service) from Mostar are willing to sue the FOSS leadership. VL says that apart from the judicial bodies the former SNS officials are ready to look for justice through the High Representative. Among the other things, the press release that they issued says that ‘a locksmith, who finished a faculty during the war under suspicious circumstances, performs a duty of the FOSS chief inspector.’ 

Vecernji List (front and page 3, by Faruk Vele) carries that a hand-grenade was thrown at the roof of a discotheque near Kakanj on Saturday night. 45 persons were injured, however, luckily, none of them was seriously injured. The suspect is certain Ado. L from Visoko, who was not allowed to enter the discotheque since he was behaving aggressively. VL says that, so far, this fact has been considered to be the only motif of this act. The owner of the discotheque stated that this person is the only suspect, however, the investigation will show as to who was the perpetrator.

Dnevni list (page 3, by D. Peric) carries an article, which says that fees for this school year at Mostar University are increased, and asks: “On what basis the decision that all students should pay 10 KM for financing the Association of Students, that is not even registered as a legal entity, has been brought?” Students are saying that the money collected, about 80,000 KM, will end up at private accounts. However, comparing to the help that came from Croatia in period 1994-2000, this is an irrelevant sum. The article also says that some professors are conditioning approach to exams with purchase of their book or scripts.          

Headlines in Electronic Media

BHTV 1 (Sunday, 1900)

  • 182 persons killed in the bomb attack in Indonesia
  • The BiH elections haven’t been decided by those who voted but those who failed to attend polling stations, says Independent Intellectuals Association Circle 99
  • Second round of the Serbian presidential elections takes place
  • One Palestinian woman has been killed and two girls wounded in the Israeli army’s shootout in the North side of the Western Coast

FTV 1 (1930)

  • More than 180 persons killed in the bomb attack in Indonesia
  • Second round of presidential elections in Serbia
  • 30 families have been displaced over floods in the Sarajevo settlement Otes

RTRS (1930)

  • 182 persons killed in explosions in Indonesian island Bali
  • Second round of Serbian presidential elections. Weak voters’ turnout
  • 800 American soldiers involved in exercises in Philippines