OHR BiH Media Round-up, 1/4/2004

Oslobodjenje

Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic and Stojic are travelling to The Hague!; Kalinic to Tihic: Serbs are not weak and they cannot be provoked endlessly; BiH Presidency: Statement on cooperation with ICTY adopted; BiH Parliament: Representatives demand CoM removal; CoM: Taxation benefits to farmers; Bankruptcy law: Over 10.000 workers will stay without a job 

Dnevni Avaz

Kalinic threats to Tihic and Silajdzic; Four to got the Hague; Gregorian: Million KM went to criminals

Dnevni List

Zagreb: Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic and Stojic indicted; Seven parties demand removal of BiH CoM

Vecernji List

Parliamentary crises reach state level; Ljubuski: Police preparing for protests

Slobodna Dalmacija

Petkovic, Praljak, Stojic and Prlic in The Hague on Monday

Glas Srpske

Proposed Declaration of RS NA: Survival of BiH in jeopardy; Serb Sarajevo Assembly: Commission to chose the name

Nezavisne Novine

ICTY charges former officials of Herceg Bosna and HVO: Petkovic, Prlic, Praljak and Stojic charged with ethnic cleansing; RS NA : Ceko’s reports adopted; After SDS withdrew support to state Government: Opposition demands removal of Council of Ministers; Joint interview by Charles English and Rory Gregorian: Republika Srpska authorities know they must arrest Radovan Karadzic

Blic

Dragan Kalinic: Campaign against everything that carries title ‘srpsko’; Refinery is not working again; Every third manages to pass drivers exam in Banja Luka

War crimes

Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic and Stojic in ICTY on Monday

RTRS, BHTV 1, Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 4&5 ‘Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic and Stojic travelling to the Hague!’ – According to Oslobodjenje, generals Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic, as well as former president of Herceg Bosna, Jadranko Prlic, and former Defence Minister of Herceg Bosna, Bruno Stojic, will travel to the Hague on Monday at 8.30 from Zagreb. Representative of the Croatian Government’s Office for cooperation with the ICTY, Jaksa Muljacic, stated this on Wednesday, and confirmed that they have received new ICTY indictments for four, and not six persons as it was widely speculated previously. Charges against these fours persons include persecution of Bosniaks in the territory of Herceg Bosna in accordance with the plan by late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman; establishment of the concentration camps “Heliodrm”, “Dretelj” and “Gabela”, etc. The indictments also establish that Herceg Bosna Government, and the leader Mate Boban, was directly given instructions by Franjo Tudjman. Indictment further says that Tudjman, Boban and Gojko Susak, worked together trying to have that part of BiH attached to Croatia, and to persecute all non-Croat population from that region. Authorities in Sarajevo claim that they did not receive indictments from ICTY, but a senior official confirmed for daily that ICTY recently received information that can be used to establish the responsibility of former Herceg Bosna Justice Minister Kresimir Zubak.

FTV – FTV reports that, according to unofficial sources, the rest of the indictments have been sent to Sarajevo.

Onasa – “I will surrender to the tribunal on Monday … My military carrier is over today,” said Petkovic who currently holds the post of the Croatian army chief inspector.  “I have signed that I will go voluntarily to The Hague. The departure is on Monday,” said Praljak, adding that he was not allowed to talk about the indictement before it is made public

Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Four go to the Hague’, pg 3 ‘Praljak, Stojic, Prlic and Petkovic are going to the Hague’ – DA, alike rest of local media, on Wednesday reported that the remaining two indictements were delivered to Sarajevo. According to DA, additional two indictments were issued against the former commander of Croat military police Valentin Coric and an unnamed member of the Croat military police.

Also covered in RHB, Vecernji List front pg ‘Praljak, Prlic, Stojic and Petkovic go to The Hague’, pg 10 ‘Indictments from The Hague: Praljak, Prlic, Petkovic and Stojic go voluntarily’, Dnevni List front splash, pgs 4&5 ‘Zagreb: Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic and Stojic indicted’, Slobodna Dalmacija front splash, pgs 2&3 ‘Petkovic, Praljak, Stojic and Prlic in The Hague on Monday’, Jutarnji List front splash, pgs 2&3 ‘Indictees in The Hague on Monday’, Vjesnik front splash, pg 2 ‘Prlic, Petkovic, Praljak and Stojic go to The Hague on Monday’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 3 ‘Petkovic, Prlic, Praljak and Stojic charged with ethnic cleansing’.

SD: Indictments most ‘unpleasant’ for Croatia

Slobodna Dalmacija pg 13 ‘Bills (from) Herceg Bosna’ by Vuk Djuricic – Article reads that the indictments against the BiH Croats could be the most unpleasant indictments as far as Croatia is concerned. Djuricic claims that parts of the indictments accuse Croatia and its former leadership with the late President Franjo Tudjman at its helm, of ethnic cleansing of Herzegovina, the aim of which is to annex it to Croatia, of organizing prison camps and expulsion of Bosniak civilians, as well as destruction of religious facilities, and of Croatia sending its regular troops to BiH. Having said all this, the author claims it is going to be very difficult to prove before the ICTY that Croatia had nothing to do with that, adding that the price will anyway have to be paid.

RTRS – RTSR also comments that the Croatian Government appears to be very much concerned with these indictments, which outline involvement of Croatia in the war.

BHTV 1 – President of Croatian Assembly, Vladimir Seks, announced that the Assembly would at the end of April discuss “unacceptable parts” of ICTY indictments.

Covic: BiH institutions not informed on indictments

Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Covic: BiH institutions were not informed’ – Member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, stated on Wednesday that no institution in BiH was informed on four new indictments that arrive from the ICTY against four high officials of Herceg Bosna. “At this moment, no BiH institution has been informed on this in written,” added Covic.

BiH Presidency adopts declaration of cooperation with ICTY

FENA – At the session held on Wednesday, BiH Presidency adopted a statement on cooperation with the Hague tribunal. Member of the Presidency, Dragan Covic said: “With this statement we wanted to stress that we, as the Presidency and all other state institutions, are totally in favor of this cooperation. We also wanted to notice that the fact that some suspects have not been apprehended and taken to the Tribunal, could be used as an obstacle for our membership of the Partnership for Peace. This statement should strengthen our resolution and we have urged all indictees to surrender to the Hague tribunal. We wanted this statement to be signed by the Presidency, entity representatives, the entity premiers, the chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, and representatives of the lower chambers in the RS, the FBiH and the state, whereby a strong message would have been sent, a message which could be seen as compensation for what is expected of us: that we apprehended all the indictees, which we could trace, over the next two months.”

BHTV 1, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover, pg 5 ‘Declaration on cooperation with Tribunal adopted’ – media reported on the declaration paraphrasing Covic’s statement.

Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘BiH will assist all indictees that voluntarily surrender to the Hague’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Covic: We shall give guarantees for all those who turn themselves in to The Hague’ – BiH Presidency also proposes state assistance to all those indictees that voluntarily surrendered to the ICTY. 

English, Greogiran urge arrest of Karadzic

Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 4 ‘Republika Srpska authorities know they must arrest Radovan Karadzic’ – In a joint interview to NN, Charles English and Rory Gregorian, Head of US Department for South East Europe and his deputy respectively, say that if BiH wants to be invited to become a member of PfP at the June NATO Summit in Istanbul, it must arrest Radovan Karadzic. They also say that BiH has met technical pre-requisites to become the member of PfP [including the appointment of Nikola Radovanovic], but political demands have not been met as yet.

Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Millions of KM went to criminals’, pg 5 ‘Karadzic and Mladic for US are terrorists’ by Mersiha Drinjakovic – In an interview to DA, Rory Gregorian says that “local authorities in BIH never seriously tried to arrest Karadzic and Mladic.”

Renaming RS: reactions, updates

SDS: CoM no longer enjoys SDS’ support

RHB, BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Initiated vote on dismissal of CoM’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 2 ‘Opposition demands removal of Council of Ministers’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Council loses support’, Blic pg 13 ‘SDS no longer supports BiH CoM’ – The chairman of the SDS floor group in the BiH House of Representatives, Momcilo Novakovic, told the house that the SDS will re-examine its attitude to the BiH Council of Ministers. “From now on, the Council of Ministers will no longer enjoy the support of the SDS floor group except when adopting decisions in line with the constitutional competencies and in support of the Republika Srpska,” Novakovic said. He noted that the announcement by the chairman of the BiH Presidency and SDA leader, Sulejman Tihic, that he would initiate the issue of the constitutionality of the RS name was directly against the BiH Constitution.

RTRS – “We will re-examine our attitude toward the CoM and our support to CoM and of course most of all this concerns the ministers from SDA,” said Momcilo Novakovic.

FTV – “I have to say that my announcement is a result of irresponsible announcements from BiH high officials. Every official has to take responsibility for their statements and, naturally, to have in mind possible consequences”, said SDS Deputy, Momcilo Novakovic.

Vecernji List front pg ‘Parliamentary crises reaches state level’, pg 3 ‘Parliamentary crises moved into state Parliament’, Dnevni List front, pg 3 ‘Seven parties demand removal of BiH CoM’ – covered Novakovic’s statement.

OHR on SDS boycott

Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘SDS will have plenty to explain to citizens’ – OHR Spokesperson Vedran Persic commented SDS announcement: “SDS politics is a thing for SDS. If that [doesn’t] lead to process of BiH integration to Europe, stability and prosperity that comes along, than SDS will have a lot to explain to citizens.”

Opposition calls for no confidence vote to CoM

BHTV 1 – After SDS said it withdraws its support to Council of Ministers, SDP caucus in BiH House of Representatives initiated the proposal for giving a vote of non-confidence to BiH Council of Ministers, i.e. for removing the state government. SDP representative Zlatko Lagumdzija said that the initiative on a vote of confidence to BiH Council of Ministers was signed by 14 representatives of seven political parties – SDP, SNSD, Socialist Party, NHI, DNZ, BOSS, Radical Party, and several independent representatives. Opposition claims that intention of their request is not to break up the cooperation with the CoM, but instead to halt with political games of ruling Coalition. “We want to test partners in the Government, SDA, SDS and HDZ, and whether they truly support CoM, first of all, if SDS talks one and does the other things”, said Tihomir Gligoric, SPRS Deputy. “Let them take responsibility and if they deny support to the CoM it will have certain consequences. Everyone has to take its responsibility for the consequences, and there will be consequences. Undoubtedly will reforms come to the standstill, stop of the realistic way of BiH toward European integrations”, said Adnan Terzic. “If Serbs insist on RS than in my personal opinion should exist three Republics”, said Vinko Zoric from HDZ. HDZ already initiated transfer of authority from the Federal to Cantonal and State levels.

FTV – “Personally, I believe this is just an agreement between SDS and SDA as a result of Mr. Tihic’s announcement and the misunderstanding. It could even happen to leave certain level of authority in order to win the elections, because it is known, the one who wins municipal elections will always have the central leadership. So, I deeply trust none of this is unintended”, said Tihomir Gligoric. “I believe in this moment every negative behaviour and refusal of support to the CoM and the reform implementation, slows us down, distances us from the ambitions we have, [that is to] join PfP program and start negotiations on Stabilization and Association Agreement ”, said Adnan Terzic.

Oslobodjenje cover, pg 3 ‘Representatives seek dismissal of CoM’- “We can be without support, but it is not good at this moment to cause parliamentary crisis,” Terzic said.

RHB, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Initiated vote on dismissal of CoM’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 2 ‘Opposition demands removal of Council of Ministers’, Vecernji List front pg ‘Parliamentary crises reaches state level’, pg 3 ‘Parliamentary crises moved into state Parliament’, Dnevni List front, pg 3 ‘Seven parties demand removal of BiH CoM’ – covered opposition initiative.

Kalinic: ‘If RS name is abolished, all options would be open for the RS people’

BHTV 1, FTV, Oslobodjenje cover, pg 3 ‘Serbs are no weak and cannot be provoked eternally’, Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Kalinic threats to Tihic and Silajdzic’, pg 2 ‘Kalinic: Tihic and Silajdzic are wrong believing that they can provoke Serbs eternally’, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Dirty works’, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Serbs cannot be provoked indefinitely’, Vecernje Novosti front, pg 4 ‘Do not play with fire’, Blic front, pg 13 ‘Inflaming of dangerous fire’ – Dragan Kalinic, Speaker of the RS National Assembly and SDS leader, stated on Wednesday that “if the dirty campaign of Bosniaks against RS and everything that carries the name ‘Serb’, there would be no politician in RS that will be able to prevent further unfavourable development of the situation in BiH.” He told reporters that the existence of Bosnia-Hercegovina would be brought into question if the Bosniak side opened the issue of abolishing the name of the Republika Srpska. Kalinic added that the Serb people would never again accept a situation like the one 12 years ago in which only one side dominated and made decisions.

SRNA – According to Kalinic, if the name of the Serb Republic is abolished, all options would be open for the people of the Serb Republic and he said that he does not know “who would be able to control those [in] RS to find [their] own way out of the situation”. His message to SDA leader Sulejman Tihic, Party for BiH founder Haris Silajdzic and others who are attacking the RS and its name is that they are wrong if they think that the Serbs are weak and that they can provoke them infinitely.

RTRS – Dragan Kalinic added that Serbs will not accept the situation same as the one twelve years ago where only one people was dominating and deciding.  “We will never agree on, like it happened twelve and more years ago, that only one are dominating and deciding,” said Dragan Kalinic. He said that these kinds of initiatives can only jeopardise the BiH progress and trust among people.

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘The aim of my struggle is BiH in Europe’ – DZ brings reaction by Haris Silajdzic, who says that the he did not see anything in the initiative for renaming RS that should cause “emotional” reactions such as it was Kalinic’s. Instead, says Silajdzic, all in BiH should work together to see BiH in Europe.

RSNA adopts declaration on RS name

Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Survival of BiH in jeopardy’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Declaration on justification of RS name adopted’ – RS National Assembly on Wednesday adopted the Declaration of RS NA which reads that “with great concern, the RS National Assembly observes the increasingly sharp announcements by some Bosniak politicians, regarding the initiative before the BiH Constitutional Court on changing the name of Republika Srpska and its definition.” RSNA has asked from Republika Srpska leadership and RS representatives at BiH institutions to condemn harangue against everything bearing the name “Serb”, in order to frustrate the intention of Sulejman Tihic. Also, RSNA has asked from Borislav Paravac, Serb member to BiH Presidency, to launch an initiative before the BiH Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of the term “Bosanski” in the name of cities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. RSNA also warned that any change of the internal, Dayton structure of BiH, without the assent of one of three constitutive peoples of BiH and one entity, brings the survival of BiH in jeopardy.

Onasa – DNS delegate Marko Pavic said it is necessary that Bosniak ministers in the RS to be dismissed. Delegate of the SDA Dzevad Glusic said that Serb delegates worked on the creation of the Declaration for two days and that it was delivered to Bosniak delegates only five minutes before a discussion. RSNA Speaker Dragan Kalinic said that moves outlined in declaration would not bring the BiH existence into question, adding Serbs will not jeopardize peace and stability of BiH if they are not jeopardized.

Covic, Tihic, Dodik, Djokic on renaming entities

RTRS – Croatian member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic said that as RS and FBiH are constitutional categories, similar initiatives must be more adequate: “For a long time I have been saying that Dayton’s frames or Dayton Agreement has helped us to reach peace, but slowly it is becoming one frame, from which we have to exit ourselves in order to create as rational structure as it is possible.” On the other side Chairman of BiH presidency, Sulejman Tihic said that his initiative is not aimed against Serb people and that he will take these kinds of initiatives for every City or the Street that have names of only one people and are offensive in some reasons.

FTV – Announcement of the Chairman of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, says that it is his constitutional obligation to insist on respect of human rights and freedom and fight against discrimination. Tihic considers that the name of entity, with the prefix “Srpski” is discriminating in regard to all other BiH nationalities.

Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Extinguishing the fire with straws’ – Petar Djokic, President of Republika Srpska Socialist Party, said that the statement by Tihic ascertains his political politics and political tactics, which he and SDA have been implementing for years.

Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Big fuss’ – Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, stated that: “Neither Sulejman Tihic or RS and FBiH are categories defined in the Constitution.”

Political developments

Ashdown on EC report on BiH progress

Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘BiH must amend omissions’ –OHR Spokesperson, Mario Brkic, stated that the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, is concerned over some parts of the report by European Commission, regarding the progress made in BiH on reform implementation. Brkic said in Mostar that OHR calls on BiH authorities to undertake appropriate activities in order to amend the omissions brought up in the report.

Raguz on EC report

RHB by Milan Vego – The European Commission’s report on the process of reforms implementaion in BiH stands that most likely BiH will not be able to fulfil all EU demands before the end of June and NATO Summit in Istanbul. The reporter has asked Martin Raguz, Deputy Speaker of BiH House of Representative to comment the statement of Head of EC Delegation in BiH, Michael Humphreys who said that BiH will not sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement in this year. “I believe that the report is pretty realistic. Of course, the EU has always been of opinion that it was not up to it to give deadlines, rather that every country chooses its own tempo. Depending in which speed it passes certain laws, coordinates the protocols, conventions, implements them and creates global circumstances for stabilization, democratisation, rule of law, independent judiciary and all other elements and this is what will determine the response of EC. Maybe we have determined some goals too ambitiously, believing that we can fulfil those sixteen conditions related to Feasibility Study and as minimum of prerequisites for signing of SAA by the summer. I hope that we will fulfil most of it by summer and that the chance for signing the SAA in this year has not closed. The thing I want to say is that EC or the BiH Officials haven’t reviewed, why that is. Mostly they are focusing on lack of political will or some obstructions, but I believe that the reasons are structural difficulties in BiH and that simply we are not able to do that, and I believe that we will fall behind more and more if we do not open this issue,” said Martin Raguz.

EC report on BiH progress presented to CoM Economic board

Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘EC report is realistic image of situation in BiH’, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘BiH needs strong and functional government’ – EC report on BiH was presented on Wednesday to the CoM’s Coordination Board for economic relations and European integrations. At the occasion, CoM Chair Adnan Terzic said CoM must implement all necessary reforms, despite “the negative atmosphere” around CoM created in BiH public. Terzic added: “This negative atmosphere was also being created by some international officials… who forget how much this government did in the past year.”  Chief of EC Delegation, Michael Humphreys stressed that EU will support BiH authorities, stressing international community needs strong and functional BiH government. 

RHB, Vjesnik pg 10 ‘Terzic: BiH in EU by 2009’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Terzic: BiH will become EU member in 2009’ – Chairman of the BiH CoM Adnan Terzic stated: “BiH can become a full EU member in 5 years. We have necessary tempo and we can achieve a goal and High Representative Paddy Ashdown has confirmed this recently.”

Dodik vs Kalinic on RS capital

Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Milorad Dodik divided delegates’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Ingratiating to electorate’ – The RS NA Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, accused Milorad Dodik, SNSD President for the failure of RSNA to adopt the amendments to the RS Constitution regarding the Republika Srpska capital during its session on Wednesday. Kalinic said that the SDS is not responsible because the citizens are disappointed, but because Dodik “has been ingratiating himself with the citizens of Banjaluka before the elections”. According to NN inset, Dodik denied these accusations, reiterating once more that Kalinic is responsible because Banjaluka was not declared Republika Srpska capital.

Kalinic: There is no readiness to transfer competencies of ombudsmen to BiH level

RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘RS against transfer of ombudsmen’ competencies to BiH level’ – The Speaker of the RSNA, Dragan Kalinic, stressed that there was no readiness in Republika Srpska to transfer competences of entities’ ombudsmen to the state level. During the meeting with BiH Ombudsmen, Safet Pasic, Mariofil Ljubic and Vitomir Popovic, Kalinic also emphasized the need for Ombudsmen to react to the decision of the High Representatives regarding dismissals of officials at different levels, which “endangers their basic human rights.” BiH Ombudsmen met with Kalinic in order to seek opinion regarding the condition laid down in the Feasibility Study according to which deadline for merger of ombudsmen at BiH level expired on 31 March.

HDZ on Ashdown decision to temporarily suspend party’s financing

Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 19 ‘HDZ: Money is not everything’ by D. Juka – Following the decision passed by High Representative Paddy Ashdown to temporarily ban financing of HDZ, the Coordination of Croat Education Ministers met on Wednesday. The President of the HDZ Board of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Josip Merdzo confirmed that this meeting took place and said that according to the instruction from the HDZ top the Ministers would analyze newly emerged situation and propose new steps. Merdzo announced that the HDZ Presidency will also discuss this issue at its meeting that will take place in Mostar on Friday. HDZ Vice President Ante Spajic stated that the HR’s decision is another attack on HDZ and since it is about the education issue the whole Croat people have been attacked. Spajic added that HDZ will not give up its stands regarding this issue and in case that the HR continues with pressures they will complain to the Council of Europe. HDZ spokesperson Pero Pavlovic also considers the HR’s moves as pressure exerted against HDZ.    

VL on Ashdown decision to temporarily suspend party’s financing

Vecernji Li st pg 2 ‘Spring disciplining of Croats!’ by I. Pjanic – VL carries an editorial saying that High Representative Paddy Ashdown temporarily banned financing of HDZ and almost at the same time ICTY bills of indictment arrived for 6 BiH Croats. The author says that these two important and probably related steps are a harsh example of spring brutality of the International Community. The author speculates that these punishments are very harsh because the HDZ initiative to abolish the Federation of BiH and RS and to stand for democratic rule of European standards has enemies within the Bosniak and Croat ruling parties. According to the author, Serb parties want to preserve results of aggression and genocide, while the Bosniak parties prefer to have a poor country with disorganized and intolerant society that will be fertile ground for terrorist rampage all over the world. The author believes that the division of the country in Serb and Bosniak dominance has been lasting for 10 years already and the results of such rule with strange behavior of the IC are completely fatal for Croats. 

VL: Coalition against HDZ established

Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Coalition against HDZ’ by I. Barbaric – VL carries that final talks on forming of a coalition of a group of Croat parties and smaller right-wing Croat parties are about to end. VL says that according to a source from a future coalition HKDP, HKDU, CCD, HSP BiH, HCSP and UHSP will be members of the future coalition, some people who are not satisfied within HNZ and a few HDZ hard-liners such as Ivan Madunic, Ivan Bacak, Marko Tokic etc. The source said that this coalition is a response to disastrous HDZ policy towards the Croat people. 

BiH HoR in session 

Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Security Laws in shortened procedure’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘State flag in armed forces, court, prosecutor’s office’, pg 2 ‘Joint security-intelligence commission’ – Deputies of BiH House of Representatives supported a request by the Council of Ministers to discuss about ten draft laws in a shortened procedure, including laws on money laundering, the Law on SIPA, Law on police officials and law on witness protection, draft law on High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, etc. At the session on Wednesday, the BiH HoR adopted amendments and addenda to the Law on the Coat of Arms of BiH, the Law on the BiH Flag and the Law on the State Hymn of BiH, and a draft bill on the BiH public prosecution. The HoR also decided to form a joint security and information committee for monitoring the work of the Intelligence and Security Agency. The commission will consist of 12 members, six from the HoR and six from the BiH House of Peoples. The committee members from the House of Representatives who were appointed to the committee are as follows: Hazim Felic, Sead Avdic, Nijaz Durakovic, Milos Jovanovic, Nikola Spiric and Filip Andric.

Economic issues

FBiH Parliament adopts changes to Bankruptcy Law

FTV – FBiH Parliament on Wednesday adopted the Law amending the Law on the Bankruptcy Procedure. The FBiH Government’s Program for social care for workers who will lose their jobs in the processes of privatization, bankruptcy, liquidation and restructuring of companies, was also accepted. The law as well as the government’s Program, were also accepted on Tuesday in the House of Representatives, and day later in the FBiH House of Peoples. The adoption of the Law was followed by boisterous reactions of the trade unions. President of the Independent Trade Unions Association Edhem Biber attended the session of the House of Peoples, while the representatives of union organizations of companies in Canton Sarajevo, mainly the metal and textile workers, were gathered in front of the Parliament building.  In addressing the House of Peoples, Biber said that the Trade Union Association has proclaimed an extraordinary situation in its organizations, and announced great protests of the workers in regard to the passage of this law. The Association estimates that the new bankruptcy law would directly affect approximately 130.000 workers, while the FBiH Government based its social accommodation program on the estimate that approx. 10.000 workers would lose their jobs.

Oslobodjenje cover, pg 7 ‘About 10.000 workers will stay without jobs’, ‘Workers threat to use force’, Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘10.000 workers staying without a job’, Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Amendments to the Bankruptcy Law adopted’ – also covered the issue.

CoM approves changes to customs tariffs

RTRS – As Free Trade Agreements are on force as of today, 1 April, the Council of Ministers held on Wednesday the extraordinary session discussing the issues of FTAs and farmers protests. During the session the CoM has adopted the changes and amendments to the Law on Customs Tariffs, which will be sent to the Parliament in shortened procedure. Following the session, BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Dragan Doko told a press conference that the CoM defined the Law that fortifies the quotas for the three tariff marks and zero customs rates for importing certain agricultural-food products, during the discussion on the current status of agriculture and the measures for protecting the primary agricultural production from the aspect of implementing the Free Trade Agreement. “By changing and amending the Law the intention is to solve in long-terms transparently and [other] opened issues, which until now, were solved by temporally and short term measures,” said Dragan Doko.

BHTV 1, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Volkswagen not paying customs as of 1 July’, pg 10 ‘Custom benefits for agriculture workers’, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Quotas for import of agriculture products established’, Dnevni List front, pg  7 ‘Zero custom rate as of today’ – also reported on the CoM session.

Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Goods into BiH with EU certificates only’ – article on FTAs.

On farmers’ protests

RHB, BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 13 ‘Will not participate protets organized by Ranko Bakic’ – FBiH Farmers’ Association decided not to participate at the protests scheduled for today, announced by the President of BiH Farmers’ Association, Ranko Bakic. FBiH Association considers that Bakic is acting in interests of food- industry and not general agricultural industry. Ranko Bakic previously announced the BiH farmers would block border crossings today. RS Association was previously also reported on not participating the protests.

Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Farmers to block the borders today’ – Ranko Bakic, President of the BiH Association of Farmers yesterday confirmed that the farmers from all around BiH will today block the border crossing points of BiH at 10:00 hrs and will not allow the import of goods from abroad in the state.

RS NA in session

RTRS, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 6 ‘Ceko’s reports adopted’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Prosecutor taking measures’, Blic pg 12 ‘Deficit amounts 113,4 million KM’, Vecernje Novosti pg 4 ‘Deficit in the budget’ – Republika Srpska MP’s on Wednesday adopted the reports of the Republika Srpska Chief Auditor on the audit of the financial reports of the budget beneficiaries and consolidated report of the RS budget for 2002. The National Assembly of Republika Srpska has obligated the Government to prepare a report for the next session of RS Parliament, which would contain information on activities undertaken following the audits. Republika Srpska MP’s also adopted the Audit Report on “Srpske Poste” with 47 votes pro.