Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 1 April
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| Update to Pope’s health | Pope’s health condition | OHR commences 2nd phase/pol. ref. |
| HDZ calls on HR to resign | WB support to BiH health care sector | HDZ presidency calls on HR to resign |
| US military aircraft crash in | Sarajevo City Council issue | ICTY releases Tomislav Kvocka |
TV news broadcast on 31 March
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Conference of League of Humanists | HR visit to Banjaluka | SBS’s action on SA Airport |
| Puljic couldn’t talk to | HR meets Dusan Stojicic | 892 persons ident. in Srebrenica re. |
| Ashdown on Lozancic’s letter | Issue of RS MoI’s workers | HR on Lozancic’s letter |
| Regional News | | HDZ’s press conference |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Feature on a BiH producer | Highway construction in BIH | Paravac on VNI |
| Dokic not to resign | SBS prevented kidnapping | Josipovic killed in Visegrad |
| HR on | Sex scandal in Bihac law Faculty | Adopted report on Srebrenica |
| | Former Visegrad police chief killed | The ICTY indictees, update |
| Oslobodjenje | 892 persons who had something to do with Srebrenica events are in the authorities; Peric has no right to seek Tadic’s resignation; HDZ demands Ashdown’s resignation; The money for [BiH] lawsuit [against SCG] will be ensured by February 2006 |
| Dnevni Avaz | Visegrad murder: Unpleasant witnesses killed Karadzic’s “prevention unit” |
| Dnevni List | Session of HDZ Presidency: HDZ threatening Ashdown |
| Vecernji List | |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Ashdown: Lozancic could be comedian! |
| Nezavisne Novine | US Government cancelled sanctions to Trebinje |
| Glas Srpske | Did a call announce the crime? |
| EuroBlic | Karadzic has stolen 36 million KM |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Nacional | Features Serbian related titles |
| Slobodna Bosna | Removal of Dragan Covic: More cooperative one being searched for |
| Dani | Football mafia |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Former high ranking RS officials question by RS police
| RTRS at 12.00 – The RS Public Prosecutor’s, Amor Bukic, has confirmed in a statement to RTRS that former Interior Ministers of RS, Perica Bundalo and Zoran Djeric, former RS Minister of Agriculture, Rodoljub Trkulja, and former Director of “Srpske Sume” Savo Krunic, have been brought in to RS police custody for questioning. Bukic did not want to disclose reasons for this detention. According to some unofficial information, they have been brought in for questioning on the basis of audit reports on the work of RS MoI and Company “Srpske Sume”. |
| Borovcanin expected to turn himself in | RTRS – RS Police General Ljubomir Borovcanin is expected to go to |
| Ashdown launches 2nd stage of police campaign | RTRS – HR Paddy Ashdown will today mark the commencement of a second phase of public campaign related to police reform. |
War crimes | |
| 892 persons involved in events in Srebrenica still employed in institutions at various levels
| PINK, BHT1, Hayat, FTV, Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs4-5 ‘892 persons related to Srebrenica events in the authorities’ byO.Vukovic, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘List with names of 892 persons related to Srebrenica events submitted to BiH Prosecution’ by A. Hadzic, Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘892 persons who still work at the authorities are on the list’ by R. Cengic and V. Popovic, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Srebrenica’ not signed, EuroBlic pg RS5 ‘The Government keeps names secret while the investigation is ongoing’ by T. V.– The Task Force for implementing conclusions from the final report of the Srebrenica Commission identified 892 persons brought into connection to the events in Srebrenica in 1995 who are still employed in municipal, entity and state institutions. The force’s report will be forwarded to the BiH Prosecutor and OHR. The spokesperson for RS Government, Cvijeta Kovacevic, explained that until adequate procedure is taken, the report and its findings will not be made public. Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Final report submitted to RS Government’ – The working group has submitted its final report to the RS Government, confirmed chairman of the Group Jovan Spajic. He added that RS Government and OHR would decide on when the report will be made public. RTRS – The RS Government said it expects the method of work of the Task Force to serve “as an example for necessary investigations of war crimes committed also against Serbs in Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Srebrenica list must be published’ op-ed by Almasa Hadzic – Editorial concludes that RS authorities must publicize the abovementioned list carrying names of those related to war crimes. Otherwise, says the other, there will be no reconciliation between peoples in BiH. |
| Comments to the Srebrenica report: those listed expected to be held responsible
| BHT 1 – RS Helsinki Committee for Human Rights expects from the RS Government and the judiciary to undertake the adequate measures against these individuals. Representatives of Association of women of Srebrenica and Zepa expect justice after disclosing who is responsible for crimes committed in Srebrenica. They said they will insist for the HR, Paddy Ashdown, to dismiss them from their positions, and will seek from BiH Prosecutor to press charges, said member of Association of Women of Srebrenica, Kada Hotic. “We think now BiH Prosecution will have a lot of work and of course the issue of engagement of these persons in RS institutions will be discussed”, said the representative of RS Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Branko Todorovic. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Salkic: Remove them within 24 hours’ – The Chair of Bosniak Caucus in the RS Council of Peoples, Ramiz Salkic, expects from RS authorities to remove all those listed within 24 hours. Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘To remove those being mentioned in the report’ – President of the Srebrenica and Zepa Mothers Association Munira Subasic told the daily on Thursday that the association would request OHR to remove from public offices in RS all persons mentioned in the final report of the Srebrenica Commission’s Working Group. |
| Visegrad wartime police chief killed, speculations on motives [related to war crimes]
| FTV, RTRS, BHT1, Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Did a call announce the crime?’ by E. G. S., Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover, ‘Former police chief Milan Josipovic was murdered’ by M. Cubro – Visegrad Public Prosecutor Dragan Ninkovic Thursday confirmed former Visegrad police chief Milan Josipovic was murdered Wednesday in Visegrad. He was shot with two hits to his chest and two in his head. Ninkovic said the motive for this crime is unknown and no person was arrested as yet. His family refused to talk about possible motives for this crime. Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover, ‘Former police chief Milan Josipovic was murdered’ by M. Cubro carries unofficial and unconfirmed information that the possible motive for Josipovic’s murder might be his knowledge about wartime happenings in Visegrad, i.e. he was familiar with names of executors and order-givers of crimes committed against Bosniaks in Visegrad. The President of “Woman – victim of war” Association, Bakira Hasecic, claims he personally was apprehending and maltreating Bosniaks. |
| DA speculates Karadzic’s ‘protection unit’ executed Josipovic
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Unpleasant witnesses killed by Karadzic’s protection unit’, pg 3 ‘Milan Josipovic’s executed by Karadzic’s ‘prevention unit’?’ by E. Sarac – Regarding the Wednesday’s murder of the former local police chief Milan Josipovic, DA learns that the State Border Service has been also included in the investigation as there are indications that the perpetrator[s] may have left BiH already. Daily also learns, unofficially from intelligence circles, Josipovic was one of the war time leaders of operational group “Prevention Unit” who acted within Radovan Karadzic’s security. Unofficially, the reason for Josipovic’s murder is a revenge of this unit as he allegedly told on Milan Lukic’s whereabouts [in an failed action to arrest Lukic by RS police, his brother Novica was killed]. However, daily also says that there are speculations he was killed because of “unsolved issues with mafia”. |
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| BHT1, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘US Government takes off sanctions against Trebinje’ by M. Drinjakovic, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘No war crimes suspect will find haven in Trebinje’, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash and pg 4 ‘US Government cancelled sanctions to Trebinje’ by V. Duka, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Turned to future’ by M. Bestic, EuroBlic pg RS2 ‘Sanctions were lifted’ by Vedran Mihojevic, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Ambassador McElhaney visits Trebinje’, not signed – US Ambassador to BiH Douglas McElhaney visited Trebinje where he met the Trebinje Municipal Head Dobroslav Cuk. Cuk promised the cooperation with ICTY and he stressed out that none of war crimes indictees would find a shelter in this municipality. McElhaney said that |
| RS Government offers guarantees for five ICTY suspects
| Hayat, PINK, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Guarantees offered for five ICTY suspects’, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘Guarantees for 5 suspects’, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Guarantees for five inmates in ICTY’, not signed, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 22 ‘RS Government: Guarantees for voluntary surrender to ICTY’, by H – The RS Government provided guarantees on Thursday for the temporary release of Gojko Jankovic, Savo Todovic, Drago Nikolic, Vinko Pandurevic and Mico Stanisic from ICTY detention until the start of their trials. All five indictees have voluntarily surrendered to the ICTY. |
| ICTY trials update: Pandurevic, Miletic don’t plead; Kvocka and Galic released
| FTV, RTRS, RHB, BHT1, PINK, Oslobodjenje cover, pg 2 ‘Miroslav Kvocka released’, pg 3 ‘Vinko Pandurevic postponed pleading on indictment’, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Pandurevic and Miletic postponed plead’, pg 12 ‘Stanislav Galic’s early release approved’, ‘Miroslav Kvocka released from prison before the expiration of sentence’, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 22 ‘Former commander of Serb camp Omarska set free’, by H, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Pandurevic postpones entering of plea’, not signed– Pandurevic and Radivoje Miletic,didn’t plea on the indictments before ICTY judges on Thursday. Pandurevic requested additional 30 days to consider new indictment, which accuses him for crimes in Srebrenica, handed over to him on Thursday. Miletic has also been indicted for war crimes in Srebrenica and Zepa. ICTY President, Theodore Meron, also approved request of Miroslav Kvocka for his early release, in accordance to the ICTY Statute and regulations. Kvocka was sentenced in November 2001 to 7 years in prison and he already served more than two thirds of his sentence. The ICTY Appeals Council also approved the temporary release of RS Army general Stanislav Galic between March 31 and April 3 this year, under certain strict conditions stated in the decision. |
| No investigation was launched upon claims that Karadzic has stolen 36 million KM in 1997 | Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘No investigation, no evidence’ by TANJUG – Tanjug has learnt at the RS Prosecutor’s Office and the RS MoI that no investigation has ever been launched regarding claims of Milorad Dodik (that Radovan Karadzic took away 36 million marks from RS Narodna Banka in 1997. according to information Tanjug learnt at PO and MoI, no evidence exist to substantiate these claims, neither were any check-up conducted to verify these. |
Covic removal / Dokic indictment | |
| Sanader expresses concern with HR’s decision to remove Covic
| RHB, Hayat, BHT1, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Covic’s removal can jeopardize equality of Croats in BiH’ by Srna, Dnevni List, pg 3 ‘Sanader: Covic removal is different from others’, Hina, Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘Covic removal could have negative political connotations’, by Olga Ramljak – At the session of the Croatian Government, the Prime Minister Ivo Sanader expressed his concerns with the HR’s decision to remove Dragan Covic from the BiH Presidency. Sanader stressed that this can have both legal and political consequences, and that it could jeopardize equality of Croats in BiH. He added that FTV – “Without going into reasons and legal procedure that will follow, I have to say that certainly has political [connotations],” said Sanader. Contrary to Sanader, Croatian president, Stjepan Mesic, stated on Wednesday that he had no right to comment Covic’s removal. |
| HDZ BiH demands Ashdown’s resignation | Dnevni List, front pg splash ‘Session of HDZ Presidency: HDZ threatening Ashdown’ and pgs 2-3 ‘Ashdown requested to resign’, by Nermin Bise – Following the High Representative’s decision to remove the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, the HDZ Presidency held a session yesterday (Thursday). After the session, the President of HDZ BiH, Barisa Colak, called on the HR, Paddy Ashdown, to resign because of grave violation of European convention, Constitution and laws of BiH and because his decision are damaging BiH’s reputation. Colak also stressed that the party requests an urgent session of both chambers of the BiH Parliament, which would take decisions that would reject anti-constitutional activities. HDZ also calls on all its officials in the bodies of authority to keep working in accordance with the Constitution and laws of BiH. Questioned whether he would keep communicating with the HR, Colak stated that all who wanted to destabilize BiH and its institutions would be ignored, irrespective of who they are. BHT1, Hayat, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘HDZ Presidency demand Ashdown’s removal’ by F. Vele, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘HDZ demands Ashdown’s resignation’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘HDZ discussed on Covic’s successor’ by V. C.Vecernji List, pgs 4-5, mentioned on front ‘HDZ has not elected Covic successor’, by Miso Relota, Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘HDZ BiH calls on Ashdown to resign’, by Zoran Zekic, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘HDZ called on Ashdown tor esign’ by V.C. – also report. |
| OBN int with Covic: process aimed against Croat people
| OBN “Telering” current affairs program by Mato Djakovic – In an interview to OBN, Dragan Covic comments to the trial lead against him before the BiH Courts saying that there already a number of irregularities have came up at this first appearance, when Prosecution allegedly admitted it has not completed the investigation and that its has more witnesses then reported to the defence. Covic adds that if the trial would continue in the same manner it could last for years and that he would like it to start as soon as possible. He also states that the process was aimed at “removing those thinking with their own heads”. Stressing he is convinced that new BiH Constitution would be proposed until the end of this year, Covic said that the entire process is directed solely against Croat people and that he is just a link that is on someone’s way to organize BiH without Croat people. He concludes that attempts to organize the state with two entities but without cantons, in process of which one people should formally disappear, will not succeed. |
| BHT 1 int/ with Raguz: crisis in not in interests of BiH; Changes have to be applied in entities too
| BHT 1 ‘Frankly Speaking’ current affairs program by Duska Jurisic – In an interview to BHT 1, the Speaker of the BiH House of Representatives, Martin Raguz, who is, as speculated, most probable candidate to replace Dragan Covic, says that HR Paddy Ashdown removed Covic despite the fact that the Bonn powers were to be used only in cases of breaching Dayton Agreement, which was not the case with Covic. Expressing support to Covic, Raguz also says that decision like this could lead to crisis but he hope a solution would be found as soon as possible since a crisis would not be in interest of BiH. Commenting on possible pressure against Croat people, Raguz stated that a certain pressure against Croats could be felt continuously during the reforms process. He concludes that the reforms tend to bring changes only at the state level, while the situation in the entities remains the same, which is wrong. |
| Ashdown says he will not remove Lozancic
| RHB, BHT1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Lozancic is good president, but he would be better off writing scripts for comedies’ by Fena, Oslobodjenje pg 3 inset ‘Lozancic missed his vocation’, Slobodna Dalmacija, front pg splash and pg 7 ‘Ashdown: Lozancic could be comedian!’, by Z. Tulic, A. Macanovic, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Ashdown: Lozancic is in wrong business’, not signed – High Representative Paddy Ashdown said in Banja Luka on Thursday that he will not dismiss Niko Lozancic from the position of FBiH President. Lozancic, who wrote to HR very cynical letter, made available his mandate to the High Representative on Wednesday after he removed Dragan Covic from the BiH Presidency. “Lozancic is a good FBiH President, but I think that he would write comedy scripts better. I think I had as much fun reading it as he did writing it”, said HR adding that he is taking seriously everything that it happening, but that he would not change his decision on removing Covic and that this deserves no further comment. |
| BiH CoM session cancelled due to other obligations of Croat ministers
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘BiH CoM session cancelled due to other obligations of Croat ministers’ V.Z. – Shaken by the latest HR Paddy Ashdown’s decision to remove Dragan Covic, Croat Ministers did not appear at a session of BiH Council of Ministers on Thursday and the session was therefore cancelled. However, journalists were told that the session was postponed due to other obligations of Croat ministers. In a statement for the daily, BiH CoM Chair Adnan Terzic denied speculations that Croat Ministers had withdrawn from CoM in protest against Covic’s removal. |
| Dokic announces appeal against indictment; Terzic: I will not remove Dokic
| Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Branko Dokic will appeal to the indictment’, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘Dokic asked for HJPC’s estimation’, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Enough of speculations’ by N. Z., Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Dokic will appeal to indictment’, by NINA – BiH Minister of Transport and Communications, Branko Dokic said, in the written statement, that he will submitted to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council an appeal against the indictment accusing him of misuse of office. He added that he will ask HJPC to estimate the political motivation of this entire process, adding he already spoke to HR Paddy Ashdown and CoM Chair Adnan Terzic about these intentions. “We agreed to talk about the next steps after the answer from the mentioned institution arrives. Until than, I will deem all guessing on this topic to be inappropriate,” stressed Dokic. Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Terzic will not remove Dokic’ – According to Oslobodjenje sources, BiH CoM Chair Adnan Terzic has no intention to remove BiH Minister of Transport and Communications Branko Dokic over the indictment against him filed by the Banja Luka Prosecution Office. The sources also claim that Dokic will neither step down voluntarily. |
| NN: Dokic will be removed | Nezavisne novine pg 2 ‘Dokic will be removed’ by V. Popovic – carries the background of the most recent events with regard to the indictment of former RS Minister of Traffic and Communications Branko Dokic, carries HR Paddy Ashdown’s statement regarding possible removal of Dokic and also carries the inset ‘Pavic: nobody has asked from me to resign’ – Marko Pavic, Prijedor Mayor, Thursday state no person has requested from him to resign, nor he had any contacts with anyone from OHR after the indictment over abuse of office was brought against him. |
| NN op-ed: author Sekulic says Dokic made wrong decisions, cares only about his ministerial position
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Dokic goes as well’ by Aleksandar Sekulic – The author notes that if Branko Dokic were indeed a legalist (as he likes to present himself), he would not wait to be removed. Hence, the question can be raised what and to whom Dokic wants to prove. If he were following the example of Dragan Covic, then he would be mistaken. The only thing Dokic has managed to prove lately is the fact he only cares about ministerial seat, as well as that his personal, inter-party and intra-party interests are far more important to him than the interests of state, institutions and voters. |
| OHR on revision of decision to remove politicians
| RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Return of those written off’ – As a matter of principle OHR does not wish to comment on the details of the process which could make possible the rehabilitations of certain BiH officials removed by the HR decisions, but will release the first names of possible rehabilitated officials as soon as the process ends. OHR spokesperson |
Police and defence reforms | |
| Ashdown in BL: If cooperation with ICTY continues like this, police reform last big problem
| RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Europe will not beg BiH to join’ by J.S., Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Police reform a key for assistance to BiH’ by O. Vukovic – Visiting Banja Luka on Thursday, the HR Paddy Ashdown stated that the talks on police reform in BiH reached the stage of key and difficult issues related to the organization of the police regions, which should cross the inter-entity line. Following the meeting with RSNA Speaker Dusan Stojicic and representatives of the RS Parliamentary parties, Ashdown said that the political theatre in RS mostly agrees that there should be no political control over police and they support transfer of jurisdiction at the state level. He also noted that cooperation of the RS with the ICTY is moving from a negative into a constructive period and that if it continues the issue of police reform could remain the only obstacle for BiH entering the EU. PINK– “People in RS and FBiH should not think that mighty RTRS – Ashdown added that if this issue was solved, BIH will become EU member, economy will increase and BIH will have free visa regime. “Then, the heavy hand of International Organizations and High Representative will be lifted of BIH” said HR. BHT1, FTV, Hayat, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Ashdown warns RS authorities’ by D. Risojevic, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘The police is the last obstacle’ by O. Matavulj, EuroBlic pg RS1 ‘Compliments over the Hague, critics over obstructions’ by Nedeljka Breberina, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Europe will not change rules because of BiH’, by M. Batarello, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 19 ‘BiH is losing battle against crime’, by A. Macanovic – also report. |
| HR meets RTRS and NN to discuss implementation of European standards in BiH
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Police de-politicisation and media freedom are pre-requisites for European integration’ by V.P. – Thursday in Banja Luka, HR to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, also met with Dragan Davidovic, RTRS Director, and Zeljko Kopanja, Director of Nezavisne Novine. The meeting discussed the necessity to see European standards implemented in BiH. Ashdown also stressed that the main point of police reform in BiH is to have it fully depoliticised and any attempt of interference into police work excluded. Davidovic and Kopanja agreed it is necessary to preserve media independence and prevent attempts of politicians to place media under their control. |
| Reactions to HR visit to BL, police reforms
| PINK, Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘Tomislav Tomljanovic: It is no news that Ashdown removed somebody’, by A. Macanovic – RS National Assembly Speaker, Dusan Stojicic said that the HR warned that RS could be referred to as an obstacle to European integration processes, unless police reform was not to be conducted in line with so called “white book” principles. RSNA Deputy Speaker, Tomislav Tomljenovic said that it was impossible to carry out police reform in BiH, without having RS and BiH Constitutions changed. RTRS – Stojcic commented after the meeting: “We can complete the reform by the end of May.” Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Ashdown warns RS authorities’ by D. Risojevic – Drago Kalabic, DNS delegate, stated that he has noticed during the meeting with HR Ashdown that SDS is getting closer and closer to supporting the proposed model. Velimir Sakan, PDP delegate, Thursday reiterated that PDP does not support the proposed model. He assessed this model would not be supported by its members unless some changes in concept of police forces take place. EuroBlic RSpg 1 ‘Praises over The Hague, slaps for obstructions’ by Nedeljka Breberina – Slobodan Popovic, SDP of BiH delegate, stated: “It is obvious that some political options do not approve of police organisation. However, if the crime here is so well organised and crosses entity boundaries, then it would be completely logical if those fighting crime are also organised so well, i.e. be efficient in the fight against crime.” |
| RS NA Speaker Stojicic met with RS MoI Trade Union representatives
| RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 4 ‘Discussion is better than a strike’ by M. M., EuroBlic pg RS3 ‘Policemen will not give up from holding protests on April 12’ by Mirna Soja – PINk Milka Mrdja – Deadline given by the RS National Assembly to the RS Government to solve the issue of financing RS Ministry of Interior and its staff workers expired on Thursday. Due to the fact that nothing has changed in last three months, RS MoI Trade Union asked RS NA Speaker, Dusan Stojicic to discuss on realization of its decisions and conclusions. The Chair of the Trade Union, Dusan Jandric said that by cutting down salaries to RS MoI workers, law on internal affairs was violated. “Unless our requests are met, or unless a compromise is reached, the Trade Union is ready to conduct all previously announced measures”, said Jandric. Stojicic pointed out that he was going to insist on realisation of RS NA’s conclusions. “I believe that a compromise is going to be reached and that there will be no protests and that the announced strake is going to take place”, said Stojicic. |
| VL: Sredoje Novic broke Law on police officials
| Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Director Novic must retire’, by Dejan Jazvic – VL notes that the Legislative-legal committee of BiH Council of Ministers established that the current acting director of SIPA, Sredoje Novic, directly breached the Law on police officials by appointing Dragan Lukac as the SIPA’s Head of Department for protection of VIPs. The committee requested Novic to revoke the appointment because the law stipulates that a Police official whose mandate has expired, which is the case with Lukac, has to return to the institution he/she originally came from or be put at disposal. In Lukac’s case, that is the FBiH Interior Ministry. |
| BHT 1 int w/ Gregorian on defence reforms | BHT 1 by Gvozden Sarac – The Co-Chair of the BiH Defence Reform Commission (DRC), Raffi Gregorian, stated for BHT that the complete establishment of the BiH Defence Ministry, joint headquarters and operative command foresees the abolishment of the entities’ ministries, regardless to the RS National Assembly opposing to this. The DRC has achieved the agreement on professionalisation of BiH Armed Forces but the issue of recruitment, military service and reserve haven’t yet been sovled. “NATO and the High Representative require abolishment of the entity ministries, establishment of the BiH Defence Ministry, Joint Headquarters and operative command of BiH”, said Gregorian and added that entity armies will exist in the future as well but they would be paid from the state budget. Almost all members of the DRC agree that BiH need to have professional armed forces in accordance to NATO standards, said BHT reporter. “Certain ideas about reserve officers exist and probably nobody wants to erase reserve officers completely”, stated BiH Deputy Minister of Defence Enes Becirbasic. |
Political issues | |
| Paravac addresses
| RTRS, FTV, Hayat, Nezavisne novine pg 3 ‘Paravac has asked for an assessment of the constitutionality of 116 laws in F BiH’ by Srna, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘116 laws are disputable’ by N. Z., Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Paravac submits request to BiH Constitutional Court’, by NINA – Member of BIH Presidency Borislav Paravac filed a request to a BIH Constitutional Court, requesting evaluation of 116 laws that have been adopted by the current composition of the FBiH Parliament. The reason for the request is the fact that the decision of |
| BiH HoR’s Comm. on Transport rejects Law on PBS system
| RHB, RTRS, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Proposal of law on Public RTV system rejected’, by D. P. Mandic – The Commission for Traffic and Communications of the BiH House of Representatives on Thursday did not support the principles of the Law on PBS System. The Commission’s Chair, Milos Jovanovic, told Fena that the Commission would inform the HoR about its stand. “If the HoR accepts our stand, than the law falls, and if our stand is not adopted, than the Law will be returned to us for reconsideration”, said Jovanovic. At its last session, the Commission had requested from the BiH CoM, the EC and the OHR to try to reach a compromise with the HDZ regarding the proposal of their amendments to this bill. Jovanovic said that the Commission has received a response that they did not manage to reach an agreement with the HDZ. According to him, the essence is that they do not accept three channels, and HDZ maintains its stand of requesting the existence of three channels – in Croat, Bosnian and Serb languages. |
| HDZ official: HDZ insists on having Croatian language channel | Danas weekly, pgs 48-51, mentioned on front ‘International Community against Croat channel’, by Anja Vrebac and Alenko Zornija – On the same issue as above, Danas carries an MP in BiH House of Representatives, Vinko Zoric, as saying that the Croat MPs in the BiH HoR will insist on having a channel in the Croatian language. In the same time he notes it will be difficult to expect that the HDZ’s amendment will be supported in the HoR. Still, Zoric says his party colleagues in the BiH House of Peoples will go all way and invoke the vital national clause if necessary. |
| Beslic critical of IC’s efforts in Mostar
| RHB, Dnevni List, pg 13, mentioned on front ‘Beslic: International Community let Mostar down’, by Sanja Bjelica – During visit to Mostar on Thursday by outgoing Senior Deputy High Representative, Werner Wnendt, the Mayor of Mostar sent critical messages saying that that the OHR did not fulfil all the promises it had made when Mostar was being unified. Ljubo Beslic pointed out to numerous problems he is faced with, such as financial problems that are inherited from former municipalities in Mostar. He also stressed that he had asked from the HR to quicken up the process of moving of five FBiH Ministries to Mostar in order to take care of surplus workers in the City administration easier. In that context, he categorically noted that there would not be dismissals of workers until all the Ministries are completely moved to Mostar. SDHR Wnendt noted that things looked much better than 20 months ago, when he first arrived to Mostar, stressing that the problems originating from the past could only be overcome through unification of the city and implementation of the new Statute. (also covered by Oslobodjenje pg 10 ‘Progress of the united city’ by Fena, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Too many parallel institutions in Mostar’, Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘There will not be dismissals of employees for time being’, by ra, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 16, mentioned on front ‘OHR tricked Mostar’, by Miroslav Landeka) |
| VL: Time for HR Ashdown to leave
| Vecernji List, pgs 2-3 ‘A. Richard in OHR?’, by Miso Relota – The article claims that both domestic and international public are more and more convinced that the current High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, should leave BiH before his mandate expires. VL notes that the latest statement that goes into that direction comes from the Ljubljana-based ‘IFIMES’ institute (International Institute for Middle East and Balkans Studies), which noted that HR Ashdown encouraged through his actions the development of autocratic conscience in BiH. VL also operates with names of possible successors to HR Ashdown, saying that people in the combination are Bernard Bajolet, Bernard Kouchner and allegedly Alain Richard, former French defence minister. |
| Feral Tribune: HR Ashdown and his staff inflicting damage to BiH
| Feral Tribune, pg 23 ‘Nothingness and emptiness’, by Ivan Lovrenovic – Commenting on former PDHR |
| NN op-ed: author Kukic critical of raising issues of vital national interests
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Rehabilitation or introduction into new plot’ by Slavo Kukic’ – The author is critical of “nationalistic tercet” who have been making the lives of BiH citizens miserable by raising old frustration and opening of war wounds. He refers to Bosniak Caucus at RS NA who placed VNI veto on RS NA conclusions of defence reform and the establishment of the Sarajevo Assembly elected without Serb official. He poses a question as to whether the HR Paddy Ashdown would prevent this violation of Constitutional provisions in |
| SD op-ed on BiH constitutional arrangement
| Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 17 ‘Even Switzerland would end up on its knees’, op-ed by Petar Milos – The author argues that former PDHR, |
Economic issues | |
| FBiH authorities on construction of section of Vc corridor
| PINK, BHT1, Hayat, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Construction workers on the road next week’ by H. Arifagic– FBiH Minister of Urban Planning and Environment Ramiz Mehmedagic told a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday that the companies contracted to build the segment of the Podlugovi-Visoko highway will receive the construction licence in next two days and problems with displacing installations should be dealt with as the main work progresses. FBiH Government allocated about 48 million KM to the project. Mehmedagic rejected allegations published in daily Oslobodenje on Wednesday and stressed that there are no “warring parties or party politics” in this project. BHT 1 – Construction companies “ZGP” and “Hidrogradnja” have been waiting for this permission for 4 to 5 months to work on the highway which is a part of the Vc corridor project. FTV byMelisa Sefer – FBiH Minister of Traffic and Communications, Nedzad Brankovic, claims that these companies could already started with works, based on temporary licences. On another side, Director of the FBiH Roads Directorate for Roads, Ljubo Pravdic, claims that this was not possible, thus his office has requested several times from the Ministry to issue appropriate licences but the Ministry failed to do so. FTV is highly critical of the delays in the project, noting htat it takes a year to build 11 kilometres of the highway. |
| Minister Brankovic on privatization of Eronet | Vecernji List, pg 6, mentioned on front ‘Offers by Mobilkom |