| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1(19,00 hrs) | FED TV(19,30 hrs) | RT RS(19,30) |
| Charges vs bombs suspect | Indictment vs Maktouf | Indictment vs Maktouf | 19th session of RS NA |
| Trial to 6 Croats in ICTY | Trial to 6 Croats in Hague | Trial to 6 Croats in Hague | Incident in Konjevic Polje |
| ITA Director on VAT | False CIPS docs in use | | Indictment vs Maktouf |
| Foreign trade exchange | Security of Srpske poste | Charges vs bombs suspect | Spiric on set of laws |
Oslobodjenje | If Tihic and Ceric cannot help, they should not interfere; Tihic on border disputes: Perhaps we will ask for Boka…; Maktouf accused of war crimes; Police officers: They graduated, and than wait for the parliament |
| Dnevni Avaz | Six will be tried in |
| Dnevni List | Croatian citizen suspected of terrorism: Dalibor Jelic orders explosions in BiH |
| Vecernji List | Police identifies terrorist from |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | ‘9.3 million Kunas meant for soldiers’ flats went missing |
Nezavisne Novine | BiH Prosecutor’s Office pressed charged for war crimes: Abduladin Maktouf charged with kidnap and torture of civilians; Banja Luka District Court: 10 years imprisonment to Sinisa Kacavenda for the murder of Darko Bojanic; Update to Konjevic Polje incident: Sehagic: Church will be closed; Nikola Spiric: Cavic was ordered to conquer |
| Glas Srpske | President of WB supports creation of one nation in BiH: Alija’s empty sandwich |
| EuroBlic | A better life: 27 thousand people renounced their BiH citizenship |
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| War crimes |
| McNair indicts Maktouf for war crimes against civilians
| BHT 1, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘McNair accused Abdulahima Maktouf for crimes against civilians’, mentioned on cover ‘Maktouf accused on war crimes’ by F. Vele, Glas Srpske cover page report ‘Maktuf indicted’; Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Maktouf charged with kidnap and torture of civilians’ mentioned on cover ‘Abduladin Maktouf charged with kidnap and torture of civilians’ – The Prosecutor of the BiH Court’s special department for organized and economic crime and corruption, John McNair, filed charges against war crimes charges against Abduladhim Maktouf, a BiH citizen of Iraqi descent, suspected of kidnapping five non-Bosniak civilians in Travnik in 1993 and taking them in the El Mudzahid mojahedin camp. According to the indictment, the civilians in the camp were beaten up, and one of them who was a Serb was slaughtered, while the others were later set free. These are the first war crimes charges which the BiH Prosecutor’s Office has filed on the basis of its own investigation. FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Abdulahim Maktouf indicted for war cirme’, mentioned on cover – Prosecutor McNair confirmed that there is a possibility that other people could be charged in connection with this crime. Maktuf was arrested on 11 June at McNair’s orders after he was deported from |
| ICTY denies Covic: Six BiH Croats will be tried in
| RHB, BHT 1, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Six Croats will be tried in the Hague’ by Fena, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Six Croats will be tried in The Hague’, mentioned on front, by Ivica Glibusic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 6 ‘The six will be tried in The Hague’, by H, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘It was not agreed that Prlic and others are tried in Croatia’ by R. Cengic – The ICTY Prosecution on Monday denied a statement of the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, who stated after meeting the Chief ICTY Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, last Friday that the trials to six BiH Croats (Jadranko Prlic and others) would most likely take place in Croatia. ICTY Prosecution’s spokesperson, Florence Hartmann, reiterated that del Ponte and Covic never talked about the location of the trials to Prlic and others, therefore there could be no misunderstanding regarding the future of the trials. Hartmann notes that the trials would take place in Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Six will be tried in |
| Oslobodjenje on war crimes trials in BiH
| Oslobodjenje 6 ‘Law and money crucial for the work of BiH Justice Minister Slobodan Kovac, who was invited to resign by SDS, stated for daily that “it will be very difficult to add or exempt anything from the set of legislation which foresee establishment of mini BiH’s Hague, as laws were done in accordance with the European standards.” He further stresses that one should not “please’ the parties, but adopt the law as BiH has its international obligations. The Bosniak liaison officer for ICTY, Amir Ahmic, believes that the reason for SDS’ objection to the adoption of this legislation lies in the change of ICTY rules allowing war crimes trials to take place in other than country where crimes took place. |
| Oslobodjenje’s op-ed on war crimes trials | Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘(Self) protection’ op-ed by Mirko Sagolj – Referring to the warning by the OHR addressed to BiH Parliamentarians to adopt the amendments to the legislation regarding the processing war crimes trials before the BiH courts, editorial reads: “The essence of the problem is that there are efforts to protect as many war crimes indictees in every possible way from being held responsible before the authorized institution… Because, the majority of those protecting them are quite similar to them. Every trial can reveal a new fact, which is objectively the thing that active participants of the war in BiH fears. Especially those from SDS. Otherwise, Radovan Karadzic would certainly seat in |
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| Security and police issues |
| Police charges Croatian citizen of planting explosive devices in Mostar and
| RHB, BHT 1, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 37 ‘ Indicted for 11 explosions in Sarajevo and Mostar’, mentioned on cover, Dnevni List, front and pgs 38-39 ‘Dalibor Jelic orders explosions in BiH’, by Robert M, N. D., Vecernji List, front and pg 13 ‘Police identifies terrorist from Herzegovina’, by Dalibor Ravic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 18 ‘’Bomber’ of Grude blew up betting shops and vehicles’, mentioned on front, by Antonela Vlaho – The Police Administration of the FBiH’s Ministry of Interior submitted to the FBiH Prosecution a criminal report against one Dalibor Jelic, born in 1973 in Split, Croatia, with current residence in Grude, suspecting him of involvement in terrorist acts in BiH. Jelic is suspected of acquiring explosive devices and organizing a group of people, which activated 11 explosive devices in areas of Mostar and |
| OHR approves Matijasevic for RS MoI
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Matijasevic approved for RS MoI’ by E.S. – Darko Matijasevic, military attache of BiH in the NATO, has received approval of the Office of the High Representative for the position of the RS Interior Ministry. DA learns from reliable source that the approval was presented to the RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, on Monday. |
| NN says Al-Qaeda member founder of a company in
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Kadi is the owner of “Euro-Invest” as well’ by M. Cubro – NN report that Yassin A.A. Kadi, one of financers of Al Q’Aeda is the founder of the firm “Euro-invest”, registered in Sarajevo. Kadi,who is on the UN list of “associates or members of Al Q’Aeda” also owns the firm and primary school “Risala”, and is co-owner of the Vakuf Bank Sarajevo. NN collector from BiH Prosecutor’s Office claims that “Prosecutor’s Office has ordered F BiH Financial Police to conduct investigation into financial malversations of all firms, whose owners or co-owners are at the UN list.” |
| DL says organizations from BiH on Swiss black list
| Dnevni List, pg 3, ‘Organizations from BiH on Swiss “black list”, not signed – Switzerland released Monday that it has completed the ‘black list’ of persons and terrorist organizations linked with Al-Qaeda or with the Taliban, i. e. that it has added the names of eight persons and six organizations who will suffer financial sanctions or will be banned entry to Switzerland. The six organizations are Al-Hamaren branches in |
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| CIPS affairs |
| BHT 1 speculates false CIPS documents in circulation
| BHT 1 by Marina Boskovic – BHT 1 speculates that it has been estimated that about 200.000 of deceased and 35.000 persons not born in BiH could have received new CIPS documents. Investigations on fraud regarding issuing of illegal documents will last for at least one year, announced the State Prosecution. Journalist report that recently a SCG citizen was recently arrested at the border crossing and he possessed, in addition to the SCG, a fake CIPS’s ID, what clearly shows that falsified documents are already in use. In CIPS they say that frauds are possible only during production of documents, and this process in controlled by the Ministry of Interior. CIPS Director, Mirko Skrbic said: “Investigation showed that false documents were issued based on false documents that are necessary for issuing of new documents.” BiH Prosecutor’s office has founded around 90 false CIPS documents so far and four RS Ministry of Interior employees are arrested. |
| Director of CIPS claims it is one of the safest systems in the world
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Skrbic: Neither prosecution nor police pointed to some mistake in CIPS’, mentioned on cover ‘We have one of the most secure systems in the worlds’ by F. Cardzic – Commenting on the problems that CIPS project has recently encountered, director of the directorate of CIPS project, Mirko Skrbic, states: “That is a consequence of a large reform being carried out. We have completely disarranged system with more than 35 difference databases. Some illegal things that used to be a regular occurrence are discovered much easier nowadays.” He adds that he doesn’t believe that these kinds of problems could cause objections coming from the international community, and stresses that similar problems occur even to them. Skrbic reiterates that neither authorized prosecution nor police pointed to the mistake in CIPS’ system. “The issues we mention are about forging documents used as a base for CIPS documents, about false birth certificates, citizenships, etc… I think that this is one of the most safest and most perfect system in the entire world,” Skrbic says at the end. |
| Ze-Do MoI investigates disappearance of docs from CIPS Zenica
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘MoI launches an investigation’ by M. Pasic – Following an incident in which 37 driving licences disappeared in CIPS Zenica facilities, Zenica Cantonal Interior Ministry has launched an investigation. However, the spokeswoman for MoI Zenica Indira Krujezi, there are no new information at the moment. |
| DA op-ed says CIPS affairs will have big consequences for all BH citizens | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘CIPS affairs’ op-ed by Admir Malagic – Editorial refers to the affairs around the CIPS project, writing that the latest incidents in Banja Luka and Zenica most seriously threat to the final goal of the entire project. Author warns that such incidents could cause CIPS to be damaging for BiH citizens, instead of useful, with a result of all waiting for days to obtain documents to travel to EU countries. Editorial concludes that someone has to be held responsible for these problems – whether these would be officials of CIPS, Interior Ministries or Civil Affairs Ministry that is irrelevant – as the “consequences of lack of care and abuse by the individuals will be suffered by all citizens. At the end, reputation of our country will suffer.” |
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| Political issues |
| Bosniak club of RS CoP condemns incident in Konjevic Polje
| FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Order on sealing off the church in Konjevic Polje to be respected’ by M.V. – The Bosniak caucus in the RS Council of Peoples condemned the “attacks against returnee Fata Orlevic in Konjevic polje, stressing that such events to do not contribute to the return of confidence between citizens in Bratunac.” The press release signed by the chair of the caucus, Ramiz Salkic, says that the new verbal attack against Refik Begic presents continuation of the pressures against Bosniak returnees. Bosniak caucus also demands from the Head of Municipal Department for Urbanism to respect the order of the RS urbanism inspection issued on 14 April this year to seal off the church. |
| DA says Begic was verbally attacked
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Begic saved by the Serb councillor’, mentioned on cover, by E. Huremovic – The Chair of the Bratunac Municipal Assembly, Refik Begic, was threatened and provoked by two drunk young Serbs on Monday morning. DA writes that the physical attack was prevented by Begic’s acquaintance and a colleague from Assembly of a Serb nationality. Begic said that two men threatened him because of the events that took place in Konjevic polje over the weekend. Chief of Public Security Center Bijeljina, Dragan Peric, confirms that those two men were identified. Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Calmer in Konjevic Polje’ by Fena – Daily reports that the situation has calmed down. |
| RS Urbanism Minister says church in Konjevic polje should be closed down to prevent further violence
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 4 ‘Sehagic: Church will be closed’ by D. Risojevic; EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Fata Orlovic versus Orthodox Church’ by E.B. – Mensur Sehagic, RS Minister of Urban Planning, Construction and Ecology, stated on Monday that ban should be placed on further use of the Orthodox Church at Konjevic Polje near Bratunac, in order to avoid ethnically motivated violence in the future. He announced that he would send RS inspector to Konjevic Polje today, owing to the fact that Bratunac Municipal Hall failed to obey an order of the Inspection (issued three months ago) regarding the closure of the illegally built church. Dusan Antelj, Head of RS Government Secretariat for religion, claims it is senseless to ban further use of the church, stressing it was just a “ugly” decision of Inspection. He notes that some local Bosniak politicians are deliberately and intendedly raising tensions between Serbs and Bosniaks. RTRS – Also brings Sehagic’s statement. |
| Reactions to Konjevic polje weekend incident
| RTRS – Chief of Municipality Bratunac Nedjeljko Mladjenovic said that events like the incident that occurred over the weekend in Konjevic Polje do not contribute to the joint life of Serbs and Bosniaks in the area. He added that the problem cannot be solved by local but RS authorities. According to him all incidents in Konjevic Polje are being politicised. “Why are relations between peoples trying to be deteriorated before elections? That doesn’t contribute to tolerance and trust between the peoples. If the use of a building has been banned then religious gatherings shouldn’t had been organised”, Tarik Sadovic, Chief of SDA club in RS NA, commented. |
| RSNA adopts law on self-governance and privatisation of business premises
| BHT 1, FTV, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Nothing secretly’ by D. Zec; EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Equally in local self-governance’ by R.R.; Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘All peoples equal in local authority’ by N.N. – The nineteenth regular session of the RS National Assembly that adjourned on 28 July resumed on Monday. Deputies have adopted the proposed Law on local self-governance and also the Law on privatisation of business premises. Slaven Pekic, RS Minister of management and local self-governance, said that this proposed Law ensures an equal representation of all constitutive peoples at municipal and city administrations. Pekic said: ““I am pleased and proud. We were working on this law for a long time. The truth is that the EU Secretary General Secretary underlined the good work of the Ministry and cooperation with European Council. He marked this law as the model based on which same laws should be made on all level of authorities in BIH”. RTRS – On the other hand, the majority of proposed amendments, mostly proposed by the opposition party SNSD, were not adopted by RS NA. “We feel that this law hasn’t solved the burning issue and that is financing of local communities. Municipalities and city of |
| Spiric criticises Cavic
| Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Cavic ‘conquers’ Banja Luka’ by Fena, Dnevni List, pg 4, ‘Radicalization suits no one’, not signed Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 5 ‘Cavic was ordered to conquer Banja Luka’ by A. Sekulic, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘People is waiting for response’ by Snj.M. – Nikola Spiric, member of Chair and Steering Boards of the SNSD, on Sunday stated that the most recent statement of the SDS Acting President, Dragan Cavic, had unpleasant and undesirable tone. He stated at the press conference that “Cavic’s story is only amnestying SDA. RS citizens would not care who makes parliament majority, if they lived better and if this state would be recognised, better organised and freed of sanctions.” Spiric was further critical of Ljubisa Kragulj, candidate for Banja Luka Mayor. He concluded: “The stories about “grand |
| Cavic denies Dodik’s accusations he made a public call for lynch of opposition
| Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘In accordance with Constitution and conscience’ by G.D.; Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘I am protecting dignity of Republika Srpska’ by A.S. – The Cabinet of RS President Dragan Cavic on Monday released a press statement, which states that Cavic cannot nor would he wish to remove anybody from the political scene. Release denies Cavic has made a public call for lynch of opposition. Cavic further notes that he has just responded to accusations Milorad Dodik presented at the press conference 11 September. Release reads that RS President as SDS Acting President has an obligation to manage the pre election campaign. In that function he will respond to all lies and insults voiced by SNSD President Milorad Dodik. |
| Cavic criticises Vladan Batic
| Nezavisne Novine pg 7 ‘Batic is protecting Dodik’ – This is an open letter Dragan Cavic, RS President and Acting SDS President, addressed to NN for publication, in which he denies Monday’s statement of Vladan Batic, former Justice minister of Serbia, when he accused Cavic of being a liar. Cavic says that Batic has denied something Cavic had not even stated. On this, Cavic reiterates his claim that he has seen a list with names, typed at typing machine with some names added on it in writing. He stresses he has seen the list during his official visit to the-then Serbian PM, Zivkovic, and learnt that Milorad Dodik has handed this list to Batic, who then forwarded it to Serbian MoI for operational analysis. Cavic claims Batic is covering up for Dodik. Cavic also reminds the public that at that time, Batic gave some statements in public indicating that some people from RS were involved in the murder of Zoran Djindjic, but this proved to be untrue and the-then MoI of Serbia denied Batic’s claims, as well as RS President and Serbian PM at the press conference they held following their meeting in Belgrade. |
| PDHR Hays visits Bihac
| RHB, Nezavisne Novine pg 14 ‘Hays: We can protect waters only through joint efforts’ by M. Kaliman, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 7 ‘Elect cantonal prime minister directly’, by M. Mulic – The Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, talked in Bihac to municipal officials from the Una-Sana canton about the local self-government yesterday. SD reports that in talks with municipal officials, it was stated that heads of municipalities should be having broader competences in order to offer services to citizens, which requires that municipalities should be getting more funds. SD also reports that a need for direct election of cantonal prime ministers was also stressed during the meeting. |
| Tihic on border issue between SCG and BiH; Janja citizens dissatisfied with situation
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Perhaps we will ask for Boka…’, mentioned on cover, by E.K. – “The issue of Janja and in general the issue of borders with Serbia and Montenegro will be included in the session of BiH Presidency once the Ministers [Safet] Halilovic and [Mladen] Ivanic prepares those topics,” the chairman of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic says for daily. He continues that there were a number of failed negotiations with SCG when it comes to the borders, however added that there were some encouraging announcements that SCG was ready to sign three technical agreements towards solving this issue. Asked isn’t a part of the problem “as people of Janja say, a fact that Minister Ivanic has more interests in Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘SFOR Commander arrives to Janja’ by Edina Kamenica – Daily gives a background of a border issue which is especially stressed in Janja area, whose population already tried to address the issue of their land being occupied by the SCG. The Commander of SFOR Multinational North operational group will visit Janja on Wednesday. FTV by Salih Brkic – Returnees to Janja and citizens of Srebrenica and Divici near Zvornik are embittered with recent |
| Terzic meets Mikerevic and Hadzipasic
| RTRS – At the time of broadcast, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic was meeting on Bjelasnica with the entity Prime ministers Ahmet Hadzipasic and Dragan Mikerevic to discuss the European integrations and fulfilling of 16 conditions set in the Feasibility Study. Mikerevic stated for RTRS: “I have just spoke on the problems of coordination and harmonization in BIH. I had a thesis that central authorities in BIH should have direct responsibility and jurisdiction for certain public functions as well as over the coordination. I gave examples of fiscal system but I also spoke on entity jurisdictions and responsibilities as well as coordinating roles in certain public jobs that should be done in this country. The discussion ongoing here should open the path towards euro-Atlantic integrations”, said Mikerevic. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Talks about BiH’s path to European integrations’ by Aj.D., Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Speed up process on road towards European Union’, by N. B. – The meeting was also attended by the Chief of EC Delegation in BiH, Michael Humphreys. |
| GS brings reactions to statements by World Bank Director Wolfenssen
| Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Alija’s empty sandwich’ by D.V.M. – GS carries some comments on the most recent statement of James Wolfenssen, World Bank Director, when he said that “we would be glad to continue supporting development of your state and creation of one nation, which would have three important pillars.” GS writes WB official referred to the creation of “Bosnian nation” and Bosnian language – the Finance Minister during Austro Hungarian reign in 19 century Benjamin Kalaj, was the first one who had such an idea, according to GS. Borislav Bijelic, external associate at the Banja Luka Faculty of Economics, is of the view that if statement were reported correctly, it represented a pure farce. He notes: “According to World Bank Statute, no official of this institutions is to present political views in public appearances and statements.” Goran Milojevic, Chairperson of the BiH House of Peoples, also expressed some reserves in the true presentation of the statement, noting that: “Wolfenssen is an expert in finances, not inter-ethnic relations in BiH.” The formerly second man at the WB and former finance advisor to Bill Clinton, Josepf Stieglitz, spoke out about pressures and blackmails of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. He said: “Western banks and IMF have foreseen social riots in the states they are helping through their exact and precise secret plans. First they analyse economic situation of each state in transition, after which WB hands to a single minister programme in privacy.” According to him, the first step of a secret plan is privatisation. He notes that local politicians, for high commissions, silence local critics, who oppose to the sale of state companies, power plants and water power plants. The second step is the liberalisation of the market economy – the money gets in to speculate with real estate and currency, and gets out at the first sign of trouble. The third step is increase in price of food, oil, etc. |
| Norwegian Foreign Minister meets BiH officials
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Norwegian support for BiH on the path to Europe’ by A.P.,– Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Petersen met with the chair of the Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic and the High Representative Paddy Ashdown in Sarajevo on Monday. After the separate meeting with the BiH Foreign Affairs Minister Mladen Ivanic, Petersen expressed the support for BiH’s efforts to join the Euro-Atlantic integrations. Minister Ivanic stated that Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Norwey will assist BiH to enter NATO and EU’ by Fena – Petersen also met with the members of the BiH Presidency – Sulejman Tihic, Dragan Covic and Borislav Paravac. |
| Vjesnik: HR Ashdown to remove Paravac, ban SDS in case RS does not cooperate with ICTY
| Vjesnik, pg 2 ‘Ashdown could remove Serb member of BiH Presidency’, by Alenko Zornija – notes that the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, is thinking about new, stricter measures in order to force the RS to have a more efficient cooperation with the ICTY. According to Vjesnik’s sources close to Ashdown’s office, it is not ruled out that the sanctions include the removal of the Serb member of BiH Presidency, Borislav Paravac, and complete ban of the SDS, since the sanctions from June, when 59 officials were removed and suspended, did not result in arrest of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Vjesnik mentions December as the new deadline for the RS, because that’s when NATO will have another ministerial meeting at which BiH’s status will be discussed. Paravac himself says his removal is possible because “Ashdown is unpredictable and one can expect everything from him”. |
| DA on removal of SDA ministers from RS Govt
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Mikerevic: It is too early to talk about removal of Minister Sehagic’ by M.R. – Aj.D. – RS Urbanism Minister, Mensur Sehagic, states for DA that he has no information when he would be dismissed from the position. RS Government’s spokesperson Goran Radivojac stated that it would be known today whether Sehagic will be removed. |
| Sandzak party demands Tihic and Ceric not to interfere
| Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 3 ‘If Tihic and Ceric cannot help, they should not interfere’ by Az. Kalamujic – The leader of Sandzak Democratic Party [SDP], Rasim Ljajic, calls upon religious and political leader sin Sarajevo not to take any side in a conflict between Bosniak political parties in Sandzak. Ljajic stated for Oslobodjenje that effendi Mustafa Ceric and SDA leader Sulejman Tihic have obviously allied themselves with the party of Sulejman Ugljen. Supporters of SDP and SDA Sandzak on Saturday clashed in Novi Pazar, and one person was injured. The situation has calmed down. |
| Silajdzic urges new structure for BiH
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘BiH needs new structure’ by E. Sarac – Founder of Party for BiH, Haris Silajdzic, attends the round-table being held in |
| DL: Mostar Mayor Jahic to retire after elections?
| Dnevni List, pg 14 ‘Jahic to retire after elections?’, mentioned on front, by Zvonimir Jukic – The daily learns from its sources in the SDA of Mostar that the Mayor of Mostar and President of SDA Mostar, Hamdija Jahic, has grew tired of working in the City administration of Mostar and is thinking about “changing the environment”. The sources reveal that Jahic will not give up his role as the President of SDA Mostar, however he is planning to install the current Vice President of Mostar City Council, Suad Hasandedic, as the most senior SDA official in the City administration of Mostar. Previous information had it that Jahic could become the manager of ‘Uborak’ Public Company once he has finished the mandate of the Mostar Mayor, however the sources from the SDA say it is likely Jahic will take over the Mostar-branch of ‘Klas’ Company. |
| Blic: 27.000 people renounced their BiH citizenship
| EuroBlic RSpg2 ‘They have gone never to come back’ mentioned on cover ‘27 thousand people renounced their BiH citizenship’ by J.D. – Miodrag Pandurevic, Assistant to BH Minister of Civil Affairs, Miodrag Pandurevic, told EuroBlic that 27 thousand citizens of BiH have renounced their BiH citizenship during post-war period. |
| DA int with FBiH Education Minister
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Unification of schools in HNK and SBK obstructed’ by Jasna Sogolj – In an interview to DA, FBiH Minister of Education and Science, Zijad Pasic, was asked to comment whether there are still cases of ‘two-school-under-a-roof’ in FBiH, to which he responds: “That goes much slower and harder than those responsible would like to see that solved. Obstructions really exist in Herzegovina-Neretva |
| SD on process against Jelavic and other re Croat self-rule | Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 14 ‘Return of politically rigged processes’, by Marin Erceg – The author claims that the newly opened process, regarding the so-called Croat self-rule, against Ante Jelavic, Miroslav Prce, Ivo Andric Luzanski, Zdravko Batinic, Marko Toki, Petar Milic and general Dragan Curcic is a politically rigged process in which the aforementioned persons are sentenced in advance, without right to appeal and voice their opinion. The author argues that they are being punished for asking that the Croats become equal with other two constituent peoples in BiH, since the BiH Constitution is not providing the equality to all the peoples. SD also reminds that the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, recently stated it was time for new BiH constitution, which leads the daily to say that the new constitution will provide a genuine equality to all. |
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| Economic and social issues |
| PDHR Hays on protection of water resources in BiH
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘The law on regulating water use in BiH to adopt urgently’ by S. Dzanic, Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘BiH takes over European regulations on protection of water’, by Rusmir Karat – Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, was in Bihac yesterday where he attended a round table entitled ‘Public utility infrastructure and protection of waters’. PDHR Hays noted that the protection of environment was a very important issue for citizens of BiH, especially the waters that are an important part of economy and quality of life. He also noted that BiH should be adopting more strict, European regulations in the area of protection of waters. The round table concluded that municipalities should have more competences in the new law, which will be dealing with protection and administration of waters, which means that obligations of cantons, entity and state would decrease. FTV – “We need to speed up reform because each BiH citizen will benefit from it. On other side we expect joining the EU and we have to reach certain standards. This is time to deal with some problems, because water quality will be worse later and this problem’s price will grow.” Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Bureaucracy stopped the export of water’ – Hays also visited the water bottling plant in Kulen Vakuf, which has been struggling with the bureaucracy issues that prevent water export. Hays appealed on authorities to remove these and similar problems which prevent economic development. |
| Database on foreign assistance and development resources in BiH presented
| FTV, RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘USA the biggest donor’ by A. Omeragic – The web database on foreign assistance and development resources in BiH was presented on Monday at the BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations by the Minister Dragan Doko and Resident Representative of UNDP in BiH, Jens Toyberg Frandzen. The database is one of the major outcomes of the joint state, entities and district Brcko’s project supported by UNDP, RTRS –“Database is very significant for our country. At the same time it is one of the most significant results in the Programme for coordination and management of resource funds,” Dragan Doko said at the occasions. “This project supports national capacities and is a significant support to domestic institutions. It is important for the investors to have reliable information accessible. Realisation of public investment program is key to implementation of strategy of mid-term development”, Jens Tolbert Frandzen said. Database will unite all information on foreign investments. |
| ITA director on VAT
| Dnevni List, pg 2 carries in its ‘Statement of Day, the Director of Indirect Tax Authority, Kemal Causevic, as saying: “Single VAT rate is best for BiH”. RHB – Causevic stated that current tax potential of BIH at a state level is 3 billion Euros and by implementing VAT it will probably increase. Causevic strongly suggests that the VAT rate is unique. He called upon state authorities to take measures in order to ensure that additional tax incomes are directed at developing domestic production and social programs. |
| Causevic: US to donate printing house to combat smuggling of high tariff goods
| Vecernji List, pg 3, ‘Americans give a blow to smugglers’, mentioned on front, by Eldina Medunjanin – VL carries Kemal Causevic, the Director of BiH Indirect Taxation Authority, as saying that the US Embassy to BiH has promised to donate to BiH authorities a printing house in which revenue stamps will be printed, which is to bring smuggling of high-tariff goods to an end and make the fears and worries of domestic producers of high-tariff goods, tobacco in particular, disappear. Revenue stamps in both RS and FBiH are said to be printed by private printing houses which makes their forging highly possible. |
| SD on embezzlement in Tomislavgrad-based Administration for Defenders and Homeland War Sufferers
| Slobodna Dalmacija, front & p 15, ‘9.3 million Kunas meant for soldiers’ flats went missing’, by Milan Vukadin – With regard to the fact that the defenders and the public have never been informed on who are the beneficiaries of Tomislavgrad-based branch of Administration for Defenders and Homeland War Sufferers, where the money meant for construction of flats for soldiers (and in particular, the 8.1 million Kunas of Assistance of the Croatian Government for this purpose) has ended up, the Tomislavgrad-based branch of UDVDRA (Croat volunteers and war invalids) has these days sent an open letter in which its members announce the possibility of launching legal proceedings against Canton 10 Government unless no steps are taken in order to consider the situation in the Administration for Defenders and Homeland War Sufferers. Revision of the Administration’s business operations have been requested a number of times so far. |
| RS pensioners protest over salaries of judges and prosecutors’ | RTRS, Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Monthly earning as one year’s wages of workers’, by Branka Stevandic, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Protest over salaries of judges and prosecutors’ by Bi. G. – RS Trade Union, RS Pensioner’s Association and RS Veterans Organisation called on BiH CoM and BIH Parliament to review proposal on salaries for judges and prosecutors in BIH. The proposed salary in the amount of 5,500 KM for judges and prosecutors greatly upset RS workers and pensioners. They feel it is an outrageous that someone’s salary is 15 times higher than the average salary or almost 30 times higher than the average pension in RS. |