01/15/2005

OHR BiH Media Round-up, 15/1/2005

RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs)

BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs)

FED TV (19,30 hrs)

RT RS (19,30)

PRC final report submitted

No abolishment of MoIs

Charges vs. F. Alispahic

Orthodox New Year

HDZ BIH held a session

USA suspends aid to SCG

HRW annual report

Alijagic case update

HR for Vecernji List

HDZ on election frauds

NOR statement

Martens gives final report

CRO elections in BIH

Regional news

USA suspends aid to SCG

Orthodox New Year in RS

 

Oslobodjenje

Not a mention of 2,5 billion Euros offer for corridor; Police jurisdiction only at the state level

Dnevni Avaz

Kouchner’s lies on Izetbegovic; Martens submitted final report; Mesic: Voting for Croatian elections in BiH is senseless; Kadric: We can block election of RS Government

Dnevni List

Herzegovina secured second mandate to Mesic

Vecernji List

Entity MoIs remain without Police

Slobodna Dalmacija

Cross and Catholics exposed to ridicule

Nezavisne Novine

Over non-cooperation with ICTY: USA impose partial sanctions against Belgrade ; Final report of PRC: Police to be organised in regions, entities’ MoI remain; Banja Luka : SDS was not aware Cavic and Bukejlovic are relatives

Glas Srpske

No Glas Srpske today

EuroBlic

Police Reform in BiH: Battle about regional police continues; Sanctions again

Vecernje novosti

Features Serbian related topics

Nacional

Features Serbian related topics

 

Police and defence reforms / Cooperation with ICTY

Martens submits PRC report to Terzic and Ashdown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RHB, RTRS– BiH Police Reform Commission Chair Wilfred Martens delivered to High Representative Paddy Ashdown and BiH Council of Ministers Chair Adnan Terzic the final report on police reform in BiH on Friday. The report recommends the establishment of a single police structure in BiH, state authority over laws concerning the police and its budget, as well as functional local police areas whose territory and organisation would be defined based on technical police criteria.

FTV Zeljko Tica – The report doesn’t request the abolishment of the entities’ Interior Ministries, and it was stressed that such decision is left to BiH authorities to make. During the month of January, the HR Ashdown is to decide on one out of three proposed maps of territorial police organization, and the report will be submitted to BiH Government by the mid January. “If you have the will to build a state of the size of BiH or Belgium, then you simply must leave authority for these matter over to the State,” commented Martens.Adnan Terzic said he is convinced that all PRC’s recommendations are acceptable. HR Ashdown also stressed that the proposed police reform BiH would save about 140 million KM from the budget per annum.

BHT 1 by Alenka Bruck BHT 1 comments that while the HR and other international officials until few days ago were announcing abolishment of Entities’ MoIs, after the submission of the report of the Police Reform Commission it become clear that this will not happen yet. “There is nothing in this report that demands abolishment of Entities’ MoIs,” said HR. Political analysts, including Antonio Prlenda, see this as a tactical maneuver carried out due to the situation with the establishment of the RS Government. Martens stressed that professionally PRC has reached consensus, but not the political one. “Political obstacles have prevented a full passing of a report. RSNA has given a mandate to the representatives in the Commission and that was a problem,” said Martens.

Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 “Police authority only at the state control”, mentioned on cover, by A. Prlenda, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘State will take care of budget and legal police regulations’, mentioned on cover ‘Martens submitted final report’ by E. Sarac, Vecernji List front pg splash and pg 3 ‘Entity MoIs remain without Police’ by Z. Kresic, D. Jazvic and pg 3 ‘Stand on police form defused’ not signed,  Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Reduction of number of policemen because of savings’ by E. Mackic’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 7 ‘Unified Police takes BiH to Europe’ by Z. Rerig, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 2 ‘Police to be organised in regions, entities’ MoI remain’ bv M. Cubro; EuroBlic cover ‘Battle about regional police continues’ and RSpg 1 ‘Count-off by regions’ by Dusanka Stanisic – also reported.

HR Ashdown explains the course of police reforms and its importance

 

Oslobodjenje supplement ‘Pogledi’, pg 28 ‘We do not have to abolish entities MoIs or armies’ by Antonio Prlenda – In an interview to daily, the HR Paddy Ashdown says in order to carry out the police reform in BiH, entities ministries of interior do not have to be abolished, however stressing that the police must be under the state control. “If they want, entities could preserve MoIs for organizing fire brigades or civil protection units. But, they cannot manage police,” stressed Ashdown. Talking about the police reform, Ashdown explained this is a three-stage process. The first is a decision on which of three proposed police organizational maps will be accepted. This should be finished by the end of January. Second stage, says HR, will be dedicated to education of the public to ensure citizens fully understand why this reform is important. “There are five reasons. First, current police structure helps the criminals, instead of helping the police… Secondly, both entities will face big deficit next year… Costs must be decreased… We could save up to 170 million KM… Thirdly, we have to arrange police. Today police officers from RS receive half of the pay of those in FBiH… Next, if we do not do this, EU will say we did not meet the conditions from Feasibility Study…Lastly, there is no sense of demanding from European leaders to approve no-visa regime for BiH as long as it has 13 police forces.” Ashdown expects in April to have all sides agree on the new police structure.

Reactions to PRC report by Stupar, Mektic, Zilic

 

EuroBlic cover ‘Battle about regional police continues’ and RSpg 1 ‘Count-off by regions’ by Dusanka Stanisic – EuroBlic brings some comments. Dragomir Stupar, member of PRC on behalf of RS Union of Cities and Municipalities, says “it is still to hard to predict what the final results of reform would be. Bearing in mind affairs related to Defence Ministry, where deliberation had been reached earlier, and now the Defence Reform Commission has been practically re-activated, we can expect similar affair take place with police reform.” Dragan Mektic, BiH Deputy Security Minister, did not want to comment on PRC report, adding “it is possible to implement police reform in BiH with the existence of entities’ ministries.” Mehmed Zilic, SDA Presidency member, said that SDA supported the police reform concept, according to which police force would be divided by five regions.

US sanctions SCG due to failure to cooperate with ICTY

 

FTV, BHT1, EuroBlic cover ‘Sanctions again’ and pgs 2-3 ‘Serbia again under sanctions’ by Blic team; Vecernje Novosti pg 4 ‘Government is capable of arresting Mladic’ by N. Vucinic – The USA has introduced partial sanctions against Serbia owing to its failure to cooperate with the ICTY and arrest and extradite Ratko Mladic (US Administration, according to Michael Polt, US Ambassador to SiCG, believes Mladic is in Serbia). The sanctions are reflected through suspension of financial assistance to Serbia for 2005, withdrawal of US staff from Belgrade and suspension of JAT direct flights for USA .

Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘USA impose partial sanctions against Belgrade’ by by B92 – According to NN inset “Jovan Simic: RS is the hostage of the politics of Serbian Government’, Jovan Simic, Advisor to Serbian President for relations with ICTY, expressed his concern over the possibility that the US sanctions against Serbia might reflect upon RS, “who is obviously the hostage of the politics run by Serbian Government”.

HR Ashdown on defence reforms: Entities Defence Ministries must be abolished

 

Oslobodjenje supplement ‘Pogledi’, pg 28 ‘We do not have to abolish entities MoIs or armies’ by Antonio Prlenda – In an interview to daily, asked whether he demands the abolishment of the entities’ armies together with the entities Defence Ministries, the HR Paddy Ashdown comments: “It is up to the Defence Reform Commission to decide on that. RS Army allowed Ratko Mladic to stay in Han-Pijesak. By doing that, it overstepped the state control and breached the Constitution… As the respond to anti-constitutional action of RS Army, I will remove current confusing chain of command by abolishing entities’ defence ministries. That has to happen anyway in the second stage of the defence reform, before the full membership to NATO. In that stage, both FBiH and RS armies will have to come to one armed forces. I don’t say that this has to happen now… Commanding element of the defence ministries must be abolished. However, commanding element in both armies will continue to exist. But, now they will be under control of the state Defence Ministry.” Commenting to the statement of RS President, Dragan Cavic, who called on demilitarization of BiH, Ashdown says this is a matter for BiH authorities to decide.

 

Political issues

HDZ BiH Presidency discusses BiH situation and Croatian elections

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dnevni List pg 3 ‘HDZ Municipal Board Rama dissolved’ by J. Petrovic, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 15 ‘HDZ Convention at end of April’ by Z. Zekic – HDZ BiH Presidency held a session on Friday during which they discussed a course of inter-party elections. With regard to the current political situation in BiH, HDZ stressed once again that everything should be done in order to resolve the obvious crisis of the RS authority but also the crisis at the state level since the current situation considerably slows down the course of all processes whose goal is approaching the European integration. During this session the HDZ BiH Presidency also decided to dissolve HDZ Municipal Board Rama and that the HDZ BiH Convention takes place in the second half of April or at the beginning of May at the latest.

RHB – HDZ BIH also called on the voters to vote for Jadranka Kosor in the Croatian presidential elections on Sunday.

BHT 1 – HDZ BiH Spokesperson Pero Pavlovic commented to the accusations of election fraud in BiH saying that if this was the case, than the Croatian authorities will take care of it. Croatian Election Commission said it has appointed new election boards for Herzegovina , dismissing the old ones who were members of HDZ, and it has decided to increase a number of independent monitors. 

FTV – HDZ also believes the allegations were a part of Stipe Mesic’s campaign. Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘HDZ BiH: Accusations of GONG on forging the elections as part of Stjepan Mesic’s campaign’ by F. Vele, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Pavlovic: We are not responsible for rigging elections in Croatia’ by V. Coric – also reported on HDZ session focusing on issues related to Croatian elections.

SDP BiH to monitor Croatian elections in BiH

 

Dnevni List front pg splash and pgs 4 and 5 ‘Herzegovina secured second mandate to Mesic’ by M. Batarello – Due to information about numerous number of irregularities during the first round of the Croatian presidential elections in BiH, at the initiative of SDP Croatia, SDP BiH formed an Election Headquarters for monitoring regularity of the second round of elections for the Croatian President in BiH. SDP BiH Coordinator for these elections Zeljko Komsic stated that the biggest attention will be paid at the polling stations in Mostar and Capljina, where the biggest number of irregularities was noticed in the first round. Also covered by RHB and Sarajevo press

Stipe Mesic: ‘Voting for Croatian elections in BiH makes no sense’

 

Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Voting for Croatian elections in BiH makes no sense’, mentioned on cover, by Husein Orahovac – DA carries an interview with Stipe Mesic, Croatian president, who says that BiH Croats are not Croatian diaspora, but the constituent people in BiH. “I am certain that them voting for elections in Croatia brings the most danger to exactly Croats in BiH, because than other two people can looked at them as the national minority in BiH. That is not in the interest of BiH Croats.” He adds that the time has proved that voting of BiH Croats for election sin Croatia make no sense. Asked what is the priority in the relation between Croatia and BiH, Mesic says that this would be economy, adding that Port Ploce also must be looked at as the economic issue. On Dayton Peace Agreement, Mesic says: Dayton is being updated… [This process] could be also called revision. But, without that revision, BiH could not exist as the state. Dayton did not establish function stated, it just stopped the war.” 

HR Ashdown: My job is not to like the Govt, but see reforms continued

 

Oslobodjenje supplement ‘Pogledi’, pg 28 ‘We do not have to abolish entities MoIs or armies’ by Antonio Prlenda – Daily carries an interview with the the HR Paddy Ashdown, in which he comments to the current political situation saying that he doesn’t see it as being a crisis, as falling of coalitions and stepping downs of ministers is something that occurs in entire Europe. He adds that this happened because RS is not ready to discuss the changes of the Dayton Peace Agreement. “The important thing is what will happen next. It seems that… people have started to solve this issue,” says Ashdown underlying that it is not up to him to solve these issues but BiH authorities. If RS government appoints the Government, and Council of Ministers meet by the end of January, Ashdown believes that in that case this was not a sign of the political weakness. Asked to comment the election of Pero Bukejlovic as RS Prime Minister-designate, Ashdown says: “It is not my job to like or dislike that government, but to be interested whether reformatory process will continue.”  Inset under title ‘It is not up to me, but the court’, carries HR’s comment to the question is it true that he recommended Milorad Dodik not to enter new RS Government. Ashdown said: “Yes, because charges [note: for misuse of office] were recently pressed against him… It is not up to me, bt the court to estimate whether those charges were politically pressed or not, and whether Dodik is guilty or not.”

SDA will not support RS Govt; calls on IC to sanction ‘anti-Dayton behaviour’

 

BHT 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘International Community must harshly sanction anti-Dayton behaviours’ by A.M., Dnevni List pg 8 ‘RS crisis leads to de-stabilization of BiH’ by M. Zorlak, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Serbs cause constitutional crisis’ by D. Pasic, EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Zilic: Deliberate causing of crisis’ by SRNA – Mehmed Zilic, member of SDA Presidency stated that SDA delegates at RSNA would not support any Government, that grounded its program on Agreement on harmonized activities of Serb political parties. Zilic accused Serb officials for deliberate causing of crisis and assault against the constitutional system of BiH, aimed at destabilizing the situation in the state and suspension of reforms’ processes. He called on international community to sanction “anti-Dayton activities”.    

Kadric: RS Council of Peoples can block election of RS Govt

 

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘We can block election of RS Government’, mentioned on cover, by H. Orahovac – The Speaker of the RS Council of Peoples, Remzija Kadric, states for DA: “We can block the appointment of the Government in Council of Peoples because there were a number of obstructions of Serb politicians in this process and severe breaches of the Constitution.” Kadric adds that even nomination of Pero Bukejlovic to the position of RS PM-designate was unconstitutional, as previously Council of Peoples has not accepted the resignation of Dragan Mikerevic. Kadric claims that RSNA still has not submitted the decision on accepting Mikerevic’s resignation to the Council. He concludes that the establishment Government without Bosniaks would be against citizens’ vital national interests.

SDP will not support any PM candidate supported by SDS

 

Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘SDP will not support appointment of Pero Bukejlovic’ by S.R. – SDP delegate at the RS National Assembly, Zekerijah Osmic, stated for daily that this party will not support appointment of Pero Bukejlovic to the position of RS Prime Minister-designate, or any other candidate supported fry SDS regardless from which party candidate comes. Osmic adds that appointment of PM-designate from SDS will just make BiH’s position more difficult.

OHR: Crisis in RS should be solved by BiH authorities

Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Crisis in RS should be solved by BiH authorities’ by E.S. – OHR commented to the statement by BiH Presidency member, Sulejman Tihic, who called on the international community to actively participate solving the crisis in RS, by saying that it is up to BiH authorities to solve this isse.

Reactions on alleged kinship between Cavic and Bukejlovic

 

Nezavisne Novine cover ‘SDS was not aware Cavic and Bukejlovic are relatives’ and pg 4 “SDS: We were not aware of kinship’ by V. Popovic ­NN carry comments on the information that Dragan Cavic, RS President, and Pero Bukejlovic, RS-PM-designate, are relatives. Slavko Pivasevic, SDS Spokesperson, stressed that insinuations related to kinship between Cavic and Bukejlovic came from SNSD circles, “the totalitarian party, which failed to find its place in authority execution owing to exclusive responsibility of Milorad Dodik”. He also said: “To my knowledge, they are distant relatives, and Bukejlovic was Minister at the time when Cavic was not RS President.” Branko Todorovic, Executive Director of RS Helsinki Board, Milanko Mihajlica, President of Serb Radical Party, Dragomir Babic, President of HGO “People’s Front”, all condemned the nepotism concerning the designation process.

NN op-ed says HR Ashdown responsible for ‘boosting nationalism’

 

Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Ashdown as a tourist’ by Almedin Sisic – The author is critical of HR and EUSR, Paddy Ashdown, whom he calls the most controversial High Representative who “steered the BiH”. The author notes that “the autocratic leadership-like activities of HR” have resulted in confusion, because we nowadays are no closer to EU than we were on 27th May 2002, when Ashdown assumed the position and stated “ruling the state”. The author stresses: “With HR’s crucial assistance, we are nowadays watching boosting of nationalists and reincarnation of pre-war political scenes of spitting and assaults against anything of another nationality.” The author concludes by saying: “Lord Ashdown, it truly is high time you returned home, since we do not have justice, neither jobs. You do not need to sell your village cottage at Jablanica lake, you can come to us again, but only as a visitor.”

Puls survey shows RS citizens do not accept HR’s decisions

 

Dnevni List pg 26 ‘RS citizens do not accept Ashdown’s decisions’ by N. Bise – Agency Puls carried out a public opinion poll (called BiH barometer) in November last year and one of the questions was about support to the decisions passed by High Representative Paddy Ashdown. According to the public opinion poll, 57 % of interviewed persons in the FBiH support the HR’s decisions, while 88 % of RS citizens do not support the HR’s decisions.

HRW on human rights in BiH

 

FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Human Rights depend on ethnic divisions’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Thousands of war crimes in RS yet to be investigated’ by Fena – The annual report of the High Rights Wants reads that the strong ethnical separatism among peoples of BiH disturbs improvement in basic human rights, such as is the return. HRW notes that politicians in both entities are still failing to legally prosecute for war crimes members of ethnic majority in their regions, while thousands of crimes are yet to be investigated in RS.   

RTRS update to Alijagic case: Alijagic claims Mikerevic offered him settlement

 

RTRS – RTRS features the update to the case of blocked accounts of Trebinje municipality following the court decision that war compensation must be paid to dweller Salih Alijagic. Alijagic claims that RS PM in resignation Dragan Milerevic offered him a settlement before his case was finalized before the Trebinje Court, and he adds that the mediator in the whole matter was Bozidar Vucurevic, former  head of municipality at the time. He adds Mikerevic offered him with the Telecom and Elektroprivreda shares, but he refused. Goran Radivojac,spokesman of RS PM in resignation, denies Mikerevic ever negotiated with Alijagic. However, Vucurevic claims that the matter was more or less settled at the meetings Alijagic mentioned, but that Mikerevic gave up on the whole matter “being afraid” of the opposition. RTRS reporter concludes that the audit of the case will show who is involved in the whole thing.

Update to issue of Stolac crosses

 

Slobodna Dalmacija front pg splash and pg 15 ‘Cross and Catholics exposed to ridicule’ not signed – Commenting on the statement of President of the Stolac Youth Forum Nerin Dizdar who said that the Croat people will not oppose a lot removing of crosses in Stolac on Januray 19, 2005, since this is about propaganda symbols of HDZ politics, Stolac parish priest Father Rajko Markovic says this such statement is nonsense which can be said only by a person who is not familiar at all with the Catholic religion and its symbols.

BiH HoR forwards Law on Census to CoM for discussion

 

Dnevni List pg 9, mentioned on front, ‘SDA is against census because of hiding behind false data’ by D. Polovina-Mandic – The BiH HoR refused for the second time to vote for the Law on Census proposed by SNSD representative Milorad Zivkovic. At its last session the BiH HoR decided to forward this Law to the BiH Council of Ministers for discussion. According to Zivkovic, the basic problem because of which this Law has not been adopted is the fact that SDA is afraid that the census will show the real situation when population, flats, facilities etc. in BiH are in question.  

DA front story on Kuchner’s book

 

Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Kuchner’s lies on Alija Izetbegovic’, pg 3 ‘Alija Izetbegovic never told Kuchner that there were no concentration camps for extermination of Croats and Bosniaks’ by M. Drinjakovic – DA publishes the denial of the news carried by Srna news agency which said that former UNMIK Chief of Mission, Bernard Kuchner, published a book allegedly claiming late Alija Izetbegovic told him there were no concentration camps for extermination of Croats and Bosniaks during the war in BiH. Denial is by Ismet Gavrankapetanovic, a doctor who attended Izetbegovic-Kuchner talk book refers to.   

 

Economic issues

Canadian businessmen did not offer 2.5 bn Euros for Vc as announced

 

 

 

 

Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 3 ‘Not a mention of 2,5 billion Euros offer for corridor’ by Azhar Kalamujic – Following the meeting between the Canadian businessmen and CoM Chair Adnan Terzic, daily reads that Bosmal company once again fabricated a story announcing on Thursday the intention of their partners – Canadian company BosCan – to invest 2.5 billion Euros for construction of Vc corridor. Article reads that on Friday, CoM has received the letter from the Pacific and Western Bank of Canada [who were also said to participate the project] in which businessmen state interest to make up a consortium for the high-way construction, however do not mention the money. Apparently, the Bank meant that the corridor was sponsored by EU and several European governments, and that it would connect North Baltic to Europe. BiH Deputy Transport Minister, Haris Basic, says that “more seriousness is needed in BiH when it comes to Vc corridor”.

Lasic on VAT

 

Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Excise policy directly affects domestic production’ by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija pg, mentioned on front ‘State’s overdraft for last year amounted to 6 billion KM’ by Z. Zekic – President of the Federation of BiH Chamber of Commerce Jago Lasic held a press conference on Friday during which, among the other things, he talked about VAT and he stated: ‘VAT of 17 % was adopted and this law envisages reduction of prices of some goods, however, at the cost of domestic producers.’ He added that the rise in prices of public utility fees has been expected and this will affect BiH citizens themselves the most.

CoM prepares social programme following introduction of VAT

 

Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Social program for 19% of poor’, mentioned on cover, by A. Omeragic – Following the adoption of the draft Law on VAT by the BiH Parliament, daily says that the BiH Government still has not determined how much money it would cost to create social programming protecting the most vulnerable categories of population. The Spokesperson of the CoM Chair, Bojan Zec Filipovic, says that the Government is preparing the cost estimate for these programs and criteria for its allocation. For the beginning, says Filipovic, this will require 50 million KM to be loaned from the World Bank. “That is just beginning, as we believe that there will be enough money for these programmes as soon as we start collecting VAT,” he adds.