| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Protest of HVO veterans | Saddam Hussein captured | Saddam Hussein captured | Law on intelligence service |
| Session of CoM on Monday | Car bomb killed 18 in Iraq | UNDP report | New premises for SIPA |
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| Anniversary of Dayton | Budget in Zenica Canton |
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| HR on judiciary | Strike of professors in SA |
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| Oslobodjenje | Foreign capital on political draught |
| Dnevni Avaz | Saddam captured |
| Dnevni List | Saddam Hussein arrested; HDZ and OHR are brothers that turn Mostar into Croat city; Decision on destiny of Federation Government today |
| Vecernji List | Saddam in hands of USA; Toby Robinson claims: 54 million did not go missing from bank |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Dirty and disguised Saddam caught whilst sleeping |
| Glas Srpske | How did Socialist Party provide finances” State bills of exchange for party debt’ |
| Nezavisne Novine | Obrad Balenzada: Cedo Volas is destroying the Republika Srpska Syndicate Union; Large deficit in foreign trade exchange in the past nine months: BiH in BAM 4 billion deficit; Americans arrested Saddam Hussein |
| Blic | 200 years of statehood – disgrace – Serbia without hymn, coat of arms and flag; New programs of RS Employment Bureau: 639,000 KM for 539 new jobs; Saddam arrested: he was hiding in hole; Dragan Sutanovac: We will ask for the Ministry of the Police |
Appointments in judiciary, police | |
| Ashdown will not allow political pressures on judiciary, police
| BHTV, FENA – Independence of the judicial system and the police from political pressure is a fundamental principle of rule of law and the EU. BiH will never enter Europe if it does not understand this, OHR warned Saturday. The High Representative will not be drawn into this issue because that would be entirely inappropriate, nor will he allow that political pressures influence appointments in the judicial system and police, OHR stated. |
| SDA criticize foreign administration over judiciary, police posts | BH Radio 1, FTV – The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) condemned on Sunday Saturday’s statement by the OHR, which said that political pressure would not be allowed to influence appointments in the judiciary and police. The SDA said that, instead of engaging in unfounded accusations, the OHR should re-examine judicial and police appointments in both the entities and the state. In this way, the SDA believes, ethnic representation of the Bosniaks would be secured because there are hardly any representatives of the Bosniaks (on the top judicial, police posts), particularly in the RS. |
| SDA: Majority of members of RS judiciary bodies Serbs | Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Ungrounded accusations from OHR’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2, mentioned on the front page ‘SDA requests Ashdown, Oja and Frederiksen to publicly respond to nine questions’, Dnevni List p 6, “Call for respect of Constitution and laws is not political pressure”, by Fena, FENA – Instead of a response to the generalized and groundless accusations from the Office of the High Representative, the SDA calls on the OHR, the European Union Police Mission and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council to tell the BiH public and its citizens whether it is in line with the country’s Constitution and laws that all members of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in the RS belong to the Serb people, reads a statement issued by the party on Sunday. The SDA also asks the same institutions whether it is in line with the BiH Constitution and laws that out of 70 court chairmen and prosecutors in the RS (apart from the chairman of the Supreme and Constitutional Court who are Croats) there is not one Bosniak, that neither the posts of state and entity prosecutor, nor the post of cantonal prosecutor in Sarajevo are filled by Bosniaks, and that the minister, director and heads of six RS police departments and all police stations are Serbs. |
Political developments | |
| EC’s Humphreys: BiH, SCG only countries that have still not started talks on SAA
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘BiH lags behind the countries in the region’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4, Dnevni List page 8 “Only BiH and S&M did not enter talks on accession to EU”, FENA – This year has been rather important for BiH in terms of moving closer to European structures, in a way it was a turning point year, Delegation of the European Commission in BiH Head Michael Humphreys told FENA. He reminded that a positive report was issued on November 18 on the Feasibility Study, which represents an indicator on whether BiH is prepared to enter talks on the Stabilisation and Association (SAA) agreement. SAA is the first step towards the final objective, membership in the EU. “However, BiH is somewhat behind countries in the region – only BiH and Serbia-Montenegro have not entered talks on SAA – an what is now needed is work and dedication of all political leaders at all levels. Otherwise BiH will fall even further behind”, Humphreys warned. |
| UNDP report on constitutional changes implementation in BiH | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 9 ‘Harmonisation of cantonal constitutions is late more than a year’, Dnevni List page 4 “Irresponsible attitude of authority and passivity of OHR”, by Fena, FENA – Great expectations the public had from changes to entity constitutions in accordance with the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision were brought into question by the irresponsible behaviour of current state authorities and the passive behaviour of the OHR, was stated in the UNDPBiH “Early Warning System” report for July-September 2003. The report states that the harmonisation of cantonal constitutions with these changes would not be completed by the end of this year and that the deadline set by the Constitution would be breached by more than a year. Constitutional solutions on entity legislative structures, distribution of six key functions in entities, the appointment of RS Constitutional Court members and BiH Constitutional Court member have also not be implemented during this period. All these solutions are aimed at promoting and protecting principles of equality, for which many clearly do not care about. |
| Anniversary of the Dayton Agreement signing | BHTV – The Dayton Agreement was signed 8 years ago in Paris, but it brought only peace without improving of living standard in BiH. After 20 days of negotiations in Dayton the peace accord was signed in Paris. General view is it brought lasting peace, but many elements of peace accord have not been implemented. One of failures is return of refugees. UNHCR reports one million people got their properties back, but have not went back to pre-war houses. Some 600 thousands are still abroad. Many citizens still have concerns over security in Eastern Bosnia and other parts of BiH. Unemployment is still unsolved issue. Mirko Pejanovic on behalf Serb Civic Council: “economic problems are neuralgic node of BiH future, and it may turn in real social disaster.” |
| DL on NGO’s analysis of current BiH authorities’ work
| Dnevni List (front page “Scandals and crime of current authority” & p 3, “Scandals and crime – features of current authority”, not signed) carries parts of a comprehensive analysis of the work of executive and legislative authorities prepared by the Centre for Promotion of Civic Society for the period 24 May – end of November 2003, which will be presented to public today in Sarajevo. The Analysis reads that this calendar year has been characterized by modest activities of BiH authorities at all levels pertaining to accession to EU and other integration. Reforms of defense and intelligence-security services are reported to be taking very long and scandals in these fields show that these bodies are in the service of narrow political needs and personal interests and point to political ambiance instability. Insufficient preparations had been made for education reform so its effects are quite modest. The Analysis reads there is a hold-up in privatization process, adding that, following audits into most profitable BiH companies, reactions mainly manifested in removals of officials instead of removing causes of mismanagement. |
| Mostar restructuring | Vecernji List (page 7 “Mostar becomes one municipality with six constituencies”, by Zoran Kresic) – notes that the Chairman of Mostar Commission, Norbert Winterstein, is to present the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, his report on the work of the Mostar Commission today saying that the report will be accompanied by a proposal of future organizational set-up Mostar which foresees Mostar as one unit of local self-government and the election system with six constituencies. In that context, VL says the SDA opposed the abolishment of the six municipalities, but were compensated through the election rules, namely through the number of constituencies. VL goes on to say that the HR Ashdown, once he has reviewed the report, will organize another meeting with leaders of political parties, however, the author believes it is likely possible that the HR proclaims the statute for City of Mostar. Dnevni List (front and page 7 “HDZ and OHR are brothers that turn Mostar into Croat city”, by Vedran Kljajic) – the Head of Mostar’s Municipality Old Town, Zijad Hadziomerovic, reflecting on the recent events regarding the process of Mostar restructuring, says: “Mostar’s city municipalities were never obstructionists of process of unification of Mostar. It was the municipalities that instigated the integration of the divided city. The weakness in the city’s unity comes from the functionality, in other words from the lack of political will of one side. In Mostar that is the Croat side, which can be recognized in all our initiatives in establishment of single services in the city, for example the problem of Grammar school, projects in the Central Zone. That was stopped although it is in the competence of the city.” Commenting on the PIC conclusions regarding the Mostar issue and statement that there will be no domination of one people, Hadziomerovic says: “The interest of the HDZ and OHR, which now perform as brothers, is not the strengthening of functionality but territorial reorganization of the city, in other words turning the city into one municipality which would in any case be the Croat majority one.” Dnevni List (page 8, “Returnees support OHR in solving of problem of Mostar”, by Z. Jukic) – representative of the returnees in the Mostar Commission and the only Serb member in it, Mirko Ivanisevic, welcomes announcements of the High Representative that Mostar must be single unit of local self-government with guaranteed rights for all the constituent peoples. According to Ivanisevic, representatives of political parties that participated in the Mostar Commission could not reach a consensus because they were too rigid in advocating their parties’ positions, not wanting to give in and reach a consensus. |
| Dragan Covic on Croat position in BiH | Dnevni List (p 6, “Individuals want to deprive BiH Croats of their constituent status”, by De. L.) carries Dragan Covic, the Chairman of BiH Presidency, as confirming the thesis on unenviable position of Croats in BiH. Covic substantiates this by giving the number of Croat Ministers in entity Governments, as well as in the structures of Government bodies. “For Croats, the key thing is equality of all peoples on the territory of entire BiH and we will advocate the principle that the quality of life and realization of constitutional and legal equality in any corner of BiH should be measured by how this is realized by the people smallest in number in that very corner”, he said. |
| SDS to review work of its officials | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5, ‘SDS to review the work of its personnel in executive authority’ – Dusan Stojicic, SDS Spokesperson, confirmed that deadline, which SDS gave to its officials participating in executive authority to deliver reports on their work, expires today. SDS Chair Board and Presidency are to review them and give assessment. |
| SNS demands census be convened | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5, ‘SNS supports census’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Time for census’, Blic, p 12 ‘SNS demands new census’ – According to press release issued by SNS (Serb People’s Alliance), SNS demands from Republika Srpska National Assembly, the Republika Srpska Government and institutions of BiH to include the resources in 2004 budget intended for a new census of BiH population. |
| Brcko Mayor says 2004 Budget adoption his priority | Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Much work, and not so much time’ – In a short interview to GS, Branko Damjanac, the newly appointed Mayor of Brcko District, says that he would be working in the interest of Brcko District citizens and that he would try to justify the confidence entrusted to him. On his first moves, he says his priority will be the adoption of the district budget for 2004, creation of report on the work of District Government and plans for next year. |
| RS Assistant Education Minister on change of inappropriate school names | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 9, ‘Change of names at 10% of schools in Republika Srpska soon’ – Ranko Savanovic, assistant to Republika Srpska Minister of Education, announced that the Commission (in charge of setting criteria on school names and symbols in BiH) has established that around 10% of school names in Republika Srpska must be changed, because such names are inappropriate. The names of the schools will be made known sometime next week. |
Intelligence/security affairs | |
| Law on intelligence service
| RTRS – Final deadline, set by the High Representative on adoption of the proposed draft of the Law on State Intelligence Service expires on Monday, December 15. By then, BH CoM has to adopt that law and send it to the Parliament. But, it is very questionable whether it will be adopted, since there are different opinions of CoM members on entity’s competencies. The Law, drafted in mid-September by a working group, foresees establishment of a single state intelligence service by merging the current FBiH and RS agencies. The State Agency would be responsible for collection, analysis, and distribution of data in order to protect security of the country. According to the draft, the authority and control of the Agency is transferred from the BiH Presidency to the Chairman of the BiH CoM. Adnan Terzic, Chairman of CoM stated that he is not an optimist regarding adoption of this Law, since even his deputy, Mladen Ivanic, will not support it, due to the reasons known only to him. According to the current laws, the intelligence services are exclusive authority of the entities, and this authority was still not transferred to joint institutions. Ivanic therefore stated that he would not be deciding on something that was not his authority. According to him, the draft he has read is not favourable for RS, since the reform goes so far as to totally exclude entities. If the changes are not included, it is not realistic to expect Ivanic to vote for it. OHR thinks that the reform in the area of intelligence sector is necessary due to increased number of terrorist acts in the region and world, scandals that occurred in intelligence services, especially in FBH, and general safety of BH citizens. International community is going from the phase where it acts to the phase where it oversees work. Tendency of imposing of the legislative in BH by the High Representative decreases, since he adopted only 2 laws in the last 6 months. Asked whether High Rep will do it this time as well, OHR Spokesman Vedran Persic stated that they never announce their moves in advance. PIC Steering Board, at the session on December 11, gave full support to CoM to establish ad hoc working group that will perform reform of the intelligence sector. Steering Board also supported announcement of High Representative that December 15 is the final deadline for CoM to adopt proposed draft Law on the intelligence agency and send it to the Parliament, in order for it to be adopted by the end of February next year. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘Politicians from Republika Srpska want two services’ – the Chairperson of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, yesterday confirmed that at tomorrow’s session, the BiH Council of Ministers will discuss, but won’t probably adopt – the draft law on intelligence agency. He said that Republika Srpska politicians wanted to see two services remain, while the state agency should have a co-ordinating role, which is unacceptable. |
| SIPA headquarters | RTRS – SIPA and FBH Government should, during the next week, sign agreement on temporary usage of premises of “Zrak” company from Sarajevo for the SIPA headquarters. SIPA should move there by the end of this year. Inter-department working group of the CoM should choose the best of 3 locations by March 31 to be permanent accommodation. CoM has decided for temporary solution. Sredoje Novic, Director of SIPA, stated that the biggest contribution for allocation of these premises gave High Representative, who almost ultimately demanded from domestic authorities to do so, which shows that domestic authorities are still not prepared to solve this problem. Vedran Persic from OHR stated that they are aware of existence of several locations, but it is up to CoM to show maturity and find final solution for SIPA headquarters. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Circle 99 on impact of politics on business development
| BHTV, Oslobodjenje front page, pg. 3 ‘Foreign capital in political storm’ – The Circle 99 Independent Intellectuals Association organized round table on impact of politics on business development in BH in Sarajevo on Sunday. “Everywhere the politics has influence on business, but nowhere it is not so dominant as in BiH,” said Alija Behmen, former FBiH Prime Minister in his introductory speech. |
| Eronet | Oslobodjenje pg. 7, mentioned on the front page ‘Government announcing shut down, Eronet announces further development’ – The state government has been announcing for months now it might close down the Mostar-based Eronet by the end of 2003. However, Bozo Knezevic, the director of the only GSM company in the country that has been operating for years without proper license issued by CRA (according to Oslobodjenje), is convinced this cannot happen. |
| DL on price of 3rd GSM licence | Dnevni List (page 9 “Price of third GSM licence between 21 and 60 million KMs”, by Jurislav Petrovic) – the daily asked for a comment from the BiH Minister of Traffic and Communications, Branko Dokic, on the possible price of the third GSM licence in BiH amid stories that the price is set between 21 and 60 million KMs, to which Minister Dokic said it was better to wait for “session of Council of Ministers”, not wanting to speculate. Minister Dokic however noted that the third operator would come from BiH and that the price would be determined on basis of percentage of private capital within the operator. |
| FBiH Government is to discuss electricity price for special consumers today
| Dnevni List (front and page 5 “Decision on destiny of Federation Government today”, by Miso Relota) announces that the Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) will be holding its 44th session in Sarajevo today adding that the 45th session is to take place in Mostar on Wednesday and Thursday. Among a few issues, the daily notes that the Government has tasked the FBiH Ministry of Energy and Industry to make an analysis of all contracts on export of electricity and prepare a proposal of criteria for status of special consumers of electricity, which will be discussed today. |
| Interview with HB PA Toby Robinson | Vecernji List (front “54 million did not go missing from bank” and page 5 “54 million marks did not go missing from Hercegovacka bank”, by Zoran Kresic) – asked whether the “famous” 54 million marks, for which the IC claimed to have been abused by the HDZ, indeed went missing or whether the money “went the right way”, the Provisional Administrator for Hercegovacka bank, Toby Robinson, says the provisional report shows that a lot of money went through the bank and a lot of it was re-routed and did not go for the purpose it was originally allocated. “Even when it comes to the 54 million of the Croatian Government, most of the money was re-routed to a side it should not have been”, says Robinson. Regarding announcements of shutting down of “Eronet” and decision to block a batch of “Eronet’s” numbers (that start with digit 8), Ms. Robinson says “Eronet” is a legit operator with valid licence so the “BH Telekom” did not have the right to block the numbers. In that context, she says a lawsuit is being prepared against “BH Telekom” and the Communication Regulatory Agency, adding that a private lawsuit against the Director of CRA is not ruled out. |
| HVO pensioners to block border crossings | Vecernji List (page 2 “Blockade of southern and northern part of BiH today”, by Zdenko Jurilj) – announces a series of blockades of border crossing in BiH, noting that HVO pensioners, some 700 of them, whose status is yet to be defined, are blocking the Doljani border crossing today between 10 and 12 o’clock. Also today, tobacco producers from Posavina are blocking the Orasje border crossing because they have not received the tobacco premium. The last in the series of blockades is announced for December 29 when the BiH Association of agricultural producers are to block three border crossings, unhappy with the start of application of free trade agreements with neighbouring countries that should come into force on January 1, 2004. |
| NN on BiH’s deficit | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2, ‘BiH in KM 4 billion deficit’ – In first nine months of this year, BiH registers deficit of KM 4 billion in exchange of goods with abroad. Namely, the goods of approximately KM 5.682 billion was imported in BiH, while the goods of approximately KM 1.664 billion was exported from BiH abroad. The only two states with which BiH has been engaged in trade with positive indications are Austria and Great Britain. |
| Disputes in Republika Srpska Syndicate Union | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5, ‘Cedo Volas is destroying the Republika Srpska Syndicate Union’ – Obrad Balenzada, the president of the Syndicate of Metalworkers, yesterday accused a part of leadership of the Republika Srpska Syndicate Union of attempting to break up the Syndicate of Metalworkers and Miners and exclude members of these Syndicates from the Syndical membership. Blanezada recently announced that this Syndicate has abandoned the membership of Republika Srpska Republika Srpska Syndicate Union. Cedo Volas, President of Republika Srpska Syndicate Union, claims that new President of Syndicate of Metalworkers was elected on Saturday in Doboj and his name is Tane Peulic. Volas also sad that Syndicate of Metalworkers now have two presidents and called on Balenzada to return to the membership of Republika Srpska Syndicate Union. |
| Brcko firms paying off debt of political party
| Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘State bills of exchange for party debt’ – The Republika Srpska Interior Ministry is currently investigating under what circumstances the Republika Srpska Fund of Health Insurance and “Srpske Poste” guarantees by their bills of exchange that the Brcko company of “Iko” would return its loan provided by Nova Banjalucka Banka. According to unofficial information, “Iko” has actually taken over duties to return the loan, which was actually taken by the Brcko seated firm “Intermarket”, the firm owned by Petar Djokic, President of Republika Srpska Socialist Party. |
| OHR/HJPCs on housing affair in RS | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5, ‘OHR: Justice must be equal for everybody’ – The OHR Spokesperson, Oleg Milisic, expressed the view of OHR that justice must be equal to everybody – otherwise, it is not justice. Milisic gave this statement as a comment to the ongoing “housing affair” in Republika Srpska. He also noted that all remarks and objections against the work of judges and prosecutors’ should be filed by HJPC. However, Sanela Tunovic, Spokesperson of the HJPC, said that this institution cannot interfere in the ongoing trial processes, stressing that it can present the view on separate complaints against the work of judges and prosecutors. |
| NN editorial on housing affair in RS | Nezavisne Novine editorial by Vesna Popovic, pg. 7, ‘Despot’ – The author is referring to the “housing affair” in Republika Srpska, which was launched by Mladen Ivanic but actually served him to confront with his political enemies. And this is proved by double standards courts have during trials on these issues. She further claims that a large number of former and current SDS officials obtained two or more apartments in the territory of BiH, which is not legal. |
| Milan Lovric on BiH participation in reconstruction of Iraq | In light of the announcement by the US Embassy to BiH that “the list of countries that have qualified for direct contracts with Government funds for reconstruction of Iraq has not been completed yet”, Milan Lovric, the President of BiH Foreign Trade Chamber, stated for Dnevni List (p 2, “BiH companies in Iraq reconstruction”, by De. L.) that, as far as he could see, BiH was not on the list of those who could not apply for the jobs. He added that BiH could apply for sub-contracting jobs and that talks with “Bechtel” had already begun. |