Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| HVIDRA criticizes Kubura sentence | | RS NA resume 32nd session |
| 7th anniversary of Leutar murder | Int. media lost interest for lawsuit | Cavic with SiCG Ambassador to BH |
| HNC: Teachers still on strike | | Milsoevic to be buried in Pozarevac |
TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| ICTY on BiH Army commanders | Kubura & Hadzihasanovic sentenced | Verdict for Hadzihasanovic, Kubura |
| FBIH HoR in session | NATO action in Prnjavor | Milosevic’s remains in |
| BIH Presidency in session | BIH Presidency session | Milosevic’s funeral in Pozarevac |
| BIH HoP Commission in session | FBIH HoR session | Who will attend Milosevic’s funeral? |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| EUFOR/NATO raid in Prnjavor | ICTY convicts two BH Army officers | USA Congress passes a Resolution |
| Del Ponte to go to | Pensioners in FBiH swindled again | HR meets |
| Milosevic to be buried in Pozarevac? | Protest of ‘Spreca’ workers | Vasic’s facilities raided |
| Book of condolences in Lukavica | Market inspection at work in SA | Jurcevic on Nezavisne N. allegations |
| Oslobodjenje | It is time for BiH to become a state (US Congress adopts resolution on const. changes in BiH) |
| Dnevni Avaz | Support to single and stabile state of BiH (US Congress adopts resolution on const. changes in BiH) |
| Dnevni List | Disgraceful sentence passed by The Hague Tribunal (sentence to Hadzihasanovic, Kubura) |
| Vecernji List | Rebellion in The Hague (ICTY indictees rejecting food from kitchen in Scheveningen) |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Rest in cinema after heart surgery (opening of private clinic in |
| Nezavisne Novine | Money under review (On NATO/EUFOR/RS police raid in Prnjavor) |
| Glas Srpske | To put an end to the issue of cooperation with |
| EuroBlic | Funeral in courtyard of family house in Pozarevac (On Milosevic’s funeral) |
| Vecernje novosti | Grave under lime-tree (On Milosevic’s funeral) |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| | BH Radio – The main hearing in the BiH’s lawsuit against |
| RSNA adopted audit report for 2004 budget/Draft budget for 2006 yet to be discussed | BH Radio – The RS National Assembly continued its session on Thursday by adopting the audit report for 2004 budget. Only 8 out of 32 budgetary beneficiaries passed audit with a positive note. Out of 1.073 billion KM, RS Government did not report on 5.5 million KM. Most irregularities are noted in the RS Defense Ministry. Also reported by RTRS. |
Milosevic’s death/update | |
| Milosevic’s body transported to Belgrade/Funeral in Pozarevac on Saturday
| FTV– The airplane transporting remains of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic landed on Wednesday afternoon at |
| Milosevic’s wife will not attend funeral
| FTV – Slobodan Milosevic’s widow Mirjana Markovic will not come to the funeral of her husband, confirmed the representative of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament. Nevertheless, the Belgrade District Court forwarded detailed directions to the Border Police in |
| Russian Parliament asks for abolishment of ICTY, blaming ICTY for Milosevic’s death
| FTV– The Russian State Assembly Duma unanimously adopted the document, severely criticizing the work of the ICTY and calling on its abolishment. “We should not forget that almost 80 % of indicted persons, or those under the investigation, are Serbs ”, stated Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee with Duma. Duma blames ICTY for Slobodan Milosevic’s death, because he was not allowed to undergo the medical treatment in |
| ICTY Chairman Pocar asks for lifting protective measures from certain materials on Milosevic | FTV – ICTY Chairman Fausto Pocar ordered the ICTY Trial Chamber to consider the issue of lifting protective measures over certain materials in the Slobodan Milosevic case, the ICTY announced on Thursday. Also reported by |
| BiH will not send delegation to Milosevic’s funeral
| BHT1– BiH will not send an official delegation to attend Slobodan Milosevic’s funeral. Serb member of the BiH Presidency Borislav Paravac said that he would attend the funeral as a member of an official state delegation, but he refused to comment if he would attend it as a private person as well. RS President Dragan Cavic stated that he is not going to attend the funeral, but not for political reasons but because he already had other plans for that day. BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Mladen Ivanic said earlier that he does not see any reason to go at Milosevic’s funeral. However, many citizens from the RS plan to go to the funeral [speculations say that about 7 buses would departure from the RS]. Hayat – Paravac stated that he would attend the funeral if it was organised by the state but if it was a private funeral than his attendance is a matter of his privacy. |
| NNop-ed critical of enormous mourning after Milosevic
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Short memory’ by Pero Simic – The author is sarcastic of the conduct of some officials, including Socialists Party from Serbia and supporters of Slobodan Milosevic’ life’, also criticising other politicians for mourning the death of Milosevic so deeply as if they forgot how much pain he had brought to the Serb people. He also expresses astonishment over the level of engagement of |
| SD: Milosevic still has plenty of supporters in | Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 16, mentioned on front ‘After Slobo – Slobo’, by Petar Milos – carries a comment in which the author underlines that ideas Milosevic was practicing during his lifetime still have plenty of supporters both in Serbia and RS. |
| Intl press: Milosevic hailed as national hero by his supporters and reviled as tyrant by his victims/Mass grief for Milosevic worst message to West
| International Press covered confused feelings in |
| ICTY Chief Prosecutor Del Ponte in
| Oslobodjenje pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘Milosevic tricked us’ – ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte announced her visit to Belgrade for March 27, stressing once more that death of Milosevic will not influence |
War crimes/ Coop. with ICTY/ BiH’s lawsuit agst SCiG | |
| NATO raided facilities owned by N. Vasic suspected for supporting war crimes’ indictees
| RTRS – EUFOR and NATO members raided facilities owned by Nemanja Vasic, former |
| BiH Prosecutor Jurcevic confirms that they are investigating on writing of NN/ RS President Cavic denies all accusations saying that if they were true he would be imprisoned
| BHT1 – BiH Chief Prosecutor Marinko Jurcevic confirmed that the BiH Prosecution launched investigations on several persons from the RS who are suspected of organised crime and providing help to fugitive ICTY indictees, but he refused to comment on concrete names. Some media speculated that RS President Dragan Cavic is also subject of this investigation. Cavic rejected such speculations and announced that he would seek protection by a court. RS Minister of Interior Stanislav Cadjo confirmed that some internal controls are going on in RS MoI, but like Jurcevic, he also refused to provide more detailed information. RTRS– Cavic called on Jurcevic to take stance on ‘Nezavisne Novine’ allegations on the aforementioned issue. Jurcevic condemns the fact that NN were talking about names. “The articles started dealing with names which the Prosecution still has not defined’”, said Jurcevic. On the other hand, Cavic claims that the allegations are false and added that journalists had the right to write and speak whatever they want, but that they had to bear responsibility for what they were doing and he added that he isgoing to ask for protection through court. Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Jurcevic should give stance on investigation’ by N.N., EuroBlic RS pg 2 ‘To get to the truth even at the Court’ by R.R. Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘Cavic: If allegations on investigation are tru, I should be in prison’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Court is the right address’ by M. F. carry Cavic’s statement. |
| ICTY: Former BiH Army Commanders Hadzihasanovic and Kubura sentenced for war crimes over Croat and Serb civilians
| BHT1 – The ICTY sentenced former high-ranked officers of RBiH Army Amir Kubura and Enver Hadzihasanovic to 2,5 and 5 years in prison respectively. They have been found guilty of not preventing and punishing the crimes that the troops under their command committed in the |
| HDZ criticizes ‘mild’ sentences for Hadzihasanovic and Kubura
| Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 2 ‘Disgraceful sentence passed by The Hague Tribunal’, by HINA, Lj. V. reports on sentence to Kubura and Hadzihasonovic. Inset ‘HDZ embittered with sentence’ carries HDZ spokesman, Miso Relota, as saying the sentences are ‘disgracefully mild’. Also reported by Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘HDZ: Verdict is shameful and pitiful’ . Vecernji List, pg 7 ‘Crime in Bugojno ‘bypassed’’, by zk – the author criticizes the fact that Kubura and Hadzihasanovic were not found guilty of murder of 700 Croats of central Bosnia. |
| HR Schwarz-Schilling at | RTRS – After the meeting of the Peace Implementation Council Political Directors, High Representative to BiH Christian Schwarz-Schilling said in |
| RS PM Dodik met Serbian president Tadic and Serbian PM Kostunica: Cooperation with ICTY main topic
| RTRS – The RS delegation, led by the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik met with the Serbian President and Prime Minister, Boris Tadic and Vojislav Kostunica respectively, in Belgrade. They discussed the issue of cooperation with the ICTY. Dodik said that it was agreed that the issue should be solved as soon as possible and they are going to do all in our power to complete the cooperation. Dodik also said that the RS Government was not supporting the lawsuit BiH filed against |
| Main hearing in IJC continues/
| FTV– The trial in the case of the BiH lawsuit against |
Constitutional changes | |
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| FTV – The US Congress issued a Resolution, which expresses the opinion of the Senate that it is time for BiH to start working on creation of a state with more functional, self-sustaining institutions, the US Embassy in |
| BiH Parliamentarians sent letter to CoE asking for their involvement in constitutional changes in BiH
| FTV– Sead Avdic, Azra Hadziahmetovic, Ivo Lozancic and Martin Raguz, representatives of the BiH Parliament in the Council of Europe’s Parliament, have sent an open letter to the CoE’s Political Committee, asking for their urgent involvement in the constitutional changes negotiations in BiH. The letter said: ‘We believe that your involvement is absolutely necessary, because it’s the only way to create the Constitution that would assure the future of BiH’. Sead Avdic stressed: ‘The situation in BiH now clearly shows that there are a lot of controversial issues, that there is no political unity, and that political parties are radically divided… In that context, the involvement of the CoE, and especially the Political Committee, would be desirable,’ Also reported by PINK, BHT1, Hayat, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘To conduct systematic reform of BiH Constitution’ by A.Omeragic, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Europe in constitutional changes’, by D. P. M., Vecernji List, pg 9 ‘CoE should help in reform of BiH Constitution’, by E. M., Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘They demand assistance in change of Constitution’ by M.C.. |
| SP RS Gligoric says Silajdzic is behind letter four delegates addressed to CoE
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Silajdzic’s handwriting’ by Z. Markovic referring to the letter 4 members of the BiH Parliament in the CoE Parliamentary Assembly sent to Political Committee of CoE, inviting it to actively engage in the process of development of constitutional changes, |
| SDA leader Tihic: Talks on const. changes to continue on Saturday
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Talks to continue in Sarajevo on Saturday’ by A.M. – SDA leader Sulejman Tihic said for DA that talks on constitutional changes will continue in Sarajevo on March 18, Saturday. He said: “At this meeting, I think we will solve, i.e. agree on the remaining issue of election of BiH President and two Vice Presidents.” Tihic repeated that although, his party support direct election of BiH President, it would be acceptable for SDA if indirect election would be conducted in BiH HoR, where every candidate would have to have support of at least one third from each caucus. |
| HDZ-HD-
| FTV – The HDZ-HD- |
| SD interview: Cardinal Puljic says it is unfair Bosniaks, Serbs, IC neglect Croats
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 7 ‘It looks as though BiH Croats do not belong for IC’ by Veso Vegar carries a brief interview with Cardinal Vinko Puljic in which he reiterates his earlier opinions that the Croats are not equal in BiH, be it at the entity or state level. Puljic criticizes the practice of summoning leaders of two peoples (Serbs and Bosniaks) to talks on constitutional changes without inviting the Croats too, claiming it is unfair both from the two peoples (Serbs and Bosniaks) and the IC to do such a thing and he especially criticizes the IC because it neglects the smallest-in-number people in BiH. All in all, Puljic expects wisdom and equal right will prevail. |
| German Ambassador to BiH fears politicians might abuse constitutional changes for pre-election campaign
| Dnevni List, pg 9, mentioned on front ‘Constitutional changes must not become victim of pre-election campaign’ by Arijana Beus carries an interview with the German Ambassador to BiH, Arne Freiherr von Kittlitz, in which he talks, among other issues, about the constitutional changes process. According to the Ambassador, the initial stage of the negotiations looked to be very successful, however it seems the process could be halted altogether if the first part of the negotiations is not completed, which would make impossible the organization of second part of negotiations. The Ambassador fears that the process of constitutional changes and the overall political climate and the |
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| Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘ |
| HR Schwarz-Schilling at | RTRS – After the meeting of the |
| Chair of CoM Terzic: We presented current progress BiH has made in reforms
| Hayat– Commenting on the meeting of |
| HR Schwarz-Schilling: To encourage BiH authorities in carrying out of reforms/Terzic: Tempo for carrying out police reform would have to be adjusted to desire for BiH to become NATO member by 2008
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘To encourage BiH authorities in carrying out of reforms’ by S.Numanovic– OHR Chief Spokesperson Irena Guzelova stated that HR Christian Schwarz- Schilling has presented his two main goals to the |
| Oslobodjenje op-ed: HR Schwarz-Schilling has better vision than Ashdown
| Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Better vision’ op-ed by Senka Kurtovic – Commenting on the Wednesday’s meeting of the |
| FBiH HoR passes the Law on FBiH PBS with few amendments
| Hayat– The FBiH House of Representatives adopted the law proposal on FBiH Public Broadcasting Service (55 votes in favour, 6 abstained from voting) at the session held in |
| OHR: Amendments to Bill on FBiH PBS are not fully harmonised with Law on BiH PBS
| FTV– The OHR announced that the amendments to the Bill on FBiH PBS are not fully harmonised with the Law on BiH PBS. The OHR expects the FBiH HoP to adopt the Bill in the form proposed by the FBiH Government, so it could be harmonized with the Law on BiH PBS, and also in accordance with the European Commission’s requirements. RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘PBS Law beyond state law’ by R.Cengic also carried. |
| EC: Government’s proposal was in accordance with state law, but amendments to Law on PBS were not | Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Amendments are not in accordance with the state law’ by T.L.– Spokesperson of EC Mission in BiH Frane Maroevic confirmed for daily that amendments passed to the Law on FBiH PBS are not in accordance with the state law. “Government’s proposal was in accordance with the state law, but as we saw, passed amendments weren’t. Issue of the founder was solved in appropriate manner, so that the founder is FBiH Parliament” stated Maroevic. |
| NN op-ed critical of F BiH MP’s insistence with regard to live coverage of F BiH Parliament sessions at FTV
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘A live coverage’ by Natasa Krsman – In regard to insistence of F BiH MP’s for live coverage of F BiH Parliament sessions at FTV, the author notes that the BH’ |
| DA: Fifty signatures collected for removal of FBiH President Lozancic
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ’50 signatures collected for removal of Niko Lozancic’ by A.Hadziarapovic learns that FBiH HoR collected 50 signatures for removal of FBiH President Niko Lozancic, for not properly doing his job. The author comments that signatures were not conditioned with party membership, adding that HDZ, |
| HDZ Relota says initiative for removal of FBiH President Lozancic is “an action of independent archers”/HDZ MP Madunic says he will support removal of Lozancic
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘HDZ: action of independent archers’ by R. Cengic – Following the initiative for removal of Lozancic, HDZ Spokesperson Miso Relota on Wednesday stated this was ‘an action of independent archers who stopped working for the interest of the party a long time ago’. Head of SDA Caucus Semsudin Mehmedovic said he does not know whether SDA delegates would sign the initiative, noting it all depends on arguments offered to SDA and added he would, most probably, sign it. Daily also carries statements of Head of HDZ Caucus Ivan Madunic and |
| EUPM Commissioner met RS MoI: It is necessary to conduct a full de-politicisation of police in order to make it efficient
| PINK, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Coppola announced European police’ not signed, EuroBlic pg RS3 ‘Coppola: RS police too in accordance with EU standards’ by M. S., Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘De-politicization of police is necessary’ by Sn. K., Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Police aside politics’ by O. M. – RS Minister of Interior Stanislav Cadjo, RS Police Director Dragomir Andan and Head of EUPM Mission to BiH Vincenzo Coppola on Wednesday met in Banja Luka and agreed it is necessary to carry out a thorough de-politicization of police in order to make it more efficient. They also concluded the cooperation between RS MoI and EUPM was satisfactory. |
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| Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Decision on HVO beneficiaries by end of month’, by Ljiljana Vidacak – The Commission of BiH House of Peoples consisting of representatives of all three constitutional peoples could not reach an agreement pertaining to signing of bilateral agreement between BiH and Croatia, by which Croatia would provide financial help to former members of HVO and their family members. Due to inability of the Commission to reach an agreement, it is the BiH Constitutional Court that will decide on invocation of the vital national clause by the Bosniak MPs in the BiH HoP, which stated the agreement endangers Bosniaks’ national interests. Croat member of the Commission, Velimir Jukic (HDZ), hopes the Court will reach a decision by end of March. |
Economy | |
| FBiH Minister of Energy Heco: Energopetrol should be recovered/ Law on privatization audit in procedure
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Law on revision of privatization is in Finance Ministry’ by Mirela Kukan – In an interview for DA, FBiH Minister of Energy Vahid Heco explains that ‘Energopetrol’ case would not be discussed at Thursday’s session of the FBiH Government and he added that all Ministers have not been introduced with comprehensive material regarding this issue. Heco said that his opinion is that ‘Energopetrol’, as a strategic FBiH oil company, should be recovered. Answering the question what is going on with long expected FBiH Law on privatization audit, he said that at this moment, the Law is in the procedure in FBiH Finance Ministry. Heco also explained that amendments to the law on Privatisation were withdrawn from the parliamentary procedure, while “we have to be sure that this Law does not legalize certain illegalities occurred in co-capitalisation of some firms, including ‘Aluminij’.” |