| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA(18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Assumption of V.Mary | Collaboration in the region | Boy stabbed in | Local fight w. SFOR soldier |
| Pope called on end of wars | | Robberies in | Statistics on murders in RS |
| Terrorists threat to | Lack of transfusions | Conflict on meat products | Employee sues factory |
| Brit. secret agent revealed | Fight with SFOR soldiers | Soldier punched citizen | Family evicted |
| Oslobodjenje | |
| Dnevni Avaz | Who hides papers from Oric and Halilovic’s lawyers |
| Dnevni List | Assumption of the Virgin Mary celebrated all over the country |
| Vecernji List | Expert for Islam Tarik Kulenovic analyses causes of Islamic rebellion: Rebellion long 30 years |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Glas Srpske | Peacekeeper beats hard |
| Nezavisne Novine | “Charley” caused 15 deaths, damage amounting 15 billion $; SFOR soldiers beat up two young men in a coffee bar; Mirsad Kebo: Refugees were not even planned by BiH budget; Radislav Kanjeric: The priority of the current authority is protection of personal interests |
| Blic | Fuel will not become more expensive; No Serb has returned to any of villages near Glamoc; Pensioners-returnees are discriminated in the Federation of BiH |
| Vecernje Novosti | Serbs as a cover for terrorists |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbian related titles |
Economic/social issues | |
| Contract on sale of BH Steel to be signed today
| FTV, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 7 ‘Two million tons of steel, 4,500 employees’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Realisation of the biggest post-war investment in BiH starts’, mentioned on cover ‘Contract to be signed today’ – TheZenica-based BH Steel Company is to get new strategic partner on Monday by signing of the contract on sale of 51 percent of BH Steel shares with the London-based LNM, the second largest steel producer in the world. Workers in this company expect better days when third partner enters into company with KM475 millions of investment. The 60 percent of these funds will be invested during next five years. Under the contract, LNM will own 51% of the Zenica’s company, Kuwaiti Investment Agency will own 41 percent of shares as 8% of BH Steel will be owned by FBiH Government. Agreement also specify social package, what means that in first six months there will be no dismissal of workers. 2850 workers will be engaged in current production capacities and for workers that represents surplus there is a suitable program of taking care of. After integrated production is started, this company is supposed to employ up to 4500 workers. |
| IMF expressed concern about the increase of pensions in the Federation of BiH
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘IMF expressed concern (about the increase of pensions in the Federation of BiH)’ – The International Monetary Fund has expressed concern about the increase of pension in the FBiH and payment of another half of a backlog pension, learns Dnevni Avaz from reliable sources. “It is true that these moves were not welcomed by IMF and they might make conclusion of new arrangements with this institution more difficult,” said FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic. |
| Update on Eronet issue
| Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Eronet is expecting positive reply’, mentioned on cover, by J. Petrovic – President of the Eronet’s Steering Board Robert Gavranovic confirmed for DL that Eronet has filed an appeal on the RAK’s decision to issue the third GSM license to HT Mostar. According to Gavranovic, they expect that RAK will change its decision and give license to Eronet. DL says that according to their information RAK will pass the decision on this issue at the end of August. In an inset ‘Continuation of negotiations on purchase of Eronet this week’ carries that according to a source close to Hercegovacka Banka the negotiations between domestic co-owners and HT Zagreb on purchase of 50,5 % of Eronet should continue this week. |
| Statement of Day: PDHR Donald Hays | Dnevni List pg 2 carries in its ‘Statement of Day’ Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays as saying: “The OHR spends over 20 million Euros.” |
| HR visits Mostar with his family, promotes tourism
| Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Ashdown is passing final decision on Mostar Statute’ by H, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Ashdown: BiH is great place for vacation’, mentioned on cover, by De.L. and Slobodna Dalmacija pg 10 ‘To make Mostar closer to tourists’ by M. Skobic – High Representative Paddy Ashdown paid a private visit to Mostar last weekend together with his family. On this occasion the HR stated: “I am delighted because I can see that this city is full of tourists. What we need to do now is to offer tourists a good vacation in Mostar since it would be a good source of income for the whole BiH and naturally for Mostar. Actually, tourism is industry and it should be treated as such.” |
| NN int with Mirsad Kebo on budgetary funds for refugees
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 4 ‘Mirsad Kebo: Refugees were not even planned by BiH budget’ by N. Krsman – BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Mirsad Kebo says that money could not have been distributed from the Ministry to Associations of refugees because it has not been foreseen in the budget. He pointed out that expenses were made in accordance with laws. He reminds that auditors have not determined there had been overstepping of the budget and also says that 250,000 KM were spent in accordance with the budget, despite to the fact that the money was spent for fuel, separate life allowance, rents and maintenance of vehicles. He also suggested that a single vehicle park of BiH CoM should be established in order to reduce costs. |
| SPRS on economic and social issues
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 10 ‘The current authority is incapable to resolve social issues’ by P. V., Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘One-way ticket’ by G. D. – SPRS thinks it is the final time for the parties on power to admit they are not capable of resolving social and economic issues and they should let progressive forces, unburdened with crime, corruption or negative war past, to do this job. ‘The interest of the authority to accelerate the privatisation process can be illustrated by the fact that the Head of RS Privatisation Agency, Goran Skrbic, and his Deputy Milan Kovacevic were removed five months ago and no person has been appointed as yet to replace them’, SPRS party press release reads. |
| Old foreign currency savings issue
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘The authority has enacted a law detrimental for savers’ by I. S. – RS authority enables individuals to use their old foreign currency savings to get richer by purchasing state-owned firms in prices 70% lower than it is allowed, as according to Cedo Grbic, the President of the RS Association of Old Foreign Currency Savers. Goran Radivojac, the Spokesperson of RS Prime Minister, has emphasised that the RS Government is not taking away savings nor it is reducing savers’ opportunities. |
| RS Ombudsman Franjo Crnjac on severance payments
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 ‘Severance payments await RS Government’ by Bi. G. – RS Ombudsman Franjo Crnjac thinks it would be fair if RS Government made an effort and earmarked funds from the budget for severance payments to workers who were illegally dismissed from their jobs during the war. RS Ombudsman last year recommended to RS Government to accelerate necessary activities and propose suitable measures for the implementation of the Article 152 of the RS Labour Law, which regulates severance payments for workers. Approximately 80,000 claims for severance payments have been submitted to the Labour Ministry. Branka Sljivar, Spokesperson of the Labour Ministry, says that pre-conditions for payments have not been achieved as yet because it is necessary to ensure funds for such a purpose. |
| NN op-ed on Steering Boards in BiH
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 7 ‘Buying of people’ by Sead Fetahagic – The author writes about Steering Boards in BiH and says political parties are appointing their personnel to Steering Boards, either to ensure accomplishments of their goals or to reward faithful party members. He also says that members of Steering Boards are acting in accordance with instructions received from their parties. He concludes by saying: ‘Paddy Ashdown is so much talking about corruption, while hundreds of Steering Boards are corrupted right before his eyes because this is the only reason these have been established for. Take away the authority of parties to appoint members of Steering Boards and you will cut wings of corruption’. |
Security/incidents | |
| Balkan police forces to cooperate in apprehension of war crime suspects, fight against organised crime, terrorism
| BHTV – Police forces of the countries from the South Eastern Europe will collaborate in order to arrest persons accused of war crime, stated Dragan Lukac, Deputy Director of SIPA. Chief of Police forces from the countries of the region met in Podgorica last week and agreed on informational and operative collaboration for more efficient fight against organized crime and terrorism. They expect concrete results of this agreement very soon. Dragan Lukac: ”We will be in a position to exchange very concrete operational information and to perform joint police activities and operations in terms of measures based on planned activities which will occur in specific moments. Actually, I want to say that this is an excellent base and guarantee that we will very soon have good results in fight against this kind of crime.” The next conference of Police Chiefs from the region will be held in Tirana in three months. They will discuss collaboration in arresting the persons accused of war crimes. Dragan Lukac: “We will discuss this in more detail at our next meeting in Tirana in three months. We will discuss exchange of operational information related to apprehension of persons accused of war crimes. So, these persons will not be able, like they are now, to simply cross borders and take shelter and hide, now they’re in BIH, then they’re in Serbia, in Monte Negro or some other place. Space for their movement will become very narrow soon.” |
| Reactions to PM Terzic’s initiative on joint BiH/SiCG police team
| Dnevni list, pg 2, ‘Prime Minister Terzic’s initiative premature and hardly feasible’, by Miso Relota, mentioned on cover – DL carries a couple of reactions to the initiative of the BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic on BiH and Serbia and Montenegro to establish a joint police team that would be tasked to arrest war crime suspects. Ahmet Hadzipasic, FBiH Prime Minister, finds the idea to be a good one but adds that its implementation and efficiency are disputable at the moment. “The reality is that we have not harmonised principles in FBiH and BiH, so that regional connection that would be of formal nature but inefficient would make no sense. If not a single war crime suspect has been arrested in the RS so far, how can one expect another country to be more efficient if it is known that that country has the mortgage of having committed aggression on BiH“, he adds. Goran Radivojac, RS Prime Minister’s Spokesperson is of the view that establishment of such a team would be a complicated process, difficult to apply in practice since legislations of the countries in the region currently do not allow for such a form of activity. “It is clear that the issue of arrest of war crime suspects is becoming a regional issue and that stronger regional cooperation on the matter is needed“, Radivojac says. |
| SFOR soldier reportedly seriously injures local in a bar near Banja Luka
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3 ‘SFOR soldiers beat up two young men in a coffee bar’ by V. I. – I. S., Glas Srpske, cover page story ‘Peacekeeper beats hard’ by M. D. – D. To., EuroBlic, pg. RS3 ‘SFOR soldier injured a guest’ not signed – All three dailies report on the incident that occurred in “Kola” coffee bar near Banja Luka on Saturday evening. Simo Mijic suffered serious bodily injuries, while his brother-in-law Marinko Gajic suffered minor bodily injuries. According to Mijic, he and his brother-in-law came to have a drink and saw 11 SFOR soldiers wearing civilian clothes were already present at the coffee bar. Mijic and his brother-in-law were talking when one soldier grabbed him by his neck, while other soldiers hit him with fist. He emphasises that he does not know why the soldiers attacked them. The soldiers’ identity is not known as yet. Both SFOR and RS Police yesterday carried out an investigation. BHTV, FTV, RTRS, EuroBlic, pg. RS3 ‘SFOR soldier injured a guest’ not signed,SRNA – The spokesman of the RS police/Interior Ministry, Zoran Glusac, told SRNA on Sunday that an SFOR member inflicted serious injuries to S.M. at around midnight last night (Saturday) in the Kola bar in Kola near Banja Luka. S.M. was later transferred to the clinical centre in Banja Luka. Glusac explained that the SFOR member was in the bar with a group of SFOR soldiers dressed in civilian clothes. According to him, members of the Banja Luka Public Centre carried an investigation on the spot following an order from the public prosecutor on duty, and members of the SFOR military police were also present. Glusac added that the investigation is still underway. |
| Update on removal of Croat flags in Stolac
| Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Dizdar and company charged with misdemeanour’ by M. Relota – Secretary of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministry of Interior Andjelko Sesar confirmed that the security situation in Stolac was satisfactory during the weekend and there were no any incidents caused by forced removal of Croat flags by a few members of the Stolac Youth Forum. Sesar added that President of the aforementioned organization, Nerin Dizdar, and the others who removed the Croat flags would be charged with misdemeanour. Head of the Stolac Municipality Zeljko Obradovic condemned violent removal of the Croat flags. Obradovic believes that the Police did not react properly to the move of Dizdar and his colleagues and stressed that the Police should have been more efficient and professional in the whole procedure. On the same issue Vecernji List pg 2 ‘After investigation, removals in Police’ by F. Matic carries spokesperson of the HNC MoI Srecko Bosnjak who says that the Police did not act properly in the whole case and some people will be held accountable for such behaviour. Asked whether this means that the Stolac Police Commander will be removed Bosnjak replied that everything is possible. Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Mile Coko, HSP leader, announced unrest’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Investigation requested against Youth Forum’ also covered the issue. |
| RS PM’s Spokesperson on appointment of the new RS Interior Minister | Dnevni List, pg 16, ‘Appointment of new Interior Minister by end of September’, by Miso Relota – DL carries that the RS Prime Minister’s Spokesperson Goran Radivojac has confirmed to the daily that the future RS Minister of Interior must be a qualified professional. He has added that the RS will appoint the new Minister by the end of the next month. |
| Professor Kulenovic on causes of Islamic terrorism
| Vecernji List front and pgs 16 and 17 ‘Expert for Islam Tarik Kulenovic analyses causes of Islamic rebellion: Rebellion long 30 years’ carries an expert for Islam Tarik Kulenovic (he is a professor at Political Science Faculty) who is analysing causes of the Moslem rebellion and political developments that caused it. Among the other things, Kulenovic says: “The one should seek causes of the Moslem rebellion in bad economic and political situation, a high birth-rate as a consequence of poverty, in inappropriate economies that the state is in charge of and that do not create new places of work for growing population, as well as, in raw-materials industries which have a subordinate position in the world, globalisation race.” |
| SBS on safety of the state border
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 ‘SBS controls holes of BiH border as well’ by R. Cengic – the Spokesperson of the State Border Service, Alma Efendic, has stated that there is a number of places at BiH border that might be used for illegal border crossing or illegal transports of good due to terrain configuration. Nevertheless, she claims that SBS is constantly supervising the entire BiH border, including these ‘porous’ spots. Deputy Director of the Federation of BiH Tax Administration, Vinko Krizan, has previously stated that the Tax Administration employees have information that BiH border is “porous” at approximately 400 places. Alma Efendic says that SBS is surprised whenever individuals publicly claim the state border is porous. ‘We invite Krizan and others who have such information to provide us with information and evidence proving the border is porous, in order to strengthen the control at such places’, Efendic said. |
Political developments | |
| Greece supports BiH on its road to EU
| BHTV – Greek is one of the countries which strongly supports accession of Western Balkan countries to the EU. They have good economic and security reasons for this support. All EU countries have strict demands and conditions for BiH regarding its entry into the EU. A big progress has been made in terms of legislation, but now Brussels expects new steps. Paddy Ashdown, High Representative : “ Priority No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 now all have one name, and that is implementation of adopted laws.” Countries which are geographically closer to Balkan (Italy, Austria, Greece) agree on this, but they also have other interests to heavily support BIH to become part of EU soon. Greece for example, besides the security, has also economic reasons for support. Michail G. Koukakis, Ambassador of Greece in BIH: “After the war in former Yugoslavia, we were the only EU country which suffered a direct economic damage. Your roads to the EU countries and the traffic were generally cut off. We had to find other ways. But with the entry of your and other countries of South-Eastern Europe to EU, this will change.” While Greece was head of the presidency of EU, they requested over 1 bill. Euro for supporting Western Balkans, but EU approved only 300 mill. Damir Miljevic, Analyst: “If Bulgaria and Romania become EU members in 2007, the interest for entry of BIH, SCG, Croatia and Macedonia to the EU will be even bigger.” Generally, EU wants BIH and other SE European countries to enter EU soon in order for Greece to be incorporated into a single geographic region with other EU countries. |
| SDU demands urgent adoption of the Law on Local Self-management
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘To adopt the Law on Local Self-management’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8, FENA – The candidates of the Social Democratic Union (SDU) running for the offices in the eight municipalities of Canton Sarajevo at the forthcoming local elections have addressed a request to the Federation Parliament to adopt the Law on Local Self-government prior to establishing newly-elected municipal councils, which will be fully in accordance to the European Charter on Local Self-government. As SDU announced on Sunday, the failure to pass the relevant legislation would produce a realistic danger that the reformatory goals aimed at strengthening the competencies of local communities for their development will not be realized. In addition, it is also possible that the absence of relevant legislation would produce unnecessary conflicts between different levels of state administration and between the municipal bodies. Thus, the SDU candidates request from the High Representative to stimulate the relevant State bodies to pass not only this piece of legislation, but also the other laws and bylaws related to functioning of the bodies at the municipal level. |
| Terzic met with premiers of Albania, SCG, Bulgaria and Macedonia
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Terzic talked to premiers of Albania, SCG, Bulgaria and Macedonia’ – The BiH Council of Ministers Chairman, Adnan Terzic, met with premiers of several Western Balkan countries in Athens during the weekend. He talked separately with Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano, Bulgarian Premier Simeon Saskoburgoski, Macedonian Prime Minister Hari Kostov and Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic. The topics at the meeting were situation in the region and the European prospects of the Western Balkan countries. |
| EC on BiH integration into Europe
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘Admission to EU depends on fulfilling of requirements’ by M. Cubro – EC and BiH Direction for European Integration yesterday confirmed that the admission of BiH to the Direction for expanding of EC does not represent a concrete progress to BiH on its path to EU. ‘BiH is one of the countries in the region on whose admission to EU the Direction for expanding of EC will take care of. This practically does not mean any new status because the tempo of admission of BiH depends on fulfilling of requirements’, Zora Stanic from the EC Delegation to BiH has stated. |
| VL: HR to attend today’s session of Mostar City Council?
| Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Ashdown is passing final decision on Mostar Statute’ by H – VL says that according to a source from the OHR, High Representative Paddy Ashdown will attend today’s session of the Mostar City Council during which Mostar Councillors should sign the letter of obligation for finding of the permanent solution for restructuring of Mostar in accordance with the best European practice. VL explains that a new Commission, which should pass the Permanent Mostar Statute, will be practically established in this way. VL also says that in case that members of this Commission does not pass a draft of a new Permanent Statute and agree upon their stands by December 15 the HR will impose his proposal of the Statute. |
| RS Prime Minister on initiatives for new organisation of BiH
| Dnevni List, pg 16, ‘Political adventurers want to change Dayton’, not signed – Dragan Mikerevic, the RS Prime Minister, is of the view that the initiative aiming at creation of new republics in BiH is a clear attempt of solving huge obvious problems in the FBiH at the expense of the RS. Reminding that the FBiH was established by the Washington and the RS by the Dayton Accords, Goran Radivojac, the PM’s Spokesperson, says that the issue of creating some new republics in BiH is initiated by some adventurers who would like to put it in daily politics context and who care more about daily political profit than about stability and progress in BiH. |
| SNSD’s Radojicic on sending of BiH troops to Iraq
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 10 ‘Participation of BiH soldiers in Iraq within UN mandate’ by Fena, Glas Srpske, ‘To Iraq as “blue helmets”’ not signed – Secretary General of SNSD Igor Radojicic yesterday assessed that participation of BiH soldiers in peace missions in Iraq should be in a frame of UN mandate. ‘I think that BiH, regardless of various interpretations and controversies, should have some sort of presence in the UN mission in Iraq’, Radojicic said. |
| DPS welcomes Election Commission’s decision | Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Correct decision of the Commission’ by V. J. – Democratic Patriot Party (DPS) welcomed the decision of BiH Election Commission to print names of 13 Municipalities from RS in accordance with BiH Election Law. |
Crime/investigations | |
| Remains of 109 victims exhumed from the mass grave in Miljevina so far
| Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘109 victims exhumed’, FENA – The exhumations experts by Friday have excavated the remains of 109 victims from the mass graves in the area of Miljevina nearby Foca. This information refers to the mass graves Tuneli and the waste disposal site of the coal mine in Miljevina. “It is presumed that the victims were detainees of the correctional facility in Foca”, the President of the FBiH Commission on Missing Persons, Amor Masovic, told FENA on Saturday. The exhumation process will resume on Monday, August 16. |
| Dnevni Avaz: Who hides papers from Oric and Halilovic’s lawyers?
| Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 2 ‘Who hides papers from Oric and Halilovic’s lawyers’, pg 2 ‘Who obstructs defence of Sefer Halilovic?’ and ‘Leaders of Tuzla Canton do not want to give requested documentation (related to case of Naser Oric)’ – An ICTY chamber in case of Sefer Halilovic (wartime commander of BiH Army) on July 6 ordered the Federation of BiH to provide the defence with the access to the documentation possessed by the Federation Intelligence-Security Service (FOSS) learns the daily from sources close to the Federation Government. It had been announced earlier that a similar order was issued in case of Naser Oric, the wartime commander of BiH Army unit in Srebrenica. In both cases the orders were issued because the lawyers were not allowed to get to the documentation necessary for proper defence of their clients. |
| Update to Pejcic case
| Glas Srpske, pg. 3 ‘Mile Pejcic is at home’ by V. Stojanovic – Following the release of Mile Pejcic from SFOR detention, GS journalist visited him at home. On this occasion, Mile Pejcic again rejected all claims that he is giving support to war crimes indictees and he also said that his guardians’ behaviour was fair. |