| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Solemn oath of RS recruits | HDZ on Croat member of Presidency | RS Army recruits whistled anthem |
| Murder anniversary in Klis | RS recruits take oath to protect RS | Ahmici massacre anniversary |
| SNSD on RS Government | Lawsuit against FBiH Pension Fund | Indictments for war crimes in Ahmici |
| Refugees in FBIH | Free Trade Agreements issue | SDA Presidency in session |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| RS recruits take oath to protect RS | RS recruits taken oath to protect RS | Girl found heavily wounded in BL |
| Ahmici massacre anniversary | Progress in defence reform | RS recruits take oath to protect RS |
| SDP elects Cantonal Org. Chair | HR, parties to discuss police reform | Bukejlovic on RS recruits issue |
| Borovnica indictment withdrawn | Ahmici massacre anniversary | RS veterans on RS recruits issue |
| Oslobodjenje | Soldiers whistled to BiH anthem and swore to RS |
| Dnevni Avaz | Shameful oath taking: They whistled state anthem |
| Dnevni List | SDA BiH: New State Constitution |
| Vecernji List | Who in |
| Nezavisne Novine | Soldiers refused to swore to BiH |
Defence Reform | |
| RS Army recruits whistled down BiH anthem while taking the oath, swore to protect RS
| BHT Boris Gagic – March generation of the RS Army recruits have whistled down the BiH anthem and changed the oath’s text on Saturday, while taking the oath in barracks Manjaca and Bileca, which supposed to be in accordance with BiH Defence Law. Instead of taking the oath on defending sovereignty, territorial integrity and BiH constitutional order, according to BiH defence law; they took an oath to protect RS. RS anthem was greeted with applause, while BiH was whistled down. Although the recruits signed they will defend BiH sovereignty, they state they are proud of taking the oath to RS and say it was a deal between all of them. “According to law this is a violation, but that is their will and their reaction to the pressures on formation of the joint army”, said Branko Trkulja, “It is obviously that RS wants to show that a great part of Serbs don’t want these reforms to be carried out. The recruits are just the instrument, which helped them to show the reforms are not welcome”, said RS Vice-President, Adil Osmanovic. RHB, Pink, Hayat, FTV, Oslobodjenje cover page pgs 4-5 ‘Soldiers whistled to BiH anthem and swore to RS’, Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 2 ‘Shameful oath taking: They whistled state anthem’, Dnevni List pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘RS soldiers do not recognize BiH’, Vecernji List pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Whistles to BiH anthem at Manjaca in RS’, Nezavisne Novine cover page, pgs 2-3 ‘Soldiers refused to swore to BiH’ also covered the issue in a similar way carrying Trkulja’s statement. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Recruits abused by persistent opponents to reforms’ carried separately SDA Osmanovic’s statement. RTRS Bojan Kecman – RTRS brings feature on RS recruits taking oath to protect RS instead of BIH. The recruits have whistled down the BIH national anthem. This was the first group of recruits that were taking the oath according to the New Defence Law. Branko Trkulja spokesperson of RS Ministry of Defence stated that the recruits were surprised by the fact that they were supposed to protect BIH. RTRS polled recruits who all stated that RS is their only country. Trkulja also said that this should be the hint to BIH and IC officials for the forthcoming Defence Reform. “Simply it is not the moment to form one, united BIH Army” said Trkulja. |
| Bukejlovis stated that RS recruits did not know for the changed text of oath | RTRS – RS PM Pero Bukejlovic stated that RS recruits did not know for the changed text in the oath. This was, according to him, known only by few RS politicians that he did not want to name. |
| RS veterans condemn exploitation of recruits | RTRS – RS Union of Veterans condemned the exploitation of the RS recruits for oath-taking on Saturday. |
| FTV feature – progress in defence reform
| FTV Dzenana Zolota – FTV brings feature on defence reform in BiH, reminding on the most important steps taken so far. First visible results were seen at the beginning of 2004, when BiH Defence Ministry was warmed, after adoption of the BiH Defence Law. Joint Headquarters and Operational Command were formed as well. FTV comments that views on the defence reform are still different. The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, demanded in December last year immediate action that would lead to the abolishment of the entities’ Ministries of Defence and entities’ armed forces. In January this year, BiH defence Minister, Nikola Radovanovic, stated that his understanding is that abolishment of the entities’ Ministries would mean preparation of the new BiH Defence Law. RS authorities are strongly at position that defence reform cannot mean abolishment of the entities Ministries. |
Political Developments/Police Reform | |
| SDA Presidency discusses preparations for Party’s Congress
| BHT, Oslobodjenje ‘Bosnian people’s/national party of political centre’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Guidelines given for nomination of candidates fro the President’, Dnevni List cover pahge, pg 2 ‘Rearrange BiH into a country with local, regional and state levels’ – SDA Presidency has adopted draft programme for the 4th SDA Congress, in which has been defined political position of SDA as Bosnian national party, which is opened for all BiH citizens who support its goals. |
| Tihic addresses SDA youth, says Party wants to dissociate itself from nationalist parties
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘SDA will fight for civic state’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘SDA wants to distance itself from nationalist parties’, FENA – The chairman of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, said on Saturday at the second convention of this party’s Youth Association, held in Sarajevo, that the time of exclusively monoethnic parties was over. “As a modern and European party, we must adjust our programme objectives and activities to the present time. Failing that, time will run us over,” Tihic said while presenting the programme objectives of the SDA for the upcoming 4th party congress to be held under the slogan Bosnian Identity – European Orientation. He stressed that in this way the SDA wished to dissociate itself from nationalist parties. Tihic said that the SDA was a Bosnian popular party of the political centre, open to all citizens of BiH who accept its programme objectives, one of which, he said, is the alteration of the BiH Constitution and commitment to a civic decentralized state with three levels of authority – local, regional and state. The SDA will also work for the affirmation of the Bosnian identity as a common denominator of all the peoples and citizens of BiH. This is not a denial of the ethnic identity, but the development of a sense of belonging to BiH as a country, Tihic said. |
| HR’s meeting with ruling and opposition parties on police reform to start on April 25
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘On Vlasic Ashdown will try to come to a solution to police reform’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 – The OHR spokesman, |
| SNSD criticizes RS Government call on political parties to present views on police reform | RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Hypocritical RS Government’s position on police reform’ – SNSD feels that the invitation of RS Government to political parties to make their stance on police reform in BIH lacks seriousness. SNSD also feels that RS Government is incompetent and has no courage to make its own suggestion therefore inviting political parties to do it instead. |
| Pink: HDZ still has not proposed candidates who should replace Dragan Covic
| Pink Aida Doric – New Croat BiH Presidency member still has not been nominated. HDZ is not going to nominate candidates until both BiH Parliament Houses do not hold plenary session, in order to discuss on the current situation. This impacts work of BiH Presidency, which according to the Constitution cannot hold session under these circumstances. According to advisor to BiH Presidency President, Drago Vukovic, two BiH Presidency members are going to continue their work, but decisions are going to be brought only after appointing Croat member. “If plenary session is to take place during this week, we are going to hold HDZ Presidency session and we will take stance on future actions. HDZ does not want to extend the crisis in BiH, and that is why we believe that other political parties’ representatives are going to understand our requests and that the plenary session is going to take place soon”, said HDZ Spokesperson, Pero Pavlovic. On April 21, BiH House of Representatives is to hold session and it should be discussed on the issue of nomination of Croatian member, if candidates are to be proposed. |
| BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed Milan Krizanovic as Charge d’ Affairs in | BHT – BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed Minister and Councillor in BiH embassy in
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| Interview with Academic Muhamed Filipovic on the HR, BiH politicians and BiH’s future
| TV Hayat Senad Hadzifejzovic – Report brings a feature on interview with Professor Muhamed Filipovic. Filipovic said that there were many bad things going on in BiH, and that the only person who found current situation acceptable was the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown. Filipovic said that the HR wanted to create such situation and that it was his job. Filipovic said that the situation could result/go in two directions: either BiH was to be divided for good, or the Dayton Agreement was to be overcome, since the Agreement presented the main obstacle to BiH’s improvement. Filipovic said that Englishmen were extremely experienced in leading roles, so he denied possibility that the whole situation could not be referred to as an accident, supporting it with the fact that the HR had analytical and intelligence forces behind him. Filipovic says that the whole situation was planned. Filipovic said that he was having doubts when it comes to events in the RS. Filipovic says that the HR has carried out which should be referred to as a spectacular act, by dismissing certain Serbs, due to the fact that they were jeopardizing BiH’s way to Europe. But Filipovic believes that the RS is jeopardizing far more than it used to BiH’s way to Europe, since RS President Dragan Cavic is constantly underlying that there is going to be no reform implements, as well as that the Dayton Agreement is not going to be changed. Filipovic said that he was sure that something was going on, due to the HR’s constant visits to Banjaluka and |
| British Ambassador Rycroft says bringing BiH closer to EU his most important priority
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Fact Ashdown and Leakey are British does not mean we are patrons over BiH, mentioned on cover ‘We are not patrons over BiH’ – Newly-appointed British Ambassador to BiH Matthew Rycroft hopes BiH talks on Stabilisation and Association Agreement with EU will start in the second half of this year during the British EU Presidency. “My most important priority is to help bringing BiH closer to EU. That is priority of your country, EU but also of my homeland,” said Rycroft. |
War Crimes | |
| 12th anniversary of murder of 22 Croats was marked in Trusina near Konjic | RHB Report by Ivan Kaleb – 12th anniversary of murder of 22 Croats was marked in Trusina near Konjic. Croats were killed by members of BIH Army. Bishop Pero Sudar lead the mass whilst family members and many villagers attended as well as HNC officials. FTV, Dnevni List pg 3 also covered the issue. |
| 12th anniversary of the massacre in village Ahmici marked on Saturday
| BHT Mirela Cosic – 12th anniversary of the massacre over 116 Bosniak civilians in village Ahmici near Vitez, has been marked on Saturday. Featured visitors say that Bosniaks need to visit this place and that should not be forgotten, but still, life has to go on. Most of Croats who live in Ahmici believe that accepting of the truth about Amici is necessary if they all want to live together, and they also believe that the persons who committed these war crimes have to be punished. About 95% of pre-war residents have returned to Ahmici and the houses and a mosque have been reconstructed. Hayat, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 3, Dnevni Avaz pg 4, Dnevni List pg 5 also covered the issue. |
Economic Affairs | |
| Pink: RS Pension-Disability Fund to file lawsuit against FBiH Pension-Disability Fund
| Pink Milka Mrdja – RS Pension-Disability Fund is going to file lawsuit against FBiH Fund, since, according to the RS Fund, it is the only legal solution in order for great number of pensioners to be protected. RS Minister of Labour and Veterans, Miodrag Deretic said that agreement which stipulated issue of pensions expired by the end of 2004, due to what RS Fund had to allocate 21 million KM to pensioners who earned their pensions in FBiH. “Starting from the New Year, we have been doing all in our power for 38.000 pensioners, who should receive their pensions from FBiH Fund, to really receive their pension from FBiH Fund”, said Deretic. Deretic added that RS Fund was going to give FBiH pensioners pensions until an agreement was reached. FBiH Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Radovan Vignjevic, said that these pensioners earned their pensions in period of socialistic |
| Pink: BiH Foreign Commerce Chamber condemns BiH CoM’s decision on FTAs
| Pink Aida Hasanbegovic – BiH Council of Ministers, at proposal by BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, has brought decision by which it suspended decision on temporal suspension of zero tax rate implementation within BiH-SCG free trade agreement. BiH Foreign Chamber of Commerce opposes such decision, while BiH Farmers Association has already announced protests. The Association is going to organize general protest on Jun 1, if BiH Council of Ministers and other institutions in charge, continue jeopardizing domestic production after peaceful protests appointed for April 28. The Association states that the recent BiH CoM’s decision on suspension of customs on import of beer and flour from SCG attacks domestic production. The Chair of the Association, Ranko Bakic said that major part of farms were facing extremely difficult situation due to free trade agreements. |