| BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| OHR on Srebrenica report | OHR on Srebrenica report | Fight against poverty day |
| Audit into Srpske Sume | Bankruptcy managers | OHR on Srebrenica report |
| Local admin. reform | Demining in Spreca valley | Mostar Orthodox church |
| Cro presidential elections | Reform in local admin. | RS Pensioners on protests |
| Oslobodjenje | Bosnians are returning to work in |
| Dnevni Avaz | Edhem Biber on the revision of privatisation: Trade Unions will be glad to give evidences to McNair |
| Dnevni List | Local elections: Second round in 41 municipalities |
| Vecernji List | All Croat parties for abolishment of FBiH |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Glas Srpske | BiH Police Restructuring Commission: One hat to police!? |
| Nezavisne Novine | Mostar: First church in Neretva valley reconstructed; Director damaged “RS Railways” for over tens of million BAM; Garald Knauss: Nobody in BiH thinks about a successful political system |
| Blic | Features Serbian related topics |
| Vecernje Novosti | An old glow to ancient church |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbian related topics |
Economic/social affairs | |
| Oslobodjenje: Bosnians to get back their jobs in
| Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 3 ‘Bosnians are returning to work in |
| Edhem Biber on the revision of privatisation
| Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Edhem Biber on the revision of privatisation: Trade Unions will be glad to give evidences to McNair’, pg 5 ‘Trade Unions will give evidences on robbery to McNair’ – The BiH Independent Trade Unions Association more than a year ago initiated start of the revision of privatization cases where there was a suspicion they had been carried out in an illegal manner. “Unfortunately much money has been wasted and it could have been used to construct not only one but several highways through BiH. That is why I am calling on the entire judiciary to involve more actively in this process,” says Edhem Biber, the leader of the Association. |
| ITA Director Causevic: Some 1,000 customs officers to lose their jobs | Dnevni Avaz pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Approximately 1,000 customs officers to lose their jobs’ – The Director of the BiH Indirect Taxation Administration, Kemal Causevic, told the daily that up to one thousand customs officers might lose their jobs in the process of the institution’s rationalization/restructuring. |
| RS Railways affair
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 5 ‘Director damaged “RS Railways” for over tens of million BAM’ by P. Klincov – NN learnt from its sources that Doboj District Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an investigation against the Director of the RS Railways, Sreten Telebak, and two more company officials. According to NN collocutor, the investigation includes all denunciations filed against Telebak and other company officials, accusing them of having damaged the company budget for several million. The investigation has been launched this summer. |
| NN op-ed on macroeconomic aspects of census
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Census and cottage’ by Borislav Bijelic – The author raises the issue on census (of which he is supportive), noting why holding of census is an issue under discussion in BiH? He notes that instead of seeing census be in the function of reviewing the current number of population and its structure, and also in function of setting up and running the macro-economic aspects, we observe the importance of census be equated with empty political outwitting. He raises a pragmatic question how it is possible to create a development strategy and economic policy if number of population is unknown! |
| Law on military apartments in effect as of Sunday
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Implementation of Law on military apartments commences today’ by V. Popovic – According to NN, the Law on military apartments comes will see its implementation as of Monday (today). According to this Law, all those evicted from military apartments are able to file request for decision review to second instance body. Ramiz Mehmedovic, F BiH Minister of Urbanism, welcomed the upcoming implementation of this Law. |
| Mobilkom
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Eronet workers will not lose jobs’, mentioned on front, by Jurislav Petrovic – Following the decision/assessment of the FBiH Government that both offers by the HT Zagreb and Mobilkom Austria are not taking interests of the FBiH when it comes to mobile phones sector, the leader of corporative communications in Mobilkom Austria, Dubravka Jusic, notes that the company would stick to its offer and even offer better terms in case the FBiH Government pays additional interest. When it comes to employees at ‘Eronet’, Mobilkom |
| VL: Vrankic accuses Bosniak ministers of wanting to destroy HT Mostar and Eronet
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘They are destroying HT and Eronet because of BH Telecom’, by Zoran Kresic – The daily notes that the FBiH Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, stated at the end of the last session of the FBIH Government (which was discussing offers by HT Zagreb and Mobilkom Austria) that “all masks have fallen” thus directly accusing the Bosniak ministers in the FBiH Government that the aim of the refusal of Memorandum of Understanding with HT Zagreb is to unable the development of HT Mostar, which is an extremely important company situated in the Croat majority areas, and destroy ‘Eronet’ completely. According to a participant of the last session of the FBiH Government, who wants to stay anonymous, two Bosniak ministers, namely Nedzad Brankovic and Zijad Pasic, sided with the minority in the Government, that is with the Croat ministers, however the source believes that the Bosniak ministers were divided on purpose just to show that there is no outvoting of Croat ministers in the Government. |
| Omersoftic on old foreign currency savings
| Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘Savers must sign claim statements by November 22’, mentioned on front, by Ivica Glibusic – The daily notes that a notification from the FBiH Privatization Agency, which says that all citizens who want to take part in the privatization process, in other words to buy apartments with tenancy rights, stocks or property of companies by using the old foreign currency savings, has created a lot of confusion. Apparently, the notification is related to savers whose old savings have already been converted into certificates. According to the notification, statements are being signed at the FBiH Finance Ministry and the deadline is |
| VL: BiH HoR to discuss proposal of law on turnover tax on goods and service
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Lower tax on fur and used yachts’, mentioned on front, by Eldina Medunjanin – The daily announces that the BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives will probably, at the next session of the chamber, discuss a proposal of law on turnover tax on goods and service. According to the proposal, the general tax rate is set at 20%, whilst a lower rate set at 10% would be applied on, among other goods and services, goods used for feeding of people, used motor vehicles and used vessels, electricity and clothing (including fur). |
| War reparations in RS
| EuroBlic RSpg 4 ‘Destroyed vehicle more expensive than lives of those killed’ by Tijana Veselinovic – In the period from 1998 to 2003, Republika Srpska has paid out almost BAM 7.5 million from the budget as war reparation (for material and non-material damage). According to Borislav Bijelic, President of the Poll Board of the RS NA, in charge of reviewing rulings on reparation, the information has already been forwarded to Prosecutor’s Office, which is to investigate into enormously high war reparations. The Board noted in its report that: “The applicants cannot be denied their right for compensation. However, the issue remains whether the amounts paid out were within realistic frame. It is illogical that some cases filed in 2000 were settled without cases filed in 1998.” |
War crimes | |
| Srebrenica Commission Report to be assessed by judges before public comments
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Report should not be commented’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Premature comments about the Srebrenica Report are a breach of confidentiality in a judicial process’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Politics must not compromise so far progress’ by V.P.; Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘No room for politics’, Dnevni List pg 8 ‘OHR welcomes final report of Srebrenica Commission’ by NINA and Vecernji List pg 3 ‘OHR welcomes final report of Srebrenica Commission’ not signed – The OHR welcomes the final report made by the Srebrenica Commission, which has been investigating the fate of the men who went missing in and around Srebrenica between July 10 and 19, 1995. This report was submitted to the RS government on Friday. It will complement the Commission’s earlier report issued on June 11 this year, said OHR in a press release issued on Sunday. The government will consider the findings of the report, endorse and forward it to the Commission for Human Rights in |
| Mothers of Srebrenica announce lawsuit against RS
| Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Lawsuit might cause RS bankruptcy’ by bs – reports that after some information from the Srebrenica Commission’s final report have been published, the Association of Mothers from Srebrenica and Zepa announced that they would file a lawsuit against the RS and demand compensation. VL says that this lawsuit might cause bankruptcy of this entity. |
| SDU’s Tokic calls for suspension of RS authorities
| Oslobodjenje pg 9, mentioned on cover ‘RS government should be urgently removed’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘International community should suspend current RS authorities’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘RS authorities should be suspended’ by FENA, FENA – The BiH Social Democratic Union (SDU) requests that NATO at the next session of its Council approve BiH’s admission into the Partnership for Peace and that the institutions of international community seriously consider the possibility to suspend the current authorities in RS, said SDU Vice-president Sejfudin Tokic. The latest RS Ministry of Interior failures in search for war criminals are just public shows, instead of serious fulfilling of constitutional and legal commitments, Tokic added. “All this indicates the need for redefining the stands of the international community, particularly NATO, that BiH cannot join the Partnership for Peace as long as the RS authorities do not start apprehending war criminals, primarily Karadzic and Mladic”, emphasized SDU Vice-president, on behalf of the Party’s leadership. Tokic stressed that BiH citizens cannot be held hostage by SDS’ policy in RS. “Nine years have passed since the |
| ‘Del Ponte must win the battle with financial problems’
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Del Ponte must win the battle with financial problems’ – According to Amir Ahmic, the Bosniak liaison officer with the Hague Tribunal, ever since its establishment the ICTY has been facing various pressures and problems including those of financial nature. “It is hypocritical that the cases because of which the Tribunal was established are now being transferred to BiH. The UN should instead find money to ensure completion of these processes in |
| Hartmann says ICTY Prosecution will submit all indictments by end of 2004
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘All indictments will be raised by end of year’, by N. B. – The spokesperson of the ICTY prosecution, Florence Hartmann, told Radio Free Europe that the ICTY Prosecution would present all the indictments by end of the year. “It is possible that a part of them, which are to be presented at the end of December, would be confirmed only in January. After December, the Prosecution will not submit any indictments for confirmation. We have no choice because the mandate for the Tribunal has been set by the UN Security Council’s resolution”, explains Hartmann. |
Political developments | |
| Party for BiH on the visit of Serb politicians from BiH to
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Problems should be resolved in BiH’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Private visits can be dangerous for BiH’, FENA – The Party for BiH believes that BiH Presidency member Borislav Paravac, RS President Dragan Cavic and RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic must urgently forward an explanation and the report about the character of their visit to Belgrade, where they met with Serbian President Boris Tadic without the knowledge of the BiH State authorities. Regarding the visit as “private”, Party for BiH requests the BiH Parliament to urgently put the issue of this visit, its purpose and possible implications on the integrity and sovereignty of BiH on the agenda. The Party warns that the practice of unannounced private visits to foreign statesmen by BiH and Entity officials is inappropriate, particularly if such visits are aimed at seeking patronage out of the country for certain ethnic groups within the country. SBiH states that all problems BiH and its citizens are facing can only be resolved within the legal institutions of BiH. |
| Circle 99 discusses local administration reform in BiH
| BHT, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Municipalities for the better life of citizens’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Local self-rule plays crucial role in public affairs’ – “Although all levels of authority in BiH hold responsibility to introduce standards that will allow BiH’s accession to EU, the most important is local level of authority because it is where citizens live, meet their needs and resolve the largest number of their living problems,” said Mirko Pejanovic, the Sarajevo University professor, at a regular session of the Circle 99 Independent Intellectuals Association in Sarajevo on Sunday. The Association discussed the reform of local self-governance in the process of BiH’s integration into Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Constitutional amendments will strengthen role of municipalities in FBiH’ by E. Mackic – Pejanovic stated that the local self-government in both BiH entities did not have well harmonized laws and statutes, which would harmonize it with principles of the European Charter on local self-government. |
| Knauss from ESI on political system in BiH
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 4 ‘Nobody in BiH thinks about a successful political system’ by V. Popovic – In a brief interview to NN, Gerald Knauss, President of the ESI Executive Board (ESI stands for European Stability Initiative) claims that the economic development of BiH is stagnating over the passive approach of the BiH authorities, noting that: “There are many politicians in BiH playing an important role in this matter, but a large percentage of politics related to industry is set up by the international community. Hence, local authorities demonstrated no effort to develop a credible politics and various levels of controls in entities.” On arrest of war crime suspects, he notes “it is clear BiH cannot be admitted into European Union until this requirement is met.” On change of BiH Constitution, he stresses: “One of problems of bad government in BiH is not incapability of BiH authority to run their own state, but instead that political system of BiH is very hard to understand. Second problem is that in fact, not a single institution established over the past years is stable. It represents a grand problem, meaning nobody even thinks about how to make a political system successful.” He denies this course of reform would lead to unitariness of BiH, noting it would stipulate the change of BiH Constitution with consent of all three peoples. |
| VL on ‘imminent’ constitutional changes in BiH
| Vecernji List, front pg splash ‘All Croat parties for abolishment of FBiH’, pg s 2-3 ‘Abolishment of FBiH’, by Miroslav Vasilj – The daily carries a feature on “more and more imminent” constitutional changes in BiH that are, according to VL, to happen in early 2005. According to VL, “confirmation for change to the Constitution even came from the OHR. To be exact, the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, said that BiH should be as much more functional and rational a state”. VL argues that Bosniak and Serb representatives, as well as representatives of the IC, are trying to weaken the position of the Croats in the future talks on constitutional changes by exerting various pressures. The daily carries presidents of 11 parliamentary parties with Croat prefix, who are asked to present opinions of their parties regarding future constitutional changes. All 11 leaders are more or less unison in saying that the current constitutional set up in BiH is untenable and detrimental to the Croats and all of them are in favour of Croat parties reaching an internal consensus about the future constitutional changes. One of them, namely the leader of HDU, Miro Grabovac Titan, notes: “One should not be burdened with the question whether the RS should be abolished, it must be abolished. Before that, the Croats have to abolish the Federation (of BiH) because it is the tomb of the Croat people”. The President of HDZ BiH, Barisa Colak, says the HDZ BiH will not be going out with its position. Colak notes: “We believe that there need to be talks and to present arguments for the best solution”. |
| VL interview: Barisa Colak on relations within HDZ
| Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Not a single individual can be above party’ by M. Relota carries an interview with the HDZ BiH President Barisa Colak. Asked whether there are certain indications as to who might be the ‘mole’ within HDZ, Colak says: “Indications that absurd things were taking place in field during the local elections certainly exist.’ On the same issue Colak said that that HDZ should discuss this issue as soon as possible and, according to him, this discussion must bring better results and strengthening of the party. Asked as to when the next HDZ Convention might take place, Colak said that it would be in spring 2005. Asked about inter-party elections Colak could not give a precise answer, however, he said that in any case the beginning of this process should be expected before Christmas. |
| Statement of Day: Hamdija Jahic | Dnevni List, pg 2 carries in its ‘Statement of Day’, the Mayor of Mostar, Hamdija Jahic, as saying: “HDZ is obstructing unification of institutions in Mostar”. |
| DL on results of municipal elections
| Dnevni List front pg splash and pg 7 ‘Second round in 41 municipalities’ by M. Karacic and M. Batarello – DL says that complete results of the municipal elections will be published today and the question arises whether and how these results will be implemented at all. The article says that according to a source close to the BiH Election Commission, the second round of the elections should take place in 41 municipalities, however, due to vague wording of the BiH Election Law it is possible that complete elections would be proclaimed invalid. DL explains that the BiH Election Law does not stipulate what to do in case that none of the candidates for the Head of a municipality has 50 % plus one vote. According to the article, it has been expected that the OHR will regulate this situation, however, the OHR stated that this issue is something that the BiH Election Commission should deal with. |
| DL on BiH politicians
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Unserious state’ by J. Petrovic carries an editorial regarding the idea that BiH, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro organize a World Basketball Championship in 2010 and the author says that the fact that Serbian President Boris Tadic talked with High Representative Paddy Ashdown about this idea shows that our neighbors believe that our politicians are not serious collocutors and for this reason they talk with the HR and not BiH politicians. The author goes on to say that members of the BiH Presidency and not the HR are responsible for this situation and the author believes that domestic politicians should ask themselves why it is so. |
Police/security/legal proceedings | |
| GS on police restructuring
| Glas Srpske cover page story ‘One hat to police!?’ by V.J.– The article is about the police restructuring in BiH. GS carries statement of Dusan Stojicic, RS NA Speaker, who confirmed to GS that one of three proposed drafts for police restructuring includes the abolishment of RS Interior Ministry. GS further writes that the proposed models are: unified police of BiH (set up on five out of seven regions); current system of police system with slight organisational changes (RS Interior with three regional centres, F BiH Ministry with five regional centres, Brcko District Police, BiH SBS and SIPA) and current system of police system. In a statement to GS, Stojicic says that: “The issue of organising the future police forces in BiH must fully recognise constitutional and legal framework of the RS and BiH. Those thinking other model is implementable are wrong.” He goes on to add that: “Minister Matojasevic informed me that he left the session when discussion on concept of future police structure commenced…Regardless of our decision, it is necessary that our representatives continue with their work at Police Restructuring Commission. We must state it clearly what and how we want something done.” He goes on to conclude: “Our readiness to take part in this work is indisputable. But we are not ready to accept the abolishment of the RS Interior Ministry. Its survival and its current territorial integrity are lowest boundaries we would not go beyond.” |
| Bosniak and Croat officials in RS to meet EUPM Commissioner Carty today
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Tomljenovic ‘I expect Minister Matijasevic to introduce changes within Ministry of Interior’ – According to the daily, the Vice-presidents of RS Adil Osmanovic and Ivan Tomljenovic, and Vice-presidents of the RS National Assembly Sefket Hafizovic and Tomislav Tomljanovic are on Monday expected to meet with EUPM Commissioner Kevin Carty to discuss appointment of Bosniak and Croat candidates to the posts in the RS police structures. They will request Carty to ensure that Bosniaks and Croats are equally represented in the RS police structures in accordance with the Constitution. |
| VL feature on Police reforms
| Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Cantonal MoIs ‘disappearing’’, mentioned on front, by Miso Relota – The daily carries a feature on the ongoing Police reform process in BiH, claiming it is already obvious that all political parties from the FBiH and RS will have difficulties reaching a consensus about the restructuring of Police forces in BiH. According to VL, the concept of a single Police structure, which stipulates that the State institutions are exclusively authorized to deal with law enforcement issues and which would be under political supervision of the BiH Security Minister or BiH Council of Ministers, is debatable. VL goes on to say that there are efforts to abolish the entity and cantonal MoIs, however the author argues that the best solution would be to abolish the FBiH MoI and leave the RS and cantonal MoIs in the FBiH. The author also claims that the proposed Police system in BiH is highly centralized, which is contrary to the practice in |
| DL update to Hercegovacka bank trials
| Dnevni List, pg 3 ‘Position of friar Ivan Sevo does not require long lasting trials’, mentioned on front, by N. Dedic – The trials to Ante Jelavic and Ivica Karlovic in the Hercegovacka bank case will continue today before the BiH, and DL reminds that trials to friar Ivan Sevo would be held separately. According to Sevo’s lawyer, Zdravko Raic, the defence believes that the trials to his client could be completed in short period of time, which is good for defence of his client. Regarding trials to Karlovic and Jelavic, Karlovic’s lawyer Marko Martinovic does not want to reveal details of defence strategy, whilst in Jelavic’s case, it is suspected that his recently appointed legal representation, lawyer Dragan Barbaric, will not be presenting an opening statement since he took over the case just recently and he did not have enough time to prepare himself. |
Miscellaneous | |
| Reconstructed Orthodox Church opened in Mostar | FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘First church in Neretva valley reconstructed’ by V. Coric; Vecernje Novosti cover and pg 5 ‘An old glow to ancient church’ by R. Guric; Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Temples from ashes’ by M. Avdalovic, Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Old Orthodox Church ceremoniously opened’, mentioned on cover, ‘Reconstructed Church in Mostar opened’, by . Brkic-Cubela and Dnevni List pg 13 ‘Orthodox spirit returns to Mostar’ by S. Bjelica – Old Orthodox Church in Mostar (Crkva rodjenja presvete Bogorodice) was reconstructed and on Sunday sanctified by the service of Bishop Grigorije. This Church was reconstructed with the assistance of German Government mainly and the reconstruction lasted for two years. Apart from local population, Sunday’s ceremony was also attended by Borislav Paravac, Serb member to BiH Presidency, who said that “I do not feel Serb people is faced with unequal status in Mostar. The war is long time behind us and I believe the future of all peoples in BiH is to live in peace and tolerance.” |