| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Federal Government adopted draft Law on Criminal Proceeding and Law on Protection of Witnesses | EU Summit held in Athens
| Measures on prevention against SARS in BiH
| Mikerevic satisfied with visit to US
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| Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor accepted criminal charges against Head of FOSS | Customs Administration rejects allegations re release of information on criminal charges against Dragan Covic | Federal Customs Administration has information on custom evasions of 230 million KM | RS Assembly scheduled for April 29 or 30
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| Confirmed in The Hague: Arkan’s Tigers paramilitary forces were involved in fighting in BiH | HR Paddy Ashdown brought two decisions on Mostar City financing | High Representative brought two decisions on Mostar City Budget; HR buying house in Herzegovina | Council of People in RS still not constituted
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| EU leaders finished Athens Summit | Constitutive session of the RS Council of Peoples have not been continued today | Session of the Federal Government | TVBiH prepares for full-time program |
| Oslobodjenje | BiH Parliamentarians receive monthly income of up to 5,000 KM |
| Dnevni Avaz | Paddy Ashdown: A list is being made with names of 25 serious criminals |
| Dnevni List | “Visit of high delegations to HNC Government and Mostar City Administration: Reorganization of Mostar is urgently necessary”; “SDA urges preserving of parallelisms in HNC: Due to obstruction in establishment of Government OHR announced removals?!”; “Signal of Croat TV Mostar soon on the territory of the whole Herzegovina” |
| Vecernji List | “10 billion Kunas in private pockets”; “World Bank continues to invest in Herzegovina”; “Saudi prince gave Tihic a golden sniper and machine gun to Terzic” |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | “OHR is making longer list of persons from BiH who are unwanted in EU countries”; “Paddy Ashdown is purchasing house on Jablanica Lake”; “There is no SARS in Herzegovina” |
| Glas Srpski | Update to confiscation of 100 tones of coffee in Brcko: Falsified stamp on invoice; Belgrade District Court: Wanted warrant for Mira Markovic |
| Nezavisne Novine | BiH CoM Task Force for issues related to pensioners: Law froze minimal pensions; Miroslav Nikolic, BiH Fed. Defence Minister: BiH SBS also investigates the violation of UN embargo; Vehid Sehic, President of the Tuzla Alternative People’s Parliament: BiH still is not ready to confront crime; BHTV1: A day-long programme of state television as of 1st September |
| Vecernje Novosti | Dragan Cavic: we will not stay without army |
| Blic | Children victims of war traumas; Criminal charges against intelligence officer; New customs terminal at border crossing Raca; Milica Bisic: I did not accept offer to be finance minister |
| Slobodna Bosna | Exclusive: Kill Dodik and proclaim the state of emergency |
| BH Dani | Naser Oric in The Hague. What about Ratko? What about Radovan? |
International community/OHR | |
| Ashdown’s interview for Avaz
| Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 5 ‘A list is being made with names of 25 serious criminals’ – Interview with the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown. “A total of 25 persons from BiH will soon be put on the EU persona non grata list. This is our part of 100 names of the persons, who have been, according to the evidence we posses, involved in organised crime and provision of support to the war crime indictees,” said Ashdown at the beginning of the interview. Slobodna Dalmacija front and page 15, ‘OHR makes list of persons from BiH unwanted in BiH’ by Zlatko Tulic) also reports that the OHR has made, at a request by the EC, a list of persons who are to be banned from entering the EU because of suspicion that they are connected to war crimes indictees. “All in all, it would appear that the key role in extending the list of unwanted persons will be given to the OHR and High Representative for BiH Paddy Ashdown”, reads the newspaper. |
| High Representative Acts to Rationalise Financing of Mostar City Administration | Oslobodjenje pg. 3, mentioned on the front page ‘The Elektroprivredas must again allocate funds for Mostar’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Elektroprivredas are obliged to allocate funds for Mostar’ – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, on Thursday issued two Decisions reinstating the monthly payment by the two Federation Elektroprivredas directly to Mostar’s city administration. This revenue, which was discontinued as a result of legislation in September 2002, accounts for approximately 50 percent of Mostar city administration’s budget. Without it the city administration faced financial collapse and would have been unable to continue providing public services or pay the salaries of its employees. |
| Reactions to OHR statements, requests
| Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘By her statements Benes only gives alibi to HDZ’ – The Deputy President of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Seada Palavric, has expressed surprise and concern over the views of the OHR in Mostar. The media have reported that the spokesperson of the regional OHR South office, Avis Benes, said that the SDA turned out to be very unconstructive in the process of establishment of the new Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Government, and that the OHR was also concerned that the SDA often had a tendency to recreate parallel structures in the county. Commenting on the statement, Palavric said that the SDA was not in favour of parallel structures; on the contrary, it was against them. Slobodna Dalmacija last page, by FENA also carried the statement. Dnevni List (front and page 5, by Zvonimir Jukic) carries that after Mostar, SDA started to preserve parallelisms in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) as well. DL says that OHR South Spokesperson Avis Benes confirmed that SDA plays a completely non-constructive role in the establishment of the HNC authority. DL reminds that for 5 years the International Community was disciplining HDZ BiH in Mostar and the HNC and the author wonders whether the IC will do the same with HNC SDA Board. The article says that by saying that all those who obstruct the establishment of the new authority have to be aware of the consequences that this kind of stands can produce Benes indirectly sent a message that OHR is thinking about a removal of some politicians. DL says that through a new organization of Mostar SDA will try to preserve parallelisms, while HDZ will try to impose dominance. The article says that that it has to be clear to SDA and HDZ radicals that the only winner in Mostar, HNC and the whole BiH is the multi-ethnic organization that will guarantee equality to all peoples and citizens and it depends on the radicals how fast BiH will become a normal European country. Dnevni List’s Miso Relota (page 2, “No more obstructions”) questions why the OHR is not sanctioning the responsible for non-establishment of the HNC Government, a situation in which the citizenry suffers the most. “In the recent past, we witnessed haste removals of Croat officials when the Croat side was accused of obstruction. The last seconds are ticking away, so the HNC Government needs to be established as soon as possible, with or without an OHR intervention. Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘OHR, CAFAO should prove claims about political pressure on Rebac’ – The BiH Federation Government on Thursday requested the OHR and CAFAO to submit evidence proving the existence of political pressures on FBiH Customs Administration Director Zelimir Rebac and possibly other officials of the governmental institutions. Slobodna Bosna – On pg. 26 and 27 the magazine wrote about the FBiH Tax Administration under the title ‘After Rebac refused an immoral offer by Dragan Covic he is undergoing a political lynch’. The magazine is saying that in past year, which is how long Zelimir Rebac has been heading the FBiH Tax office, he managed to introduce law and order in this service and re-direct large amounts of money that were previously going to criminals to the Federation budget. Therefore, many criminals and their political sponsors decided to do everything to remove Rebac. Dnevni List (page 7, by S. Kuzman, “Tuka removed because exceeding budget, not because of embezzling funds”) carries a letter that the President of NHI, Kresimir Zubak, sent to the SDHR, Gerhard Enver Schroembgens, as a response to the SDHR’s letter. “Let me remind you, you claimed Tuka embezzled (in other words stole) 14,3 million KM thus damaging the refugees. Today I read in your letter that he exceeded the budget and that the signed contracts were not executed, which is, I believe you will agree, something quite different from the embezzlement, in other words stealing of 14,3 million KMs. Unfortunately, the public false accusation against Tuka that he stole 14,3 million was not denied by anyone from the OHR and it would be decent from someone to do it. Secondly, I think you should insist with the High Representative to stop applying double standards”, reads the letter by Zubak. Slobodna Bosna – On pg. 14 and 15 entitled ‘Zubak made the OHR admit a mistake’ on the correspondence between the OHR and President of the NHI Kresimir Zubak. Following a letter that Zubak sent to HR Ashdown saying that accusation against Mijat Tuka of embezzeling 14, 5 million KM were unfounded, as no such information was presented in a documented following the revision of the Refugee Ministry. Despite the fact that the letter was sent to Ashdown, it was replied to by SDHR Schroembgens who agreed that it was the case of overstepping the budget rather than theft as previously claimed by Ashdown. After receiving Schroembgens’ letter, Zubak requested from the OHR to change heavy accusations against Tuka and advised that HR should stop applying double standards. As an example he mentioned the latest intelligence-espionage scandal in the RS where no sanctions were applied by the IC. |
| HR reiterates the BiH accession to EU depends on its political leaders | Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Accession to EU depends on the leaders’ – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, has drawn attention to the relevance of the European Union expansion treaty signed by the new accession states in Athens on Wednesday to BiH, according to OHR Spokesman Kevin Sullivan. He described the treaty as “a wake-up call for BiH’s leaders”. “The accession agreement shows that with perseverance and dedication to the reform process, when leaders show real statesmanship and vision, membership of the European Union — and the support and stability that this offers — is a realistic aspiration for transition states. That means that it is a realistic long-term aspiration for Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the High Representative said. |
| Croatian Ambassador to BiH Vrbosic on charges pressed against former HR Petritsch | Regarding yesterday’s article in Slobodna Dalmacija about the letter that the Croatian Ambassador to BiH, Josip Vrbosic, sent to the Croatian Foreign and Justice Ministry regarding the issue of immunity of a former High Representative for BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, today’s Slobodna Dalmacija (page 16, by Darko Juka, “We did not take anyone’s side”) carries a comment by Ambassador Vrbosic as saying the Croatian Embassy in Sarajevo was carrying out a usual diplomatic procedure when it warned the aforementioned Ministries about the letter that the Head of OHR Legal Department, Ian Campbell, sent to the Embassy. Vrbosic reminds that Petritsch, being a former HR, enjoys diplomatic immunity as described in the article 3, paragraph 4 of Annex 10 to the DPA and in article 39, paragraph 2 of the Vienna Convention which gives immunity to diplomats for actions they took during the mandate after their tenure had expired. Asked to comment on the charges pressed by Nenad Gvozdic and claims that the Croatian diplomatic service directly interfered into the job of the judiciary, Vrbosic says the Croatian diplomacy never took anyone’s side. |
| Meeting between Cardinal Puljic and High Representative Paddy Ashdown | Slobodna Dalmacija (page 17, by kta, “Ashdown: Protect all believers in BiH”) and Dnevni List (page 8, by Fena, “Authorities have to protect all believers in BiH”) carry that Vrhbosna Archbishop Cardinal Vinko Puljic received High Representative Paddy Ashdown. The cause of the meeting were letters that Puljic sent to the HR with regard to frequent provoking of Catholics in Sarajevo and some other places. They agreed that the security issue of all BiH citizens is very important issue. The HR stressed that he takes these issues very seriously and that he expects the same from the BiH authorities. They also agreed that peace can be protected only if the authorities protect all believers in BiH. |
Affairs | |
| Oslobodjenje: BiH Parliamentarians receiving monthly income of up to 5,000 KM | Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5 ‘BiH Parliamentarians receiving monthly income of up to 5,000 KM’ – The deputies to the BiH Parliamentary Assembly are earning more than 4,000 KM per month. Of course, this is not the value of their salaries, but if various reimbursements they are receiving monthly (mobile phones, accommodation etc.) are taken into account the monthly income of some professional deputies amounting even up to 5,000 KM. |
| Investigation into possible violation of UN arms embargo in FBiH | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 4, ‘BiH SBS also investigates the violation of UN embargo’ – Miroslav Nikolic, BiH Fed. Defence Minister, stated that owing to reasonable suspicion that the BiH Fed. Restricted industry firms, by performing trade with RS firms, yet did violate the UN embargo (on arm sales to Iraq). Accordingly, he announced further investigation into this matter, in which the BiH State Border Service would also take part. |
| Vuksic denies his responsibility in Hercegovacka Bank-related developments | Dnevni Avaz pg. 8, mentioned on the front page ‘Ivan Vuksic: a revenge by failed intelligence officers’ – Ivan Vuksic, the acting Head of FOSS, denied in an interview for the newspaper all the allegations from the criminal charges filled against him by FBiH Police Director Zlatko Miletic. “I claim that I participated neither in apprehensions nor unrest (during the raid into Hercegovacka Bank in April 2001),” said Vuksic adding it was just about the revenge by failed intelligence officers. |
Political developments; reforms | |
| FBiH Government session
| Oslobodjenje pg. 6, mentioned on the front page ’10 years in prison for obstructing the return’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 – At its session in Sarajevo on Thursday, the BiH Federation Government adopted draft law on criminal procedure, draft criminal code and the draft law on protection of witnesses. Borjana Kristo, the Federation Justice Minister, told journalists following the session that the adopted drafts represented a part of comprehensive judiciary reform. Slobodna Dalmacija, and Dnevni List (page 4, by Miso Relota, “Financial assistance to dismissed members of Federation of BiH Army secured”) also report on the adoption of the draft laws. Moreover, Slobodna Dalmacija (page 4, by D. Pasic, “Financial assistance to dismissed members of Federation Army”) carries that during its yesterday’s session of the Federation Government, the issue of 750 retired HVO soldiers was tackled. The Government passed a decision to secure financial assistance to 506 of them for a period of next six months during which a permanent solution ought to be found. This assistance will amount to 80% of a monthly salary. On the same issue SD (last page, by Darko Juka, “HVO pensioners give up protests”) carries that due to this decision blockades of border crossings and protests of Croat soldiers were prevented. |
| Covic, Hays, Ingram visited Herzegovina | Vecernji List (front “World Bank continues investing to Herzegovina” and page 2 “Ingram: World Bank is interested in continuing investment to Herzegovina”), Dnevni List (front and page 12, unsigned, “Urgent reorganization of Mostar necessary”) and Slobodna Dalmacija (page 15, by Z. Zekic, H. Maric, “Encouragement for new investment”) report that the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, and the Director of World Bank’s Office in BiH, Joseph Ingram, were visiting West-Herzegovina and Herzegovina-Neretva cantons yesterday when they toured a few successful companies that were established owing to World Bank projects and met with local authorities. Mr. Ingram announced the World Bank would keep investing into reconstruction of Mostar expressing pleasure with what’s been done in the past three years. “We hope the development will continue, but it will require strong political will and new organization of the city – merging of municipalities within the city because Mostar needs a tax foundation which will fund future long term plans”, said Ingram stressing the current structure of Mostar does not allow that. Following a meeting with principals of the West-Herzegovina Canton Government, PDHR Hays told Slobodna Dalmacija: “We talked about initiatives, giving broader authorities to municipalities to deal with their jobs and about more discipline within the Government”, said Hays adding the aim of the visit was to get acquainted with economic initiatives in west Herzegovina and learn about the problems the development is facing. Nezavisne Novine, page 4, ‘Assistance to reconstruction of city promised’, Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Reorganisation of Mostar by the end of the year’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Feal is an example of successful business operation’ also reported on the visit. |
| Mikerevic completes visit to USA | Glas Srpski, page 3, ‘Solution lays in incomes’ – Dragan Mikerevic, RS Prime Minister, upon his return from Washington yesterday, stated that main topics discussed at his meetings with the officials of the IMF were: current status of RS budget and methods, in which the incomes may be increased. At yesterday’s presser in Banjaluka, Mikerevic stressed that the only way out from the currently bad economic situation in the RS lays in the increase of income payment and prevention of grey economy and black market. |
| RS NA to convene on 29/30 April | Glas Srpski, page 3, ‘Bulldozer at repairs’ – The 5th regular session of the RS NA, which is to take place on 29th and 30th April, should discuss proposed changes to the laws following recommendations of Bulldozer Commission. |
| RS House of Peoples still headless | Glas Srpski, page 3, ‘Election of leadership postponed’; Nezavisne Novine, page 6, ‘RS House of Peoples still without leaders’ – The inaugural session of the RS House of Peoples, which was supposed to elect the Chairperson and two Chairpersons, was postponed for 29th April. |
| Dragan Cavic for Vecernje Novosti | Vecernje Novosti pg. 3 (‘We will not stay without army’) carries an interview with RS President Dragan Cavic. Cavic says that BiH is under protectorate, which is obvious from the fact that since the Dayton many elected representatives of BiH people have been removed. The international mandate has been expanding its competencies since the first High Representative and very often to the detriment of the RS. According to Cavic, the RS today is an entity within the BiH that has its sovereignty. Asked whether that ‘inside sovereignty’ of the RS is being reduced, Cavic says that is true and that the reduction is done through the interpretation of DPA, which many see as a silent DPA’s revision. Cavic says that as far as the RS competencies are concerned, the RS still has its parliament, constitution, army, police, judiciary, government. “But right now the trend of centralisation is in force in BiH, which is contrary to the EU standards. Centralisation is requested from us, while at the same time it is expected that Serbia and Montenegro decentralise. The same people of the IC, with the same name, request two different things from two neighbouring countries.” Cavic thinks that a single army is neither possible nor needed both constitutionally and legally. “A solution might be found according to which BiH armed forces would be composed of the current entities’ forces and which would be under a joint command. And it is very important that foreigners comprehend this. Former Yugoslavia had the single army with single command and was composed of people of all nationalities – when the war started everything fell apart. And that is a proof that a single army in BiH would be an absurdity.” Speaking about army’s organisation, Cavic says it might look like this: a joint command with army HQs chiefs of staff of all three people, so-called general secretariat that would function as the BiH Presidency, and a small army with several vital functions. “It is only possible to have territorial armies with a single command. The RS will not accept not to have an army on its territory.” Speaking about Radovan Karadzic, Cavic says there is suspicion that the RS does not do enough to find him, but “we cannot hide anything. If there is someone who protect him or any other indictee that would be revealed a long ago. With such a mandate of the IC nothing could be hidden.” Speaking about the spying affair, Cavic says that he disbanded the RS Army Intelligence Centre because it violated domestic laws and orders and did not respect the COMSFOR’s instructions. “It has been discovered that some people who are not in the Army had influence on the centre.” Cavic says that hypothetically speaking the High Representative might abolish the entities, but practically that is not possible. Although Paddy Ashdown says he is the last High Representative Cavic thinks that the IC will be in BiH until BiH’s admittance to the EU. “Until that happens we only may hope that the IC will reduce its mission and become a mission of monitoring, and not of interventionism.” |
| Dani on appointment of Paravac | ‘Who says the crime does not pay off’ pgs. 24 – 27 by Snjezana Mulic-Busatlija. The article on Borislav Paravac, newly appointed Serb Presidency member. “Biography of the newly elected BiH presidency Chair HR did not even check, and he has no intention of doing so. Borislav Paravac, however, is an SDS school student and knows what to do. In any case, he cleaned up drawers with documents from the was time when he was making decision in the Doboj municipality. It is still possible to put together a puzzle where, in the end, he smiles at Radovan Karadzic, Momcilo Krajisnik, Milovan Cicko Bjelica, Momcilo Mandic…. But also to a British man. The past of Borislav Paravac is such that he is destined to take over the presidential post in the SDS after Karadzic and the future of BiH is incomprehensible because it is now led by former host of Red berets.” The magazine points out that even though there are no documents on Paravac at the Doboj municipality Assembly, the State Commission for gathering facts on war crimes has a file with statements of several Bosniaks testifying cleaned Doboj and surrounding places from Bosniaks, Croats and their property with a help of his friends. The ‘Bosanski barometar’ column pg. 6 on HR Paddy Ashdown marked with three black dots, meaning a catastrophic move. The move in question is the appointment of Borislav Paravac in the BiH Presidency following Sarovic’s resignation. “OHR officials did not explain how someone like Paravac could find himself in the company of other two presidents elected by people – Tihic and Covic. They will never explain because then they would have to say why every, literally every elected minister and official of any significant institution underwent a rigorous vetting of the OHR secret services, while Paravac, if anyone has anything has anything bad to say about him, will have to be told so in the court.” The conclusion of the article being that in the cases such as 19 Sarajevo policemen and Bicakcic Ashdown was a prosecutor, Judge and the jury, which Paravac could only be kicked out of his current post by Carla del Ponte. |
War crimes; fight against organised crime | |
| Slobodna Bosna on organised crime
| ‘Mafia is planning Dodik’s liquidation, after which the RS authorities would proclaim the state of emergency and arrest political opponents’ pgs. 5 – 10. According to the magazine, the Serbian authorities discovered last week that SNSD leader, Milorad Dodik, warned late Zoran Djindjic a week before the assassination that criminal groups from Serbia and the RS were preparing his liquidation. Ever since, the leading SDS and PDP structures have been heavily prosecuting Dodik and there are serious indications that he might face the same tragic ending as Djindjic. Dodik apparently had to give a statement at the RS police on April 15 repeating what he told the late Serbian PM. Vladan Batic, Serbian Justice minister, confirmed that that prior to Djindjic’s assassination Dodik kept expressing his doubts and concern by saying that something would happen. Batic further said he was surprised by the knowledge that Dodik was exposed to open attacks and threats in the RS. The magazine goes on to claim that the latest attacks against Dodik have brought closer the SDS and PDP. This is why, claims the SB, the IC’s favorite Mladen Ivanic, as well as Police Minister Zoran Djeric and people like Dragan Kalinic have been trying to persuade HR Ashdown that Dodik knew something about Djindjic’s murder and never told the police. Three days ago Dodik was advised not to go to the RTRS studio in Banja Luka to take part in 60 Minutes, as he might be ambushed. ‘The Peace Implementation Council requesting that all property obtained through criminal be confiscated’ pgs. 12 and 13. Refers to an appeal made by the Peace Implementation Council in Brussels around three weeks ago that the BiH authorities should devise a general program for the confiscation of properties obtained through criminal. The magazine claims the mentioned appeal went unnoticed in BiH and the local as well as international officials were to blame for it since they represented BiH at the mentioned session. This is the sign, reads the magazine, that they have no intention of fulfilling this task assigned to them in Brussels. |
| Dani on trial of Oric | ‘The trial larger than life’ by Emir Suljagic on pgs. 18 – 21. Reports on the commencing of a trial against Naser Oric. “It was all over sooner than anyone expected. The indictment was not read out and Korean Judge O’Gon Kwon immediately requested from him to plead on all accounts. Honorable Judge, ladies and gentlemen, I am not guilty, repeated Naser Oric five times. He is being charged with beating 11 and killing seven Serb prisoners, military unjustified destruction of villages and towns, robbery pf private and state property in 15, mainly Serb, villages. The trial is the price he will have to pay.” |
| Croatian authorities send documentation on Croatian role in BiH to ICTY | Vecernji List (front “10 billion Kunas in private pockets” and page 13 “More than 20 billion Kunas went to BiH for ten years”, by Mladenka Saric) reports that the Croatian Government has decided, one day after the talks with the Chief ICTY Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, to send documentation on the role of the late Croatian Defence Minister, Gojko Susak, in the war in BiH which talks about the Croatian engagement in BiH, to the ICTY Prosecution. The documents in possession of the Croatian Ministries of Defence and Finances were previously labeled “classified”. According to another former Defence Minister of Croatia, Jozo Rados, the Croatian MoD carried out an inspection of the then chaotic documentation and learned that between 1990 2000, some 20 billion Kunas (around 5,1 billion KMs) was sent to BiH from the Croatian State budget. The Croatian Government suspects that every other Kuna ended up in a private pocket. (Jutarnji List, front “The Hague opens Susak file” and page 3 “Government submits Susak files: The Hague investigates into role of Croatia in the war in BiH” and Vjesnik front and page 2, “Susak’s documents no longer classified and on way to The Hague”) |
| ICTY ordered legal proceeding against RS attorney | Glas Srpski, page 3, ‘Criminal charge against attorney’; Nezavisne Noviner, page 5, ‘Order for criminal prosecution of Milka Maglov’ – Refik Hodzic, Head of the ICTY Outreach Programme to BiH, yesterday confirmed that the Hague Tribunal ordered criminal prosecution of RS attorney, Milka Maglov, for the contempt of court. Maglov was a member of the defence team of Radoslav Brdjanin before ICTY in the period from September 2001 through April 2002, when she was suspended, because one witness of the Prosecution claimed she intimidated him. |
| Karadzic is in southeast BH | Glas Srpski, page 3, ‘Karadzic is in southeast of BiH’ – Klaus Kerlach, Deputy Commander of the SFOR German Italian Unit, yesterday stated that the former RS President, Radovan Karadzic, is somewhere in Southeast BIH. During the meeting with the German Defence Minister in Rajlovac, Peter Struck, Kerlach stated that German military officials, stationed in BiH, observed that Karadzic is located in inaccessible and immense area and is protected by his private army of about 2000 bodyguards. |
| An NGO representative on BiH’s participation in fighting organised crime | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 4, ‘BiH still is not ready to confront crime’ – Vehid Sehic, President of the Tuzla Alternative People’s Parliament, in a short interview to NN, stresses that the local institutions should lead the fight against organised crime, instead of waiting for HiRep to do everything. According to him, local prosecutor’s offices and police are entasked to prosecute criminals, because Ashdown’s mandate completely differs from these specific tasks. |
| PDP fully supports RS police in fight against organised crime | Glas Srpski, page 2, ‘Support to Interior Minister’ – According to press release PDP issued yesterday, the PDP fully supports activities of the RS Interior Ministry and other bodies and institutions of the RS in the fight against organised crime. PDP is also of the view that the continuous and intensive co-operation of RS Interior Minister with his counterparts from regional states would bear fruits. |
| Arrest warrant against Mira Markovic | Glas Srpski, cover page story, ‘Wanted warrant for Mira Markovic’ – Belgrade District Court yesterday issued a wanted warrant for Mira Markovic, President of JUL, owing to her failure, for a second time, to attend the proceeding against her and a couple of former state officials. Her defence attorney, Zdenko Tomanovic, stated that the summons was not handed to her at all. |
Other issues | |
| BiH CoM task force on pensions
| Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 2, ‘Law froze minimal pensions’ – Yesterday’s meeting of the BiH CoM Task Force for issues related to pensioners concluded that the problems facing pensioners and the work method of the pension and disability funds can be only solved through unified law on Pension and Disability at BiH level. Bakir Mujic, Acting Director of the BiH Fed. PIO Fund, is of the view that the enactment of such a law would stipulate the establishment of the joint, BiH PIO Fund. Yesterday’s meeting also concluded that the Commissions should be established and obligated to harmonise the entities’ pensions. |
| BHTV to start with whole-day program in September | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 6, ‘A day-long programme of state television as of 1st September’ – General Managers of entity televisions and PBS yesterday told the press in Sarajevo that a day-long TV programme of the BHTV 1 should start as of 1st September this year. Until then, the programme scheme should be set, technical pre-requisites for broadcast should be met, personnel issues should be resolved and the issue of BHTV1 budget should be solved. Sarajevo dailies, Dnevni List (page 4, by Blazica Kristo, “BHTV 1 becomes separate channel”) and Vecernji List (page 3, Ivica Pjanic, “Broadcasting of BHTV 1 will start in September”) also report on the issue. |
| Milica Bisic on RS economic policy | Blic pg. 7 (‘She refused to be finance minister’) carries statement of Milica Bisic, former RS Tax Administration Director and new Deputy Finance Minister in Serbia. Bisic says that experience from the RS will help hear a lot in carrying out her duties in Serbia. She says that one of reasons why she has left the RS is the IC’s insisting on introducing VAT at the state level. “Here in RS is very difficult to pursue economic policy, due to the specific situation in which the CoM and the entities’ governments are – in a tight corner trying to pursue independent economic policy and at the same time to carry out imposed tasks,” Bisic says. She says that she refused RS PM Dragan Mikerevic’s offer to be finance minister, because ‘minister is a political figure’ and it is not the best way to use her knowledge and skills. Bisic says that she refused a few more ministerial posts (including Interior Ministry) during the government’s formation, because she would not feel good doing it. |
| Confiscation of coffee in Brcko | Glas Srpski, cover page story, ‘Falsified stamp on invoice’ – Sasa Delic, Information Secretary at the RS Tac Administration, yesterday told GS that the Banja Luka firm “Minekom”, whose 100 tones of coffee Brcko Customs Administration confiscated a day before yesterday, did not pay a penny of taxes to the account of the Tac Administration, neither has it filed tax registration form. He further confirmed that this firm has got its unified registration number on 24th January this year. The founder of Minekom firm is, from the formal point of view, Miodrag Lukic from Brcko. By falsifying the stamp on invoices (for taxes and excise), Minekom firm failed to evade the payment of KM 312 thousand of taxes. |
| DL’s editorial: “Reconciliation in BiH” | Pejo Gasparevic signs an editorial in Dnevni List (page 6) on the issue of reconciliation among the BiH peoples. Speaking from a personal experience when he met his old friend, a Croat, who migrated to Canada, Gasparevic says his friend, originally from Kiseljak, met his old friend, a Serb, in Canada and renewed the friendship severed in the war when the two were soldiers in the HVO and RS Army. The two friends, according to the author, are now first door neighbors and soon to be best men to each other. Gasparevic notes the reconciliation between the two happened spontaneously, without any media or institutional campaigns. In this context, Gasparevic recommends that the politics should be excluded from the reconciliation process in BiH. However, the author sees the bad side to the story questioning whether the reconciliation among the BiH peoples requires “neutral” territory. “Will, in fact, the three peoples make peace forever only when there is no BiH?”, says Gasparevic. The author also notes that the fact that the two friends are well off in Canada should not be neglected. |