11/19/2004

OHR BiH Media Round-up, 19/11/2004

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Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on19 November 2004

RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs)

BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs)

RTRS (12,00 hrs)

BiH CoM to hold session today

Paravac on police reform

PRC Chair met with RSNA collegium

Problem of alcoholism in BiH

OHR on VAT

CoM to hold session today

Orth. Church regrets priest murder

Mostar City Council inaugural session

Terzic in Berlin

TV news broadcast on 18 November 2004

RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs)

BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs)

FED TV (19,30 hrs)

RT RS (19,30)

Catholic priest killed in RS

Catholic priest killed in RS

Catholic priest killed in RS

Catholic priest killed in RS

Marking of HB anniversary

Meeting on police reform

BiH Police reconstruction

Workers protests in BL

Remembrance in Vukovar

BiH policemen in Haiti

Threats to prosecutors

Jelsingrad workers

Remembrance in Skabrnja

Cancar’s trial next week

HR’s visit to London

RS Gov. in session

 

Oslobodjenje

A parish priest killed

Dnevni Avaz

Audit is to be strike on criminal lobbies

Dnevni List

Help promised

Vecernji List

Catholic priest perfidiously killed

Slobodna Dalmacija

State gifted Zenica Steelworks

Glas Srpske

Gigovic admitted crime

Nezavisne Novine

Workers are hungry; BiH Prosecutor’s Office is investigating on businesses of Hasan Cengic; Parish priest was killed; Michael Humphreys: The police must be at BiH level

Blic

Thief killed parish priest in house

Vecernje Novosti

Features Serbian related titles

Belgrade’s Nacional

Features Serbian related titles

Ljiljan

If Covic be against lawsuit in The Hague , BiH will sue Croatia for aggression

Slobodna Bosna

Who is delivering threats to BiH Prosecution?

Dani

Who are the bosses of narco-mafia?

 

LATEST NEWS OF TODAY

Paravac on police reform

 

BH Radio 1 News at 1200 – Chairman of the BiH Presidency Borislav Paravac said today in Banja Luka he hoped that the issue of the police restructuring in BiH would be resolved in a way that would satisfy all parties in the country. He emphasized that setting the European standards and establishment of a more efficient police was in the interest of all citizens. He however added that the RS Interior Ministry could not be abolished since that would mean change to the BiH Constitution. 

PRC Chair Martens met with head of caucuses in RSNA

 

RS Radio News at 1200 – Police Restructuring Commission Chair Wilfred Martens today in Banja Luka met with the Heads of Caucuses at the RS NA, SRNA reports.  Meeting took place behind close doors and it was not announced in advance. RTRS reminds Brcko session of the PRC adjourned last night and is to resume on 11-15 December in Sarajevo.

 

Crime/Security/Legal Proceedings

A Catholic priest killed in Bosanska Gradiska

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘A parish priest killed’, Dnevni Avaz ‘Burglar Bogdan Gigovic killed parish priest with axe’, Vecernji List, front pg splash ‘Catholic priest perfidiously killed’ and pg 3 ‘Priest tied up and killed in church’, by Branka Stevandic, Dejan Jazvic, Dnevni List, pg 32, mentioned on front ‘Murderer of priest Kazimir Viseticki arrested’, by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 7 ‘Crime in Bosanska Gradiska’, mentioned on front ‘Catholic priest killed’, by A. Macanovic, KTA, Glas Srpske, cover page story ‘Gigovic admitted crime’ by E. G. S., EuroBlic, cover ‘Thief killed parish priest in house’ and pg. RS1 ‘Murder for gain, special forces have arrested the murderer’ by Milan Pilipovic, Nezavisne Novine, cover ‘Parish priest was killed’ and pg. 3 ‘Parish Priest Kazimir Visaticki was killed’ by S. Garic and B. Grgic– Catholic priest Kazimir Viseticki was killed on Wednesday night in Bosanska Gradiska in his flat in the compound of the church of Saint Rocco. The police have caught the killer. According to unofficial reports, priest Viseticki was most probably killed with a metal object. A police report issued in the afternoon on Thursday says that the murder was reported by the deceased Kazimir’s 91-year-old mother, who had found him in his flat. Objects in the flat where the priest was found dead had been scattered about, which prompted the police to conclude that this was an attempted robbery. Following a blockade of the roads around Bosanska Gradiska and Gornji Podgradci, the police caught Bogdan Gigovic, who is believed to have broken into the parish office in order to commit robbery, the police report said. It has been learnt unofficially that priest Viseticki had caught Gigovic red-handed, which led to the killing with a metal object.

Herceg Bosna Radio also reported on the murder. According to the radio station’s report, no one in the Banja Luka bishopric has reacted yet, as everyone is in shock, and awaiting the official police report. RS President Dragan Cavic has said that the murder of Catholic priest Kazimir Viseticki in Bosanska Gradiska must be investigated in detail and in full. Cavic said that the RS Interior Ministry must deploy all the resources at its disposal to elucidate the circumstances and apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime. Offering his condolences to the family of the deceased priest and Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica, Cavic expressed his conviction that this crime would not disrupt inter-nationality relations, which have stabilized over the past few years. Priest Kazimir Visetinski was born in 1958 near Bosanska Gradiska, and worked as a priest in Prnjavor, Banja Luka , Drvar and some other parishes. He moved to the parish of Saint Rocco in Bosanska Gradiska in 1999.

RTRS also carried Cavic’s statement.

International prosecutors in BiH to continue their work normally

 

FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘McNair and Schmidt continue their work’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘McNair: We will continue to work regularly in spite of the latest threats’, ONASA, AFP – International prosecutors at the top BiH court dealing with organized crime and corruption have received security threats, an official said Thursday. US prosecutor Jonathan Schmidt did not show up in court Wednesday due to security concerns, Canadian prosecutor John McNair told AFP, amid media reports that Washington had advised Schmidt to stay out of the country for the time being. “The disclosure in court on Wednesday of a security threat against members of the special department was made only because the presiding judge required us to state on the record the reasons why my colleague Jonathan Schmidt was unavailable for the start of the Fazlic trial,” McNair told AFP. The corruption trial of Asim Fazlic, the former deputy director of the Interpol office in Bosnia, was adjourned due to Schmidt’s absence. McNair, the head of the state prosecutor’s special department for organized crime, economic crime and corruption, confirmed that an unspecified threat had been received, but refused to give details. The special department is composed of six international prosecutors. He said the threat was under investigation but he refused to say if it was linked to the trial of Fazlic, who is accused of abuse of power, bribery and leaking secret information. “This is not the first threat that we’ve heard about and probably won’t be the last one,” McNair said, adding that Schmidt would return to work “in the near future.” “I’m continuing to work and it is not affecting me in anything that the department does.” The interior ministry and the US embassy refused to comment. “Any kind of pressure exerted on judicial officials is totally unacceptable in a modern democracy,” a spokesman for Paddy Ashdown, the international community’s High Representative in BiH said, commenting the issue. “The Office of the High Representative expects the appropriate authorities to ensure that any attempted intimidation is thoroughly investigated and that the judicial branch, a pillar of functioning society, is properly protected,” the spokesman, Mario Brkic, said.

Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 22, mentioned on front, ‘Special forces guarding BiH Court’, by Z. Tulic, Vecernji List, pg 5 ‘USA and Canada fear for security of their people’, by Zdenko Jurilj also covered the issue.

DL’s says BiH becoming unsafe in eyes of the world

 

Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Unsafe country’, by Erna Mackic – Commenting to the story that foreign prosecutors in BiH, who work on most difficult cases, namely John McNair and Jonathan Schmidt, have received threats, the author argues that BiH, in the eyes of the world, is becoming known as an unsafe country.

SB: Criminal circles in a panic fear of apprehension of his leader Hasan Cengic exerting pressures on BiH Prosecution

 

Slobodna Bosna cover page ‘Who is delivering threats to BiH Prosecution?’, pgs 6-7 ‘Criminal circles in a panic fear of apprehension of his leader Hasan Cengic exerting pressures on BiH Prosecution’ – According to the magazine, the international intelligence services and domestic investigating bodies are confident that the main centre of credible threats against the international prosecutors in BiH including US’ John Schmidt is linked with the uncrowned Bosniak sovereign Hasan Cengic. The SB sources say that the US diplomacy has informed High Representative Paddy Ashdown on Cengic links with these threats last week in Washington requesting him to take concrete measures and protect US citizens in BiH. Ashdown promised he would act urgently and efficiently immediately. That has apparently happened in the past days and as a result the EU police have in cooperation with some local services identified a group that had delivered threats to prosecutor Schmidt. 

Cengic under an investigation

 

Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5 ‘BiH Prosecutor’s Office is investigating on businesses of Hasan Cengic’ by M. Cubro – A source close to BiH Prosecutor’s Office says the Financial Police of the Federation of BiH has handed to BiH Prosecutor’s Office several denunciations with regard to financial malfeasant acts within BIO consortium, controlled by Hasan Cengic, a delegate at the BiH Parliament HoP and DS Main Board member. According to the source, several other cases are also linked with Hasan Cengic. International Prosecutor John Schmidt is carrying out the investigation in case of Hasan Cengic.

John McNair, the Head of the Special Department of BiH Prosecutor’s Office, neither confirmed nor denied that threats sent to him and Schmidt were linked with the investigation on Cengic case.

Merdzo and Mandic charged with abuse of office and authority

 

Dnevni List, pg 7, mentioned on front, ‘Separation of process in ‘Redarstvenik’ case?’, by N. Dedic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 22, mentioned on front, ‘Money for ‘Redarstvenik’ charges Merdzo and Mandic’, by A. Vlaho – Trials in the ‘Redarstvenik’ case to Josip Merdzo, a member of HDZ Presidency, and Dragan Mandic, former Interior Minister of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, was adjourned yesterday at the Cantonal Court in Mostar after Mandic’s lawyer submitted documents that show that his client recently underwent a surgery on his spine, therefore he is not able to attend trials. Cantonal Prosecution in Mostar is charging Merdzo (at the time the Canton 7 Prime Minister) and Mandic with abuse of office and authority, saying they, back in 1997, illegally transferred 700.000 KMs from the cantonal budget onto the ‘Redarstvenik’ company. According to information DL learns from sources close to the Court and Prosecution, there could be a separation of the case.

VL says AID still active

 

Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Croat ‘moles’ working for AID’, by Zoran Kresic – VL claims to be in possession of documents, which allegedly belong to AID (former Bosniak intelligence service), and which show that almost every senior Croat official has been wiretapped, and on top this, these documents offer detailed analysis of every Croat politician, role of the Catholic Church, behaviour of IC etc. VL argues that it is completely inappropriate that these reports are used as basis for several trials that are being conducted before various courts in BiH and that AID is still recruiting people and working independently. Finally, VL says that AID has recruited many Croat ‘moles’.

SB claims parallel security structures still active in BiH

 

Slobodna Bosna pgs 25-27 ‘All the misery of the reformed security system: Neither OSA nor SIPA exists and they are doing nothing serious!’ by Suzana Mijatovic – The author claims that the parallel and nationalistic security services are still active in BiH and they are still opposing to any king of unification of the security system in BiH. 

329 survivors from Srebrenica file charges against UN

 

Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘People from Srebrenica file charges against UN’, by NINA – 329 Bosniaks, who survived the Srebrenica massacre from summer 1995, are demanding financial compensation from the UN because the UN troops had left the enclave. The lawsuit was filed yesterday at Toulouse (France) by attorney-at-law Agnes Casero. Casero explains that the charges were pressed in Toulouse because that’s where her office is. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3 ‘Srebrenica survivors sued UN’ by D. Ra also covered the issue.

Serbian Police Minister on whereabouts of Hague indictees

 

Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘Addresses from Banja Luka are not exclusive’ by N.N.Dragan Jocic, Serbian Interior Minister, on Thursday announced that the Interior Ministry would soon hand a report to Rasim Ljajic, Chairperson of the SiCG Council for Cooperation with ICTY, regarding nine addresses RS handed on whereabouts of the Hague fugitives. He made a remark by saying that “information from Banja Luka was not of exclusive nature, but instead Serbia had that information before”.

RS President Cavic expressed his support to Matijasevic

 

Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘Support to arrest of war crime suspects’ by Bi. G.Dragan Cavic, RS President, expressed full support to Darko Matijasevic, RS Interior Minister, in the arrest of war crime suspects, adding: “I expect from Matijasevic, all police members and especially RS Government and Dragan Mikerevic to fully understand and acknowledge that obligations regulated by domestic and international laws must be respected.”

Cavic also raised the issue of responsibility of the BiH State Intelligence Agency (OSA), operating for six months now and under the authority of BiH CoM Chair, Adnan Terzic, noting: “What have they been doing? Where is their responsibility regarding compilation of intelligence data concerning these issues?

 

Political Developments/Reforms

PRC session: Only Matijasevic against a single police

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz cover and pg 4 ‘Only Darko Matijasevic opposes to single police?’ by E.S. – E.R.; Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Matijasevic oppose to single police’ by V. Jahic, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Serbs still against single Police’, by Tihomir Bijelic, Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘Organization of Police according to European standards’, by Nada Koturic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 23 ‘Serbs do not give up their Police’, by Mario Ivkic, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 No agreement on structure of BiH police’ by N. Tanasic, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Everything is still open’ by M. Djurdjevic, EuroBlic, pg. RS3 ‘Cavic: RS MoI must exist; Matijasevic: constitutional position’ by Srna Two-day session of Polcie Restructuring Commission in Brcko ended Thursday and the next session is to be held in Sarajevo in December. Oslobodjenje notes the word in the hall during the session breaks was that Darko Matijsaevic, RS MoI, offered the concept of “a single” police at BiH level, which would see the survival of entity ministries with their own budget. Oslobodjenje notes that judging by reactions of the Commission members from RS, this model would not be accepted. Matijsevic did not want to make any comment on this claim. According to DZ, Matijasevic seems to be lonely in the stance to defend entity ministries, noting that even Radomir Njegus, RS Police Director, has gone soft.

According to DA, Wilfred Martens, Commission Chair, said: “My ambition is toset the best model possible on future BiH police force and to have a single police structure.”

Barisa Colak, BiH Security Minister, stated (according to Oslobodjenje):The end will come when Commission sets final concept and offers it for parliament procedure. It is hard for me to say who is obstructing talks. It depends on the talks who fast we would proceed towards Europe. If we had had a joint stance, we would have resolved it all by now.”

According to Oslobodjenje inset “Two levels’, word was heard during session breaks that future BiH police force would be organised at two levels -state and regions (with centres in Sarajevo , Banja Luka , Mostar, Brcko and Tuzla ).

According to DA inset ‘Milicevic asked for three more centres’, Milenko Milicevic, Brcko District Polcie Chief, proposed that three additional regional centres (apart from already proposed five) are established in Brcko, Doboj and Prijedor.

Dnevni Avaz op-ed on police reform

 

Dnevni Avaz op-ed pg 3 ‘A single BiH police’ by Edina Sarac – The author notes that not a single issue in BiH over the past eight years, involving terms single or state, could have been adopted without severe opposition of the politicians from “smaller BiH entity”. She adds that obstructionist winds have been blowing from Belgrade, where all officials of RS, apart form Darko Matijasevic, go for consultations. She raises the question why Matijasevic is strongly supporting the survival of RS Interior Ministry, adding that RS has so far lost almost all the insignia of its “statehood” with the only exception of “Serb police”.

Oslobodjenje op-ed: Brussels and RS 

 

Oslobodjenje op-ed pg 9 ‘Brussels and RS’ by Zija Dizdarevic – The author stresses that Brussels has been increasingly becoming the capital of BiH. He notes that EU is getting more and more involved in adjusting BiH state to EU standards, including the re-organisation of the BiH police system, which is one of key issues and also the test to check on the readiness of the RS to undertake some future reforms, including constitutional reform.

NN interview with EC Delegation Head Humphreys: The police must be at BiH level

 

Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 4 ‘The police must be at BiH level’ by Sasa Cavrag – In an interview to NN, Head of EC Delegation to BiH Michael Humphreys has stated that all jurisdiction of the police within BiH should be transferred to the state level and should be regulated by a state law, should be under a political control of the state ministry. He claims this is the only way to create a single police system. ‘This does not exclude the possibility that the state would transfer certain functions to lower levels’, Humphreys has stated.

DA: ‘Sead Avdic sent demand for audit into police certification’

 

Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Sead Avdic sent demand for audit of police certification’ by M.K. – At the last session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament representative Sead Avdic forwarded to the BiH Presidency the initiative for audit of police certification carried out by IPTF two years ago. Avdic stated that most decertified policemen were treated unfairly. According to Avdic, each decertified policeman has right to know why he lost right to work, since this is one of basic human rights and someone from the domestic authority or the International Community should give them the answer to this question. Avdic stressed that he also interfered because decertified policemen announced a protest in front of BiH institutions in Sarajevo on November 25. DA also says that this issue will be at the agenda of the next session of the Parliamentary Commission for Human Rights Protection in BiH.  

Update to FBiH Government crisis

 

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Discussion on crisis in FBiH Government on Monday’ by Ad.H. The talks among SDA, SBiH and HDZ Ministers on the FBiH Government crisis, which were supposed to take place yesterday, have been postponed for Monday at the request of FBiH Finance Minister Dragan Vrankic. DA says that Vrankic demanded postponement so that HDZ can get time to declare itself on harmonized stands of SDA and SBiH regarding speeding up reform processes, control of privatization and collection and distribution of public funds. 

On the same issue Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Crisis in Government is still on’, mentioned on front, by A. Omeragic carries that the FBiH Government crisis is still on after the aforementioned meeting was postponed. FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic stated that the meeting was postponed due to obligations of the FBiH Government Ministers and that it would take place on Monday. An inset in Oslobodjenje under headline ‘Parliament’s support is necessary’ reports that FBiH Minister of Industry Izet Zigic did not want to speculate whether the FBiH Government crisis would be resolved on Monday and he added: ‘SDA, HDZ and SBiH will have to reach an agreement since it is useless that we adopt laws in the FBiH Government if they will not get support in the Parliament.’  

Schroeder: Germany to give BiH political, technical assistance on EU road

 

Herceg Bosna Radio, Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Germany support BiH on its road to EU’, pg 3 ‘Germany supports BiH’s accession to PfP’, Dnevni List, front pg splash ‘Help promised’ and pg 7 ‘Political relations should be followed by economic cooperation’, by M. Batarello,Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘A progress in fulfilling pre-requisites for EU’ by N. N., ONASA – Germany will help BiH on its road towards the European Union, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said on Thursday in Berlin during a meeting with Chairman of the BIH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic. Schroeder said that beside political, Germany is prepared to offer technical assistance to BiH. Terzic informed the German Chancellor about the progress achieved so far in meeting the recommendations defined in the EU feasibility study for BIH.

Ashdown meets with British Foreign Secretary Straw in London

 

FTV – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, was on Thursday in London where he met with the British Foreign Minister, Jack Straw. They talked about BiH’s progress on the road towards the Partnership for Peace before the forthcoming NATO ministerial meeting to take place in December, and BiH’s progress towards opening negotiations on Stabilization and Association with the EU.

SDHR Wnendt met with RSNA Speaker Stojicic

 

Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 23 ‘First step in cooperation with The Hague has been made’, by A. Macanovic – Senior Deputy High Representative, Werner Wnendt, who met with the Speaker of the RS NA, Dusan Stojicic, to discuss issues pertaining to fulfilling of conditions related to Stabilization and Association Agreement, stated that the recent Police operations in the RS, which resulted in arrests of 8 persons charged with war crimes, meant that the RS had made first steps in cooperation with The Hague Tribunal. “Still, a full cooperation is required, and that means arrest of all persons charged with war crimes”, said SDHR Wnendt, adding that a lot must be done by end of this year.

Nezavisne Novine, pg. 9 ‘OHR isa not satisfied with return to RS’ by M. J. and V. P., Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Hague is the only obstacle’ by G. D., EuroBlic, pg. RS5 ‘The key problem is the cooperation with the Hague’ by Srna – The determination of institutions of the RS to cooperation with ICTY is not questionable, but coordination of work and efforts of the State Border Service, SIPA and strength of the international community are needed, as Speaker of the RS National Assembly Dusan Stojicic said on Thursday during a meeting with SDHR Werner Wnendt. SDHR Wnendt pointed out the contribution of the RS National Assembly to reforms and emphasized that the trend should be kept at the adoption of the laws on courts, on conflict of interests and on refugees and displaced persons. According to Wnendt, the international community believes that the RS is an equal partner in further reforms, but that the only problem is its cooperation with the ICTY.

NN also reports on meeting of SDHR Wnendt with RS Minister for Refugees and DPs Jasmin Samardzic. SDHR Wnendt has stated OHR is not satisfied with the return process to RS, especially to Banja Luka.

Dnevni Avaz pg 10 also reported on the meeting.

Serb delegates to BiH HoR Kunic and Milicevic on the Resolution of European Parliament

 

Glas srpske, pg. 5 ‘Three are needed for the Constitution’ by D. Vrhovac – Mihajlovic – Delegates of BiH HoR, Petar Kunic and Ljiljana Milicevic commented on the adoption of the latest Resolution at the European Parliament, which recommends improvement of the Dayton Agreement. Kunic thinks this is a cover for attempts to unite BiH, and also, in relation to explanation given in the Resolution that the institutional construction in BiH is weak and not capable to face corruption and crime, he says: ‘What is OHR doing in BiH for the past nine years if it, as the supreme authority, is not capable to repress all these problems?’.

Milicevic reminds the Dayton Agreement has already been additionally developed by will of all three peoples. ‘If they complain about a complex structure of BiH, why don’t they say that the problems derived from the Washington Agreement, which has created the Federation of BiH with ten Cantons, hundreds of Ministries, which inevitably cause doubling of authorities’, Milicevic says.

Tihic says constitutional changes to be made next year

 

Ljiljan pgs 10-13 ‘BiH soldiers will go to Iraq, mentioned on cover ‘I have never told Hadzipasic to move to Party for BiH’ – In an interview with the magazine, Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic said that the time had shown he was right when he was advocating for necessary changes to the BiH Constitution and that the vast majority within the international community was now speaking about these changes as well. “I expect that the changes will be made on the 10th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement signing next year. I also believe that the ruling on BiH’s lawsuit against SCG (for aggression and genocide) will be made in 2006. Our goal is to establish BiH as a civil state, de-centralized state composed of multi-ethnic regions, which is a concept of five regions: Tuzla, Banja Luka, Zenica, Sarajevo and Mostar,” said Tihic.

 

Economic/Social Affairs

FBiH HoR adopts draft law on audit into privatization process

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV, Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Audit is to be strike on criminal lobbies’, pg 2 ‘Deputies approved audit into privatization irregularities’, Oslobodjenje pg 8, mentioned on cover ‘Audit to determine who respected the law’, Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Zigic’s Draft law on revision of privatization carried out so far adopted’, by Eldina Medunjanin, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 19 ‘Government shaken by law’, by F, FENA – The FBiH House of Representatives on Thursday adopted the Draft Law on audit into the process of privatization in BiH, which was proposed by the FBiH Government. Its official name is the Draft Law on Controlling the Registration of Shares and Contracts Concluded in the Process of Privatization in Federation of BiH. FBiH Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Izet Zigic said that the passage of this law makes sense because 65 percent of the state capital has not yet been privatized. “The entire privatization process carries a mortgage of thievery. The privatization should be reviewed also because of the people that did not behave in this (irregular, illegal) way in the privatization process”, said Minister Zigic. He said that the FBiH Government would define the mechanisms for preventing the so-called “speculative controls”. Speaking before the House of Representatives, Minister Zigic said that this law should cover the auditing into the privatization of companies, while checking on the privatization of banks and insurance companies should be regulated with a special law. He also underlined the need for issuing an entire set of legal amendments that will further cover the process of privatization. The aim is to create a more favorable environment for privatization, said Minister Zigic.

FBiH HoR adopt FBiH budget 2004 re-balance

 

Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘SDP and SBiH MPs vote against draft re-balance’, by Nermin Bise – The FBiH Parliament’s House of Representatives adopted at its session held yesterday (Thursday) a draft FBiH budget re-balance for 2004. The budget was decreased from the original 1,250 billion KMs to 1,183 billion KMs because of failure to fully collect public revenues, mostly taxes and customs. 53 MPs voted in favour of the re-balance, 20 were against, 3 abstained from voting. It is worth noting that SDP and SBiH MPs voted against the re-balance. According to the President of the SDP Caucus in the said chamber, Karlo Filipovic, a draft FBiH budget for 2005 should have been presented too at the yesterday’s session, however since it was not, the FBiH Government has been tasked to submit the draft 2005 budget within next 15 days. Commenting on the next year’s budget, FBiH Prime Minister, Ahmet Hadzipasic, says the budget will not be ‘development-oriented’.

Protest of workers in Banja Luka

 

BHT, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2 ‘Workers are hungry’ by S. Gojkovic, Glas Srpske, Dust on conclusions’ by M. Milunovic, EuroBlic, pg. RS4 ‘We do not want charity, we want to work’ by Rajna Radosavljevic, Vecernje Novosti, pg. 20 ‘Sale on the detriment of workers’ by N. Gagic – all articles report on the protest of approximately 3,000 workers held in Banja Luka on Thursday. They protested over a disastrous situation in economy and authority that have brought workers in such a situation. Obrad Belenzada, the Chair of the Confederation of Trade Unions, has said that this protest represented an ultimatum for RSNA to fulfill demands of workers within ten days. He says workers would organize more radical protests throughout RS should there is no reply within the deadline.

NN carries three insets:

‘Condemnation of use of force against pensioners’ – Obrad Belenzada, the Chair of the Confederation of Trade Unions, addressed workers during the protest and condemned the use of force against pensioners.

‘Radivojac: protest is not a solution’ – The Spokesperson of RS Prime Minister, Goran Radivojac, has stated that the RS Government is of an opinion nothing can be resolved by protesting. He emphasized that the RS Government is no longer an employer, but it will help any group of population to achieve its rights in the best possible manner.

‘Justified dissatisfaction’ – RS President Dragan Cavic has assessed that some categories of the population have a full right to protest because their status is not in accordance with their expectations and wishes. On the other hand, he emphasized that ‘RS Government cannot bring funds out of nothing, but it can increase collecting of budget revenues in some sectors’.

Hadzipasic on BH Steel

 

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Hadzipasic: Claims about problems in ‘BH-Steel’ are not correct’ by Ad. H. – Federation of BiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic rejected as incorrect and ill-intentioned claims about problems in the realization of the contract between the FBiH Government and LNM in the project ‘BH-Steel’. Hadzipasic added: ‘The contract between LNM and the FBiH Government is in the phase of registration before the Cantonal Court in Zenica and a few days ago LNM paid funds at the account. I am expecting that the court will issue the decision on registration of the company in the next 10 days and then BiH Steel employees would get the difference between the paid and agreed salaries 30 days at the latest after the decision becomes valid.’  

SD on ‘murky’ deals surrounding sale of Zenica Steelworks

 

Slobodna Dalmacija, front pg splash and pg 17 ‘State gifted Zenica Steelworks’, by Zlatko Tulic – The daily carries a similar article to the one published yesterday (Thursday, see OHR Media Round-Up, Nov 18, 2004) by Vecernji List, which reported on ‘murky’ parts of a deal on sale of the ‘Zenica Steelworks’ to the ‘LNM” company. Like VL, SD too points finger at the SBiH, foremost the FBiH Minister of Industry, Izet Zigic, and founder of SBiH, Haris Silajdzic. SD also claims that all the stories about crisis in the FBIH Government, which was triggered by conflicts between ministers from the SDA and SBiH, are in fact fabricated and that there are no real conflicts between the two.

Party for BiH’s Zigic on Vrankic, BH Steel

 

Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 ‘Vrankic opposes tax privileges for foreign partners’ by R. Cengic – The Federation of BiH Minister of Industry, Izet Zigic, has rejected claims of Minister of Finances Dragan Vrankic saying that the Contract on joint investing with LNM company to “BH Steel” Zenica contains illegal elements. Vrankic finds as disputable the obligation the Federation of BiH Government has taken to start an initiative on changing laws regulating tax privileges for foreign investors.

Hays on Public Moneys law

 

Vecernji List, pg 6 ‘Stop the plunder of public funds!’ – Carries an article signed by the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, in which he announces that the FBiH Parliament’s House of Peoples will be discussing the Law on investment of public moneys on November 23. Noting that the law should have been adopted long time ago, PDHR Hays says the law is aimed at protection of interests of the citizenry and determining responsibility for use of taxpayers’ money.

Mikerevic met with EFT consultant Gelbard

 

Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 ‘EFT will buy brown coal mine “Stanari”’ by P. K. – RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic met on Thursday in Banja Luka with EFT Consultant Robert Gelbard to discuss a possibility of buying brown coal mine “Stanari” near Doboj. EFT is the biggest supplier of electricity in SE Europe and it is in the ownership of Vuk Hamovic. According to NN, the firm had been brought in relation to many suspicious business deals of “RS Elektroprivreda”.

Mikerevic – WB’s Reinermann meeting

 

Glas srpske, pg. 3 ‘Reforms in accordance with plans’ by M. Mi. – RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic met on Thursday in Banja Luka with World Bank Country Manager for BiH Dirk Reinermann to discuss current economic issues in the RS and BiH. The two officials also discussed the course of reforms in the field of pension-disability insurance and health system in the RS and BiH. Mikerevic pointed the problem of non-payment of pensions from the BiH Federation Pension-Disability Insurance Funds to pensioners in the RS who have earned pensions in the BiH Federation and emphasized the need for urgent resolving of this issue. Sarajevo dailies also reported on the meeting.

Kukic on financial investigation into FTV operations, Ramadan coverage

 

Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘FTV is public, not religious television’, by Arijana Beus – Following a request made by the Deputy President of SDA Caucus in the FBiH Parliament’s House of Representatives, Amila Alikadic, that the Financial Police undertakes a financial investigation within the FTV (Federation of BiH Television) and that an investigation be launched into the issue how the FTV Steering Board was appointed, the Chairman of the FTV Steering Board, Slavo Kukic, welcomes the initiative regarding the financial investigation into the FTV operations. When it comes to the latter request, Kukic notes that the High Representative for BiH appointed the Steering Boards to all three public broadcasters in June last year, because the entity and state parliaments failed to do their part of the job. Commenting to Alikadic’s dissatisfaction regarding FTV’s coverage of Ramadan activities, Kukic says everybody is entitled to his/her won opinion, noting that a fine measure need to be established in order not to turn a public broadcaster into a religious one.