| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Croatian President’s inauguration | Pandurevic to surrender voluntarily | 5-years old girl froze in Konjic |
| Croatia-EU negotiations | 5 persons arrested in | Serbian police arrested 5 indictees |
| BIH HoR in session | | RS Gov. negotiates with indictees |
| Another bomb hoax in Mostar | The inauguration of Stjepan Mesic | Students announced protests |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| The inauguration of Stjepan Mesic | More than 4000 flu cases in FBiH | Reactions: W.Balkan EP resolution |
| Mesic on indictment against SCG | Meningitis in Posavina Canton | BIH HoR in session |
| Discussion in Serbian Assembly | Meningitis in | 2005 de-mining action plan |
| Trials to be held in | 5-years old girl froze in Konjic | Financial solvency of Prijedor munic. |
| Oslobodjenje | Fierce conflict regarding deputies’ benefits |
| Dnevni Avaz | Party for BiH’s founder Haris Silajdzic: It is not problem to find money for highway |
| Dnevni List | Bomb hoax again |
| Vecernji List | Explosion of epidemics |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Ski centres without free bed |
| Nezavisne Novine | Kemal Kozaric: BiH citizens cannot pay an expensive administration |
| Glas Srpske | The troubles of seven-member family of Torbica from |
| EuroBlic | Dragan Cavic: Discussion on Constitution only after consensus |
Political developments/reforms | |
| BiH HoR: Deputies reject proposal to withdraw draft law on benefits from procedure
| Dnevni List pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘Ministers forgot about Law on Excises’ by D. Polovina-Mandic carries that the BiH House of Representatives did not discuss on its session held on Friday a special report of BiH ombudsmen with regard to complaints of political parties and ombudsmen over the BiH Council of Ministers non-cooperation since the BiH CoM did not declare itself on the report in accordance with the request of a competent Parliamentary Commission. DL says that the BiH CoM had the same stand when MPs should have presented the information on realization of conclusions both Houses of the Parliament on the ground of which they were supposed to prepare changes to the Law on Excises by January 31. The MPs reacted against such behaviour and they stated that the HoR should not discuss a single proposal of the Law if a proponent from the BiH CoM does not attend the BiH HoR’s session. The MPs also did not accept the proposal of SDP representative Zlatko Lagumdzija to exclude from the procedure a proposal of the law on rights and duties of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly members proposed by the Administrative Commission of the BiH HoR. Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘Fierce conflict regarding deputies’ benefits’ Vedrana Zivak, Vecernji List pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘MPs resolutely stand for privileges’ by E. Medunjanin, EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Lagumdzija: Disgraceful’ by D.S. also report that the MPs refused Lagumdzija’s proposal. Oslobdjenje quotes SDS, SDA and HDZ representatives as criticising Lagumdzija and saying that basically there is nothing disputable in the proposed law on the deputies’ salaries and benefits. RHB, TV Pink, TV Hayat, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Shortened procedure for draft Law on PBS’ also reported on the session. |
| FBiH Gvt allocates 2 million KM for parliamentary parties | Dnevni List pg 2 ‘2 million KMs for parliamentary parties’ by De. L. – The Federation of BiH Government passed the decision on distribution of funds for parliamentary parties for 2005. 2 000 000 KMs has been envisaged for this purpose and the funds will be distributed in accordance with the Law on Budget Execution. |
| Cavic comments on European Parliament’s resolution, reiterates no change to Constitutuon without Serbs
| TV Pink, RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Nothing beyond Serbs’ – Dragan Cavic, RS President, on Friday addressed a message to RS citizens, asking them not to overburden themselves with the initiative of the Foreign Policy Committee of the European Parliament, because the change of BiH Constitution cannot be carried out beyond Serbs. In a statement to RTRS and SRNA, he said that the draft Resolution of Western Balkans represented a list of wishes, adding it is a document consisted of political aspirations of some political structures in BiH. |
| SNSD, PDP comment on European Parliament’s Resolution on Western Balkans
| Glas Srpske pg 2 ’Barometer’ by E.G.S. – The column carries comments of some officials regarding the proposed Resolution on Balkans. Lazar Prodanovic, SNSD delegate, says: “I am of the view that it surely represented pressure aimed at re-defining Brane Borenovic, PDP Presidency member, says: “Claims that entities contribute to regional instability are weird…We need to promote our activities. If there is a problem in seeing European parliamentarians acknowledge the structure of BiH, it can only result from the overburdened administration in cantons in F BiH. According to information our party obtained the Draft Resolution welcomes the measures of RS regarding cooperation with ICTY.” |
| Cavic says SDS not to talk about constitutional changes in Neum
| Dnevni List pg 5 ‘There is no talk without consensus’ by De.L., – EuroBlic RSpg 2 and announced on cover ‘Discussion on Constitution only after consensus’ by SRNA – Dragan Cavic, SDS Acting President, on Friday stated that he personally and the party of SDS would not speak with anybody outside RS and political parties of RS, in regard to the approach towards RS. In a statement to RTRS and SRNA, he said that “I do not even think of participating in any talk regarding the change of BiH Constitution, which does not result from consensus reached inside RS”. He also assessed that the upcoming meeting in Neum “would not discuss the change of BiH Constitution for sure”. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘SDS and HDZ agreed on solution’ – Cavic also said that SDS and HDZ had agreed that parties supporting the BiH COM should find a solution to complete the crisis at this institution, without suggesting what a solution may be. |
| HNZ says announced meeting on constitutional changes in Neum an attempt to exclude public from talks | RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Monopoly of ruling political parties’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘HNZ: There is attempt to exclude public from dialogue on constitutional changes’ by NINA carries a HNZ press release which says that the announced meeting in Neum is a sort of an attempt to exclude the public from the dialogue on the constitutional changes and that a possible result of that meeting cannot be relevant for the political life in BiH. |
| Public opinion poll on abolishment of entities, Cantons, OHR etc.
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 19 ‘Half ‘voters’ would abolish entities’ by M. Landeka carries results of the public opinion poll (528 persons were interviewed) conducted at Internet Portal ‘Bljesak’. According to the results 26,89% of interviewed persons believe that the RS should be abolished, while 11,55 % of them believe that the FBiH should be abolished. 2,08 % interviewed persons believe that Cantons should be abolished, while only 0, 57 % persons believe that the Brcko District should be abolished. 8, 33 % of interviewed persons believe that the OHR should be abolished, while 49, 24 % interviewed persons believe that all these authority levels, institutions etc. should be abolished. |
| GS interview with Bukejlovic: They will not have to replace me
| Glas Srpske pg 2 in GS inset Plus ‘They will not have to replace me’ by Nadja Diklic – In a half-a-page interview to Glas Srpske, Pero Bukejlovic, the newly elected RS Premier, expresses expectation that RS would now see cal political times and that citizens would be freed of political turbulences. He expresses belief that he and his associates would be able to tackle problems RS is faced with and that there will be no need to replace them, because they would withdraw from positions if they work badly. On the most recent affairs, including nepotism and alleged bribery claims, he denies alleged bribery case, noting “I think some people have overexaggerated in this. At this moment, I can only say that there are legal solutions to filthy games and false information individuals gave on me. For now, I do not deny possibility of filing a lawsuit against some people.” On police reform, he says if there is a comforting fact it would be the promise of HR Paddy Ashdown that he would not impose solutions, but would instead search for agreement. |
| SDA’s Salkic says RS Government unconstitutional
| Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Bukejlovic’s Government is non-constitutional’ – Ramiz Salkic, Head of Bosniaks Club at RS NA stated that the new RS Government was non-constitutional, adding: “Bearing in mind Government does not have legitimacy, it must be disputed.” EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Mikes: It is not in accordance with the Constitution’ by Rajna Radosavljevic – Apart from carrying Salkic’s statement, Miroslav Mikes, Co-Chairperson of the RS Council of Peoples, claims the election of new RS Government has violated the stipulated procedure. However, he does not raise the issuer of violation of ethnic interests, noting the issue of procedure and issue of ethnic interest are two difference stories, which should not be mixed. |
| SDA’s Jahic says new RS Government unable to represent Bosniak, Croat interests
| Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘new RS Government unable to represent Bosniak, Croat interests’, SRNA – The deputy chairman of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Elmir Jahic, said on Friday that the RS Government, formed without Bosniak and Croat representatives who have the support of RS citizens of Bosniak and Croat nationality, is unable to represent their interests in a consistent manner. “The political parties which form the RS government do not offer us much hope for optimism that this government will be able to fulfil the tasks and challenges it faces,” Jahic told SRNA. He added that the SDA considers the RS government was chosen in an illegitimate manner and the circumstances in which Pero Bukejlovic was proposed as prime minister-designate were also illegitimate. |
| Terzic: It will be known by Wednesday who remains at BiH CoM
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘It will be known of Wednesday who remains at BiH CoM’ by M. Cubro – Adnan Terzic, BiH COM Chair, stated that he would conclude consultations with the presidents of SDA, HDZ, SDS, PDP and Party for BiH by Wednesday, noting it would be made known after the consultations whether and which Ministers would remain at the State Government. |
| Matijasevic to insist on preservation of RS police authority
| Dnevni List pg 9 ‘To preserve competence in domain of interior’ by M.B. – RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic stated after the session of the RS Board of the Police Trade Union that in the coming period of the police restructuring in BiH he would, from his institutional position, preserve legality and constitutional position, that is, the RS competence in the domain of interior. |
| DL op-ed calling on HR to resolve issue of Mostar public utility companies
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Lord, help us again’ by N. Bise carries an editorial in which the author says that among numerous empty promises and imaginations, High Representative Paddy Ashdown said that BiH will become one of the most prominent European countries when tourism is in question and Mostar would be its greatest asset. The author goes on to say that after lining up of Mostar firemen, who have not been unified yet, the HR realized that he was telling empty phrases when he was talking about unified Mostar and since then he has not come to this city. The author says that it is good for the HR that he was not coming since he could not pass through the Mostar streets because they are full of garbage. The author concludes the editorial by sending a following message to the HR: ‘Lord, we are begging you to unify workers from public utility companies but not as you did it with the firemen.’ |
| Dnevni Avaz Person of the Day: SDHR Werner Wnendt
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Persistent fighter for a single Mostar’ – According to the daily, Senior Deputy High Representative Werner Wnendt, who is also acting as the High Representative’s special envoy for Mostar, is working persistently on unification of the town. He is visiting Mostar almost every week trying together with the local leaders to create environment for common life in a still divided town. |
| Banja Luka Bishop Komarica received SDHR Wnendt
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘It has been promised that grievance caused to Croats would be settled’ by NINA – Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica received on Thursday Senior Deputy High Representative Werner Wnendt and his associates. During this meeting Komarica informed them about the intention of the BiH Catholic Church to open new Catholic School Centres all over BiH. He also informed Wnendt about injustice did to members of the Catholic Church on the RS territory. The first case refers on 36 families of returnees to village Komarica in the |
| Oslobodjenje: Campaign for SDA President started
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Latic’s attack on Tihic to be used by former SDA officials and Islamic Community leadership’ Az. Kalamujic – The poet and former SDA leadership member, Dzemaludin Latic, has launched a campaign through media against SDA President Sulejman Tihic three months prior to the party’s convention. The continuation of this campaign might follow soon though the public or secret lobbying by the BiH Islamic Community leaders and former senior SDA officials close to the Community, according to well-informed sources. In the statements for the daily, Edhem Bicakcic and Bakir Izetbegovic denied speculations on their interest in the top SDA post. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Party for BiH’s Silajdzic says finding money for highway construction not a problem
| Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘It is not problem to find money for highway’, pg 5 ‘We must welcome those willing to help us’ – In an interview with the daily, Party for BiH’s founder Haris Silajdzic claims that BiH could have already had a highway but that the opportunities for the implementation of such a project had been missed. According to Silajdzic, it is not a problem at all to find funds for highway construction. He said that funds in |
| BiH, IMF representatives discussing terms of new stand-by arrangement
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘GDP has increased for more than five percent’ S. Numanovic – A International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation headed by Peter Doyle, which had arrived in BiH on Wednesday, has been discussing with the BiH government representatives the terms of a new stand-by arrangement valued at 50 million dollars. “Since we are still depending on the international financial assistance, the arrangement with IMF is necessary for us both as a pre-condition for support to our budget by other international financial institutions and a guarantee for foreign investors that the macroeconomic situation in BiH is stable,” said BiH Council of Minister Chairman Adnan Terzic in a statement for the daily. According to Terzic, disputes in talks that still needs to be overcome include ways of spending funds earned through GSM licenses sale. While IMF wants these funds to be spent in internal debt settlement, the BiH representatives believe it would be better to use them for road network repair and construction |
| BiH Central Bank Governor Kozaric says public administration costs too high
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘BiH is an expensive state’ and announced on cover ‘BiH citizens cannot pay an expensive administration by M. Rener – In a page-long interview to NN, Kemal Kozaric, BiH Central Bank Governor, says BiH is not to be faced with bankruptcy, sharing the view of PDHR Hays that allocations for administration are too high and that – on long tracks – BiH cannot handle this sort of state composition. Commenting on physical removal of money from BiH, he says this is a regular procedure to take the money out of state, place it in some foreign bank under appropriate interest rates. He does not comment on individual transactions, saying it is possible some irregularities do take place on this issue at other banks. |
| PDHR Hays: Citizens should be listened, politicians must be pressed every day
| Oslobodjenje pg 28 (Pogled weekly supplement) ‘We would be glad to help if Bosnians want to accept this help’ Aldijana Omeragic – An interview with outgoing Principal Deputy High Representative |
| PDHR Hays visits DIP Kozara company in Bosanska Dubica
| RTRS – Principal Deputy High Representative |
| OHR confirms Ashdown did meet with EFT Director Hamovic | Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Ashdown did meet with Hamovic!’ – OHR Spokesman |
Crimes/legal proceedings | |
| BiH Justice Minister Kovac: BiH CoM to decide on taking over the Mejakic case from ICTY | Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Kovac: BiH CoM to decide on taking over the Mejakic case’ E. Sarac – The ICTY has addressed a letter to the BiH Justice Ministry requesting BiH Council of Ministers to send appropriate argumentation for taking over the ICTY cases by February 21. However, given that the Council of Ministers that should have decided on possible taking over the Mejakic and others cases had not been able to meet in the past two days, BiH Justice Minister Slobodan Kovac has requested the ICTY to prolong the deadline for submission of adequate argumentation for a couple of days. |
| Zvornik war crime suspects arrested
| BHT, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘The suspects for war crime in Zvornik arrested’ by BETA, EuroBlic pg 13 ‘They expelled 1822 Muslims’ by E.B. – The Spokesperson of the (Serbian) War Crimes Prosecution Office, Bruno Vekaric, on Friday in Belgrade confirmed that Serbian MoI arrested five of nine suspects for the war crime committed in Zvornik in May and June in 1992. the issue concerns two crimes: the first one is deportation of 1822 persons of Muslim nationality from Zvornik to |
| Bomb hoax in 2 primary schools in Mostar
| Dnevni List cover pg splash ‘Bomb hoax again’ and pg 34 ‘Children from 6th Primary School evacuated’ by N. D. – The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministry of Interior received on Friday morning information about an explosive device planted in the 6th Primary School in Mostar. The school was evacuated immediately after this information had been received, however, a detailed search of the school showed that this was another bomb hoax. The investigation on this case has been underway. Slobodna Dalmacija pg 20 ‘Hello, there are bombs in two schools’ by A. Vlaho and Vecernji List pg 21 ‘Bomb hoax in Mostar’, mentioned on cover ‘Students from Mostar Primary School evacuated because of bomb hoax’ not signed also carry that there had been another bomb hoax in the 4th Primary School in Mostar on Thursday afternoon. |
| Salih Alijagic: RS can give me real-estate instead of money’
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘RS can give me real-estate instead of money’ by Predrag Klincov – Salih Alijagic says in a statement to NN that he is open for talks on real-estate compensation, noting: “There are many hotels, resorts and houses owned by BiH , including Banja Luka, at Croatian coast. There are 17000 square metres of land, formerly used by BiH Interior Ministry, around |