Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 19 September
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| | Round-table on pensioners in SA | Explosion at US Embassy in |
| World news | Explosion in British Embassy in CRO | SiCG official on police in BiH, Kosovo |
| Weather | World news | WHO on birds’ flu |
TV news broadcast on 18 September
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| HVO veterans mark anniversary | OHR warned RS authorities on police | OHR criticizes Matijasevic |
| PDHR warns Matijasevic | Matijasevic mixing police and politics | 3 RS municipalities to sue |
| Regional news | BiH: great tourist destination | Opening of RDC in Gorazde |
| Regional news | World news | Outcomes of German elections |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| | ILH awarded Arif Ahmetasevic | PDHR warns Matijasevic |
| Segregation in elementary schools | Dismissals in Mostar’s administration | Soldiers death anniversaries marked |
| White strike in RS | Young people against nickel mine | BIH signs anti-corruption convention |
| BiH workers in | Segregation in elementary schools | Feature on Bijeljina bypass |
| Oslobodjenje | [Covic:] Secret talks on new parliamentary majority |
| Dnevni Avaz | Matijasevic and Andan intentionally disturb population in BiH’ |
| Dnevni List | Former Governor Dziho under investigation |
| Vecernji List | Distribution of money abolishes Cantons |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Nezavisne Novine | Eight hours of hell (rape case in Zivinice) |
| Glas Srpske | Mesic destroying |
| EuroBlic | Tuberculosis in BiH and Srpska will not be uprooted soon |
| Vecernje novosti | There will be no compromise (SiCG); Three peoples – three regiments (about defence reform in BiH) |
| Srpski Nacional | Features Serbian related topics |
Latest news of today | |
| Radujko on SiCG’ view on police reform in BiH
| RTRS – In a statement to Serbian issue of daily “Blic”, Radujko Branko, Advisor to Serbian President, stated SiCG is not conditioning the future status of Kosovo and Metohija with any development in BiH. He also said that Serbia does in no way question territorial sovereignty of BiH, adding that around 1.5 million Serbs are living in BiH and such a large ethnic community will most certainly have its own political reaction if different standards are applied, for example non-alteration of borders in the region. Radujko added that |
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| RTRS – Under organization of the International Monetary Fund, five-days seminar for parliamentarians from |
Police and defence issues | |
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| RTRS, FTV, Hayat, RHB, PINK, BHT1, Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4-5 ‘Matijasevic and Andan intentionally disturb population in BiH’ by R.I., Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Matijasevic mixed policing and politics’, mentioned on cover, by A. Malagic, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Politics got involved’ by N.Zelenovic, Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘Matijasevic mixed politics with police’ by D.Risojevic, EuroBlic RSpg 2, announced on cover ‘Matijsevic is mixing politics and police’, Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Matijasevic mixed up politics with police’ by NINA, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Matijasevic must explain’ by E.M. – In a letter sent to RS Interior Minister Darko Matijasevic this weekend, Principle Deputy High Representative Lawrence |
| Bukejlovic responds to
| BHT1, PINK, Hayat, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 inset ‘Bukejlovic defends Matijasevic’, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘A truth’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Bukejlovic: We have a right to truth’ by D.R. – Responding to the letter PDHR Larry Butler sent to RS MoI Darko Matijasevic, RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic stated “nobody can deny our right to talk publicly about the crimes committed against Serbs“. Bukejlovic told reporters “it seems that everybody forgets that we were the first and the only one to start finding out the truth about Srebrenica. We will continue our investigations on all areas in which war crimes had been happening.” |
| Reactions to PDHR’s letter to Bukejlovic
| BHT 1 by Mirela Cosic – President of Centre for International Relations in Banja Luka, Milos Solaja, questions the motive of the OHR reaction at this very moment, saying: “If aiming at more efficient police, than it is very necessary to take these warnings very seriously, but unfortunately this comes somehow at a bad time when we have the police reform on scene and when everything can take different dimension.” Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘An effort to retell the history and ill respect the Tribunal’s work’ – A Bosniak officer for relations to the ICTY, Amir Ahmic, welcomes the letter PDHR Butler sent to Pero Bukejlovic and adds he expects adequate measure by the BiH Prosecution. He adds that the RS authorities have resumed the investigations after several thousand Bosniaks even thought the ICTY has already reviewed the files on these cases and marking a majority of them as unsubstantiated. |
| RS Association of former detention camp inmates ion
| Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Amnesia’ by N.Zelenovic, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Inmates condemn Butler’, EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘RS MoI is defending the truth, we are defending MoI’ – The RS Association of former detention camp inmates and Coordination Centre of 11 NGO’s from RS have condemned PDHR’s, Butler statement, stressing: “Is it possible that we prove crimes against Serb people, while international community shows no interest in that, but instead wants to impose a total amnesia in order to make them say nothing has happened over the past war?” |
| OHR: BL authorities must stop living in ‘self-deception’
| PINK, Hayat, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘OHR: Authorities in Banja Luka are poisoning atmosphere’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘OHR: RS authorities are poisoning atmosphere’ – Reacting to the statements on police reform given by RS officials, OHR issued a statement on Sunday reading that “if the authorities in Banja Luka wish to find a way out of this serious blind street, they must stop living in self-deception.” It adds that it is not good for RS authorities to state they are prepared to talk as long as they reject the three EC principles. “On basis of this, they know that they have nothing to talk about with anybody. It is strange to indicate that they wish to talk while at the same time they are poisoning the atmosphere and blackening the reputation of the only people they can talk to by placing intentional and selected information from private talks”, was announced by the OHR. Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘RS Authorities intentional bring down Adnana Terzic’s reputation’ by R.I. – Daily says that the OHR has issued the statement following the RTRS appearance of Pero Bukejlovic on Friday who said he was expecting the transcripts from police talks to see what did CoM Chair Adnan Terzic has offered adding he will not beg anybody to continue the police negotiations if they are in “take it or leave it” manner. OHR Spokesperson |
| Ivanic assures counterparts in
| PINK, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Concern athat there is no police reform in BiH’, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Agreement on police is possible’ by SRNA, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Police reform is possible with compromise’ by SRNA– In a separate meetings, BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic informed his counterparts from Spain, Austria and Slovenia, Angel Miguel Moratinos, Ursula Plassnik and Dimitrije Rupel respectively, on a progress that has been made in BiH police reform talks. “The foreign ministers expressed concern that there has not been a break-through in BiH police reform talks“, Ivanic told SRNA from |
| Terzic offers PDP officials to lobby for police reform in
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘PDP without a stance on offer by PM Adnan Terzic’ by L. Sinanovic – Commenting the criticism by the PDP which blamed him for the failure of police talks in BiH, the BiH CoM Chair Adnan Terzic said he was ready to authorize a delegation of the Council of Ministers to go to Banja Luka and to talks with RS National Assembly and RS Government officials. He added the delegation would also include key people in PDP – Mladen Ivanic, Branko Dokic and Zoran Tesanovic. He added that the delegation could go today to the RS for talks on police. Tesanovic, however, said he did not want to comment the offer by Terzic adding PDP takes on stance on this: “As for the police reform, there are a number of unclear things. For instance, Terzic has presented the CoM at the negotiations, but the Ministers have not agreement on the joint platform beforehand.” Terzic responded to this once again repeating the offer Tesanovic is welcome to be a part of CoM that would go to RS. He added that one must wait for “emotions to settle down” when it will be more clear to all that BiH has no alternative to police reform. |
| RTRS feature on police reform: RS CoP still to discuss the issue
| PINKby Milka Mrdja – |
| DA int with Covic: obviously police reform failed and IC completely failed
| Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Secret talks on new parliamentary majority’, pg 5 ‘Secret talks on new parliament majority are being run’ by Faruk Vele – In an interview to DA, Dragan Covic, HDZ President, notes that it is evident that the police reform is a failed project. “Even if some kind of an agreement is to be reached, just formally, it would such agreement would again fail to answer to the question of the police reform… It is only about writing down several phrases which say that someone will do something about it in next three to five year?! That is not police reform,” comments Covic. He underlines that the the international community has completely failed in the police reform, adding this fact shows what we will be facing when inevitable talks on constitutional changes in BiH come to agenda. |
| Patriot comments on police reform: This is last opportunity for IC to acknowledge BiH must be built on compromise
| Patriot pgs 4-5 ‘Leadership and “leadership” by Slobodan Vaskovic – Writing about police reform, the author notes that further ignoring of the fact that one part of BiH interprets police reform project as internal territorial and administrative re-composition might lead to severe frustrations. If those frustrations would be materialised, reporter concludes they would have fatal consequences for the entire region, including Europe. He adds that the latest failure of police reform talks is the last opportunity for the IC to acknowledge the fact that BiH house cannot be built of cards, stressing that in order to survive, BiH house must be built with “hard material”, founded on consensus instead of impositions. Patriot pgs 10-11 ‘Transvestism’ by S.V. – On the same topic, the, the author notes that Paddy Ashdown is always away from BiH at some moments of major importance for BiH, including latest talks on police reform. The author notes that HR is “lobbying” for support to his intention not to back up on set goals regardless of the fact to what an extent those goals may be in contradiction with BiH interests or its citizens. Author notes “Ashdown is nowadays whining over uncertain political destiny of his favourite “BiH premier” and trying to extinguish the fire Premier is burning on by making senseless accusations against Belgrade.” Author stresses that if HR fulfils his threats (over police reform failure), those would just further consolidate the prevailing view in RS that police reform is aimed at abolishment of RS and would definitely push forward the people in the RS to persist on defence on police. |
| DA int with Gregorian on social care of surplus troops: NATO to take part in funds
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘NATO will have a Fund for BiH troops to be dismissed’, mentioned on cover, by L. Sinanovic – Following the estimates by the Commander of NATO in BiH Louise Webber that there will be plenty of work in defence reform to ensure care for surplus troops, DA talked about this issue with the Co-Chair of the Defence Reform Commission, Raffi Gregorian. He stresses that the DRC has already adopted the set of principles which would ensure the financial benefits for all those will stay without the jobs in the course of reform, and adds that NATO will also join in these activities. He noted that the BiH Defence Minister, Nikola Radovanovic, has already discussed this issue with the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, asking for assistance through establishing a Fund for surplus troops to ensure them to receive additional employment training. The DRC has estimated that about 2200 soldiers will stay without jobs in defence reform. “ |
| Ostoja Barasin on defence reform
| Vecernje Novosti pg 6, announced on cover ‘Three peoples – three regiments’ by Slobodan Pesevic – Apart from carrying statements on defence reform given by Lewis William Weber, NATO Commander in BiH, and Nikola Radovanovic, BiH Defence Minister, carried in media mid last week, daily also carries statement of Ostoja Barasin, political and military analyst in RS, commending defence reform, adding that “it would be extremely good staff in educational regard, much of whom will have Faculty diploma and military education at BiH Armed Forces.” Barasin also expressed expectation that professional military soldiers and officers would have far bigger incomes than nowadays. |
| Oslobodjenje: SIPA Head Novic protects war crime suspects
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Novic protects war crime suspects instead of conducting investigations’ B. Ka. – According to the author, SIPA Director Sredoje Novic is actually protecting those who should be in focus of SIPA investigations. These persons include Head of Novic’s Office Dragan Skrbic, who was officer in charge with transporting camp inmates to the Manjaca concentration camp in 1992. The article contains names of a number of Bosniaks, who disappeared on their way to Manjaca in 1992 and who never arrived in the camp or who were killed immediately upon their arrival. The author also claims that Novic shares profit gained through operations of a petrol station in the |
Education issues | |
| Hayat comments segregation in schools: parties turning kids into their future voters
| Hayat by Lejla Gutlic – NTV Hayat features a story about segregation in FBiH elementary schools, and comments that in this way the leading nationalists parties are turning the children in nothing nut their future voters. As the segregation in schools is a very serious problem, representatives of BiH Ministry for Civil Affairs offered help, even though they believe entity ministries should deal with this issue. “Minister [Safet] Halilovic offered his help, anything that we, as the Ministry of Civil Affairs, can do to solve this problem”, said Zlatko Horvat from the Ministry. FBiH Ministry of Education and Science claims that the problem of segregation occurs only in cantons with Croatian majority: “We often have problems in obtaining the information about the education system in some cantons in central Bosnia, because local authorities openly refuse to give us those information”, stated Mensur Suljagic from the FBiH Education Ministry. |
| BiH Minister Halilovic: Higher education waits for police reform
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Higher education waits for police reform’ – BiH Minister of Civil Affairs Safet Halilovic told the daily that BiH was not implementing/applying the Bologna Declaration and it will not be able to do it as long as the Law on Higher Education is passed. The main problem a lack of political will for adoption of the law particularly amongst some of RS politicians, according to Halilovic. Halilovic emphasized that his Ministry enjoys full support in education reform by the entire international community including the Council of Europe, EC, OSCE, OHR and World Bank. However, Halilovic said he had been told by the international community representatives that they would pay necessary/enough attention to education only after the completion of defense and police reforms. |
| Media report “segregation” in primary schools around FBiH
| FTVby Hasan Gabela – FTV also comments that the new school year has not solved the issues of ethnic segregation in the elementary schools of a number of municipalities such as Stolac, Prozor/Rama and Busovaca. Children of Bosniak nationality from Busovaca – at least those who should attend fifth, sixth, seventh and eight grade – are not allowed to go to school in their home town; instead, they have to go to school in Kacuni settlement, seven kilometres away. In Foca/Ustikolina Municipality, seven pupils are forced to go to the school that is 16 kilometres away from their homes, because there are no enough pupils in their own school. Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Bosniaks have no (deprived from exercising) right to Bosnian language’ – The new school year in the Posavina Canton has again started with application of only Croat curriculum (curriculum in Croat language), which has caused a sharp reaction by Bosniaks living in this part of BiH. |
| SDU says SDA, HDZ guilty for ‘ethnic discrimination’ in schools
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘FBiH authorities carry out ethnic discrimination in field of education’ by L.S. – In a statement to DA, SDU Vice Chair, Miro Lazovic, strongly criticises “ethnic discrimination” carried out by the SDA and HDZ in the field of education. He adds that this practice is bringing BiH only further away from European integrations, thus SDU expects form the HR Paddy Ashdown to abolish decisions which establish mono-ethnic schools and sanctions political parties in question. Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Ashdown must close down mono-ethnic schools’ – carries Lazovic along the same lines. |
| J. Boro sent letter to HR on lack of OHR’s consent for his appointment to position of CBC education Minister
| Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Jozo Boro does not have OHR’s consent’ by A.D. carries Jozo Boro, whose candidacy for the position of the Central Bosnia Canton Education Minister was rejected by the OHR, as saying that he is surprised by such OHR’s decision on the ground of which he was deprived of his right on work. He added that the OHR did not mind him when he was performing other duties in the CBC Education Ministry. Also, after he failed to get explanation for such OHR’s decision, Boro sent a letter to High Representative Paddy Ashdown in which he accused SDA cadres ‘that are pulling him down through the OHR’. |
Other political issues | |
| DA in with Covic: Secret talks on new parliamentary majority on-going
| Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Secret talks on new parliamentary majority’, pg 5 ‘Secret talks on new parliament majority are being run’ by Faruk Vele – DA features the interview with, Dragan Covic, HDZ President, on a number of issues, inxcluding the Law on the Public Broadcasting System, police reform, crisis at BiH CoM, and the segregation at schools.On crisis at BiH Council of Ministers, Covic says: “As we are involved in police reform, scheduling new rounds of talks, BiH – as a state – does not function. I am afraid that we must identify final solution soon. I will personally speak with Premier Adnan Terzic… The most logical thing would be that BiH CoM resume with routine activities. However, there are options related to establishment of a new parliament majority, and to my knowledge, those talks are run in the shadow. There are people from Parliament, executive authorities and representatives of some parties who discuss this. Eventual agreement on establishing new parliamentary majority would certainly answer the questions of PDP Ministers participating in authorities.” On PBS, he says that HDZ representatives will insist on one of the solutions leading towards equality of all the peoples, adding: “The most acceptable solution would be to go with a single TV BIH, or bearing in mind the existing structure offered by legal provisions, to have TV BiH, TV RS and FTV on three languages for three peoples of BiH.” He denies accusations that Sulejman Tihic and himself have devised segregation at schools in Neretva Herzegovina Canton. He announces that in the next two months, HDZ of BiH will present its stance regarding future constitutional structure of BiH. |
| Veritas Director Strbac: Mesic is destroying Dayton Peace Agreement
| Glas Srpske cover pg story ‘Mesic destroying Dayton’ by G.D. – Daily carries comment of Savo Strbac, Director of the Documentation and Information Centre “Veritas” upon the statement Croatian President, Stjepan Mesic, gave in New York (Mesic said: “BH entities, which are functioning as medieval feuds, are the greatest source of political and social instability in the Balkans, and BiH should finally be organised as a regular European state.” ) Strbac says that Mesic just continues with his hypocritical policy, taking care of everything possible bar Serbs expelled from |
| Croats protested against construction of mosque in Mostar settlement Jasenica
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘Croats oppose to construction of minaret in Jasenica’ by M.Rener, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Petition versus the mosque’ by SRNA, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘150 residents demand polling down of illegally constructed mosque!’ by Z. Kresic, Dnevni List pg 15, mentioned on cover ‘New Moslem priest responsible for problems in Jasenica?!’ by V. Soldo. Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘On behalf of residents Nikica Bevada as HDZ representative addressed journalists’ by F. Vele – With a half an hour long protest held on Sunday Croats from the Mostar settlement Jasenica drew the attention again on illegally built mosque in this place and demanded suspension of further construction. One of the protesters, Damir Vidacak, stated that they have nothing against their Bosniak neighbours but they demand that the disputable religious facility looks the same as it looked before the war. |
| VL: ‘New financial laws abolish Cantons!’
| Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Distribution of money abolishes Cantons’ and pg 4 ‘New financial laws are abolishing Cantons!’ by Z. Kresic carries that Cantonal Prime Ministers and Ministers of Finances warned at the gathering in Blidinje that Cantons and Municipalities might be faced with bankruptcy if lower authority levels were financed according to the principle that they get what has been left after the state, the Federation of BiH, RS and Brcko District meet their needs. VL says according to the West Herzegovina Canton Prime Minister Viktor Lasic these changes of the law would influence the state organization more than the police reform. |
| DL on reasons for aggravated relations between BiH and
| Dnevni List pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Croatia is preparing counter-measures against BiH’ by I. Glibusic says that an inter-state agreement on property and legal relations between BiH and Croatia which was not signed, the announcement that BiH would demand compensation for 100 000 workers who lost job in Croatia during the war and the announcement of the Islamic Community that they would sue the Croatian Army for alleged pulling down of religious facilities on the BiH territory are the reasons good enough to cause further aggravation of the relations between BiH and Croatia. A spokesperson of the Croatian Government did not want to comment on these announcements, however, DL learns from a source close to the Croatian Government that in case that these announcements were realized Croatia has prepared its counter-measures. DL source added that being unable to resolve their internal problems some BiH politicians are trying to divert attention on relations with neighbouring countries. The source added that this is understandable having in mind the fact that the elections would take place in BiH next year. |
| DL op-ed praising Jovic speech before UN General Assembly where he called on const. changes
| Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Battle in UN’ by M. Vasilj carries that a speech of Croat member of the BiH Presidency Ivo Miro Jovic delivered at the UN General Assembly session in New York in which he stood for a change of the Dayton Peace Agreement has caused strong reactions of Serb parties, while Serb member of the BiH Presidency Borislav Paravac accused Jovic that he delivered the speech on behalf of HDZ and not the BiH Presidency. The author also says that Croatian President Stjepan Mesic also asked before the UN General Assembly to abolish the RS created on genocide. The editorial says that taking into consideration harsh and nervous reactions to these statements it is obvious that crucial changes are ahead of BiH. The author says that this excellent speech is the best move that Jovic has made after he joined the BiH Presidency. |
| FTV on Mostar City Administration’s surplus workers
| FTVby Amir Kadribegovic – FTV comments that it is still not clear what will happen with 280 workers of Mostar’s City Administration who have been accounted as surplus staff members for the almost two years. Although many efforts have been made to solve this problem, it seems that the dismissal of workers is inevitable, but it is not clear when it is going to happen. The only certain thing, according to FTV reporter, is that workers with advanced, intermediate and elementary specialist’s training will be fired first. The Mostar City Council sees moving of four FBiH Ministries to Mostar as the possible solution for those people, but it is not likely to happen because – even if those Ministries are moved to Mostar – they will ask for the employees with the university-level specialist’s training. |
| Interview with President of RS Supreme Court President
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘4000 cases unresolved’ by N.Moraca – In an interview to daily, Zelimir Baric, President of the RS Supreme Court, says that judgesgive up on judicial work besides the fact salaries are high, noting that judges can earn same salary at other places with much more ease. He notes judiciary reform has resulted in improvement of technical and material status of judiciary, noting more facilities are still to be provided to the staff. He adds that for the period from 1 January to 30 June this year, there are 4000 cases left unresolved. |
| DL: Negotiations on Annex to Free Trade Agreement with
| Dnevni List pg 8 ‘Framers are waiting for meeting Terzic-Sanader’ by M. Karacic carries that a meeting of the Commission for Agriculture with the BiH Council of Ministers has been scheduled for Wednesday and during this meeting the BiH side would take a final stand about changes to the Free Trade Agreement. However, DL learns from spokesperson of the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture Mladen Pavic that a Croatian proposal of an Annex to the Free Trade Agreement has not been finished yet and it is not known as to when it will be forwarded to the BiH side. DL says that according to unofficial information, the Annex would be discussed only after the meeting between Chairman of BiH CoM Adnan Terzic and Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader ends in Sarajevo and this meeting will not take place during September because of Terzic’s visit to New York and his other obligations. DL says that therefore, most probably, negotiations on the Annex have been postponed for a month at least. |
| Former HNC Governor Dziho under investigation because of ‘Djuro Salaj’ company issue | Dnevni List cover pg splash and pg 17 ‘Former Governor Sefkija Dziho under investigation’ by S. Bjelica carries that the Herzegovina-Neretva Cantonal Prosecution is about to finish an investigative procedure against former HNC Governor Sefkija Dziho because of releasing of tax debts the Mostar company ‘Djuro Salaj’ from Mostar because of which the municipal and Cantonal budgets were damaged by 90 000 KM |