| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1(19,00 hrs) | FED TV(19,30 hrs) | RT RS(19,30) |
| HVO veterans protests | HDZ and SDA agreed on Adnan Terzic nomination for BiH CoM Chairman | Slovenia milk affair | CoM session |
| CoM not decided to ban import of milk from Slovenia | Croat veterans continued with protests | CoM not make a decision on Slovenian milk import ban | New witnesses in Orao case
|
| CRO/FRY relations – Prevlaka issue | CoM delayed decision on Slovenian milk import ban | No agreement on payment of pensions to Croat veterans | Stipe Mesic on “third” Entity
|
|
| Families of Srebrenica victims demand compensation from UN | Families of Srebrenica victims demand compensations from IC | Annex 7 implementation
|
| Oslobodjenje | CoM did not ban import of milk: Minister Hadziahmetovic again protected Slovenians |
| Dnevni Avaz | Adnan Terzic: We can have the government in three days: OHR: Bulldozer Committee will clear up path for businessmen |
| Dnevni List | Federation Tax Administration and Federation MIO/PIO struck agreement on co-operation: Soon blockade of debtors’ accounts |
| Vecernji List | Cardinal Puljic asks authorities why pensions of victims of war are being solved at this moment: This is a dirty game! |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Victims of Homeland war started with all-day blockades of borders and roads: Reinforcement to Herzegovinians: People from Imotski arrive to blockades |
| Glas Srpski | RS Housing Fund: There will be money for credits; Sarajevo: Division of power agreed |
| Nezavisne Novine | Negotiations on payment of allowances for invalids of Croat component of BiH Federation Army failed: HVIDRA continues with road blockages; US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond: “Orao” case will be closed when political responsibility is established; Workers’ protest in front of OHR building in Sarajevo: Waited for Ashdown, then went home |
| Blic | Dragan Mikerevic: “USA want authority of moderate parties in BiH”; Directors of “Orao” released from custody; Paddy Ashdown: “In SDS are not nationalists”; 110 million dollars for Bosnia to fight poverty |
Establishment of the new authorities |
| |
| Adnan Terzic nominated as BiH PM designate
| The negotiating teams of SDA and HDZ on Thursday in Sarajevo agreed a final distribution of posts in the executive authorities at the state and Federation levels. According to the deal, the Bosniaks will fill posts of the prime ministers at both levels as the Croats will nominate candidate for the BiH Federation President. The agreement verified last night by the BiH HDZ Presidency means that SDA Vice-president Adnan Terzic is now the official nominee for the post of the BiH Council of Ministers Chairman. (Dnevni Avaz, front page, p 2: Terzic – We can have the government in three days, Oslobodjenje, p 4: Terzic nominated for BiH PM designate) Vecernji List (front and page 2, by Eldina Medunjanin, “Croats do not get both State and Federation Prime Minister”), Dnevni List (front and page 5, by Miso Relota, “SDA and HDZ reach a general agreement”), and Slobodna Dalmacija (back page) also report on the issue. | |
| Terzic: We might have BiH CoM appointed on Monday | “If the BiH Presidency verifies my nomination for the PM designate, that we might have a session of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly in three days at which the new Council of Ministers will be appointed,” Adnan Terzic told Dnevni Avaz, p 2. | |
Protest rallies |
| |
| HVO veterans’ protests
| With regard to the issue of the blockade of roads and border crossings organized by HVIDRA and Croat Associations resulting from the Homeland war due to the unpaid disability allowances, Vecernji List (front and pages 3 and 9, “Protests until pensions arrive”), Dnevni List (front and page 5, “OHR made possible meeting between representatives of Croat Associations resulting from Homeland War) and Slobodna Dalmacija (front, page 17 and last page, “Destiny of Homeland War victims in hands of Cantonal Offices”) carry respective articles. SD carries that a concrete solution for this problem has not been found even after the meeting between the representatives of the aforementioned associations and Minister Suada Hadzovic that was organized at OHR Sarajevo on Thursday. SD says that the OHR believes that the objections of the Homeland war victims are serious and credible and for this reason they have to get what belongs to them. However, the OHR believes that they are victims of bureaucratic complications of the Cantonal Offices that handed over inadequate lists to the Federation Ministry of Soldiers and Invalids. Mario Brkic, an OHR Spokesperson, stated: “The solution to this problems is in the hands of the Cantonal Offices and not the OHR. It is up to them to update and provide correct lists that are necessary for the payment of the disability allowances.” SD also carries that representatives from HVIDRA Association from Imotski, Croatia, crossed the border yesterday and supported their colleagues from BiH. DL carries Suada Hadzovic, the Federation Minister for Defenders’ Issues, as saying that Heads of the Offices for Defenders’ Issues of the Central Bosnia and West Herzegovina Cantons finally realized that they have to hand over the lists and added: “During the meting in the OHR they took out the lists form their begs and they offered them to the OHR, however, the OHR representatives refused to be a transmission in the resolving of this problem. This means that they have the lists, but they did not want to give them to the Ministry.” Hadzovic also that she is willing to sit whole day long today and wait for the lists in order to finally resolve this issue. (Oslobodjenje, p 6: Jonjic’s compromise ordered by the association, Dnevni Avaz, p 8: Invalid pension for HVO members still under blockage) The Chairman of the Association war participants and invalids of the Croat component of BiH Federation Army, Andjelko Barun, stated that HVIDRA will continue with road blockades today and in the following days, as the negotiations with the BiH Federation Government and its Minister for war participants issues, Suada Hadzovic, failed (Nezavisne Novine, p.3). Minister Hadzovic will not sign the order for payment of invalid allowances for October this year, as representatives of HVIDRA failed to provide updated list of recipients. The daily quotes Hadzovic as saying that she believes she will get the updated list. After almost five hours long discussion, the OHR issued press release, which says OHR only played the mediation role, offering the space for negotiations to the sides. | |
| Cardinal Puljic on HVIDRA protests | Vecernji List (front and page 3, “This is a dirty game”, “Cardinal Puljic calls for ending of blockades”) carries a press release signed by Cardinal Vinko Puljic in which the Cardinal questions both moves by the authority and Croat victims of war regarding the blockade of roads and lack of pensions for the Croat victims of war. Cardinal Puljic says that he does not want to interfere into the authority of people in power, however raises a question why the issue had to be solved just prior to Christmas and during the time of the so-called technical Government. On the other hand, he also asks the Croat victims of war why they organize blockades just before Christmas and calls them not to be drawn into “this dirty game”. “I also call on international representatives who have the real power in this country to end the silence and not allow that injustice and unrest take over during Christmas when peace should come among us”, reads the PR signed by Cardinal Vinko Puljic. (Slobodna Dalmacija, page 17, “Do not be drawn into dirty games”) | |
| ALHOS rally in front of OHR building in Sarajevo | Nezavisne Novine (p 2) reports that several hundred workers from Sarajevo companies (Alhos, Simes) and Gracanica (Fortuna, Olimp), as well as representatives of trade unions, gathered yesterday in front of OHR in Sarajevo, requesting to meet the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, and inform him about their problems. However, after ninety minutes waiting, the High Representative did not receive them and they dispersed, announcing that they will keep gathering in front of OHR and local institutions in the following days. One of the trade unions representatives, Ferdija Kojcic, stated: “It is obvious that we have no support from our authorities, nor from the representatives of the international community. Nobody cares for workers. We have been protesting for four days and nobody received us in order to hear our problems.” (Dnevni Avaz, p 9, Oslobodjenje, p 9) | |
BiH/international community |
| |
| Dnevni List: “High Representative – aunt for everything”
| Dnevni List (page 2, by Jurislav Petrovic) carries an editorial in which the author says that two recent cases i.e. failure to adopt/amend the Law on BiH Citizenship and failure to reach an agreement between Croat associations and Minister Suada Hadzovic best illustrate how BiH functions and how independent the country really is. The author says that the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, will again have to play the role of the supreme authority in BiH and resolve the two situations and that the situation shows what we need Ashdown for. | |
| OHR: “Bulldozer” identified ten obstacles hindering reforms | The OHR Spokesman, Patrik Volf, stated yesterday that the “Bulldozer” committee comprised of representatives of international community reached consensus on the list of ten obstacles that need to be eliminated in the reform process in BiH (Glas Srpski, p.2 Nezavisne Novine, p 3, Dnevni Avaz, p 3, mentioned on the front page: Bulldozer Committee will clear up path for businessmen”, Dnevni List, p 7). According to Volf, the list of obstacles will be forwarded to the High Representative for further consideration and afterwards, he will discuss the issue with authorized politicians, maybe even present it to the Governments and Parliaments of the entities. | |
| Bond: US will not assist authorities comprised of SDS | In an interview carried by Nezavisne Novine (p 5), the US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond, stated that the arrest of the ICTY indictees is still one of the US priorities in BiH. According to Bond, the process of reconciliation cannot be completed for as long as Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are at large. As for the creation of the new RS Government, Bond stated that the US do not support those individuals, governments or municipalities that do not cooperate in the arrest of war crimes indictees. He said: “We believe that the SDS did not cooperate not show any wish to assist in the arrest of war crime indictees and that of course, has an impact on our assistance”. Commenting on the Orao affair, Bond stated that the ongoing investigation carried out by the RS authorities is now more serious than at the beginning and that he expect it to be completed by January 3 next year, as the High Representative requested to receive full report by that date. The US Ambassador said that so far, politicians who approved the export to Iraq were not identified and the entire case will not be resolved or closed until political responsibility is established. (Dnevni Avaz, p 5, also carried Bond interview for ONASA: “If BiH authorities want US support, than the government must be made of the genuine reformers”) | |
| Serb delegates on dual citizenship issue | The Serb delegates [from RS] to the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly do not exclude the option that the High Representative might impose the law on dual citizenship, even though they believe there is no need for such an action (Nezavisne Novine, p 6). Their message to the High Representative is that the basic problem is the ratification of the agreement on dual citizenship with FRY, which is not accepted by Bosniak leaders. The OHR assessed the decision of the Serb delegates not to vote on the changes of the Law on citizenship of BiH as very irresponsible. The OHR Spokesman, Oleg Milisic, stated: “The High Representative sees this move as an act of placing narrow party interests above the interests of BiH citizens, Serbs especially, who can loose the most if this law is not passed.” The SNSD delegate to the House, Nikola Spiric, stated that the BiH Parliament had no understanding to carry ratification of the agreement on dual citizenship with FRY and by that, the adoption of the law. The daily quotes Spiric as saying: The High Representative should ask Bosniak representatives why they do not want to ratify the agreement that was signed by the Council of Ministers. Obviously, Bosniaks think that the High Representative is their delegate.” The SDS delegate, Momcilo Novakovic, stated that nobody questions the High Representative’s right to impose the law on dual citizenship but the imposition of laws is not good for BiH. | |
| Ashdown in Moscow Izvestia: SDS is a moderate party | Glas Srpski (p 3) carries the excerpts from the High Representative’s interview to the Moscow based “Izvestia” magazine in which he said that BiH may become part of the European Union but that it depends on the speed of reforms in the country. The daily quotes Ashdown as saying that he does not agree with a claim that nationalists won at the recent elections in BiH: “The support to nationalist parties has dropped. Also, these are not radical nationalists but moderate ones. SDS – they are not nationalists at all. Thus, those who claim that nationalists won the elections are wrong.” Ashdown also commented on exchange of territories i.e. Serbia to give up on Kosovo and get the RS in return: “There are such ideas and they are dangerous. That would be the end of hopes of Serbia, Croatia and BiH to become part of united Europe.” According to Ashdown, Belgrade and RS have to understand that dreams of Great Serbia or Great Albania are nothing but the past. (Blic, p 7) | |
| Ashdown’s interview for Vecernje Novosti | Asked to comment how does he see pessimism of those who start to say the project of multiethnic BiH has started failing, Ashdown stated that he was very concerned with a false interpretation of the election results through media. “It is not true nationalistic parties have won. Two out of three such parties, including the SDS party, have experienced decline in trust of voters, and the true winner is a non-nationalistic, pro-reform party from the RS – SNSD. The return of refugees is excellent. Millions of people have returned, which means that the project of multiethnic BiH has made a progress”. Asked “What will happen with the concept of multiethnic BiH, considering the fact that there is “an ethnic cleansing” through paper adds, since many people try to sell their property as soon as their reinstated, in order to move to their entity?”, Ashdown stated: “Ownership right also includes the right to sell a property. This can not be deprived from anyone. We have enabled refugees to return to their homes”. Asked how did he see downfall of economic balance and perspective in both of the entities, Ashodown stated that BiH was facing the threat of an economic collapse, noting that BiH had a trade deficit. He said that around 20% of the gross domestic product was filled by the international community, but that this assistance would progressively decrease over the next few years and that such holes should be filled with foreign investments. Ashdown assessed that BiH was in the same, if not even worse position than Hungary 10 years ago. In relation to attempts made to try to revise the Dayton Agreement, and in relation to requests to abolish the entities and change the name of the RS, Ashdown stated: “The Dayton Agreement will be changed in time. There could be no country with such an untidy Constitution. Such a document will never again be written in an American base thousands of miles away, or in a European palace. Only citizens of this country can create the Constitution, and this will happen when the citizens are economically enough secured, when we enable the rule of law for them and when they start believing in this state.” Asked how did he see the charges of BiH brought against FRY to the Hague, Ashdown stated: “This is a matter of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are some things that I stay out of. Any kind of legal problems between BiH and FRY should be solved between those two states”. (Vecernje Novosti, p 2, headline “Economic collapse threatens”) | |
| CoM adopts draft Criminal Code | At a session in Sarajevo on Thursday, the BiH Council of Ministers adopted draft Criminal Code, Code on Criminal Procedure and the Law on Protection of Witnesses and sent them into the urgent parliamentary procedure. The laws will make the normal work of the BiH State Court Possible (Dnevni Avaz, p 2: BiH Court to start working in January next year”, Oslobodjenje, p 5) | |
| Dani on IPTF Commissioner | ‘Personality in Focus’ column in DANI, pg. 13 about Sven Frederiksen. “The fact that Frederisken has been stubbornly persisting on totally illegal and suspiciously motivated decision not to certify the bravest fighters against Mafia is no reason for Klein or Ashdown to scratch behind ear. They instead exposed their rude spokespeople (OHR) or those who use lies to defend their bosses’ decision that are ‘not defendable’. Even they are embarrassed because of the job they do (referring to UNMIBH spokespeople). The shame however is of temporary nature, and astronomical salaries are why they are here.” reads the article. The final paragraph ends saying that it would be sad if the City (Sarajevo), which gloriously defended itself during the war, gives in to the humiliation that Klein, Ashdown and Frederiksen led it to. | |
| Dani: Bosnia will have a single army or none | In DANI on pg. 40 and 41, entitled ‘Bosnia will have a single army or none’ about ‘Balkan 2010’ report devised by a group of respected and influential US experts from the New York Council of Foreign Relations. “Leaving Muslims in BiH and Kosovo, let them face again threats of their neighbors, would reduce the future US position in Muslim world. The withdrawal from Balkans could encourage Balkan Muslims to go to religious militants rather than Europe,” is part of the warning in the report. They advise creators of the US foreign policy in Balkans to give up on the withdrawal idea. The group further warns that the US security will certainly suffer is Balkans was to go back to divisions, unlawfulness as well as religious and ethnic conflicts. “The acting of the IC is characterized by overlapping mandates of different institutions, operational inefficiency, and different signals sent to the local authorities by permanent and ad hoc international representatives.” The group insists on systematizing and directing the presence of the IC in Balkans through gradual reduction of ad hoc international organizations, often in the way of efficient action. They further request the strengthening of the OHR’s authorities and proclamation of it as the executive EU organization. The group notes that it is in the best US interest to persist in reforms that will ensure security, but also eliminate excessive army forces in BiH by using NATO’s influence. “Bosnia should have a single army or none; she neither needs three armies nor it can afford them.” A special chapter is dedicated to ‘attacks on political-criminal organizations’. “The combination of their influence, approach, sources and ideology makes it harder for new governments to challenge them. That is why the breaking of the political-criminal elite has to be priority for UNMIK in Kosovo and OHR in BiH.” | |
| Ratification of DPA by FRY | Vecernji List (page 2, by D. Jazvic) carries that BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed on Thursday the decision of the Yugoslav Parliament according to which the Dayton Peace Agreement is being ratified. Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, stated that the decision of the Yugoslav Parliament is positive and with regard to the fact that it took 7 years that Yugoslavia ratifies the document, that it adopted at the conference in Dayton, the HR says: “Unfortunately, that is the way it is. Some people need more time to get pace with history.” | |
| Letter of group of Srebrenica citizens to High Representative | Vecernji List (front and page 4) carries that a group of citizens from Srebrenica asked Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, to help them in the creation of living conditions in Srebrenica. These citizens are especially dissatisfied over the work of the OHR Office in Srebrenica and for this reason they demand a removal of Charlie Powell, the Head of this office, and increasing of responsibility in the work of local and international officials in this Municipality. VL says that in its reaction the OHR exclusively sticks to a part of the demand that refers to the construction of a Memorial to fallen Bosniaks from Srebrenica. Patrik Wolf, an OHR Spokesperson, stated: “ The HR understands impatience of relatives of the Srebrenica victims. The Srebrenica Foundation continually works on this issue and the HR fully trust their work.” | |
| Slobodna Bosna on Defamation Law | Slobodna Bosna on pg. 12 and 13 entitled ‘Why Paddy Ashdown imposed the Defamation Act only after the elections?’ informs that only weeks after the Defamation Act has been imposed the Sarajevo cantonal Court has been swamped with citizens’ charges against print media. The most charges against ‘Avaz’, followed by ‘Walter’ and ‘Ljiljan’. However, the article’s angle is on the fact that Ashdown imposed the Act after the elections. The Act was apparently adopted by the RS Parliament few months before the elections, and it was in the Federation parliamentary procedure. PDHR DONALD Hays, however, withdrew it from the FBiH parliamentary procedure after pressures from ‘Avaz’ daily. The assessment was that the text was restrictive and could restrain media during the pre-election campaign. Only two or three months later, Ashdown imposed almost the same text. According to the magazine, there are serious indications that the Act did not suit OHR during the elections when certain media, especially ‘Avaz’, ‘Walter’ and ‘Ljiljan’, kept insulting and undermining certain party and state officials. “This is however no longer relevant for Paddy Ashdown. Let everyone get by the best way they know. The most important thing is that during the pre-election campaign they did their dirty job to the liking of OHR and its first man,” ends the article. | |
| Slobodna Bosna: The number of terrorist attacks in RS reduced by Ashdown by 100 | MINI MARKET column in Slobodna Bosna on pg. 15 did another article on Mr. Ashdown entitled ‘The number of terrorist attacks in RS reduced by Ashdown by 100’. Recently HR Ashdown was a guest at the Federation TV and asked about terrorist attacks replied that in the last six months there were 11 such attacks. The information however by the state Coordination Team for Fight Against Terrorism tells of over 100 terrorist attacks on returnees in the RS in the last six months. Yet Ashdown believes more to information from the RS MoI. As for the inefficiency of the local police, HR said that this was Klein’s jurisdiction. The magazine agrees with Ashdown, but points out that ever since he arrived the number of attacks increased by ten times. “It is not certain yet how connected this is to the last letter that Karadzic sent to the former RS president Sarovic. Karadzic told Sarovic that Ferdinand (meaning Petritsch) was leaving BiH soon and their friend was arriving (meaning Ashdown). The magazine concludes that Karadzic wanted to say was that the arrival of Ashdown made the job easier for terrorists.” | |
Affairs |
| |
| Slovenian milk import
| At a session in Sarajevo on Thursday, the BiH Council of Ministers did not make a decision to ban import of milk from Slovenia due to its alleged contamination with chloram phenicol (Dnevni Avaz, p 4: CoM to make final decision on Tuesday, Oslobodjenje, front page, pages 4-5: Minister Hadziahmetovic again protected Slovenians”) | |
| RS Housing Fund claims there will be money for credits | The fact that banks refuse to accept request for housing credits does not mean that the allocation of credits will stop, it only means that the banks are now working on the requests received so far. The above was stated by the Director of the RS Housing Fund, Goran Milojevic (Glas Srpski, cover page). According to Milojevic, the fund will suggest the increase of the highest amount for housing credit to 50 000 KM. | |
| Criminal charges filled against Dragan Covic | The Director of the BiH Federation Police Administration, Zlatko Miletic, has with knowledge of the Interior Minister Ramo Maslesa filled criminal charges against the current Croat member of the BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, over his alleged involvement in the irregularities related to the Mostar Eronet company (Dnevni Avaz, p 4: Strike on Covic from Federation Interior Ministry: Whether the criminal charges are politically motivated?” | |
| Situation in Mostar | In an extensive interview to Slobodna Dalmacija (p 19, “Bosniak leaders beating the war drums again”, by Darko Juka), Tomic notes with regret that, looking at the act of vandalism of burning the traditional Christmas Nativity Scene in Mostar from the political point of view, the situation in Mostar is getting complicated again and the entire problem has resulted in this inhumane act of the violation of Catholic holy objects. He reiterates he has condemned the silence of the IC as he was truly surprised with the fact there were no protests or reactions to statements of some leading Bosniak politicians. Tomic clarifies he has in mind the interview of Zijo Orucevic, an SDA BiH Presidency member and the Head of the Mostar Bosniak-majority City Municipality Old Town (note: the Head of Mostar Municipality Old Town is Zijad Hadziomerovic), given to Oslobodjenje and Radio 088. In Tomic’s view, he used a truly war vocabulary and Tomic believes such statements by the people who are not just common citizens must be followed by international representatives’ reactions. Tomic adds Hamdija Jahic appeared in media in a similar manner. All those statements were inflammatory and encouraged the forces which committed this act that appalled the entire public. Words such as “majorisation” and “protection of vital national interests” are just being instrumentalised for realization of their personal goals as the division of the city suits them. To SD’s allegation that, according to unofficial information, a high-ranking OHR official stated the Nativity Scene had been burned down by a drunk Croat, the Deputy Mayor says the police report is already there and the issue will be resolved accordingly, adding he is glad the OHR and others condemned the case as all the relevant organisations in the country should do so. Tomic also believes that the roots of this act lay in the implementation of Constitutional Changes in the city and the Canton, which revive the forces that do not want to see Mostar functioning as a normal city. As for Mostar, he says changes are imminent and Mostar can take 2 directions only: to implement the Decision on Constituency of all the three peoples, where Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs would each have their municipality with the respective national majority, where there would be a Mayor with two Deputy Mayors, and 3 representatives in every segment of life, and Tomic finds this a silly and costly solution. The second direction is to shape Mostar as a normal municipality, just like other towns in BiH, and to finally start a normal living. With regard to the project of Mostar as the FBiH capital, Tomic is of the view that it is just a logical follow-up to the reforms and will surely come true. People should understand a capital already makes a new factory, brings new jobs along. BiH is not Sarajevo only, Mostar and Herzegovina are a part of BiH too. Speaking of the Mostar waste disposal issue, Tomic says that, according to the Law, removal of garbage lies upon Municipalities and that he hopes the issue will be raised to the City level. Resolution of this issue is a priority for the next year. | |