OHR BiH Media Round-up, 20/6/2002

Headlines in Print Media

Oslobodjenje: BiH Federation Finance Ministry: Franjic to be appointed by Friday; Gorazde gets SOS village

Dnevni Avaz: Problems with payment of compensation to the dismissed soldiers – Minister Anic threatens he will resign

Jutarnje Novine: Kuwait businessmen announcing possibility to withdraw from the BH Steel Company; A conference on the implementation of sub-regional arms control in Vienna – Belkic says BiH has never been a source of problems; If the Federation Parliaments app-proves the appointment – Franjic to assume duties of the Finance Minister as of next Tuesday

Dnevni List: A NATO commander – How we have destroyed Mafia in Herzegovina; Interview with Stjepan Kljujic – Whether everything will end with the removal of Grabovac?

Vecernji List: The High Representative among Croats – PaddyAshdown flattering; Elections without 50,000 of Croats; Franjic to be appointed new BiH Federation Finance Minister

Nezavisne Novine: Who will be new RS Customs Administration Director – Bulic or Jovanovic in place of Popovic

Glas Srpski: ICTY delegation meets RS leadership – Reconciliation with help from the ICTY; Inspectors discovered 70 non-existing enterprises

EuroBlic: Criminal charges even against Ivanic; Double murder in Serb Sarajevo; Mladen Ivanic: The Government will accept Popovic’s resignation; Milica Bisic: 300,000 KM conceal every day in the RS

Nacional: The Hague sues Nacional for revealing the identity of protected witness K5; Pitic, Djelic and Vlahovic threat with resignations

Franjic to be appointed BiH Federation Finance Minister by Friday, the appointment to be confirmed by the Parliament next Tuesday

The President of the NHI, Kresimir Zubak on Wednesday officially informed BiH Federation Prime Minister Alija Behmen on the nomination of Franjo Franjic for the vacant position of the entity Finance Minister. Behmen is expected to immediately deliver the proposal to the BiH Federation President Safet Halilovic and Vice-president Karlo Filipovic, who are authorized for the appointment. “In principle, any nomination should be considered by the Alliance for Change Coordination as well, but since it is about a specific case and a necessity that the Finance Minister is appointed as soon as possible, we will act under the urgent procedure,” Halilovic told Oslobodjenje (Almir Terzic – front page). The BiH Federation Parliament is expected to confirm the appointment at an early session scheduled for next Tuesday. (Dnevni Avaz – p 2, Jutarnje Novine – p 6, Vecernji List – p 5)

“The new Finance Minister is being nominated almost on a private basis, without any prior consultations within the Alliance Coordination,” Chairman of the Alliance for Change Coordination Stjepan Kljujic said in an interview with Dnevni Avaz (p 5)

Ljiljana Petricevic wrote editorial in Dnevni List (page 2) about Zubak’s last move, appointment of Franjo Franjic for new Minister of Finances. The author said: “With removal of Nikola Grabovac from political life many were speculating Alliance’s falling apart. The key move was expected from NHI, i.e. Kresimir Zubak. … If we remember what happened after HDZ withdrew its officials from institutions of the system, we can conclude that Zubak did not want to have such luxury. He must continue this political game”, writes the author.

Paddy Ashdown holds a “Town Hall” meeting with citizens of Siroki Brijeg at Hotel “Royal”

Dnevni Avaz (Sead Numanovic – p 2) report that the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, on Wednesday ended a three-hour “Town Hall” meeting with around 50 citizens of Siroki Brijeg, delivering them a message that they should leave the past and hatred behind for the better future of their children. “This unique political event in BiH was marked by open questions and positions presented by the citizen,” Numanovic wrote.

Vecernji List (front page, under title “High Representative among Croats: Paddy Ashdown fawns upon”, page 3, under title “Ashdown’s new mission towards Croats in BiH), Slobodna Dalmacija (last page “Future without reforms – difficult”) and Dnevni List (pages 4, “State institutions to be set up pursuant to world norms” and 7) carry articles on the visit of the High Representative Paddy Ashdown to Bugojno, Livno and Siroki Brijeg.

Vecernji List (page 3) carries an editorial by Miro Bosnjak in which he says: “Whilst people in this odd country speak in the name of people, the new High Representative for BiH Paddy Ashdown embarks on a mission of unveiling of thoughts of common people. He convinces all the peoples and citizens into his good intentions. His first move sees the removal of finance minister, a Croat Nikola Grabovac, First time lucky, people would say, but the common people have an opinion on that move too”.

Vecernji List features a rather negative article signed by Zdenko Jurilj in which he says that the HR is trying to erase the burden of “the Croat(ian) enemy” after he had testified against the HVO General Blaskic and revealed the existence of the “Tudjman’s napkin” by trying to explain yesterday that he was going to work to the benefit of all three peoples in BiH. Jurilj notes that the latest removal of Nikola Grabovac does not help his conception of building a better image with the Croats.

Dnevni List features a rather positive article by Ilija Sagolj in which he says that Ashdown is truly applying different working methods when compared to his predecessors. “For Herzegovina, which has been avoided my majority of international representatives, this visit only shows a good will of the High Representative to open this area and wake it up from the state of deadness”.

Minister Anic says he is prepared to resign if dismissed soldiers do not receive their payments (10,000 KM per person)

“The problems have already appeared, because, according to the information I am receiving from the field, 3,000 dismissed soldiers are every day going to the banks, but there are no promised money on their accounts,” the BiH Federation Defense Minister, Mijo Anic,told Dnevni Avaz (front page, continued on p 3).

ICTY delegation meets with RS leadership, representatives of RS judiciary

Both Banja Luka dailies, Glas Srpski (page 3) and Nezavisne Novine (page 5), report that the ICTY delegation, led by the ICTY President Claude Jorda, met with RS President, Mirko Sarovic, RS Vice-president Dragan Cavic and RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic in Banja Luka yesterday to discuss the possibility of transferring certain number of medium and lower-level war crimes cases to the domestic courts. After the meeting the RS President, Mirko Sarovic, told press that the RS leadership supported the idea that certain number of war crimes cases should be transferred to entity courts, stressing that the RS judiciary is reformed enough to try these cases, while the ICTY President Claude Jorda said one of the options, which is in line with the Constitution and has the support of the High Representative, is that a special panel within the Court of BiH tries war crimes cases. As for the RS’s cooperation with the ICTY, Jorda said that some progress has been made but that the issue of apprehension of indicted war criminals still remains to be resolved. ICTY Spokespersons Jim Landale and Florence Hartman told a news conference in Banja Luka yesterday that certain number of medium and lower level war crimes cases will be transferred to the local courts only when the local judiciary adopts the highest European standards and when local legislation is harmonized with the ICTY rules. Landale also said that this would not be possible unless local authorities start arresting indicted war criminals such as Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Hartman said that according to the information, which the ICTY has, Ratko Mladic is hiding in Serbia while Radovan Karadzic is in the RS. (Dnevni Avaz – p 12, Oslobodjenje – p 3, Jutarnje Novine – p 6, Vecernji List – p 2, BBC, Blic (p. 9)

Elections without 50.000 Croat voters

Vecernji List (front and page 2) carry a spokesman for the OSCE mission to BiH Richard Medic as calling on all BiH citizens currently residing in Croatia to register for the October elections because the June 20, 2002 is the deadline for the registration of all voters, the deadline which, according to Medic, will not be prolonged. According to the data of the BiH Election Commission, only 4000 (out of 60.000 Croats with a right to vote) refugees living in Croatia (mostly Croats) have registered for the elections.

Southeastern European foreign ministers meet in Belgrade

Both Banja Luka dailies, Glas srpski (page 6) and Nezavisne novine (page 4), report that foreign ministers of nine south-eastern European countries met yesterday in Belgrade to discuss regional cooperation, focusing on the fight against terrorism and organized crime. The papers quote Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic as saying that the fight against terrorism and organized crime are priorities for developing cooperation of the south-eastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP). “All countries in the region have democratic governments and share same values of democracy, human rights, rule of law and free market. At the same time all of them are attached to the same goal of European integration”, said Svilanovic. The SEECP members are: Albania, Bulgaria, BiH, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia, while Croatia is taking part as an observer. (Oslobodjenje – p 3, Dnevni Avaz – p 4, Jutarnje Novine – p 3)

Lagumdzija and Svilanovic meet in Belgrade

Both Banja Luka dailies, Glas Srpski (p 6)and Nezavisne Novine (p 4) report that BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija met yesterday in Belgrade with his FRY counterpart Goran Svilanovic to discuss relationship between BiH and the FRY. They said that various bilateral agreements, including the agreement on dual citizenship, might be reached in September when the next session of the BiH/FRY Inter-State Council is scheduled to take place. (Oslobodjenje – p 3, Dnevni Avaz – p 4, Jutarnje Novine – p 3, Nacional (p. 6 and 9)

RS Customs Administration Affair/ RS Government in Crisis

Nezavisne Novine (page 4) quotes High Representative for BiH Paddy Ashdown as saying that he heard about Popovic’s resignation. “I think that is a very important step in a process of setting up European standards in the field of customs. I also think it is very important that people like Popovic undertake such measures”, Ashdown said. Ashdown also said he was glad that the SDS stands behind the Popovic’s resignation.

Nezavisne Novine reports (page 3) that Sarovic and Ivanic agreed on the meeting which took place on Monday in Srpsko Sarajevo that Popovic resign, but also that the SDS proposes Popovic’s replacement. The paper learns that Janko Jovanovic (Head of the RS Customs Administration Office in Doboj) is the SDS’s candidate for that position. Jovanovic refused to say whether he was offered this post or not. However, Nezavisne novine reports that is public knowledge that Jovanovic has been involved in several criminal affairs. The paper also reports that another SDS candidates are Djuro Bulic and Djojo Arsenovic. Bulic is a former head of the Banja Luka National Security Office. Currently he is retired but at the same time he is the Director of the “Meridijan” enterprise. Arsenovic was RS minister for agriculture during the war.

Glas Srpski quotes (page 3) RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic as saying in Bijeljina yesterday that the resignation of the RS Customs Administration Director Goran Popovic will be accepted at today’s session of the RS Government. “The RS Government will accept Popovic’s resignation and we shall also discuss the issue of Popovic’s replacement”, said Ivanic. Ivanic did not want to confirm whether Trivo Marinkovic (a PDP member) would replace Popovic.

Nezavisne Novine carried a similar report (page 3).

Glas Srpski reports (page 3) that the RS NA Collegium decided yesterday that the next session of the RS National Assembly would take place on 3^rd and 4^th of July. The RS NA will discuss the report on the work of the RS Customs Administration, application of the Law on RS Tax Administration, the Law on Privatization of Banks and implementation of the state-capital privatization project.

Glas Srpski quotes (page 3) RS President Mirko Sarovic as saying that Popovic’s decision to resign demonstrated that he is an honest man and that he does not want to thwart the investigation into the RS Customs Administration case. The paper also quotes the SDS Chairman Dragan Kalinic as saying that the SDS agreed on the Popovic’s resignation. “SDS will insist that the investigation into the RS CA case is completed. The reputation of the SDS and the RS is in line”, said Kalinic.

Nezavisne Novine carried a similar report (page 4).

Glas Srpski (page 2) quotes DNS Chairman Dragan Kostic as saying at a news conference in Banja Luka yesterday that the Sarovic-Ivanic meeting on Monday showed that they just want to buy some more time so that corrupt officials can get away with what they have done and that Ivanic does not have the strength to persevere in fight against crime and corruption. Kostic also said that the SDS would try to force the RS Tax Administration Director Milica Bisic to resign.

Nezavisne Novine carried a similar report (page 4).

Nacional (p 8) and EuroBlic (p 11) also report about the resignation of Director of RS Customs Administration, Goran Popovic, with reactions of the RS officials and politicians.

Nezavisne Novine reports (page 7) that the Banja Luka Public Security Center in cooperation with the RS Interior Ministry filed criminal charges against Sinisa Nidzic (Head of the RS CU Banja Luka Office), Vladimir Kovacevic (also employee of the RS CA Banja Luka Office) and Bogoljub Novakovic (inspector with the RS CA Banja Luka Office). All three are accused of misusing official position. Also the Banja Luka Public Security Center filed criminal charges against Petar Corluka (the owner of the private enterprise “Prodeks” from Grude) and Boro Kelecevic (the owner of the “Birotehnika” enterprise from Laktasi.) Corluka and Kelecevic are charged with customs fraud. (Oslobodjenje –p 7, Blic – p 10)

“Extra magazine” reports in its latest edition that during the last meeting with the RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic, the High Representative for BiH Paddy Ashdown requested that Ivanic break up his coalition with the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and form some sort of an interim government, which would be made up of Party of Democratic Progress (PDP), Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), small parliamentary parties from the RS and moderate political parties from the BiH Federation. The magazine quotes a source close to the RS Government as saying that Ivanic has been using the RS Customs Administration affair to blame the SDS for fraudulent activities in the RS Customs Administration, thus trying to oust the SDS ministers from the RS Government.

National Front Association files criminal charges against Ivanic

Nezavisne Novine reports (page 7) that the President of the National Front Association Dragomir Babic filed with the Banja Luka Basic Prosecutor’s Office criminal charges against the RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic. Ivanic is charged with misuse of office, incompetence and providing assistance to the perpetrator after the crime was committed. The criminal charges state that, despite the several warnings, which came from the National Front Association, Ivanic did not dismiss Branko Dokic (RS Minister for Traffic and Communication) and Zeljko Jungic (the RS Telekom Director). “PDP uses the RS Telekom to provide money for election campaign. The RS Government reminds of mob organization. I would propose that RS Prime Minister should be called “Don” and ministers can be called “godfathers”, said Babic. (Oslobodjenje – p 4, Blic – p 11)

Rebac fully supports Premier Behmen in his efforts to overcome possible crisis related to the Lijanovic’s debt to the state in an easiest possible way

IN a statement with Oslobodjenje (p 3, Azhar Kalamujic), the newly-appointed Director of the BiH Federation Customs Administration, Zelimir Rebac, said he fully supported the BiH Federation Prime Minister Alija Behmen in his efforts to overcome possible crisis related to the Lijanovic’s debt to the state in an easiest possible way.

Pre-election news: Whether the Alliance for Change will survive?

“If by Friday I do not receive written support from the leaders of the Alliance from Change for a continued realization of the political group projects, I believe there will be no reason for further holding of the Alliance Coordination’s sessions,” the Chairman of the Coordination and the BiH Republican Party president, Stjepan Kljujic, told Oslobodjenje (p 6)

Globus weekly (pages 38-43) reads that NHI offered HDZ an alliance against Bosniak domination in Federation BiH. Article signed by Darko Hudelist stresses that HDZ can not forgive Zubak’s participation in “Alliance for Democratic Changes” which has cancelled the political will of Croat majority in BiH, but the article also says that the fact that the High Representative Paddy Ashdown removed Nikola Grabovac, a man of Zubak’s trust, indicates that NHI is no longer favourite of International Community.

According to the SDP BiH Vice-president Slobodan Popovic (Oslobodjenje – p 6), the party will for the second time in the upcoming elections try to make a sort of coalition with certain RS political parties directed against SDS.

Oslobodjenje (p 6) reports that, at the meetings held in the past days with certain political leaders in BiH including the Party for BiH President Safet Halilovic and SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdzija, The Economic Block HDU – Working for Prosperity is lobbying for the support to its presidential candidate Mladen Ivankovic.

Slobodna Dalmacija (page 16) reads that Mostar-based ‘Oscar C’ TV organised another opinion poll, this time the question to the viewers was “Who do you think is the best choice for the Croat member of BiH Presidency – Neven Tomic, Dr. Milenko Brkic or a third candidate?” Out of 987 citizens, 580 of them (59%) would like to see Neven Tomic, the current Deputy Mayor of Mostar and former Chair of BiH Council of Ministers, as the Croat member of BiH Presidency whilst only 3,5% support Milenko Brkic, the President of HNZ. SD notes that a lot of people, namely 372 (37,5%), are of opinion that somebody else would be the best option for the office.

Former SPRS leader joined National Party of Socialists

Nezavisne Novine learns (page 7) that the former leader of the RS Socialist Party (SPRS) Zivko Radisic joined the National Party of Socialists (NPS) at the NPS Congress which took place last night in Derventa. The paper reports that apart from Radisic, the NPS members are Jagoda Lazetic (the Chairwoman), Fuad Turalic (RS Minister for foreign trade and tourism), Biljana Rodic-Obradovic (former SPRS member) and Slobodan Bilic (RS Defense Minister).

The BiH Transparency International Survey: the most corrupted in BiH are political parties

Boris Divjak, BiH Transparency International President, told Dnevni Avaz (p 4) that according to a poll conducted by the organization on a sample of 1,200 citizens, “the most corrupted institutions in BiH are political parties together with their leaders.” They are followed by the directors of the state-owned enterprises and the politicians engaged in the state institutions.

Non-implementation of the property laws in the RS: Federation Minister Mehemedagic says UNHCR and OSCE are supporting concept of BiH’s partition

In a statement for Dnevni Avaz (Adi Hadziarapaovic – p 8), the BiH Federation Minister of Urban Planning, Ramiz Mehmedagic, expressed his dissatisfaction with the non-implementation of the property laws in the RS and the behavior of the international organizations in this context. “The behavior of the organizations such as UNHCR, OSCE and CRPC is more and more making us convinced a concept of tripartite BiH’s division is the final goal of their action,” Mehmedagic said.

Establishment of the Federation Intelligence-Security Service: OHR forces appointment of Munir Alibabic and Ivica Vuksic

Jutarnje Novine (Almir Sarenkapa – p 4) reports that, at a meeting behind close door with the BiH Federation President Safet Halilovic, Vice-president Karlo Filipovic and Prime Minister Alija Behmen, the PDHR Donald Hays presented an OHR position that the AID Director Munir Alibabic and SNS Director Ivica Vuksic should be the heads of the newly-established Federation Intelligence-Security Service as well.

Headlines in Electronic Media

BHTV 1 (Wednesday, June 19, 1900)

BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija met on Wednesday in Belgrade with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica after a meeting of foreign ministers of countries gathered in the South-Eastern Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP). (2.5)
Control of weapons in BIH is problem which must be solved by unique forces on the state level. (2)
BiH’s officials supported, in general, the initiative of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) that a special council for the processing of war crimes be formed within the BiH Court. (2.25)
New Croat Initiative (NHI) proposes Franjo Franic for new FBIH minister of finances. (1.25)

FTV 1 (1930)

BiH’s officials supported the initiative of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) that a special council for the processing of war crimes be formed within the BiH Court. (3)
A group of approximately 50 Serb nationalists captured on Monday night several Bosniak returnees and held them locked for several hours in a catering facility in Srebrenica. Police continue investigation. Three charges pressed already. (2)
Cantonal Prosecution in Mostar presses criminal charges against former director of Mostar PIO Ivan Bender, chairman of Steering Board Nikola Antunovic and owner “Tuh invest” Marijo Boras. They are charged with the illegal sale of “Ero” hotel. (2)

RTRS (1930)

J. Landale, spokesperson of the ICTY, said today in Banja Luka that BiH is still not ready to take some war crimes cases from the ICTY. Spokesperson F. Hartmann said the Prosecution is informed that Karadzic is in RS, while Mladic is in FRY. (4)

In cooperation with the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry (MUP), the Banja Luka Public Security Center pressed on Wednesday criminal charges against five persons because of the custom affair. (1)