Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 21 November
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| 10th anniversary of DPA | EU Foreign Ministers on BiH |
| | |
| Status of Kosovo | Milosevic trial |
TV news broadcast on 20 November
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Explosions in Travnik | Explosions in Travnik | 3 explosions in Travnik |
| Conference in | Suspected war criminal arrested | Todorovic arrested |
| | Meeting on BiH constitution in | Terrorist at hearing in |
| BIH delegation in | Talks on future status of Kosovo | |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Meeting on BiH constitution in | 3 explosions in Travnik | |
| Explosions in Travnik | Terrorist at hearing in | War crime suspect arrested |
| Kladanj’s bank account blocked | Investigation of triple murder in SA | Explosions in Travnik |
| Murder investigation in | Tuzla MoI on illegal immigration | Conference in |
| Oslobodjenje | World Bank and BiH are partners on highway |
| Dnevni Avaz | Historical day for BiH (Interview with HR Paddy Ashdown) |
| Dnevni List | Mostar: Baby died of meningitis |
| Vecernji List | One does not defend interests of Croats by boycotting (Ashdown interview) |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Three young men from Posusje died (traffic accident) |
| Glas Srpske | The poker of dread and horror |
| Nezavisne Novine | Pharmacy and furniture shop destroyed |
| Blic | Big bills for cell phones (about phone bills of RS Govt. officials) |
| Vecernje Novosti | |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Official marking of DPA starts in
| |
| SDA leader Tihic reportedly walks out of
| |
|
| RS Radio – |
Dayton Anniversary/Talks on Constitutional Changes/BiH’s Road to Europe | |
| Interviews with HR Paddy Ashdown: Historical day for BiH
| Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Historical day for BiH’ by Sead Numanovic – carries a lengthy interview with HR Paddy Ashdown saying that the decision on launching Vecernji List, front pg splash ‘One does not defend interests of Croats by boycotting’, and pg 3 ‘State will be signed, not constitutional changes!’, by Zoran Kresic – Carries an interview with the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, in which he confirms that BiH politicians will be offered, during the forthcoming talks in the US, to sign a statement that will oblige them to carry out constitutional reforms. Asked whether the political parties will reach a consensus about the constitutional reforms during the talks in the Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Continuation of reforms is of vital importance’, not signed – In an interview for the France Press, HR Ashdown stated that the reconstruction of BiH after the war has been miraculous, however the HR stressed that further reforms were of vital importance for the future progress. Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘BiH will not get a new constitution through pressures’ by V. Popovic and D. Raduski – In an interview to NN, HR Paddy Ashdown has stated he thinks the Dayton Agreement was an excellent agreement since it was strong enough to bring peace and, at the same time, it was flexible enough to enable implementation of necessary reforms. On EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Ashdown: There is a model of new BiH’ – Paddy Ashdown, HR to BiH, has stated that BiH ahs managed to overcome politician and economic collapse of ten years ago, adding: “The model through which we have been trying to implement efficient reforms was the creation of key institutions at the state level.” |
| Leaders of eight BiH political parties meet in
| |
| Oslobodjenje on
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5, announced on cover ‘Changes to BiH Constitution must not be purely cosmetic’ by S. Sehercehajic – The author notes the 10th anniversary of signing of the Dayton Agreement is important, among other things, because representatives of IC have initiated negotiations among BiH politicians on constitutional changes. One of participants in development of DA Haris Silajdzic thinks the changes must not be only cosmetic. Kresimir Zubak, another participant of the Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Nothing spectacular in |
| DA on
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Tension in Washington is raising’ by Sead Numanovic – Writing about Washington meeting, the author notes that the political representatives from BiH are today expected to meet with Nicholas Burns, the US Sub-Secretary for Political Affairs. According to author, the meeting should at elast result in a statement that political leaders accept changes of the Constitution. As daily learns from participants of the meeting, the atmosphere is tensed, there are some periodical tones and sometimes are organisers blamed for having failed to prepare a document on which participants would negotiate, but instead expect from politicians form BiH to reach an agreement by themselves. Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘The greatest problem is the establishment of one President’ by S.N. – Daily learns that negotiations of the eight political leaders from BiH have Sunday distanced from any agreement, since the representatives of Serb parties do not accept the establishment of State President and instead offer gradual establishment of the President with two Vice Presidents. The issue of election and number of delegates at the BiH HoP also remains unclear. The issue of BiH COM’ composition was not even on agenda Sunday. |
| VL comment on forthcoming constitutional changes: Peoples should be more flexible, show more understanding
| Vecernji List, pgs 4-5 ‘It brought peace as well as injustice’, by Tihomir Begic – Carries a lengthy commentary about the 10th anniversary of the DPA and the forthcoming talks in the US in which the author argues that the DPA brought peace to BiH, however it also brought injustice, which was taboo until recently. Regarding the future developments, Begic, among other issues, notes that all three peoples in BiH should be more flexible and show more understanding for each other. The most stressed Begic’s claim is that, should the Bosniaks insist on a centralized and unitary BiH, a possible consequence would be a formation of an informal alliance between the Croats and Serbs, who would in that way protect each other from the outvoting by the Bosniaks. As for the Croats, Begic says if they keep insisting on the establishment of the third entity, it could cause instability in the country. |
| BiH Presidency Chair Jovic:
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘To create a functional community’, FENA – BiH Presidency Chair Ivo Miro Jovic thinks that the Dayton Agreement’s greatest achievement is that it stopped the killing and bloodshed. However, Jovic claims that today, ten years since its signing, it has not establishes a functional community and developed something it should have – a community of equality for all citizens and peoples living here. “It did not ensure implementation of something (principles) the modern Europe has paid in blood – the development of a society such as in multicultural and multiethnic communities similar to Switzerland and Belgium”, Jovic told FENA. He thinks that BiH has not been defined as a state, but as a structure “one state, two entities, three peoples” that could not properly function. The BiH Presidency Chair reminded that this agreement has been changed so many times, “especially by those who were given the powers of a monarch, king or tsar, an undeniable ruler in the shape of the High Representative, who were dismissing who ever they wanted and for whatever reasons, but in most cases who only were just controlling the crisis and not resolving it”. He thinks that as a result of such actions more than 1.400 BiH citizens lost their basic human rights, they were taken the right to participate in public political life, the right to be elected or vote and the right to have a job. Jovic thinks that the most important thing in BiH at this moment is to implement the reformed laws and to ensure the return of people to their homes. He added that this is what he expects from his trip to |
| Bosniak member of BiH Presidency Tihic:
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Annex 4 an obstacle’, FENA – Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency member Sulejman Tihic thinks that the Dayton Agreement deserves credits for the establishment of peace and significant progress achieved in many areas in BiH. “However, yet a few years ago it has come to light that one of the eleven annexes – Annex 4 – the BiH Constitution – poses an obstacle. An obstacle for BiH to function as a untied state, and an obstacle for BiH on the road towards membership in Euro-Atlantic structures”, Tihic told FENA on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Dayton Agreement. |
| Serb member of the BiH Presidency Paravac: The time has come for BiH politicians to take full responsibility for the country’s future
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Responsibility of domestic politicians’, FENA – The time has come for domestic politicians, who will in their decisions reflect the will of the people who voted for them, to take responsibility for this country, BiH Presidency member Borislav Paravac told FENA on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Dayton Agreement. Paravac thinks that the Dayton Agreement has an exceptional importance for the contemporary history of BiH. “Dayton is something very important for us, because it stopped a difficult war, the suffering and destruction, and, of course, it provided a framework for the establishment of a decentralised, complex, democratic state. During these ten years we have shown that it is possible to build a state within that framework, a state accepted by all its peoples and entities, and as such acceptable for Euro-Atlantic integration. Reforms that we have implemented so far are the best proof for this”, Paravac said. “Fully supporting this framework I think that all further reforms, which will allow us to have an even more functional and developed state, must be a result of our agreement, an not imposed solutions”, Paravac said. |
| Terzic: Politicians are the sole obstacle
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Politicians are the only obstacle’ by FENA, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘European path a priority over Dayton’ – Adnan Terzic, BiH CoM Chair, told FENA that if we look at the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, then we must say I am dissatisfied with the level of its implementation reached, noting: “I am of the view that this story on the European path led by BiH CoM has actually placed the issue of Dayton Agreement on side. The fact we insist on European standards says that we support implementation of DA, since it is one of key European standards to respect international duties.” He also said that the DA in the form as it is not an obstacle to anything, noting Agreement itself stipulates that anything within it can be changed with the consensus of politicians in BiH, adding: “Hence, politicians are obstacle. However, the constitutional framework does represent an obstacle.” |
| SNSD leader Dodik says
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Tihic reversed talks on beginning’ by A.Sekulic – Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, told daily from Washington that the first day of talks of BiH politicians had some initial results – however, Sunday’s arrival of SULejman Tihic, SDA President, reversed talks to the beginning, since Tihic insisted on one president of BiH, for which there is no assent amongst three peoples of BiH, according to Dodik. Dodik also said that certain level of agreement has been reached in regard to the issue of BiH Presidency’s powers, noting that the issues of selection and mandate of BiH Presidency are still disputable. |
| Party for BiH founder Silajdzic: Constitutional changes should not be cosmetic
| BHT, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Ten years was enough for experiments’, FENA – One of the participants in the creation of the Dayton Agreement Haris Silajdzic thinks that constitutional changes being discussed by leaders of BiH political parties should not be cosmetic and superficial. Silajdzic thinks that ten years was enough for conducting experiments and that these talks on constitutional changes should not be missed as an opportunity for achieving concrete results. This is a corrective exam and if no concrete agreement is reached the worldwide interest in BiH and this region could diminish, he said. |
| SDU’s Lazovic: Creators of war became builders of peace | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Creators of war became builders of peace’ by Fena – Deputy President of SDU Miro Lazovic, who was BiH Assembly Chairman between 1992-96 and also participated in the Dayton talks, has stated the best achievement of DA was the fact it stopped the war but its bad side was that it transformed creators of war in builders of peace. |
| Tadic (HSS) sceptical of
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Sceptical towards Washington talks’, not signed – The President of HSS (Croat Peasants Party), Marko Tadic, says the party is disappointed with what happened in Brussels, expecting more of the same from the Washington talks. Tadic reckons that the Croats could be damaged one more time, foremost because of the fact that no Croat party presented respective positions about the constitutional changes. He adds that ‘cosmetic’ changes are unacceptable to HSS. |
| Comments/reactions on
| EuroBlic RSpg 2, announced on cover ‘A peaceful Bosnia, immature politicians’ by Nedeljka Breberina-Rajna Radosavljevic – Daily carries comments of local politicians onto DA anniversary and constitutional changes. Dragan Cavic, RS President, said: “Our obligation now is to preserve a stable state, with preserved identity of all three peoples, but also to improve functionality of Constitution.” Mladen Ivanic, BiH Foreign Minister, stated that the greatest achievement of DA is that BiH has entered the phase of normalization of relations, adding demands for changes logical – still crucial changes cannot be achieved. Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, is of the view DA is not just a document that stopped war in Bih. Safet Halilovic, President of the Party for BiH presidency, says that the state structure established through DA is “irrational, expensive and is not in the function of citizens.” Sociologist Ivan Sijakovic does not dispute that the DA brought peace, stressing that over the last ten years, BiH has been lagging behind in economic development.He blames politicians for this. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Stopping the war was the greatest achievement’ by Agencies – carries statements of Ivo Miro Jovic, Sulejman Tihic, Borislav Paravac, Adnan Terzic, Ahmet Hadzipasic (it is time we consider the issues of expenditures’ reductions and favourable options referring toe economic sector), Sahbaz Dzihanovic (saying DA has cemented status of divisions), Slavko Matic (DA has resulted in negative aspects, bar stopping of war) and Dusan Stojicic. Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Mill with three wheels’ by D.Momic – carries statements of Ivo Miro Jovic, Sulejman Tihic, Mirsad Djapo, McElchany, Boris Tadic and Stjepan Mesic. |
| One of participants of
| EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Entities are the fact that should be accepted’ by N.Breberina – In an interview to daily, Vitomir Lukic, Professor and one of RS representatives during Dayton talks, says that the Dayton Peace Accords has brought peace, which is its greatest value. He is deeply convinced that DA was the most just and qualitative solution at the moment it was signed, noting that entities are fact and reality, with which everybody should reconcile and live with. |
| NN op-ed on DA: BiH is decaying over unemployment, poverty, crime and corruption
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Ten years after’ by Predrag Klincov – Writing about Dayton anniversary, the author notes that’s ten years after the signing of DA, BiH is not what its citizens expected it to be, noting that unemployment, poverty, corruption and crime are seriously damaging BiH. He raises the issue as to what an extent the Annex 4 of the DA effected on this decaying of BiH, urging local politicians to agree on constitutional changes, which have a great effect on BiH population. |
| Vecernje Novosti on
| Vecernje Novosti pgs 2-3, announced on cover ‘The peace was of ultimate importance’ by Momir Bulatovic – This is the first sequel of article about Dayton Peace Agreement the author stresses that DA ended bloody war in BiH ten years ago, in an attempt to remove crucial causes that led to bloody inter-religious conflicts and ensure stable democratic development of the states in the region. The author ntoes that the most competent and the most distinguished peace negotiator was Cyrus Vens, but health problems prevented him from competing his humble and just mission. Bulatovic notes that Robert Fraser was the person, who could have continued Vens’ path, but his death at Igman prevented him from doing that. On Richard Holbrooke, the author describes him as the person who came in the style “who gives more”. |
| US Ambassador McElhaney: BiH leaders expected to reach agreement on concrete steps in
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘To strengthen state institutions’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘We expect agreement on concrete steps’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘McElchany expects a concrete agreement’, FENA – US Ambassador to BiH Douglas McElhaney thinks that constitutional reforms in BiH can only be achieved by consensus and compromise between all parties, and expects an agreement on these changes to be in the direction of strengthening key BiH institutions. Ambassador McElhaney thinks that, by strengthening the Parliament, Presidency and BiH Council of Ministers, BiH would have institutions that would be a credible partner to the EU, as well as other international institutions. “We expect leaders of BiH parties to reach an agreement in Washington on November 21-21, where they will attend the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Dayton Agreement, on specific steps that would fully strengthen these institutions”, Ambassador McElhaney said. |
| EU’s Rehn congratulated BiH for important achievements
| Pink, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘BiH has a clear European perspective’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘BiH has a clear Euroepan perspective’ by |
| EU’s Solana says BiH beginning new ear in relations with EU
| Pink, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘’Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal of key importance’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘BiH in the beginning of new era’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘The beginning of new era’ by |
| Holbrooke on
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘The most successful agreement in the past 25 years’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Dayton in most successful peace agreement in last 25 years’, by NINA, Dnevni List, pg 3 ‘Today is ‘D-day’ for BiH’, by Ivana Rozic (Holbrooke’s statements for |
| NATO SG Scheffer: War area from ten years ago is now a stabile country
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘BiH got over the crisis’ announced on cover ‘War area from ten years ago is now a stabile country’ by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer – Scheffer writes about the accomplishments of the Dayton Agreement, noting that BiH is now a stabile country, great part of infrastructure was reconstructed and a great progress in implementing reforms was made. He also wrote about issues that still need to be dealt with – economic reform, segregation in education, corruption, constitutional reforms etc. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Door for future opened to BiH’ by |
| Croatian President Mesic says third entity in BiH would not be a good solution | Pink, Hayat, RTRS – Asked to comment the issue of third entity in BiH, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic stated that the third entity would not be a good thing, because it would completely “conserve” the situation in this country. Mesic stressed that BiH must have constitution which would guarantee the constituency of all its people, in all parts of the country. |
| Vjesnik: Americans to resort to old style during
| Vjesnik, pg 12 ‘Agreement on changes to Dayton by Tuesday’, by Erol Avdovic – Commenting on the Washington talks, Avdovic writes: “Although there are no many information about the course of talks so far, because they are being led, liked the ones in Dayton, behind the closed doors, having in mind the already known moves and American style in these kind of negotiations, one cannot rule out that the main, positive decisions on requested changes are perhaps already sealed in the temporary removed envelopes”. |
| Cardinal Puljic: DPA legalized right of stronger
| Jutarnji List, pg 6 ‘We cannot celebrate demise of half of pre-war Catholics’, by Snjezana Pavic – Carries a lengthy interview with Cardinal Vinko Puljic in which, whilst commenting why he does not want to attend the ceremony in Washington (10th anniversary of DPA), among other issues, says: “(…) The biggest sin of the Dayton agreement is because it unfairly divided BiH and legalized the right of the stronger (…) Ten years after the signing of the agreement, half of pre-war Croats in BiH are gone (…) There were around 820.000 Catholics in BiH before the war. Now there are 466.000, according to data from the start of the year”. |
| EC’s Humphreys on | BHT, RTRS – Chief of EC delegation in BIH Michael Humphreys stated that BIH needed to move on from Dayton Agreement towards European future. |
| EU Foreign Ministers today to formally approve start of
| FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Today green light for talks with BiH’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘A green light awaited for’ by |
Economic/Social Affairs | |
| Oslobodjenje on Vc corridor: World Bank and BiH are partners on highway
| Oslobodjenje cover pg splash and pg 2 ‘World Bank and BiH are partners on highway’ by Az. Kalamujic – the initiator of the International Conference of Investors and Consultancy Agencies on corridor VC, Izet Bajrambasic, has stated that BiH and World Bank have entered a partnership relation in the project of construction of this corridor. He announced the authorities in cooperation with the World Bank will, in the next three months, will work hard to eliminate harmful contents from the project documentation and harmonise it with WB standards. |
| Cantonal PMs unhappy with court verdicts in war reparations cases
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Judiciary that is being reformed by the OHR is gravely violating laws’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic – Ten cantonal PMs from the FBiH complained to the Chairman of BiH CoM, Adnan Terzic, and FBiH PM, Ahmet Hadzipasic, that they are having problems with court decisions, by which sentences in the so-called war reparations cases are automatically taking money from the respective budgets. The cantonal PMs tasked Terzic to have talks with members of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) in order to find a way through which the courts will treat these cases as war damages i.e. that the money is not taken away automatically from the budgets, which in turn endangers and makes more difficult the functioning of authorities. “We have heard about incredible cases in which 105.000 KMs were taken from a cantonal budget owing to a verdict about a Yugo 45 (…) I think it is unacceptable and untenable”, said Terzic. According to the HJPC President, Branko Peric, the solution to the problem is enactment of a corresponding law at the state level. |
| Electricity in FBIH to become more expensive as of
| Dnevni List, pg 18 ‘Citizens and industry to be ‘electrocuted’’, mentioned on front ‘Electricity to become dearer by 50%’, by V. Soldo – Reports that two FBiH-based ‘Elektroprivredas’, namely the ‘Elektroprivreda BiH’ and ‘Elektroprivreda of Herceg Bosna’ have submitted their requests to the FBiH Regulatory Commission for Electricity (FERK) by which they demand that the price of electricity be increased by 50% as of January 1, 2006. On the same issue, Vecernji List, pg 7, mentioned on front ‘Electricity to become dearer by 72 percent’, by Zoran Kresic – says it was the FERK that proposed the increase of price by 55%, which when combined with the VAT, will mean that the price will be increased by 72%. |
Crime/Terrorism/Security | |
| Travnik explosions
| Dnevni List, pg 50, mentioned on front ‘Explosions: Furniture shop and pharmacy blown up, by Zeda, Vecernji List, pg 45, mentioned on front ‘Three explosions shake the town’, by R. S., Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 13, mentioned on front ‘Explosions shaking Travnik’, by I. Milesic, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash, pg 5 ‘Pharmacy and furniture shop destroyed’ by D.Muminovic – Three bombs exploded in Travnik downtown early Sunday morning. Police investigation is ongoing and there are still no official information regarding the explosions. Other BiH media also covered the incident. |
| DL on existence of
| Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘ |
| NATO commander Weber: NATO following 10 terrorist suspects | Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘Arrests are result of good coordination of intelligence services’, not signed – Carries the NATO commander in BiH, Louis Weber, who allegedly recently stated that NATO was following 10 persons suspected of terrorism in BiH. |
| DL op-ed: There are terrorists in BiH
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Land of terrorists of not?’, by Danijela Kozina – Carries an op-ed in which the author says that the recent assessment by the EUPM commander in BiH that BiH was not a terrorist den, is untrue. To back her claim up, Kozina reminds of the recent arrests in BiH that are linked to possible terrorist attacks in BiH and abroad. |
|
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Wahhabis are radicalizing the moderate Islam in BiH’ by |
|
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Karadzic and Mladic could have been arrested’ by D.Raduski – The analysis of the French agency |
| Korac, Serbian Vice Premier: Serbian authority is not searching after Maldic
| Nezavisne Novine pg 8, announced on cover ‘Authority in Belgrade is not looking for Mladic’ by A.Sekulic – In a page-long interview to daily, Zarko Korac, Serbian Vice Premier, says that information on story about alleged surrender of Ratko Mladic is being swiftly manipulated with in the public, expressing doubt Serbian authorities are seriously engaged in search after Mladic. He notes that Hague fugitives have lost political support in |
| GS: new evidence on crimes against Serbs in Brcko area during the war
| Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘The poker of dread and horror’ by M.Dj. – The daily reports on new evidence on crimes committed against Serbs at Boderiste near Brcko, which have been forwarded to Brcko District Prosecutor by mail by Ravnogorski cetnicki pokret. They found this message at their web site, presuming an observer of crimes sent it, clearly describing events at Boderiste. |
Miscellaneous | |
| Ljubic sends letter to HDZBiH Court of Honor
| |
| Comments by politicians in Mostar about implementation of Mostar Statute
| Dnevni List, pg 13 ‘OHR failed the exam in Mostar’, by Sanja Bjelica – Carries comments about the implementation of the Mostar Statute, in which the leader of the SBIH in Mostar, Safet Omerovic, the president of SDA Mostar, Suad Hasandedic, and president of |