OHR BiH Media Round-up, 21/1/2006
TV news broadcast onJanuary 20, 2006
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Regional News | Nikola Kovacevic says he is not guilty | 42 killed in an airplane crash |
| Regional News | Regional News | Captain Dragan arrested in Australia |
| Regional News | Regional News | Nikola Kovacevic pleads not guilty |
| Regional News | Regional News | The Hague activities |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| World News | Gas supplies to BiH reduced | Critics to Sifet Podzic |
| UN on decertified policemen | WN: extreme cold in Russia | Regional News |
| World News | BiH farmers not informed about VAT | Nikola Kovacevic said he is not guilty |
| BHT 1 reporter war crime suspect? | Consequences of VAT introduction | SIPA on RS MoI action in Zepa |
| Oslobodjenje | Karadzic and Mladic are probably not in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Weber interview) |
| Dnevni Avaz | Bruce Hitchner: Negotiations did not fail |
| Dnevni List | Where does most wanted Herzegovinian terrorist hide himself? |
| Vecernji List | BiH is already ethnically divided state (Helsinki Committee’s annual report) |
| Nezavisne Novine | Captain Dragan arrested |
Political Developments | |
| PIC SB Ambassadors warn there cannot be politicization of BiH Armed Forces
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 ‘Criticism against Podzic does not lead to EU and NATO standards’, not signed, Nezavisne Novine, pg 2 Politicization of BiH Armed Forces unacceptable’, by G. M – The Ambassadors of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board has issued a public statement on Friday emphasizing that they do not agree with any kind of attempt to politicise the command and control over armed forces. Recent criticism of the Head of Joint Command of BiH Armed Forces Sifet Podzic, for activities he undertook as part of his duties as a commander of BiH joint armed forces, are improper and certainly not the way to establish EU and NATO standards in BiH armed forces, PIC Steering Board stated on Friday. |
| Ambassador Prica: UN SC promised it would discuss issue of decertified police officers | Hayat – By Nebojsa Radulovic – BiH Ambassador to the UN Milos Prica stated that UN Security Council has promised to put on an agenda the issue of decertified police officers by the end of January. Prica stated that he felt optimistic regarding the outcome of UN Security Council discussion. He stated that UN realised that these police officers had no one to talk to and ask for help. |
| SNSD on RS Government, constitutional changes, Tihic on RS Govt, other comments on constitutional changes
| RTRS – By Marina Marjanovic – SNSD Caucus asked from Dusan Stojcic, RSNA Speaker, to schedule special session of RSNA to file motion of vote of no confidence in the RS Government. SNSD believes that Stojicic manipulates the RSNA and is buying time for PM Pero Bukejlovic’s Government. Stojcic scheduled session for January 23. SNSD senses that negotiations on constitutional changes should be continued after elections in October. SNDS is satisfied with agreement made on CoM and Laws on human rights and believes that more could be agreed if there were no huge demands form FBiH parties. Association of Serb NGOs believes that conclusions from negotiations on constitutional changes should be announced publicly. Serb Radical Party Dr. Vojislav Seselj called SDS, SNSD and PDP coalition that destroys RS because those parties voted for all transfers of power from RS to BiH. Sulejman Tihic, SDA Chair said that SDA representatives in the RSNA would vote for no confidence in the RS Government. (SNSD’s statement also featured in Nezavisne Novine, pg 4 ‘Stojicic buying time for Government’, by V. Popovic) |
| Oslobodjenje interview: Boyle insists US offering Serbia to give Kosovo up and get RS in return
| Oslobodjenje, pg 4 of supplement ‘Pogledi’, ‘America tells Serbia: here is RS for you, give Kosovo up’, by Marina Kavaz – Sirucic – carries a whole pg interview with professor Francis Boyle, in which he reiterates his earlier claim that the aim of the current constitutional reform talks is to prepare the ground for separation of RS from BiH in 5-10 years time, which would eventually join Serbia. In return, Serbia would have to give Kosovo up. Inset ‘Lawsuit’ carries Boyle as saying that the US and UK are still applying pressure on BiH to give the lawsuit against SiCG up. Boyle notes that Richard Holbrooke and Jack Straw ‘desecrated’ the last ceremony at Potocari when they tried to convince Sulejman Tihic to give the lawsuit up, however Tihic declined. |
| Avaz interview: Hitchner says constitutional talks have not failed
| Dnevni Avaz, front pg splash and pg 5 ‘Bruce Hitchner: Negotiations did not fail’, by Sead Numanovic – carries an interview with the chairman of NGO ‘Dayton project’, Bruce Hitchner, who took part in the constitutional reforms talks. Hitchner disagrees with assessments that the talks have failed. He explains that the next 10-15 days will be of crucial importance, since it is possible that the things that have been agreed upon will be accepted after all. Furthermore, he notes that the ‘silence’ that followed after the end of this phase of talks is ‘indicative’, meaning that it shows that many things are happening ‘in silence’, which in turn opens a possibility for success. However, Hitchner does not rule out a possibility of a failure either. Moreover, Hitchner says his personal engagement now shifts onto something ever more important, which will follow after the 2006 elections, the issue of organization of authorities bellow the state level – entities, cantons and municipalities. |
| NHI: Parties have no power and will to continue constitutional reforms talks | RHB, Oslobodjenje, pg 8 ‘No power, no will for reforms’, not signed – NHI party deems that talks on constitutional changes shouldn’t be continued since none of the participants have the power and willingness to finish the talks. NHI claims that this situation gives arguments to the nationalistic parties to frighten the people and divert their attention from the real problems in life. |
| Avaz op-ed: Indifference of political parties is dangerous for BiH’s European future
| Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 ‘Dangerous failure’, by Sead Numanovic – the author claims that the ‘indifference’ of political parties regarding the failure of constitutional reforms talks could be very dangerous for BiH’s European future, which is good enough a reason to start what Numanovic calls a ‘political panic’. Numanovic warns that the mood in the EU is changing, since the liberals and their ideas are being changed by conservatives, who advocate stopping of EU expansion plans. |
| RS Govt to undertake measures regarding dean Lukic
| FTV – RS Government has decided to introduce provisional measures in the LawSchool in Eastern Sarajevo due to illegal activities of the bodies of this faculty, and for the protection of this faculty, students and employees. Government announced that the necessary activities would be defined and carried out over the next several days. (also in Dnevni Avaz, g 4 ‘Provisional administration at Law School at East Sarajevo’, by Fena, Nezavisne Novine, pg 8 ‘Removal of Lukic announced’, by G. Maunaga (NB: despite the headline in NN, the article itself does not specifically announces removal of dean Radomir Lukic) |
| Belkic warns that issue of higher education in BiH is politicized
| RHB – During the panel discussion on higher education organised in Sarajevo by “BIH youth”, SBIH party official, Beriz Belkic, talked about obstruction in adoption of the higher education law. He confirmed that the entire issue has been politicised. “We would greatly benefit from the Bologna system implementation. Universities have started to implement it individually but the state has to support it” stated Belkic. He reminded that Bologna system meant BIH diplomas to be internationally recognised, standardisation of criteria, harmonisation with EU standards, fighting the discrimination, defining the status of Universities etc. Belkic stated that all young people have the right to be educated in their mother tongue. Hayat – BIH Youth expressed hopes that the higher education would not be that politicised in future adding that the conclusions of the panel discussion will be sent to Commission of the BIH Parliament. |
| Perkovic: No visa will be requested for Turkey , SCG citizens
| BHT – Report by Lejla Redzovic-Medosevic – Assistant BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Zoran Perkovic stated that BiH would not introduce visa regime for citizens of Turkey and Serbia-Montenegro. There have been no requests from the European Union for the change of the visa regime towards those two countries, claim representatives of the BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs. BiH and SCG have a mutual goal – admission to the Euro-Atlantic integration, which should be preceded by the liberalisation of the visa regime for those two countries. The relations between two countries are good, and even the BiH lawsuit against SCG for aggression and genocide will not change it, stated Dragan Djurovic from the SCG Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Reporter concluded that BiH and SCG have signed 22 bilateral agreements during last five years, and another five are yet to be signed. (also reported by RHB, Pink, Hayat, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘BiH is not introducing visas to SiCG and Turkey after all’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic, Nezavisne Novine, pg 6 ‘There are no requests to introduce visas for citizens of SCG and Turkey’, by A. Sisic) |
| SDHR Ney warns of slow moving of FBiH ministries to Mostar
| RHB – SDHR Martin Ney stated that his request sent over a month ago to FBIH Prime Minister Ahmed Hadzipasic on relocation of FBIH Ministries to Mostar from Sarajevo hasn’t been completed. He stated that out of 3 Ministries that were supposed to be relocated, only two have completed the mover. Ney reminded that two Ministries were already in Mostar. He expects this issue to be finished soon. |
| VL: HDZ to ask that a Croat be FBiH Minister of Energy and Industry
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Zigic’s successor will be a Croat’, by zk – the article announces a meeting between the HDZ, SDA and SBiH scheduled for next week, which should be addressing pending issues among the parties, including the failure to adopt the FBiH budget for 2006. VL learns from ‘several parties sources’ that the HDZ will during the said meeting request that a Croat be appointed the FBiH Minister of Energy, the office that is now vacant after the resignation of minister Izet Zigic. |
War Crimes | |
| Captain Dragan wanted for crimes in Croatia arrested in Sidney
| BHT – Report by Mirela Cosic – Dragan Vasiljkovic, AKA Captain Dragan, who is indicted for war crimes committed in Croatia, was arrested on Friday and detained in Sydney prison. Croatia accuses Vasiljkovic of war crimes committed against civilians and prisoners during the war in Croatia, i.e. Knin and Benkovac, in 1991 and 1992, where he served as the commander of a paramilitary unit known as ‘Knindje’. Sydney court ordered that Vasiljkovic would remain in custody until he is interrogated, most likely on Friday, January 27. Croatian Minister of Justice Vesna Skare-Ozbolt announced that Croatia would file a request for the extradition as soon as possible. (also reported by RHB, Pink, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje, pg 13 ‘Captain Dragan arrested’, by Fena, Dnevni Avaz, pg 18 ‘Captain Dragan awaits extradition in prison’, by agencies, Dnevni List, pg 18 ‘Extradition request from Croatia awaited for’, not signed, Vecernji List, pg 13 ‘Captain Dragan arrested in Sidney’, by Silvana Perica, Nezavisne Novine, front pg splash and pg 3 ‘Captain Dragan arrested’, by S. Karic) |
| Oslobodjenje: Captain Dragan will not be indicted for war crimes in Zvornik area
| Oslobodjenje, pg 6, mentioned on front ‘Captain Dragan will not be held responsible for Zvornik’, by A. Avdic – following the abovementioned arrest, the daily got a confirmation (it would appear to be an unnamed cantonal prosecution) that the BiH judiciary will not be leading an investigation on Captain Dragan’s role in wartime events from Zvornik during spring of 1992. Apparently, there are witnesses’ statements that accuse Vasiljkovic of involvement in crimes committed in Zvornik in spring of 1992. |
| BiH Court : Kovacevic says he is not guilty for crimes against Bosniaks and Croats I
| BHT – Report by Boris Grubesic, Marina Martinovic – Nikola Kovacevic, previously known as Danilusko Kajtez, indicted for the war crimes committed in the area of Bosanska Krajina, Sanski Most and Manjaca prison camp, pleaded before the Court of BiH not guilty on all counts of the indictment. Kovacevic is indicted for participation in military attacks on civilians, illegal imprisonment, torturing and beating Bosniak and Croat civilians in several detention units. According to the judge for preliminary proceedings, Hilmo Vucinic, Council now has maximum of 90 days to schedule the main hearing in this case. (also reported by RHB, Pink, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje, pg 3 ‘Nikola Kovacevic pleads not guilty’, not signed, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘I could have asked for trials in Belgrade’, by E. Mackic, Nezavisne Novine, pg 6 ‘Kovacevic says he is not guilty’, by A. D.) |
| Prosecutor in Abazovic case awaits forensics results
| Nezavisne Novine, pg 6, mentioned on front ‘Prosecutor does not know who fired first’, by D. Muminovic – commenting on the course of investigation on the Abazovic case, the prosecutor of East Sarajevo District Prosecution, Anica Vukadin, says the forensics report is not completed yet. “We cannot claim with certainty who fired and who fired first until we have received detailed forensics results”, said Vukadin. |
| Brig-Gen Weber: Karadzic and Mladic are probably not in BiH
| Oslobodjenje, front pg splash and pgs 4-5 ‘Karadzic and Mladic are probably not in Bosnia and Herzegovina’, by Antonio Prlenda – carries an interview with the NATO HQ commander in BiH, Brig-Gen Louis Weber, in which he, whilst talking about the arrest of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, says it is likely that the two are not in BiH. “I am pretty sure that is the case. There are no absolute guarantees, however there are less reports that they have been sighted here”, said Weber. This triggered the journalist to ask Weber how it is possible that BiH joins the Partnership for Peace if Karadzic is not extradited since Karadzic is not in BiH, to which Weber replied: “It is a political issue, which is often being discussed in the IC and NATO HQ. However, NATO wants to be sure that BiH did everything it can to solve the issue”. |
| Oslobodjenje comment on Zepa operation: RS authorities are making fun of IC, victims of aggression and genocide
| Oslobodjenje, pg 9 ‘First class insult’, by Mirko Sagolj – comments on the RS police’s operation in the Zepa area the aim of which was to arrest Ratko Mladic. Sagolj insists that the RS authorities in the ‘Dayton-like BiH’ are ridiculing the IC and especially victims of aggression and genocide in BiH by staging an alleged operation to arrest Mladic. According to Sagolj, to send Dragan Andan, the RS Police Director, after Mladic, is the same if Andan were sent to arrest Andan himself, given the strong ties the two had during the war. |
| RS associations on Palic case: HR Ashdown is biased | RTRS – RS Association of families of prisoners of war, dead soldiers and missing civilians sent the HR, Paddy Ashdown, a letter. Association believes that the HR by his order to RS Government to form commission for finding missing colonel of BiH Army Avdo Palic proved to be bias. |
| Oslobodjenje wonders what Prosecutor Jurcevic plans to do regarding Palic case
| Oslobodjenje, pg 7, mentioned on front ‘Does State Prosecutor have the power for them?’, by E. Kamenica – Following the press conference of the HR Paddy Ashdown, in which he laid down measures that need to be undertaken with regards to the ‘Palic’ case, Oslobodjenje wanted to contact the BiH Chief Prosecutor, Marinko Jurcevic, to see whether the BiH Prosecution had any plans about the case, however nobody in the BiH Prosecution was answering the phone on Friday. However the daily sent several inquiries by an e-mail. Namely, Oslobodjenje wants to know whether Jurcevic plans to undertake any action, and why no one has issued Interpol arrest warrants for Dragutin Pecanac and Radomir Furtul, who are labelled by the daily as the key figures for shedding light on the ‘Palic’ case. |
| BHT1 reporter charged with war crimes
| Hayat – Presenter stated that there is a speculation that BHT 1 reporter Gvozden Sarac has been charged with committing war crimes. BHT 1 requested the confirmation of this information by the relevant authorities adding that Sarac was not charged with war crimes at the time of his appointment. Dnevni Avaz, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Even BHT1’s journalist Gvozden Sarac suspected of war crimes’, by A. Malagic – according to Avaz, the District Prosecution of East Sarajevo, at the order of the BiH Court, started an investigation against 6 persons, namely Rade Przulj, Vuleta Govedarica, Bozidar Radovic, Miodrag Lalovic, Milan Vasic and Sarac. According to Avaz’s information, Przulj was the chief of police during the war in the then Serb Sarajevo, whilst the other suspects were members of police tasked with guarding prisoners in the infamous ‘Kula’ prison. BHT says Sarac is on leave. Sarac was not available on mobile phone for comment. (also featured in Nezavisne Novine, pg 2 ‘BHT1 journalist suspected of war crime from ‘Kula’’, by M. Cubro |
VAT | |
| VAT’s worst consequence in RS is that prices of medicines have gone up
| BHT – Report by Boris Gagic – Value Added Tax introduction caused an increase in prices of medicines, and the RS Ministry of Health and Social Welfare cannot do anything about it, claim representatives of the RS Government. According to BHT reporter, the increase in the prices of medicines is the worst consequence of VAT introduction so far. The Health Insurance Fund and the Agency for Medicines are responsible for determining the price of medicines in RS; Health Insurance Fund has already drawn up the list of medicines that are issued by the prescription and published it on internet, without informing RS Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. They claim that the VAT is already included in the price of those medicines, which means that pharmacies are illegally trying to realize some profit. (similar reports featured by FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, pg 4 ‘VAT already included in price of medicines’, by G. Maunaga) |
| FTV: Farmers in central Bosnia do not know anything about VAT
| FTV – Report by Nadja Ridzic – Although Value Added Tax was introduced 20 days ago, many people in BiH are still not familiar with the regulations of VAT Law. FTV brings feature story on agricultural producers from central Bosnia, who basically have no idea what VAT means for them. “We have no idea, we don’t know anything about VAT”, reiterated several interviewed farmers. They urged local authorities and competent institutions to explain them what they have to do to enter VAT system, because they – although totally uninformed – believe that it would do them only good. |
| FBiH Monitoring Team in Mostar checking into prices of basic groceries, unofficial reports say Team unhappy with cantonal inspections in HNC
| FTV – On Friday, members of the FBiH Price Monitoring Team visited Mostar, officially because the prices of bread and other basic life groceries are biggest in this canton, the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton that is. But, as FTV unofficially learns, the real reason for this visit is the fact that the officials of the FBiH Price Monitoring Team are unhappy with the work of cantonal inspections. In the meantime, inspectors discovered that the profit rates for bread, milk, cooking oil and flour in this canton have been drastically increased, up to 20 percent. “We have to take more intensive steps in this canton, just like we did in other cantons… Medicines are also the problem, but it is the problem in the whole FBiH, even bigger than in RS”, stated Coordinator of the FBiH Price Monitoring Team Ibrahim Tirak. BHT – The prices of products of Mostar’s ‘Zitopromet’ company (bakery) and dairy companies from Tuzla and Bihac have been increased the most, so FBiH Price Monitoring Team announced that certain measures would be taken against those companies. Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘Bread for 1KM again’, by I. B. C. – according to the general manager of ‘Zitopromet’, Drago Zelenika, the company will as of today (Saturday) start producing bread that will be sold for the pre-VAT price, 1KM that is. However, the weight of the bread will be decreased to 500 grams. |
Miscellaneous | |
| RS PM Bukejlovic promises support for building of new premises for RTRS | RTRS – By Nada Arlov – RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic and Mayor of Banja Luka Dragoljub Davidovic promised support for new RTRS buildings, which are going to be (built) at a new location, former military camp Mali Logor in Banja Luka . RTRS hopes that both Government and City will fulfil promise and provide financial resources for new facilities of RTRS. |
| Helsinki Committee in BiH warns of ethnic divisions in BiH
| BHT – In its report for 2005, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BiH refuted the statistical data presented by the BiH Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees and UNHCR, according to which approximately 50 percent of refugees and displaced persons, i.e. one million people, have returned to their pre-war homes. The interest for the proper return is lowering, and more and more citizens are trying to find a possibility for moving into the areas where they will be in the majority, warned the Helsinki Committee. (report also featured in Vecernji List, front pg splash and pg 3 ‘BiH is already ethnically divided state’, by Dejan Jazvic) |
| DL reminds: One of Herzegovinian most wanted criminals at large for years | Dnevni List, front pg splash and pgs 16-17 ‘Where does most wanted Herzegovinian terrorist hide himself?’, by I. Culina – the article reminds that police has been trying to arrest Dalibor Jelic, age 31 from Sovici, for years already. Jelic is suspected of committing a series of felonies, including planting explosive devices in Mostar and Sarajevo and carrying out bank robberies in Herzegovina. |