Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 21 February
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| Pol. parties’ leaders to meet in Neum | Snowstorms throughout BiH | SDS and PDP on Neum mtg |
| BiH farmers gave up protest | Bush visiting | Illegal weapons collected in Prijedor |
| World news | | EU to discuss Kosovo and Metohija |
TV news broadcast on 20 February
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| OHR warns on changes to police law | Kevin Carty on police structure | Bosnian citizens back from |
| “Harvest” operation resumes | ICTY to decide on transfer of cases | Race for peace held in |
| FBiH Govt supports culture | Terzic on RS Government | |
| ICTY to decide on transfer of cases | Featurte on constitutional changes | FTAs w/ SCG discussion on Monday |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Terzic on the RS Government | Govt sells Energopetrol? | Kevin Carty on police structure |
| FTAs w/ SCG discussion on Monday | Life costs increased in FBiH | Neum mtg of pol parties |
| BiH citizen arrested in | Zitoprerada workers still without job | War damage compensation cases |
| Israeli immigrants withdrawn | Cattle breeding in Gornji Vakuf | RS draft law on violence in families |
| Oslobodjenje | Tihic not giving up on Izetbegovic’s benefits |
| Dnevni Avaz | Tihic after SDA Main Board session: Some, lagging behind the times, were dissatisfied |
| Dnevni List | War criminal from Grabovica used to work in OSCE |
| Vecernji List | Fictitious companies biggest investors |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Nezavisne Novine | EU officials demand Action plan for the visa abolishment |
| Glas Srpske | Precious icons taken away from the church in |
| EuroBlic | Features Serbian related topics |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related topics |
| Nacional | Features Serbian related topics |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Comments on Neum meeting
| RTRS at 12.00 – The representatives of SDS and PDP have today confirmed that they would take part at the Neum meeting called for by Dragan Covic. Nevenka Trfkovic, PDP Secretary General, has stated that there is a possibility of seeing PDP official re-assume their duties at BiH CoM. She has also noted that PDP officials would leave Neum meeting if the issue on constitutional changes was raised, as speculated in media lately. PDP President, Mladen Ivanic, will hold a press conference at |
| Farmers give up on protests
| RHB at 12.00 – The Association of BiH Farmers gave up the protest announced for February 24 in front of the building of the BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations after positive steps in favour of the agricultural workers have been taken in the BiH Council of Ministers. |
| Mihajlica: | FENA – SRS President Milanko Mihajlica called on the RS Government to reject the proposal on the police reform proposed by the HR Paddy Ashdown and to propose its version of that document to the RSNA. |
Neum mtg of political parties | |
| DA: All leaders of five parties will attend meeting in Neum
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘The aim is more functional BiH with cheaper administration’ by F. Vele – DA says that five ruling parties – SDA, SDS, HDZ, PDP and SBiH – have all confirmed they will attend the meeting in Neum organized by Dragan Covic. In addition to SDA leader, Sulejman Tihic, the meeting will be attended also by SDA Vice Presidents Adnan Terzic and Sefik Dzaferovic. The party says that the meeting should result with the improvements in creating more functional country with cheaper administration. Mladen Ivanic says PDP is ready to talk about functioning of the executive authorities in BiH, stressing that if the subject of RS abolishment is even started PDP will give up on such talks. SDS delegation in Neum will consist of Dragan Cavic, Borislav Paravac, Dusan Stojicic, Momcilo Novakovic and Borislav Bojic. HDZ leader, Barisa Colak, believes that all participants will acknowledge that 5 levels of authorities are too much. |
| Novakovic: SDS will seek Kovac’s dismissal in Neum | Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘SDS will demand removal of Justice Minister’ by M. Cubro – Momcilo Novakovic, SDS Chair Board member, confirmed that at the upcoming Neum meeting on 22 and 23 February, the SDS would demanddismissal of Slobodan Kovac from the position of BiH Justice Minister. Vinko Radovanovic, PDP Presidency member, should attend the meeting opn behalf of PDP. |
| Cavic, Ivanic: There is no chance constitutional changes will be discussed in Neum
| RTRS by Pejka Medic – Referring to the upcoming meeting of 5 parties in Neum, SDS President Dragan Cavic denied any possibility of discussing the constitutional changes, and assured that crisis at CoM will be the only subject at the conference: “There is no chance that changes of BIH Constitution, or any other rubbish mentioned in the media could be a subject of this conference. It’s absolutely clear, as I already said in RS National Assembly…: six political parties have signed the agreement on coordinated political acting. The first article refers to this issue. As one of the persons who signed the agreement, I will not participate in any discussions, which are not result of consensus within RS.” PDP President Mladen Ivanic confirmed that the only subject of the conference in Neum is a possible solution for the crisis at the CoM. SBIH representative Safet Halilovic stated that the purpose of conference in Neum is to determine the problems at the state level. The conference in Neum will be the first joint conference of BIH position parties. |
| Ivanic discards possibility of DPA change; Terzic believes not talks on BiH internal structure this year | Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Too many people involved’ by G. Dakic – Commenting on the most recent proposal of Balkans Resolution, Mladen Ivanic, PDP President, rejects any possibility of seeing the Dayton Peace Agreement change, adding: “Dayton, decentralised BiH is not an obstruction to BiH admission into EU. As for BiH Constitution, it can only be changed with the assent of RS and F BiH officials.” PINK by Aida Doric – On the constitutional changes, the Chair of BiH CoM, Adnan Terzic, said “There is no need to speak about the RS, FBiH, District Brcko, etc. I think that we should not discuss BiH’s interior structure in this year, instead this, we should bring things in the accordance with the European standards.” Terzic believes that the IC will have to intervene if agreement is not to be reached. OHR has stated that issue of constitutional changes are matter of BiH citizens and politicians. |
| Colak expects leaders to acknowledge 5 level of authorities in BiH too much
| Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Constitutional changes will not begin in Neum!’ by Z. Kresic – On the eve of the meeting in Neum, HDZ President Barisa Colak stated that he is expecting from SDA, SDS, PDP and SBiH leaders to realize at this meeting that the current organization of BiH does not take this country to Europe. Colak also rejected media judgments, which say that the Neum meeting is exclusively an introduction to constitutional changes. Colak added: ‘I would not bring this meeting at all in relation with the introduction to constitutional changes. During the last year we had reforms which caused constitutional changes.’ He also said that the constitutional changes will certainly come at the agenda and he called on other authority representatives and representatives of other political parties to take over the initiative for the future of BiH from the International Community. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘The aim is more functional BiH with cheaper administration’ by F. Vele – DA also carries that Colak believes that all participants will acknowledge that 5 levels of authorities are too much. |
| DL op-ed on const. changes
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Constitutional changes or?’ by I. Glibusic carries an editorial which says that talks on constitutional changes announced for this week are nothing else but another attempt that some political elements appear in public as unquestionable fighters for a new and better BiH and the author says that we should ask ourselves whether these talks will bring anything concrete or they will just serve for scoring political points. According to the editorial, none disputes that BiH needs a new Constitution, which would take BiH to |
Other political issues | |
| Terzic: Situation with resignations in CoM will be solved by the end of week
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Situation with ministerial resignations will be solved by the end of the week’ by Srna – The Chair of the BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, stated that by the end of the week the situation with resignations filed by Mladen Ivanic, Branko Dokic and Zoran Tesanovic, will be clear. Terzic said he intends to keep CoM in current composition, however if that proves impossible the solution would be found as soon as possible. CoM Chair notes that upcoming meeting of the ruling political parties in Neum is the great opportunity to solve this issue. PINK, NTV Hayat, Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Same majority’ by SRNA; EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Terzic: No stretching’ by SRNA– Terzic also said that fact that the RS Government became operative and functional was positive, since such fact was of extreme importance for reforms carried out in BiH. He added that it was not possible to discuss the quality of the RS Government, and that time would prove whether the government was ready to cooperate with BiH Council of Ministers and FBiH Government. |
| Tihic says “few, whose time has passed, are dissatisfied” with SDA policy
| Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Some, whose time has passed, are dissatisfied’ and pg 2 ‘Unfulfilled appetites of individuals whose time has passed exist’ by A. Malagic – SDA President Sulejman Tihic has rejected claims he was changing SDA concept through his work and activities. He says such claims were brought by dissatisfied individuals who are no longer members of party structure since they have lost support of the base. Asked whether the session of the Main Board, held on Saturday, means dividing of the party in two streams – one conservative-religious and the other that supports the idea of opening of the party and its pro-European and democratic path, Tihic has said: ‘In a way, one can define it like this. Actually, streams that are not entirely dedicated to pro-Bosnian and pro-European path are expressing their dissatisfaction with SDA policy.” Tihic concludes that SDA faces with a number of efforts aimed at destabilizing the party, coming from some opposition parties and even some party pf the international community. |
| Oslobodjenje:‘Tihic is still not renouncing Izetbegovic’s privileges’
| Oslobodjenje cover pg splash ‘Tihic is still not renouncing Izetbegovic’s privileges’, pgs 4 and 5 ‘Hilmo Neimarlija opposes one-man party’ by Az. Kalamujic – Former member of SDA leadership Hilmo Neimarlija has suggested SDA president should be stripped of the right to nominate presidency members and deputy presidents. Some speculate on gathering of former members in some sort of religious fraction within SDA that would be working on overthrowing the current leadership with Sulejman Tihic at the head. SDA Secretary General Sefik Dzaferovic thinks the current procedure of election of party leadership do not leave an opportunity to SDA President to elect the Presidency autonomously. Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Some, whose time has passed, are dissatisfied’, pg 2 inset ‘Party’s president is formal proponent of the top leadership’ by A. Malagic – In a statement for DA, Tihic stresses that it is common practice in all parties for president to propose the top leadership, following the consultations with personnel commission and all party levels. |
| VL: Tihic or Terzic to be next SDA President?
| Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Sulejman Tihic or Adnan Terzic to be SDA President’ by M. Relota carries that Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic and Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic will be fighting of the position of the SDA President at the SDA Congress that is to take place in May this year. VL also says that in spite of speculations, Bakir Izetbegovic will not become the SDA President, however, in the inter-party struggle between Tihic and Terzic it would be crucial as to whom Bakir Izetbegovic will give his support. |
| Mikerevic: PDP paid high price for cooperation with SDS
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6, announced on cover ‘We paid a high price over cooperation with the SDS’ by V. Popovic – Dragan Mikerevic, former RS premier and member of the PDP Presidency, says that PDP would act as opposition at RS NA, with a clear distinction towards SDS, “since PDP has so far paid a high price for having cooperated and been in coalition with this party”. He says that during the voting for the government of Pero Bukejlovic, he has voted for less of two bad solutions. He notes that at the beginning almost two thirds of the PDP membership shared the view they should not even vote for the new government. He also admits PDP had initially proposed Milorad Dodik should be PM designate. Mikerevic also denies speculation there are rifts at PDP, as well as that he would form the party. |
| NN: EU officials demand action plan for visa regime abolishment towards Western Balkans
| Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash, pg 3 ‘EU officials demand Action plan for the visa abolishment’ by M. Cubro – Bernard Bot and Jean Azelborn, the former and present President of the Council of Ministers of European Union, in a letter to the European Commissioner for Administration, Justice and Security, Franc Fratini, proposed the creation of the action plan for the abolishment of visa regime towards Western Balkans’ states. The letter was addressed in November 2004. |
| Vrhbosna Auxiliary Bishop on position of BiH Croats | Dnevni List pg 2 ‘It was warned of position of BiH Croats’ by De.L. carries that Vrhbosna Auxiliary Bishop Pero Sudar warned on Friday on Radio Herceg Bosna of a dissatisfactory position of BiH Croats and he added: ‘Croats in the RS and the Federation of BiH have been reduced to the people who cannot decide about anything.’ Sudar also said that everybody who loves BiH has right to demand change of the Dayton Peace Accord. |
Police and defence reforms | |
| Carty: Some PIFWCs protected by persons involved with organized crime
| BHT 1, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘War criminals protected by criminals’ by ONASA, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘War criminals are protected by criminals’ – EUPM Commissioner, Kevin Carty, stated that some of persons indicted for war crimes at large are being protected by the networks of people involved in the organized crimes. In an interview to PINK, RTRS – However, Carty said that police reforms do not necessarily stipulate abolishment of the RS Interior Ministry. |
| OHR warns proposed amendments to FBiH law on police jeopardize ranks and promotions system
| RHB, BHT1, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Carefully with the amendments to the police law’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Proposed amendments jeopardize system of ranks and promotions’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Amendments have negative effect on laws’ by NINA, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘OHR warned HoR’ by ra, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Draft Law on F BiH police harmonised with the Law at the BiH level’ by ONASA– OHR issued a press release stating that the FBiH House of Representatives on Tuesday will debate the draft laws on police officials and interior affairs in Federation BiH, and that the two laws are fully harmonized with the positive laws that regulate police affairs at the state level, especially the Law on Police Officials BiH. OHR stresses that a certain number of proposed amendments could produce a negative effect on the law creating non-harmonization between the Entity and the State laws. “If the proposed amendments are adopted, they will jeopardize the uniformed system of ranks and promotions and create a disproportional system, which would burden any mobility between the police bodies at different levels”, was announced by the OHR. |
| Party for BiH dissatisfied with police reform
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Foca is offending them’ – The Party for BiH on Sunday expressed its dissatisfaction with the proposal regarding the organisation of police forces in BiH in 10 regions. This Party is dissatisfied in particular with the organisation of the region the seat of which is in Foca, the |
| GS: Allegations against Fadil Jaganjac for involvement in money laundering | Glas Srpske pg 4 ‘In the chain of allegations’ by V. Janjic – Fadil Jaganjac, the Chief of the Airport Field Office “Aeorodromi” of the BiH SBS, who is one of the candidates for the position of the RS Police Director, is under investigation on suspicion of his “involvement in an international ring of money laundering”. This was confirmed to the daily by circles close to the investigation. |
| NN in w/ Gregorian: ‘Nobody wants to be the first to accept the abolishment of military service’
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘Nobody wants to be the first to accept the abolishment of military service’ by D. Risojevic – In a half-a-page interview to NN, Rafi Gregorian, Chairperson of the Defence Reform Commission, has resumed, talks with the most senior officials of both entities, on the upcoming defence reform. He expresses expectation that the proposal for the reform should enter parliament procedure at the beginning of May this year, adding: “:I believe it is possible to reach a political agreement on principles of defence reform and flow of activities.” He adds: “I have informed RS President Dragan Cavic of talks I had with the ruling parties’ and opposition officials on defence reform, in regard to idea on a complete professionalization of armed forces and possibility of seeing the military reserves abolished.” |
War crimes | |
| ICTY justices to discuss transfer of cases to BiH Court
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Decision on transferring cases to Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Will case ‘Mejkic and others’ be transferred to BiH’ by L. Sinanovic – In an statement to DA, Hellman says that there is a chance that case ‘Mejkic and others’ will be kept in the ICTY. The prosecution asked for this case to be transferred to BiH authorities, however defence doubted the just and fair trial while SCG authorities proposed to have case transferred to Belgrade. RHB, BHT 1, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Discussion on hand-over of cases to BiH judiciary soon’ by S. Karic; EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘The Hague can hand over two cases to BiH Court’ by SRNA, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Decision on transferring of cases to BiH Court soon’ by De. L., Vecernji List pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Lower-ranked cases from The Hague to Sarajevo’ by V. Rupcic, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 12 ‘Mejakic and Stankovic before BiH Court?’ by D. Pasic– also reported. |
| DL: ‘War criminal from Grabovica used to work in OSCE’
| Dnevni List cover pg splash and pg 6 ‘War criminal from Grabovica used to work in OSCE’ by M. Batarello carries that Enes Sakrak testified as a Prosecution witness against General Sefer Halilovic charged with the war crimes committed over Croat civilians in village Grabovcia near Jablanica in 1993. DL says that Sakrak has come to The Hague directly from a prison in BiH where he is serving 9-year sentence for the murder of two Croat civilians in Grabovica. During his testimony Sakrak confirmed that The Hague investigators were the first ones who questioned him about this crime. Talking about the war crime itself Sakrak said that they received the order to kill all Croats in Grabovica, however he does not know who sent this order. The article says it is ironic that after demobilization Sakrak used to work in the Commission for War Crimes Investigation and then in the OSCE. |
| Srebrenica Working Group unlikely to complete work by end of February
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Report unlikely to be completed as planned’ by V.P. – A member of the Srebrenica Working Group told the daily that it would not solely depend on Group’s work whether this Group would be able to complete its report by the end of February but, also, on institutions, such as the RS Army, OSA, SIPA, SBS and others, that have the obligation of submitting documents to the Group. According to him, the priority in the work of the group is to identify persons within law enforcement structures of BiH, who were involved in the crimes committed in Srebrenica. |
Economic affairs / other issues | |
| Arnoro crew returns from Gabon
| BHT 1, Hayat, Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Never again to Gabon’, mentioned on cover ‘Pilots returned home’ by D. Jazvic – Three BiH citizens, Refik Focic, Ajdin Fejzic and Elvis Tabakovic, employees of the Arnoro private airplane company, arrived in Sarajevo on Saturday evening after being held in Gabon for a month. The Director of Arnoro company Branko Vuckovic will submit a detailed report to the BiH Office for Civil Aviation, which has already announced that it will undertake certain measures against Arnoro company for disregarding regulations on airplane renting. Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘They transported 100 instead of 60 allowed passengers’ by Az.K. – Daily carries that the crew, while working in Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Vuckovic announces lawsuit against FTV, and Focic against Arnor?’ by L.S. – Director of Arnor company, Branko Vuckovic, announced he would most probably file charges against FTV for broadcasting the story on this company in negative light. |
| BiH/SCG commission to discuss implementation of FTA | Hayat, Pink, BHT 1 – The BiH – SCG commission for monitoring the implementation of the Free Trade Agreements between two countries will take place on Monday in |
| VL: Fictitious companies biggest investors in BiH
| Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Fictitious companies biggest investors’ and pg 2 ‘Virgin Islands are among biggest investors to BiH’ by Z. Kresic says that US Caribbean Islands and Dutch Antilles have been among the biggest investors in BiH during the last ten years of the BiH economy. VL says that this information would not be especially interesting if it was not known that these exotic islands usually hide companies, which do not pay taxes or it is simply about capital of doubtful origin. VL also reminds that the biggest post-war investment in BiH (when LNM took over majority of shares in BH Steel) was done through Dutch Antilles. |
| FTV says FBiH Govt to seel Energopetrol
| FTV – FTV reports that the once prominent company, “Energopetrol” today owes almost 65 millions of KM to various banks and to BiH. At the same time, this oil company is due to pay back for mortgage credits, while former management built and opened gas stations without any plan and business logic. Namik Busatlic, Director of Energopetrol,, said that some of these gas stations are totally unprofitable. In the meantime, the FBiH Government has decided to sell Energopetrol in a month time, and so far eight potential buyers expressed their interest in the purchase. Government officials claim that Energopertol will be sold to a company with a best offer and best reputation. |
| DL: ‘Losses amounting to millions KM incurred by public RTV broadcasters’
| Dnevni List pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Losses amounting to millions KM incurred by public RTV broadcasters’ by A. Beus carries that the audit in 3 public RTV broadcasters for the period from January until March last year has shown that their debts are increasing, that is, that they are spending money that they do not have. DL also says that the audit was carried out by a Greek branch office of ‘Ernst&Young’ and although they did not carry out control of the whole financial documentation the audit results show that they incurred losses amounting to millions KM. Director of the Public RTV Service Drago Maric confirmed that the audit was carried out and added: ‘It is true that we had a loss amounting to 984 000 KM, however, we are expecting our annual report on financial operations and I believe that we shall not have the loss.’ |
| DL: Decision on Eronet case at end of March
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Decision on Eronet case at end of March’ by J. Petrovic – The Panel of Judges of the Federation of BiH Supreme Court will discus the Eronet case this week. A source close to DL confirmed this information and also said that it is realistic to expect he decision on this case at the end of March. |
| VL int w/ Sahbaz Dzihanovic on reduction of public administration
| Vecernji List pg 6 ‘I am obliged to encourage initiatives in legislative and executive authorities’ by Z. Mihaljevic carries an interview with FBiH President Sahbaz Dzihanovic who mostly talks about his proposal of measures and constitutional solutions on the ground of which the FBiH administration would be considerably reduced. Dzihanovic also said: ‘Unfortunately, all reforms which have been implemented in BiH were launched by the International Community. Quite often they were insufficient and they did not suit our needs, however, I would not blame the IC for this situation but us who are obliged to change the things in BiH, to launch the issues that we should resolve and offer concrete solutions for them. ‘ |
| NN op-ed on seeing BiH go bankrupt
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Who is moving us towards bankruptcy?’ by Dragan Risojevic – The author refers to the most recent warnings regarding BiH’s heading towards bankruptcy. Analysing as to whether the problem is represented through institutions, number of employees, their salaries or maybe the large number of institutions, he concludes somebody would soon have to present in public the book of expenditures of each provision. Somebody would have to be, according to him, the Task Force for Fiscal Sustainability. |
| 455 Serb families demand compensation of war damage from FBIH | RTRS – Following the recommendation of the Human Rights Court in Strasburg, Sarajevo Cantonal Court accepted the charges filed by the of 455 Serb families from Sarajevo and Tuzla against FBIH authorities. The Serb families demand compensation for their property which has been destroyed during the war. The first trial will start on May 19th. The families invited RS authorities to stop the compensations payments to Bosniaks until FBIH authorities start paying war damage compensations to Serbs. |