| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18:00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19:00 hrs) | FED TV (19:30 hrs) | RT RS (19:30) |
| Pope calls for peace | Easter celebration | Easter celebration | Pope’s message of peace |
| CRO Culture Min. in BiH | Pope’s message of peace | Palestine-Israel clashes | Easter holiday |
| SARS situation | Ecological problems | Hum. disaster in Iraq | Serbian opinion poll |
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| SNSD on Djeric’s dismissal |
| Oslobodjenje | Privatisation revision causes dispute between unions; Tuzla penitentiary – inmates got into a fight; From September – construction of Ferhadija |
| Dnevni Avaz | An FBiH defence plan stolen!; Easter marked in the entire BiH; Biber – Avdagic protecting bosses and his suspicious stocks; Karadzic’s minister to be tried in Zenica |
| Glas Srpski | The RS Ministry for Construction and Urbanisation – prison for illegal constructions; Srenbrenica – share holders demand compensation |
| Nezavisne Novine | Catholic believers mark greatest Christian holiday – Easter celebrated; Clifford Bond, US Ambassador to BiH – BiH institutions do not have enough strength to confront crime; Nebojsa Radmanovic – the SNSD demands removals of Djeric and Njegus |
| Blic | Mirsad Kebo – refugees may choose either to return or to stay; Marin Kvaternik – no reason for panicking because of SARS |
| LJILJAN | Departure of Naser Oric to The Hague – why Bosniak politicians keep silent? |
Political Affairs | |
| SNSD requests
| Avaz pg. 4 ‘The SNSD requesting the removal of Djeric and Njegus’ – the SNSD yesterday assessed that RS Minister of Interior, Zoran Djeric, and RS Police Director, Radomir Njegus, should be removed since they ‘did nothing to fight crime’. SNSD Spokesperson, Nebojsa Radmanovic, stated RS government president should remove the two if he is capable of doing it, adding that Djeric was in the function of protecting crime in the RS. Furthermore, Radmanovic stated Djeric was the only man in the RS claiming everything was O.K. and that there was no crime, while local and international officials claim differently. Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘The SNSD requesting removals of Djeric and Njegus’ – Radmanovic once again repeated the SNSD was advocating the premature elections, and called on democratic forces in BiH to support the idea. Nezavisne Novine pg. 1 and 3 – Radmanovic expressed surprise that Minister Djeric behaves as he is from another world, pretending not to see criminals walking around him. According to Krstan Simic, member of the SNSD Chair Board, Milorad Dodik, Party President, was not able to attend yesterday’s party assembly in Celinac, because ‘his personal safety was jeopardised’. Nikola Spiric, SNSD delegate to the BiH Parliament House of Representatives, stated that a bitter fight against the SNSD was taking place in the RS. Blic pg. 7 ‘Culmination of crisis in BiH caused by the authority’s policy’ – “The current government has shown that it is against a civil society and for totalitarianism, which we thought had disappeared long ago from this area,” Radmanovic said and accused the RS governing structures of being the cause of the crisis which has culminated in the last few months in this area. He added that it was ‘shocking that the RS Police interrogated president of the biggest opposition party Milorad Dodik, who is also a member of the Board for Work Control of Security Institution at the RS National Assembly and yet President of the Assembly Dragan Kalinic never reacted’. Commenting the last SDS statement, which accuses Milorad Dodik of preparing a coup d’etat with some parts of the Intelligence and Security Agency (OBS), Radmanovic said that this was not true and that the statement was a threat not only to the SNSD and Dodik, but to the RS citizens as well. |
| Joining the EU | Avaz pg. 5 ‘First 70 answers from the Probability Study to be sent to Brussels’ – members of the BiH CoM checked answers to first 70 questions, out of 346, that BiH had to forward to the European Commission and refers to the devising of the Probability Study on BiH joining the EU. Osman Topcagic, Acting Director for European Integration in BiH, stated the first 70 questions were related to economy and politics. Added that answers have been agreed upon and once they were translated to English would be forwarded to Brussels. |
| Interview with Bond | Nezavisne Novine pg. 1, 4 and 5 ‘The BiH institutions do not have enough strength to confront crime’ – an interview to Clifford Bond American Ambassador to BiH. “The State of emergency in Serbia would have completed by the end of this month. The result of that will be that thousands of people currently detained will be released. What worries me is the possibility that BiH, mainly the RS, will then be a shelter for some of them.” He also added that the problem in BiH is the fact that institutions, that should fight crime, were getting weaker, while a certain number of people working at those institutions were corrupted. American Ambassador also welcomed a decision by RS President, Dragan Cavic, to disband 410th Intelligence Centre. Bond also indicated that some measures might follow depending upon findings. He did not want to comment as to whether extraordinary elections would be held, stressing that it was clear to everybody that HR had done much more than the actual local authorities did in the past months. Glas Srpski reports on this issue on pg. 2 ‘A Request for the removal of minister’. |
| Potocari Factory share holders | Glas Srpski cover page story ‘Share holders demand compensation’ – the Assembly of the Share Holders of the Battery Factory A.D. ‘As’ in Potocari yesterday appointed the Task Force, which will get in contact with the Commission established by the RS government in charge of implementing HR’s decision related to the factory. Miodrag Cvjetinovic, President of the Steering Board of the Factory, expressed expectation that shareholders would get a just compensation. |
| PDP on CID letter | Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘The PDP is not informed of any threats addressed to Ivanic’ – Branko Dokic, senior official of the PDP, yesterday stated that he was not informed that in presence of the RS Interior Minister threats were addressed to Mladen Ivanic, PDP President in Sokolac. (NOTE: RS MOI CID members on Friday sent a letter, which, amongst other information, contains this alleged piece of information.) Minister Djeric has not still commented on this piece of information neither. NN could not get in touch with Ivanic. |
| SDS in weekend session | Glas Srpski pg. 3 ‘Settling accounts’ – during a two-day session, SDS Chair Board discussed political, economic and social situation in the RS, as well as the relations within the parliament majority. An SDS press release concludes that the SDS observed some failures, especially in the economic and social plan, which raised great concern. The SDS pointed an urgent need for the RS authorities to undertake measures necessary to prevent further deterioration of the political situation in the RS, but also in BiH. Blic pg. 7 ‘Revision of the government after first 100 days of work’ – the SDS Main Board has said that a comprehensive analysis of the RS government’s work ought to be done after the first 100 days of its term, including measures to improve the work of the executive authorities in the entity. The more efficient work of the RS government, and faster and more determined resolution to solve problems would best improve and strengthen the relations among the parliamentary majority. Its statement says that the party’s Main Board held a two-day session in Banja Luka and stated that some international circles are trying to provoke a crisis in the RS and BiH with their actions. The SDS condemns in the strongest possible terms. “The fact that some opposition parties and leaders, with the support of media loyal to them, directly undermine the RS institutions with their actions and behaviour with the aim of creating a hopeless and chaotic situation. Such a situation would provide a favourable environment for the forced return to power of those who have been unable to win legitimacy in democratic elections and with the will of the majority of citizens.” |
| NN editorial | NN editorial by Almir Sarenkapa ‘Entity premiers forget crime’ – the author makes a specific reference to the Friday meeting between entity prime ministers, Dragan Mikerevic and Ahmed Hadzipasic, who announced a gradual creation of the unified economic space in BIH. The first meeting between the entity PMs focused on economic reforms, which is commendable, but also crushing on the other hand. The latter because they neglected the fact of crime in BiH, and because they behaved as if solely roses grew in the RS and Fed. Conclusively, the author is critical of the fact that meeting made no reference to the most scandalous political murder recently in Serbia, neither did they speak of fight against crime, daily pressures of the ruling position against all those working in compliance with the law and who were not afraid to say how many millions of KM were stolen. “Mikerevic and Hadzipasic did not speak about these issues. They belong to the ruling set.” |
Army Affairs | |
| FBiH defence plan
| Avaz pg. 1 and 3 by Sead Numanovic – the biggest front-page story in today’s Avaz labelled as ‘Avaz discovering’ was on a FBiH defence plan being stolen. Apparently the same was sold and some parts are in possession of the RS authorities. An SDA official, remained anonymous, said they were informed of it and wanted to make a number of political moves – from tackling the issue how was it possible to have such document to how was it possible for the same to be stolen. The Federation Army top officials are partly denying the information by saying that it is impossible to steal such plan as such documents are kept in different rooms and is only possible to steal it in extreme situations. An official stated that the stolen documents were just part of the defence plan, and added that SFOR officials have been notified about it. An insert ‘Definitions of the US company’ – retired US officers had the last word in the process of devising the FBiH Army defence plans. The plan was completed beginning of 1997 and was devised under close monitoring of the MPRI company (the one which was in charge of equipping and training the Fed Army at the time). |
| Commentary in Oslobodjenje | Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Promises, promises’ by Ibrahim Prohic – starts off by saying that if was good to hear what top state and entity officials had to say recently when meeting with NATO SG George Robertson. Croat Presidency member expressed a hope that by the end of the year (the deadline given by HR) BiH would have a joint military command and defence ministry. RS President Cavic stated he felt personally responsible for Karadzic’s arrest. He further tried to persuade Lord Robertson that an order for the arrest was already issued. Yet, point out the author, shortly after Robertson boarded the plane Cavic stated that ‘a joint BiH Army was not constitutionally or practically possible’. At the same time, new Sarovic (read Paravac) promised to pick up where his predecessor left over. “Reforms? Forget it!” |
| Interview with Braithwaite | Ljiljan pgs. 18-22 ‘Braithwaite: BiH must form the state defence ministry’ – an interview with Julian Braithwaite, Chief OHR Spokesman and Director of Communications. “I often say that there is no single economic space in the Balkans, that there is no single judiciary space, but that there is a single criminal space. The only community that functions faultlessly in the region, regardless of the existence of the inter-state borders, is the criminal community. Those people, the criminals, are avoiding apprehensions, obstructing the investigations, and acting efficiently in the entire Balkans, as the police structures are acting within their national borders,” said Braithwaite at the beginning of the interview. |
Social Affairs | |
| Battle of unions | Avaz pg. 1 and 2 – Edhem Biber, President of the BiH Association of Independent Unions, stated that Memhmed Avdagic, President of the PPDIVUT Union, who is opposing the revision of Markovic privatisation (pre-war privatisation) was actually defending the interests of certain directors/bosses. “It is obvious that Avdagic is representing a group of people who implemented the Markovic privatisation very successfully. Unfortunately, he is not representing the interests of workers, but solely of bosses. He is not even representing the interests of his Union members because they are also requesting the revision of the privatisation,” said Biber. Avdagic yesterday stated his Union would not support the revision of privatisation, as that would be detrimental for workers as they might lose some of their shares. Biber however claims the revision could only be to the benefit of workers, as they could not lose their shares, but only gain more of them. Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 3 – Avdagic claims they requested from Biber to abolish all activities towards PPDIVUT company members. Biber however denied they ever received such request. |
Refugee Affairs | |
| Kebo | Avaz pg. 8 ‘Legalization of ethnic cleansing has been prevented’ – Mirsad Kebo, BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, stated that one of the ways of ensuring funds for the reconstruction of returnees’ settlements was to take loans at the CoE Development Bank. Noting that donors’ interest was decreasing, Kebo said the local forces had to rely on themselves as well as to continue lobbying with friendly countries. Noted the number of employees involved in the process had to be reduced, and announced that existing regional centre and offices would be closed down and their tasks taken over by three regional offices with HQs in Tuzla, Mostar and Banja Luka. An insert ‘three donor conferences’ – one with the US, Canada and EU, second with Arabic countries and third with Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Get financial means for the return process by taking loans too’ – Kebo said activities for activating the Return Fund were on the way. The Fund would be financed from the state and entity ministries, as well as from the Brcko District Budget. Blic pg. 1 – “The return of refugees and DPs is not an internal but a regional issue and that is not a process which is a political but human rights category. The authorities should enable people to return to their homes, and refugees and DPs should decide where they want to live,” Kebo said. Speaking about a strategy for the implementation of Annex 7 of the DPA, which foresees that the return process will be finished in four years, Kebo says that the return is much more then providing a roof over one’s head and there is also a lack of financial sources – BiH does not have money needed completing the return process and the IC is less and less interested in BiH. Kebo says that there is a big discrepancy between real number of those who returned and the statistic data and that the return will be intensified when the economy recovers. |
Trial Affairs | |
| Ninkovic
| Avaz pg. 1 and 2 – Milan Ninkovic, former RS Defence Minister and a senior SDS official, accused of war crimes, was given an approval by the ICTY (his case was classified with an A – meaning the trial can proceed) to be tried at the BiH courts. The approval was given back in 1999. According to the daily’s info, if he surrenders voluntarily or was arrested by RS police forces he could be tried in Zenica where his case documents were being kept. |
| Oric’s apprehension | Ljiljan pg. 23 and 24 ‘A sacrificed warrior’ by Enes Jakupovic – the author analyses developments related to the apprehension of Naser Oric, the wartime commander of the BiH Army unit in Srebrenica. “Why such a spectacular apprehension of Oric should have taken place? Probably in order to prevent him from voluntary surrender, which would then open a possibility for his release from custody and defending from liberty,” Jakupovic wrote. In op-ed on the same issue, Sead Arslanagic compares the apprehension of Oric with the apprehensions of some other senior Bosniak military officers including Sefer Halilovic and late Mehmed Alagic during the mandate of the Alliance for Change. Arslanagic concludes that while the Alliance leaders have never responded to a series of questions regarding the apprehension and sending to The Hague of Halilovic and Alagic, the current authorities, and particularly Bosniak political representatives, are still obliged to respond why Oric was apprehended in such a way. |
Police Affairs | |
| LJILJAN editorial
| Ljiljan pg. 7 Front Line editorial by Editor-in-Chief Sejo Omeragic ‘A pool and a swamp’ – “It is not known what role was played by (Acting FOSS Director), Ivan Vuksic, during developments related to the raid of the Hercegovacka Bank. But, he, who has been recognized by the hostages taken at the time, is definitely the creator of a series of reports on Bosniak terrorism. Those reports of his have tragically ended up on tables of the US Administration and governments of other western countries. In these reports, Vuksic, on each page, mentioned an alleged Islamic terrorism,” wrote Omeragic. |
| Harmonizing police salaries | Nezavisne Novine pg. 8 ‘The IMF and OHR to help’ – Zlatko Miletic, BiH Federation Police Director, stated that EUPM Commissioner, Sven Frederiksen, would soon organise a meeting, which will be attended by HR Ashdown and representatives of the IMF and World Bank. The goal of the meeting is to harmonise salaries of all police officers in BIH. |