Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) |
| New Pope wants to visit BiH | HR addresses RSNA |
| BiH HoR in session | BiH HoR in session |
| Ashdown in RSNA on police reform | NATO mtg in |
TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Report on the new Pope | | EU delegation on SAA |
| EU delegation in | Report on Manjaca/Bileca events | Paravac and Tihic on EP’s resolution |
| FBIH HoP session | Warehouses to be researched | Stankovic on recruits |
| Report on Bileca/Manjaca events | RS Government in session | NATO meeting in |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Report on Manjaca/Bileca events | RS Gov. on security/police reform | Duhr on SAA |
| Matijasevic on police reform | Matijasevic on coop. with ICTY | RS MoD on Bileca/Manjaca |
| Istina group to file criminal charges | HR to address RSNA/police reform | RS Government in session |
| Nikolic pleaded not guilty | EU delegation on SAA | HR on Srebrenica Task Group |
| Oslobodjenje | Repetition of oath-taking ceremony for 99 recruits |
| Dnevni Avaz | Those who robbed the state will be held responsible |
| Dnevni List | Cardinal Vinko Puljic : Pope wants to visit us |
| Vecernji List | Pope: I want to visit BiH! |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Covic’s successor will be elected even against the will of HDZ top |
| Glas Srpske | Houses were destroyed, land was taken away |
| Nezavisne Novine | First police reform, then the green light from EU |
| Blic | 99 recruits must take the oath again |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbia-related headlines |
| Srpski Nacional | Features Serbia-related headlines |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Ashdown addresses RSNA on police reform: BiH to join SCG on path to EU, or to be isolated
| BH Radio 1 By Radmila Grubisa, RHB – Addressing the RS National Assembly today, the HR Paddy Ashdown said that “police reform is not an assault against RS”, nor “secret conspiracy prepared for abolishment of entities”. He stressed it is possible to identify solution, which would include survival of RS MoI, however strongly underlined that police reform requires establishing of the single structure. Warning MPs to carefully think over the options as this reform would determine whether BiH joins SCG on its path to EU or will stay isolated. |
| BiH HoR has not discussed Covic’s replacement, expected to discuss PBS law
| BH Radio 1 By Mustafa Karahmet, RHB – BiH House of Representatives, which commenced the session today, again failed to include the discussion on appointing new Croat member of the BiH Presidency as no names of candidates were put forward. Representatives also rejected demand by the HDZ to hold extraordinary session to discuss HR’s decision to remove Dragan Covic, stressing the discussion on the replacement must be held within next two weeks until 5 May. HoR today will discuss the draft law on Public Broadcasting System in BiH, previously rejected by the Croat Caucus due to failure of the law to stipulate establishment of the Croat channel. |
| ICTY will not close down before processing Karadzic, Mladic, Gotovina
| BH Radio 1 By Daliborka Gavrilovic-Kujundzic – ICTY outreach officer in BiH, Matias Hellman, stated in Banja Luka today that the Hague Tribunal welcomes recent voluntary surrenders of persons indicted for war crimes. Hellman briefed journalists on the rest of PIFWCs at large underlying the Tribunal will not close down before processing Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Ante Gotovina. |
Defence | |
| RS Defence Minister orders 99 recruits to repeat oath-taking ceremony
| RHB, Pink, BHT, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 5 ‘Repetition of oath-taking ceremony for 99 recruits’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Repeated oath-taking ceremony for 99 recruits’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Conscripts to repeat swearing-in ceremony or sanctions to follow’ by M. Zorlak, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 17 ‘Report made’ by A. Macanovi, EuroBlic cover pg splash and pg RS3 ‘99 recruits must take the oath again’ by Rajna Radosavljevic, Nezavisne Novine pg 4, announced on cover ’99 recruits must take the oath again’ by A. Sisic, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Correctional test, after all’ not signed, FENA – The BiH Ministry of Defence (MoD) received from the RS MoD on Wednesday the report on the investigation into incidents during military oath-taking ceremonies in Manjaca and Bileca on April 16, the BiH MoD stated. The report was forwarded to the BiH Presidency and OHR. The report contains letter of the RS Defence Minister, report of the commission on incidents in Manjaca and Bileca barracks on April 16 and additional materials. The RS Defence Minister proposes an urgent adoption of policies and guidelines, based on the BiH Defence Law, regulating all segments of functioning of the military organisation without waiting for the final solutions of the new cycle of defence reform. He ordered 99 recruits who have not correctly signed the text of the oath to repeat the oath-taking ceremony. Should any of them again refuse to sign the oath they will be removed from military service and legal action will be taken against them. In addition the RS Defence Minister will propose to the RS Government to postpone calling on duty the August class of conscripts. The BiH MoD expects the RS MoD to continue working on establishing all facts and the responsibility of individuals concerning these incidents. |
| DA: ‘IC source: RS Defence Minister, Army Commander to be removed?’
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Stankovic and Djukic to be removed?’, mentioned on cover, by S. Numanovic – A high-ranking office of the international community told Avaz under a condition of anonymity that both OHR and NATO have received the report sent by the RS Defence Minister Milovan Stankovic on the events that took place on 16 April swearing-in ceremonies in Manjaca and Bileca, and that they currently analyze it. “It is clear that RS President Dragan Cavic and RS MoD Stankovic are on being seriously tested. They personify institutions from which we expect serious actions. Events that occurred in Manjaca and Bileca are very serious incidents for us,” says the source. DA says that OHR will hold the meeting today with NATO and BiH Defence Ministry to discuss the report and estimate which measures to be undertake. At the same time, the RS Army’s Security has continued with interrogation of 99 recruits who rejected to sing the oath to BiH. “They will be offered to sing the oath. Whoever refuses again will be excluded from the army and brought before the court. However, the responsibility doesn’t stop that… I believe that higher levels are responsible,” source notes adding that “higher levels” would be Stankovic and RS Army HQ Commander Novak Djukic. |
| RS Helsinki Committee’s Todorovic: Too strong words were spoken too easily
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Too strong words were spoken too easily’ by K. Cirkovic – Helsinki Committee Chairman Branko Todorovic has stated that F BiH politicians are talking sharply young people who have taken the oath, ‘as if they were people from some hostile country’. At a round table discussion “Inter-ethnic dialogue among youth”, Todorovic has stated that some politicians have showed they do not consider these young people to be BiH citizens. |
| Raffi Gregorian says there are more and more reasons to fully professionalize military service | RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘It is necessary to establish state control’, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘To finish what has been started’ by N. Z. – Co-Chairman of Defense Reform Commission Rafi Gregorian has stated that the incidents in Manjaca and Bileca represent an additional argument for a professionalisation of military forces in BiH and abolishment of regular military service, which would eliminate interference of political structures in work of armed forces. |
| SDHR Wnendt meets with BiH Defence Minister Radovanovic
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Next weeks crucial for BiH’ by NINA, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Wnendt: Vilnius meeting important for PfP’ by N.N. – Werner Wnendt, SDHR, stressed during Wednesday’s meeting with Nikola Radovanovic, BiH Defence Minister, that a key task of BiH is to ensure its membership in PfP, noting that today’s meeting of Foreign Ministers of NATO member-states in Vilnius is a key moment for this. Oslobodjenje pg 6 also reported on the meeting. |
Political Developments/Reforms | |
| RS NA to discuss the Information of RS Govt re activities in police reform | Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘It is turn for the police’ by G. D. – RS NA will Thursday discuss the Special Information of RS Government on activities in police reform in BiH. The session will commence at |
| HR to address RSNA on police reform
| Pink, Hayat, FTV, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘There is space for compromise’ by NINA, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Three keys for an agreement’ by N. Z., Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘BiH must not fall behind’ by V. P – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, will address on Thursday the representatives in the RS National Assembly (RSNA), as a part of discussion on police reform. The OHR announced that the HR’s addressing to the RSNA comes at crucial moment if BiH Euro-Atlantic aspirations are to be achieved. Ashdown will clearly state to the representatives that there is a space for compromises, but that three EU key principles must be respected: State jurisdiction over police, police divided in functional regions and removal of any political influences on operative police work. |
| RS Government: RS Interior Ministry must survive
| Pink, BHT, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 13 ‘RS Interior Ministry, police must survive and control the entire entity’s territory’, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Martens’ reports represents a working document’, Dnevni List pg 4 ‘RS MoI and RS police must exist’ by NINA, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘RS MoI must be preserved’ by D. R., Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Nothing aside the Constitution’ by G. Dakic – At a session in Banja Luka on Wednesday, RS Government concluded that it found the idea of having decentralized security system in BiH acceptable, but according to which RS Ministry of Interior and RS Police will continue existing and having full control/jurisdiction in the entire entity’s territory. RS Government’s conclusions state that the report of the Chair of Police Reform Commission, Wilfred Martens, does not include official stances of RS officials, due to what it could be considered only as a working document. RS Government believes that security sector reform could be done only by general consensus in BiH. “I hope that during the RS National Assembly session, which is to take place on Thursday, we will be able to get a platform for talks to follow”, said RS Minister of Interior, Darko Matijasevic. |
| SDS: police reform must not lead to abolishment of RS MoI
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Police reform with MoI’ by V. P., Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘ |
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| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Jovicic: support to RS Government with regard to police reform’ by Srna – The Coordination Center of 11 NGOs from RS fully supports stances and conclusions RS Government had adopted with regard to police reform, as according to the Chairman of the Coordination Center Slavko Jovicic. ‘The Coordination Center also fully supports RS Interior Minister Darko Matijasevic and demands from him, i.e. from RS Government, not to give up before influences and various pressures, regardless whether these have been applied by an individual, an institution, representatives of the international community or Bosniak people, or better to say – SDA’, Jovicic added. |
| SNSD: regional division of police must correspond to the one in judiciary
| Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Following the recipe of judiciary’ by N. D. – SNSD has concluded the reform of police forces in BiH must enable division of regional police forces to correspond to the one in judiciary. SNSD member Krstan Simic has stated the party believes a body or a ministry should be established at BiH level with the task to coordinate work of the existing Ministries of Interior of RS and F BiH. |
| EU’s Duhr confirms interest for BiH’s accession to EU
| RHB, Pink, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘BiH could be left alone in the region’, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘BiH is far from process of negotiations’ by D. Polovina-Mandic, Vecernji List pg 10 ‘Without reduction of EUFOR’ by eme, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 9 ‘Paravac and Tihic received EU delegation’ by D. Pasic, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash and pg 3 ‘First police reform, then the green light from EU’ by M. Cubro, Glas srpske pg 3 ‘A step closer to negotiations’ by Srna,FENA – The Chair of the EU Political and Security Committee, BHT, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Reform of police and military’, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘Talks in BiH Presidency’, FENA – BiH Presidency Chair Borislav Paravac and Presidency member Sulejman Tihic on Wednesday received the delegation of the EU Political and Security Committee, headed by its Chairman Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Fight against serious and organized crime must remain priority’ by NINA reports on EU delegation’s meeting with EUPM Commissioner Kevin Carty and BiH security officials. |
| British Ambassador Rycroft on const. changes, HR’s powers
| Dnevni List pg 9 ‘Karadzic and Mladic are only obstacle to integration’ by D. Polovina-Mandic carries an interview with British Ambassador to BiH Matthew Rycroft who says that BiH will not be able to join Partnership for Peace as long as Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are at large. Asked about his view on the change of the Dayton Peace Accord, Rycroft says that the International Community will not impose constitutional changes in BiH, however, it will support those changes which will help on the way to |
| HR Ashdown expects FBiH PM Hadzipasic to report on removal of Ministries to Mostar
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Hadzipasic expected to report on removal of Ministries to Mostar’, Vecernji List pg 11 ‘To move Ministries to Mostar immediately!’ by dja carries that High Representative Paddy Ashdown sent a letter to Federation of BiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic in which he demands from Hadzipasic urgent moving of certain FBiH Ministries to Mostar. VL comments on the letter by saying that this is the first time in 10 years that the International Community directly exerts pressure on the authority to finally meet this obligation. |
| Cardinal Vinko Puljic : Pope wants to visit BiH
| Dnevni List cover pg splash ‘Pope wants to visit us’ and pg 27 ‘Pope wants to come to BiH’ by kta, Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Pope: I want to visit BiH!’ and pg 9 ‘Pope Benedikt XVI wants to visit BiH!’ by Z. Kresic, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 2 ‘Cardinal Puljic: Benedikt XVI wants to come to BiH’ by kta carry Cardinal Vinko Puljic as saying that newly elected Pope Benedikt XVI expressed wish to visit BiH. |
| SD on replacement for Covic in BiH Presidency
| Slobodna Dalmacija cover pg splash and pg 12 ‘Covic’s successor will be elected even against the will of HDZ top’, by Blanka Magas – Carries an article that is dedicated to the issue of replacement of the removed Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic. According to SD’s information, the HDZ MPs in the BiH House of Representatives, namely Ruza Sopta, Martin Raguz, Filip Andric, Ivo Miro Jovic and Vinko Zoric, will propose a candidate among each other irrespective of the position of the HDZ leadership, which wants the BiH Parliament to discuss the Covic removal prior to nominating a candidate. SD also reports that several members of HDZ Presidency believe that the HDZ insisting on the discussion in the BiH Parliament is nothing but Covic blackmailing, which damages the HDZ and Croat people in general. An anonymous member of the HDZ Presidency says Covic must realize he is politically dead, adding that currently there is no critical mass within the party to oppose Covic. |
| NN int with Barisa Colak: HDZ does not have candidate for BiH Presidency
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5, announced on cover ‘HDZ has no candidate for BiH Presidency’ by M. Cubro – In an interview to NN, Barisa Colak, BiH Security Minister and HDZ BiH President, says that HDZ has no candidate for Croat member to BiH Presidency who would replace Dragan Covic. He notes that at today’s (Thursday) session of BiH HoR, the HDZ will not propose a candidate until the BiH Parliament takes a stance regarding HR’s decision on removal of Covic. Colak denies press question HDZ is blocking the work of BiH Presidency, noting HDZ is eager to see this issue resolved asap. According to him, it is important discussions on this issue take place, since HDZ cares to know Parliament’s view. He reiterates claims that HR has overstepped his powers, which is not good for BiH and its institutions. He responds to question as is it good for BiH to have a person charged with corruption sitting at BiH Presidency with counter-question: is it good that a group of five six persons, who were charged with the murder of Jozo Leutar, served two-years term and was them released a freed of any responsibility. On his address before |
| NN op-ed: Cavic is dictator leading RS to a disaster
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘A group portrait with dictator’ by Pero Simic – The author is extremely critical of Dragan Cavic, RS President, calling him a dictator and accusing him of leading RS to disaster. The author criticises RS President for having blamed the parents of recruits for having failed to read “Official Gazette” and hence become informed regarding oath-taking ceremony. Simic notes that Cavic has turned RS into a “Columbian jungle”, where crime, corruption, frauds and lies reign. The author stresses RS has not seen worse times, including times of Radovan Karadzic and his supporters. Simic furthermore accuses Cavic for having settled accounts with his political opponents, including Milorad Dodik and PDP officials. The author concludes the final goal of all these activities by Cavic is to present himself as the only clean and uncompromised politician at elections 2006. |
War Crimes | |
| OHR wants more cooperation from RS Government on Srebrenica report
| BHT, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5, mentioned on cover ‘To convene Srebrenica Task Force without any further delay’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘List of people linked with massacre must be completed’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Working group for Srebrenica must reconvene without delay’ by NINA, Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘MoI and RS Defense Ministry have not sent detailed data’ by G. Golub, Glas srpske pg 2 ‘The list is not complete’ by N. Zelenovic, ONASA – The High Representative Paddy Ashdown has laid out the further steps that must now be taken in order to complete the work of the RS Government’s Srebrenica Commission, so that all those who participated in the Srebrenica massacre are identified and brought to justice, the OHR said in a press release on Wednesday. In a letter to RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic, the High Representative has responded to the report of the working group for implementation of the conclusions presented in the final report on Srebrenica. The working group’s report was presented to the High Representative on 31 March. The High Representative recognized that the report is a serious piece of work, but agreed with the working group’s opinion that the report is incomplete and that more work needs to be done in order to fulfil the requirements set out in December. He expressed his concern that this was primarily because its work was hindered by lack of full cooperation from the RS Interior Ministry, noting that the RS Interior Ministry failed to provide specific data on several hundred individuals deployed in Srebrenica in July 1995 under the direct or indirect auspices of the RS. The RS Ministry of Defence also failed to cooperate fully. Rather than providing a list of RS Army participants in the Srebrenica events as was requested, it provided the working group with a list of 25,000 individuals deployed in the Srebrenica area in July 1995, without defining which of these individuals were attached to units involved in the massacre. Consequently, the High Representative has informed Prime Minister Bukejlovic that the working group must be reconvened without delay, with the following mandate: To require the RS Interior Ministry to provide the missing information by 31 May; to ensure that all materials provided to the Srebrenica Commission are forwarded to the Working Group by 31 May; to establish the reasons for the inadequate VRS response; to complete the list of names (currently standing at 892) of those implicated in the massacre who are currently employed in BiH [Bosnia-Hercegovina – B-H] or RS institutions, and to forward this completed list to the BiH Prosecutor and to the ICTY. |
| RS Interior Minister Matijasevic: Cooperation with ICTY will not be completed as long as Karadic and Mladic are at large
| RHB, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Cooperation with The Hague until Karadzic and Mladic are arrested’, FENA – RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic on Wednesday said that the cooperation of RS with the Hague Tribunal would not be complete as long as all indicted war crime suspects, including Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, are at large. Matijasevic told a press conference that operative police work to locate war crime indictees was in progress every day and that it was being carried out without any difference towards any of the indicted persons. Regarding the report on cooperation of RS with the ICTY, which will be considered by the National Assembly on Thursday, Matijasevic said, “we have reasons to be satisfied with the progress achieved”. Matijasevic confirmed that the RS MoI was continuing with the activities on discovering and documenting the crimes committed against the Serbs during the war in BiH. |
| Oslobodjenje: OHR keeps quite about Mandic’s documentation
| Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Ashdown knows all, OHR keeps quite’ by V.Z. – Daily says that it will stay uncertain for a longer time whether claims by ex RS Justice Minister, Momcilo Mandic, accused by the IC of financing PIFWCs at large, that he submitted OHR with documents proving invasion of the Serbian payment system for 100 million KM spent to finance war crimes suspects. OHR Spokesperson, |
| VL on exhumation of killed Bugojno Croats: Dzuvo responsible for obstruction of investigation
| Vecernji List, pg 10, mentioned on front ‘Bosniak agents stopped exhumation of killed Croats’, by Zoran Kresic – VL claims that Bosniak structures within the OSA (BiH intelligence agency) and former FOSS (former FBiH intelligence agency) obstructed an investigation into the whereabouts of the killed Croats of Bugojno, who were allegedly killed by the BiH Army in 1993. VL is in possession of a document that was signed by the FBiH Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, who ordered a transfer of 30.000 KMs aimed at collecting information on whereabouts of the killed persons, however the money was used for other purposes. According to a VL’s anonymous source, it was the OSA Director, Almir Dzuvo, who is responsible for the obstruction. |
| Nikolic pleaded not guilty before ICTY
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Nikolic said he was not guilty for crimes’ by Beta, Veccernje Novosti pg 17 ‘He said he is not guilty’ not signed – Former RS Army officer Dragan Nikolic, accused of war crimes committed in Srebrenica, pleaded not guilty before ICTY. |
Economic/Social Issues | |
| Zigic says revision of privatization is a certain thing
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Those who robbed the state will be held responsible’, pg 5 ‘Revision of privatization is a certain thing’ by Mirela Kukan – In an interview to DA, the FBiH Industry, Mining and Energy, Izet Zigic says that new draft law on privatization revision, which the FBiH Government was supposed to discuss in the beginning of April, should be in the procedure soon. “Privatization revision] will happen for sure. It is a right of every parliamentarian and political option to take its stance on the issue, however I want to underline that this is not directed against any particular company. Someone proclaimed this was about selective revision, which completely wrong… The law on revision has an aim to take over the duty of judiciary, but all these suspicious things [in privatization] must be before the courts. Those who are to control and where irregularities determined will submit reports to Prosecutors,” says Zigic. |
| Competent Croatian, BiH Ministers Cobankovic and Doko to meet on Friday over FTAs
| Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Croatia announced counter-measures in case that negotiations fail’, mentioned on cover ’Croatia announces counter-measures’ by M. Karacic carries that the BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Dragan Doko and Croatian Minister of Agriculture Petar Cobankovic will meet in Sarajevo on Friday in order to discuss the Free Trade Agreement. Spokesperson of the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture Mladen Pavic stated that during this meeting the Croatian side would try to show that BiH benefits more than |
| BiH Association of Farmers sued Ministry for Foreign Trade and Economic Relations | Vecernji List pg 10 ‘BiH Association of Farmers sued Ministry’ by M.S., Slobodna Dalmacija pg 16 ‘Farmers sued Ministry of Foreign Trade’ by D. Pasic carry that the BiH Association of Farmers sued the BiH Ministry for Foreign Trade and Economic Relations for the damage caused to agricultural production due to wrong policy of this Ministry and the BiH Council of Ministers. |
| GS on property return to Serb returnees to Sanski Most
| Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘House destroyed, land seized’ by D.Bulic – The report features stories of Serb residents of Sanski Most, who still fight for their property in Sanski Most municipality (mainly centre area), since the Sanski Most Municipal Assembly, after the signing of Dayton Peace Agreement, has declared their land parcels “construction land” and some of those parcels were allocated to mainly F BiH Army officers. |
| FBiH Govt has not registered 3 billion US dollars of claims
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Approximately 3 billion |