| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA(18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| 10 dead in traffic accidents | 10 dead in traffic accidents | Terrorism supporters in BH | Meeting on SIPA |
| Possible Croat emigration | Drugs smuggling trial | Drugs smuggling indictm. | Sehagic will sue Mikerevic |
| Meeting on SIPA | Konjic wood ind. blocked | War crimes trial in Saraj. | Misic cleared of all charges |
| Conf. on civilian service | CBC health workers strike | Forged money in USC | Mandate of BL rector |
| Oslobodjenje | Maktouf accused of supporting torture and torturing Croats and Serbs |
| Dnevni Avaz | Terzic on upcoming international conference: We need 1.5 billion dollars for development |
| Dnevni List | Paddy Ashdown and Barisa Colak visit SIPA: |
| Vecernji List | SIPA in fight against criminals |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Busko lake sold for apartments in |
| Glas Srpske | Safet is tin-plating Serbs and Croats |
| Nezavisne Novine | SIPA must start the fight against crime; Cost of transportation increased for 10% in the Federation of BiH |
| Blic | I will sue Mikerevic and the Government over the dismissal; Violence in family: women in RS have started beating their husbands |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
Crime/security/legal proceedings/judiciary | |
| Ashdown, Colak, Carty visit SIPA headquarters
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Action to apprehend war crime suspects to start soon’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Some 950 people will be employed in SIPA by the end of this year’, Nezavisne Novine, cover ‘SIPA must start the fight against crime’ and pg. 3 ‘Countdown with crime’ by A. Sisic, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Fight for justice’ by N. Z., EuroBlic, pg. RS2 ‘SIPA against criminals’ by J. D., Dnevni List, front and pg 2 ‘Paddy Ashdown and Barisa Colak visit SIPA: Battle is starting against corruption and crime’, by D.P.M., Vecernji List, front pg ‘SIPA in fight against criminals’ and pg 3 ‘Law gradually wins battle against crime’, by Dejan Jazvic, SRNA – At the moment, there is nothing more important for BiH than to fully establish the State Information and Protection Agency (SIPA), an institution for the fight against organized crime and terrorism. This was said on Monday at the meeting of High Representative Paddy Ashdown, BiH Security Minister Barisa Colak and EUPM Commissioner Kevin Carty with SIPA director Sredoje Novic. Colak said for the press that new workers were being employed. SIPA should have about 950 employees by the end of the year and, according to him, this should bring concrete results. Ashdown said that crime and corruption were quite a deep-rooted problem in BiH. Nevertheless, BiH is winning the battle “bit by bit”. “Time will be needed for the victory, but we have SIPA which will lead an effective and successful fight against crime,” the High Representative said. |
| NN on appointment of new RS Police Director
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 ‘Vacancy notice for selection of RS Police Director has not been published as yet’ by V. P. – The Committee for Selection of RS Police Director has stated that a vacancy notice for selection of the new director has not been published as yet. According to some unofficial information, Radomir Njegus, the current Police Director, should start working as an inspector at SIPA soon. |
| VL: IPTF failed to certify 66 SBS officials
| Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘International police officers ‘forgot’ 66 police officials in SBS BiH alone’, by Dejan Jazvic – According to data that the daily received from the BiH State Border Service (SBS), the IPTF failed to issue certificates to 66 of SBS officials. According to an SBS spokesperson, Alma Efendic, all 66 officials in question had provisional certificates, which had been issued by the IPTF, but they were never issued or denied the proper certificates. Efendic also notes that the SBS, in cooperation with the EUPM, enacted a special book of rules on review of the officials that were ‘overlooked’ in the certification process. As a result, it was determined that the ‘overlooked’ officials met the certification criteria, meaning that they have the same authority and status as officials who had been certified by the IPTF. |
| OHR concerned about the new law on judicial salaries
| Oslobodjenje pg 10 ‘The law will not resolve the problems’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘It is not time for increasing judges and prosecutors’ salaries’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 ‘Judges’ salaries in the amount of 5,500 KM are unacceptable’ by Bi. G., FENA – The proposed BiH Law on Judicial Salaries and Allowances fails to make BiH Courts functional. This legislation, which has been considered in the first reading in Parliament, will make work in Courts and Prosecutors Offices more difficult, OHR spokesperson Oleg Milisic said. For this reason calls by the assistant FBiH Minister of Justice, Dzemaludin Mutapcic, for another salary increase for Judges and Prosecutor are concerning. This legislation ignores the fact that many courts are unable to function properly due to the lack of funds for investment in premises and equipment. Courts and Prosecutors Offices struggle to remain effective, as they cannot meet even their most basic administrative costs, including electricity, gas and telephone services, which have on numerous occasions been cut off due to unpaid bills, according to Milisic. As a result of the current situation in which as much as 85% of judicial budgets in |
| RS Trade Union supports RS officials removed by HR
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Addressing Strasbourg over Ashdown’s decisions’, ONASA – President of the Republika Srpska Trade Union Cedo Volas said on Monday that he will file a complaint with the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg against the decision of the High Representative Paddy Ashdown on the removal of numerous officials in the RS. Volas said that the High Representative’s decisions are “undemocratic and draconian.” In June this year, the High Representative sacked 59 senior officials in the RS over obstruction of the cooperation with the ICTY. |
| Oslobodjenje: Maktouf accused of torturing Serbs and Croats
| Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘Maktouf accused of helping torture and torturing Croats and Serbs’ – Naturalized Bosnian of Iraqi origin Abdulahim Maktouf will answer before the BiH Court to indictment for war crimes against civilians committed in Central Bosnia in 1993. The indictment includes the participation in kidnapping five Croats and Serbs and their torturing in an El Mujahid unit’s military camp in the |
| VL on beginning of trial in Hercegovacka Bank case
| Vecernji List, pg 4, ‘Trial to Jelavic, Prce and Rupcic starts on Friday’, by Zoran Kresic – the Special Department of the BiH Court has confirmed that the trial to the former BiH Croat leader Ante Jelavic and 4 more officials accused of abuse in founding and running Hercegovacka Bank will start on Friday, 24 September. Judge Malcolm Simmons will chair the Panel of Judges, while John McNair, the Head of Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Department for Organized Crime, will represent the indictment. The author says that the main ‘struggle’ during the trial will be led by economic and legal experts on the findings of the audits into the (FBiH) Ministry of Defence and the Bank. |
Political developments | |
| Removed Minister Sehagic says he was replaced for “political reasons”
| BH Radio, BHT, Herceg Bosna Radio, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Complaint with the Constitutional Court regarding the removal’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘SDA does not need retaliation’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘Sehagic asks for money from SDA for a lawsuit against Mikerevic’ by D. R., Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Dismissal as a reward’ by G. Dakic, EuroBliccover and pg. RS1 ‘I will sue Mikerevic and the Government over the dismissal’ by Rajna Radosavljevic– Last week, the former minister of urban planning, construction and ecology in the RS Government, Mensur Sehagic, was dismissed from this post by RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic. Sehagic said at a press conference in |
| Head of SDA caucus in RSNA believes call for removal of Dokic logical
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘RS Government to face crisis of authority’ – The highest-ranking SDA official in RS, RS Vice-president Adil Osmanovic, is not alone in his request for removal of State Transportation and Communication Minister Branko Dokic as response to recent dismissal of an SDA-nominated Minister in RS Government, Mensur Sehagic. Head of the SDA caucus in RS National Assembly Tarik Sadovic says there is logic in Osmanovic’s call on BiH Council of Minister Chairman Adnan Terzic to remove Dokic. If RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic without any reason removes Sehagic why would not Terzic remove Dokic in the same way, explains Sadovic. |
| GS: Reaction to Party for BiH Halilovic’s statements
| Glas Srpske, cover page ‘Safet is tin-plating Serbs and Croats’ by Snj. M. – Safet Halilovic, the President of Party for BiH, has stated that Serbs and Croats in BiH might turn themselves in national minorities because they are not renouncing of what they are and because they are trying to maintain close relations with their compatriots in Serbia and Croatia. GS article interprets this statement by saying that Serbs and Croats might lose their status of constitutive peoples of BiH. Dr. Ivan Sijakovic from Banja Luka Faculty of Economics thinks ethnic groups in BiH cannot be treated as some special or new nations. He says it is wrong to claim Croats or Serbs in BiH are not same people as Croats in |
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| Herceg Bosna Radio, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Norway donates 860,000 euros to BiH Parliament, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 ‘860,000 € were promised for a reconstruction of BiH Parliament’s hall’ by A. Sisic, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘860.000 Euros for reconstruction of big hall’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic, Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘BiH Parliament to get 800.000 Euros from Norway’, by Fena, SRNA – Norway wishes to help the BiH parliament to create conditions in which political decisions positive for the nation can be reached, Norwegian Parliament President Joergen Kosmo said in Sarajevo on Monday. “The Norwegian parliament will help in the reconstruction of infrastructure, while the future political development is the question that BiH citizens need to solve through future elections,” Kosmo said after holding talks with members of the two houses of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly. The Norwegian parliament cannot make decisions on investments into BiH, but it is necessary that domestic powers provide a stable and attractive environment, he added. According to Martin Raguz, Speaker of the BiH House of Representatives, |
| Covic and Paravac meet with Norwegian parliamentary delegation
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘New Constitution for prosperity of BiH’, FENA – BiH Presidency members Borislav Paravac and Dragan Covic on Monday received a delegation of the Parliament of Kingdom of Norway, headed by the Parliament Speaker, Joergen Kosmo, the Presidency’s Public Relations Office said in a press release. Expressing gratitude for everything |
| DA interview with
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘We have established EUFOR mission in BiH for salvation of our souls’ – Interview with Speaker of Norway’s Parliament Joergen Kosmo. Asked to comment on goals of upcoming EUFOR mission in BiH, Kosmo said that the international community had made wrong steps at the beginning of war in BiH. “I believe that UN should have had from the very beginning enough soldiers to prevent the war. We have therefore made this mission (EUFOR) as salvation of our souls,” said Kosmo. |
| BiH Foreign Minister Ivanic departs for
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Ivanic to attend UN General Assembly session’, Dnevni List, pg 6 ‘Chief of BiH diplomacy departs for New York’, by NINA, SRNA – BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic on Monday departed for New York, where he will take part in the 59th session of the UN General Assembly as member of the BiH state delegation. The delegation is headed by Presidency chairman Sulejman Tihic, and it also includes BiH ambassador to the UN, Mirza Kusljugic. |
| Seminar on process of accession to EU
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3 ‘BiH needs experiences of EU countries’ by M. Rener, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘There is no short way to EU’ – BiH Prime Minister, representatives of BiH Parliament and guests from Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Norway yesterday attended a two-day seminar held under the name “Experiences in process of admission to EU”. The seminar is dedicated to exchange of experiences of Central-European countries with SE-European countries with an aim to accelerate activities of BiH in the process of admission to EU. ‘BiH needs experience of countries that have passed down the road of admission to EU in order to avoid their mistakes’, CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic stated. Michael Humphreys, the Head of EC Delegation to BiH, yesterday said that the path towards |
| SD: ‘
| Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 12 ‘Is Ashdown abolishing national parties’, mentioned on front, by Josko Celan – Wondering whether the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, will soon “hit” against national parties in BiH, the author argues that hints of this are coming from many think-tanks around the world, as recently suggested by the Ljubljana-based “IFIMES” (International institute for Middle East and Balkans studies). However, the author focuses on the last issue of ‘The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs’, which carried an article signed by Peter Lippmanentitled ‘Big changes in |
| Minister Bozic on work of Croat Ministers in FBiH Government
| Vecernji List, pg 5, ‘Subsidies for agriculture to be increased to 230 million KM’, by Zoran Kresic, mentioned on front – talking about criticisms regarding work of Croat ministers in FBiH Government, Marinko Bozic, FBiH Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Forestry, says that, apart from having “inherited” infrastructure, Croat Ministers are inferior in number so that decisions are made by outvoting. He adds that Croat officials were given the Ministries with the biggest and most numerous problems, which requires biggest reforms. He disagrees with allegations that Croat Ministers lobby for Croatian Telekom to take over telecom sector in BiH saying this is certainly the case elsewhere where majority package of strategic companies is being sold. |
| DA interview with outgoing OHR Director of Communications Braithwaite | Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Ashdown made revolution in BiH’, mentioned on cover ‘I am leaving Sarajevo with sadness’ – In a farewell interview with the daily, outgoing OHR Director of Communications and Chief Spokesman Julian Braithwaite said that the international community headed by OHR and HR Paddy Ashdown had done much in the past period to assist in making a clear BiH strategy on its road to EU. |
| DL on pre-election campaign in BiH
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Lack of pre-election culture’, by Ivica Glibusic – carries an op-ed dedicated to the election campaign in BiH, in which the author notes that many parties and their candidates have no idea what the local elections are about. Glibusic writes: “For example, there are municipal branches of certain parties that write press releases and go public on TV about crisis in |
| VL on equality of peoples in BiH
| Vecernji List, pg 6 ‘Soft equality’, by Radoslav Dodig – amid the letter that Cardinal Vinko Puljic had sent to the Pope, asking for protection of BiH Croats, and reactions that followed, the author argues that every people in BiH is both equal and endangered, stressing that efforts should concentrate on improving of financial status of the Croats. The author suggests that in order to achieve that, everyone must do what he or she is paid for. “What if he or she does not know how? Resignation, recall, removal. Period.”, concludes Dodig. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Terzic says BiH need 1.5 billion dollars for development projects
| Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 2 ‘We need 1.5 billion dollars for development (of the country)’ – In the next two days |
| EC and WB organize Consultative Group meeting on Sept 22 and 23
| Dnevni List, pg 8 ‘Meeting of Consultative group on BiH’, by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘Speed up reforms in BiH’, by D. Pasic – Acting on request of the BiH authorities, the European Commission and the World Bank will co-organize a Consultative Group Meeting on Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will take place in Sarajevo, on September 22 and 23. This meeting will gather senior representatives of the BiH governments, international organizations and partner countries, who will discuss progress under BiH’s Development Strategy and the EU Stabilization and Association process, reads a statement from the EC Mission. “The Consultative Group meeting will not be a donor or pledging conference since Bosnia and Herzegovina – thanks to tremendous progress in post-conflict reconstruction, social integration, and state building over the past nine years – is not considered a post-conflict but a transition country”, reads the EC Mission’s statement. Chief EC Mission to BiH’s Economic and Political Department, Renzo Daviddi, and Director of World Bank for BiH, Dirk Reinermann, are to hold a press conference today to explain details about the Consultative Group meeting. |
| POLL: Majority of citizens in RS dissatisfied with government’s work, their social position
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘Majority is dissatisfied with activities of the RS Government’ by D. Risojevic – “Prime Communication” Agency conducted a public opinion survey on a random sample of 600 respondents from September 1 to September 7 in Banja Luka. As in accordance with results of the survey, majority of respondents is dissatisfied with tempo of reforms realized by RS Government. The survey included questions in relation with current political and social issues – trust in the RS Government, material situation of citizens, social position of citizens, rating of leading politicians, opinion on how many votes would particular parties win etc. The survey shows that 51% of citizens have stated their material situation equals the one from one year ago, 10% said the situation has improved, 29% said the situation has worsened and 10% said the situation has worsened to a great extent. More than 2/3 of citizens of |
| Petroleum distributors announced protests
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘Blockades at border crossing points are possible’ by J. S. – The President of the Federation of BiH Association of Petroleum Distributors, Muhidin Alic, yesterday announced that petroleum distributors from the Federation of BiH will most probably block all border crossing points unless the issue of insufficient licenses for petroleum distributors is resolved in two days. Alic explained that the distributors are demanding to be approved with more permits to transport petroleum from |
| Increase of transportation prices in the Federation of BiH
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 4 ‘Cost of transportation increased for 10% in the Federation of BiH’ by N. Krsman – Most of public transporters from the Federation of BiH increased prices of transportation services for approximately 10% as of yesterday. The Federation of BiH Association of Public Transporters explains the increase with high cost of petroleum and petroleum products, as well as with the refusal of the Federation of BiH Government to abolish 10% Sales Taxes on petroleum and petroleum products. |
| GS on VAT
| Glas Srpske, pg. 4 ‘One rate, hundred dilemmas’ by D. Vrhovac – Mihajlovic – The Commission for Finances and Budget of BiH Parliamentary Assembly has scheduled a public discussion on defining VAT rate for Thursday. Nikola Kragulj, a member of the Commission, thinks all options are still available. The Head of SDS caucus at BiH Parliamentary Assembly HoR, Momcilo Novakovic, says there could not be only a single rate and also says that a general rate may not be higher than 17%. The article carries the inset ‘Imposing’, which reads that HR Paddy Ashdown has not excluded the possibility of imposing a single rate in BiH and he has appealed to the representatives to ‘be reasonable while reaching the final decision’. The Head of SDS caucus at BiH Parliamentary Assembly HoR, Momcilo Novakovic, has stated: ‘Should the High Representative impose such a decision, then he should take the responsibility for consequences it will cause’. |
| RS Trade Union leader meet Minister of Transport and Communications Solaja
| Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Let the state remain the boss’ by M. Milunovic, EuroBlic, pg. RS3 ‘“Telekom” under auspices of the state’ by Tijana Veselinovic, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 14 ‘Solaja met Volas’ by Bi. G. – Cedo Volas, the President of RS Association of Trade Unions, yesterday met with Dragan Solaja, RS Minister of Traffic and Communications, on which occasion they discussed the position of employees on sector of traffic and communications. After the meeting, Volas assessed that the state should remain the majority owner of “Telekom Srpska”. Solaja thinks that, in telecommunication branch, a special attention should be paid to development of privatisation strategy, which would represent ‘the best way of protection of workers’. |
| Update to Busko lake use issue
| Slobodna Dalmacija, front and pg 5 ‘Busko lake sold for apartments in Zagreb and Split’, by Zdenko Rerig – Carries an update to the Busko lake issue saying that Anto Colak, an MP in the FBiH Parliament, has been trying to raise the issue through competent institutions for five years already. Apparently, the FBiH Parliament’s House of Peoples and House of Representatives, at Colak’s initiative, adopted conclusions back in 2002 that the problem should be solved through inter-state agreement between BiH and Croatia, but very little had been done since. Colak explains: “The main thing is that the HEP (Croatian Elektroprivreda) registered everything in the land registry books, but they could not do it without an interstate agreement. Those who started this 30 years ago, during the times the lake was being built, had been rewarded with apartments in Zagreb and Split, the same happened with the ones who pulled this one off recently. It is not my job to say who did it, let the competent bodies determine that. I submitted the State Prosecution a request to investigate the whole case. It is well known who was the Head of Municipality and Head of Land Registry at the time”. |
| Minister Bozic on subsidies to agriculture, VAT
| Vecernji list, pg 5, ‘Subsidies for agriculture to be increased to 230 million KM’, by Zoran Kresic, mentioned on front – speaking of rebalance of FBiH budget for 2004, Marinko Bozic, FBiH Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Forestry, says that the rebalance will not bring payments of subsidies for agriculture in question but he claims that there will be no funds for payments of debts for previous years. Bozic says that, if VAT comes into effect next summer, farmers will find themselves in a more difficult situation. Opting for a unique rate of VAT because it ensures budget stability, Bozic says that in case VAT is introduced, the Ministry will demand subsidies to be ten times higher than they are now, i.e. to be increased to 230 million KM as a condition to make domestic production more competitive. Speaking of compensations for damages such as floods, Bozic says FBiH has no general compensation saying that it should be regulated by a new Law on Waters. |
| On health workers’ strike in
| Vecernji List, pg 6, ‘Government proclaimed health workers’ strike illegal’, by Ana Drmac, and Dnevni list, pg 4, ‘Warning strike suggested’, by Nina – while DL carries that the Presidency of the Independent Trade Union of Health Workers of Central Bosnia Canton (CBC) has suggested holding of a warning strike in front of the CBC Government building in Travnik on either 22 or on 23 September because the authorities have not yet given specific proposal on place and time to meet the Union, VL carries that, at its emergency session held in Travnik, the Central Bosnia Canton Government has concluded that the strike which a part of health workers started on 2 August is illegal. Namely, it turned out that the Independent Union of Health Workers, which organized the strike, is not registered with the Cantonal Ministry of Justice. Dragan Solomun, the Head of Health Insurance Fund, denied claims of the |
| BiH stock-markets become members of FEAS
| Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘BiH stock-markets full members of FEAS’, by pincom.biz – Two BiH stock-markets, namely the Banja Luka and Sarajevo stock markets became full members of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock-markets (FEAS) at the FEAS’ 10th assembly held in Novigrad in Croatia on Friday. FEAS gathers 29 stock-markets from |