Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 22 November
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| Protests of farmers | Protests of farmers | Protests of farmers |
| BH Presidency holds DPA reception | Protests of drivers in Brcko | RS delegation in |
| Zubak on DPA | RS delegation in | Ivanic in |
TV news broadcast on 21 November
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Protests of farmers | Iraqi official in BiH | DPA anniversary | Cavic on police reform |
| ICTY trials of 6 Croats | DPA anniversary | Church for peace prayers | RS PoWs letter to HR |
| ICTY schedule for week | BiH citizen sells a kidney | EC supports return | Possible sanctions for RS |
| DPA anniversary | Underage delinquency | Economic issues | DPA anniversary |
| Oslobodjenje | Matijasevic insists on RS MoI survival |
| Dnevni Avaz | Ivanic demands RS MoI survival; Francetic and Budak still have streets in Mostar |
| Dnevni List | Death – consequence of alcoholic beverages from domestic bottling plants |
| Vecernji List | Whole state depends on Mostar and Sarajevo |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia-related headlines |
| Nezavisne Novine | Darko Matijasevic about today’s meeting in Belgrade: RS would fulfil duties towards the Hague Tribunal; The destiny of “Fortuna” firm from Petrovo: The shoe factory vanished |
| Glas Srpske | Anti Money Laundering Department: Prosecutor to make a move |
| EuroBlic | 377 fictitious firms: The state lost BAM 11 million |
| Vecernje novosti | 9th anniversary of Dayton: Might be the last Holy Day |
| Nacional | Features Serbian related stories |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Farmers block border crossings
| BH Radio 1 at 12.00 – The members of the Farmers and Agriculture Associations in BiH have started with the announced protests blocking the border crossing of Doljani. They stated that similar protests will take place as long as BiH authorities refuse to solve their issues, equalizing status of BiH products with those from Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. RTRS at 12.00 – Around 100 farmers have blocked the crossing point at Gradiska. According to Vladimir Usorac, President of the RS Farmers Association, farmers have given deadline until 5th December to RS Government to meet their demands. SRNA – Usorac stated for Srna that “gathering” of farmers at border-crossings with Croatia is a warning to the RS and FBiH authorities and the CoM that the country’s neighbours, particularly Croatia, are applying free-trade agreements unilaterally only. |
| Truck drivers block roads around Brcko
| BH Radio 1 – Members of the Transportation Section at the Brcko District Chamber of Commerce have started with the blockade Brcko – Banja Luka and Brcko – Orasje roads. They are protesting against the insufficient number of the international transportation licences, a decision that has made it impossible for them to transport goods and passengers at the international level. |
| EU/Western Balkans forum in Brussels
| RHB at 12.00 – EU Chairman Bernard Boti and EU Commissioner for EU Expanding Oli Rehn will sign with 5 Foreign Ministers of Western Balkans countries the agreements on opening of the EU programs for all Western Balkans countries in Brussels today. The BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic will sign the agreement on behalf of BiH. |
Police reform / RS Interior Ministry | |
| Matijasevic, Cavic certain RS MoI will survive police reform
| Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 7 ‘Matijasevic insists upon RS MoI’s survival’ by R.I. – At the celebration of RS MoI Saint Day, RS Interior Minister, Dragan Matijasevic, stated on Sunday that this Ministry will survive and continue “to fulfil its legal obligations”, thus he repeated the stance of the RS leadership in order to ensure existence of the RS MoI. RS President Dragan Cavic stated that he believes that Police Reform Commission will bring decision that will enable further existence of RS MoI. Cavic also said that MoI has been demanded to participate in the reform due to BiH’s path to EU and stressed that RS Officials are expected to help this process. RTRS by Marina Marjanovic – Matijasevic said that regardless to the difficulties MoI is faced with, he expects from staff members to carry on with their assignments. “I can tell you that these challenging times aren’t challenging just for the MoI, but for the entire RS, especially since we have been faced with very significant and very challenging things such as the cooperation with the ICTY. This Institution is the most… legally liable to carry out all these activities” said Matijasevic. He added that the fact that many significant politicians, police and religious officials have attended the Saint Day ceremony shows that they are all giving the support to RS MoI. Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Nothing beyond Dayton’ by M. Dizdar, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘RS MoI is bending’; EuroBlic RSpg 4 ‘Policemen celebrated the holy day’ by N. B. – also cover statements by Matijasevic and Cavic. |
| Ivanic: ‘Police reform is necessary, but there must be RS MoI’
| Dnevni Avaz, cover ‘Ivanic wants RS MoI to stay’ and pg. 5 ‘Police reform is necessary, but there must be RS MoI’ by Husein Orahovac – DA interview with BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Mladen Ivanic carries an announcement saying that Ivanic will today participate to the work of “The 2nd Forum of Foreign Ministers of EU and Western Balkans” in Brussels. In the interview, Ivanic presented a stance of PDP on police reform by saying that the police reform is necessary but cannot be implemented aside the basic principle – RS MoI and RS police should exist. |
| VN on RS MoI
| Vecernje Novosti cover and pg 17 ‘Might be the last Holy Day’ by Sl. Pesevic – The author starts with the information on Sunday’s celebration of the Holy Day of RS MoI (St. Michael’s Day – Arandjelovdan) which coincides with the 9th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement, noting this might be the last Holy Day RS MoI has celebrated. He further gives a sort of overview into all reforms process and joint institutions BiH has got over years. He notes BiH would today (Monday) enter the 10th anniversary of post-Dayton Bosnia, raising the question as to whether BiH would celebrate the 10th anniversary as it is now or “ion changed form”. |
Political issues | |
| BiH Presidency holds reception to mark DPA anniversary | FTV, RHB, BHT1, Dnevni Avaz, pg. 2 ‘A reception for ambassadors at BiH Presidency’ by Fena – BiH Presidency Chair, Borislav Paravac, and Presidency members, Sulejman Tihic and Dragan Covic, will hold reception on Monday to mark the ninth anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Reception has been organized to welcome the representatives of the countries signatories of the DPA, countries guaranteeing DPA and the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown. All media bring short background of the agreement. |
| RTRS feature on Dayton Peace Agreement | RTRS by Stela Jungic – The ninth anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement was marked in RS by waiting the UN Security Council’s response to ICTY report on the cooperation between BiH and the Tribunal. Journalist also asked citizens and politicians to say what has changed in RS since Dayton. Majority of citizens said that Dayton has brought peace, but nothing was done since then. Mladen Micic, the Chair of the RS Econ Chamber said that BiH has stabile monetary system, but added that the international community has contributed to negative economic revival due to its its involvement, especially in the privatisation process. However, he added that domestic officials also bear big responsibility due to lack of cooperation between them and IC. Former High Representative Wolfgang Petrich said that BiH cannot survive as the country with two entities and that it is the final time to make some changes. “Abolishment of Dayton’s Agreement, abolishment of Entities, especially of RS is something that no reasonable politician in RS will ever accept” said Mladen Ivanic, BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ivanic said that Dayton has brought peace and stability, but its failure is BiH’s negative image, adding that Dayton shouldn’t be changed without the census of BiH constitutive peoples. “As long as the international factor is present here, entire world will see this country as the country under the supervision, or the country under the patronage and that is the realistic picture and that picture must be over with,” said Dragan Cavic, RS President. SNSD points that almost nothing has been improved since Dayton as the nationalist parties continued to lead their war politics. “In these nine years, RS was losing its authorities, bit by bit… there is a large number of Yugo nostalgic people,” said Krstan Simic, member of SNSD Main Board. SDA says that they are mostly dissatisfied with the return process. “The production and foreign investments in BiH haven’t really been revived, but that can, in a certain manner, be explained with political movements in this territory, which haven’t gone as fast as the IC has expected,” said Adil Osmanovic, SDA Vice-President. |
| Cropress on DPA
| Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Agreement which demands revision’ not signed, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Last anniversary of DPA’ by D. Jazvic – Dailies report that the 9th anniversary of signing the Dayton Peace Accord was on Sunday. VL says that in spite of the RS opposition it is very probable that at the end of this year or at the beginning of the next one, the process of constitutional changes might start which could change completely everything that was signed in Dayton. DL says that High Representative Paddy Ashdown believes that the DPA is a basic but not final solution for BiH and that possible changes must come from BiH. Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Zubak: I would refuse to sign DPA again’, mentioned on front, by J. Petrovic carries an interview with NHI President Kresimir Zubak who refused to signed the DPA 9 years ago and Zubak says that he would refuse to sign it again. |
| Former HR Petritsch: Dayton is no longer solution for BiH
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Dayton is no longer a solution for BiH’ by A.S. – In an interview to Radio Free Europe, Wolfgang Petritsch, former high representative to BiH, said that the Dayton Agreement is not an ideal solution for a modern European state, noting it should be replaced with a more rational constitutional model. He concluded: “Basically speaking, one acceptable constitutional model must replace Dayton structure.” |
| NN op-ed on change of DPA
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Change of Dayton Agreement’ by Josip Blazevic – The author stresses that nine years ago, when the Dayton Agreement was signed, the end was put on the war in BiH, but no functional peace has been established in BiH. He stresses that as the years pass, so the number of those thinking Dayton should be changed increases. |
| Vrankic on FBiH Government crisis | Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Vrankic: We are not interested in such meeting’, mentioned on front, by N. Bise – With regard to the FBiH Government crisis, FBiH Minister of Finances Dragan Vrankic stated on Sunday that it is not certain that the meeting among SDA, HDZ and SBiH Ministers will take place on Monday (today). He added that he is not sure that HDZ Ministers will come at that meeting at all. Vrankic also said: ‘The FBiH Government does not recognize such approach to the work since there are inter-party agreements and the agreements signed by parliamentary majority. It does not make any sense to make some new agreements. I support the work within the Government.’ |
| VL on HDZ image
| Vecernji List pg 3 ‘HDZ BiH must change its image’ by Z. Kresic – VL says that in order to join the European People’s Party, among the other things, HDZ must change its image which is rather negative due to improper behavior of HDZ members and ill-intentioned judgments coming from abroad. VL says that, first of all, it has been expected that HDZ changes its radical image, which is the result of the time of the Croat self-rule from 2001 when according to the author ’the International Community was terrorizing the whole Croat people.’ The author goes on to say that the current HDZ leadership has made a complete turnabout when their policy is in question, however, some circles within the IC still claim that military fraction rules the party. In this context the author mentions the OSCE report from the beginning of this year, which according to the author obviously had to help the arrest of former HDZ President Ante Jelavic. |
| DA on education law
| Dnevni Avaz, pg. 2 ‘Halilovic: I will try to find a solution together with Colak and RS Ministers’ by J. Sogolj – Upon a failure of the work group to forward a draft solution on high education legislation by the set deadline, BiH Minister of Civil Affairs Safet Halilovic has announced he would try to get in a contact with RS Ministers and HDZ President Barisa Colak in order to try to find a model that would represent a frame state law on high education and that would be acceptable for all sides. |
| Update to issue of names of Mostar streets
| Dnevni Avaz, cover ‘Francetic and Budak still have streets in Mostar’ and pg. 3 ‘Budak and Francetic still have a street in Mostar’ by F. Vele – Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic has confirmed that no recommendations for changes to names of Mostar streets have been reached as yet, despite to the fact that the Chair of the Commission for establishing trust in Mostar, Zoran Pajic, has announced reaching these recommendations two months ago, as in accordance with a mandate granted to him by High Representative Paddy Ashdown. |
| NN on session of SDS Main Board
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘10% from salary for the party’ by D. Risojevic – Bosko Siljegovic, member of SDS Main Board, said that the SDS Main Board decided that all the SDS official would in the future give approximately 10% of their salaries for the party, in order to save SDS from the financial disaster. Siljegovic explained that “this is the only manner in which we can get out of the crisis after HR took the money away and party simply cannot function.” |
| Update to possible coalitions in Brcko District | Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Who gives more?’ by M. Djurdjevic – The article carries an overview of negotiations on possible coalitions in Brcko District and reports on posters that have appeared in Brcko District on Friday morning. With regard to posters against SDS, HDZ, SDA and Party for BiH coalition, SDS President Ratko Stjepanovic has stated that the aim of these was to stop democratic processes in Brcko. He emphasized that activities on forming the Assembly majority will continue, in order to establish a democratic authority in Brcko, in forming of which the Office of the Supervisor would not interfere. The President of Brcko District Board of SDP party, Izet Banda, says the party supports these posters. He believes SDP will manage to form the Assembly majority in Brcko District. Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Sakovic: Agreement on Assembly majority was signed with SDS’ by Fena, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Inter-party negotiations are in top gear’ by Fena – Semso Sakovic, the President of the Party for BiH, has stated that the Party for BiH has signed an agreement on forming the Assembly majority with HDZ, SDS and SDA, by which they have ensured 15 out of in total 29 mandates. On the other hand, SDP believes it, together with SPRS, SNSD and DS (in total 11 delegates), will manage to get a support of HSS (two delegates) as well as support of individual delegates from national parties. Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘SDA, Party for BiH and SDP should reach an agreement without SDS’ by E. R. – Vahdet Mujkanovic of SDP stated the party will not support coalition that includes SDS. He also said SDS should be prevented from participating at the executive authority of the District. |
War crimes | |
| RTRS feature on RS cooperation with ICTY
| RTRS by Radoslav Banovic – Report says that pressure applied on RS due to its lack of cooperation with the ICTY lasts for several years, but that it seems that RS Politicians will feel concrete consequences only after ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte submits her report to the UN Security Council. No one doubts that this report will be negative and the international community currently considers possible sanctions. Even though RS Interior Minister Darko Matijasevic has brought to some improvements, positive mark will not be given to RS as ICTY wants to see Karadzic and Mladic arrested. Tanja Topic, often featured political analyst working with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, said that RS leadership could expect individual and financial sanctions. Ljiljana Smailbegovic, analyst, said that RS will not be abolished after the November 23 adding that this issue is not as important as the need to focus on activities regarding the change of Dayton. Reporter wonders how far will the High Representative go this time. “If some steps forward in RS cooperation with the ICTY aren’t made, I have information that Mr. Paddy Ashdown will ban more people from public duties and work in politics. Considering that you aren’t China and that you don’t have large number of people, I don’t know who will be left to deal with politics now when they remove some more people. Another measure I expect is dissolution of entity police,” said Jovan Simic, Advisor to Serbian President on relations with the ICTY. Ostoja Barasin, analyst, considers that President Cavic has went to Belgrade to do anything adding that it is almost certain that RS MoI will be abolished. Citizens say that they are sure that consequences for RS will be horrible as it always was the case in the past. |
| NN int with Matijasevic on cooperation with ICTY
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 4 ‘RS would fulfil duties towards the Hague Tribunal’ by D. Risojevic – In an interview to NN, Darko Matijasevic, RS Interior Minister, says he is not aware of what Carla del Ponte would state before the UN SC on 23 Nvoember, adding that the RS would all it can to fulfil its duties towards ICTY. He regards cooperation with the ICTY as a process, where no deadlines are of any assistance, but instead efficient cooperation is. Regarding today’s (Monday) meeting in Belgrade, he said the goal of the meeting in Belgrade is to identify the way through joint efforts with SiCG and security agencies from SICG and BiH and international community, in order to respond to challenges ahead of us (including cooperation with the ICTY) in an adequate manner. He reiterates once more that if he had information on whereabouts of any Hague indictee, he would launch an immediate action of arrest. |
| Op-ed notes change of Serb attitude to arrest of war crimes suspects | Oslobodjenje, pg. 9 ‘Imperative’ by Ibrahim Prohic – The author writes that there are some indications that the general stance of Serbs in BiH towards arresting war crimes indictees was changing. The author also notes that it would be better if this were a result of moral and civilization reasons rather than a result of political calculating and pragmatism. |
| RS PoWs send letter to HR: ‘Do not cause rebel!’
| RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Do not cause the rebel’ by R. Todoric – RS Association of Prisoners of War send an open letter to the High Representative Paddy Ashdown in which they will invite him to stop threatening RS and its institutions with the regard to the issue of the cooperation with ICTY. The Association adds that HR has no right to bring all Serb to uncertainty. The letter also reads that possible HR’s unconstitutional decisions could cause unseen consequences for BiH in a form of protests and unrests. They say that HR should hold responsible those with whom he secretly signed arrangements harmful for RS. The letter is to be sent to the European Parliament, European Union, UN Security Council, Peace Implementation Council and ICTY. |
| NN update to ‘Tuzla procession’ case | Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Hearing of suspects in case of “Tuzla procession” soon’ by Z.K.-J.S. – NN learnt that the Bijeljina District Prosecutor’s Office would addressed court summons for hearing of the four war crimes suspects in Tuzla in 1992. the summons would be handed to Enver Delibergovic, former Commander of the Tuzla Territorial Defence, Faruk Prcic, his deputy, Memed Bajric, police commander and Muhamed Brkic, commander of para-military unit. |
Economic, legal and return issues | |
| Farmers today block 4 border crossings
| RHB, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz, pg. 5 ‘Farmers have announced blockades of border crossing points’ not signed, Oslobodjenje, pg. 3 ‘Farmers to block state borders’ by Fena, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Transporters and farmers to block border’ by T. Bijelic, NINA, Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Blockade of border with Croatia’ by S.T., – The RS Association of Farmers and the FBiH Association of Farmers will protests today at the border crossings of Izacic, Gradiska, Gorica and Doljani blocking the traffic for several hours. The two Associations stated that the reason for the protest are their demands to the BiH Council of Ministers, FBiH Government and RS Government to resolve four problems concerning agricultural land in state ownership, free trade agreements and incentives for starting the fattening of cattle and agricultural production, equal in the entire country. Farmers are categorical that they would stay at the border crossings until their demands are met and that on the second day they would only block import from Croatia and Serbia-Montenegro. EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Farmers to protest again’; Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Farmers’ protests at the border’ by N. Krsman – Vladimir Usorac, President of the RS Farmers, confirmed that the farmers in BiH would on Monday from 10:00 to 12:00 hrs block four border crossing points at Doljanic, Izacic, Fradiska and Gorica, since the local authorities have turned the deaf ear to demands of farmers. |
| BHT 1 on agriculture in BiH
| BHT 1 by Sanita Lasica – Fifty millions KM were invested in the field of agriculture this year in BiH, while more efficient support for farmers will be possible after establishment of the state level Ministry of Agriculture. It would also help BiH in its path to European integrations. “You see that focus is on European integrations. There is a lot of work for veterinarian sector, food protection, we have to harmonize those things with EU standards, ” said Marinko Bozic, FBiH Minister of Agriculture. “Since the European Union will start ambitious agriculture reform, BiH cannot any more delay undertaking efficient measures. Otherwise, your country will be completely unprepared for the EU,” stated Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays. |
| VL on BiH economy
| Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Whole state depends on Mostar and Sarajevo’, and pg 3 ‘BiH economy depends on Mostar and Sarajevo’ by E. Medunjanin – The last information coming from state institutions show that stability of the BiH economy depends a lot on the economic situation in the Herzegovina-Neretva and Sarajevo Cantons. VL says that these two Cantons participate with more than 30 % in the total BiH economy and this is for a few percents more from participation of the whole RS economy in the state economy. Experts believe that this situation is the result of the fact that 3 out of 10 biggest exporters from the Federation of BiH (Aluminij, Volkswagen, Elektroprivreda BiH and Standard) are located in these two Cantons. |
| Employees in FBiH institutions to call off strike
| Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Strikers without compensation and salaries’ by E. Medunjanin – After two weeks employees in the Federation of BiH Ministries and institutions will call of their general strike on Monday (today) although the FBiH Government have not met any of their conditions. According to the Strikers’ Board, it is possible that they will go on the general strike again on November 25 when the FBiH Government will declare itself on their demands. |
| Blic on fictitious companies in RS | EuroBlic cover and RSpg 1 ‘The state lost BAM 11 million’ by Mirna Soja – Obrad Petrovic, Assistant to Tax Administration Director for control over big tax payers, said that according to the report of the RS Tax Administration, the RS has lost over BAM 11 million in 2004 because of fictitious firms. 377 fictitious firms have been identified so far, whose unified identification numbers have been annulled. |
| DA update to LNM/BH Steel
| Dnevni Avaz, pg. 2 ‘LNM made a payment in the amount of 80 million dollars for “BH Steel” Zenica’ by A. Dzonlic – the rticle reports that LNM company has made a payment in the amount of 80 million dollars to the deposit account of “BH Steel” Zenica at the Raiffeisen Bank, by which it has fulfilled the last pre-requisite for the registration of the new structure of ownership of the company. Aziz Mujezinovic, “BH Steel” Zenica Deputy Executive Director, has confirmed all needed documents for the registration have been collected. |
| GS on money laundering cases
| Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Prosecutor to make a move’ by D.B.M. – The Anti-money laundering department with the RS Finance Ministry has delivered six reports to the prosecutor’s office in charge regarding possible money laundering cases. This is a sort of new development, since Department has hitherto compiled information and handed it to the PO. |
| NN update to Cengic case
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Cengic suspected of office abuse’ by M. Cubro – NN learnt at the BiH Prosecutor’s Office that the PO of BiH is conducting an investigation into the office abuse of Hasan Cengic at the time he was F BiH Deputy Defence Minister, currently delegate at the BiH HoP. |
| FTV on EC-supported return project | FTV – The European Commission has promoted two pilot projects related to region of Bosnian Krajina in the municipalities leading the return process. Local communities will be responsible for implementation of the projects. “With completion of the first project in which we invested 3,3 millions of Euros in Sanski Most, Bihac, Bosansko Grahovo, Drvar, Bosanski Petrovac, Glamoc and Prijedor, we constructed 300 houses in addition to all needed infrastructure and created jobs for 175 families. We practically now start with new project in which we will invest additional 3 millions KM, construct 116 houses and create 45 working places,” explained head of EC delegation in BiH, Michael Humphreys. |