Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 23 November
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1(12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
Threatening letter to HKDU Livno | Rice on ICTY fugitives | BH delegation to return to BiH today |
BiH pol. leaders signed joint. declar. | Merkel to tour | Kostunica in |
Bishops’ Conf. demands fair BiH org. | Israeli parliamentary elections | 2 options fro KosMet |
TV news broadcast on 22 November
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
Conference in | Agreement signed in | Agreement signed in |
Rehn’s letter to Terzic | Ivanic on | Reactions on |
OHR on constitutional changes | Tihic on | |
HDZ delegation in Livno | Colak, Paravac on the statement | Okic sentenced to 22 years in prison |
NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
Rehn’s letter to Terzic | Agreement signed in | UN on DA implementation |
Agreement signed in | | Conference in |
FBiH HoR on Energopetrol | FBiH HoR discussed Energopetrol | SPON on |
Issue of Zigic’s resignation | Warning strike in Canton Una-Sana | Terrorist suspect interrogated |
Oslobodjenje | Agreement on constitutional changes signed’ |
Dnevni Avaz | Washington Declaration for the future of BiH |
Dnevni List | |
Vecernji List | One cannot say NO to |
Slobodna Dalmacija | Grbic and girlfriend shot at with 24 bullets (shooting incident in Mostar) |
Glas Srpske | Where is justice, Paddy? |
Nezavisne Novine | Agreement for constitutional changes reached |
Blic | Serbs accepted change of Constitution |
Vecernje Novosti | |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
Rice: Balkan state cannot join NATO w/out apprehending ICTY fugitives
| BH Radio 1, RS Radio – If they want to be a part of the NATO, all Balkans states must apprehend the ICTY fugitives, warned the US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice. At the ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of DPA, Rice said that it is necessary to move further away from the framework that established the peace in BiH in order to ensure its future. The Agreement, says Rice, must be transformed. |
Guardian: Agreement reached under heavy
| BH Radio 1 – Article published by the British Guardian reads that BiH leaders agreed to the biggest shift towards centralising power in their partitioned country since the war ended 10 years ago. “A pact reached in |
RS Interior Ministers Matijasevic says | |
RS economic expert on
| RS Radio – Mladen Micic, President of the RS Chamber of Commerce, is of the view that real problems during |
Constitutional | |
BiH political leaders obliged to make necessary constitutional changes
| Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash ‘Agreement for constitutional changes reached’, pg 3 ‘Support to changes of Constitution’ by V.Popovic reports on the agreement signed and carries statements of Burns, Cavic (see below), Ivanic. Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘He wants only Bosnians’ by VOA carries Burns’ statement. EuroBlic cover pg splash ‘Serbs accepted change of Constitution’, RSpg 2 ‘Changes of Dayton by March 2006’ by R.Radosavljevic-M.Milic, Vecernje Novosti pg 15 ‘A statement signed’ by FoNet) – report on a joint statement signed, carrying comments of Ivanic, Burns and Sefer Halilovic, Party for BiH official, who told daily that the statement is just a transitional solution leading to negotiations, that should result in constitutional changes by March 2006. Halilovic also said: “That is final deadline by which final changes should be determined, since that is when general elections should be scheduled for future authority structures in BiH. Therefore, we expect assistance from the Vecernje Novosti pg 15 ‘Only agreement changes Constitution!’ by Dusan Stojakovic, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘They were hoping in vain’ by Z. Markovic– carries Ivanic statement to daily, reiterating his stances. |
RS political leaders call on Karadzic, Mladic to surrender or they will be arrested
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Call on Mladic and Karadzic’, Oslobodjenje pg 3, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Call to surrender’, Glas Srpske cover pg ’Karadzic and Mladic’ – Participants in Washington talks from RS, |
BiH CoM Chair Terzic handed to
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Strengthening of relations between the District and the State’ – A declaration, which BiH Council of Ministers Chair Adnan Terzic delivered to the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, emphasizes the strengthening of the relations between Brcko District and the state of BiH. |
US official: declaration includes deadlines for const. Changes
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Important step forward made’ by S.S. – An American official told DA that the declaration expressing the readiness to carry out constitutional changes singed by the leaders of political parties was very important as it also includes the deadline to end these reforms: “BiH leaders thus committed to implement constitutional changes by March next years and to work on strengthening BiH institutions.” |
BiH citizens can count on US – State Secretary Rice
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘US are persistently and decisively working for BiH to be a united state’ – US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice made it clear during a lunch in Washington on Tuesday that all BiH citizens could count on BiH just as they had been able to so far. She added that today President George Bush’s administration was still committed to work on establishment of BiH as an united state and apprehension of all war crime indictees. Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Woords must be transformed into action’ also carried Rice’s address. |
Burns: All power must not be with entities, but strong central authorities; RS must arrest Karadzic; w/out speculations on new HR, to be named next several weeks
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Negotiation on strengthening BiH are yet to follow’ by Sead Numanovic – In an interview to DA, the US Undersecretary for political affairs Nicholas Burns stresses that the US deems the divisions created by Dayton Agreement must now be brought down. He adds that BiH must become normal state meaning “that all the power is not in the hands of entities, but that there is a strong central authorities.” Commenting the agreement signed in |
US’ Holbrooke: ‘RS must understand that BiH is integrated country’
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘RS must understand that BiH is integrated country’ not signed – Talking at the Washington meeting one of the DPA authors Richard Holbrooke stated: ‘There is too much powers in the entities. This is a mistake that we have made in Dayton. Nick Barns said that we did the most we could however I believe that we could do more. After all we have stopped the war, introduced a joint currency, created a unified country and for this reason the RS must acknowledge once and for all that BiH is an integrated country. I regret a lot that we allowed that an entity is called the RS. I did not understand completely, neither emotionally nor politically, contents of this name when we agreed it upon.’ Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Changes are super-structuring of Dayton’ by Agencies – Richard Holbrooke, the creator of the DA in Washington advocated the abolishment of tri-partite BiH Presidency and changes to the name of Republika Srpska, voicing out the message to the Serbs to amend mistakes committed in Dayton. Holbrooke also said it is high time Serbs accepted they were part of BiH. Daily also notes that members of the BiH Presidency, Ivo Miro Jovic, Sulejman Tihic and Borislav Paravac expressed opposed views during their presentations at Washington conference. Namely, Jovic and Tihic stressed Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Stick to Alija’ not signed – carries Holbrooke’ statement |
Solana about DPA
| Dnevni List pg 4 ‘BiH will keep Dayton Constitution’ by NINA, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Dayton remains Dayton’ by TANJUG – Javier Solana, EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security, Monday stated that “nobody refers to dramatic changes of DA, and Dayton will remain basic constitution of BiH”. He stressed tat |
Cavic: Serb side and IC represent one side, while Tihic and Croat side represent another
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Some want it, some don’t’ by |
I find the statement strong, powerful and concrete, says Tihic
| Pink Natasa Sjeric, BHT – Bosniak member of BiH Presidency and SDA Chair Sulejman Tihic finds signing of the declaration as confirmation of BiH representatives to carry out constitutional changes, especially in terms of state structures. “We have signed the statement on Monday and I find the statement strong, powerful and concrete, which will enable political parties to launch constitutional changes. Unfortunately we failed to agree on concrete issues regarding constitutional solutions since there was no consensus”, said Tihic. |
Ivanic says talks on constitutional changes will certainly continue
| Pink, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Expectation to introduce one president were unrealistic’, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘SDA has come to abolish RS, while HDZ is making FBiH’ by Az. K. – PDP President Mladen Ivanic said that parties from the FBiH are responsible for the failure of the |
OHR: It is up to BiH politicians to resolve issue of constitutional changes ASAP
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Bandur (
| Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Statement harmonized after fifth reading’, by Ivana Rozic – Mate Bandur from the Croat People’s Union ( |
DL: Colak was last to sign joint statement, Covic not invited to | Dnevni List, pg 3 ‘Changes to constitutional system’, not signed – HDZ’s Barisa Colak was the last one to sign the statement after he got assurances from the US that they would be involved in the future constitutional reforms. The article also reports that the HDZ BiH President, Dragan Covic was not invited to the |
Covic at public debate in Livno: Croats will decide about their destiny; Covic says he is not paying RTV tax until Croat TV is established in BiH
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Catholic bishops say DPA prevented just peace in BiH
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘English scenario, Russian protection and American supremacy’, by KTA – Carries an article signed by KTA (Catholic information agency) which says that (Catholic) bishops in BiH believe that the DPA did stop the war in BiH, however it did not enable, but it rather prevented a just peace in BiH. One of claims of the article reads: “If institutional injustice is built into foundations on any one country in the world, as is the case with BiH, it has no future and it cannot survive, even if it has the English scenario, Russian protection and American supremacy behind it”. |
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘It is up to peoples in BiH to determine system in the country’, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘To preserve consent’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Russia supports changes based on Dayton’, |
UN Security Council extends EUFOR mandate
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘EUFOR mandate extended’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘EUFOR mission extended’ by AP, Vecernje Novosti pg 15 ‘Extension for EUFOR’ by |
Rehn officially informs Terzic of launch of
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New phase of BiH relations with EU commences Friday: BH is prepared for 1st round of talks
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5, announced on cover ‘BiH is ready for first round of talks’ by M.Kavaz-Sirucic – Daily notes that the history of EU enlargement records no previous case before BiH when recommendation for |
Jiří Kudĕla: Experts should be let to deal with negotiations with EU
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Experts should be let to deal with negotiations with EU’ by A. Omeragic – Czech Ambassador to BiH Jiří Kudĕla has stated he recommends to BiH authorities to let experts deal with negotiations on |
NN op-ed on
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘A European gift’ by Aleksandar Sekulic – Writing about decision of the EU CoM to recommend launchmet of |
VL: EU would like to have 5 regions in BiH
| Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘EU regions are abolishing the Dayton RS’, by Zdenko Jurilj – VL argues that the regionalization of BiH is a plan that needs to be implemented in BiH if the country wants to use pre-accession funds of the EU. VL notes that official Brussels concocted a project entitled ‘BiH to Europe with five regions’ four years ago, whose plan is to economically strengthen the five regions in BiH (Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka, Zenica and Tuzla), which should eventually result in decrease of political influences the current cantons and entities have. VL also notes that the RS authorities sent the EC a letter in which they claimed that the issue of economic regionalization of BiH is a political issue and that the ultimate goal of some parties is not the proclaimed economic progress, but further sidelining of the RS institutions. |
Opinion poll in RS about joining EU, NATO
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 14 ‘RS: 73 % interviewed persons supports EU’ by F, EuroBlic pg RS3 ‘Citizens do not want BiH in NATO’ by M. S. – As according to results of the Prime Communications survey, approximately 73,5% of RS citizens support admission of BiH to EU, while 26,5% think BiH should not join EU. 51,2% of citizens think BiH should not join NATO, while 33,9% support the admission to NATO. |
Karic: If Kosovo becomes Republic, RS will become local community centre in BiH
| Vecernje Novosti pg 2 ‘To Europe or to war in 2007’ by Dragana Cabarkapa – In a page-long interview to daily, Bogoljub Karic, President of the Serbian Movement of Forces ( |
Economic/Social Affairs | |
FBiH HoR on Energopetrol/Reactions by Hadzipasic, Grahovac, Dzihanovic
| Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘FBiH Government starts with preparation of contract’ – FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic stated after the session that it should be waited for the session of the FBiH House of Peoples. Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘Obvious manipulation of Parliament’ carries FBiH Deputy Prime Minister Gavrilo Grahovac as saying that the Parliament did not decide anything since the session was run in a way that there was no voting at the FBiH Government’s decision at all. According to Grahovac this shows that it can be manipulated with the Parliament if there is a wish to do so. Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘To sanction criminal activities’ carries FBiH Vice President Sahbaz Dzihanovic as saying that the Parliament actually did not do anything. He added: ‘The attitude of the FBiH Parliament is a serious indicator that this body does not want to take over responsibility for future events in the so-called process of privatization…’ Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Merdzo sold Energopetrol’ by M. Zorlak, Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Co-capitalization of Energopetrol passed’ by |
DL op-ed on ‘Energopetrol’: Politicians are incapable, looking after their own interests
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Energopetrol’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic – commenting on the situation regarding the ‘Energopetrol’ and events in the FBIH HoR, the author says the events showed that BiH politicians have no political culture, that they have no knowledge about what they are supposed to discuss and that they put personal and interests of certain groups before interests of the state, since they have changed opinion regarding the ‘Energopetrol’ issue within a few days. |
DL:
| Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 8 ‘Japan and Germany are looking into responsibility of BiH authorities’, by Mensud Zorlak – The Chairman of BiH Parliament’s Commission in charge of investigating how the foreign donors’ money was spent in BiH, Tihomir Gligoric, says there is a possibility that some donor countries, especially the big donors, start audits in order to find how the money they had donated was spent. He explains that it would appear that the Japanese government is the first government to raise the issue because it had sent 600 million KMs worth of donations, adding that the Japanese government is forming a working group that will be sent to BiH. DL also reports that it would appear that EU countries have similar plans, foremost |
OHR: Flouting of audit reports endangers BiH transition process
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘A short breath reactions’, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Criminal charges do not follow reports’ not signed,Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Prosecutor’s to follow auditors’, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Disrespect towards audit reports jeopardizes BiH’, FENA – While the State and Entity Auditors have started to make a positive impact on the way public money is handled in BiH and the way public companies are run, this impact has not been nearly large enough, OHR spokesperson Mario Brkic said on Tuesday citing remarks made at a conference in Sarajevo on Monday by Patrice Dreiski, Head of the OHR’s Economics Department. “No matter how outrageous the findings – theft, incompetence, mismanagement – the popular indignation that now customarily follows the publication of audit reports appears to last only for a matter of days,” he said “But after the indignation has died down, the politicians, directors of assorted boards and other insiders go back to business as usual”, Dreiski said. Dreiski said that the failure of the audits, till now, to sustain popular indignation and improve the management of government departments and public companies “represents a real danger for BiH’s economic transition as a whole.” |
ITA records better results in collection of public revenues in 2005
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Indirect Tax Authority collected billion and 870 million KMs’, by NINA, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘1,87 billion KMs of revenues collected’, by V. R. – The Indirect Tax Authority is recording a constant increase in collection of public revenues. Namely, it has so far this year collected one billion and 870 million KMs, which is an increase of 11% when compared to the same period from last year when it comes to revenues collected on the account of indirect taxes. |
GS splash: RS pensioners urge HR Ashdown to involve in resolving pensioners problems
| Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Where is justice, Paddy?’ by R. S. – The article criticizes HR Paddy Ashdown over his failure to react with regard to the issue of payments of pensions in accordance with the place where a pension was earned. It brings the information that approximately 30 million KM will be paid out from RS Pension and Insurance Fund to pensioners who have earned their pensions in the area of F BiH. Chairman of RS Association of Pensioners Rade Rakulj claims HR Ashdown favors the side of F BiH officials and is preventing return of people. Inset ‘Sin’ – Rakulj says it would be fair from HR Ashdown to finally see justice be done prior to his departure from BiH, since he has the power to order F BiH to act in accordance with the decision of the Human Rights Chamber with regard to payment of pensions. |
EC’s Daviddi: Free market protects domestic production
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Free market protects domestic production’ by N. Krsman – The deputy Chief of EC Delegation to BiH, Renzo Daviddi, has stated BiH had obliged to liberalize its market and it must fulfill this obligation, however this does not exclude protection of domestic production. During “Protection measures – the only way to protect domestic production” conference, it was emphasized that BiH had adopted legislation that was harmonized with agreements of WTO. Daviddi assessed it was important to prepare the administration in segment of foreign trades, because unprepared and unprofessional administration might cause significant implications in the state. |
Croatian President Mesic on construction of Peljesac bridge
| Nacional, front pg splash and pgs 16-18 ‘ |
Crime/Terrorism/Security/Legal Proceedings | |
Swedish prosecutor questions Begtasevic
| Dnevni List pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘Bektasevic’s aids are hiding in Sweden?’ by E. Mackic, Vecernji List 5 ‘Where are Bektasevic’s associates’ by V. Rupcic, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Swedish prosecutor interrogated Mirsad Bektasevic’ by M. Cubro, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Bektasevic was interrogated’ by Srna – Swedish prosecutor Thomas Lindstrand interrogated Mirsad Bektasevic, a Swedish citizen who was recently arrested in Sarajevo over the suspicion he had participated in preparations of a terrorist attack, at BiH Court on Tuesday. |
SD: Possible terrorist targets in BiH were
| Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 15 ‘Terrorists prepared attack on airport?’, by Zlatko Tulic – Writing about the recent arrests in BiH that are linked to possible terrorist activities, SD claims to have learned from sources close to police and BiH Court that possible targets were supposed to be the Sarajevo airport and the Serbia and Montenegrin embassy to BiH. Allegedly, these information are being checked in details. |
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘BiH in jeopardy from terrorism’ by Srna, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Islamists are still a threat’ by Srna – Executive Director of the |
| Vecernji List, pg 25 ‘Okic got 22 year of prison’, by rs – |
Miscellaneous | |
Terzic meets UN officials requesting revision of police decertification
| Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘It is unacceptable to put the issue of the decertified police officers under carpet’ by S. Numanovic – The Chair of BiH CoM, Adnan Terzic, today meets the United Nations’ officials, Jean-Marie Guehenno, chief of operations, and Mark Malloch Brown, chief of the UN Secretary General cabinet, to discuss the issue of police officers decertified by the UN International Police Task Former during the UNMBiH mandate. Terzic told Avaz that “we will discuss all decertified police officers, and not only those 150 who filed charges against BiH. The talks with commence with the opinion of the |
Covic says he had not other chance but to exclude Raguz, Merdzo, Ljubic
| Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Covic: Raguz, Merdzo and Ljubic forced us to exclude them from the party’ by F. Vele – HDZ BiH leader Dragan Covic comments for DA that Martin Raguz, Bozo Ljubic and Josip Merdzo literary forced him and the party to bring decision to exclude them. “When somebody acts [like they did],.. if you want to keep the party together, you have to show it has organized statutory activities, thus this was necessary,” says Covic who also rejected to comment to the accusations that his election was orchestrated. |
| Vecernji List, pg 7 ‘Mother tongue is holy letter to me’, by Ana Drmac – carries an interview with recently appointed Education Minister in Central Bosnia Canton, Branko Golub, who says his first task is to visit all ‘two schools under one roof’ schools in the canton and get acquainted with the real situation. As for his future plans, he stresses: “I know that I will respect the parents’ wishes when it comes to language that is used in classes. Curriculum they (parents) choose will be the holy letter to me”. |
Hayat on alleged dispute between OHR and CoM re police ranks
| Hayat Asim Beslija – The BiH Council of Ministers tried to adopt regulation book on police ranks, regardless of the fact that it is not in line with law on BiH police officers. Allegedly, the regulation book should allow individuals, who got promoted under suspicious circumstances and without any qualifications, to keep their positions. The OHR was the first to react. It suspended adoption of the regulation book, by saying that it is not in line with the law on BiH police officers. “The regulation book, proposed by the Ministry, contains regulations which would allow persons, without police experience to be ranked and by this the law’s intention has been violated. The OHR will continue insisting on having the law on BiH police officers’ regulations consistently implemented which present the base of professional and efficient police work”, said the OHR Spokesperson Sanela Tunovic. Reporter says that a lot more has been hiding behind the OHR’s words, since it was obvious that certain highly ranked police officials, who were building their careers without respecting any kind of criteria, were trying to be protected. BiH Deputy Minister of Security Dragan Mektic says that there are such persons in police, but that the exact number of them remains unknown. Mektic says that all of it happened due to the lack of criteria, a long before. “Such person should not be eliminated from the position by the regulation book on ranks, but due to the fact that he/she lacks necessary qualification”, says Mektic. According to Mektic, dispute between the OHR and BiH Council of Ministers occurred due to criteria on initial rank. The OHR stated that even different kinds of professionals, while entering police forces, should be given the lowest rank, regardless of their experience, while the CoM believed that they should be ranked according to their experience and qualification. |
ICRC Task Force on missing persons: Destiny of approximately 14 thousand people unknown
| Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘The truth is the sole consolation’ by N.Zelenovic – Tuesday’s session of the Task Force of the ICRC, held in Sarajevo, released information that as till 1 November 2005, the total of 21446 claims have been filed with the ICRC for search after missing persons. Out of this number, the total of 13868 claims are still unresolved. According to Martin Ney, SDHR, Tuesday stated that the number of approximately 14 thousand families, who are still waiting for information about their beloved ones, proves that appropriate institutions failed to meet their duties stipulated by the Dayton Agreement. |