| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1(19,00 hrs) | FED TV(19,30 hrs) | RT RS(19,30) |
| HR on HB | Terzic CoM Chair | HoR confirms CoM Chair | Terzic confirmed by HoR |
| Terzic confirmed by HoR | HR orders sale of HB | Mostar Southwest | HR orders sale of HB |
| Xmas greetings | Slovenian milk drinkable | Sarajevo policemen |
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| Veterans’ pensions | Montenegrin elections fail | Slovenian milk |
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| Oslobodjenje | December pensions after New Year; SBiH in national group; HB – sale in spring time; Terzic – CoM Chair; New incident near Prijedor; Workers’ salaries late, directors arguing; Slovenian milk – no ban |
| Dnevni Avaz | Great support to Terzic; Ashdown issued order – HB will be sold; Halilovic – Silajdzic support our participation in government; Xmas brings goodness and peace amongst people |
| Dnevni List | Paddy Ashdown instructs sale of Hercegovacka bank: Petritsch’s lobby buying Hercegovacka bank? |
| Vecernji List | Cardinal Vinko Puljic, Vrhbosna Archbishop: sometimes Zagreb gives us headache; After two year audit: Ashdown sells Hercegovacka bank |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Professor Ante Barisic, a Suica man removed by Petritsch becomes a farmer: Minister of Police becomes a shepherd and finds – serenity; Paddy Ashdown instructs Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson: Hercegovacka Bank up for sale |
| Glas Srpski | Serb Sarajevo – car stealers arrested: thieves’ chain broken; Belgrade: Milosevic bypassed by doctors |
| Nezavisne Novine | Dusko Jandric, Chairman of the RS Interior Ministry Trade Union: the Government is doing nothing, just makes promises; ‘Krivaja’ company from Zavidovici in trouble: employees on strike because of late salaries; BiH Parliament: Adnan Terzic – head of the Council of Ministers |
| Nacional | Milutinovic: I do not want to surrender to the Tribunal |
| Blic | Exchange of territory between BiH and FRY; EU Police from 1 January; The first robbery of bank in Mali Zvornik |
Political Affairs |
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| Terzic’s appointment confirmed by HoR
| Avaz pg. 1 and 2, Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 6, Nezavisne Novine pg. 3, Glas Srpski pg. 3, Vecernji List pg. 2 ‘Decision on formation of the new government on Monday’- the House of Representatives on Monday confirmed the appointment of Adnan Terzic for the prime minister-designate of the BiH Council of Ministers with 26 votes in favor. Delegates of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Croat Democratic Union (HDZ), Serb Democratic Party (SDS), Party for Democratic Progress (PDP), Party for BiH and the Pensioners’ Party voted in favor of Terzic. Eight delegates from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), RS Socialist Party, Alliance of Independent Social Democratic (SNSD), New Croat Initiative and the Serb Radical Party (SRS) voted against Terzic’s appointment. Finally, four delegates from the Working for Prosperity, Bosnian Party (BOSS), Democratic People’s Alliance (DNZ) and the Social Democratic Union (SDU) abstained. “The key goals of reforms are full democratization of the society, the rule of law, market economy and social justice,” said Terzic. Terzic’s address received full support from the SDA, HDZ and SDS, while Nijaz Durakovic (SBiH) said he was pleasantly surprised that Terzic was not talking about Serbs,, Croats and Bosniaks, but about citizens and BiH state. VL says that goals of the BiH CoM under Terzic’s leadership would be to create positive environment for foreign investments and creation of a cheaper and more efficient authority. (Dnevni List pg. 1 and 5 ‘We will work in interest of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ and Slobodna Dalmacija back page ‘Terzic confirmed as Prime Minister’. | |
| Citizenship Law | Avaz pg. 2 ‘The amendments to the Law on Citizenship adopted’, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘The BiH Law on Citizenship adopted’ – members of the HoR yesterday unanimously adopted the Changes and Amendments to the Citizenship Law. This means that the deadline for signing further bilateral agreements has been extended for another 10 years. The HoR also unanimously agreed to ratify the FRY-BiH Dual Citizenship Agreement. As for the Law on Import and Export of Weapons and Military Equipment, the discussion will be continued in the next three days. The SDA reps voted against the Law because they thought procedures for obtaining necessary documents to export weapons and military equipment were too complicated. | |
| Establishing of the new CoM | Avaz pg. 2 ‘The names of ministers to be known by Friday’, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘HDZ still have not chosen candidates’ – the newly appointed CoM Chair, Adnan Terzic, announced that the new structure of the CoM will be presented to representatives by next Monday most probably. “I expect that the procedure of party nominations and confirmation by OHR will be completed by Friday,” Terzic said. He yesterday met with HR Ashdown. According to Terzic, HR Ashdown told him that the IC will create delays and that OHR, as soon as the party agreements were achieved, would immediately make decision on issuing approvals to selected ministers. Terzic further confirmed for Avaz that the SDA yesterday forwarded to the OHR three names of candidates for the post of minister for human rights and refugees. The three candidates are Mirsad Kebo, Haris Basic and Vahid Muharemovic. In a separate article on the same page entitled ‘An extended list of candidates for state posts established’, Avaz reported that the HDZ Presidency discussed at yesterday’s session candidates for the posts at entity and state level. In a short address, Colak told journalists that they devised an extended list of candidates. He further added that they would make final decisions during a HDZ session to be held on December 30. Avaz also reported (pg. 2 ‘The working group completed revising of the Draft Law on Ministries) a statement by OHR Spokesperson, Kevin Sullivan, related to the Draft Law on Ministries. He said the Working Group completed the revising of the Draft and would soon forward it tot he CoM. He stated that the WG went through commentaries and suggestions made by political party reps at a meeting on Friday. Sullivan’s statement also reported by the RS media – Glas Srpski pg. 3 and Nezavisne Novine pg. 6. Vecernji List pg. 2 ‘Vidovic and Lozancic candidates for FBiH President’ – that the most serious candidates for position of the Federation President are Rudo Vidovic and Niko Lozancic and that Milenko Brkic, President of the HNZ, an HDZ coalition partner, is also interested in running for the office. Regarding the positions of the Federation Deputy PM and Finance Minister, VL says that a candidate from the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is Dragan Vrankic, whilst a candidate for the same office from Canton 10 is Filip Andric. The daily also says that there are a few candidates for the office of Federation Defence Minister, namely, most serious candidates are former Jelavic’s Military Advisor, Miroslav Nikolic, and brigadier Slavko Marin. (Dnevni List pg. 4) | |
| Commentary and survey in Avaz | ‘The Commentary of the Day’ column in Avaz on pg. 3 by Haris Orahovic entitled ‘The government of strong five’ – refers to the establishment of the new BiH government. Orahovic thinks that the majority that supported Terzic’s appointment represents solid foundation for the successful work of the future government. “BiH needs such government primarily because of the fact that we are in the transition phase, which calls for radical reforms in the key areas such as economy and legal system.” He goes on to say that the government made up of the strong ‘five’, which, next to the SDA, HDZ and SDS includes two post-Dayton parties – the SBiH and PDP. Orahovic believes that such government will represent a serious political partner to the IC in BiH. On the same page, Avaz conducted a survey entitled ‘The support to Terzic as the PM designate’. The following results – 73% supported his election, 11% did not and 16% abstained. | |
| SBiH | Avaz pg. 5 ‘We had Silajdzic’s approval for entering the authority’, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 and 5 ‘SBiH in national group’ – Oslobodjenje covered the decision by the SBiH to join the new government in their ‘Topic of the Day’ column. The daily lists the posts that the SDA used to, as the daily puts it, ‘buy’ the SBiH. The following posts the SBiH will get at the state level – chairman of the HoP, minister of civil affairs, deputy finance minister and treasury, secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Trade. At the Federation level – deputy chairman of the FBiH HoP, Deputy Federation president, ministries of culture and sport (a Serb) also deputy FBiH PM, furthermore ministries of trade and tourism, industry, urbanism and government secretary. The party President, Safet Halilovic, stated they would elect their candidates on the basis of their qualification and experience. The SDA SG, Sefik Dzaferovic, said it was good for BiH that the SBiH agreed to share authority with the SDA. Svetozar Pudaric, the SDP SG, stated that they could not say that the SBiH betrayed them or turned their back on them. He added that the SBiH would have to answer for their actions to their voters. In a short interview for Dnevni Avaz, Halilovic also made it clear that both Durakovic (who was quoted as saying he would become an independent candidate for establish a new party if the SBiH was to coalition with the SDS) and Silajdzic gave their support to this new coalition. | |
| Commentary in Oslobodjenje | ‘In the spotlight’ column in Oslobodjenje on pg. 2 by Mirko Sagolj entitled ‘Responsibility’ – on the decision by the SBiH to join the SDA in the new government. “The SBiH finally decided to enter a coalition with the national parties – the SDA, SDS and HDZ – which are responsible for ’10 most difficult years’. Next to voters, who gave most of their votes to nationalist parties, and HR Ashdown, who was cheering against the (former) Alliance, the SBiH takes over the key responsibility for the authority functioning until the next elections.” According to Sagolj, it would be realistic to expect that there would be disagreement within the party amongst those who care about BiH’s destiny and those who care more about positions in the government or nations. He thinks it will be interesting to see how the following SBiH members will behave in the future – Durakovic, Silajdzic, Belkic and Gavrilo Grahovac. | |
| RS government | Avaz pg. 10 ‘The PDP leadership today to discuss the participation in the RS government and the CoM’ – a statement by the PDP Spokesperson, Igor Crnadak, that a PDP Main Board session will be held today. He could not give exact details about the topics to be discussed at today’s session, but according to the daily’s sources, the modalities of the participation in the RS government and the BiH CoM are on the agenda. It is a well-known fact that the PDP should get four ministries, but some speculate they will ask for more. According to daily’s unofficial sources, the SDA will nominate Muhamed Klokic for the Minister of Agriculture. Member of the executive board of the Serb Radical Party (fraction chaired by Radoslav Kanjeric), Predrag Markocevic, stated that the SRS would not extend its support to the RS Prime Minister designate, Dragan Mikerevic as he was a representative of the SDA, SDS, PDP and HDZ coalition. (Nezavisne Novine, pg.7, Nacional pg. 11 ‘SRS won’t support Mikerevic’). According to Markocevic, it is absurd that the SDA, which was the reason for thousands of Serbs to leave the Federation, now ruled in the RS. A member of the SDS Main Board, Cvijetin Nikic, yesterday stated in Bijeljina that the appointment of Adnan Terzic for the CoM designate indicated that authorities in BiH would be created by those elected by the people (Nezavisne Novine, pg.7). | |
| Grabovac vs. Ashdown | Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 1 and 14 – former Federation Finance Minister, Nikola Grabovac, sent a letter to HR Paddy Ashdown in which he announces a turnaround in the ‘AM Sped’ affair claiming that the real culprits will in the end wind up on the defendant’s bench. Grabovac also blames HR Ashdown for removing him without a decision reached in the court of law and stresses that he will prove that the process was staged. “I have written evidence who and when staged the case”, says Grabovac and adds that he has full faith in the domestic judiciary, especially in the light of recent cases, the Leutar case in particular. “I am convicted without going to court and any proven facts. It hurts me as a man of moral qualities. That’s why I recently pressed charges against HR Ashdownwith the Human Right Chamber”, says Nikola Grabovac. | |
Economic Affairs |
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| Hercegovacka Bank
| Avaz pg. 3 ‘Toby Robinson ordered to sell Hercegovacka Bank’, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘The sale of Hercegovacka Bank in spring time’, Nezavisne Novine pg. 4, Glas Srpski pg. 3 – a decision by HR Paddy Ashdown that Hercegovacka bank will be sold. According to an announcement from OHR, HR ordered Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson to start activities for the selling of the Bank, which is in the best interest of account holder and the local economy. Avaz received information from the Hercegovacka bank that Robinson already started preparation for a tender for the Bank sale. They further stated that the tender will be base don the best international practice and published in the local and international media next year. They will call on all interested parties to submit their proposals by spring next year. Oslobodjenje quoted Governor of the Central Profit Bank, Peter Nicholl, as saying that he supports HR’s decision. He also said that the Central Bank was not involved in the temporary administration of the Hercegovacka Bank. The news reported in Croat media too. Vecernji List pg. 1 and 2, Dnevni List pg. 1 and 3, Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 1 and 14, Jutarnji List pg. 7 ‘Hercegovacka bank up for sale’ and Vjesnik pg. 1 ‘Ashdown decides to sell Hercegovacka bank’. There are not many comments to the decision apart from the one in Vecernji List where an author notes that Zagrebacka Bank of Croatia had been interested in buying the Hercegovacka bank before the SFOR troops raided the bank in April last year. The same daily also notes that during the audit, when the High Representative for BiH was Austrian Wolfgang Petritsch, the media speculated that a buyer would be some Austrian Bank that is already active in BiH. Spokesperson of Hercegovacka bank, Johan Verheyden, told the daily that the Provisional Administrator has not so far talked to any foreign bank about the sale of Hercegovacka Bank. Dnevni List, despite the ‘Petritsch’s lobby buying Hercegovacka bank’ title, does not mention Wolfgang Petritsch in its article at all. Jutarnji List carries Verheyden’s statement that he could not confirm whether the sale of the Bank meant selling of the bank’s share in other companies. Verheyden says that the Provisional Administration has just received the decision and needs time to examine it. Also, a report on the subject by Blic pg. 3 ‘Ashdown ordered Bank sale’. | |
| Krsmanovic on VAT | Avaz pg. 4 ‘For the introduction of VAT we should not wait for two years’ – a statement by the LDS Vice-President Strajo Krsmanovic. At yesterday’s press conference he stated that the LDS thinks that BiH should function in the following year as a state with a government, not with the CoM. He added that reforms could only be considered successful if the new authorities were to achieve a consensus in the area of customs and tax politics. In that context, there is the issue of the VAT introduction, which, according to Krsmanovic, should not be waited on for two years. | |
| Bulldozer Action | In this issue, Avaz on pg. 15 in its ‘Bulldozer Action’ column speaks to Tomislav Grizelj, the first man of the ‘Grizelj’ company and President of the Association of FBiH Employers and Entrepreneurs. “ I expect from the action to force local officials and authorities to introduce an immediate reform of the entire system of contribution on salaries.” | |
| Business from my street | Oslobodjenje pg. 10 under the ‘Business from my street’ column. As a part of OHR campaign, the daily in today’s issue presented the business dealings of the ‘Deanet’ company from Konjic and entitled it ‘They export computer equipment to Europe and US’. | |
| No ban on Slovenian milk | RS Radio, Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 7, Avaz pg. 9 ‘No harmful substance chloram phenicol in Slovenian milk and diary products’ – experts at the Veterinary Services of the RS and the BH Federation yesterday concluded that there was no justification to ban the import of milk and dairy products from Slovenia. The reason being that the antibiotic chloram phenicol was not detected in these products. The Assistant to the RS Minister of Agriculture, Drago Nedic, told the above to the RTRS last night. | |
OHR/International Community |
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| The Times on HR Ashdown
| The Times (24 December 2002) ‘Ashdown strives to atone for the West’s sins over Bosnia’ by Nick Hawton – excerpts from an article. “Seven months ago the former leader of the Liberal Democrats and newly created peer of the realm decided to abandon the rich retirement pastures of Westminster. Instead he packed his bags and headed for Bosnia. Appointed as the international community’s chief envoy to the country, his job was to raise Bosnia from the ashes and bring it closer to the European fold. It would have been easier to take the Liberal Democratic Party into power. ‘I am here because I think it was a terrible sin of the West to allow those four years of war,’ he said. ‘When history comes to judge the siege of Sarajevo, which went on longer than the siege of Stalingrad, they’ll judge us very hard indeed for simply standing by and doing nothing. We have a moral responsibility here and I feel I would like to help.’ He is now in a position to do so. Vested with far-reaching powers under the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the war seven years ago, he can make laws, sack ministers and control the country’s purse strings. And he is not shy. Already he has dismissed judges and mayors, a finance minister and even the head of the intelligence service. The British Empire would have been proud. But he has a long way to go. The economy is on its knees and the political system is so corrupt that it would embarrass a banana republic. Hanging over all is the continued freedom of the Bosnian Serb wartime leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, who are wanted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague.” The article ends with HR Ashdown’s quote about the country. “I like this country. I love this country. It’s under my skin,” he says. “But I have one great fear. That the international community will lose patience with Bosnia and not finish the job it has started. Enormous progress has been made but the resources must keep on coming to finish the job.” | |
| EUPM instead of IPTF | Blic pg. 7 – European Union Police Mission (EUPM) will take over from the IPTF on 1 January 2003. EUPM will have 900 members – 500 policemen, 50 international civil experts and over 300 local staff. The EUPM will be a part and the key element of the OHR’s Rule of Law department, and will be able, on the recommendation of the EUPM Chief through the High Representative, to remove from duties policemen whose work and behaviour is not in accordance with agreed standards. The Mission will have three departments – operations, planning and development and administration and support service. Majority of the EUPM staff (about 690) will work in the field on three levels – state, entities and cantonal, including Brcko District. Countries-participants in the Mission are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Holland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Great Britain. | |
Police Affairs |
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| Biber vs. Frederiksen
| Avaz pg. 8 ‘Edhem Biber writing an official letter to the Presidency and CoM’ – an initiative by Edhem Biber, President of the BiH Union, to proclaim IPTF Commissioner Sven Frederiksen persona non grata in BiH. He told Avaz that he was preparing a letter for the BiH presidency and the BiH CoM suggesting that Frederiksen be proclaimed persona non grata in BiH. At the same time, Biber expressed its gratitude to UNMIBH for well-implemented democratisation of the local police and good quality work of most IPTF policemen. “I am sure that Frederiksen did not get a mandate from the UN to breach human rights, and he is obviously doing so.” | |
| Promise by BL PSC Chief | Avaz pg. 8 ‘Police will protect Islamic Community institutions in Prijedor’ – Milorad Jacimovic, Chief of the PSC Banja Luka, stated yesterday that in the next two months they would intensify the police presence in Prijedor, Especially around Islamic Community institutions. He also said they would intensify police presence in areas where explosion had taken place before. The statement was made at yesterday’s Assembly session of the Prijedor municipality where the main discussion was the worsening of the security situation following a number of mining of the Islamic Community institutions. The daily, within the same article, carried an insert that two Islamic gravestones were vandalised near Prijedor on the night between Sunday and Monday. ONASA and Nezavisne Novine pg.2 also reported on the incident. The Chairman of the Prijedor Islamic Community Medzlis, Merzuk Hadzirusidovic, stated that this was the eighth incident during this year that happened in the area of Prijedor municipality and none of the cases were solved nor were the perpetrators found. | |
| Resignations in Central Bosnia Canton | Oslobodjenje pg. 40 ‘Resignations by Zubaca and Harambasic’ – the Central Bosnia Canton (SBK) Minister of Interior, Midhat Zubaca, and his Deputy Ivica Harambasic, submitted their resignations to the cantonal president and his deputy. The explanation for their resignations – they want to receive certifications for policemen whose claims have been submitted. The cantonal heads appointed the following people as the acting MoI heads – Hodzic Salem for the MoI Acting Head (currently Deputy Finance Minister in the Canton) and Mirko Batinic for the Acting Deputy (current Economy Minister). | |
| Appointment of Brcko police chief | ONASA, Nezavisne Novine pg. 4, Vecernje Novosti pg. 12, Glas Srpski pg. 3, Blic pg. 8 – the Independent Commission for appointment has proposed Milenko Milicevic, currently chief of the police precinct Center in Tuzla, for the post of Brcko District Police Chief. The Commission, which is appointed by Brcko Mayor Sinisa Kisic on November 15 selected four candidates from 30 applications and interviewed them, after which it was ‘unanimously agreed on Milicevic nomination who has 13-years of commanding experience’. He is also a professor of Serbian language. The appointment is to be verified by the District Assembly on December 27. Former Brcko District Police Chief Dusko Kokanovic resigned after he did not receive a police certificate from the IPTF. There are rumours about Milicevic’s suspicious ‘war past’. The fact is that during the war he was in Tuzla, and during the attack on ‘Tuzla’s convoy’ in May 1992 he occupied a leading post in police. Furthermore, several Serbs from Gradacac municipality who were imprisoned in Muslim war-camps in Tuzla region do not have anything to say about Milicevic’s behaviour during their imprisonment. | |
OHR/International Community |
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| Revision of allowances for war victims
| Vecernji list pg. 3, ‘15% of those posing as invalids in the HVO and 30% in the BiH Army’ by Zdenko Jurilj – an attempt to do a research on beneficiaries of the allowances for war victims. It reads that once the process of revision, which should to be conducted by the new FBiH Government next year, was completed it might turn out that the percentage of beneficiaries of assistance given to war victims could be even higher than the mentioned ones. The president of HVIDRA of Herzeg-Bosnia, Andjelko Baruncic, is quoted as saying that HVIDRA’s internal control, which is ongoing, shows that there are between 10-15% of illegitimate disability allowances beneficiaries among HVIDRA members. HVIDRA is in favor of conducting a legal revision, but only according to legal frameworks that are to be adopted by the FBiH government and the Parliament. Leaders of Croat Associations that emerged from the Homeland War are of the view that the current laws that regulate this field are full of deficiencies and do not contain legal parameters according to which the entire revision would legally be completed. That is why they will request the new authorities to pass permanent laws that would be equally applied during the revision process to both Bosniak and Croat war victims. If the whole process was conducted in a legal way and by separating the genuine beneficiaries from the posing ones, the amount of the allowances would surely increase. The article recalls that HVO victims get 400 million Croatian Kuna (around 110 million KM) a year from the Croatian government. In conclusion it reads that the IMF financial experts have recently asked for a revision in this field, as they are of the opinion that the FBiH budget cannot bear such financial burden. | |
| Protest by RS trade unions | Nezavisne Novine pg. 5 – an interview with the Chairman of the RS Interior Ministry Trade Union, Dusko Jandric. He said that a protest, which is scheduled for 26th December, the MoI Trade Union wants to send a clear message to the authorities – members of Interior Ministry want to do their job, but for more money. Also, the protest is a message to the current RS government that it failed to fulfil its promises, and a warning to the future one that such situation could no longer be tolerated. The Chairwoman of the RS Association of Families of Fallen Soldiers, Radojka Boric, yesterday stated that the Association supports and would join the protest of Trade Union. Boric recalled that the Association again addressed RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, requesting a meeting with him. She recalled that families of the fallen soldiers were in a very bad financial position and added that the Association requested regular payments of the invalid allowances. The RS Education Ministry assessed the protest scheduled for 26th December as unjustified (Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5). Glas Srpski on pg. 2 quotes the RS Education Minister, Gojko Savanovic as saying that those employed in the education do not have a single reason to protest: “Their salaries are low, but other budget users are in similar position.” | |