OHR BiH Media Round-up, 2/4/2004

Oslobodjenje

Radovan Karadzic escaped to SFOR again; Indictments of Delic, Mahmuljin and Ganic to arrive?; Coric and Kvesic travelling to the Hague

Dnevni Avaz

Midnight strike on Pale; Tadic: Decision we brought will be implemented

Dnevni List

Search: Priest and his son heavily wounded; Valentin Coric leaves for The Hague on Monday

Vecernji List

Pale: SFOR ‘on a hunt’ for Karadzic, priest and son wounded; The Hague issued bill of indictment against Valentin Coric

Slobodna Dalmacija

Whilst in hunt for Karadzic, SFOR heavily wounds Orthodox priest and his son; Valentin Coric: I will also leave for The Hague on Monday

Glas Srpske

SFOR seriously injured Archpriest Jeremija Starovlah and his son Aleksandar: Invasion against priests; Tuzla: Lives in jeopardy; Republika Srpska President, Dragan Cavic: Force without reason

Nezavisne Novine

SFOR action in Pale: Archpriest and his son seriously injured; Bank robbery at Tuzla: Armed robbers stole pensions; Zagreb: Valentin Coric also travelling to The Hague

Blic

Bullies: They wounded a priest while looking for Karadzic

Ljiljan

Yassin was proud of my award

Slobodna Bosna

Ashdown and SDA awarded Vuksic for setting “State Coup” affair

Dani

Herceg-Bosna before The Hague Tribunal

SFOR action on Pale

SFOR raids Pale looking for Radovan Karadzic

FTV, RHB, BHTV 1, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4&5 ‘Radovan Karadzic escaped to SFOR again’, Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Midnight strike on Pale’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pgs 2&3 ‘Archpriest and his son seriously injured’; Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Invasion against the priests’, Vecernji List front splash, pgs 2&3 ‘Pale: SFOR ‘on a hunt’ for Karadzic, priest and son wounded’, Slobodna Dalmacija front splash, pg 2 ‘Whilst in hunt for Karadzic, SFOR heavily wounds Orthodox priest and his son’, Dnevni List front splash, pg 7 ‘Search: Priest and his son heavily wounded’- In a raid in Pale carried out in Wednesday late in the evening, participates by US and British troops, SFOR failed to find top war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic. Troops raided the parish building and the Uspenja Presvete Bogorodice [Orthodox] church in Pale, injuring orthodox priest Jeremija Starovlah and his son Aleksander. The wounded were transferred by SFOR helicopter to the University Clinic Centre in Tuzla where they underwent surgeries. The two were in their family house which SFOR members were searching last night, looking for the accused for war crimes, Radovan  Kardzic, it was stated at the press conference by SFOR spokesperson, but no data were presented on the shooting in which the two were wounded.

SFOR: Priest’s home raided on “very reliable” tip off

FTV – About forty soldiers from US and UK took place in the action. “Approximately 01.15 [Thursday] morning SFOR performed focused operation in Pale attempting to arrest war crimes suspects. SFOR has sent 40 soldiers from US, UK and SFOR multinational brigade’s special unit to search marked facility in Pale, but they didn’t locate the suspects”, said spokesman of SFOR, Jarrod Krull, adding that entire activity was performed according to their mandate.

FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘In capturing Karadzic, priest and his son hurt’, ‘Fire arms were not used’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘In midnight action, priest Jeremija Starovlah and his son injured’- SFOR were in possession of very reliable information on Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic being in Pale outside Sarajevo on the night between Wednesday and Thursday, which is why they launched an operation to search the house of a local Serb Orthodox priest, SFOR spokesman Dave Sullivan said in Sarajevo on Thursday. Although Karadzic was not found, the latest operation accomplished its objective because SFOR is now a step closer to the former Bosnian Serb leader, indicted by the ICTY, Sullivan said. He expressed regret at the wounding of two civilians during the operation, adding that two sustained injuries in an explosion that occurred when SFOR troops used explosive to blow up the door to the priest’s house. The operation would not have been launched if the local authorities adequately cooperated with the Hague tribunal, Sullivan said. [Note: Starovlah allegedly said in an interview with a Montenegrin paper last week that “it is the duty of every Serb to help Karadzic”. The statement was carried by Sarajevo media after which the priest denied having made it and claimed that he had last seen Karadzic in 1997.]

BHTV 1 – “I would like to correct you. There was no shooting or use of grenades, those are only speculations,” said Sullivan.

Ashdown on SFOR action

Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘RS Authorities are responsible for injuring priest’ – High Representative Paddy Ashdown said on Thursday that the injuries that occurred in SFOR operation in Pale are highly regrettable. He added that, however, this incident would not have occurred if the BiH authorities had fulfilled their international obligations to cooperate fully with ICTY. Ashdown also demanded from all those reacting to these events “to reflect on that fact and to respond in a responsible and measured way.” High Representatives stressed that the international community has been determined to see those indicted for war crimes brought to justice. “BiH’s will not be able to become a member of Partnership for Peace if this country doesn’t stop breaking the international law…. [BiH’s] future in Europe is being held hostage by the unwillingness of the authorities, particularly in the RS, to show a similar determination.,” Ashdown said.

FTV, BHTV  – Paddy Ashdown stressed this was not an attack on the Orthodox church but on the war crimes suspects and the network of their supporters. “If the members of the Orthodox church claim that every Orthodox church is obliged to protect Radovn Karadzic, then this statement is an obvious violation of the international right”, said HR. HR invited BiH politicians to invite all citizens to a peaceful reactions.

RHB, RTRS – “SFOR has a right, an obligation and mandate to pursuit war criminals and to follow any lead, to which they come to, and whenever and however they consider is necessary to act”, said HR. 

Also covered in Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘It is legal to use force in such situations’, Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Attack on criminals, not Church’, Vecernji List pg 3 “Ashdown feels sorry for civilians’

Srpsko Sarajevo Prosecutor claims injuries inflicted with blunt instruments

RHB, RTRS, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Injuries inflicted with blunt instruments’  – All media report on Thursday through the day that the both the priest and his son were in critical condition. In the action, prosecutor at the Srpsko Sarajevo District Prosecutor’s Office, Stanko Nujic has told SRNA, SFOR members inflicted life-threatening injuries on priest and his son with blunt instruments. He said that a doctor from the clinical centre in Tuzla confirmed to him that the injuries were not inflicted with firearms, and  that no traces of bullets were found during the on-the-spot investigation.

RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 4 ‘Assault against the innocent’, Vecernji List front splash, pgs 2&3 ‘Pale: SFOR ‘on a hunt’ for Karadzic, priest and son wounded’, Slobodna Dalmacija front splash, pg 2 ‘Whilst in hunt for Karadzic, SFOR heavily wounds Orthodox priest and his son’ – RTRS carries that eyewitnesses saying that following a very loud explosion they heard several shots. Soon after that, the helicopters had priest Starovlah and his son Aleksandar taken to Tuzla clinic. Priest’s wife, Vitorka Starovlah said: “My husband and son were in underwear with no weapons. I don’t know why soldiers shot them. SFOR soldiers didn’t allow me to come near wounded husband and son who were laying on the floor. One soldier pointed gun at me and forbade me moving.” Pale priest, Slobodan Lubarda, addressed the journalist claiming that SFOR troops broken in through balcony, adding that SFOR also tried to shoot another priest, but missed him.

Ivanic, Mrdja visit priest and son in Tuzla hospital

BHTV 1, FTV, RTRS – Priest Starovlah and his son were visited in Tuzla hospital by leader of Serb Orthodox community Nikolaj Mrdjo and the BiH Foreign Minister, Mladen Ivanic. They both thanked to the hospital staff for their efforts. During the visit to Tuzla hospital, Mladen Ivanic commented: “I think that this entire event starts many, many issues. I am [very aware of] fact that there must be a cooperation with ICTY, but just the same I believe that not even SFOR has unlimited mandate, that civilians [can] be hurt and no one to take responsible for that. As a member of CoM, I will truly insist for full investigation to be conducted.. and those responsible for civilian victims to take that responsibility.”

Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Presidency of BiH is not behind the statements’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Ivanic angry that civilians were hurt’ – BiH presidency stated that it was not behind the statements of Minister Ivanic.

Cavic: IC right to say RS has obligations; but SFOR has to respect human rights

RHB, FTV, RTRS – RS President Dragan Cavic believes that SFOR action in Pale was a brutal show of force. RS president expects a comprehensive explanation from the SFOR commander and calls on SFOR and other international organizations to establish the responsibility of the soldiers. Cavic was categorical that, “in the brutal and blatant attack on RS citizens”, SFOR exceeded the limits of its mandate and violated a series of international conventions. “Evidently, they cannot be held accountable by anyone in this country but they should have to answer to somebody, be it the Peace Implementation Council, NATO Command or some other organization. They must be held responsible for their actions to somebody… Representatives of international organizations will tomorrow most probably say the following: We are doing this because you are not doing it. If you were doing it, we would not be doing it. And they are right in saying that. However, if we were doing it and if we were applying force in this way without providing any arguments required by the law, if we were not sticking to the conventions valid for this country, we would be held doubly accountable,” commented Covic.

Also covered in Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Force without reason’.

DA int with Cavic: As of now, things will be different

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Citizens attitude to SFOR will probably be different’ – RS President Dragan Cavic commented fro DA that following SFOR action many things will be different. “It is probable that the attitude of public and citizens in RS will be very different… How can one be welcome if they are shooting citizens? I would react the same if SFOR would raised an apartment in Kalesija and shot down a Bosniak and killed innocent people… Who has a mandate to kill?… I don’t think that such mandate exists nowhere, and not here,” stated Cavic in a short interview. 

Angry people of Pale protest against SFOR action; Reactions by Kalinic, Paravac, Mikerevic

BHTV 1 – Some 2,000 angry people gathered in Pale on Thursday to protest a failed SFOR raid to arrest war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic in which a priest and his son were seriously injured. The protesters, who gathered in the courtyard of an Orthodox church in Pale, carried banners that read: “Heads up Serb people”, “Nobody will arrest a Serb” and “With trust in God, for salvation of our people”. RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic and RS National Assembly Speaker Dragan Kalinic have also joined the protest. Protesters were also addressed by Serb member of BiH Presidency, Borislav Paravac, who said that said scheduled the extraordinary Presidency session to discuss SFOR’s action in Pale. “I don’t expect from that Presidency to adopt any spectacular conclusion, but I am going to describe to the members of Presidency the atmosphere from this gathering and warn them that the same could happen to them”, said Borislav Paravac. Mikerevic said that the RS Government will decide on its attitude on the event at the Govt extraordinary session. “International standard is a cooperation with the ICTY and the arrest of war crimes suspects, but the international norm is also for no one to have a right to violate basic human rights and freedom, to endanger lives of civilians, their property and not to respond to anyone”, said Dragan Kalenic. Gathered citizens also carried picture of Radovan Karadzic.

Glas Srpske pg 4 ‘Neither Church is saint for them’ -“This way, we as Orthodox [Christians] were offended, because it was a church which was attacked”, said Mikerevic.

RHB – RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic expressed hope that investigational authorities will conduct the unbiased investigation.

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Negative impact on SFOR’s credibility’ – Mikerevic added that this action was reducing SFOR’s credibility.

FTV – “The problem of Sulejman Tihic, Haris Silajdzic and like-minded people is that they cannot come to terms with the new Bosnia-Hercegovina, which is supposed to protect the Serbs as an equal and constituent people of this country,” said Kalinic.

RTRS – “I will get a poor explanation from SFOR, about this action. You know approximately what it will be like,” said Borislav Paravac to those gathered. “It is more than clear that nothing is sacral or untouchable, not our Orthodox Church, not our homes here, especially not in Pale, not the peace of our families and our children. As of tonight, truly, we will ask questions and we will give answer. We know about our international obligations. There is no need for them [IC] to warn us on them twenty-four hours a day, because we – as responsible people – know that by not fulfilling [obligations] we are playing with the future of this land and of our people,” said Dragan Kalinic. “With peaceful protest we say NO to this kind of democracy and in that way I want to asure you that RS Government will do everything that the investigation is conducted and all those responsible for this, what has happened tonight in Pale, properly punished,” said Dragan Mikerevic. Srpsko Sarajevo Mayor Milivoje Gutalj said he was shocked following an action by SFOR, in which priest Starovlah and his son were badly injured. “No-one could expect such vandalism in such a peaceful community,” Gutalj said adding that this was an attack against Serb people in general.

Dnevni List front splash, pg 7 ‘Search: Priest and his son heavily wounded’ – covers Mikerevic, Paravac and Kalinic statements.

Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Citizens claim it was a real strike’, ‘Kalinic welcomed with shouting: Fascist!’’ – DA carries that there were about 3000 of citizens gathered in Pale.

Mikerevic invites war crimes suspects to surrender

Oslobodjenje back page ‘Mikerevic called suspects to surrender’ – According to FTV, RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic invited all war crimes suspect to surrender. Mikerevic made this appeal just before the beginning of the RSNA extraordinary session following SFOR raid in Pale.

Spiric condemns both SFOR [for violence], and authorities [for not fulfilling obligations]

FTV, RTRS – “I regret because this kind of activity is [something that] will not increase the trust among innocent citizens [into] what the international community wants to achieve. But this is another warning for citizens that when they choose  authorities, they will have international forces becoming more arrogant as [local] authorities do not carry out their obligations”, commented Speaker of the BiH House of Representatives Nikola Spiric.

FENA – “This speaks about the tragic climate of the BiH State in which the official institutions are not informed about what is going on”, said Spiric.

Djeric: If RS MoI participated, this wouldn’t happen

FTV, RTRS – After they searched the Parish Home SFOR soldiers have retrieved and members of Centre of Public Safety- Srpsko Sarajevo have taken over. “If the RS Ministry of Interior have participated in this along with SFOR members, as it was case in several other times, there would be no tragic consequences as these are”- said Zoran Djeric, RS Minister of Interior.

Others reactions in RS to the event

RTRS – Dusan Antelj, director of the RS government’s Secretariat of Religions, said he was aghast and shocked at the SFOR action and most strongly condemned the act of violence, calling it “unprecedented in its brutality and consequences,” says a statement issued by the RS Secretariat of Religions. The RS Veterans Organization has called on the institutions of the RS and BiH, Serb political parties to immediately take steps to protect the RS citizens. SDS representatives say that incident was yet another unnecessary show of force in which SFOR members exceeded their mandate. Petar Djokic, president of the RS Socialist Party, also commented: “I expect that we will soon know exactly who was responsible for such an action that practically produced no results except for casualties.” SNSD also said it was intolerable that SFOR members, in an attempt to arrest war crime suspects, brutally raided the parish and wounded priests.

DL editorial on SFOR action

Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Collateral damage’ by M. Musa – DL carries on the same issue an editorial saying that even if the SFOR’s action in Pale had been successful it would have been very difficult to justify what SFOR did, referring to wounding of the Orthodox priest and his son. The author also says: “Let’s be realistic – the Army must perform exercises, SFOR as well, journalists should write about them at least so that Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic can follow from the ‘first’ hand how the search, in which they are the main prey, progresses. The catching of the prey has not been in the first plan for a long time and this time it was overshadowed by so-called collateral damage.” 

VL: ‘Tihic and SFOR help preservation of RS’

Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Tihic and SFOR help preservation of RS’ by Zdenko Jurilj – Author believes that the Chairman of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, Bosniak MPs in the BiH Parliament, international officials and SFOR troops have contributed a lot to the preservation of the Republika Srpska with their recent statements and actions, which resulted in both the ruling structures and opposition in the RS joining ranks which could fortify the RS as the entity with competences of a proper state.

War crimes

Valentin Coric also going to ICTY as indictee on Monday

FTV, BHTV 1 – The former commander of the HVO Military Police, Valentin Coric, has been confirmed to be the fifth person accused by the Hague Tribunal for whom the Croatian Ministry of Justice had received a Bill of Indictment on March 31. Coric confirmed this after the Ministry had acquainted him with the contents of the Bill of Indictment, whose particulars he refused to share with the journalists gathered outside the Ministry building. The former commander of the Military Police said he would leave

voluntarily for the Hague on Monday together with other four former political officials of Herzeg-Bosnia and HVO military commanders who were acquainted with ICTY indictments on March 31.

Also covered by Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Valentic Coric travels to the Hague on Monday’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 5 ‘Valentin Coric also charged’, Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 3 ‘Valentin Coric: I will also go to The Hague on Monday’, Vecernji List front ‘The Hague issued bill of indictment against Valentin Coric’, pg 10 ‘Valentin Coric also took over bill of indictment’.

Dnevni List front, pg 3 ‘Valentin Coric leaves for The Hague on Monday’ – The article says that in the Croatian Ministry of Justice they could not receive confirmation whether the 6th bill of indictment exists.

Oslobodjenje cover, pg ‘Valentin Coric and Branko Kvesic to the Hague’ – However, Oslobodjenje claims that according to the source close to BiH authorities, Coric will be joined by from Herceg Bosnia Interior MInister Branko Kvesic, also indicted for the war crimes. 

Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Ivanic: I have not received The Hague bills of indictment for Croats from BiH’, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Ivanic: Foreign Ministry did not see new ICTY indictments’ – Mladen Ivanic, BiH Foreign Minister, yesterday confirmed that bills of indictment against Valentin Coric and Berislav Busic, BiH citizens, were not addressed through BiH Foreign Ministry. He said he had no official information on the indictments.

Covic on indictments

Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Croats in BiH embittered over new The Hague bills of indictment’ by Z. Jurilj, I. Zovko – VL carries that commenting on the aforementioned bills of indictment Croat member of the BiH Presidency Dragan Covic stated that The Hague bills of indictment would additionally complicate already complicated situation in BiH. VL also says that there have not been official reactions to the bills of indictment coming from politicians or Association resulting from Homeland War because the bills of indictment have not been officially presented to BiH authorities yet. VL also says only a few days before it was told within some circles that the bill of indictment against Jadranko Prlic arrived, he withdrew from the position of President of Pro-European People’s Party. VL also says that ordinary BiH Croats are embittered over the bills of indictment.

Oslobodjenje speculates Delic, Mahmuljin and Ganic to be indicted by ICTY

Oslobodjenje cover, pg 3 ‘Indictments against Delic, Mahmuljic and Ganic expected?’ – Rasim Delic, war time commander of BiH army, Sakib Mahmuljin, commander of BiH Army third corpus, and Ejup Ganic, war time member of BiH Presidency, are potential indictees of the Hague Tribunal, learns Oslobodjenje from the sources close to BiH authorities. While ICTY did not want to comment these allegations, the source could not say what the charges against these people would be.

BiH prosecutor on war crimes trial

Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5, ‘Criteria for trials need to be defined’ – Marinko Jurcevic, BiH State Prosecutor, stressed that in order to see the Courts in BiH process war crime cases in a more intensive manner, it is necessary to define the gravity of the cases, after which all cases would be re-directed towards BiH Court and Prosecutor’s Office. He said that these criteria need to be harmonised and agreed upon with the Hague Tribunal, and after that signed.

Political developments

PIC urges BiH authorities to speed up reforms

RHB – Despite the successes BiH authorities have achieved in fulfilling the recommendations from the EC Feasibility Study, they need to greatly accelerate the pace of reform if they do not wish to undermine BiH’s chances for joining the Euro-Atlantic structures, is a conclusion of the Communiqué that was issued following the two-day meeting of the Political Directors of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in Sarajevo. At a press conference held after the meeting, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, said that as the greatest successes of BiH authorities, the PIC welcomed the adoption of the laws on the Indirect Taxation Authority and the Intelligence-Security Service, establishment of the BiH defence ministry, and actions towards creation of a BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council. However, Ashdown warned that implementation is yet behind the plan and that without a significant change in the approach, BiH could lose the chance for introducing VAT in mid 2005. The Steering Board raised concerns about the inability of BiH authorities to provide budgetary funds for the growing state competencies, which threaten the future of BiH as a functional state, said Ashdown, and added that the budgetary funds must be harmonized with priorities. The BiH bodies were clearly told that they are risking the country’s future due to absence of cooperation with the ICTY, which particularly refers to RS, warned the High Representative. 

FTV, BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Despite progress, tempo of reforms must be sped up’, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘No PfP without co-operation with the Hague’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 8 ‘Poor cooperation with The Hague’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Cooperation with The Hague will condition BiH’s joining Partnership for Peace’ –  cover press conference. 

Spiric filed request for change of street and squares names in FBiH

RHB, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Serbs mind the names of streets and squares in FBIH’, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Names of 189 streets in Sarajevo are offensive’, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Change of names that insult national feelings of Serb people’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 14 ‘Izetbegovic must not get his street’, Vecernji List front pg ‘Serbs demand change of name of Croat cities’, pg 5 ‘Serbs demand change of name of Tomislavgrad and Hrvatska Bila’ – The speaker of the BiH House of Representatives, Nikola Spiric, stated that he has submitted a request to BiH Constitutional Court for estimating the constitutionality of the names of streets and towns that, as he said, insult the dignity of the constituent peoples in BiH. Spiric added that current names of streets in Sarajevo, such are streets of Patriotske Lige, Mladih Muslimana, Zelenih Beretki and similar, offend Serbs and are one of the reasons because which more then 130.000 of Serbs still haven’t returned to Sarajevo, and most probably will not if the names aren’t changed. He pointed that 100 names of streets were changed in Municipality Old Town and 85 in Centre and Novi Grad, without consent of other peoples, as if Sarajevo is the city of only one people, Bosniaks.

Ivanic: Tihic’s initiatives are boring and senseless

Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Ivanic: Tihic’s initiatives are boring and senseless’- Commenting on the initiative launched by Chairman of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic to abolish a prefix Serb in the name of the RS entity, BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic stated: “I think that Tihic’s initiatives launched almost every second day have become boring and senseless. The one should not waste time on them. Tihic can only realize his initiative against the will of one people and the time when BiH could be changed against the will of one people is behind us.”

DA int with chairman of BiH Constitutional Court

Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Decision we brought will be implemented’, pg 5 ‘RS Assembly doesn’t instruct removal of prefix ‘Serb’ we’ll do it ourselves’ by Husein Orahovac – In an interview to DA, the chairman of the BiH Constitutional Court Mato Tadic comments that he is optimistic regarding the implementation of the Court’s order to remove prefix ‘Srpski’ [Serb] from the names of RS cities and municipalities. Answering journalist’s question as to what if RS authorities do not respect the decision, Tadic says: “[We] do not have mechanisms to punish those who ignore our decisions. However, we have ways to execute our decisions… According to the rules of procedures… 30 days after the deadline for implementation of our decisions, we have possibility to change provision of some law that was described as unconstitutional.” 

1990 Parliamentarian ask Ashdown to ban SDS political activism

Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Ban SDS’ political activities’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Kalinic destroys constitutional order’ – Forum of 1990 Parliamentarians demands form the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, to permanently ban SDS political activities, for the benefit of BiH’s prosperity and democratic development. The press statement reads that SDS President Dragan Kalinic should be tried before the court for ‘treason and destruction of constitutional order” of BiH. 

Opposition organizes round table on situation in BiH

RTRS – SNSD, DNS and RS Socialist Party issued a statement that reads that ruling Coalition of SDS, PDP and SDA has no solutions for serious and difficult situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but on contrary only additionally complicating the situation. This, reads statements, is a reason why they must leave the authorities. Because Opposition has announced that they will organize the round table that should gather both position and opposition parties with an aim to identify those responsible for slow pace of reforms implementation and BiH integrations into Euro-Atlantic structures. 

DL statement of the day

Dnevni List pg 2 carries in its ‘Statement of Day’ President of the RS National Assembly Dragan Kalinic as saying: “Tihic and Silajdzic are wrong when they believe that they can provoke Serbs indefinitely.”

NN op ed by PDHR Hays

Nezavisne Novine pg 7 ‘Reforms in BiH are in interest of BiH citizens’ op-ed by Donald Hays – In an op-ed, Donald Hays, PDHR, says that the report of the European Commission delegation (on fulfilment of conditions from Feasibility Study) is not completely positive. Namely, unless tempo of reforms changed, the precious opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina may be lost. He assigns the responsibility for the failure to implement reforms to the inability to acknowledge the importance of reforms.He then writes about the reform at the State Office for Veterinary. Furthermore, he writes about the establishment of the Sanitary Administration of BiH, which would resolve main problems of BiH farmers.

NN: ‘SDS and PDP will not support removal of Council of Ministers’

Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘SDS and PDP will not support removal of Council of Ministers’ – Momcilo Novakovic, Head of SDS Caucus at BiH House of Representatives, said that SDS would not support the request of the opposition for the removal of BiH Council of Ministers. He said that the opposition took advantage over the moment, in order to make such a request. Sinisa Djordjevic, Head of Cabinet of PDP President, said that this party would not demand removal of BiH Council of Ministers, noting it would re-examine its further participation in authority, following most recent initiative by Sulejman Tihic. Nikola Kragulj, SNSD delegate, said that the opposition would try to remove BiH CoM by all means possible. Tihomir Gligoric, SPRS delegate, said that SDS must leave the authority it assumes with the people demanding abolishment of Republika Srpska, or to demand from Sulejman Tihic to withdraw his initiative.

NN editorial on SDA, SDS

Nezavisne Novine pg 7 ‘SDS and SDA launched pre-election campaigns’ op-ed by Josip Blazevic – The author starts the op-ed with reference to the most recent initiative by Sulejman Tihic (regarding assessment into constitutionality of the term Republika Srpska), saying that it was launched at the worst time possible, because it may result in parliamentary crisis. Also, the most recent SDS announcement on its withdrawal of support to BiH Parliament aggravates the situation, as well as the recently published report of European Commission delegation to BiH. He concludes the article by saying that all these activities by SDS and SDA observed in pair may represent launch of pre-election campaign. Accordingly, no special attention should be paid to either initiative by Tihic or severe statements by Kalinic.

Economic and social issues

Farmers protests because of FTAs

RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘Traffic in Kamenkos and Doljani blocked for two hours’, Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 15 ‘Tractors at borders’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Government given 24 hours to pay out overdue premiums’ – The Free Trade Agreement with Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia came into force on 1 April, which has been opposed to by the BiH Farmers Associations who organized protests in the border crossings. President of BiH Farmers’ Association, Ranko Bakic said that protests were peaceful, adding that their aim was to to send a message to BiH Government that farmers don’t support FTAs.

BHTV 1 – RS police prevented the farmers to block the border crossing Nova Topola with Croatia.

RTRS – RS Minister of Trade and Tourism, Boris Gaspar said that he has expected CoM to, by the beginning of April, accept the policy and measures that would stimulate domestic agriculture. BiH Farmers said that they ask CoM to accept measures for protection of economy and especially of agriculture. President of BiH Farmers’ Association, Ranko Bakic said that they ask that their products get the same treatment as those who came from Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro.

Spiric against FBiH Govt proposed housing laws

RHB, FENA – BiH House of Representatives Speaker Nikola Spiric commented the package of housing laws, which FBiH Urban Planning Minister Ramiz Mehmedagic has forwarded to parliamentary procedure: “It is almost unbelievable that even one year after submitting my request, the BiH Constitutional Court has not yet assessed the constitutionality of Article 3a of this discriminatory law, and yet attempts are still being made to avoid implementation of the Human Rights Chamber’s decisions from 1997.”

Syndicate demands cancelling of Bankruptcy Law 

RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Withdrawal of the Bankruptcy Law or social unrest’ – The Union of BiH Independent Syndicates announced that they would demand replacement of FBiH Government if the Government doesn’t withdraw adopted changes and addenda to the Law on Bankruptcy, approved by both Houses of FBiH Parliament.   Members of the Union pointed that this Law will enable many companies to declare bankruptcy, with almost no responsibilities toward the employees.

Dnevni List pg 8 ‘Trade Union will demand removal of FBiH Government’ – Members of the Trade Union say that in this case the FBiH Government had servile attitude towards the International Community, primarily towards the OHR and the World Bank.

Dani criticizes Toby Robinson, Patrice Dreiski

Dani pg. 3 ‘Anti-corruption team for OHR’ op-ed by Vildana Selimbegovic – Selimbegovic fiercely criticized Deputy High Representative and Head of OHR Economic Department Patrice Dreiski for the alleged support he was providing to illegal activities/illegal business operations and deals of Mostar-based Aluminij Company and its Director Mijo Brajkovic (note that for a long time now, Dani considers almost all Aluminij/Brajkovic’s operations illegal). “Names of Toby Robinson (Hercegovacka Bank Provisional Administrator) and Patrice Dreiski do not complete list of high representatives of the international community in BiH, who probably came here with serious intentions to work on the creation of a legal state and establishment of Rule of Law, but who then decided not to waste time when they realized they could earn more money in a few years of serving in BiH than in a few decades of service in their own countries,” concludes Selimbegovic. Dani pgs. 24-26 ‘Gangster in skirt’ By Emir Suljagic – The author says that Toby Robinson, the Provisional Administrator of Hercegovacka Bank, has become one of the key figures in robbing BiH’s telecommunication treasury. Suljagic refers to sale of 4.8 percent of Eronet shares to the Grude municipality, which allowed the state to become major Eronet’s owner. 

Ljiljan says Bulldozer Committee works in favor of Croatia

Ljiljan pgs. 28-29 ‘Bulldozer Committee works in favor of Croatia!?’ By Anes Dzunuzovic – “Given that BiH has introduced visa-free regime for the EU countries, the citizens of the 10 new EU members will also soon be able to exercise this right, which will bring major financial losses to our country. On one side, BiH will lose almost 10 million KM, which was the sum it was previously collecting from the citizens of these countries for issuing visas to them, as, on the other side, BiH citizens will continue paying approximately 20 million KM annually for getting visas to enter the new EU countries. In addition, it will be economic/industrial losses as well because the BiH businessmen/producer will be even in more difficult position when it comes to placement of BiH products at the markets of the new EU countries as the import from these countries will increase due to a number of new benefits,” read the article.

Other issues

Reis Ceric on linking BiH Muslims with terrorism

Ljiljan pgs. 18-22, announced on the front page ‘Yassin was proud of my award’ – Interview with Mustafa Ceric, the Head of the BiH Islamic Community, mainly with regard the UNESCO peace award for 2003 he had recently received. “Linking BiH primarily of course its Muslims with international terrorism is ill-intentioned. The West, particularly Europe, has no right to deliver moral lectures to us, the Muslims in BiH, following the genocide in Srebrenica. They can teach us something else. They can learn us about how to be inconsistent when it is about Srebrenica for example i.e. they can teach us how to practice a policy that allowed Sarajevo to bleed for four years in front of their eyes. The nowadays intentions to impose guiltiness on us over the international terrorism is just a continuation of policy of some circles in Europe, which want to wash their dirty consciousness,” said Ceric.

SB says Vuksic awarded for setting up ‘state coup’

Slobodna Bosna pgs.16-18 ‘By acquittal, the Court awarded Vuksic for all dirty jobs he had done for Ashdown and SDA!’ By Suzana Mijatovic – Early this week, the Sarajevo Cantonal Court acquitted Ivan Vuksic, former Federation Intelligence-Security Service head, from accusations of taking hostages during the raid into Hercegovacka Bank premises in Grude in 2001. According to the author, for weeks before the court’s ruling, Vuksic was saying he had a promise he would be cleared of charges. “The acquittal is actually a reward to Vuksic for all the so called criminal affairs and ‘state coup’ he had created with his team at the order by his domestic and international sponsors,” concludes the magazine’s journalist.