OHR BiH Media Round-up, 24/6/2002

Oslobodjenje: Money obtained by criminal activities was being hidden on accounts in six BiH banks – 15.6 million KM laundered through Sarajevo

Dnevni Avaz: Cavkunovic case – How the important diskettes disappeared from the Customs Administration?

Jutarnje Novine: First kidney transplantation in the Sarajevo University Clinic Center to take place in September 

Dnevni List: BiH – A promised land for criminals

Vecernji List: Medjugorje, 21st anniversary of appearance: People from Puerto Rico, South Africa, Guatemala arrive; People from Posavina are producing and those from Herzegovina are exporting

Nezavisne Novine: Disastrous floods in southern Russia – Water takes 200 lives; Dragan Kostic, the DNS presidential candidate – I will be the RS President

Nacional: Secret plan on the new Serbian borders – CIA: We will unite the eastern part of the RS with Serbia

Blic: Mladen Ivanic – Help of the State for non-developed municipalities; Vojislav Kostunica: the DSS party is not bounded by coalition agreement any more

Vecernje Novosti: Vojislav Kostunica at the session of the Central Committee of the DSS party: No more coalition!  

Dnevni Avaz (front-page, continues on p 3) reports that in shadow of the AM Sped case, another affair has been shaking the BiH Federation Finance Ministry in the past month, which is related to the import of oil and oil derivatives and payment of following taxes. Actually, it is about an annulment of the order to the Cavkunovic Company to pay taxes amounting up to 5.5 million KM, signed by the removed BiH Federation Finance Minister, Nikola Grabovac, as well as about the inappropriate registration of new oil import companies and the issuance of false documents on paid contributions.

Dnevni List (front page and page 3)reads that the current Law on immigration and asylum in BiH has many deficiencies/legal loopholes that disable any control of movement of foreign citizens who have residence permit. In light of that DL says that in the Zenica-Doboj Canton alone there are 450 registered foreign citizens, mostly from Arab countries and China, and that the whereaboutsof these persons is mostly unknown because they are doing all sorts of jobs throughout the country including the immigration of new immigrants. The papers’ source says that there are cases where 50-odd people, most often in case of Chinese citizens, are all registered at the same address.

Jutarnji List (page 6) carries article about Slobodan Praljak, former general of Croatian Army, saying how to develop tobacco industry in Herzegovina. Praljak, one of ten co-owners of newly installed tobacco factory in Ljubuski said: “It is not true that cigarette smuggling can not be stopped. Give it to me and you will see! Nothing wise, I would close all stores that are selling cigarettes without paid taxes.“

 “In June this year, the Office of the Coordinator for the Program of Strategy to Reduce Poverty plans to start consultations on the issue at the level of entities, to continue working on making the studies by sectors and to launch an information campaign,” the project coordinator, Zlatko Hurtic, told ONASA (Oslobodjenje p 6, Dnevni Avaz p 4, Jutarnje Novine p 9) 

Dnevni List (page 3, by Ivica Glibusic)carries an article reminding of a bad situation in the Federation Pension and Disability Fund and huge debts that have been amassed over the years. According to DL, the estimates say that the total amount of debts, on account of unpaid contributions for pension and disability insurance, amass to 521,2 million KMs, out of which 410,8 million are the debts incurred in the areas covered by the (former) Sarajevo Fund and 119,4 in the areas covered by the (former) Mostar Fund. DL also says that the Federation Army’s debt is 263,2 million KMs.

Dnevni List (page 4)carries an article on the session of SDP Main Board saying that the SDP candidates for the BiH Presidency will be: Alija Behmen from the line of Bosniak people, Slobodan Popovic and Dragi Stanimirovic from the line of Serb people and Ivo Komsic and Jozo Krizanovic from the line of Croat people. SDP candidates for the RS President are: Mirsad Djapo, Dragi Stanimirovic and Slobodan Popovic. In relation to Lagumdzija’s decision not to run for BiH Presidency the daily quotes Sejfudin Tokic: “Reasons why Lagumdzija did that, you have to ask him, but I personally believe it was a political mistake”.

“The people must be clearly said: we are those who want to create a new BiH. In that context, I am prepared to support political cooperation between Haris Silajdzic and Nijaz Durakovic. This should mean the unification of forces from the left to the center and the right center, without the right nationalistic political parties,” Academic Muhamed Filipovic said in an interview with Dnevni Avaz (p 5, mentioned on the front-page)

In a lengthy interview to Nezavisne Novine (page 5), the President of Democratic National Alliance (DNS), Dragan Kostic, who will run for the RS President at the upcoming October elections, said that he firmly believes he will become new RS President. Kostic said that he will do the job much better than the current RS President, Mirko Sarovic. Commenting on the RS Customs Affair, Kostic said that the RS Government is in crisis and that Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, wants to create an impression that he believes in his Ministers, while the real situation is that Ministers do not trust their Prime Minister.

The SDS announced that if SDA starts the initiative to change the name of the RS, it (the SDS) will officially request the change of name of BiH, in accordance with the changes of entity’s constitutions (Nezavisne Novine, page 5). Reacting on the statement given by the SDA Spokesman, Almir Jahic, the SDS announced that SDA once again declared it self to be anti Dayton. The SDS also expects the BiH Election Commission and OHR to take stand on this issue.

Nezavisne Novine (page 5)quote the PDP (Party of Democratic Progress) Spokesman, Igor Crnadak, as saying that his party, while creating list of candidates for the upcoming October elections, decided to candidate people who have good reputation. According to Crnadak, that is also the case with the PDP candidate for RS President, Petar Dragicevic, who is known as a moral and decent person. Crnadak rejected allegations that that PDP, in agreement with SDS, decided to nominate a less known person and by doing so, give advantage to the SDS candidate for RS President. PDP candidate for RS member to BiH Presidency is Branko Dokic, current Minister for Transport and Communications.

The SNSD party issued a press release, which said that the SNSD had not participated in any talks on creating a coalition with the SDP party and PDP party, against SDS party. Statements of Banja Luka members of the SDP represent only their vain desires or dirty imagination of the SDS party. The SDS party should nest in its sampled crime, because voters already realized – the more of the SDS party, the less the RS”. 

(Blic, page 13)

Dnevni List (page 4)carries an editorial by Ivica Glibusicin which he criticizes bad moves by Croat representatives who did not make a strategy for the future of BiH Croats. “Wondering of Croat politicians and a conflict with the IC was felt the most by the Croat people. Certain moves by the Croat politicians cannot be justified today because they did not react on time and remove people who worked more to their benefit rather to the benefit of the people (…) Today, BiH Croats badly need a gathering of intellectuals and experts to finally establish goals of Croat policy in BiH. Without a vision of future for BiH Croats, there is no survival in BiH”, says Glibusic.

Summarizing the visit of the ICY delegation to BiH, the Spokeswoman of the Tribunal, Florence Hartman stated that the ICTY is not satisfied with the RS cooperation with the Tribunal. Nezavisne Novine (page 6)quote Hartman as saying: “We expect the RS to fully respect its obligations related to the requests of the Tribunal and search for the fugitives, who – according to the information we have, are in RS. We believe that Radovan Karadzic is in the RS and we expect RS police not only to check whether the fugitive is on his official address, but also to try to find him.” According to Hartman, the extradition of General Ratko Mladic is an obligation of authorities in Belgrade, while RS authorities are responsible for extradition of Radovan Karadzic.

Vecernji List (page 3)reports that a humanitarian dinner was organized by Association “Bonus” and municipal board of HDZ Ljubuski in Ljubuski at which 30.465 KM was raised for families of Croats currently kept in The Hague prisons.

Feral Tribune weekly (p. 28-30) carries an article by Ivan Lovrenovicabout the visit of Croatian delegation to BiH and session of the Inter-state Council for Co-operation of BiH and Croatia. Lovrenovic says that BiH with Croatia (and Yugoslavia) instead of a true, normal and efficient co-operation have such “mandarin-like” council, on the highest level, which has no effect at all. Criticising BiH and Croatian politicians for escaping issues of double citizenship, border crossings and Ploce port, the author says that those issues should have been solved by the end of 2002 adding that there is no real chance for that. Saying that behind Ploce port there is story about money, smuggling cigarettes and oil, with corruption connections even in the Croatian Parliament (Sabor). Lovrenovic added: “Where are the borders between Ashdown’s will and competence when it comes to Ploce Port and similar inter-state issues, that nobody knows, including Ashdown himself”.

Steven Myers, former Deputy Chief of the CIA Operative Group for Balkans, announced after the last year September attacks that CIA had a secret plan on the establishing completely new borders in the Balkans, by which parts of BiH will be united with Serbia and Croatia. Myers stated: “If you ask me for my opinion, I will say that I am absolutely pro changing borders of BiH. The RS would be a part of Yugoslavia, at least the eastern part of the RS, and we will still think about the western part of the RS. The western part of the RS has stronger economic relations with Croatia”. His proposal also foresees that Kosovo should be separated from Serbia “through easy phases”. Myers also claims that USA will soon completely retreat from Balkans, where the fight against Islamic terrorism is the only vital interest of USA. Nacional published a map under the article, and under the map it is written: “Bijeljina, Zvornik, Srbinje, Serb Sarajevo, Visegrad, Trebinje soon within Serbia – Steven Myers, former Chief of CIA for Balkans, announces. The status of Banja Luka and the western part of the RS are still uncertain. According to this preliminary plan of CIA, Kosovo and Metohija will gain, at first conditional, and later actual independence from Serbia, “through several easy phases”.

(Nacional, page 3)

Under title “Ashdown – American man in Sarajevo?” Vecernji List (page 15) carries article written by Dejan Jazvic about recent prolonging of mandate of UN mission in BiH for only nine days. The article says that the problem of UN mission reflects problems between European and US administration, adding that the differences were most visible during animosity of Wolfgang Petritsch, Austrian and former High Representative and Jacques-Paul Klein, American and head of UN Mission in BiH. Although Americans were ready to let Europeans deal with BiH, after 11 September 2001 BiH became important point for fight against new American enemy – terrorism. The article says that military and political withdrawal from BiH was stopped and by leave of Wolfgang Petritsch Europe enabled reaffirmation of American politics. “Appointment of Paddy Ashdown on position of the High Representative might be understood in the same way, because British support to the USA was never questioned in last half of the century”, says the article.

Vecernji List (page 2) carries editorial written by Zdenko Cosic in which the author criticises visit of the High Representative Paddy Ashdown to Herzegovina, saying that by emphasising problem of human rights Ashdown has denied existence of problem of national rights, because for him that problem was solved with recent constitutional changes. “It seems that the new governor wants to send message to Croats: My predecessors have brought you into position of national minority and I don’t have to do anything with it. For him, that is history that one should not be returning back to, but rather should turn towards future and individual human rights. To the question ‘Why international administration is mixing Croat insignia with insulting symbols?’, Ashdown responded that he in Britain can not write on walls whatever he wants. Such comparison is insult for the whole one nation!”, says Cosic.

Dnevni List (page 4)carries a press release of BiH Republicans in which they commend the inaugural speech by the High Representatives and his diagnosis of crisis in BiH. The party goes on to say that removals of finance ministers in both entities are a confirmation of the HR’s stance adding that it would be fatal that the process ends with removals of the two ministers alone. Republicans are convinced that the HR has a support of all citizens in his fight against crime hoping that the fight is not a “fashion trend but true determination of BiH, its citizenry and IC embodied in the High Representative”

In this week’s Ljiljan (p 5) editorial, Mirsad Sinanovic comments on totally different assessments of the BiH economic situation made by the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, and BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija. As Ashdown at the Town Hall meeting in Siroki Brijeg said he expected the worsening of the economic situation by the next spring, Lagumdzija at the European Forum in Vienna said he expected the economic boom to take place in the country. “It is quite clear to all reasonable citizens that Ashdown’s statement is much closer to our reality…BiH is not a country of great opportunities, but the country of great political and legal risk,” Sinanovic concluded, adding that we should therefore move on from Ashdown’s and not pre-election diagnosis.

BHTV 1 (Sunday, 1900)

• The training of the future state service and its members, in order to secure their efficient work, will be one of the most important tasks of the Agency for State Service in the upcoming period, head of the Agency Jakob Finci said on Sunday. (1.3)
• ICTY: A discussion has been announced for tomorrow on the issue of the K12 protected prosecution witness, who, on two occasions, refused to answer the questions of prosecutor G. Nice. K12 is to testify on the transport of bodies of Albanians murdered by Serbs into Serbia to cover up evidence. (1)
• A discussion on the demand for temporary release of general D. Ojdanic and N. Sainovic will also be held tomorrow at ICTY. (.3)
• Prosecution attorney of Sarajevo Cantonal Court Mustafa Bisic visited the Hague after an invitation from ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. (1)

FTV 1 (1930)

• Foundation pillars for a pedestrian bridge over Miljacka were placed today during the marking of the 10^th anniversary of International cultural project ARS AEVI. (1.1)
• RS authorities still do not all work in the FBIH Customs building at the bridge over Sava in Domaljevac – Samac, claiming the building is on the territory of RS. (1.4)
• Alliance states that the political situation in Zenica-Doboj Canton is catastrophic and stabile. Catastrophic because of the economic situation in the canton, and stabile because of the situation in Zepce, Maglaj and Zavidovici. (3)

RTRS (1930)

• Serb Orthodox Church and followers celebrate ghosts. Tomorrow is a holiday in RS. (2)
• Monument for fallen soldiers of RS army and soldiers and victims of fascist terror in WWII uncovered in Poljanic near Doboj. (1)
• SDS claims that SDA’s initiative for changing the name of RS is an anti-Dayton act. (.3)
• SRS adopts list of candidates for October elections. (1)