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| US Croats’ letter to HR | Car explosion in | Car explosion in | Matijasevic on Bileca |
| Sale of HRT equipment | BiH youth in EU Parliament | Marking UN Day | Update: BL Clinical Centre |
| Marking UN Day | New Herzegovinian parties | Men win votes in BH | Brcko District and debt |
| Elections in Kosovo | Regulation of electricity | IC fight against drugs | Brcko agriculture issues |
| Oslobodjenje | Pressures because of agreement exempting Americans from extradition; UN Day celebrated in |
| Dnevni Avaz | Zigic seeks urgent revision of the privatisation ; New conflict of criminal groups |
| Dnevni List | Audit report on work of West Herzegovina Canton: |
| Vecernji List | New division: BiH divided into 4 regions? |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Nezavisne Novine | Five-day meeting of Police Restructuring Commission in |
| Glas Srpske | Josef Bodanski on presence of terrorist groups in BiH: From Zenica to Jihad |
| EuroBlic | Prices of public transport in |
Security, police and judiciary issues | |
| Two hand grenades thrown on BMW in
| BHT 1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz cover, pg 27 ‘New conflict of criminal groups’ – Vehicle owned by Kenan Krasnic has been destroyed in explosion of two explosive devices on Saturday night in Oslobodjenje pg 46 ‘Two hand grenades thrown on Krasnic’s BMW’, Vecernji List pg 50 ‘2 unknown devices exploded in BMW’, mentioned on cover ‘Bombs in Sarajevo again’, not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 14 ‘New clash of criminals’ by D. Muminovic – also covered. |
| Update: Matijasevic on Bileca action
| RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Internal procedure at PSC Trebinje’ by V.I., Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Those responsible would be penalised’ by SRNA – RS Interior Minister, Darko Matijasevic informed the BiH Coordination of Journalists’ Associations that the investigation on the attack on RTRS employees on 19 October in Bileca has resulted with the arrest of one person and sanctions against most responsible police officials. Matijasevic stated that next step would be internal procedure in the Public Security Centre Trebinje. Matijasevic stressed in the letter that accurate and reliable information can be reached only with the media assistance. |
| GS: Advisor to
| Glas Srpske cover page story ‘From Zenica to jihad’ by D. Majstorovic – Josef Bodanski, Chief Advisor at the US Congress Department for Terrorist affairs and non-conventional war-waging, told GS that there is a terrorist network in BiH, composed of several good and overlapping groups, that are directly or indirectly accountable to Al Qaeada’s leader Osama bin Laden. Bodanski notes that authorities in |
| VL: Police reform envisions 4 different regions
| Vecernji List, front pg splash ‘NEW DIVISION: BiH divided into four regions?’, and pg 3 ‘Police regions – internal borders of BiH’, by Zoran Kresic– The daily notes that the Police Reform Commission (PRC), apart from preparing a new legal framework for the future Police forces in BiH, has come up with a proposal of a map of BiH, which would divide BiH into 4 Police regions with seats in Mostar, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Tuzla, and this leads the daily to say that it is believed that the proposal could be a foundation for future constitutional and administrative changes that are expected to take place next year. VL also notes that that the PRC is continuing its talks in Brussels today, where it should be joined by the EU’s Chris Patten and Javier Solana, and the two are expected to call on BiH officials to reach an agreement, which is an important step on the road to Europe. When it comes to the division into 4 (Police) regions, VL notes it is almost a match for 4 regions that will be collecting VAT generated incomes. VL goes on to say it is very difficult to expect the PRC to reach an agreement since Serb representatives have raised doubts towards establishment of a State Police force, because it is not envisioned in the Dayton Peace Accord and because the division into 4 regions does not match the entity borders. On top of it, VL says the Croat representatives claim there is no logic in having a centralized Police at State level without having the regions with strong competencies. Inset entitled ‘Decentralized model’ notes that three cantonal boards of the HDZ BiH (cantons 7, 8 and 10) have sent the BiH Security Minister and President of HDZ, Barisa Colak, a letter in which they raise some issues regarding the Police reform process. Apparently, the boards note that the Police reform should not take place before constitutional changes in BiH have been completed. |
| NN: Police in BiH to be united
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘Police in BiH will be unified’ by M. Cubro – NN collocutors at Police Restructuring Commission confirmed that the deliberation would be passed in five days time, according to which BiH would get unified police forces. One of NN collocutors noted that: “The Police Restructuring Commission is leaving for |
| DL on Police reform in BiH | Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Entity ministries of internal affairs are being abolished’, mentioned on front, by Arijana Beus – The daily notes that some members of the Police Reform Commissions (PRC) have launched an initiative the aim of which is to transfer the competence regarding the work of Police forces from the entities onto the BiH Security Ministry. However, the opposition to that plan is coming from Serb representatives in the PRC and RS authorities. In that context, DL carries the RS President, Dragan Cavic, who says the activities aimed at abolishment of the entities’ MoIs are impermissible, as well as activities aimed at transfer of authority onto the State level. Cavic stresses that the Police reform should follow in footsteps of the defence reform, whose solutions have been adopted by all sides in BiH including the IC. DL also carries the BiH Security Minister, Barisa Colak, who notes: “The fact is that there are many highly de-centralized countries in which the Police is organized only at the State and local level and I believe that the solutions in our country will go in that direction”. |
| DL: ‘Illegally gained property will be confiscated from Prce and Rupcic!?’
| Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Illegally gained property will be confiscated from Prce and Rupcic!?’, mentioned on cover, by Z. Jukic carries that after former Federation of BiH Defence Minister Miroslav Prce and former Director of Hercegovina Osiguranje Miroslav Rupcic pleaded guilty for embezzlement of millions of KM and came to settlement with the BiH Prosecution, the question arises whether the property they gained through illegal activities will be confiscated from them. DL goes on to say that with regard to this issue legal expert Asim Crnic stated for Radio Free Europe that the BiH Prosecution did not insist on return of illegally gained money although the law prescribes such possibilities. According to the article, this case made actual again the initiative for establishment the Agency for confiscation of illegally gained property, proposed by SDP and supported by the opposition, however, the ruling parties (SDA, HDZ, SDS, PDP and Party for BiH) rejected this possibility. DL says that analysts believe that in this way the ruling parties showed that one of their basic gaols is protection of money gained through illegal activities. |
| Update to police investigations on several murder cases | Euro Blic RSpg 12 ‘Circle of suspects is narrowing’ by D.S. – The Serb Sarajevo PSC stated that the police were narrowing down the circle of persons suspected of the murder of Zeljko Markovic, the Serb Sarajevo PSC Chief, Srdjan Knezevic, an assistant Chief of the same PSC and Risto Jugovic, the Director of the “Jahorina” Insurance Company. Radovan Pejic, the Spokesperson for this PSC, told the daily that investigative activities have taken a good course and that the public will be informed about their results soon. He could not give any further details in the interest of the ongoing investigations. The only details that are known with regard to the 3 murders are that the victims were murdered from firearms. Motives and perpetrators still remain unknown. |
Political issues | |
| Croat-American lobby: Covic under pressure for approving exemption of US citizens from ICC jurisdiction
| RHB, Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 2 ‘Pressures because of agreement on exempting Americans from extradition’ by Hina, Vecernji List pg 5 ‘American Croats warned Ashdown’, mentioned on cover ‘American Croats against pressure exerted on Covic’, by zk, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Termination of further pressures against Covic’ by SRNA – The Croat-American lobbying Association [CAA] demanded the cessation of the pressures against Croat member of the BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, in the letter it sent to the High Representative Paddy Ashdown. CAA also announced possibility for new hearing before the US Congress in order to warn on the position of Croats in BIH. After Ashdown has warned Covic of possible sanctions if HDZ was continuing to be an obstacle to processing war crimes before the local judiciary, the CAA letter signed by George Rudman says that Covic has probably become the target of attack as he was in favour of signing the agreement under which American citizens are exempted from the Laws on extradition related to the International Crime Court. The agreement was strongly opposed by the UN and the EU. The letter adds that the Congress will most probably organize the new hearing if established that Ashdown’s Office punishes Covic because of this agreement. CAA supports Covic, adding that its arrival significantly improved the relationship between US authorities and HDZ BiH, and Croats in general. |
| Bozanic sends letter to HR Ashdown: ‘You encouraged pursuit after me’
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘You encouraged pursuit after me’ by M. Dzepina – An open letter, which Dragan Bozanic, the newly-elected BiH Ambassador to Council of Europe, addressed to Paddy Ashdown, High Representative to BiH, reads that “Everything I have done during a tragic conflict in the region, I did publicly, as a journalist who cannot pull back his word. As I have respected then, so I do respect now all of my friends, colleagues and family of – as I can see – still very dangerous ethnos!” The letter further notes: “If claims of “Oslobodjenje” and other media in F BiH are true, I must ask you who has provided you with elements to make such a conclusion about me, since we have never met or spoken? Which advisors have consulted you and why?” He further notes he has been leading BiH delegation at various meetings and conference, took part in preparation of first Laws for BiH, stressing not a single international official has ever questioned the stances he was presenting (saying he has always acted in accordance with the BiH interests). He concludes the letter by saying: “Who and why has frightened of Dragan Bozanic and the presentation of the overall, complex and sensitive interests of BiH in |
| NN int with Slaven Pekic on names of cities with prefix ‘Serb’
| Nezavisne Novine pg 9 ‘RS has realised a decision of BiH Constitutional Court’ by S. Gojkovic – In a brief interview to NN, Slaven Pekic, RS Minister of Local Administration and Self-governance, claims RS NA has timely realised a decision of BiH Constitutional Court on changes of names of towns and municipalities with “Serb” prefix. Pekic emphasises that the Court, by its decision, stipulated that RS NA is to implement the decision and not the Council of Peoples, as it is now mentioned in the analysis of the implementation of the decision. He says that upon the decision of the |
| Filipovic comments on Humphrey’s statement
| Dnevni List pg 8 ‘With EU to Euro-Atlantic integration’ by D. Pusic reminds that Head of the EC delegation in BiH Michael Humphreys stated that he fully supports work of the BiH Council of Ministers and that the abolishment of the BiH CoM is out of question. Commenting on this statement Bojan Zec Filipovic, who is an advisor of Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic, stated: ‘This is a clear denial of the EC, it is clear that there would be no suspension of assistance and I believe that this is the most significant support that the EC gave to the BiH CoM in terms of recognizing the things that we are doing in order that BiH approaches the EU.’ |
| BHT1 on new political parties in
| BHT 1 by Angela Cvitanovic – Political parties that won elections in Trebinje announced better they will improve cooperation with neighbouring municipalities and |
| DA reactions on Law on Conflict of Interests
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Municipal councillors should be exempted or their status redefined’ by L. Sinanovic – DA brings article on the BiH Law on Conflict of Interests, saying that it is confusing when it comes to the functions of the municipal councillors. It also reads that political parties have different views as to how this could be changed in the Law, while officials of some parties who won the mandate at the recent municipal elections announced they would leave that duty as they will not have pension or health benefits, while their salaries are low. SDA Vice President Seada Palavric said that no SDA electee announced their departure for this reason, however she adds that the Parliament should adopt changes to the Law. SDU supports the idea of exempting the councillors from the Law. SNSD says that some councillors announced their departure because of the law, while it is similar with PDP. HDZ stresses that the candidates for these positions were aware of the law before they run at the elections and that their compensation is sufficient. SBiH supports the Law. |
| DA int with new Chief of OSCE Mission to BiH
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Municipal elections incredibly smooth’ by Mersiha Drinjakovic – Newly appointed Chief of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Ambassador Douglas Davidson, stated in an interview to DA that the organization of the municipal elections went extremely well and smooth. He also praised the work of the local elections boards, adding that the BiH Election Commission should work more in raising voter turnout. As for the current BiH’s chances to join the Partnership for Peace soon, Davidson comments: “I think that the non-cooperation with the ICTY is not obstacle only to admission to PfP. It is an obstacle in a sense of European integration. As HR Paddy Ashdown once stated, there is a very simple solution to this. It is only a mater of wish and readiness of the political parties to do that.” |
| GS on possible political coalitions following municipal elections
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Who would join whom, who would be against whom?’ by |
| UN Day marked | RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘UN Day celebrated in Sarajevo’, mentioned on cover, by El. Cosovic, Dnevni List pg 2 ’15 agencies acting in BiH presented’ by D. Resic, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Assistance to all’; Nezavisne Novine pg 11 ‘Un serving citizens, not Government’s by S. Lemo – Fifteen UN agencies have marked the Day of the United Nations, 24 October, in the ceremony held on Sunday in Sarajevo. FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘UNDP’s presence is BiH is still important’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Processing war crimes before the domestic courts too’ – The Chair of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, stated at the ceremony thanked the UN for the assistance to BiH, and stressed that the cooperation of UN-established Hague Tribunal must be unconditional and complete. |
Economic and social issues | |
| On audit report of West Herzegovina Canton
| Dnevni List cover pg splash and pg 6 ‘Canton remained without money from privatisation’ by A. Vrebac – The Office for Audit of the Federation of BiH budget has completed the audit report on the work of the West Herzegovina Canton recently which was very negative and which warned of various shortcomings and mistakes in the work of this Canton. According to senior auditor Mirsada Janjos, among the other things, the audit report has shown that the Cantonal budget incomes were reduced at all levels, planned incomes from privatisation were not realized at all and incomes from entrepreneurship have been reduced by even 87,8 %. |
| Zigic demands urgent revision of privatisation in FBiH
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash, pg 2 ‘Zigic seeks revision of the privatization’ by A. Hadziarapovic – DA reads that the session of the FBIH Government on Thursday could be “historical” for the privatization process in the country, as the FBiH Energy, Mining and Industry Izet Zigic will demand for controls of the privatization processes already carried out before the FBiH Parliament votes on the draft Law on Registering shares and contracts on privatization. “I expect that the documents and the list of companies in which it is necessary to solve the issue of the property will be ready for the session of the FBiH Government. I also asked from the FBiH Privatization Agency the list of companies with questionable property. The issue of the property, i.e. establishing the state capital in some companies… makes our work difficult,” Zigic stated for Avaz. He did not disclose companies that he will demand to be revised, but he did not exclude possibility of auditing Aluminij, Tobacco Factory in |
| RTSR update to Banja Luka Clinical Centre
| RTRS by Zeljka Konjancic – The Banja Luka Clinical Centre faces a number of problems which should be solved with the action plan for its consolidation, while at the moment the Centre allows no new employments, no grant of specializations and it is possible that some will be fired. RS Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Marin Kvaternik said that management of the Clinic has been delaying the implementation of the systematisation plan, adding that the new organizational structure stipulates changes which also include redundancies. Director of Clinic, Dragan Kostic stresses that the Clinic has no surplus of employees and he said that systematisation should aim at reorganizing the duties and not redundancies. Chairman of RS Union of Health, Milenko Granulic said that number of employees depends on a number of patients wondering how one can speak about surpluses of health works without accurate information on the population as census was carried out in 1991. |
| NN update to Makroprom case
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 5 ‘Technologist of “Makroprom” cooperating with the Prosecutor’s Office’ by D. Risojevic – The article brings an update to “Makroprom” case, saying that Zeljko Gladovic, the Chief of Prijedor plant of “Makroprom” firm, is in a detention, while Nenad Mutic, the chief technologist of the firm, was released after he had agreed to cooperate with the Prosecutor’s Office. Gladovic and Mutic were arrested on Friday in Prijedor on grounded suspicion of being involved in a number of crime acts, together with Makroprom owner Ljubomir Gladovic. Banja Luka District Prosecutor Milan Tegetlija has stated that: “Mutic has agreed to cooperate with the Prosecutor’s Office so he was released. In his statement before a judge, he pointed on numerous irregularities, especially ones concerning health, in the process of production in “Makroprom” firm, which the Prosecutor’s Office has been suspecting on in the past.” Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Del Boy from Prijedor’ by Dragan Risojevic – The point the author is making is that the “Makroprom” affair has ascertained that chaos is reigning at our market and not so many people are trying to put it in order. He is critical of the sanitary inspectors, who should have raided the premises of “Makroprom” a long time before Banja Luka Prosecutor’s Office did it, since the job of inspectors is to take care of sanitary affairs and what people drink and eat. |
| RTRS on Brcko District’s external debt issues
| RTRS by Rade Grbic – Brcko District Government and the Office of Mayor believe that request of RS Government for Brcko District to pay the external debt of public companies with seat at the district’s territory, which reached total value of 32 million, is not an obligation of the District. District’s Tax Administration explained that according to the final arbitrage decision the public debt is to be serviced by the Entities. Previously, RS Government has called upon the BiH and RS Laws on External Debt insisting that District should pay the debts towards foreign investors which gave credits to several public companies. RS Government argues that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development asked for the allocation of the credits to be decided on after the announcement of the final arbitration decision.“We expect that we will, as we did until now in that area, have a support from the International Institutions, OHR, IMF; that this kind of support for this kind of activity will follow and of course we insist to have BiH institutions involved in solving this issue,” said Radmila Mihic, Chief of RS Finance Ministry’s Press Office. The debt refers to three periods: obligations of the public companies made until the |
| Update to issuance of electricity licences
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Consumers will choose from whom to buy electricity’ by R. Cengic – The Power Regulatory Commission of BiH (DERK BiH) will start issuing licences for authorised international sellers of the electricity in BiH, but also for authorised local companies that can buy electricity produced abroad. Mirsad Salkic, Chairperson of DERK, notes that: “In this manner, the consumers in BiH would be enabled to buy electricity anywhere in the world where conditions are more favourable.” |
| Savers planning to press charges with
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Old foreign currency savings before International court’, mentioned on front, by Dario Pusic – Following the adoption of the Proposal of law on determining and way of settling of internal obligations of FBiH in the FBiH Parliament’s House of Representatives, the President of Association of savers of FBiH, friar Gabriel Mioc, assesses the law in question as highly illogical and detrimental to the savers because the focus of the law is on payment of old savings through bonds. According to Mioc, the law is deceiving the savers since the payment of bonds is due in 20-30 years time. Mioc also notes should the Proposal of law be adopted in the FBIH House of Peoples, the Association of savers will be pressing charges with the European Human Rights Court in |
| DL: HT Mostar closer to offering GSM services on its own
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘HT Mostar closer to offering GSM services on its own’, by J. P. – The daily got a confirmation from a source close to the FBiH Government that the FBiH Government is supporting the idea that HT Mostar starts providing GSM services on its own. According to the source, should the memorandums of understanding with HT Zagreb and Mobilkom |
| Lasic on privatisation in BiH | Oslobodjenje pg 15 ‘We will stay the country owned by the foreigners’, mentioned on cover, by Hajdar Arifagic – Jago Lasic, the president of the FBiH Commerce Chamber, warns that BiH strategic companies are going into the ownership of foreigners: “I think that the first to be targeted by the foreign investor are domestic so called strategic companies in the field of telecommunications, energy, forestry, water and some utilities companies. Those are mainly attractive companies for which there is no need currently to be privatized and they should stay in the majority state ownership. Otherwise, the state is to loose the strategic functions over these activities. We will practically be the country owned by foreigners with a worry for social consequences caused by the privatization of the both unsuccessful and successful companies. Telecommunications are first to be targeted, than Elektroprivredas. I wonder what will be known as Bosnian. Nothing I think!.” He concludes warning that foreigners |
War crimes | |
| Update to
| EuroBlic RSpg2 ‘Fear of truth’ by D. S. – The author investigated on whether a Commission for investigating on truth on sufferings of Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Jewish people and others in Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995 would be established. The article reads no representative of the official authority in BiH can give an answer to this question. BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Mirsad Kebo says the Ministry has developed information containing a proposal of possible measures for establishing of the commission and forwarded it to BiH CoM. The Minister does not know whether the CoM would adopt the information, adding: “We should not prejudice anything. We should wait for the Council of Ministers to present its stance on the information.” He thinks the work of the commission, should it be established, would be financed from BiH budget of institutions. According to report, there is an opinion in political circles in RS that an obstruction exists with regard to this issue, as well as that the Bosniak side does everything possible to prevent the establishing of the commission, because they fear the commission might reveal the truth on sufferings of a shocking number of Serbs in Sarajevo. The Deputy President of RS Association of Former Camp Inmates, Slavko Jovicic, also thinks that Bosniak politicians, fear of revealing the truth and from fear that they will have to stop minimizing the number of Serb victims, are trying to delay or even prevent establishing of the commission. The article also reads that the Director of the Investigation and Documentation Centre in |
| Terzic on new Del Ponte’s demand of Herceg-Bosna documents
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘BiH authorities would fulfil duties’ by M.C. – Adnan Terzic,BiH CoM Chair, on Sunday promised that the BiH authorities would locate and hand the archive of the Commission for prisoners’ exchange of Croat community of Herceg Bosnia, adding: “I do not know what exactly Del Ponte is searching, but we certainly need to find that documentation and hand it to The Hague. Without fulfilment of this demand, there will be no admission into PfP nor negotiations on Stabilisation and Association Agreement.” Croat Liaison Officer for Relations with the ICTY, Goran Mihaljevic, confirmed that the ICTY Prosecution would demand from the BiH Council of Ministers and the FBiH Government on Monday to submit documents and information which refer to the Department for prisoners’ exchange Herceg Bosna, with one month deadline for handing this documentation. |