| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Puljic’s Xmas message | Infanticide near BL | Meeting of RS Parties | Strategy on RS crisis |
| Christmas significance | Institute for Missing | Russian Embassy on HR | Russian Embassy on HR |
| Puljic’s repeated interview | Cvijic still missing | Tesic detained | RS NA session on 28th |
| Komarica’s press conf. | Negotiation with EU | Detention for Vjestica | NATO arrests Dusan Tesic |
| Oslobodjenje | Trials of |
| Dnevni Avaz | Steven Schook: Entities Armies to be abolished by the end of 2005 |
| Nezavisne Novine | Christmas greeting of Cardinal Vinko Puljic: Christmas is the source of hope and goodness; Talks of representatives of the strongest parties in RS with Cavic: Ivanic: Dodik is acceptable for premier; New accusations of HR: Ashdown deceived the Russian Embassy |
| Glas Srpske | Monstrous crime in Dragocaj near |
| EuroBlic | Horrifying crime: He killed son in a cradle with fist; Professor Vitomir Popovic: Ashdown cannot remove elected politicians in RS |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related topics |
| Nacional | Features Serbian related topics |
Political developments/reforms | |
| RS political parties’ leaders met in
| FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘Milorad Dodik to be appointed new RS Prime Minister designate?!’ – Instead of announced meeting of BiH Presidency and ruling BiH political parties’ representatives, which was postponed, the meeting of ruling RS parties leaders was held in Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘Ivanic: Dodik is acceptable for premier’ by V. Popovic; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Agreement is getting closer’ also reported on the meeting. Dnevni Avaz pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘Milorad Dodik not eligible for government’ also says that SNSD leader cannot be appointed new RS Prime Minister designate due to the indictment filed against him before the Banja Luka Court. |
| Strategy to resolve crisis in RS defined
| RTRS – RS President Dragan Cavic together with PDP Chairman Mladen Ivanic and other top RS politicians defined the strategy on solving of crisis in RS. Joint document will be published on Saturday revealing all the details of the strategy. Milorad Dodik SNSD Chairman stated that HR Paddy Ashdown gave RS another deadline of 4 months to arrest war crime suspects and RS therefore needs a new force to deal with the problem. Petar Djokic Chairman of SPRS stated that the common goal is to end the story on RS abolishment. New Government will be appointed but without extraordinary elections. |
| RS Vice president Osmanovic claims talks on new RS Government ended
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Cavic, Ivanic and Dodik hold in their hands BiH CoM’ – RS Vice president Adil Osmanovic told the daily that talks between SDS, PDP and SNSD on the new composition of the RS Government had ended yet three days ago but the main actors still din not want to publicly announce the results. According to Osmanovic, the three strongest political parties in RS agreed that the news RS Prime Minister designate is nominated by SNSD and that the candidates of SDA, SDP, Party for BiH and NHI will not participate in the new government. |
| RSNA to discuss Mikerevic’s resignation on Tuesday
| RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Resumption on Tuesday’ – RS National Assembly will resume its 22nd session on 28th of December. After that 23rd session will also be held. RS NA members will consider the resignation of RS PM Dragan Mikerevic, economic policy and RS budget for 2005. Oslobodjenje pg 3, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘It is possible that RS will get new Government on December 29’ also announced the session. RSNA Vice-president Sefket Hafizovic and Head of SDA caucus in RSNA Tarik Sadovic told Dnevni Avaz that the RS might get new Government on Wednesday, Decxember 29. |
| GS interview with Cavic
| Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Killing of rule of Law’ by Boro Maric-Goran Mihajlovic – In a page long interview to GS, Dragan Cavic, RS President, reiterates that the latest measures of the HG represent the culmination of the constant pressures against RS, its institutional status, that has been lasting since HR’s mandate has commenced. He notes the consequences have gone visible, including homogenisation of the Serb people, since the Serbs seems to be always under the attack. |
| Russian Embassy in BiH feels deliberately misled by Ashdown
| BH Radio, FTV, RTRS – The Embassy of the Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 2 ‘Ashdown deceived the Russian Embassy‘ by A. Sekulic also carried the Russian Embassy’s statement. It also carries the statement on the issue by |
| Serb Orthodox Church condemns latest Ashdown’s decisions
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Serb Orthodox Church accuses Ashdown of violating Dayton Agreement’, FENA – The Holly Synod of the Serb Orthodox Church (SPC) and the RS and FBiH episcopes have condemned the latest decisions of the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, accusing him of violating the Dayton Accords, human rights and democracy. “The High Representative is behaving and working as if there were no laws above him, for him the |
| Oslobodjenje op-ed on crisis in BiH, Ashdown | Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Ashdown’s eastern sin’ op-ed by Mirko Sagolj – “The current crisis (in RS, BiH) cannot be resolved by |
| NN op-ed on HR measures
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Where is the way-out’ by Dragan Risojevic – The author stresses that the most responsible for the latest measures of the HR Paddy Ashdown are the senior officials of RS, who have been failing to meet demands. He stresses that they would be held responsible and lay accounts for this one day. |
| Round Table in B. Luka criticises HR’s measures
| EuroBlic cover ‘Ashdown cannot remove elected politicians in RS’ and RSpg 2 ‘Unity to guard Srpska’ by Mirna Soja; Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Spiric: BiH CoM may fall’ by N.M.; Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Survival without bargains’ – The RS Student’s Union organised the Round Table “Joint strategy for preservation of RS’ on Friday, at which Nikola Spiric, Deputy Chair of the BiH HoR, stated that following resignations, the BiH COM might fall, adding (according to NN: “The way-out from this crisis may be that COM failed to gain confidence, following which it would state Serbs do matter, entity does matter and who ever attempts to act beyond constitution would have the same destiny.” Vitomir Popovic, Professor at Banja Luka Law Faculty, expressed his view that RS institutions could only be preserved through unity of all structures, institutions and parties in RS and through process of undertaking measures, aimed at showing local and international public that DA could not be changed without the assent of all three peoples in BiH. |
| Nacional int. with Geoffrey Kuchner
| Nacional pg 2 ‘Former communists held a lengthy lecture to Americans about democracy!’ by owner Inetrnational – This is actually a page-long interview with Geoffrey Kuchner, special reporter of “Washington Times” and the member of the research team of the Republican Party “Rippon Society” in Washington, where he condemns the latest measures of the HR Paddy Ashdown, saying those were in serious violation of the DA. He is of the view that HR has made a big mistake and is now completely discredited, because his own allies at Department of State left him “dry”, because they have not even dreamt of seeing him violating DA so strongly. |
| Nacional criticises HR’s measures
| Nacional pg 13 ‘Ashdown was bought by Muslims’ by P.T.N. – The article argues the possibility of RS to hold referendum, when the Serb people would vote continue living in the state, re-shaped by Paddy Ashdown via clear violations of the Dayton Agreement. The paper learns that Ashdown’s decisions leading towards abolishment of RS have been stimulated by the fact that Venice Commission is to work out and publish in 2005 report on the work of High Representative, and the Commission will most likely reduce his powers. Owing to this reason, Ashdown intends to fulfil all demands of the Muslims, who have bought HR a long time ago. |
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| Vecernje Novosti pg 2 ‘To NATO via the Hague’ by Z.A. – In a page long interview to the papers, Paddy Ashdown, High Representative to BiH, notes that the way-out from the crisis BiH is current faced with is that RS fulfils its duties and cooperates with the Hague Tribunal. He also warns that nothing can be changed unless RS started to cooperate with the ICTY, noting: “Irregardless of the number of resignations and political manoeuvring, this is the main reason for the present situation. I am of the view that a large number of Serbs and Croats do desire to be part of |
| HDZ to support Terzic
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘HDZ to support Terzic’ – According to HDZ BiH Spokesman Pero Pavlovic, the party will support continuation of the ongoing reforms and BiH CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic at a meeting of ruling BiH political parties’ representatives with BiH Presidency and CoM scheduled for Tuesday. The SDA’s Sefik Dzaferovic and Party for BiH leader Safet Halilovic are of the similar opinion. SDS and PDP are expected to establish their position on the issue during the ongoing talks on the political crisis in RS and BiH. |
| OHR: No amount of resignations will change the fact BiH has to cooperate with ICTY
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Crisis in BiH caused by RS government’s failures to cooperate with ICTY’, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘BiH’s European future is within reach’, FENA – The events of the last few days should not be allowed to overshadow a year in which – despite setbacks – much has been achieved, OHR says in response to Fena on a question about the most significant events in this year. “The recent resignations by Serb politicians from various government posts are regarded by some as having fomented a crisis. This is not so. If there is a crisis as BiH approaches the end of 2004 it has been caused by one thing and one thing alone – the failure of the RS authorities to show that they are serious about apprehending and transferring to |
| British Ambassador Cliff New Year’s message: Assistance to BiH on its road to
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Assistance to BiH to make progress towards EU membership’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Great Britain’s goal is that BiH starts negotiations with EU’, FENA – The main goals of Great Britain in relation to BiH in the New Year, when Great Britain will hold the EU Presidency in the second half of 2005, will be to support the launch of negotiations on Stabilization and Association Agreement, and to help BiH join the Partnership for Peace, it is stated in the New Year’s message of the British Ambassador to BiH, Ian Cliff. However, he stressed that it will not be possible to achieve this without the cooperation of RS. Cliff added that the key goal is to help BiH make concrete progress towards EU and PfP membership. “We shall continue supporting the activities of the OHR directed towards those elements in the RS that are blocking progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration by not cooperating fully with the ICTY, as well as the actions against all those corrupted and selfish persons that are blocking BiH’s progress towards a better future for all its citizens”, said Ambassador Cliff in this message. He stressed that |
| Banja Luka Bishop Komarica calls on politicians to start working on creation of stable future
| Herceg Bosna Radio, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Only three percent of Croats returned to RS’, FENA – Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica on Friday appealed on the politicians and representatives of the international community in BiH to start working decisively on creating the foundations for a more stable future of our country. Monsignor Komarica told the Christmas press conference that many people in RS and FBiH are deprived of their rights. “Because of this situation, we need in the spirit of Christmas to serve the truth in order to establish peace and stop violence and injustice here”, said Komarica. “The man should be the true builder of a happier and more humane future, and responsibility lies with those who claim to be humanists and believers to make their voice heard and prevent every act of destruction they observe”, said Bishop Komarica. Bishop Komarica wished a merry Christmas to all citizens that celebrate this holiday. |
| NATO’s Schook: Entities Armies to be abolished by the end of 2005
| Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 5 ‘Steven Schook: Entities Armies to be abolished by the end of 2005’ – “This country needs an army that will be effective and rational, and the NATO Headquarters will assist Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic as much as he needs,” said Sarajevo-basaed NATO Headquarters Commander Steven Schook in an interview for the daily. Schook also emphasized that NATO would continue assisting in apprehension on war crime indictees. |
War crimes/security/legal proceedings | |
| War crimes suspect Vjestica to remain in detention 30 days
| BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 6, mentioned on cover ‘Detention ordered for Miroslav Vjestica’, Dnevni Avaz pg 11, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ’30 day detention to Vjestica’ by M. Kaliman, SRNA – The cantonal court in Bihac on Friday ordered 30-day detention for war crimes suspect Miroslav Vjestica, chief cantonal prosecutor Asim Dzafic has said. The cantonal prosecutor will examine the submitted evidence, and considering that the Hague tribunal’s permission exists in this case, charges against Vjestica are expected to be filed by the end of the year. Members of the Banja Luka Public Security Centre arrested Vjestica early on Thursday, and he appeared before cantonal prosecutor Ornela Ceric Mrenica in the afternoon. Vjestica is suspected of ordering and organizing an attack on Bosanska Krupa in the first half of 1992, and ordering the forced exodus of the local non-Serb population, in which 35,543 people were expelled and their property seized. The Bihac cantonal prosecutor said in a statement that Vjestica also stood accused of destroying Muslim and Croat residential and sacral buildings and of ordering the setting up of concentration camps at the Petar Kocic primary school and in Jasenice. “These camps were set up for the incarceration of non-Serb women and men of all ages, who were subjected to psychological and physical torment and incessant torture by their wardens,” the statement said. According to the statement, camp inmates were taken to the front line and used as human shields, which resulted in the death of one of them, and raped, all of which is in contravention of International Law. Miroslav Vjestica was an MP in the RS National Assembly from 1992 to 1996, and was vice-president of the Assembly in 1996 and 1997. He was also a high-ranking SDS official. |
| EUFOR arrested Tesic in Bijeljina
| RHB, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘EWUFOR arrested Dusan Bato Tesic’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Dusan Bata Tesic arrested’ by Z. Kusmuk – NATO members arrested Dusan Tesic in Bijeljina Friday morning. NATO spokesman Dwight Mood (SP) stated that the action was carried out without problems and added that Tesic cooperated during the arrest. Mood stated that Tesic is situated at a safe location. He added that NATO believes that Tesic has information on support network of war crime suspects. PSC Bijeljina spokesman Dragomir Peric stated that they were not informed about this action. |
| NN interview with EUFOR Commander Leakey
| Nezavisne Novine pgs 4-5 in NN weekend supplement Revija ‘If local authorities do now ant to, we will arrest war crime suspects’ by Mirza Cubro – In an interview to NN, General David Leakey, EUFOR Commander, stresses that “if the local authorities do not want or cannot arrest war crime suspects, we will find them and extradite to He denies speculation that following take-over of duties from SFOR, EUFOR has formed a special unit of SAS officers, whose one and only task would be to locate and apprehend Radovan Karadzic. |
| ICTY indictee Pandurevic released
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘SiCG Army released Pandurevic’ by S. Knezevic – NN source close to the Cabinet of Serbian Premier claims that the SiCG Army ahs released Vinko Pandurevic from detention, since negotiations on his voluntary surrender have failed. As reported previously, Serbian authorities did not dare extraditing Pandurevic to the ICTY without his approval, otherwise socialists would withdraw support to Government. |
| Bogdanic on search for missing persons, Missing persons Institute establishment
| RTRS, BHT, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘2,659 bodies exhumed in the past nine years’, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Manipulation with number of missing persons’ – RS Office for Missing Persons hasn’t achieved any significant results in the course of this year. Main reason for that is a lack of information and help that should have come from relevant local and international institutions, including intelligence services and judicial bodies. Milan Bogdanic acting Director of the Office says that FBIH Commission for Missing Persons had enjoyed more support from international organisations than the RS Office dealing with the issue. Bogdanic claims that the work of RS Office has been obstructed in many ways. However, according to him, better and more concrete results will be achieved once when BIH Missing Persons Institute is formed in the course of the next year. Bogdanic says that after the establishment of the institute the current entity missing persons bodies’ field offices will continue operating but the essential work will be carried out by the Institute. |
| SIPA officials mandate extension
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘In the alst moment, Ashdown extended the mandate to SIPA leadeship’ by M. Cubro – On Thursday, the mandate of SIPA officials has expired and new officials have not been elected. Owing to this reason, HR Paddy Ashdown has extended the mandate of the current leadership of SIPA. Adnan Terzic, BIH COM Chair, said that he had demanded HR to change the Law on SIPA, because “BiH COM could not hold session and bring changes to this Law.” Dnevni Avaz pg 8 also covered the issue. |
| Oslobodjenje: Trials of
| Oslobodjenje cover, pgs 4-5 ‘Trials of The Hague indictees in BiH uncertain’ by A. Omeragic – Despite loud announcements by BiH State Court and Prosecution officials about start of war crime trials in BiH early next year, ICTY has still not decide will it transfer some of the case to the BiH judiciary. According to Florence Hartmann, the spokesperson for the Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, the Prosecution Office has done its part of the job recommending that four cases are transferred to BiH, one to SCG and one to Croatia. “All is now in hands of the judges,” said Hartmann. |
Economic/social affairs | |
| Kozaric to take over BiH Central Bank Governor’s office | FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Kozaric to take Governor’s office, Nicholl becomes advisor’ – Governor of BiH Central Bank Peter Nichol is to leave the office in seven days and he will be replaced by current Vice-Governor Kemal Kozaric. This means that Central Bank is the first institution in BiH, initially managed by international, where foreigners are handing over full authority to domestic experts. Speaking about his term in office and end of his mandate, Governor Nichol reminded of huge successes that this institution has achieved since its establishment including the increase foreign currency reserves and development of banking sector in the country. “The citizens trust and use the banking sector, now, and all of the big banks and many of medium sized banks operate in both Entities, so we really do have a single banking system and the convertible mark is now dominant transaction currency everywhere in the country”, said NIcholl. Future Governor Kozaric said that he will do his best to preserve stability and credibility of the Bank and continue the business by the principles of Currency Board, and he will be helped by Nichol, who will remain in the Steering Board of the Bank until the end of next year. |
Miscellaneous | |
| Baby murdered in
| BHT, RTRS, EuroBlic cover ‘He killed son in a cradle with fist’; Glas Srpske cover page story ‘He killed his son, and then fell asleep’ – 3 month old baby boy was killed by its own father Josip Martincic in the settlement of Dragocaj near Banja Luka. Rade Mutic spokesman of PSC Banja Luka said that Martincic was arrested. The Court will give the final word about this case. |