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| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1(12,00 hrs) |
| Update to Pope’s health condition | Miletic to voluntarily surrender |
| Trajkovski commemoration | Pope’s health deteriorated |
| Simic: General Tolimir indicted | Weather |
TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| SCG-BIH cooperation council session | Indictment against Gvero and Miletic | New ICTY indictment |
| FBIH Government in session | Ali Hamad to testify in Delic case | BiH-SCG council session |
| Gvero departs for Hague | RS Government on Delic indictment | RSNA to held special session |
| Bukejlovic on ICTY cooperation | SCG-BIH cooperation council session | Issue of narcotics trade |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Indictment against Gvero, Miletic | Savings in BIH | New ICTY indictments |
| Bukejlovic on war crime indictees | Return to Bosanski Dubocac | Bukejlovic on ICTY cooperation |
| Kvocka,Radic,Zigic to be sentenced | Education issue in Brcko District | HR’s letter to Radovanovic |
| Investigation of RS MoD | Elektrobosna Jajce issue | SCG-BIH cooperation council session |
| Oslobodjenje | Kovac does not want Milosevic to be tried in BiH |
| Dnevni Avaz | EUPM Commissioner Kevin Carty: Serious crime is cancer for this country |
| Dnevni List | Silajdzic will not go to |
| Vecernji List | Ali Hamad testifies against Delic |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Winners are – Cavic and RS |
| Glas Srpske | Looking through fingers? |
| Nezavisne Novine | Cooperation in arresting war crimes indictees was agreed upon |
| Blic | Gvero awaits for Miletic in |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Momcilo Mandic: I am not afraid of |
| Dani | [Indictment against Delic] Revenge of mujahiddin |
| Slobodna Bosna | Izetbegovic’s heritage: Commanders in |
| Ljiljan | Is SDA going to fall apart?! |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Miletic to voluntarily surrender
| BH Radio 1 – The Serbian Government has confirmed that the former member of the RS Army, Radivoje Miletic will voluntarily surrender to the ICTY. Miletic made such decision following the talks with the Serbian Justice Minister, Zoran Stojkovic. He was indicted by the ICTY for war crimes committed in Srebrenica and Zepa in 1995. |
| RS Army general Tolimir indicted for war crimes as well | RHB – According to the Serbian President’s advisor for relations with the ICTY, Jovan Simic, an indictment has also been raised against a former RS Army general, Zdravko Tolimir. |
| Hays says Mostar a city of hope
| BH Radio 1 – The Principal Deputy High Representative, |
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| Ivanic says RS position considerably strengthened after the meeting in Neum
| FENA – PDP President Mladen Ivanic stated at BN TV last night that the RS position has been considerably strengthened after the meeting in Neum. He stressed that the DPA principles have been reaffirmed during the Neum meeting and added that this is the RS victory since its positions are much better than they used to be in the previous period. Talking about HR Paddy Ashdown, Ivanic said he hopes that the HR will lose the |
| RS President Cavic reiterates that basic
| FENA – RS President Dragan Cavic reiterated at BN TV last night that basic DPA principles had to be respected and that the RS did not represent an obstruction on the BiH’s way towards Euro-Atlantic integration. He also stressed that nothing lasts forever including the BiH Constitution and reiterated the RS authroities’s stand according to which the BiH Constitution cannot be changed by the will of one side only. |
War crimes/cooperation with ICTY | |
| Kovac does not want Milosevic to be tried in BiH
| Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4-5 ‘Kovac doesn’t want trial of Milosevic in BiH’ by Vedrana Zivak – Daily learns that the BiH Justice Minister, Slobodan Kovac, doesn’t want the state Prosecution, i.e. the War Crimes Chamber, to take over the case of Dragomir Milosevic, former RS Army commander indicted by the ICTY for crimes committed in BiH. Ministers in the CoM were allegedly supposed to discuss this issue on the session held on Tuesday, however the Ministry warned the case was too complicated and forwarded ICTY’s request for taking over the case to BiH Presidency. Sulejman Tihic said to daily that Oslobodjenje warned Kovac not to shift responsibility for an issue in Ministries’ jurisdiction. He further says that Milosevic’s case was also discussed at Thursday’s session of BiH/SCG Interstate Council. SCG officials said that while they believe it is important to see the indictee before the justice, they also demand Milosevic’s case to be processed before its local judiciary. “We also learn that Presidency of BiH said to Kovac to start acting like a state ministry, and estimate that such correspondence [between him and them] was unnecessary and unserious,” reads the article. Deputy Minister, Niko Grubesic, confirms that the Ministry believes that Milosevic’s case ois too complicated. |
| ICTY published indictment of Gvero, Miletic
| TV Pink, BHT, TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Indictment against Milan Gvero and Radivoje Miletic’, and pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘Milan Gvero in prison’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Mladic’s associates Gvero and Miletic indicted for crimes committed in Srebrenica and Zepa’, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘General Milan Gvero departed for The Hague’, by Hina, AFP – Nearly 10 years after the massacre at Srebrenica, the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) Thursday published its indictment of two of the leading Bosnian Serb generals involved in the atrocity. The indictments came as one of the two, Milan Gvero, was on a flight from |
| OHR sets 15 March as deadline for RS MoD to prove Mladic links severed
| RHB, BHT, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘On Mladic associates by March 15’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘To answer on question who allowed payment of salaries to Mladic by March 15’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Ashdown: March 15 is the deadline’ not signed, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Ashdown wants evidence’ by Srna – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, on Thursday commended the BiH Ministry of Defence on its Report into Systemic Weaknesses in Command and Control within the Armed Forces of BiH, released last week. In a letter sent to BiH Minister of Defence Nikola Radovanovic, he welcomed some of the reports recommendations. However, he also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the RS Defence Ministry has failed to explain adequately how Ratko Mladic was not discharged from the RS Army until March 2002. He noted that the RS Ministry of Defence has failed to provide evidence confirming that no individuals who served in the 410th Military Intelligence Centre (involved in illegal surveillance) or in Ratko Mladic’s personal security detail, are still serving in the RS Army or the RS Defence Ministry. The High Representative set |
| Radovanovic expects report from RS Defense Ministry by Feb 28, Ashdown wants evidence
| Nezavisne novine pg 3 ‘Check-ups at RS Army on existence of helpers to Hague fugitives’ by V. Popovic, Vecernje Novosti pg 17 ‘Dangerous connections with Mladic’ not signed – the article reads RS Defense Ministry will, by February 28, forward to BiH Defense Ministry a report on whether there are any persons who cooperate with war crimes indictees at RS Army structures. BiH Defense Minister Nikola Radovanovic has stated all employees of RS Army, especially individuals and units that have been in contact with Ratko Mladic or other war crimes indictees, are currently under a check-up. |
| RS Government says indictment of Rasim Delic another proof that all sides committed war crimes during war in BiH
| RHB, TV Pink, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Crimes were being committed on all sides’, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘RS Government: Serbs too have been victims of war crimes’ not signed, EuroBlic pg RS3 ‘Mujahedeens were slaughtering while the commander was silent’ by Marija Jandric, FENA – The RS Government believes that raising of the ICTY indictment against the wartime commander of the BiH Army, Rasim Delic, represents yet another proof that all sides had committed crimes during the war in BiH and that Serbs were also victims of crimes. The RS Government declares that this indictment, together with the previously raised indictments against the BiH Army officers, would contribute to shedding a light on the facts that will affect the characterization of the conflict in BiH. The RS Government notes that the ICTY indictment against General Delic is a result of mutual cooperation, and that it is also based on the material that the Government had forwarded to the Court. |
| Lawyer Simic: indictment against Delic to shed new light on events in BiH | Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Looking through fingers?’ by G. K. – Attorney from Banja Luka Krstan Simic has stated the indictment against Rasim Delic should shed a different light to events that took place during 90-es in BiH. The article also speculates the trial in Delic case would be a good opportunity to find out for whose cause mujahedeens have fought the holly war – jihad – in the Balkans. |
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| Dani, front pg splash ‘Revenge of mujahiddin’ and pgs 18-20 ‘Alija and Army in The Hague’, by Vildana Selimbegovic, Slobodna Bosna, pgs 24-27 ‘Drama of Izetbegovic’s obedient commander’, by Suzana Sacic, Adnan Buturovic, Ljiljan, pg 4 ‘Trials to victims’, by A. Dz. also prominently covered the case of Delic. Slobodna Bosna, pgs 28-30 ‘Rasim Delic came to Vozuca with Izetbegovic when everything was over – Alija gave deserving fighters a case full of money’, by Mehmed Pargan – retired BiH Army colonel, Semsudin Muminovic, on details of operations in Vozuca area that also relates to case of Delic. |
| DL on possible indictments against Silajdzic and Ganic
| Dnevni List cover pg splash and pgs 2 and 3 ‘Silajdzic will not go to The Hague voluntarily’ by DL investigative team – With regard to announcements that the ICTY will issue bills of indictment against Haris Silajdzic and Ejup Ganic, DL carries that according to unconfirmed information, on the ground of command responsibility Ganic should be charged with crimes committed over Croat civilians and brutally killed prisoners of war in the area of northern Herzegovina and central Bosnia. DL says that many analysts judge that in case that Ganic and Silajdzic were charged with war crimes they would actually be held accountable for ‘Alija Izetbegovic’s sins’. DL also says that Silajdzic as well could be only charged with command responsibility. An inset to DL under headline ‘Silajdzic: I am going back to Sarajevo’ carries that Silajdzic refused to say whether people from the ICTY or BiH Prosecution contacted him and he said that he will be able to tell more on the whole issue in a few days. He also denied media speculations that he is running away from BiH to some Islamic country. |
| Six new indictments were brought, Momcilo Mandic says he is not guilty
| Nacional Belgrade daily, cover pg splash ‘Momcilo Mandic: I am not afraid of the Hague’ and pg 3 ‘I am not guilty and I am not afraid of the Hague’ by U. Mrdic – The article reports General Milan Gvero Thursday went to the Hague and also carries the information another six indictments against war crimes suspects have been forwarded from ICTY. The indictments were, reportedly, brought against Momcilo Mandic, Momcilo Perisic, Zdravko Tolimir, Radivoje Miletic, Vlad Buskoviski and Ramus Haradinaj. Nacional carries a reaction of Momcilo Mandic upon this information as saying he doubts an indictment would be brought against him because he has nothing to do with any of military authorities but he says, if the indictment would be brought after all, ‘I would immediately go to the nearest office of the Hague Tribunal and take the indictment. Afterwards, I would pack my suitcases and go to Nezavisne novine pg 5, announced on cover ‘Gvero in Scheveningen, Miletic is negotiating on surrender to the Tribunal’ by N. N., Glas Srpske cover ‘Miletic too was indicted’ by Beta, EuroBlic pg 2, announced on cover ‘Gvero awaits for Miletic in the Hague’ by Dejan Vukelic, Vecernje Novosti pg 15 ‘Momciloi Mandic and Radivoje Miletic were indicted’ not signed – report on Gvero’s departure to the Hague and on new indictments for war crimes. |
| Bukejlovic: Karadzic and Mladic will maybe surrender | Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Karadzic and Mladic will maybe surrender’ by Tanjug, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘They will surrender, maybe’ not signed – RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic Thursday stated he was sure Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic would consider voluntary surrender to the Hague. |
| Zvornik war crimes: Grujic, Popovic, Gogic and Vuckovic brothers were arrested, Spasojevic escaped
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘Grujic, Popovic, Gogic and Vuckovic brothers were arrested, Spasojevic escaped’ by M. Kusmuk – Wartime President of Zvornik Municipality and former Zvornik SDS President Brano Grujic, Commander of Zvornik Territorial Defense Unit Marko Pavlovic (whose true name is Branko Popovic), Commander of “Zute ose” unit Vojin Vuckovic aka Zuco and his brother Dusko Vuckovic aka Repic and one Gogic, former boxer from Loznica, were arrested last week in Belgrade. Dragan Spasojevic escaped the arrest. The above listed persons are accused of war crimes committed in Zvornik in 1992. In August 1992, RS Police arrested approximately 70 members of “Zute ose” under suspicion they have been robbing Bosniak, but also Serb, houses. The police confiscated 27 kilos of gold, 600,000 KM and 50 “Golf” cars on that occasion. Vuckovic brothers were in 1993 arrested by Serbian police and accused of war crimes – Vojin Vuckovic was sentenced to ten years and four months in prison in 1998, while Dusko Vuckovic was released immediately after the arrest because he was psychically unfit to stand trial. Dragan Spasojevic, who has managed to escape the arrest, was the wartime chief of Zvornik police. After the war, until 1998, he was the Head of Customs Office in Zvornik, and he was also co-owner of “Privredna Banka” Serb Sarajevo and “Nova Banka” from Bijeljina, as well as the owner of “19. decembar” firm from Zvornik. His name was listed on US “black-list” and, as in accordance with OHR decision brought in July 2003, his bank accounts were blocked due to a suspicion he was helping war crimes indictees. |
Political developments/reforms | |
| Session of the BiH-SCG Inter-state Cooperation Council held in
| RHB, TV Pink, BHT, TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘BiH, SCG will be arresting war criminals together’, Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Final resolution of border issue announced’, Dnevni List pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘SCiG refuses to sign agreement on border’ by M. Zolak, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘To meet The Hague demands’ by D. Jazvic, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 8 ‘BiH and SCiG will look for war crime indictees together’ by H, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash and pg 3 ‘Cooperation in arresting war crimes indictees was agreed upon’ by A. Sisic, Glas srpske pg 2 ‘Europe is joint goal’ by N. Zelenovic, EuroBlic pg RS4 ‘It would be blossoming if there was no Hague’ by Dusanka Stanisic, Vecernje Novosti pg 12 ‘Six agreements’ by D. Stojakovic,SRNA – Top BiH and Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) officials agreed on Thursday at a meeting of the Inter-State Council for Cooperation that security institutions of the two countries will find ways of improving cooperation in the field of discharging obligations towards the Hague tribunal, which is a precondition for both states to draw closer to Euro-Atlantic integration. “We have agreed that our security institutions will get in touch and try to solve these problems as well as problems regarding Bosnia-Hercegovina’s and SCG’s geopolitical position such as human trafficking, drugs smuggling, terrorism and the like,” the chairman of the BiH Presidency, Borislav Paravac, told a news conference after the meeting. SCG President Svetozar Marovic said bilateral cooperation regarding obligations towards the Hague tribunal should be rendered more concrete also at the level of the interior ministries and the level of the Bosnia-Hercegovina and SCG Councils for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, so that the daily agenda can be set based on realistic findings. “I hope for a certain success in the fight against one of the biggest malaises affecting our future. Our future now depends on the past and we must overcome it for the sake of generations who want to live in a European, peaceful, democratic and prosperous society,” Marovic said. The Inter-State Council noted the two countries’ full commitment to European perspectives. It also agreed that relevant Bosnia-Hercegovina and SCG bodies for European integration should sign a protocol on concrete forms of daily political, legal and other forms of cooperation so that these tasks are done together, more rationally and efficiently. Representatives of Bosnia-Hercegovina and SCG signed six bilateral agreements, including the agreement on defence cooperation. |
| DL comments on Paravac, Marovic’s statements
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Always the same story’ by M. Karacic carries an editorial on the statements given by high-ranked BiH and Serbia and Montenegro officials given after the session of the Inter-State Council for Cooperation between BiH and SCiG when they announced stronger cooperation of their security services in order to secure arrest of all ICTY indictees. The author says that the best indicator of their willingness to achieve this goal is the fact that Serb member of the BiH Presidency Borislav Paravac and SCiG President Svetozar Marovic did not state yesterday at all that Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic should be in |
| EUPM Commissioner Kevin Carty on police reforms: Serious crime is cancer for this country
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Crime is the cancer for this country’, pg 5 ‘Police is vulnerable in this moment’ by Mersiha Drinjakovic – In a page long interview to DA, EUPM Commissioner Kevin Carty says it is very obvious to everybody in BiH that the current structure makes the police vulnerable. He says that the police restructuring has nothing to do with the politics, but with the effort to ensure police services for the citizens. “As long as there is a political control over the police at the level of entities, than [the police] is vulnerable,” underlines Carty and makes clear that the police reform proposed by the Police Reform Commission doesn’t stipulate the abolishment of the entities Interior Ministries. Underlying that EUPM fully supports the 9+1 regional distribution of future police forces, Carty says that this “proposal is the structural agreement which will be efficient and functional.” |
| Ivanic: police reform is unacceptable
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Pressures came to an end’ by S. A. – PDP President Mladen Ivanic stated Wednesday in Bileca the Neum meeting had confirmed the Dayton is “a sacred word” without which BiH cannot make any progress. He commented police and defense reform by saying defense reform is acceptable but the police reform is not, since there is not a single reason to abolish RS police. He claims he still had not reached a final decision on whether to withdraw his resignation or not. Inset ‘Different vocabulary’ – Ivanic says the vocabulary of international community representatives has changed since December – it no longer contains arrogance nor threats, Serbs and RS are no longer attacked. ‘This change occurred after we have defined a strong stance and said this cannot continue’, Ivanic said. |
| OHR says amendments on de-certified policemen unacceptable
| BHT, FTV – The OHR sees as unacceptable amendments to the law in the FBiH House of Representatives, which state that decertified police officers can return to their duties in the cases where there is a court decision that says that there was no base for de-certification. If these amendments are adopted, that would bring into question the preparedness of BiH authorities to implement international commitments and diminished BiH’s efforts for further Euro-Atlantic integration, said OHR spokesperson in Banja Luka, |
| RS policemen announce protests
| Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Policemen announced protests’ by M. Milunovic – Union of RS MoI employees announced protests unless RS Government allows them a 20% salary increase by 10th of March. Chairman of Union of RS MoI employees Dusko Jandric stated that this |
| Talks on judicial reforms: Ungrounded complaints against judges
| TV Pink, Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Ungrounded complaints against judges’ by A. Omeragic – The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council has completed the two-day talks on judicial reforms with the Chairs of BiH Courts. The president of the HJPC, Branko Peric, stated that the conclusion is that the biggest problem for judiciary is the lack of money and communication problems with citizens, lawyers, prosecutors and media. He adds that the state owes about 22 million KM to the courts, while at the same time the Courts owe money to the state companies. He also dismissed the complaints of citizens, which say that the justices intentional delay cases, adding however that the justices should not be against he controls. |
| BiH Election Commission representatives meet with Venice Commission members
| Oslobodjenje pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘Election of the BiH Presidency and Parliament according to the current regulations/provisions’, FENA – At the request by the BiH Election Commission the Council of Europe office in Sarajevo organised a meeting with the Venetian Commission in Sarajevo on Tuesday and Wednesday, the BiH Election Commission stated on Thursday. The participants discussed upcoming activities of the BiH Election Commission on changing and amending the BiH Election Law and its harmonization with international standards as well as other forms of cooperation. |
| SD slams Neum meeting
| Slobodna Dalmacija, front pg splash and pg 15 ‘Winners are – Cavic and RS’, by Marin Erceg – Carries an article in which the author slams the outcome of the Neum meeting, which gathered leaders of the SDA, SDS, HDZ and PDP, noting that instead of bombastic announcement that the meeting would discuss constitutional changes, the end result was that BiH made one step back. The author continues: “Namely, for years there have been talks about BiH transforming from the ‘Dayton’ into the ‘Brussels’ phase, however the party leaders again stress the dedication towards the Dayton (Peace Accord). The Brussels phase means BiH adopting European standards, whilst the Dayton BiH means post-war reality, division of the state, lack of trust, parallel institutions, a big number of refugees and all other problems”. Finally, the author says that even the OHR and the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, could be happy with the meeting because HR Ashdown could tell his bosses that he has initiated the exit strategy, despite knowing, like his bosses, that the domestic forces cannot reach any agreement. |
| Ivanic and Dokic to withdraw resignations
| Nezavisne novine pg 8 ‘Mladen Ivanic and Branko Dokic to withdraw resignations’ by V. Popovic – a source close to PDP claims Ministers and Deputy Ministers from PDP would withdraw their resignations and continue working at CoM. PDP Presidency member Vinko Radovanovic confirmed the Presidency would define its stance with regard to personnel issue of Ministers in the following several days but the Ministers would take the final decision with regard to this matter. |
| SB says PDP officials divided on issue of resignations in CoM
| Slobodna Bosna, pgs 32-33 ‘Return of renegade Mladen Ivanic’, by Asim Metiljevic – The weekly notes that the return of PDP ministers to the BiH Council of Ministers is the most important, and it would appear, the only result of the Neum meeting of political parties. One of participants of the meeting confirmed to SB that PDP’s ministers withdrew the irrevocable resignation, however Mladen Ivanic said he would reveal his final decision later on, after “additional consultations”. Apparently, his decision depends on the public perception of the whole issue. SB learns from several sources that the PDP is divided when it comes to the issue of resignations from the BiH CoM and that Ivanic is the only one who insists that the PDP should go into opposition. Allegedly, Ivanic is particularly opposed by BiH Minister of Traffic and Communications, Branko Dokic, who is convinced that the resignation would endanger some projects that he has secured for the RS in the last two years, especially the Banja Luka-Klasnice highway. The weekly also unofficially learnt that Dokic sent a clear message to PM Adnan Terzic that he would stay in the BiH CoM no matter what Ivanic decides. When it comes to the Neum meeting itself, SB learns from its source that most of the time was spent to persuade Ivanic to withdraw the resignation and that the constitutional changes were only mentioned incidentally. |
| SNSD criticizes decision of PDP to remain at BiH CoM
| RHB, RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Continuation of deceits’ by N. D., EuroBlic pg RS4 ‘Spiric: hypocrisy’ not signed – SNSD thinks the decision of PDP to remain at BiH CoM is ‘a continuation of hypocritical policy of this party’. SNSD claims the aim of resignations of PDP Ministers was to fulfill personal and party interests and not to protect the Constitutional organization and republic bodies of authority. |
| VL on need for constitutional changes in BiH
| Vecernji List pg 5 ‘BiH is protectorate and it needs changes’ by Z. Kresic carries that in coming days the European Parliament is going to publish the Resolution in which they will refer to the fcat that the current situation in BiH is unsustainable. VL explains that they will actually qualify entities as an obstacle in the BiH organization. VL also announces that the discussion on the Dayton Peace Accord ten years after it was signed will take place in London on March 4. This discussion will be organized by the Centre of Studies for Global Management and Association BiH 2005. According to VL former High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch is the President of the Advisory Board of this Association. |
| PDHR Hays in Trebinje/On police, Alijagic case
| RTRS, Dnevni List pg 4 ‘OHR cannot interfere in Prosecution’s work’ by A.B. – Principle Deputy High Representatives |
| RS Government session held in BL
| TV Pink, BHT, TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni List pg 8 ‘Government’s proposal: Croat to be Minister of Trade and Tourism’ by M.B., Nezavisne novine pg 9 ‘Stoppage of payment of war reparation was proposed’ by P. Klincov, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Temporarily without payments’ by G. Dakic – RS Government Thursday adopted amendments to the Law on executive proceedings, which foresees temporary stoppage of payments of war reparations from RS budget and budgets of Municipalities, as according to RS Justice Minister Dzerard Selman. He said the Draft was forwarded to RS NA for adoption. Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘To urgently adopt law to stop collection of payments as compensation for war damages’, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Gaspar and Selman appointed Vice-presidents of the Government also reported on the session. |
| Dani on new RS Govt: ‘Fellowship for collapse of BiH’
| Dani, pgs 22-24 ‘Fellowship for collapse of BiH’, by Snjezana Mulic – Carries an article about the appointment of the new RS Government, which claims that HR, Paddy Ashdown, helped the SDS regain the power in the RS when he removed 8 junior political and police officers in mid-December last year causing Serb prefix-parties becoming homogeneous. Dani goes on to say that the SDS used every possible mean to achieve the goal, appoint the new RS Government, and that HR Ashdown and OHR helped it. Leader of SNSD, Milorad Dodik, told Dani that the acting President of SDS, Dragan Cavic, did everything in cooperation with Ashdown. Dodik notes that the two often meet each other: “Ashdown’s behaviour is questionable in all of this and he is the one who installed the SDS onto the throne in the RS.” On the issue of appointment of Bosniak and Croat ministers, Dani notes that the SDS picked “loyal Croats and Bosniaks who will be easily manipulated with”. On this issue, RS Vice President, Adil Osmanovic, says: “(…) Those people have no power and they will be forced to vote the way SDS tells them, in fact they will be carrying out Great |
| Ljiljan/Slobodna Bosna: SDA to fall apart?!
| Ljiljan cover pg splash and pgs 14-19 ‘Is SDA going to fall apart!?’ by F. Mandal carries that the last session of the SDA Main Board has given floor for various media speculations about division of SDA in two fractions, that is, the religious-conservative fraction led by Dzemaludin Latic and a modern option led by current SDA President Sulejman Tihic. Ljiljan says that these speculations have also raised the issue of Bakir Izetbegovic’s candidacy for the position of the SDA President. Member of the SDA Main Board Hasan Cengic, SDA Secretary General Sefik Dzaferovic and Deputy SDA President Adnan Terzic stated for magazine that there will be no divisions at the SDA Convention, adding it is normal that individuals within the party do not always share the same opinion. Izetbegovic also denied media speculations on a conflict between him and Tihic. Slobodna Bosna ‘Commanders in the Hague, party falling apart’ and pgs 14 -18 by A. Buturovic also claims that there are divisions within SDA and the article mostly grounds its claims on an interview that Dzemaludin Latic gave to SAFF in which he harshly attacked Sulejman Tihic. |
| Tihic denies conflict within SDA, says party to be more multiethnic
| Ljiljan pgs 10-13 ‘I have no reason to slow Bakir Izetbegovic’ by Fadil Mandal – In an interview to Ljiljan magazine, the leader of SDA, Sulejman Tihic, denies there are conflicts and rifts inside the party, adding that alike in any democratic party there are differences in opinion which have been overstated in media. He also denies media allegations of being in any kind of dispute with Bakir Izetbegovic, Adnan Terzic or Hasan Cengic. Commenting upcoming SDA Congress, Tihic said it would be “as congress of unity,that is of continuity of party’s unity and certain changes. Change refers to our Bosnia-European orientation, we will go for the higher degree of multiethnic character of the party.” Asked whether this could mean that SDA could hypothetically lead by non-Bosniak, Tihic answers: “That can happen to. Why it would not happen?” |
Economic/social issues | |
| Dnevni Avaz: BiH faces financial collapse because of internal debt
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘BiH faces financial collapse because of internal debt’ by S.N. – DA learns that BiH could face the financial collapse if all judicial verdicts on the compensations were carried out. The bank accounts of municipalities Trebinje and Vlasenica in RS and Visoko in FBiH were blocked, while the similar destiny is a threat to a dozen of other municipalities in both entities, says DA. “Courts in your country have been swamped with the requests to pay the war compensations. They are at least 10 billion KM, and the most modest estimates show that this money would be at least 200% over the gross domestic product,” says the DA’s interlocutor close to the US Embassy to BiH. |
| Oslobodjenje: Ministers rejected decision on decrease of salaries
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Ministers rejected decision on decrease of salaries’ by V. Zivak – The salaries of the civil servants, ministers, deputies and delegates in the state Parliament, and members of the BiH Presidency will not be decreased. This decision was made by the BiH Finance and Treasury Ministry, and endorsed by the Council of Ministers at the latest session. Despite the fact that the Ministry said at the occasion of adopting the state budget that it would decrease the salaries of all employees for 10%, it has given up on that initiative and brought this decision which is valid for next three months. |
| FBiH Government discusses financial, economic issues
| RHB, TV Pink, TV Hayat, FTV, Dnevni List, pg 6, mentioned on front ‘Decision on payment of debt to soldiers taken’, by N. Bise, Vecernji List pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘7 million KMs for overdue salaries in Army’ by E. Medunjanin, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 14 ‘Money for production of biscuits to Agrokomerc’ by D. Pasic – The FBiH Government was in session in Sarajevo yesterday (Thursday) and among other issues, it took a decision on determining priorities when it comes to honoring financial obligations pertaining to unpaid salaries and financial compensations towards providers of goods/contractors in 2005. According to the decision, 8 million KMs will be paid from the FBiH budget, of which 7 million will be allocated for salaries of employees of the FBiH Defence Ministry and FBiH Army and 1 million for the contractors. The Government also took a decision to allocate 350.000 KMs to the ‘Agrokomerc’ company in order to help start production of biscuit. |
| DL interview: FBiH Tax Administration Director Arifovic
| Dnevni List, pg 8, mentioned on front ‘Branch office in Mostar finally must unify’, by Ivica Glibusic – Carries an interview with the Director of FBiH Tax Administration (FBiH TA), Midhat Arifovic, in which he talks about certain problems the FBiH TA will be facing in 2005. Commenting on the issue of unification of two branch offices of the FBiH TA in Mostar, which should have been unified in accordance with the Rulebook on internal organization of the FBiH TA, Arifovic notes: “The problem is that we physically cannot put together workers that work at two branch offices – the Southwest and the |
| Srpske Sume removed four directors of forestry holdings | Nezavisne Novine pg 9 ‘Four Directors of forestry holdings were removed’ by D. R. – “Srpske Sume” management has removed Directors of four forestry holdings and ordered a number of measures for recovering of the firm to be undertaken. The mentioned measures followed after the report of OHR Special Audit Office. |
Miscellaneous | |
| Zhu Yihe aka | Nezavisne Novine pg 6, announced on cover ‘Zhu Yihe aka Chu and Sinisa aka Chinese are charging 25,000 dollars for a citizenship’ by S. Karic – carries an update to the issue of illegal entering of Chinese citizens to BiH (see BiH Media Round-up, February 24) and claims Zhu Yihe aka Chu and Sinisa Miljevic aka Chinese are charging 25,000 dollars for a citizenship of BiH. The article features a number of statements of persons who have had business contacts with unknown Chinese citizens they have never met in person. The business contacts were made with help of the above-mentioned Yihe and Miljevic. Inset ‘Chu, Miljevic and Rodic “paid a visit” to Nezavisne’ – reads Yihe, escorted by two unknown men, came to the office of Nezavisne Novine in Banja Luka, acted very arrogantly and threatened the paper ‘will have to lay accounts for what it had published’. According to some information, the two men that escorted |