| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18:00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19:00 hrs) | FED TV (19:30 hrs) | RT RS (19:30) |
| RS police raid | RS police raid | 900 CRO passports stolen | RS police raid |
| Bond on BiH joining EU | Summit in Bjelasnica | RS police raid | RS MoI and BiH Interpol |
| SARS in Bulgaria | BiH and CoE | BiH and CoE | Donation for Sec. Ministry |
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| Tel Aviv suicidal attack | US – Iraq | BiH and CoE |
| Oslobodjenje | 930 passports disappeared from the Croatian consulate in Mostar; An action by special forces in Banja Luka – a hunt for the Zemun clan members in Bosna hotel?; Reis Ceric in Foca – it’s time for all three peoples to stop hating |
| Dnevni Avaz | Tihic on Schroemgens’ letter – I will breach the promise to Ashdown!; A search for the Zemun clan members – special forces blocked the city; Efendi Ceric – we will build Aladza; Biber – I am not afraid of threats because I’m doing the right thing |
| Dnevni List | BiH will respond to challenges of organized crime; Safet Orucevic – persons responsible for the ‘Shells’ affair are hiding behind Mostar patriotism |
| Vecernji List | Special forces hunting for the Zemun clan |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Ashdown creates new entity out of Mostar |
| Glas Srpski | On Thursday in Banja Luka – hotel ‘Bosna’ searched; Bijeljina – the construction of alternative accommodation halted |
| Nezavisne Novine | The RS police looking for Zemun clan members in hotel ‘Bosna’; Banja Luka – drugs and weapons confiscated; Serbia – criminal charges against Milosevic for murder of Ivan Stambolic; SNSD public rally – with elections against crime |
| Blic | Experts warn – SARS is deadlier than AIDS; Kunic undermines ruling coalition Ivanic – Kalinic; Arrest of Zemun clan members in the RS |
| BH DANI | What will happen with military apartments – the last JNA front attack |
| Slobodna Bosna | Fahrudin Radoncic, Hasan Cengic, Senad Sahinpasic on top of the list of EU-unwanted persons – the European Union announces fight against BiH criminals |
Political Affairs | |
| Reactions to Schroembgens’ letter
| Avaz pg. 1 and 4 – following a letter by SDHR Schroembgens where he announced the legalization of administration installed by previous government, several people from the current authorities reacted. Bosniak Presidency member, Sulejman Tihic, stated tat if the current situation continues and the law was not adopted on the civil service soon, he would have to go against the promise he made to HR Ashdown. “The OHR can impose the laws, but then it should take the responsibility for the situation in the state,” said Tihic, Federation President, Niko Lozancic, thinks the most recent decision by the OHR on freezing position in the civil service yet another measure by this organization that prevents the new authorities from fully taking over. He stated that he heard unofficially that some ministers were announcing to withdraw from their position since they are not able to perform their duties. Safet Halilovic, SBiH President, stated the OHR move was making the work of the ministries difficult, which was the bad side of it. Added that a better solution could have been found or at least one that involved temporary appointments. |
| Bjelasnica meeting | Avaz pg. 2 ‘The second phase of reforms starting’ – on a two-day meeting in Bjelasnica between reps of the local authorities and international organizations in BiH. They discussed tasks for the next six months outlined in the ‘Jobs and Justice’ document in order to devise a clear goal and move towards the EU. CoM Chair, Adnan Terzic, said that in the next three months the CoM had to remove obstacles that had been enabling BiH producers to enter the EU market, which would in return drastically increase the export. HR Ashdown stated that the BiH authorities and international reps have to cooperate, but the local officials will have to work more and international officials less. Slobodna Dalmacija back page ‘Ashdown: Responsibility for development of BiH must be in its hands’ – a report from a two day working retreat from Mount Bjelasnica, where principals of international organizations in BiH, including HR Paddy Ashdown met with representatives of the BiH authorities including Chair of the BiH CoM, Adnan Terzic, and two entity PMs, Ahmed Hadzipasic and Dragan Mikerevic. SD notes that the HR was positive about the programme of BiH joining the Europe, and CoM Chair Terzic presented it as ambitious, bold and necessary. Nezavisne Novine pg. 6 ‘Six months for reforms’, Glas Srpski pg. 2 ‘Paddy Ashdown with representatives of the BiH,RS and FBiH authorities: one’s destiny in his own hands’ – according to Terzic, topics of discussion will be the introduction of VAT and single customs administration and fulfilling of conditions for the admission to the EU and Partnership for Peace. HR Ashdown did not want to talk about details regarding the reforms that BiH authorities should undertake in the next six months. According to Nezavisne Novine source, the meeting in Bjelasnica also dealt with the reduction of the administration, reduction of armed forces and unification of armies in BiH. Blic pg. 3 ‘BiH on the road to European family’ – Terzic said the aim was BiH’s admission to the EU by 2009, and this meant that nobody in BiH authorities had any time for rest. |
| Bond | Avaz pg. 4 ‘BiH will become a member of the EU and NATO by 2010’ – US Ambassador in BiH, Clifford Bond, told FENA agency that the US Administration determined the year 2010 as the deadline for the IC to remain in BiH because they believe BiH would enter the EU by that time. On the possible removal of Dragan Covic, Bond refused to comment on cases that are in the process, but said that the HR had authorities and responsibility to act when officials abuse their position or if they try to conceal or protect illegal activities. |
| Muratovic vs. Palavric | Avaz pg. 4 Seada Palavric does not know how to count’ – Hasan Muratovic, an SDA rep at the BiH HoR, rejected criticisms against him voiced by his party fellow member, Seada Palavric, who accused him of breaching the party dicipline. He recalled that he abstained from voting in cases of Spiric and Novakovic, and added that even if he did give his vote to Novakovic it would have made no difference. |
| HDZ | Avaz pg. 10 ‘Colak might have Ivan Bacak for an opponent in the presidential race’ – Barisa Colak, Acting HDZ President, said he would like to see as many candidates nominating for the party president at the coming 8th HDZ assembly, but added that judging by the current situation he would be the only one. Colak also stated that those thinking the HDZ should make a radical change in the way of protecting the rights and interests of Croat people in BiH had no chance of taking over in the party. |
| SD on eight principles for Mostar | Commenting on eight principles for the future restructuring of the City of Mostar, that were prepared by HR Paddy Ashdown and presented to the Commission for Drafting of the new Mostar Statute, Slobodna Dalmacija’s Marijan Sivric pg. 1 and 15 said the principles were impossible to carry through and a result of pressure by the Bosniak political circles. Namely, Sivric says it is impossible to have a functional authority in Mostar if it were to be organized in accordance to the DPA like the HR wants because, as Sivric sees it, the DPA’s main shortcoming is exactly the lack of functionality. Other feature of the plan, according to the author, is a continuation of policy of creating a new Mostar entity in which special election rules and specific organization of city authorities would be in force. In this context, Sivric says no town/city in BiH, apart from Brcko perhaps, has special election rules, requests for respect of the 1991 census and the protection of national interests. The author’s conclusion is that the OHR, when it comes to the Mostar restructuring, did not have the courage to propose a set-up in Mostar that would make Mostar a normal European city, thus indirectly admitting the failure of the EU and IC. |
| OHR and Law on Civil Service | Dnevni List pg. 5 ‘Positions of directors in the Federation protected’ – learns that the OHR has three major objections to the latest Proposal to the Draft Law on State Service. According to DL, the OHR wants civil servants in offices of directors of administrative units, wants positions of public attorneys not to be left out of the Law and finally the OHR believes that vacancies for positions of managers of state service, that are to be open for 90 days, are not only impossible to carry through, but would raise suspicion in the legality of the process. The same daily on the same page reads that SDHR Gerhard Enver Schroembgens is disappointed with some allegations in the media that some people in senior positions should resign or face removals. “Let me remind you that all positions in the state service, including the senior positions in the state service, remain frozen as agreed among the political parties in power. That ‘freezing’ remains in effect until the FBiH Law on Civil Service has been implemented. Protected positions include position of director of the Customs and Tax administrations and many other,” said SDHR Schroembgens. |
| Njegus accused of committing war crime | Nezavisne Novine pg. 5 ‘Tomic: Njegus knew about crimes; Njegus: Tomic is telling nonsense’ – RS Police Director, Radomir Njegus, rejected allegations by Dusko Tomic, Chairman of the Children’s Embassy ‘Medjasi’, who accused Njegus for being responsible of war crimes committed in Foca in 1993. According to Tomic, at the time when crimes against Bosniaks were committed, Radomir Njegus was Head of the Foca Public Security Centre. Njegus said that he became Head of the Foca PSC in 1995, not in 1993 as Tomic claimed. At the time the crime was committed, Njegus said he was assistant to the RS Interior Minister. |
| SNSD wants early elections | Nezavisne Novine pg. 5 ‘With early elections to fight against crime’ – the highest SNSD officials held a public rally last night in Banja Luka and said that they would not allow the RS authorities to sleep while there was a burning problem in the RS – crime. The party leader, Milorad Dodik, said that ‘in order to fight crime we have to pass a series of new laws (special prosecutor, etc)’. According to Dodik, even within the RS Interior Ministry, there is a structure that protects crime. |
| NN editorial on Kunic case
| Nezavisne Novine editorial pg. 2 by Dragan Jerinic ‘Kunic case’- the author comments on the most recent developments in the PDP whose member – Petar Kunic – voted for the appointment of SNSD’s Nikola Spiric for Deputy Chairman of the BiH House of Representatives. According to Jerinic, there may be no crisis in the PDP – SDS coalition, but most definitely, the PDP is in serious crisis, which begun after last year’s congress of the party when key positions were given to those party members who saw the PDP as a ‘business club’. Ivanic managed to cover the conflict quietly, until Kunic’s case – the party wing, informally led by Petar Kunic, is dissatisfied with the fact that Mladen Ivanic transformed the party into a very ‘profitable’ company, which gave profit to all those who joined the party for some other reason rather than political ideas. ‘I personally joined the PDP because of my ideas and party program to which I contributed to a great extent. Unfortunately, that program is not implemented,’ said Petar Kunic and accuses Mladen Ivanic for doing nothing when Kunic warned him of illegal actions by the then Finance Minister Milenko Vracar. According to the author, Ivanic had two choices – to kick out businessmen or professors from the party. He decided to ignore professors, which implies that coalition and business connections between the PDP and SDS have strengthened. |
| DNS on RS govt. | Blic pg. 7 ‘There will be removals’ – the DNS expects that the RS government, after first 100 days of its work (which expires on 27 April), will reconstruct some ministries, meaning to replace some ministers. Head of the DNS caucus in the RS Parliament, Marko Pavic, says that the work of the government is unsatisfactory. “The RS government does not work, the institutions do not function and there is a conflict within the ruling coalition,” Pavic says. According to him, the DNS supports the SNSD’s initiative to hold early elections. Pavic says that the DNS will request an urgent adoption of the Law on Controlling Security and Defence in order to establish the civil control over army and police. |
| Ivanic | Dnevni List pg. 11 – President of the PDP, Mladen Ivanic, following a meeting between senior delegations of the PDP and SDS, said the following. “To think about another coalition during the times of unprincipled attacks on the RS Minister of Interior coming from the SNSD would be below any level of political dignity and I think that PDP’s position is quite clear. Coalition with the SDS is tenable despite certain problems at session of the BiH House of Representatives.” |
| DANI editorial | DANI pg. 3 op-ed by Senad Pecanin – “Cardinal Vinko Puljic for years has been wrongly detecting the main culprit for the tragedy of the Croat people in BiH in the past decade. Not only that he does not consider the HDZ the culprit, but he very much looks like he is Martin Raguz in priest’s dress when he, sometimes publicly and sometimes secretly, supports these criminal profiteers and the destructors of BiH and the Croat national interests. Ljubo Rojs Cesic could always rely on cardinal’s silence about the real causes of the BiH Croats tragedy, as, at the same time, Paddy Ashdown believes in his cooperative attitude and alleged nationalistic restraint,” wrote Pecanin. |
| DANI on JNA | DANI pgs. 18-20 mentioned on the front page ‘The last JNA attack’ by Ermin Cengic – “The latest BiH Human Rights Chamber decision means that apartments will be returned to former JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army) officers, who had the occupancy rights to these square meters before the war. This continues the tragedy amongst the families of killed soldiers, war invalids, winners of the Golden Lily medals, officers and employees of the Federation Defence Ministry who have been so unlucky to get one of a total of 7,156 abandoned military apartments,” reads the article. |
| SB editorial | Slobodna Bosna pg. 4 op-ed by Editor-in-Chief Senad Avdic ‘How Ashdown abolished the opposition’ – Avdic claims that, following the latest general elections, there haven’t been almost no political/political party’s life in BiH. “Can anyone recall when, for example, Stjepan Kljujic or Rasim Kadic or Ibrahim Spahic have held their press conferences,” wonders Avdic. “Nowadays, in Ashdown’s order in BiH, no one needs such parties. In the political architecture introduced by the High Representative, the three moderate/directed nationalistic political are presented as the only pillars which the shaking state structure can rely on,” concludes Avdic. |
| Colak on Telering | TV OBN ‘Telering’ show at 21:00 hrs – Barisa Colak, Acting HDZ President, was the guest of the show.Talking about the status of Croats in Bosnia he says it is not the same everywhere in the country and that the responsibility for this status rests with majority nations. He stresses that the Croats are not the first-class citizens in either of the two entities regarding the number of positions in the authorities. He blames both the Dayton Agreement and the constitutional changes imposed by the High Representative last year for this. Asked about cooperation of the HDZ with the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Serb Democratic Party, Party for Bosnia-Hercegovina and Party of Democratic Progress, Colak said he was not completely satisfied with the cooperation and that it could be improved at all levels of the authority. Asked how HDZ turned into a reformist party from a very radical one, Colak is of the opinion that the party had never been radical, but did not express itself well or was misunderstood. He stresses that there had been no change in the party program, and it still fights for the equality of Croats with the two other ethnic groups in Bosnia-Hercegovina. He adds that there had only been a change in communication with other political parties and the international community. Asked whether the unaltered program still envisages creation of a third entity in Bosnia, Colak replies that their main objective is equality of all three ethnic groups it does not matter whether that is achieved through creation of the third entity, cantonisation or any other form of organization of the state. He stresses that Bosnia must become a modern European state if it wants to join the European Union. He adds that it also must be sufficiently decentralized and adapted to the needs of all three ethnic groups. He says Bosnia does not have a constitution, but rather an international accord contained in the Annex 4 of the Dayton Agreement, which has never gone through the parliamentary procedure, while the entity constitutions had been imposed by the High Representative one way or the other. Colak also stresses the problems of a huge administration and five levels of authority. |
Fight against Crime | |
| RS police raid
| Avaz pg. 1 and 2 – special RS MoI forces yesterday blocked and raided the Banja Luka hotel ‘Bosna’. The action lasted for about two hours and policemen were looking for persons who might have connections with the Zemun clan and Milorad ‘Legija’ Lukovic. RS Police Director, Radomir Njegos, stated that the RS MoI was tipped off by the Serbian MoI that two persons connected with the Zemun clan were staying at the ‘Bosna’ hotel. Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 7 – Dragan Lukac, Commander of the RS special forces, stated after the action that he was not authorized to make any statements. One of the hotel co-owners, Antonije Damjanovic, stated the action was carried out without previous warning and it’s believed to be a part of regular RS MoI’s activities. Vecernji List pg. 3 ‘They were looking for Legija in Hotel Bosna’ and Dnevni List pg. 40 ‘Failed action of the RS MoI’ – VL says that competent persons from the RS MoI did not want to comment on this action. According to witnesses, special forces members arrested and took two persons in their cars. The dailies say that the owner of the hotel is a high-ranked SRS official Pantelija Damjanovic, who has been connected with various criminal groups.Nezavisne Novine pg. 1 and 3 ‘The RS police did not find Zemun clan members in hotel Bosna’, Glas Srpski cover page –on yesterday’s action of the RS MoI special unit, which blocked Banja Luka ‘Bosna’ hotel around 14:00 hrs. The MoI announced last night that the police did not find any individuals wanted by the Serbian police. Blic pg. 4 ‘Mafia members have not been found’, Vecernje Novosti pg. 14 ‘Police without prey’ – reported on the raid. |
| Colak | Avaz pg. 2 ‘Colak: we will implement appropriate measures’ – Barisa Colak, Security Minister, stated that at a meeting in OHR two days ago present parties agreed concrete measures necessary in preventing persons from Serbia who were detained from crossing over to BiH. Added he was convinced they would implement measures agreed at the OHR in order to preserve the security of BiH citizens and continue to fight organized crime. Today afternoon in OHR, the entity ministers will meet SDHR Fassier to discuss the initial results of agreed measures. |
| Commentary in Oslobodjenje
| Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Danger’ by Zija Dizdarevic – on the abolishment of the state of emergency in Serbia, which led to the introduction of the state of emergency at the state BiH borders following orders of HR Ashdown. Dizdarevic notes that something totally normal in well-structures countries, in BiH it was necessary to organize it an extraordinary was due to its defective structure. He further thinks the more important question is why is BiH, or more precisely the RS, such a desirable place for the scum from the other side of the Drina River. “Those running away from the new Serbian authorities are less dangerous than those who make the RS so attractive for them.” |
| Ashdown introduces state of emergency | Dnevni List pg. 3 unsigned – learns from a source close to the Federation Ministry of Interior that, following the recent visit by HR Paddy Ashdown to Zagreb and his efforts to fight organized crime in the region, the HR could introduce some sort of a state of emergency in BiH prior to the forthcoming visit by the Pope John Paul II. To substantiate the thesis, DL says that recent events such as announcement of criminals’ property getting confiscated, the EU ban on visas for criminal aides, murder of Serbian PM Djindjic and other affairs could influence Ashdown’s decision. The same paper carries a comment by BiH Minister of Security Barisa Colak. “The introduction of the state of emergency is in competence of the BiH institutions. I think the High Representative would not resort to that measure because the state of emergency is a special state and you need to have an appropriate plan of actions and a truly valid reason. I believe this is just media speculation.” |
| Nine RS criminals wanted by BiH Interpol | Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘Nine criminals from the RS on Interpol warrants’ – the BiH Interpol office confirmed that since yesterday nine dangerous criminals from the RS territory are on the Interpol wanted list. The BiH Interpol did not want to publicise the names of criminals, while Deputy Director of the BiH Interpol, Zoran Bunic, told Nezavisne Novine that the RS Interior Ministry forwarded warrants to the Interpol. |
| Lagumdzija on confiscating criminals’ property | Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Read the communiqué’ – Zlatko Lagumdzija, SDP leader, responds to statements by Terzic and Braithwaite that the PIC did not outline the measure of confiscating property from those involved in criminal actions. Supplemented with a part of the last PIC communiqué section (part on the issue concerned underlined), the article carried Lagumdzija’s statement that this, once again, confirmed that those most responsible for the realisation of the PIC attitudes, by deceiving the public and not being well-informed, were putting in question the implementation of reforms in BiH. FENA – in a response to Lagumdzija’s statement the OHR issued the following press release. “This issue was not discussed at the Peace Implementation Council session in Brussels on March 28. However, considering the significance of this issue, it was mentioned in the declaration adopted on that occasion and it confirmed commitments towards the program of strengthening rule of law agreed by the Peace Implementation Council on September 2002.” The statement also read that the seizure of property indeed was a powerful weapon in the battle against organized crime and the OHR advance welcomed the support of all sides in making this reality in BiH. |
| Mandic | DANI pgs. 26-27 ‘What will Karadzic’s protector chose to do’ by Emir Suljagic from The Hague – “Although in custody, Momcilo Mandic is still considered the richest Bosnian Serb, but since April 13, when he was arrested in Belgrade, he has not been the most powerful one at the same time. One of the key players in realization of the aggression of BiH is waiting for The Hague investigators. The first RS Justice Minister has a list of crimes making The Hague indictment against him fully reasonable. But, Momcilo Mandic knows the best places where Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are hiding. “And every information has its price,” Suljagic wrote. Slobodna Bosna pgs. 5-8 ‘Momcilo Mandic, Karadzic’s Justice Minister, responsible for murdering hundreds of Bosniaks’ also publishes an article about the role played by Mandic during the war in BiH. The article is written by Suzana Andjelic and Mirsad Fazlic. |
| Radoncic on BiH list of criminals | Slobodna Bosna pg. 15 ‘Radoncic persona non grata in the EU’ by Emir Hodzic – “Avaz owner, Fahrudin Radoncic, is among 25 persons who were banned last week from entering the EU countries over suspicion of their involvement in international crime/war crimes, learns Slobodna Bosna from the sources close to Brussels,” Hodzic wrote adding that listed persons included two more prominent Bosniak businessmen, Senad Saja Sahinpasic and Hasan Cengic. |
Police Affairs | |
| State Intelligence Service | Avaz pg. 9 ‘The state intelligence service is being formed’ – the daily found out that following the thorough reconstruction of the military and police effectives in BiH, the reforms would be implemented on the intelligence services. Julian Braithwaite, OHR Senior Spokesperson, stated that there were obvious problems with intelligence services in BiH and they have all been politicised in the period after the war. “The IC spent past seven years in reforming thoroughly police and armed forces. I see no reason why intelligence services would be an exception,” said Braithwaite. CoM Chair, Adnan Terzic, said that the current situation and chaos in the intelligence services showed the situation was not good and that a BiH intelligence service should be established. An insert ‘A foreigner first director’ – according to unofficial information, a group of Sarajevo experts already prepared a proposition for the state service. It is apparently proposed to have an international as the first service director to make sure it was set up according to international standards. |
Economic Affairs | |
| HPT Mostar
| Avaz pg. 10 ‘We will not give up from the third GSM licence’ – at yesterday’s press conf by heads of the HT Mostar management and reps of the HPT Mostar Union it was announced they would file a complaint on the CRA decision regarding the awarding of the third GSM licence to the ‘Eronet. Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘The CRA favouring Eronet’ – Stipe Prlic, Persident of the HT Management, yesterday stated that they waited for a reply from the CRA (regarding the request for the third GSM licence) 47 days, while the Eronet received the reply the same day. Vecernji List pg. 2 ‘CRA’s reply is absurd!’, Dnevni List pg. 1 and 4 and Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 17 ‘Return Eronet under the HT’s ownership’ –”Their reply is contradicting the Article 5 of the decision on telecommunications policy of the BiH communications. If it is well known that there are three licenses for three operators and that the Eronet’s demand is being reconsidered at the moment. How come that there is a possibility that they will deal with our demand after that,” asked Prlic. |
| Interview with Knezevic | Dnevni List pg. 9 – an interview with President of the Eronet Management Bozo Knezevic. Asked about the possibility of Eronet getting the third GSM license, Knezevic said the following. “At this moment Eronet meets conditions to get the license in accordance with the telecommunications policy and without a tender, under condition it pays a certain amount depending on the percent of ownership that the state has in Eronet.” Asked about the price that Eronet had to pay to get the license, Knezevic said that this amount had exceeded their expectations and was much bigger than in neighboring countries. |
| Oil importers sue entities | Dnevni List last page – President of the Brcko District Chamber of Commerce, Toma Antunovic, stated that importers of oil and oil products would file a lawsuit with the BiH Constitutional Court against BiH entities because of the existence of licenses for the import of oil from the Brcko District to entities. During the meeting of Brcko District businessmen, representatives of the OHR and the Brcko District authorities, Antunovic stressed the need for businessmen to be permanent partners of the Brcko District government and not just when there was a need for it. |
Education Affairs | |
| Roundtable on education reform | FENA – representatives of the OHR, OSCE and FBiH and Sarajevo Canton ministries of education took part in the ‘Education Reform – What Next’ roundtable organized by the Sarajevo University Association of Students at the Political Faculty in Sarajevo Thursday. The discussions highlighted large differences in plans and programs of 13 education ministries and seven universities in BiH. Insufficient funds provided for higher education are spent irrationally and they also stressed that young people are kept aside in the education reform process. The OHR, OSCE, the Rector’s office, Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Education and the FBiH Ministry of Education are heading the reform of higher education in BiH. |