| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Ivica Karlovic acquitted | BiH applies for PfP | Oil refinery mortgaged | 18 years old girl killed |
| FBiH Govt visits Vares | Ivica Karlovic acquitted | Ivica Karlovic acquitted | Incident in Banja Luka |
| Earthquake in BiH | Update to Orao affair | Orao affair | Trial of Momcilo Krajisnik |
| Bjelica still in prison | World news | Scheffer on PfP admission | Austrians on BiH |
| Oslobodjenje | BiH will not be admitted to Partnership for Peace?!; Movement for changes a pillar for new BiH party? Karlovic acquitted |
| Dnevni Avaz | Dismissal starts in FBiH Army; BiH submitted application for PfP |
| Dnevni List | Meeting Stjepan Mesic – Svetozar Marovic: Relations burdened by disputable border and refugees |
| Vecernji List | In epicentre |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Paddy Ashdown in new offensive against Banja Luka: Either Karadzic or RS will fall |
| Glas Srpske | Tragedy in Ugljevik: Young man killed a girl |
| Nezavisne Novine | Jaap de Hoop Scheffer: BiH will not enter PfP at the NATO Summit; Ugljevik: He killed MP’s daughter, and then shot at his head; Banja Luka: Tomljenovic at RS police over Karadzic |
| Blic | Drama in Banja Luka because of evictions: She wanted to torch house and family; Serb Stevan has been ordering torturing of Iraqis; Nikola Spiric: the Presidency spends more than the Parliament; Who is hiding Karadzic: Ivo Tomljenovic singles out, Prosecution is looking for evidence |
| Nacional | “Sajle” warn SFOR members: No man alive can reach Karadzic |
| Vecernje novosti | features Serbian related titles |
Defence and security issues | |
| Scheffer: It is unlikely BiH is to be invited to PfP in Istanbul summit; Terzic officials applies for PfP
| RHB, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Chances for BiH admission at the Istanbul summit are unlike’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘No new members of NATO at the NATO Summit’ mentioned on cover ‘BiH will not enter PfP at the NATO Summit’, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘The Hague is a ticket for Partnership’, Dnevni List last pg ‘Not a chance that BiH and SCiG enter Partnership for Peace’ not signed, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Not a chance that BiH enters PfP in Istanbul’ by F, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Scheffer: For the time being there is no chance to join PfP’ by F,Blic pg 5 ‘Serbia and Montenegro remain outside of NATO’ not signed – NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told journalist on Monday in Brussels that according to the current situation it was unlikely for BiH and Serbia and Montenegro to be invited to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace at the upcoming summit to be held in June in Istanbul. While Scheffer praised progress achieved in the field of defence reforms, he pointed to the lack of cooperation with ICTY, including primarily failure of BiH authorities to arrest Radovan Karadzic. Scheffer and ambassadors of permanent mission to NATO will visit Sarajevo on Friday. BHTV 1 – Scheffer met with the BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic who in Brussels officially submitted BiH application members to the to the Partnership for Peace. At the NATO summit in Istanbul it should be estimated whether BiH fulfilled all preconditions set earlier by NATO, including the full cooperation with ICTY. “Your prime minister was today at the meeting of the NATO Council and the representatives of the EU council. The discussion about the entrance to the PfP was based on the spectrum of elements you brought up. However, the most important is the cooperation with the ICTY. I have told to your prime minister that in Istanbul the progress of carrying out the reforms by your government, which literally opens the door of the Peace partnership, will be approved” said Scheffer. |
| Terzic says there is still a small chance for BiH to join PfP in June
| RTRS – In addition to Scheffer, Terzic also met with the EU Foreign and Security Policy Chief Javier Terzic was accompanied by BiH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lidija Topic, and Chief of the European Integration Director Osman Topcagic. Solana, who also praised defence reforms, but also agreed with Scheffer stand that the cooperation with the ICTY is a minimal requirement for admission into the Partnership that is absolutely non-negotiable. |
| DL Statement of the Day – Adnan Terzic; editorial
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Failure to be admitted to PfP would be a reward for war criminals’, mentioned on cover ‘BiH submitted application for PfP’ by S. Numanovic – “If BiH receives negative respond to its ambition to be invited to join PfP at the end of June in Istanbul, that would be a bad political decision. It would show that war criminals still keep people of our country as hostages, that they control processes, that they have chance,” is a message CoM Chair Adnan Terzic delivered to NATO and EU officials. He also stated that if BiH was given “green light” regarding the admission to PfP, it would be encouragement for further speeding up of reforms. Terzic says to DA journalist he outlined to officials details of the BiH’s plan as to how it would fulfil membership requirements. Terzic insists that, despite different announcements, not everything is over as yet and that there are still, even small, chances to join PfP. He stresses that BiH has not capacities to deal with the issues such as arrest of the war criminals alike Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, noting that this would change once BiH has state Intelligence Service, and fully operational SIPA. BiH Prime Minister also said that he stressed in Brussels that HR Paddy Ashdown plays key role in supporting those who implement reforms in BiH. |
| Deputy BiH MoD believes not all chances lost for BiH to join PfP | Dnevni List in its Statement of the Day column, pg 2, features Adnan Terzic, Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers: “If BiH does not join Partnership for Peace, it will not be the end of the world.” Dnevni List pg 2 ‘We have turned out ridiculous’ editorial by J. Petrovic – The author comments on the statement given by BiH CoM Chair Adnan Terzic, who stated that it will not be the end of the world if BiH does not join PfP and that the RS will be responsible for it since the RS failed to arrest Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. The author says that Terzic forgot the fact that he is the Chairman of the BiH CoM which is made of Ministers from both entities and this makes him automatically if not more than equally responsible. |
| NN editorial on PfP | Oslobodjenje cover page story, pg 7 ‘BiH will not be admitted to Partnership for Peace?!’ by A. Prlenda – Deputy BiH Defence Minister Enes Becirbasic confirms for daily that in the past few days Ministry receives unofficial announcements from foreign diplomats that BiH will not be invited to join PfP in June, stressing that the main reason for this is failure to cooperate with ICTY and arrest Radovan Karadzic. Becirbasic, however, says he believes this is just a matter of current atmosphere, and stresses that the situation could change by NATO summit. |
| FBiH MoD Nikolic announces dismissals of surplus VF troops
| Nezavisne Novine pg 7 ‘What is NATO for us’ editorial by Almedin Sisic – The author wonders as to whether BiH would be invited to join PfP at the NATO June Summit in Istanbul, and claims that the PfP admission and the (non)cooperation with the Hague Tribunal are two inter-locking political issues. The author further says that everybody in the state of BiH is now dealing with this issue and wondering whether BiH would be admitted or not. He claims BiH would be admitted into PfP once – meaning if it were not admitted in June, it may be admitted at the end of this year or the beginning of next year, together with Serbia and Montenegro that are two only Balkans state who have not been members of PfP. Regarding the recent statement by Dragan Cavic regarding cooperation with the ICTY, the author says that RS President is aware of the fact that international community officials would target some persons from the RS if BiH were not admitted into PfP at the June Summit in Istanbul. Cavic is also aware, according to the author, that if this failure took place, it would be a justified signal to international community to launch a campaign for abolishment of RS as an entity “which does not respect basic rules of international community based on Dayton Peace Agreement.” |
| Radovanovic meets Croatian, SCG MoDs | Dnevni Avaz cover page story ‘Dismissals in FBiH Army starting’, mentioned on cover, by E.S. – Following months of delays, the dismissal of a surplus of troops in FBiH Army can finally begins, reports DA. FBiH Defence Minister Miroslav Nikolic confirmed that he signed ‘formation book’ which defines distribution of all positions within Federation Army. “We had to solve several issues before signing ‘confirmation book’, and that is why there was a delay in the process,” explains Nikolic. |
| Austrian citizens not recommended to travel to BiH due to security | Oslobodjenje back page ‘Nikola Radovanovic today in Croatia’, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘First meeting of Defence Ministers of BiH, Croatia and SCiG today’ by F reports that on his way back from Brussels, BiH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic will visit Zagreb where he will meet with Defence Ministers of Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. The three of them will talk about their experience in the area of defence and further cooperation and preparations for joining the Euro-Atlantic integration. |
| Commander of SFOR’s German-Italian contingent on presence of Islamic radicals in BiH | BHTV 1, RTRS, Oslobodjenje back page ‘Austrian Foreign Ministry not recommending travel to BiH’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘BiH on placed ‘black list’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Austrians recommended not to travel to BiH’; Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘BiH is a dangerous station’ – Austrian Foreign Ministry listed BiH as one of the countries were it doest not recommend its citizens to travel. Ministry states the risk for security situation has been very high in RS, while in FBiH it has also been on increase. Austrian citizens have also been advised to check media reports and coverage on presence of extremists groups in BiH before they travel to Bosnia. |
| RS Vice President
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 16 ‘Islamic extremists have shelter in BiH’ mentioned on cover, by B. Kristo, Glas Srpske cover page report ‘Hide-out to Islamists!?’; Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘BiH as a possible hide-out for Islamic terrorists’ – Commander of the German-Italian contingent of the SFOR’s forces in BiH Stefan Tomas stated to Austrian News Agency APA that Islamic extremists are using BiH as a transit country and possible shelter. Tomas also stated that during the last 6 month, SFOR did not find evidence that training camps exist in their area of responsibility, however, in his opinion, this does not exclude possibility that Islamic extremists find in BiH a safe shelter from which they can move to other countries. |
| DL on capabilities of EUFOR forces | Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Will EUFOR have response to possible terrorist groups’ by Z. Jukic says that high-ranked domestic and international officials announce that EUFOR should replace SFOR forces in BiH. According to the author, this should be the first serious action of the EU forces and for this reason many people are sceptical when operative capabilities of these forces in prevention of coming of terrorist groups to BiH and their acting in BiH are in question. The author goes on to say that due to the fact that there are evidence about connection between terrorist groups and some people in BiH and because of complexity of the issue of terrorism itself many people believe that EUFOR will not be up to set tasks and that after SFOR’s departure many members of terrorist organizations will use BiH as a bridge for transfer to other countries. |
Judicial proceedings | |
| Ivica Karlovic acquitted in Hercegovacka Bank case
| RHB, FTV, BHTV 1, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Ivica Karlovic acquitted’, mentioned on cover, by onasa, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Ivica Karlovic acquitted’ by F.Vele , Slobodna Dalmacija pg 20 ‘Karlovic acquitted’, mentioned on cover, by A. Vlaho, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘ Acquittal for Ivica Karlovic’, mentioned on cover, ‘Karlovic acquitted for Monitor M’, by R. Soldo – Before the Cantonal Court in Mostar on Monday, former Head of Hercegovacka Banka Ivica Karlovic was acquitted of charges that he abused his position and authorities at the time when he was the Head of the aforementioned Bank. Indictment charged Karlovic with having illegally granted a credit to the “Gratex” company from Tomislavgrad. Namely the amount of credit exceeded 5% of the total capital of the bank. The credit amounted to 1.1 million KM while the original capital of the bank was about 16.4 million KM. The bank failed to insure the repayment of the credit by a mortgage. The damage to the bank occurred by non-repayment of the credit on schedule. Expounding the acquittal, judge Slavko Pavlovic, said that it is true that Karlović abused his office, but he cannot be blamed for non-repayment of the credit. There is no evidence of damage sustained, either – he added. Dnevni List pg 50 ‘Ivica Karlovic acquitted’, mentioned on cover, by Z. Marijanovic – DL says that with regard to the bill of indictment issued against him by the BiH Court, Karlovic stated that he hopes that these charges against him will be dropped as well. |
| Orao trial continues: former RS MoD claims Orao did not break embargo | BHTV 1, RTRS, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Commission did[not] completed report’ by V. Du., Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘RS was warned on breaking of UN embargo’ by E.M., Blic pg 12 ‘Bilic: they informed us of breaching of embargo’ not signed – “Orao” affair trial of 17 directors and employees of the company resumed on Monday before the Bijeljina Basic Court. Charges refer to the illegal export of arms and military equipment to Iraq. RS Minister of Defense at the time, Slobodan Bilic, said that he would have not known if “Orao” had breached UN embargo on exporting weaponry to Iraq. “The first information on that I’ve got from a foreign representative”, Bilic stated. In his capacity as a defence witness at the trial in the case of aviation institute Orao, Bilic said that he was told about the violation of the UN resolution on export of arms to Iraq by an unknown representative of a big foreign country. After that, according to Bilic, a commission had been established with a task to investigate allegations. Saying that the preliminary report did not either confirm or deny suspicions, he informed that Commission has never completed the work due to obstractions. Bilic said that he never received any information from any report that Orao had dealings with Iraq, but only with Jugoimport from Yugoslavia. Bilic however repeated said that he had visited Orao twice and that to this day he does not know what was so controversial about the institute’s dealings. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘I do not know even now whether “Orao” was violating UN embargo’ – Bilic said that he had never had reliable information proving that Orao was doing business with Iraq. He also said that the firm, which intended to sign any contract regarding the sale of military equipment, should have asked for permission from the-then RS Directorate for trade in military equipment and armament, which was not the case with “Orao”. |
Economic and social issues | |
| FBiH Govt delegation visits Vares municipality
| FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘State, not doing its job, delays reconstruction of the municipalities’ by A. Dzonlic, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Building of Vares-Podkamensko road to start’ by S. Subotic, Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Assistance to businismen was agreed in principle’ by Zeda and Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Hadzipasic promised reconstruction of roads’ by G. Spreckovic – Delegation of the FBiH Government, lead by FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic and including Ministers Edin Music, Nedzad Brankovic and Marinko Bozic, visited Vares municipality on Monday. Officials met with leaders of political and religious life in the city, and visited production facilities. Hadzipasic also met with Vares Municipal Official Hamdo Fatic, who underlined three major problems: reconstruction of regional route Breza-Vares-Podkamensko, recovery of municipal budget and recovery of “K-facility”, which should be completed for the purpose of insuring the conditions for return to the urban part of Vares. “Often state slows down reconstruction of the municipalities by not doing its job. This is the case here. We will try to change legal distribution of income between municipalities and cantons,” said Hadzipasic. RHB – “The FBiH Government in this year intends to launch construction of road from Vares to Banovici, which will open chances for economic development in Vares”, said FBiH Minister of Traffic and Communications Nedzad Brankovic. “What is important to say is that people who want to return to this municipality, besides places to live in, they also need jobs, because citizens of Vares work in Bosansko Grahovo and Drvar and they are paying rents there for houses, and by ensuring them jobs great number of them would return to Vares,” stressed Hadzipasic. |
| Mortgage placed on Serb Brod Oil Refinery!? | FTV, Nezavisne Novine pg 9 ‘Orbal Marketing Service” demanded activation of mortgage over Oil Refinery’ – The FTV reported that the Australian-Liberian company “Orbal Marketing Service” has demanded activation of the mortgage over Oil Refinery in Serb Brod. FTV learnt that RS Government has placed the only BiH oil refinery under mortgage as of 1995 until the total refinery debt of US $ 60 million is paid out. Dragan Mikerevic, RS Prime Minister, last night stated that: “I am not aware of this information on some Australian loan. This is the first time I hear about it. We have listed all the debts. This issue will be resolved with some sacrifice which we need to place in order to make it better for all of us.” |
| Update to Mrakovica Agreement on trade of excise goods | Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘FBiH fears it would lose incomes from excise’ – NN learnt at BiH institutions that the oil from Serb Brod Oil Refinery will not find its way towards market in FBiH for the time being, because the local authorities have failed to agree on practical implementation of the Mrakovica Agreement [which should break barriers between entities in trade of excise goods] for over a month. Ljerka Maric, BiH Treasury Minister, admits that this Agreement will not see its application within the planned deadline. According to her, the problem is that Federation fears it would lose incomes from excise, which, according to the Agreement, will be collected by the place where the goods was produced. The sources close to Dragan Mikerevic, RS Prime Minister, claim that Ljerka Maric and Dragan Vrankic, FBiH Finance Minister, are the main “obstructionists” of this Agreement, because they fear the cash registry of the F BiH may be receiving less incomes when the sale of the oil from Serb Brod starts in F BiH. Minister Maric denied these accusations. |
| RSNA in session today, to discuss economy | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘MP’s today about economic situation’, Blic pg 13 ‘Today on economy’ by SRNA, Vecernje novosti pg 21 ‘Another parade’ by M. Labus – RS NA will hold a special session today, at which it will discuss a special report of the RS Government on situation in RS economy along with proposal on measures for improving the situation. The delegates will also discuss the information of the Government on realization of basics of social program for employees that would lose their jobs during the process of privatisation, bankruptcy or liquidation of firms. Vecernje novosti, pg. 21 ‘Another parade’ by M. Labus – The article quotes the President of RS Association of Employers, Damir Miljevic, as saying that the session would be just another ‘usual parade’. ‘This will be a great opportunity to bring everything down to concluding that the situation in economy is bad while, once more, nothing spectacular will happen…I think we will today witness one of usual shows for people during which both the position and opposition will try to present themselves in the best possible way’. |
War crimes | |
| RS reactions to Cavic statement on Srebrenica
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘SDS keeps quiet, PDP is sceptical’ – NN caries some reactions to the statement by Dragan Cavic, RS President, who said that RS must start to seriously cooperate with the ICTY and that he was shocked with the new information disclosed by the Srebrenica Commission on crimes committed in this city in 1995. Not a single SDS official NN approached to wanted to give any comment on this statement. Sinisa Djordjevic, Head of PDP’s President Cabinet, said that the announced strengthening of cooperation with the ICTY will remain at the level of “empty talks”, until a full cooperation amongst all security bodies in BiH is established (including SFOR, entities’ police forces and SIPA). Tarik Sadovic, Head of SDA Caucus at RS NA, said that Cavic is aware that RS might be brought in question, unless it improved its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. He is also encouraged over the Cavic’s statement on Srebrenica Commission. Dimitrije Ivanic, member of SNSD Chair Board, is of the view that the political parties on reign have manipulated with the war crimes suspects. He explained: “While they were giving promises to the Tribunal that they would arrest war crime suspects, they were telling war crimes suspect nothing would happen to them. Now the time has come to stop manipulating both, the Hague and those charged by the Hague.” Marko Pavic, DNS President, is of the view that Cavic must call Dragan Mikerevic, RS Prime Minister, and explain him that the duties undertaken through Dayton must be carried out. RTRS – Members of Srebrenica Commission also refused to comment Cavic’s statement. |
| Reactions to Cavic statement in FBiH | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Dragan Cavic’s confession was ‘forced’’ by A.Basic – Safet Halilovic, leader of SBiH, believes that Cavic’s statement was a result of the pressures applied by the High Representative Paddy Ashdown. Leader of BOSS, Mirnes Ajanovic, thinks tahat Cavic ‘confession’ was forces and that RS should not end the story of arrest of war criminals on that. SDA Vice President Seada Palavric believes that Cavic statement is a step towards trust building between people in BiH, and refused to speculate on the reason for the statement. Leader of SDU, Miro Lazovic, said that Cavic said only something that the rest of the world already knows, and that this was purely political move. According to President of the Association Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa, Munira Subasic, RS officials knew already in 1995 that genocide did happen in Srebrenica, and that now there were being pressured to admit it. |
| RS MoI and Tomljenovic meet today; RS police denies Tomljenovic’s allegations | RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Police is not protecting Karadzic’, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Tomljenovic should submit us information’, FENA- RS Interior Ministry rejected any connection between police and war crimes indictees, claiming that it did not have any information about any members of the RS Interior Ministry being in contact with war crimes indictees. The ministry’s response to statements of the RS Vice President, Ivan Tomljenovic, which have been published first by Nezavisne Novine, said that the Interior Ministry expected from Tomljenovic, to submit all information about “who in the police structures is providing help to Radovan Karadzic”. Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Ivan Tomljenovic today in police’ mentioned on cover ‘Tomljenovic at RS police over Karadzic‘; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Tomljenovic to make a move’ – Tomljenovic announced he would today meet with the officials of the RS MoI, although he has not received any official summons, apart from public release. On this he added: “RS MoI should make the lists of persons supporting war crime suspects, and not me. Why should I hand them lists, which I do not have? It is not a problem we have a talk about everything, but it is a responsibility of the RS MOI to identify those supporting persons indicted of war crimes.” He further said that Police internal control should identify who is connected with Karadzic’s security and to isolate them. Blic pg 13 ‘To State Prosecutor with evidence’ by Tijana Veselinovic mentioned on cover ‘Who is hiding Karadzic: Ivo Tomljenovic singles out, Prosecution is looking for evidence’ – Asked whether he could substantiate his claims should RS Ministry of Interior requests from him to do so, Tomljenovic has stated he would refer the police to the interview he gave for Nezavisne Novine this weekend. He also said he ‘had got to the information by an inductive method’, without explaining what it means. |
| Bacon: Srebrenica Commission will submit report by 11 June | RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Final report by 11 June’, Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Creation of good final report within deadline set’ by Fena – According to the RS Government Public Information Office, Srebrenica Commission has established cooperation with relevant institutions in Serbia and Montenegro, in order to gather information. International member of the Srebrenica Commission Gordon Bacon told Fena that he expects the Commission to design the final report until June 11 – the deadline set by the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘We will make good report’ – Although he was not in position to speak about the contents of the report, Bacon is optimistic that it will contain new information on basis of which the people, who after all controversies had suspicions in success of the Commission, will see that positive things will appear. |
| RS Vice President Osmanovic names 12 RS police officers allegedly suspected for war crimes | Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Twelve officers, for which Hague sent consent A, are working in RS MoI’ by E. Sarac – RS Vice President, Adil Osmanovic, [Bosniak] says that RS Interior Minister Zoran Djeric and RS Police Director Radomir Njegus still have not responded to his request to ensure RS MoI structure to correspond with the 1991 people census. He also warns that while Bosniaks were dismissed from the RS MoI in the process of restructuring, this did not happen with officers for whom ICTY sent consent A to be tried for war crimes. Osmanovic warns that responsibility lies with both Djeric and Njegus for this, as they did nothing to suspend these people. The list of 12 officers for which ICTY concluded that domestic judiciary had enough evidences for process their casys, says Osmanovic, has been submitted to RS MoI leadership. The list includes seven police officers [Elvis Djuric, Goran Damjanovic, Ljubisa, Petrovic, Marinko Djuric, Miro Kecman, Boban Simsic] and five high-ranking officials [Chief of PSC Bijeljina Mile Pejcic, Chief in PSC Bijeljina Dragoslav Markovic, Deputy Chief of PSC Bijeljina Milomir Krsmanovic, and Commanders of police stations Kozluk and Milici, Goran Djelmic and Luka Bogdanovic]. |
| Ashdown on arrest of war crimes suspects | Slobodna Dalmacija front and pg 17 ‘Either Karadzic or RS will fall’ by M. Landeka carries parts of the interview that High Representative Paddy Ashdown gave to news agency Sense (see last OHR Weekend Media Brief). The article quotes the HR as saying that the RS is paying a huge price, first of a political one, because of the fact that Radovan Karadzic is still at large. The HR warned that due to this situation the loss of the international legitimacy, that is grounded exactly on the laws that is does not respect, threatens the RS. |
| BiH Court ready to take over same cases from ICTY | Blic pg 13 ‘Cases from the Hague in BiH as well’ by J. D. – BiH Court is preparing to take over some cases from the Hague Tribunal. According to BiH Minister of Justice Slobodan Kovac, the Court is being prepared for trials to indictees of the most severe crimes, for which it is needed to harmonize legislation in relation to determining command responsibility. |
| Spasojevic blames Kalinic for being black listed by US | Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘I was placed on a black list instead of Dragan Kalinic’ – Dragan Spasojevic claims that his name was included on the list of persons supporting war crimes’ suspects instead of the name of Dragan Kalinic, RS Parliament Speaker. He said that: “Following talk I had with senior officials of SFOR, which I initiated in order to find out why my name was included in this black list, I was verbally told that it was an arrangement between international community and Dragan Kalinic, whose name was supposed to be included in the list.” He further claims he is not the only person, who has been sacrificed for the sake of Kalinic’s survival in political and public life of RS. Oleg Milisic, OHR Spokesperson, did not want to make any comment on these claims. Spasojevic further claims that the black list was composed by RS OBS (Intelligence and Security Service). |
| Nacional on Karadzic | Nacional Belgrade daily, pg. 3 ‘No man alive can reach Radovan’ by J. L. C. mentioned on cover ‘“Sajle” warn SFOR members: No man alive can reach Karadzic’ – After the statement of SFOR saying that the net around Radovan Karadzic is getting tighter, a well known writer, who has visited Karadzic two months ago, has stated that the circle around Karadzic exists for years but no man will be able to enter it. The article reads that Karadzic is guarded by “Sajle”, young bodyguards, who are “mountain warriors” and no landing force can be a match for them. Asked whether Karadzic would hide for the rest of his life, the writer has stated: ‘Not much time will pass before western countries will realize against whom and why Karadzic fought. Western countries are currently preventing breach of mujahedeens from the Near East and they are facing an unseen evil that will come from Muslims who live for years in America, England, Germany. After this misfortune happens, SFOR will not need Karadzic because the West will feel the hell of Bosnia on their own back’. |
Political issues | |
| Oslobodjenje feature on Movement for Changes
| Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Movement for changes a pillar of new BiH party?’, mentioned on cover, by Azhar Kalamujic – Author writes that that Movement for Change, in process of establishing – that gathered around thirty politicians, economists, businessmen, journalists, directors of public companies, etc. – could with the support of the international community by October elections become important political party. He notes, however, that no member of the movement would confirm such thesis. One of the Movement’s representatives is also Beriz Belkic, a member of SBiH Presidency, how warns that the movement is still early in the preparation phase and that it is not yet certain what would be its political ambitions. He also says that members of Movement met with US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond, who supported the idea of oirganizing non-governmental political organization, but Belkic denied speculations that Bond worked on organizing the movement’s members. The Movement also gathered members of SBiH, Sahbaz Dzihanovic and Azra Hadziahmetovic, SDA members Abdulah Nakas, Hasan Muratovic and Ahmet Hadzpasic. |
| Results of EU-ordered opinion poll on attitude of BiH citizens towards EU | Dnevni List, pg 9, mentioned on cover ‘Citizens have positive opinion on European Union’, by Renata Radic, carries that the results of the opinion poll, ordered by the EC Delegation and conducted by Prism Research on the sample of 1500 BiH citizens, indicate that citizens need more information on the integration process and that many citizens believe the integration process is not fast enough. Compared to other countries that are EU members-to-be, it is clear that there is a bigger desire in BiH for the integration in the EU, for better education and understanding of the EU. Interviewed BiH citizens are of the view that crime, corruption, economic situation, as well as lack of punishment of war crimes suspects are the biggest obstacles for BiH on its path to joining the EU. Also, 81.6% of citizens are certain that BiH’s cooperation with the EU is more important than its cooperation with the USA. |
| Spiric criticises expenditures of BiH Presidency | Blic pg 13 ‘Presidency spends more than the parliament’ by J. D. mentioned on cover ‘Nikola Spiric: the Presidency spends more than the Parliament’ – The Deputy Chairman of HoR of BiH Parliament, Nikola Spiric, claims the offices of the three members of BiH Presidency are spending more money than both parliamentary houses. Spiric said that Tihic, Paravac and Covic ‘were spending the same amount of money as SIPA that employs 250 people and that takes care of safety of more than four million citizens’. He grounds his claims on an auditor’s report, which has been sent to the Presidency. |
| Interview with HDZ Commissioner for RS Davor Cordas
| Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Coalition of Croat parties at elections in RS is certain!?’ by M. Relota carries an interview with HDZ Commissioner for the RS Davor Cordas who says that there are information that all parties with a Croat prefix, that want to participate at the elections in the RS, regardless of their relation in the Federation of BiH, should act together in order to get one or two Councillors and even more than two in some Municipalities in Posavina. Cordas also stated that the issue of the coming Municipal elections will be the main subject of the coming session of the HDZ Central Board. |
| Reactions to unveiling of Draza Mihailovic’s monument in Brcko | Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘True SDS face’ by fena – The re-erection of the monument in Brcko to the Chetnick leader from World War II, Draza Mihailovic, has provoked different reactions. In a statement for the FENA the president of SDS for Brcko District, Ratko Stjepanovic, welcomes this act. On the other hand, the former president of the Federation of Liberation War Veterans Associations, Vojo Magazinovic, ranks the Chetnick general among Quislings and fascist movement leaders. Note that originally the monument to Draza Mihailovic was in Tito’s Square in Brcko from where it was removed later, and now it has been put up again in Orthodox graveyard. Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘There is no place for Drazo’s monument in Brcko’ by E. Razanica – President of SUBNOR for Brcko, Ilija Pajic says that there is no place for Mihailovic’s monument in Brcko. Deputy Mayor Ivan Krndelj says that re-erection of the monument would not contribute to tolerance in Brcko, while Deputy Chair of District Assembly, Mihajlo Jovanovic, see this as provocation against other peoples. |
Human rights | |
| Report on human rights in 16 BiH municipalities
| Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Cooperation between local and state authorities necessary’ by S. Rozajac, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Report on human rights situation in 16 municipalities presented’, Nezavisne Novine pg 9 ‘Citizens are not aware of their rights’, Dnevni List, pg 3, ‘Current system offers citizens bad services’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic, and Vecernji List, pg 3, ‘Discrimination of minorities’, by eme – The limited participation of citizens in authority, inefficient administration, absence of mid-term plans and transparency in decision-making and poverty are the main problems with which the local authorities in 16 municipalities of BiH are faced. This is the conclusion of the Assessment Project on human rights and municipal planning, which covered 25 municipalities in the BiH. This report was presented on Monday by the officials of BiH Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, UNDP, UNOHCHR and OHR. Donald Hays, Principle Deputy High Representative, stated: “The citizens I visited over the past three years say that the system of local authority performs its work badly in regard to its availability to the citizens. It is impossible to fix all the problems.” |
| BiH Ombudspersons on Law on National Minorities | Oslobodjene pg 8 ‘Entities obliged to harmonize provisions’, Dnevni List, pg 5, ‘BiH Ombudspersons on Law on National Minorities’, not signed, carries that BiH Ombudspersons, Mariofil Ljubic, Safet Pasic and Vitomir Popovic, sent a letter to the BiH and FBiH Parliaments, to the RS National Assembly as well as to the Presidents of entity Governments, in which they remind them of their obligations deriving from the Law on National Minorities which came into force on 14 May 2003. The Law, namely, stipulates that the entity Parliaments establish National Minority Councils as separate advisory bodies. The entities were also to harmonise their provisions on national minorities’ rights with the Law within six months from its coming into force. “Such a passive attitude of the mentioned institutions could seriously endanger basic national minorities’ rights”, the Ombudspersons warn. |