| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| HDZ faces sanctions | 3rd place for BiH’s IT stud. | Jumps from Old Bridge | Fires in RS |
| Youth cross in Mostar | World news | Surgeons from Berlin | Explosion in Kresevo |
| British soldiers killed | Polluted water | Private vs. Public Interests | Iraqi commander arrested |
| Martin Luther King |
|
| Israel issues |
| Oslobodjenje | Spoiled sons were drinking, having orgies at the cemeteries |
| Dnevni Avaz | Paravac’s wastefulness blocks state leadership |
| Dnevni List | “What did PDHR Hays write to Terzic?”; “Barisa Colak: Due to Cantonal agreement sanctions were avoided”; “Former Mostar Mayor Ivan Prskalo: Orucevic did not oppose that Turks reconstruct Old Bridge” |
| Vecernji List | “HDZ BiH avoided Ashdown’s sanctions?; “Croatia turned its back to Aluminij” |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Glas Srpske | Sarajevo: Vandals arrested; Consequences of drought and storm in RS: Never ending troubles |
| Nezavisne Novine | Marathon court proceedings against former and current high officials in the RS: Zoran Spasojevic at court, investigation against Mico Micic stopped; Mostar: ‘Swallows’ flying from the Old Bridge; Banja Luka: Family of the killed Predrag Bijelic denies he was involved in drugs smuggling; Mevludin Halilovic, BiH Federation Police minister: I do not feel responsible for explosions in Sarajevo |
| Blic | SFOR sized two tons of arms; Health workers announce general strike; Gojko Savanovic: Bijeljina’s schools to get 400,000 KM of aid |
Political developments | |
| OHR on FBiH Civil Service
| BHTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘OHR’s appeal on BiH citizens, Dnevni List page 3, “Race for position of Head of Civil Service continues”, by S.K. – Apply for the Director (of Civil Service Agency)’ – High Representative welcomes decision of the Federation of BiH Government to extend deadline for submission of applications for position of Director of the Federation Civil Service Agency by August 31 this year. OHR is determined to assist local authorities in creation of modern and professional service in entire BiH, which is going to lead BiH to the European structures through the reform of the public administration. |
| BiH Election Commission: 77 of 148 municipalities cannot afford elections | Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Election process might be jeopardized’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Due to a lack of funds next local elections uncertain’ – Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Election Committee Hilmo Pasic feels that the majority of municipalities in the country will not be able to finance local elections in the forthcoming year. According to Pasic, funds for 77 committees have been approved from municipal budgets for this year out of all of the 148 municipal election committees in BiH. For the remaining 58 municipal committees, funds have neither been earmarked nor approved, while in 13 cases the funds have been earmarked but not approved by the municipal authorities. |
| SNSD’s Dodik on early elections
| Dnevni List (page 10, unsigned, “OHR implements reforms, not domestic authorities”) – the President of SNSD, Milorad Dodik, says the opposition parties in BiH led by SNSD and SDP, will in three weeks sign a protocol on launching of an initiative aimed at organization of early elections in BiH. “Majority of opposition parties have supported the idea of early elections, because it is the only way out of the current situation of hopelessness and apathy. I am pleased that the unions in the Republika Srpska support the early elections as well as the growing number of international factors”, says Dodik. He also stresses the elections would not be expensive because they would coincide with local elections and would not halt the reforms because “OHR implements reforms, and not domestic authorities”. |
| VL: Interview with SDA Vice President Seada Palavric | Vecernji List (page 6, “World calls obedience partnership”, by E. Medunjanin) carries an interview with SDA Vice President Seada Palavric. She says that the current ruling structures in BiH have extremely little power. She added that the imposed Law on Civil Service wants to turn the cadre from the Alliance for Changes into civil servants. Palavric says that, first of all, the International Community is responsible for this situation. Asked as to how she explains such behavior when exactly the IC declared partnership with authorities in BiH, Palavric said: “Well, it did the same when the Alliance was in power. However, the partnership was only about obedience of domestic authorities and the result of it is stopping of the privatization process, the world has turned its back to us, political processes were staged against Bosniaks and the image of Bosniaks as Islamic terrorists was created in the eyes of the IC.” Asked to comment on the current relations between BiH and Croatia, Palavric says that current behavior of Croatia when the Ploce Port, Corridor Vc and property relations issues are in question does not contribute to the stability of two states that are in friendly terms. |
| Tihic: Charges against Yugoslavia will not be dropped | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 – ‘Tihic: Charges will not be withdrawn’, Glas Srpske, pg.2 –‘An agreement in sight’ – NN reports that the Cabinet of the Bosniac member of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, announced on Sunday that BiH charges against Serbia&Montenegro for genocide, will not be withdrawn. Tihic’s reaction followed the statement of Serbian Justice Minister, Vladan Batic, who said that BiH is ready to make a deal regarding the withdrawal of the charges. Glas Srpske carries only Batic’s statement and does not mention reaction from Tihic’s Cabinet. BHTV, RTRS, Vecernje Novosti pg. 2 ‘Ready for agreement’, Blic pg. 13 ‘BiH gets softer on the lawsuit against our country’ also carried Batic’s statement. |
| Mikerevic in Tirana | Blic pg. 7 ‘Dialogue without obstacles’ – In his address at the Balkan summit “Friendship and Understanding – Road Towards a Common Future” in Tirana, RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic said the example of BiH and its entities showed that not even the scars of war had to be an obstacle for dialogue, mutual respect and understanding between people, which represented the essential basis for the development of economically independent, socially secure, protected by law and free individuals. “Joint programmes and projects are an opportunity to prove our readiness for a new road of economic development of the Balkan region, which we shall build on understanding and friendship with full respect for our differences”, Mikerevic said. |
| Interview with former Mostar Mayor Prskalo | Dnevni List (front and page 7, “Orucevic did not oppose that Turks reconstruct Old Bridge“, by Vera Soldo) carries an interview with former Mostar Mayor Ivan Prskalo. He says that compared with the earlier period, the situation in Mostar has got worse and in his opinion the local politics is not responsible for this situation but the higher politics in BiH. He added: “Both, Mayor Hamdija Jahic and his Deputy Ljubo Beslic have to raise their heads and they must not allow to be pawns of one person or a small group of persons, regardless of the fact as to who appointed them to these positions. If they do not do it they will certainly have problems when they were to leave their current political positions.” Asked to comment on the journalist’s conclusion that the International Community is losing patience with regard to the situation in Mostar (issues of joint public utility company, unification of Grammar Schools etc.), Prskalo says: “It is normal that the IC is losing patience in such situation and for this reason it is passing haste decisions, which are not good for any side, and thus they additionally increase revolt in the city.” |
| Feral Tribune on Mostar
| Feral Tribune (pages 68-69, by Mile Stojic, “Plague in Golden Valley”) – an editorial that deals with the current situation in Mostar. It says that these days there have been many important events with regard to Mostar’s Old Bridge and that the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, also visited this bridge, however, according to the author, the HR and his visit did not touch anyone especially. The editorial goes on to say: “It has been expected from the HR to unify the city, divided by violence, although its citizens have changeable stands on this issue. At the time when Croat politicians were demanding separation, the Bosniak ones were crying out for unification, and now it is somehow the other way around (…) Former Mostar Mayor Orucevic cries out for unification of Mostar, however, now he is more interested in business abroad than in the city. It is a pity because the city needs people like Orucevic more than ever. Tomic has also gone to Sarajevo, and the city was tortured and privatized by Mafia for too long that everybody is afraid of any moves towards normal situation because these moves might endanger destiny of the things that were robbed.” |
Education | |
| Cro-media on possible OHR sanctions against HDZ over education reform failure
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, Vecernji List (front and page 3, “HDZ BiH avoided Ashdown’s sanctions?”, by Zoran Kresic) carries that according to the source close to the OHR, in case that the Ministers of Education in the Herzegovina-Neretva and Central Bosnia Cantons do not issue instructions on administrative unification of ‘two schools under one roof’ on Monday at the latest, High Representative Paddy Ashdown will impose financial sanctions against HDZ as it was done with SDA and Party for BiH when they obstructed the establishment of the HNC Government. Also, the initial OSCE plans on unification, that suit Croats much less, would be applied. VL says that in the worst case after financial sanctions the OHR would start with the removal of the HDZ and state officials. According to VL, the HR should have introduced the sanctions on Friday, however, he showed good will and postponed it for today. HNC Minister of Education Jago Musa confirmed for VL that he passed the instruction on the unification, while his colleague from the CBC Nikola Lovrinovic explained that he himself cannot take over such responsibility and that the final decision will be passed after the meeting with Croat officials, that is to take place early this morning. On the same issue VL (page 3, “Unification of schools does not bring Croatian language into question”, by Zoran Kresic) carries a short interview with HDZ President Barisa Colak who says that the situation with regard to this issue is much more complicated in the CBC than in the HNC, however, in spite of everything he believes that the solution for the CBC will be found. On the same issue Dnevni List (front and page 5, “Due to cantonal reply sanctions against HDZ BiH were avoided”, by Miso Relota) says that according to their information the OHR will not sanction HDZ. DL also says that the HNC respected the instruction almost completely while it has been expected from CBC to do it today by noon at the latest. The article carries Colak as saying: “I do not expect that the OHR will impose sanctions against HDZ since I believe that this issue has been resolved. I am expecting that the other problems that exist in the area of education will come at the agenda very soon and that they will be resolved.” Vecernji List (page 2, by Milan Sutalo, “What’s behind education platitudes”) – the author claims that the “war of platitudes” between the OSCE on one side, and education ministers, school principals and unions on the other, does not answer the important questions that worry the most concerned parties, the students and their parents, the questions being “Will the classes in unified schools be nationally mixed? What will be the language used in classrooms if the Croat, Bosniak and Serb children will sit together in benches?”. “If the answer is – the mother tongue, which should be a right of a teacher, what happens to the right of children to have classes in their own language? Must Croat children, if they do not want to, learn Cyrillic alphabet or the so-called Bosnian language?”, asks Sutalo. |
| Feral Tribune on education | With regard to the education reform, Feral Tribune (pages 46-48, by Ivan Lovrenovic, “Revenge through education”) carries an editorial which, among other things, says: “When the representatives of the International Community now demand and expect from local officials to give up evil of segregation over night, they are doing a good thing, however, in order to make it work they have to meet al least 2 prerequisites. The first one is that they have to take over their part of responsibility for creating of the monstrous, political system that legally produces such segregationist behavior. The second thing is that the implementation of reforms should start finally from the very grounds of that and such political system because only they can make that decisive step. Until this happens, there is a fear that the real effect of reform interventions, that this text is about, will be nothing more than putting on make-up on the monster.” |
Economic, financial issues | |
| DL on appointment of Indirect Taxation Administration Director
| Dnevni List (front and page 3, “Scandal with regards to director of Indirect Taxation Administration moves to BiH Council of Ministers: What did senior deputy Hays write to Prime Minister Terzic?”, by De. L.) – an article with regards to the appointment of Director of Indirect Taxation Administration and stories about alleged fixing of the procedure. According to DL, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, sent a letter to the Chair of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, on August 8 this year asking him to make sure that the future Director of Administration is a proven professional and person with personal integrity for the job. “That’s why I am asking You to forward the OHR a name of the candidate designated for the office for formal checks, as it was done for the key ministerial positions, and unfailingly before the final appointment”, reads the PDHR Hays’ letter. The article itself argues that if the office was to be assumed by Fuad Kasumovic, then the whole country is in for a bleak future because, according to DL, there are many criminal reports filed against Kasumovic. The paper claim Zelimir Rebacis the right man for the job. The same paper on page 3 under title “Change of article of Law on indirect taxation” (unsigned) says one cannot trust the Chair of Indirect Taxation Commission, Joly Dixon, because of his alleged ties with national parties. DL claims Dixon violated the Interim Law on indirect taxation without informing the High Representative for BiH by removing a member of the Commission who previously got the High Representative’s consent and replaced him with a political representative which resulted in only representatives of political parties participating in the work of the Commission. Moreover, DL claims Dixon allowed that the article 29 of the Law on indirect taxation be changed which postpones the whole project of indirect taxation since the Administration was to be operational by July 1, 2003, as ordered by the High Representative. In this context, DL expects the PDHR Hays to react and remedy the situation. |
| OHR’s Braithwaite on indirect taxation | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 –‘The Draft Law on Taxation created in line with European standards’- commenting on the requests of SDA, S BiH and HDZ for change of the Draft Law on Indirect Taxation, the OHR Chief Spokesperson, Julian Braithwaite stated that the Draft Law is a result of an agreement of political parties and is in line with European standards. According to Braithwaite, the Draft Law has to be the basis for the future law that will be passed through the parliamentary procedure. The daily quotes Braithwaite: ‘The parties have a clear choice. They can change the Law which is in line with European standards or they can respect those standards.’ |
| DL says Director of FBiH Tax Administration Arifovic’s credibility brought into question | Dnevni List (front and page 2, by De. L., “Minister Vrankic must urgently react”) – daily claims that the Director of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Tax Administration, Midhat Arifovic’s, authority and credibility has been compromised to an extent that he dares not to start a single disciplinary procedure against his subordinates which results in damages worth millions of KMs. Allegedly, Arifovic’s subordinates know about his dirty deeds, such as Arifovic obstructing the collection of 800.000 KMs from the company called “Energopetrol Mostar” and 2.400.000 KMs from the “Mostar Tobacco Factory”. |
| FBiH Prime Minister, PDHR to visit Livno today
| Oslobodjenje pg. 2, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4, FENA – Federation Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic and Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays will visit Livno on Monday. During the day, the Prime Minister and Ambassador Hays will meet cantonal representatives and Mayors of the municipalities in Canton 10 and will visit the companies LURA, JAS COMMERCE and BRESIC, where they will meet managers and workers’ representatives and discuss the urgent steps that must be taken in order to boost exports, clean up the business environment and re-launch the privatisation process in BiH. |
| Dnevni Avaz: Huge Paravac’s expenditures blocks work of state Presidency | Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 2 ‘Paravac’s wastefulness blocks state leadership’ – Due to wastefulness/huge expenditures in the office of Borislav Paravac, who spent his entire annual budget in just seven months of the year, functioning of the entire BiH Presidency might be brought into question since it is about a collective body. |
| Interview with “Aluminij” CEO Brajkovic | Vecernji List (front “Croatia turns back on ‘Aluminij’” and page 15 “What happens to Sibenik’s TLM depends on Aluminij”, by Zoran Kresic) – questioned whether Croatia is interested in the “attacks on Aluminij”, the CEO of the company, Mijo Brajkovic, believes the Croatian authorities do not have the real information what’s going on. “More than 60% of the Ploce Port’s capacity works because of the Aluminij, and the destiny of TLM Sibenik depends on Aluminij”, says Brajkovic. He goes on to say that he had a fair conversation with the Croatian Ambassador to BiH, Josip Vrbosic, who was interested in the problems, and even sent him a fax how to overcome problems. According to Brajkovic, there has not been a reply from Croatian authorities. (NB: TLM is a business partner and shareholder in Aluminij) |
| DL editorial on economic affairs in BiH
| Dnevni List (page 6, by Dr. Jadranko Prlic, “Terminator for Bosnia and Herzegovina”) – an editorial about topical economic issues in BiH with a highlight on construction of roads in BiH. Prlic believes that the recent decision of the Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to finance construction of highway (NB: Sarajevo-Zenica highway section to Podlugovi), shows the incapability of domestic authorities and powerlessness of the IC to introduce fundamental knowledge and logic into the process. In this context, Prlic acknowledges a right of a state to use profits from public companies, however he says it should be done in a proper procedure within the budget, in other words, it should be adopted by the parliament. According to Prlic, this allows that part of the budget be run outside the books, which violates fundamental principles of the stand-by arrangement with the IMF. |
Incidents/affairs | |
| Sarajevo: Vandals arrested
| Glas Srpske, cover page, Oslobodjenje front page – ‘Vandals arrested’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 9 – ‘Arrested young men admitted they desecrated monuments’ – the dailies reports that the Sarajevo Cantonal Police arrested three individuals who destroyed monuments in the town’s Catholic and Orthodox cemeteries. Two of them are students (Ervin Kurta and Neven Dakic) and the third is third grade student of a secondary school (Adi Hadrovic). |
| Apartment of a trade union leader broken into | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 – ‘The apartment of education workers trade union leader broken into’- unknown perpetrators have broken into the apartment of the Chairwoman of RS education workers trade union, Ranka Misic. Misic said that nothing was stolen from the apartment and that she informed the police on the incident. |
| High RS Officials in court
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and page 3 – ‘Spasojevic at court, investigation against Mico Micic stopped’- the daily carries an extensive report on high RS officials who are under investigation by authorised courts. The cases that begun in 2000 and 2001 have not been completed yet: case of Zoran Spaspojevic (SDS delegate to BiH Parliamentary Assembly and Head of Bijeljina Customs Office, case of the first Director of the RS Privatisation agency, Aleksa Milojevic – charges filed in 2000; Case of Boro Bosic, former Co-chairman of BiH CoM- charges filed in 2000, case of Dragoljub Micic, former director of ‘Panaflex’ company and SDS delegate to RS National Assembly – charges filed in 1999, case of Gojko Klickovic, former RS Prime Minister, charges filed in 1999, etc. All officials listed above were charged with misuse of position. |
| Interview with Mevlduin Halilovic, F BiH Interior Minister | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 – ‘I do not feel responsible for bomb attacks’ – the daily carries an interview with F BiH Interior Minister, Mevludin Halilovic, who said that he does nor feel responsible for deteriorated security situation in Sarajevo. Halilovic also said that the investigation is in the authority of the Police Administration and Cantonal Ministers. |
| Update on RS Telekom Affair | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 – ‘RS Telekom changes internet provider’- the RS Telekom has suddenly, on Thursday, 21 August, opened a tender for new internet provider, even though the company already has a contract with company DNS Europe for 5 years, signed on 9 July last year. The daily has learnt that that main mediator for DNS engagement in RS Telekom, was the Advisor to the Director general, Natasa Gostic. Gostic was employed by Montenegro Monet and she joined the RS Telekom in spring 2002. According to the daily, the international auditing team is interested in Gostic’s travel expenses claims, as only in the last ten months, she visited Cyprus 7 times and went to Hungary 3 times. |
| Predrag Bijelic family denies police reports | Glas Srpske, pg.4 – ‘Bijelics do not believe the investigation’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 – ‘Predrag Bijelic’s family denies he had any connection with dug smuggling’- the family of Predrag Bijelic, who was shot in the showdown between the RS Police and drug dealers in Teslic, on August 19, does not believe the report of the RS Police and will request an independent investigation into the incident. The family will request the EUPM to carry out an investigation. |
| RS Government apologizes for Radivojac’s behavior | Vecernje Novosti pg. 21 ‘Apology to journalists’ – The cabinet of the RS Prime Minister issued a press release that reads that the Government had established very good cooperation with the media in the RS and BiH and that it is aware of the importance and role of the media, and their obligation to inform the public on the Government’s activities objectively and in line with the law. It adds that the Government has tried, and will continue to do so, to implement fully the regulations related to freedom of information. The Government expresses regret over the behaviour of Goran Radivojac, Prime Minister’s spokesman, at a press conference on 21 August. “Confident that Radivojac’s intentions were good, we cannot however ignore the fact that he answered journalists’ questions carelessly and pretentiously,” the statement says. It adds that, in view of the spokesman’s responsibility and nature of his job, which demands experience as well as expertise and dynamic personality, both the government and Radivojac will learn the lesson from this. After the session on the RS Government on Thursday, Radivojac verbally attacked a journalist of the RTRS.The RS Independent Association of Journalists (NUN) said it was unpleasantly surprised with Thursday’s behaviour of spokesperson for the RS Prime Minister Goran Radivojac. |