Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 26 November
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) |
| Ashdown holds press conference | Ashdown holds press conference |
| Matijasevic meets Del Ponte | BiH Armed Forces |
| ICTY update | SFOR Harvest operation in BL |
TV news broadcast on 25 November
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA(18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| BIH Statehood Day | Double murder in Ugljevik | Returnees issues | HR’s letter to BIH citizens |
| HR’s letter to BIH citizens | ZAVNOBIH anniversary | 25 Nov celebration | US sanctions towards RS |
| New protests of farmers | BiH Statehood Day | HR letter | RS Gov on ICTY report |
| SFOR action in | No 25/11 celebration in RS | RS Gov on ICTY report | Double murder in Ugljevik |
| Oslobodjenje | RS must not be an obstacle on a path to EU; Decertified police officers: Criminals have more rights than us; SFOR action: They arrested wrong person; BiH Statehood Day |
| Dnevni Avaz | Sejfudin Tokic: Lobbies make pressure to sell everything; BiH Statehood Day; Izet Zigic: Audit will take of the mortgage of robbery |
| Dnevni List | Protest in front of common institutions building: Police officers tear diplomas |
| Vecernji List | Kraljeva Sutjeska: Church slides into river |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Federation TV: Lawsuits against 200.000 persons |
| Nezavisne Novine | SFOR was searching for Drago Vuklis; 2,5 billion dollars went through CIRKL; RS Government will seek for stricter punishments for network of supporters of the Hague fugitives; A drunk person killed two waitresses; Every fourth woman in BiH is a victim of violence |
| Glas Srpske | Having a coffee after a crime |
| EuroBlic | They have solemnly signed and then they have forgot about it; They were searching for a father and they arrested his son; New protest of farmers and blockade of borders on December 5 |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Nacional | Izetbegovic and Bin Laden |
| Ljiljan | (Alleged) Threats to Prosecutor Schmidt fabricated by Zlatko Miletic |
| Dani | Why dozens of registered criminals do not serve prison terms – Prosecutors and judges ensure freedom for killers |
| Slobodna Bosna | Ten richest people in BiH |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Matijasevic meets Del Ponte today | RHB at 12.00- RS Interior Minister, Darko Matijasevic, announced that he would be talking to the Chief ICTY Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, at The Hague today, from whom he will be asking for additional explanations regarding her address to the UN SC. Matijasevic stated at the RT RS on Thursday evening that he would be asking for additional explanations because there is a difference between what’s stated in the report and what the Chief Prosecutor stated before the UN SC regarding non-cooperation of the RS with the ICTY. Questioned whether he could be on a list of people that the High Representative could remove because of complaints that the RS does not cooperate with the ICTY, Matijasevic briefly stated “no”. |
| Update to trial of Ljubicic
| RHB at 12.00 – Tomislav Jonjic, a lawyer of Pasko Ljubicic, a BiH Croat charged with war crimes by the ICTY, stated at a status conference at the ICTY that both the Croatian and FBiH Governments refused to give guarantees, which should help secure a pre-trial release to his client. Jonjic notes that he addressed both Governments on numerous occasions, the last time being on November 3, 2004, however the Governments never responded. |
| First joint structure of BiH Armed Forces promoted | BH Radio 1 at 12.00 – For the first time in its history, BiH got its military unit of honor which is the first joint structure of BiH Armed Forces. The unit, to be engaged in protocol ceremonies in BIH, is made of 67 members. The first unit commander will be a representative of the Serb people. Asked by RTRS reporter whether this is a path towards joint BIH Army, Nikola Radovanovic,BIH Defence Minister, said that the unit is a joint structure and adds that BIH Armed Forces exists as it has been decided within the BIH defence legislation. |
Political issues | |
| Ceremonies marking 25 Nov held through the country
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-6 ‘Through change of BiH Constitution towards better state’, mentioned on cover, by S. Rozajac – Daily has dedicated three pages to 25 November and ceremonies held by WWII resistance movement throughout the country to mark this holiday. At the ceremony in Sarajevo, BiH Presidency member Sulejman Tihic stated on the failure of RS politicians to mark 25 November as BiH Statehood day: “The Law on holidays is still existing and those that do not respect this law also fail to respect DPA. One cannot take out of the Constitution only things they like, and reject all others. It is the same when it comes to the cooperation with the ICTY.” BHT 1, FTV, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 ‘The Statehood Day has no alternative’ by R. Cengic – All participants of the celebration agreed that BiH today is far away from the one whose foundations were established in Mrkonjic Grad on November 25, 1943. “[On that day] all ideas about grand Serbia or Croatia were rejected, and BiH State was constituted on multi-ethnic principles,” stated Sulejman Tihic. BHT 1 – BHT 1 carries that RS politicians were ready to accept November 25 as Day of Anti-Fascism, but not as the Statehood Day. “If there was a willingness among Bosniak representatives, we would mark 25 November as the ZAVNOBIH Day. Unfortunately, I’ve got the feeling that they see something else in this date,” said BiH House of Representatives Deputy Chair, Nikola Spiric. RTRS – RTRS concluded CoM has to prepare new draft of the law on official holidays. FTV by Suzana Stambol – The Law on State and religious holidays waits in the parliamentary procedure since 2002. The new proposal which was submitted in April this year immediately came across obstacles. “It was hold up by the board of internal affairs, when it was said that there is need for political harmonisation,” said BiH Minister of Civil Affairs and Communication, Safet Halilovic. RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘BiH should be proud of its anti-fascism’, mentioned on cover, by A.M., Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Republika Srpska does not recognize BiH’s statehood’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 17, mentioned on front ‘Holiday, today!? Oh, yes, St. Catherine!’, by Danijel Ivankovic pg 17 ‘Serbs work as per normal’, by A. Macanovic, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Statehood Day was celebrated by working at places, elsewhere it was non-working day’, by Valentina Rupcic – also bring articles on 25 November celebrations. |
| Ashdown sends open letter to BiH citizens on occasion of BiH Statehood Day | RHB, FTV, BHT1, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 3 ‘RS must not be the obstacle for EU’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Each person in this country should celebrate November 25’, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 6 ‘War was stopped in Dayton’, by D. Pasic, Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Statehood Day was celebrated by working at places, elsewhere it was non-working day’, by Valentina Rupcic, Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Republika Srpska does not recognize BiH’s statehood’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 ‘Everyone should be celebrating the Statehood Day’ by N. N., Glas Srpske, pg. 3 ‘The Dayton does not have all answers’ by Srna, Vecernje Novosti, pg. 7 ‘Hague is the only obstacle’ by D. S. – On the occasion of BiH Statehood Day, in a week when the people of BiH mark nine years since the preliminary signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the HR, Paddy Ashdown, sent an open letter to BiH citizens. “The agreement initialled at Dayton nine years ago, and formally signed in Paris two weeks later, was a framework agreement. It didn’t provide all the answers. It provided the foundations within which the people of BiH could find permanent solutions to the political and social challenges that confront them,” read the letter. It added that building peace had not been accomplished at Dayton, and that Dayton was only the beginning. “Building peace has been a process, that is only now well on the way. And this is because there is a new and powerful incentive to look forward rather than back. If Dayton was about escaping from the nightmare of the war years, European integration is about arriving in a better place. That better place is a prosperous, democratic and secure Bosnia and Herzegovina engaged in (and benefiting from) the processes through which the Europe of the 21st century is beginning more effectively to serve its citizens. That is what Bosnia and Herzegovina Statehood Day is about. That is why every single person in this country, man, woman and child, of whatever religion or group, can and should celebrate this day,” Ashdown emphasized in his message to the BiH citizens. |
| Ashdown announces ‘steps to prevent politicians from putting their interests above people’s’
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Measures for discipline of BiH politicians’ by Fena, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘BiH future cannot be built on foundations of office abuse’ by E. Sarac, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘Ashdown’s measures against individuals at the authority’ by A. S. – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, will hold a press conference today to address legislative and political actions taken by BiH politicians to secure short-term party-political aims at the expense of the rule of law. Ashdown will lay out steps designed to prevent politicians from putting their own interests above those of the people they are elected to represent. BHT 1 – Ashdown will address the journalist after the meeting with the EU Ambassadors when the most important item on the agenda will be the sanctions against RS. BHT 1 – BHT 1 carries that RS will face sanctions immediately following the NATO summit scheduled for 9/10 December. The high ranking UK official said for BHT 1 that he is not surprised with the RS president statement that Karadzic and Mladic cannot be arrested before summit. |
| NN, DA op-ed on possible sanctions against RS
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 7 ‘Call for help’ by Slavo Kukic – The author speculates on possible measures of the High Representatives against RS following the report of Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte and welcomes possible measures. However, he is wondering why similar measures aren’t applied in the case of the Federation of BiH as well. Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Why is RS afraid of sanctions’ Commentary of the Day by Husein Orahovac – “The representatives of the Serb people have been afraid of sanctions but they still do nothing to apprehend Karadzic,” emphasized Orahovac. |
| New appointments in RS Govt
| RTRS, Glas srpske, pg. 2 ‘Spajic instead of Velimirovic’ by G. Dakic, EuroBlic, pg. RS3 ‘Removal at the Secretariat for relations with the Hague’ by R. R. – RS Government has appointed Jovan Spajic to the position of the Head of RS Secretariat for relations with ICTY. New Director of Privatization Agency is Vladimir Mackic. |
| VL says Beslic will get necessary majority on December 1
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘Beslic to get majority support immediately?’, by Miso Relota – Announces that the Mostar City Council (MCC) will be holding a session on December 1, during which the new Mayor of Mostar, President and Deputy Presidents of MCC will be elected. According to VL’s unofficial information, HDZ’s candidate for the position of Mayor of Mostar, Ljubo Beslic, should get the necessary 2/3 majority support and become the new Mayor. Also, according to VL, Suad Hasandedic (SDA) will be elected the President of MCC, whilst Ivan Beus and Radmila Komadina will become Deputy Presidents. VL goes on to say that, as far as SDA is concerned, a part of its councillors, if not all of them, will be supporting Beslic. Furthermore, VL claims that the SDA will also be given the position of the Head Department for Finances in the Mostar City administration, whilst a representative of the Serb people will be the new Head of Urban Planning Department. |
| Slobodna Bosna on election of Mayor of Mostar | Slobodna Bosna, pgs 50-52 ‘Each time nationalists agreed, Mostarians got hurt!’, by Danka Savic – Talking about the election of new Mayor of Mostar, the author reiterates that the current Deputy Mayor, Ljubo Beslic, is the pick of an HDZ fraction that is led by Miroslav Coric, whilst other HDZ’s fraction, gathered around Mile Puljic and Goran Bilic, is ready to “cut a deal” with the SDA and concede the office of Mayor of Mostar to the SDA, and in turn a Croat would be leading the Mostar City Council. As an explanation, the author says this scenario favour’s the latter fraction because the OHR would not accept Bilic as the Mayor. |
Police and security issues | |
| SFOR arrests wrong person
| RHB, FTV, BHT1, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘SFOR action: They arrested wrong person’, mentioned on cover, by O.V., Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘They looked for Drago Vuklis, but instead arrested his son Vladan by mistake’ by M.Radetic, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘V. Vuklis arrested by mistake’, mentioned on front ‘Son of Drago Vuklis arrested by mistake’, by Branka Stevandic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 8 ‘SFOR looking for father, arrested son’, by A. Macanovic, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘SFOR by mistake arrests son of suspected Vuklis’, by De. L., Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3 ‘SFOR was searching for Drago Vuklis’ by S. Karic, EuroBlic, cover and pg. RS3 ‘They were searching for a father and they arrested his son’ by Nedeljka Breberina, Glas Srpske, pg. 3 ‘They were searching for a father and they arrested his son’ by V. Janjic, Vecernje Novosti, pg. 17 ‘Father’s cuffs for son Vladan’ by Sl. P. – SFOR carried out a search action in Banja Luka on Wednesday. SFOR members took 2 boxes from a building in Banja Luka. SFOR stated that the action was carried out in order to stop anti Dayton activities. According to unofficial information the goal of the action was to arrest Drago Vuklis, a former police official. Vladan Vuklis, son of Drago, was arrested by a mistake during the action. He was released shortly after. |
| Double murder in Ugljevik | RTRS, FTV, BHT 1, Glas srpske, cover page story ‘Having a coffee after a crime’ by S. R. T., Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 19 ‘A drunk person killed two waitresses’ not signed, EuroBlic, pg. RS4 ‘He killed two waitresses in two coffee bars’ by Ljubo Ljubojevic, Vecernje novosti, pgs. 14-15 ‘He shot waitresses’ by V. M. and T. P. – Two persons were murdered in Donja Trnova near Ugljevik. Djoko Djukic fired at waitresses Radinka Gavric and Dusanska Simeunovic in two bars while he was drunk and he killed them both. Nevenko Klompic was wounded in shooting. Djukic is under arrest and one-month detention has been ordered for him. It is still not known what were Djikic’s motives for this crime. |
| Protests of decertified police officers
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Criminals have more rights than us’, mentioned on cover, by Az. Kalamujic, Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 2 ‘Protest in front of common institutions building: Police officers tear diplomas’, by D. Polovina-Mandic – As a sign of protest against the de-certification, members of Association of de-certified police officers of BiH tear their diplomas in front of the common institutions building in Sarajevo on Thursday. The Association President, Ramo Sulic, says: “We have been educated by the IPTF, UN and domestic institutions and we have a great number of international certificates, but we do not need them because the fundamental right to work has been taken away from us for good (…) We have not moved one step in last two years because the OHR and domestic institutions, instead of arguments, use force. This is a problem of legal nature and it has to be solved through the legal system of this country”. Sulic goes on to say that the Association will request BiH institutions to address the UN General Assembly in order to carry out a revision of the de-certification process. Sulic notes the last resort, if all attempts fail, is blockade of border crossings. |
| PRC to hold its last session from December 12-13 in Sarajevo
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Abolishment of independent boards for appointment of police directors to follow’ by E. Sarac – The Police Restructuring Commission chaired by Wilfred Martens is expected to hold its last session from December 12-13 in Sarajevo. The Commission members should ate the session agree on the final report on the future police structure in BiH. What has already been known to public is that the police will be organized at the state level, that there will be a single ministry and a single budget. This is a concept supported by EU but still strongly opposed by RS Interior Minister Darko Matijasevic. In addition, the police organized in five regions (Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, Tuzla and Zenica) represents the model currently supported by majority within the Commission. |
| DL says RS will have to agree to single Police in BiH
| Dnevni List, pg 8, mentioned on front ‘Organization of State according to Police model’, by Zvonimir Jukic – Speaking about integration processes in BiH and Police reform in particular, the author notes that the transfer of Police authorities onto State institutions, “which is one of key tasks of the HR, Paddy Ashdown, this year”, will reach its final stages in December this year. The author argues that the Peace Implementation Council tasked HR in 2004 to secure signing of the SAA, accession to the PfP and establishment of Police forces at state level, and the author notes that since the first two are unlikely to happen in 2004, so HR Ashdown simply cannot allow another defeat, this time in unifying the BiH security structures. The author links the Police reform with the arrest of war crimes suspects, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic in particular, saying that the stern warnings to the RS authorities have given the said authorities a simple choice: either to arrest Karadzic or agree to unification of Police forces. In that context, DL says it is hard to believe the RS authorities will arrest Karadzic, so the choice is simple. Talking more about the Police reform, the author notes it is interesting that proposed models of Police reform envisage the existence of Police regions/areas. In that context, the author says that many analysts see the future BiH as a State of regions. |
| Nacional speculates HR to remove Matijasevic
| Nacional Belgrade daily, pg. 2 ‘Ashdown to remove Matijasevic?’ by N. B. – the article claims a source close to High Representative Paddy Ashdown has stated HR was dissatisfied with the visit of RS officials to Belgrade and he has already threatened with removal of RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic, after which he would again appoint former Minister Zoran Djeric to this position. |
| Serbian daily says Al’Qaeda officials still in ex-Yu | Nacional Belgrade daily, cover ‘Izetbegovic and Bin Laden’ and pg. 3 ‘Alija and Osama Bin Laden!’ not signed – The article claims five of the closest associates of Osama Bin Laden are still in the area of former Yugoslavia. It also accuses High Representative Paddy Ashdown of executing ideas of Alija Izetbegovic with regard to creating a unitary state of BiH. |
War crimes | |
| RS Govt discusses Del Ponte report
| Nezavisne Novine, cover ‘RS Government will seek for stricter punishments for network of supporters of the Hague fugitives’ and pg. 3 ‘Stricter sanctions for network of supporters of the Hague fugitives’ by P. K. – RS Government discussed the report of Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte on Thursday and the session should continue today (Friday). One of proposals brought during the session foresaw that RS Government will order RS MoI to conduct investigations, in cooperation with RS and BiH Prosecutor’s Offices, on legal subjects and individuals marked by US Government and EU as subjects providing a support to war crimes indictees. RS Government will also ask from the competent institutions in BiH to prescribe stricter punishments for persons who support war crimes suspects. BHT 1, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Authority ready to do everything to avoid sanctions from The Hague’, by NINA – also covered. |
| Prosper on SCG, RS cooperation with ICTY
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘US doesn’t support judicial processes in Serbia’ not signed, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Serious talks with Prime Minister Kostunica’, not signed, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘A strict conversation with Kostunica with regard to problems with the Hague will follow’ by VOA, Glas Srpske, pg. 5 ‘Washington measures sanctions’ not signed, EuroBlic, pg. 3 ‘Del Ponte: Kostunica is willing to make arrests’ by Beta – US Ambassador for issues of war crimes suspects at large, Richard Pierre Prosper, stated that the Serbian Government has lost the trust of US administration which doesn’t support the initiative to lead judicial processes before the local courts. “There is no more talk about [war crimes] processes before the local courts in Serbia,” said Prosper in an interview to news agency Tanjug. He added that US want to see Ratko Mladic arrested, and that SCG has not done shown intention it cooperate in this manner. RTRS – Prosper stated that USA considers sanctions towards RS since it hasn’t arrested a single war crime suspect. Prosper announced talks with RS officials on the whereabouts of Radovan Karadzic. |
| Del Ponte on Karadzic, Mladic, Gotovina
| RHB, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘The moment of arresting Karadzic and Mladic is approaching’ by A. S., EuroBlic, pg. 3 ‘Del Ponte: Kostunica is willing to make arrests’ by Beta – Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte stated for VOA that Karadzic and Mladic will hopefully be arrested soon. Del Ponte stated that she occasionally receives information on their whereabouts. As for Croatia, she said that Croatia is ready to join EU, however needs to first arrest Ante Gotovina. Del Ponte added that she would appreciate if EU keeps Gotovina’s arrest as a condition for Croatia’s membership. |
Economic and legal issues | |
| RS Govt signs contract on concession for Vrbas dam project | FTV, Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Jobs before economy’, by Arijana Beus, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘Signature without “Gradjevinar”’ by A. Sekulic, EuroBlic, pg. RS2 ‘Ecologists are defending the canyon’ by Zeljka Knezevic, Glas Srpske, pg. 4 ‘There will be both electricity and jobs’ by M. Mihajlovic – RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic signed a contract between representatives of “HES Vrbas” Consortium and Germany company MBB on concession for construction of hydro-energy system on Vrbas. RS Minister for Economy, Energy and Development Djordje Lajsic says that this project will finally change economic situation in RS. FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine inset ‘Petition for referendum on the construction of hydropower plants’ – the inset reads that members of Vrbas Protection Coalition are not pleased with the signing of the contract. They feel that this project will endanger river Vrbas. |
| Update to Cavtat economic forum
| FTV by Melisa Sefer – The second day of the regional economic forum held in Cavtat was dedicated to the mutual cooperation between the countries of the South-East Europe. In addition to the common stance that the mutual cooperation is the only way towards the EU,some countries indicate problems that they have with other countries in the region.One such unsolved problems between BiH and Croatia is issue of port Ploce. Croatian President Stjepan Mesic stated that functioning of the port Ploce is in interest of both Croatia and BiH, but also a number of other countries especially in the future when Vc corridor it so be constructed. Day before Forum started, BiH farmers blocked borders indicating another problem BiH has with regional countries: the Free Trade Agreements [FTAs]. “Each country respects FTA, but Ministers always have in their drawers solutions which can undermine that agreement. I am talking about Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, and Slovenia, before it joined the EU,” stated Chair of the BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic. Dnevni List, pg 6 ‘Neighbouring countries do not respect free trade agreements’, by Erna Mackic – also carries Terzic’s statement. |
| CEI economic meeting in Portoroz beings
| BHT 1, FTV – Prime Ministers of the 17 countries-members of the Central European Initiatives (CEI) gathered in Portoroz, where they will discuss measures for fastening economic development. Round-table at ministers’ level will be held parallel with economic forum, opened on Wednesday, with 1400 participants, businessmen and economic experts. Today, the meeting of Prime Ministers and discussion on CEI role in enlarged Europe and new perspectives for cooperation takes place. BiH will be represented by the Chair of the CoM, Adnan Terzic. |
| Farmers announce protests on 6 December
| RHB, EuroBlic, cover ‘New protest of farmers and blockade of borders on December 5’ and pg. RS10 ‘They are plowing in vegetables’ by M. Pilipovic – BIH Farmers Association stated that they will organize new protests on 6 December unless CoM starts an audit of FTAs. Protests will be organized on BIH border crossings and Mostar intersection near Sarajevo. |
| SD: FTV to sue 200.000 subscribers
| Slobodna Dalmacija, front pg splash and pg 16 ‘Federation TV: Lawsuits against 200.000 persons’, by Z. Tulic – According to one Tonka Knezevic, who is according to SD, “the director of Department for RTV” (does not state of which media outlet), the Federation of BiH Television (FTV) has pressed charges against 200.000 persons, who have failed to pay the RTV tax (subscription fee). Knezevic says the worst results when it comes to paying of RTV fees have been recorded in the West-Herzegovina, Tuzla and Zenica-Doboj cantons. |
| SDU’s Tokic: Lobbies exerting pressures on us to sell out everything
| Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Lobbies exerting pressures on us to sell out everything’, pg 4 ‘Domestic and foreign lobbies are by false argumentation exerting pressures saying everything must be privatised’ by E. Sarac – BiH Social Democratic Union Vice-president Sejfudin Tokic additionally explained in an interview with the daily the announced SDU public campaign entitled: “What BiH must not sell?” “The aim (of the campaign) is to press on the authorized bodies not to allow selling of telecoms, elektroprivredas and financial state institutions thereby to protect the state capital,” says Tokic. |
| Zigic, Biber on privatization audit
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Government will not give up on review of privatization’, mentioned on cover ‘By review we will take of the mortgage of criminal (irregularities)’ – “Regardless of vote in the Parliament the Government is obliged to prepare the final text of the draft law on review of privatization, and we will make it taking into consideration all the suggestions and objections presented during the parliamentary debate. I hope that after that we will get the majority in the FBiH Parliament for the Law,” said FBiH Minister of Industry Izet Zigic in an interview with the daily. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘This is an example of how some politicians protect criminals’ by Az.B. – The Chair of the BiH Independent Trade Union, Edhem Biber stated for DA that this organization will not give up on demanding the law on privatisation audit. He added that this process would restore trust in the privatisation, and stressed that objection to this law presents an example of some politicians protecting the criminals. |
| VL: SBiH wants Aluminij and to smear Minister Vrankic
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘BH Steel should be freed of taxes, Aluminij must be taken away!’, by Zoran Kresic – VL claims to be in possession of “information on disturbances in achieving programme of work of Government with proposal of measures”, a document that was allegedly submitted to the SDA by 4 SBiH ministers in the FBiH Government, namely Izet Zigic, Gavrilo Grahovac, Maid Ljubovic and Ramiz Mehmedagic. Apparently, the document shows that the SDA and SBiH reached an agreement after agreeing to carry out a selective privatization in the ‘Aluminij’ of Mostar, to free investors to BH Steel from paying taxes in next 8 years and finally, it was agreed that the FBiH Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, was to be labelled as the main obstructionist of reforms. |
| Ljiljan on privatization audit, Aluminij, VAT
| Ljiljan pgs 10-13 ‘Political parties have sold some companies in illegal way’ by Mirsad Sinanovic – Interview with Principal Deputy High Representatives Donald Hays. Commenting on the initiatives for the review of the privatization, Hays said that some companies had been deliberately sold in the illegal way by ruling political parties and those cases should therefore be reviewed. “However, we must not overdo it when it comes to the review because we will not attract investors in that way,” emphasized Hays. Speaking on the issue of Mostar Aluminij, Hays said that it was about a company that had been completely destroyed at the end of war, in 1996. “The current employees have been re-building the company from the beginning. Concerning the human right issue, meaning the rights of the former employees, I think some things have already been agreed. The issues to be solved include determination of the Government’s share in the company and finding a way how to compensate loss the company had suffered during the war,” said Hays. Hays also reiterated that the single VAT rate would be the best solution for BiH. |
| DL accuses IC of making profit selling electricity against the interest of Mostarians
| Dnevni List, pg 9, mentioned on front ‘Foreigners selling ‘their’ electricity to Mostarians!?’, by Nermin Bise –DL article accuses IC of caring only for control over finances in Mostar, adding it learns from an anonymous source in the Mostar City Administration that a former OSCE employee, Ketrin Hett, appointed to the Mostar Implementation Unit by Paddy Ashdown, controls the City budget and works against interests of Mostar and BiH. Apparently, Ms. Hett decided to allocate 500.000 KMs for the public lighting in Mostar, instead of 800.000 KMs, and in her explanation Ms. Hett wrote that “the electricity should be imported because it is cheaper”. This leads DL to say that foreign nationals have used differences of domestic players to take away Mostarians’ money. |
| Blic on construction of gas pipeline in RS
| EuroBlic, cover ‘They have solemnly signed and then they have forgot about it’ and pg. RS1 ‘They have signed and then forgot it’ by Tijana Veselinovic – The article reminds of the contract on the construction of a gas pipeline through RS, which was signed in 2002, and it reads that the construction has not even begun as yet. It also carries the information that the RS Government has set a deadline by December 31 for the concessionaire, Serbian-Russian firm “Slavija international” with a seat in Laktasi, to ensure all needed pre-conditions for the start of works. |
| Finance Minister cannot agree on money for BiH institutions
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘No agreement on how much state costs’, by J. Petrovic – Reports that finance ministers of BiH and both BiH entities met in Banja Luka early this week in order to reach an agreement on how much money would be allocated to State institutions in 2005. According to the FBiH Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, an agreement was not reached, foremost because of obstructions coming from representatives of the RS. Apparently, State representatives wanted 400 million KMs, which is more than double in comparison to 2004 (170 million KMs). Minister Vrankic explains it is true that the State wants more money, stressing it is, in a way, understandable because many institutions have been transferred onto the State level. Because of inability to reach an agreement, Minister Vrankic invited the OHR to mediate in the negotiations. |
| Ljiljan: There were no threats delivered to Schmidt!
| Ljiljan pgs 22-23 ‘There were no threats delivered to Schmidt!’ by Mugdim Hasanovic – The author speculates that there were no threats delivered to the international prosecutor at BiH State Court Jonathan Schmidt and that he was actually forced to leave the country because of his resistance to pressures coming from the international community and that are related to case of Hasan Cengic, senior SDA/Bosniak leader as well. |