| NTV Hayat (18,55 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Anti-Serb graffiti in SA | Christmas celebration | RS parties agreement | Entity Armies abolishment |
| RS parties agreement | RS parties agreement | Stojicic on RS government | RS parties agreement |
| Stojicic on crisis in CoM | Luxemburg on BIH | Crisis at CoM | New RS Gov. by New Year |
| Pope’ Christmas message | Leakey on ICTY indictees | Christmas celebration | Anti-Serb graffiti in SA |
| Oslobodjenje | RS does not want to |
| Dnevni Avaz | Karadzic and Mladic toppling Ashdown and Terzic |
| Blic | No agreement on new RS Government |
| Vecernje novosti | Following Ashdown’s threats: |
| Nacional | No agreement on new Government |
Political developments/cooperation with ICTY | |
| Serb political parties in BiH unite efforts to defy centralization – excerpts from the agreement
| SRNA – Dragan Cavic, Milorad Dodik, Mladen Ivanic , Milanko Mihajlica, Petar Djokic and Marko Pavic – leaders of the SDS, SNSD, PDP, SRS, SPRS and DNS respectively – met in The document calls for an urgent plan aimed at dislocating certain joint BiH institutions in major BiH centres, to stimulate the polycentric development of BiH and to prevent the centralization of funds and power in one centre, thus promoting the equality of the peoples and entities. As far as cooperation with the Hague tribunal is concerned, the political factors have committed themselves to resolving the issue by getting the competent institutions of the RS and BiH to fully implement international obligations, the agreement said. The political factors are in agreement to extend full support to the work of the relevant bodies, primarily the Interior Ministry in its efforts to meet its obligations to the Tribunal, while asking the joint bodies of BiH – primarily OSA (Intelligence-Security Agency), SIPA (State Information and Protection Agency) and the SBS (State Border Service) – for full cooperation and provision of valid information to the RS Interior Ministry to facilitate its search for war crimes suspects. The agreement also underlined that no-one should bring into question the existence of the Interior Ministry and the RS police, as part of a single system in BiH with clearly defined competences and structure. “We do not support attempts to abolish the RS Interior Ministry and believe that the reform of the police can be implemented to the extent of enabling the application of international standards within the framework of the BiH Constitution, which defines the RS Interior Ministry as a suborganizational unit within the system of security structures of the institutions of BiH,” the accord said. The political factors believe that the implemented defence reform has already met the international standards which enable membership of Partnership for Peace, and in due time of the NATO alliance, and that the entity defence ministries have their own constitutional and functional roles to play. “We believe that we should be moving in the direction of the complete professionalization of the armed forces or demilitarization in BiH,” the signed document said. The political factors assessed that the times of solutions imposed by the High Representative are gone and that the international community should stimulate domestic political structures to draw up and agree reforms, and call for a partnership with the representatives of the international community in BiH, an end to threats and unjustified sanctions and respect for different opinions. “The imposition of solutions and the order-issuing attitude by the High Representative and certain international officials can only benefit ill-intentioned political factors in BiH,” the agreement said. The signatories of the document assessed that the chief generator of the crisis in BiH was “the anti-Dayton political concept most vocally advocated in public by the SDA, whose aim is to abolish the entities and impose total centralization in BiH, as well as threaten the equality of the peoples and citizens of BiH”. In the part of the agreement pertaining to the crisis in the Council of Ministers and the constitution of the new composition of the RS government, the signatories agreed to unite efforts to find a way out of the crisis in the Council of Ministers, as well as to back the act of constituting the new composition of the RS government through the full composition of their floor groups, regardless of whether or not they will be in the parliamentary majority in the future. The signatories of the accord have called on all other political parties and NGOs in the RS and BiH to support this agreement. EuroBlic cover and pg 2 ‘No agreement on new Government’ by Rajna Radosavljevic – Statements; EuroBlic pg 2 inset ‘To defend RS’ also carried excerpts from the agreement. Vecernje Novosti cover ‘ |
| Leaders of the six strongest Serb political parties in BiH on the agreement
| RTRS – Six strongest parliament parties in RS signed an agreement on principles of coordinated political acting. SDS, SNSD, PDP, SP RS, SRS and DNS clearly determined themselves towards constitutional position of RS, cooperation with ICTY, reform of police and defence reform, relation towards international community and crisis in executive RS and BIH Government. The parties will not allow disturbances regarding equality of entities and constituent people in BIH. With joint actions the parties will disable violation of BIH and RS Constitution. All other parties and NGO’s received an invitation to support the agreement. Dragan Cavic SDS Chairman says that the parties have found political principles that will determine their position towards CoM and RS Government. Representatives of all 6 parties agree on one: they will all support the appointment of new RS Government regardless of the fact whether they will participate in it or become opposition. RTRS reporter says that it seem clear that the new PM will be a non party individual. There are 2 concepts on the table regarding appointment of the new Government; one came from SDS the other from SNSD. “From the beginning SNSD is for the concept where for RS and even SDS would be the best to recuperate from executive government. Government should be appointed where SDS would be a part of opposition and would support the appointments as well as SNSD would support the appointment of some other Government in order to contribute to stabilisation of situation”, says Milorad Dodik SNSD Chairman. “I have announced the positions of my main board. SDS doesn’t not feel that it can support the Government where there are no SDS representatives. SDS will support the act of establishing the Government if it doesn’t participate in it rather if it becomes opposition”, says Cavic. Despite the fact that they do not agree on the appointment of the new Government they do agree that they will stop violation of BIH and RS Constitution. “Current crisis in BIH is not a result of individual activities. It is a result of a feeling that RS institutions are in danger. Our desire is to defend these institutions in the most democratic way”, says Mladen Ivanic PDP Chairman. Another matter that everyone agrees on is cooperation with ICTY. Marko Pavic DNS Chairman says that parties are for reforms but for those that will enable survival of RS agreed in Dayton Agreement. “We do not accept the European path if it involves abolishment of RS institutions”, says Dodik. Agreement clearly states that the main guilty party for crisis in BIH is SDA and therefore there will be no partnership with that party. Petar Dokic Chairman of SP RS says that SDA is a key generator of all misunderstandings and problems. Milanko MIhajlica SRS Chairman feels that apart from SDA, parties like SDP and SBIH are also to blame for the crisis. TV Hayat, BHT, FTV, Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs-4-5 ‘RS does not want to |
| SDA’s Dzaferovic: Not SDA but the non-cooperation with | Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Not SDA but the non-cooperation with The Hague is the problem’ – SDA Vice-president Sefik Dzaferovic on Saturday rejected accusation by leaders of six RS political parties that SDA was to be held responsible for the crisis in the country. He said parties from RS were just trying to escape from the real problem which was a lack of cooperation with ICTY. |
| SDP leader Lagumdzija: Ruling politicians do not want reforms and that is why they are production ethnic tensions | Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Ruling politicians do not want reforms and that is why they are production ethnic tensions’ – SDP BiH President Zlatko Lagumdzija on Saturday said that the agreement of political parties in RS would stop reforms regardless of a fact this would deepen economic and social crisis. Lagumdzija does not expect the current political crisis to be resolved soon. |
| Party for BiH’s Halilovic: RS takes advantage of symbolic Ashdown’s measures | Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘RS takes advantage of symbolic Ashdown’s measures’ – Chairman of the Party for BiH Presidency Safet Halilovic on Saturday said that the political parties in RS were taking advantage of symbolic (too soft) Ashdown’s measures to block the functioning of the state and raise the issue of the RS future. The Serb political parties however are forgetting that they cannot make decision on behalf of the other two constituent peoples. |
| RSNA Speaker hopes news RS Government will be established by New Year
| RTRS, TV Hayat, FTV – RS National Assembly Speaker Dusan Stojicic expects that the new Government will be appointed by the end of 2004. Stojicic stated that the work of RS NA has been tolerant so far in a complicated situation. He adds that the next year will be difficult but the trend of slow economy revival will be continued. Stojicic denied the claims that SDS members are hesitating with resignations. He reminded that Slobodan Kovac has ignored the invitation from the party to resign as BIH Minister of Justice. |
| Mikerevic says RS cannot be abolished, crisis under control
| Serbian TV – In an interview to RTS (Radio- Television of |
| Serbian deputy premier says Ashdown wants to seal Bosnian Serbs’ fate
| SRNA – Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus believes that the survival of the RS has nothing to do with cooperation with |
| French Foreign Ministry supports Ashdown
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Support to Paddy Ashdown’s measures’ – France supports decisions/measures taken by EUSR Paddy Ashdown aimed at removing obstacles to cooperation with ICTY, according to a press release issued by the French Foreign Ministry. The Ministry called on all political forces in BiH to work on the establishment of the full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. |
| Luxemburg Foreign Minister on BiH’s European future
| BHT – Luxemburg will take over the EU presidency in January 2005. This fact is very important for BIH, since BIH expects to sign the agreement on start of negotiations for association with EU within first six months of 2005. Luxemburg announced that they wish to see Western Balkans in EU, but BIH, SCG and |
| FTV on crisis in CoM
| FTV – Despite of resignation of two Ministers, BIH Council of Ministers can continue its work. According to law and CoM regulations, sessions of CoM can be held with participations of only six Ministers, two from each ethnic group. The resigned Ministers are obligated to attend sessions of CoM, until their substitutes. CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic announced the next session on Thursday. BIH Minister of Foreign Affaris Malden Ivanic was the first one to resign. In his explanation, Ivanic stated that he would stay in the Ministry, but he wouldn’t attend the sessions of CoM. BIH Minister of Transport and Communication Branko Dokic also submitted an “imprecisely formulated request” for resignation. Despite of request from SDS, Minister of Justice Slobodan Kovac stated that he would leave CoM only if all other Serb Ministers resign as well. Minister of Defence Nikola Radovanovic didn’t make any statements regarding resignation so far. Despite of the legitimacy of sessions, it’s necessary to confirm the parliament majority on state level. Majority parties from BIH Parliament Assembly will meet on Tuesday to discuss the crisis at BIH Council of Ministers. BIH Presidency will also meet on Tuesday to discuss this issue. |
| Dnevni Avaz op-ed: Karadzic and Mladic are toppling Ashdown and Terzic
| Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 3 ‘Karadzic and Mladic are toppling Ashdown and Terzic’ Commentary of the Day by Almasa Hadzic – According to the author, the most wanted war crime indictees Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, who should have been in the ICTY prison, are practically wishing to topple BiH CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic and HR Paddy Ashdown from their holes instead. |
Security/Incidents | |
| Anti-Serb graffiti sprayed on billboards in | TV Hayat, BHT, RTRS – Anti-Serb graffiti appeared on billboards in the vicinity of |