| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18:00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19:00 hrs) | FED TV (19:30 hrs) | RT RS (19:30) |
| Ashdown on EU ban list | EU black list | Illegal military drill field | EU list |
| HR on PBS | Illegal military drill field | EU black list | Single customs promoted |
| FBiH HR session | Four US soldiers killed | US threatens | Unified TV management |
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| New EU president |
| Illegal military site |
| Oslobodjenje | Karadzic’s family banned from entering EU; Mass protests by pensioners on July 29; The construction of dream settlement started; Prosecutor against Oric’s temporary release |
| Dnevni Avaz | The list includes 14 crime supporters; HoR decided – the government will undertake an investigation on Cegar; Tihic’s answer to Paravac – there are 200,000 innocent victims in the foundations of the RS |
| Dnevni List | In order for BiH to enter the EU it is necessary for the HR to leave; HR published EU black list – high penalties for war criminals supporters soon; Mufti Hadji Seid Efendi Smajkic – HDZ policy is genocidal and fascist |
| Vecernji List | Friar Petar banned from entering the EU countries; SFOR revealed secret, military camp |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Paddy Ashdwon published a list of unwanted persons – Friar Petar Krasic banned from entering the EU countries; Ministry of Defence was allocating flats, loans, cars etc. |
| Glas Srpski | The list of unwanted publicised – a dead man on the black list; Srbac poultry farms – the heat causes disaster |
| Nezavisne Novine | European Union publicises its list of unwanted individuals from Balkans – 14 individuals banned from entering EU countries; US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond – after the reform, entities will not be able to plan war |
| Vecernje Novosti | Legija on the black list |
| Blic | EU back list – since March, Legija has been protecting Karadzic; Every fourth citizen in the Republika Srpska lives in poverty |
EU black list | |
| CRHB report
| CRHB at 15:00 hrs by Zana Rebo – HR Paddy Ashdown yesterday presented a list of persons banned from entering the EU. Ashdown pointed out that this list was not of people from Bosnia and Herzegovina who were involved in criminal and terrorist activities, but strictly those who helped indicted war criminals. Next to Milovan Bjelica and Momcilo Mandic, who were put on the list on 25 April this year, 12 more names were added to the list – Ljuban Ecim, Aleksandar Karadzic, Ljiljana Karadzic, Radomir Kojic, Tomislav Kovac, Petar Krasic, Predrag Kujundzic, Milorad Lukovic, Branko Ratic, Slavko Roguljic, Vasilije Veinovic and Milenko Vracar. Ashdown stressed that this list was not final, since there were many other persons currently being investigated to conclude whether they had any connections with war criminals, adding these names would be announced soon and therefore the list would be much longer. The list of those who have been banned from entering the EU was also presented in Brussels. |
| Krasic on the list | CRHB at 15:00 hrs by – one of 14 persons listed on the EU ban list is Petar Krasic, a Priest at the Herzegovina Franciscan diocese. Krasic, who is from Masna Luka, said it was ridiculous he was listed on the EU ban list. Asked to comment on the claims that he assisted indicted war criminals (media speculated that Ante Gotovina was hiding in the Franciscan Monastery in Masna Luka), Krasic answered that the list was stupid, and one of many published by the international community in BiH. “They always chose a victim, a person that means something to people,” said Krasic. He is the only Croat on the EU ban list. |
| BHTV on the list | The first two items on the BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Vanja Ibrahimbegovic and Ines Sabalic were on the EU ban list. The first item shortly reported the list was announced by the HR and included names of people who assisted war criminals. The second item carried names of people put on the list. “Most of the individuals on the list assisted in collecting money for Karadzic’s protection and transport. Milorad Lukovic Legija (believed to be connected to Zoran Dzindzic assassination) is under suspicion of helping Croatian General Ante Gotovina” stated the report. |
| Mikerevic on the list | BHTV at 19:00 hrs – RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic’s comment on the EU black list. “We have to respect these kind of decisions. The RS government will accept this decision peacefully, considering it as a warning.” |
| Krasic and Vracar on the list | FTV at 19:30 hrs – Petar Krasic stated that his name appearing on the list was a complete comedy. It is claimed that Krasic met several times with Ante Gotovina and was hiding him in a local monastery. Director of the Banja Luka Bank, Milenko Vracar, stated that including him on the list was a mistake that would be corrected. “Maybe some of the people can recognize themselves on the list, but I am certainly not one of them.” |
| RTRS on the list | RTRS at 19:30 hrs by Dragana Knezevic and Milan Trbojevic – “If you support war criminals, then your life will be more difficult. But this is not a court verdict,” said Ashdown. General reaction of persons under sanctions was that they do not know why there were listed. Director of Nova Banja Luka Bank, Milenko Vračar, does not know why he is on the list. “It is an intrigue for the local people… I’ve already got three visas in my passport,” said Vracar. Former Chief of the RS MoI, Tomislav Kovač, said he had not been here for a long time and had not contacted the indicted persons since 1995. RS Prime Minister Mikerević said the RS authority would obey the decisions of the EU. |
| Oslobodjenje and Avaz | Avaz pg. 1 and 2 – Ashdown’s message to Karadzic, Mladic and other indictees was that should not underestimate determination of the IC and BiH in implementing justice. Said the list was not final, but the one that would change. The daily also carried a separate article on pg. 2 ‘Close associates of Hague fugitives’ with short biographies of people ont eh EU list. Oslobodjenje pg. 1, 4 and 5 – the US embassy in Bih yesterday supported the Eu list and announced they would broaden their own list. Stated that in cooperation with the OHR the US embassy would work on the identification of new persons to be added tot he list. |
| Covic | Avaz pg. 2 ‘The Presidency will check all info in details’ – Dragan Covic, BiH Presidency Chair, said the presidency would check all info on persons from the EU list. He stated it was the Presidency’s obligation to react to all info on the law violation regardless of where they were coming from. Added the BiH Presidency was in no way involved in devising of the US or the EU list. |
| Oslobodjenje commentary | Oslobodjenje pg. 2 by Daniel Omeragic – commenting ont eh EU black list. “The IC just does not get that there is no use from devising black lists. Karadzic and his family have been black listed since the first shells were fired on Sarajevo 11 years ago. And what’s the use? Instead of wasting time and money on devising lists, they would be better off grabbing guns and expelling criminals from their holes when victims of crimes are not capable of it.” |
| RS papers on the list | Nezavisne Novine pg. 1 and 3 ’14 individuals banned from entering the EU’, Glas Srpske cover page – carry extensive reports on yesterday’s press conference of High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, during which he announced the names of individuals who were on the EU visa ban list. NN carries more information on each individual from the list, while the GS focuses on the fact that the name of Vasilije Veinovic, Bishop of the Mileseva monastery is on the list. According to the daily, Veinovic died in 1999. The Editor in Chief of the ‘Pravoslavlje’ magazine, Ljubivoje Stojanovic, told GS that he did not see the list. “If, God forbid, the name of Bishop Vasilije is on that list, I can only say – God, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.’ RS PM Dragan Mikerevic stated he was not happy that certain names were on the list, and that the EU decision should be assessed within a broad framework of development of relations in the region. Director of the Nova Banjalucka Bank, Milenko Vracar, said that his name on the list was a mistake and that the mistake would be corrected quickly. However, NN reports that the French embassy in Sarajevo cancelled a six-month visa to Vracar, for which he applied (and got it) before the publication of the list. Slavko Roguljic told NN that he fully understands the wish of the EU to introduce order in the region and to penalise those who support war crimes indictees. ‘Appearance of my name on the list is a consequence of political games, intentional misinforming of diplomatic circles by those who cannot stand to see that there is a successful businessman in BiH.’ Roguljic is also very certain that this injustice will be corrected soon. Milovan Bjelica announced yesterday there was an initiative for all those from the list to file a joint appeal to the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. ‘The international community has no arguments to put me on that list.’ Tomislav Kovac said he left the Republika Srpska in 1995, that he had no contact with war crime indictees and did not support them. Kovac said that the SDS dismissed him and that he was in conflict with that party for a long time. Petar Krasic, Franciscan Priest from the Catholic monastery in Masna Luka, told NN that the claim of the international community, that he was helping Ante Gotovina, was nonsense. |
| CRO papers on the list | Dnevni List pg. 1 and 3, Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 3 ‘Legija was helping Gotovina in his flight’, Vecernji List pg. 1 and 3, Jutranji List pg. 1 and 3 and Vjesnik pg. 1 and 2 – reported on yesterday press conf and the names on the list. “This list is the same as the one made during the Communist time. The same people are doing the same job, only the circumstances have changed,” said Friar Petar Krasic. |
| Serbian press | Blic pg. 2 ‘Legija protects Karadzic’, Vecernje Novosti pg. 5 ‘Legija on the list’ – reported on the names from the list and carried a reaction by Vracar. “This list contains the names of individuals who assist war crimes suspects and it will be updated,” said HR Ashdown, adding that the EU had decided to increase the pressure against such individuals until all suspects were apprehended. |
Political Affairs | |
| FBiH HoR session
| CRHB at 15:00 hrs by Zana Rebo – the FBiH House of Representatives yesterday held a session in Sarajevo. The Joint Commission of both houses, which was tasked to harmonize texts of the adopted criminal legislations, presented its report at the beginning of the session. Representatives decided to postpone the voting on the report till the next session. The representatives could not agree on two amendments on the Law on Criminal Procedure in regard to the immunity and defence status. BHTV at 19:00 hrs – There are two debatable amendments that need to be coordinated, the one on giving the immunities to witnesses and the other on status of the defence attorney. FTV at 19:30 hrs by Adisa Ruzdic-Hodzic – SDA representatives gave up on most of proposed amendments, but would not give up on two of them, the one that grants immunities to witnesses and the other relating to the status of the defence attorney. The House of Representatives adopted a report by the Parliamentary Commission for Defence and Security on the Cegar case. Avaz pg. 1 and 3 – obligated the government and MoI to urgently undertake an investigation of the Cegar incident. The daily reported in a separate article on pg. 8 ‘The voting on the set of criminal laws postponed’ that there was no voting yesterday on the criminal legislation. Reported in Oslobodjenje on pg. 6 ‘Criminal Law up for harmonizing again’. Also, on pg. 7 ‘The Commission will wait for the results of an official investigation’ – that the MoI and government have been tasked with conducting an investigation. Dnevni List pg. 4 ‘Voting on criminal laws postponed’ – reps adopted a conclusion saying that representatives of the FBiH government and the OHR, who proposed the Amendments, meet by July 15 in order to find compromise with regard to proposed Amendments to the proposal of the Law on Criminal Proceedings. Also reported ont eh decision in relation to the Cegar case. |
| Cegar case | CRHB at 15:00 hrs – the Commission for Security at the FBiH House of Representatives yesterday tasked at its extraordinary session the FBiH government to investigate the case of Zoran Cegar and take necessary measures. Recently, Commander of the FBiH Special Forces, Zoran Cegar, refused to leave personal weapons before entering the Parliament building. FTV at 19:00 hrs – Cegar stated that he was not authorized to give any statements on the case, and referred the reporter to his attorney. |
| Madunic on the incident | Avaz pg. 3 ‘The Alliance should apologize to Bosniaks for the insults’ – Ivan Madunic, President of the HDZ caucus, said yesterday it was certain that Cegar was insulting Bosniaks and used foul language. Madunic thinks that the IC should apologize to Bosniaks for obligating the authority to adopt the |Law on Civil Administration and allowing people such as Cegar in posts. Also, he thinks the Alliance should apologize for appointing such person. |
| Return of Croats in BiH | CRHB at 15:00 hrs by Zana Rebo – a round table on the return process of Croats in BiH yesterday was held in Sarajevo. The Croatian Refugee Community and Croatian Returnees Club organized the discussion. One of the participants was Chairman of the BH Presidency, Dragan Covic, who stressed the administrative, economic and political problems as obstacles to the return process. BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Lejla Redzovic – It is claimed that over 50% percent of BiH Croats no longer live in BiH. Over 150,000 Croats live in Croatia and other countries. Participants of the meeting gave priority to improving interpersonal relationships and providing safe return over looking for causes of the war. “Some impose, certainly not with well intensions, that Croats do not feel BiH as their home, or do not wish to come back,” said Covic. The Association of BiH Refugees blames the HDZ for not being supportive enough of Croat refugees. FTV at 19:30 hrs by Blazica Kristo – Covic also pointed to the HDZ’s responsibility on this matter. In Croatia there are several thousand refugees registered. Croatia is constantly helping Croats return to BiH. The IC was also blamed for the slow return of Croats to BiH. Avaz pg. 12 ‘Covic: problem with encouraging youth to stay’ – quoted Covic as saying that one of the major problems was to encourage young people to stay. Reported in Oslobodjenje on pg. 8 ‘Bosniak and Serb authorities obstructing the return of Croats’. |
| Vjesnik on position of Croats in Sarajevo | Vjesnik pg. 4 ‘Possible way out – exempting Sarajevo from the Federation of BiH’ – an increasing number of Croats are leaving Sarajevo because of fear and insecurity. The article reminds that the BiH Helsinki Board for Human Rights warned of this situation. Vjesnik also says that less than three percents of Croats are employed in all public companies in Sarajevo. On the same page, Vjesnik carries BiH Ambassador in Croatia Zlatko Dizdarevic (‘It would be tragedy and disaster if Croats leave BiH’), who says that it would be a tragedy and disaster if Croats left Sarajevo and BiH, because it would not only mean disappearance of Croats, but disappearance of some other peoples, including the ones that made majority. There are also reactions by Croatian Ambassador in BiH Josip Vrbosic (‘Constitutional amendments in BiH were implemented only partially’) and Vrhbosna Archbishop Ordinariate Chancellor Ivo Tomasevic (‘We want rights in reality and not only in paper). |
| DL on position of Croats in Sarajevo | Dnevni List pg. 2 ‘Statistics of the lasts of Mohican’ Dragan Marijanovic – an editorial dealing with the endangered position of Croats in Sarajevo. The editorial says that the Croat political establishment contributed a lot to this situation. The author refers to the last attack and insults addressed against Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica and Cardinal Vinko Puljic and the statement given by President of the BiH Helsinki Board, Srdjan Dizdarevic that shocked the public. “It is natural that we are shocked because we did not want to see for years individual and collective dramas of ‘the last of the Mohican’, just like we mostly do not want to see them in the areas where we (Croats) are majority to ‘their Mohicans’.” |
| Feasibility Study | CRHB at 15:00 hrs – the third round of discussions between EU and BH representatives on the Feasibility Study started yesterday. The Study has to be conducted prior to the start of negotiations on the contractual relationship between the BiH and EU. Discussion will last two days and will be focused on foreign trade, security, judiciary and foreign investments. Avaz pg. 8 ‘The third series of talks with the EC starts today’ – Osman Topcagic, Acting Director of the Directorate for European Integration, said that around 100 questions would be considered mainly related to internal affairs and judiciary. |
| Paravac vs. Tihic | Avaz pg. 1 and 4 – following comments from Paravac’s office to Tihic’s proposal to change the BiH Constitution, Tihic stated that that all countries in the world once they stumble across something in their constitution they change it. “Those standing behind Paravac’s announcement have been so far obstacles in the reintegration process in BiH and against the joining the PfP because they do not want a single army,” said Tihic. Added that all those advocating for the RS had to know that 200,000 innocent victims are in the foundations of the RS, 500 mass graves discovered so far, hundreds of prison camps and 1,000 destroyed mosques. As for Paravac’s suggestion that Tihic’s withdraws from politics, Tihic stated that those who took part in crimes and responsible for them should withdraw from politics. On pg. 4 the daily also carris yesterday’s announcement from Paravac’s office (entitled ‘Dayton BiH and RS disputable’). According to Paravac, Tihic’s frustrating and aggressive need to constantly resembles to certain statements from the past on sacrificing peace for sovereign BiH. Stated that Serbs preserved their national and spiritual identity through the RS as an equal entity where all three peoples are constitutive category. Oslobodjenje on pg. 3 reported in two separate articles on the ongoing dispute between the two Presidency members. The first ‘Sulejman Tihic minds the DPA RS’ – on Paravac’s press release and the second ‘Initiative legitimate’ – on Tihic’s reply. |
| US list to be expanded | Nezavisne Novine pg. 1 and 2 – an interview with US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond, who said that very soon, the United States would expand its list of unwanted, which, at the moment, contained some 150 names. Bond said that the US assistance to BiH would increase during the year, following the signing of the Agreement with US on the extradition of its citizens to the International Criminal Court. “Neither the OHR nor the US can ‘push’ BiH towards the Partnership for Peace. If the BiH authorities do not carry out reform of armed forces, voluntarily and in time, they will face the risk of becoming the only European state unable to candidate for the PfP membership.” |
| Interview with Wheeler | Dnevni List pg. 1 and 5 – “For the time being, there is only declarative orientation of the BiH political leadership that BiH joins the EU. The BiH government has set 2009 as a year during which BiH will join the EU and this is a very optimistic deadline. Probably it will take place later, perhaps in 2015,” stated Head of the International Crises Group Mark Wheeler. He also said that before BiH started thinking about joining the EU, the institution of the HR had to be abolished. “When the HR leaves it will mean that the process of European integration is coming to its end. Once he leaves, the presence of the EC and their influence in BiH will increase. Not in this dictator-like dimension of power that the HR has, but more in terms of advising and technical assistance.” Blic pg. 7 ‘Impossible to EU with High Representative’ – “Only sovereign states can be members of the Union. Only after the High Representatives leaves, which, with some luck, will happen in two to three years, will the EU presence in BiH be strengthened,” Weller told the Radio Free Europe. Weller says that a very important precondition for joining the EU is the strengthening and centralisation of the state, and reduction of the entity powers. |
| Brkic on Mostar re-structuring | Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 16 ‘Statute of Mostar by the end of July’ – quotes Mario Brkic, OHR Spokesperson, as saying that Mostar citizens need to see by the end of July the Draft of the City Statute and that the process of drafting the Statute should be transparent and accessible to all citizens and interested groups. “The High Representative encourages the Commission members to intensify their work through even more frequent meetings in order to fulfil the task assigned to them by the end of July,” Brkic said. He also denied Dnevni List’s inaccurate writing regarding the given deadline to draft the Statute. Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘The deadline is end of July’ – Brkic’s statement. |
| VL editorial on HNK govt. | In his editorial for Vecernji List on pg. 6 ‘Decisive vote’ Zeljko Raguz, an HDZ candidate for the position of the Education Minister in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK) who did not get the OHR consent to perform the duty, says that the implementation of last elections results and imposed constitutional changes strengthened the division in BiH in terms of absolute dominance of Bosniaks in the Federation BiH (FBiH) and of Serbs in the Republika Srpska (RS), which additionally confirmed unequal and subordinate position of Croats in both entities. Raguz then moves to the cantonal levels saying that before the vetting by the OHR, HDZ believed that, with a Serb member of the HNK government, they had one more vote. Since the Party for BiH filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court against the way the Serb Minister was appointed, Raguz said that, in the outcome of the lawsuit, Bosniaks saw their chance to get an extra vote in the HNK government. The logical Croat extra vote causes fear amongst Bosniaks of becoming side-lined by the majority, but such reaction in the HNK, where Croats were more numerous at the time of the last census, raises the issue of Croats being vulnerable and in an unequal position in the BiH entities. And that is why the formation of the HNK government matters – future participation of the Croat people in the announced changes to the Constitution depends on that, Raguz concludes. |
| Mostar Mufti on HDZ’s ‘apartheid policy’ | With regard to Dnevni List’s article published on 25 June 2003, entitled ‘”Will the IC condemn Mostar Mufti’s statements?’, today’s edition of Dnevni list on pg. 1 and 7 carried a reaction of Mufti Smajkic’s Office as, according to the Office, original DL’s article was full of lies and insinuations. The Office is bitter because DL placed the Mufti among those using inflammatory language and linking him to the case of Mostar mortar rounds case, but avoids commenting the facts that the Mufti presented a proof of HDZ’s apartheid policy and the fact that such policy is supported by the SDA’s HQs in Sarajevo and the IC. In the Mufti Office’s view, just like in 1993, the HDZ’s apartheid policy is still present in the areas ruled by the HDZ and the Office is sure the HDZ would try to rule in the same manner in the Bosniak-majority areas adding the Mufti and his Office did not deny the HDZ’s right to lead such a policy but said he and his office did have the right to label such a policy as genocidal and to warn of the danger of such policy. |
| Pay increase for Parliament reps | Avaz pg. 8 carried two articles related to the recently made decision by the BiH parliament to increase salaries of professional reps. The first article entitled ‘Dzaferovic and Genjac gave up their salary increase in favour of the budget’ informs that Chairman of the HoR, Sefik Dzaferovic, and President of the Bosniak caucus, Halid Genjac, submitted a request with the Parliament’s finance department not to be paid out the additional pay increase. Dzaferovic refused to comment his decision, while Genjac said his decision was based on the fact that the current BiH budget is not sufficient enough to cover the new pay increase. The second article entitled ‘reps decision has no justification’ quotes OSCE Spokeswoman, Urdur Gunarsdotir, as saying that the pay increase has to be in accordance with what BiH can actually afford. Expressed a concern the 2003 budget won’t be sufficient enough to cover the latest pay increase. Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Dzaferovic and Genjac refused to receive pay increase’ – the two are irritated by the decision to increase Parliament reps’ salaries by 700 KM. |
Economic Affairs | |
| Promotion of single customs
| BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Senad Pandzic – HR Paddy Ashdown, Joly Dixon and Michael Humphreys yesterday welcomed the adoption of the Interim Law on Taxation. The Interim Law on Merging of Customs Administration and the Establishment of the Indirect Taxation Administration are considered to be crucial for the further development of BiH towards EU integration. “The process can start immediately. Tomorrow we will put in the newspapers an advertisement for the new director of the indirect tax authority. The idea is to recruit a real professional, who will head a real professional service,” said Dixon. “This is a big day for the common sense, big day for BiH, and a big day for every citizen of BiH,” said Ashdown. It is claimed that BiH loses over 300 million KM due to illegal trading. RTRS at 19:30 hrs by Jelena Rajakovic – a single Custom Administration has been officially promoted at the Customs Terminal at the Sarajevo airport. Ashdown said the decision on establishing of the Customs Administration was very wise and courageous and it would help to prevent tax evasion, which would help all citizens. Nezavisne Novine pg. 5 ‘Single customs in BiH important for all citizens’ – according to Ashdown, each citizen of the country will benefit from single customs administration due to the fact that merging of customs administrations will leave more money for budgets and far less will go to the pockets of criminals. Dnevni List pg. 3 ‘More money for citizens’ services’ and Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 6 ‘Step closer to Europe’ – Humphreys, Dixon and Ashdown yesterday welcomed the adoption of Interim Law on Merging of Customs Administrations and the establishment of the Indirect Taxing Administration. |
| Brcko adopts Law on Income Tax | ONASA, Dnevni List pg. 4 – delegates of the Brcko District Interim Assembly on Tuesday adopted the Law on Income Tax, the only law in BiH so far which single tax base is ten percent. “The essence of the Law is that all kinds of incomes can be taxed by single rate,” Director of the Brcko District Tax Administration, Miodrag Trifkovic, said. After this Law comes into force, the Law on the Income Tax of Citizens of the Republika Srpska (RS), the Law on the Profit Tax of Companies of the BiH Federation and the Law on the Salaries of the BiH Federation will not be implemented in the area of the Brcko District. According to Trifkovic, the Law determines personal incomes that are not all taxable, but just those that exceed certain values. |
| Tax evasion in W. Herzegovina | Vecernji List pg. 4 ‘Call for the dismissal of Tax Administration leaders’ – the West Herzegovina cantonal government submitted an official request for the dismissal of heads of the cantonal Tax Administration and Tax Office in the West Herzegovina Canton. The request is addressed to competent institutions and officials of the FBiH. This is the first move of the cantonal government after the muckraking of the scandal on money laundering and tax evasion in the Canton that took place last year. Namely, fictitious firms damaged the cantonal budget for 71,072.555 KM, while 147,176,803 KM were evaded at the Federation level. |
Media Affairs | |
| Ashdown on PBS | CRHB at 15:00 hrs by Zana Rebo – High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, yesterday announced decisions related to the reconstruction of the public broadcasting service (PBS) made by an international Broadcasting Agent John Shrearer. The BH parliaments that were supposed to establish an Executive Board of public service did not do so on time, nor did they adopt amendments to the Public Broadcasters Law. “The consequence of this was a difficult financial situation in the media,” said Ashdown. The announced decisions included – the decrease of the number of executive board members from nine to five; the Executive Board must resolve financial crisis till the end of this year; and the establishment of a Board, which would operate in the entire PBS system. Ashdown stressed that these decision did not have an intention of destroying entity television stations, as they were strictly of economic nature. Decisions are temporary. BHTV at 19:00 hrs – According to Ashdown, the PBS loses over a million KM monthly, and is in a very difficult position. This decision is temporary, until the BiH Parliament adopts the Law on PBS. FTV at 19:30 hrs – “The entire PBS system would be destroyed if I hadn’t done what I did. And I did something that the BiH Parliament had to do. This decision is temporary, until the BiH Parliament adopts the Law on PBS,” said Ashdown. RTRS at 19:30 hrs by Jelena Rajakovic – “I do not want to make decisions, but now there are institutions that can decide on these important issues,” said Ashdown. Nezavisne Novine pg. 5 ‘Entity broadcasters will not be closed’, Glas Srpske pg. 3 ‘Millions in the fog’ – the OHR appointed members of the Boards of Governors of all three broadcasters, introducing the post of a financial expert at each board. Avaz pg. 2 ‘Solve financial crisis by the end of the year’ – Shearer’s decision yesterday announced by HR Ashdown. Avaz pg. 8 ‘Institution that will bring more money for citizens’ – Dixon said the adoption of the Interim Law was made possible thanks to the courage of the HR, which meant the HR was setting high goals and short deadlines. |
Military Affairs | |
| Illegal military drill field
| BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Martina Kristo – members of the special South-East Mostar unit discovered an illegal military drill field in Jablnica and Prozor municipality near Mostar and confiscated significant quantities of arms and equipment. SFOR members stated that this was a clear sign of illegal military activities. However, they did not comment on the exact location of the drill field, saying that the investigation continued. There is no information on anyone being arrested. Locals did not notice any SFOR activities. The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministry of Interior has no information on the matter. FTV at 19:30 hrs by Meri Musa – the location and the purpose of the field remain unknown. The SFOR operation lasted for a few days. Also reported in Oslobodjenje on pg. 3 ‘A secret training camp discovered’. |
| Oslobodjenje commentary | Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘dead race for the PfP’ by Antonio Prlenda – poses a question of who will enter the PfP first – Montenegro and Serbia or BiH. In his argument the author basically lists already known facts – pros and cons for the accession of both countries. For example that Montenegro and Serbia do not have to waste time on forming joint HQ and single defence ministry like BiH does, but they have to prove their HQ is under the jurisdiction of the defence ministry and not the state top. The conclusion is again the same question from the beginning of the commentary – which country will enter the PfP first. |