| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Brussels is seriously considering removal of Mirko Sarovic | Extradition of Muhamed Sacirbegovic has not been requested yet | BiH delegation in Brussels talked with leadership of EU | BiH Presidency condemns violation of UN Resolutions |
| OHR concerned since HN Canton Government has not been established yet | More casualties on both sides in Iraq | Croatia wants cooperation in wood, metal and electric industries | OHR denies speculations about Sarovic dismissal
|
| Sentencing of Tuta and Stela has been postponed for Monday | Sarovic should not be removed for Orao scandal, says BiH Presidency | OHR refused to decide on destiny of Sarajevo special police officers | Seminar on Partnership for Peace: BiH must have Defence Ministry |
| Amnesty International warns bombardment of Iraq TV building could be considered violation of the Geneva Convention | BiH does not fulfils European standards yet, says European Commission | Mines left from wartime took another life – a shepherd died in Maglaj | RS Government to consider proposal for privatisation of Elektroprivreda |
| Oslobodjenje | America will not extradite Sacirbegovic? |
| Dnevni Avaz | BiH will sign the agreement with US (on ICC); Sacirbegovic fights against extradition |
| Dnevni List | BiH delegation met with EC and EU representatives yesterday: European orientation of BiH unquestionable; Croatia and BiH want better economic co-operation; Stormy reactions to adoption of proposal of Law on State Service: OHR pressure on Federation House of People expected; Will BiH request Sacirbegovic extradition? |
| Vecernji List | Following arrest of Muhamed Sacirbegovic, former BiH Foreign Minister: Former minister to be tried in Sarajevo; Travnik: Trials to Grude group: Igor Mikola and three recognized their pistols |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Europe builds Schengen wall at BiH borders; Sacirbegovic went into business with Panic with 600.000 stolen dollars; European airplanes with Mostar parts |
| Glas Srpski | Speculations on responsibility of Mirko Sarovic in Orao affair: No reason for penalty; Four Kostajnica citizens arrested: From field to prison; Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic: Circle is closing down |
| Nezavisne Novine | Paddy Ashdown, HiRep to BiH: Brussels meeting is to decide on dismissals over Orao; Belgrade: 15 members of the Red Berets arrested; Following the arrest of Muhamed Sacirbegovic: BiH authorities expect former minister be extradited; Banja Luka: Reconstruction of Hadzi Omer mosque commences |
| Vecernje Novosti | Zoran Zivkovic: no mercy for Mafia |
| Blic | Fatnica-Bileca tunnel: the authority defends the tunnel; Mirko Sarovic: I am not responsible for Orao affair; Dragan Cavic: Selective punishment is politically dangerous; Robert Beecroft: A single command in BiH needed |
Affairs | |
| Sacirbegovic fighting against extradition
| Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5 ‘Amerika will not extradite Sacirbegovic?’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 3, mentioned on the front page ‘Sacirbegovic fighting against extradition’ – Chances are small that the US will extradite former BiH Ambassador to UN Muhamed Sacirbegovic to BiH. This was told to Oslobodjenje by several officials in the BiH Foreign Ministry, prosecution office and Interpol. Sacirbegovic has been accused of embezzling 2.5 million US dollars of BiH Diplomatic Mission funds. At the same time, Sacirbegovic confirmed in New York he would legally fight against the extradition to BiH. Nezavisne Novine, page 2, ‘BiH authorities expect former minister be extradited’ – Barisa Colak, BIH Minister of Security, stated that BiH authorities have not as yet received any official information on arrest of the former BiH Ambassador to UN, Muhamed Sacirbegovic. According to Colak, BiH InterPol has already addressed a letter to the InterPol Office in Washington, seeking confirmation into the arrest of Sacirbegovic. The response is expected in a couple of days. Vecernji List (front and page 19, by Dejan Jazvic, “Former Minister will stand trial in Sarajevo” and also page 19, by Eldina Medunjanin “Authorities demanded extradition from USA as early as last year”), Slobodna Dalmacija (front and page 17, by Zlatko Tulic, “Sacirbegovic started business with Panic (an American businessman of Serb origin) with stolen 600 000 Dollars”) and Dnevni List (front and page 2, “Will BiH demand Sacirbegovic’s extradition?”) also cover the issue. |
| Avaz: BiH will sign the agreement with US | Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 2 ‘BiH will sign the agreement with US’ – The newspaper learned from the reliable sources that BiH will positively respond to an US request and sign the bilateral agreement guaranteeing the immunity from the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction to the US soldiers and other staff engaged in BiH. |
| Orao affair | Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘PIC on Orao affair – OHR measures to follow’ – The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) will be informed at a session on March 28 in Brussels about the final report and findings related to the Orao affair, and only then the OHR measures with regard to the issue might be expected, confirmed the OHR Spokesman, Mario Brkic on Wednesday. Vecernje Novosti pg. 7 (headline ‘Sarovic’s replacement is fabrication’) quotes OHR spokesman Oleg Milisic as saying that the media reports on Mirko Sarovic’s replacement were speculations and that within the OHR any replacement had not been considered. Blic pg. 2 headline ‘There is no decision on replacement’ carries OHR Spokesperson Sonja Pastuovic’s statement on the issue. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Sarovic: I am thinking neither about the resignation nor about the removal’, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Sarovic: Everything will be known following Brussels’, Blic pg. 2 headline ‘I am not responsible’; Vecernje Novosti pg. 7 – The Chairman of the BiH Presidency Mirko Sarovic told journalists in Sarajevo on Wednesday that, at the moment, he was not even thinking about a possibility that his removal over the Orao affair might be a subject of discussion at the upcoming PIC session in Brussels. “I really do not know what will happen in Brussels. I do not think about the removal. Maybe some others do, but I do not,” Sarovic emphasized. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘SDS did not discuss possible Sarovic removal only in Sokolac’ – The Serb Democratic Party (SDS) did not only in Sokolac on Wednesday discuss the possible consequences of the Orao affair and the eventual resignation or removal of the Serb member of the Presidency, Mirko Sarovic. “We have worked out several scenarios,” a senior SDS official told the newspaper. He added that the issue had also been discussed at a meeting with the members of the Sarajevo regional SDS leadership. Nezavisne Novine, page 3, ‘SDS discussed Sarovic matter’ also report that the SDS Presidency, late last night in Sokolac, discussed the eventual replacement for Mirko Sarovic, if he were to be removed from the position of the Chairperson of the BiH Presidency. Sarovic also attended the session. No official of SDS prior to the session gave any comment on the session topic. Oslobodjenje pg. 2 Editorial by Gojko Beric ‘Amerika does not forgive’ on possible Sarovic removal – “It is unclear what will SDS do in case of Sarovic removal? According to the announcements from the party leadership, Sarajevo will be in position to watch a great political fireworks in the RS, followed by the openly announced political destabilisation of BiH,” Beric wrote. However, he concluded that this was just about ungrounded threats since the domestic political forces obviously did not have enough strength to win the struggle against the international community. |
| BiH Presidency: Sarovic should not be removed over the Orao affair | Oslobodjenje, back page ‘Investigation into arms embargo violation’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Entity’s Governments will check on if there were yet UN arms embargo violations’, BHTV 1, FTV – At its session in Sarajevo on Wedensday, the BiH Presidency discussed the amended report on the Orao affair and condemned the UN arms embargo violation in this case. “It is however necessary that the RS and FBiH Government continue activities to unveil other cases of the UN arms embargo violations. We particularly emphasized that the FBiH Government must investigate into the possible violation of the embargo in some previously mentioned cases,” Presidency members Dragan Covic told journalists following the session. The electronic media quoted Covic as saying that the Presidency had concluded there was no need for the removal of Mirko Sarovic over the affair. Such the conclusion was made on the basis of the information provided by the official report and Sarovic himself. |
| Cropress on “Orao” affair | Vecernji List (page 8, by Z.K., “Sarovic removal possible”) got a confirmation from an anonymous source, member of an international organization that the Peace Implementation Council will on Friday discuss applying of sanctions against people who are deemed politically responsible for the “Orao” affair. However, the source did not want to answer whether the Chair of BiH Presidency, Mirko Sarovic, would be removed on March 28. The same papers (page 8, by B. S., “Sarovic does not feel responsible”) carry that the BiH Presidency yesterday discussed the “Orao” affair when it concluded it was necessary that the entity governments continue with investigation pertaining to violation of UN embargo on export of arms and military equipment. According to a statement by the Croat member of Presidency, Dragan Covic, it has been concluded that it was necessary to establish State-level institutions that would supervise the investigations. Covic added that himself and Sulejman Tihic got assurances from Sarovic that there was no ground for his removal. Moreover, the daily also carries that Sarovic himself, commenting on yesterday’s report of the Federation-based media that the High Representative has already taken a decision to pass a sanction against him because of his political responsibility, as saying that he does not feel responsible for the affair because he carried out his duties fairly and responsibly. (Dnevni List, page 5, by FENA, “Continue with investigations about other violation of UN embargo” and page 8, “Sarovic: I am not responsible” and Slobodna Dalmacija, back page, by D. Pasic, “Export of arms to Iraq condemned”) Dnevni List (page 8, unsigned, “Allegations about Sarovic and Covic removals ‘pure speculations’?!”) carries an OHR spokesperson, Sonja Pastuovic, as denying some media reports which said the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, is planning to remove the Chair of BiH Presidency Sarovic and Croat member of Presidency Covic labeling the allegations as “pure speculations”. “Ashdown will on March 28, at a session of Peace Implementation Council, present data on ‘Orao’ affair. Regarding that, he said the only thing that is not going to take place is that nothing happens because of the affair”, said Pastuovic. ( Slobodna Dalmacija, page 17, by M. Labus, “OHR Banja Luka denies speculations: No removal in the Presidency”) Dnevni List on page 8 (“Brkic: After PIC session OHR measures expected”) carry an OHR spokesperson, Mario Brkic, as saying the PIC would be informed about the reports on the “Orao” affair on March 28 after which one could expect OHR measures related to the issue. |
| RS press on Orao affair, Sarovic | Glas Srpski, cover page story, ‘No reason for penalty’ – Mirko Sarovic, Chairperson of the BiH Presidency, yesterday denied all media speculations regarding his dismissal upon Orao affair. According to him, it is yet to be seen what the PIC would decide on the matter. (Nezavisne Novine report on Sarovic statement in a separate article, page 3, ‘Sarovic does not consider possible removal’). Dragan Covic, Croat member to the BiH Presidency, said that Orao affair should not be a reason for dismissal of Mirko Sarovic from the position of the Chairperson, because the report itself lists the names of those responsible for the affair. He said that BiH Presidency convened yesterday and condemned the violation of the arm sale to Iraq. Covic added that removal of Sarovic would additionally complicate the political situation in the state. He also stressed that the responsibility for the Orao affair cannot be addressed against only one person in the RS, but against many persons in both, RS and BiH Federation, even in the region. (Nezavisne Novine report on Covic statement in a separate article, page 3, ‘Covic is of the view there is no reason for removal’). According to GS inset, Spokesperson for the OHR Regional Office in Banja Luka Sonja Pastuovic yesterday said that media reports on possible dismissal of BiH Presidency Chair Mirko Sarovic for his alleged involvement in the “Orao” affair while he served as RS President represent pure speculation. Pastuovic said that the Peace Implementation Council would discuss the final report on the “Orao” affair in Brussels on 28th March and that OHR does not wish to speculate at this time on the possible outcome of this very serious affair. |
| Cavic on Sarovic | RS President Dragan Cavic said on Wednesday that reports in some Federation media which announced Mirko Sarovic’s replacement were not based on arguments. “I think that such a move is hypothetical, because there is no argument that will really happen. If these speculations prove to be true I think that is a wrong address. I think that would complicate political condition not only in the RS but in BiH,” Cavic said. “This is much deeper problem and this is not an RS’s problem but a problem of the whole region. This is a BiH’s problem in the moment when the investigation has not been finished in all locations in BiH. Prediction of solutions and pronouncement of political responsibility for only one man would be very problematic and would create an impression of deliberate political selectivity”. (Blic pg. 2 headline ‘Accusations for replacement without arguments’) |
| Radom za Boljitak on possible removal of Croat member of BiH Presidency | Regarding some information that the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, is going to remove the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, and subsequent speculations that Mladen Ivankovic Lijanovic is going to replace Covic, Slobodna Dalmacija (page 17, by Dinko Pasic, “Ivankovic cannot replace Covic”) carries a Vice President of Radom za Boljitak party and brother of Mladen Ivankovic, Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic, as denying the possibility stressing the issue has been regulated by a law passed by the High Representative. “If there’s a removal of some member of BiH Presidency, the appointment is, in accordance to the law, being made from the House of Representatives of BiH Parliament, and not from the list of candidates that had run for the Presidency”, says Jerko Ivankovic. |
| HR’s interview for Nezavisne Novine | Nezavisne Novine, page 3/also cover page, ‘Brussels session is to decide on dismissals over Orao’ – In an interview to Nezavisne Novine, High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, says that: “BiH Presidency will have to explain how Orao affair took place and what was done to sanction those responsible.” However, HiRep did not want to speculate as to whether he had already signed the letter on dismissal of Mirko Sarovic or not over Orao affair. “Brussels session on Friday will certainly discuss this issue. I will not speculate what an outcome of this session on this serious affair may be”, stressed HiRep. High Representative further announced that measures and actions similar to those against Momcilo Mandic and Milovan Bjelica (owing to their financial assistance to Radovan Karadzic) would be performed in the future. |
| Mijat Tuka must resign or he will be removed | Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Mijat Tuka must resign or he will be removed’ – OHR Spokesman Vedran Persic told the newspaper that if the New Croat Initiative does not press on its deputy to the Federation Parliament Mijat Tuka to resign the decision on his removal would be made by the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown. |
| New letter of Zubak to HR: There are no evidences Tuka embezzled 14.3 million KM | Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘There are no evidences Tuka embezzled 14.3 million KM’ – The President of NHI, Kresimir Zubak, sent a new letter to the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, with regard to the alleged involvement of the former FBiH Refugee Minister Mijat Tuka in the embezzlement of 14.3 million KM. Zubak emphasized that the allegation on Tuka’s guiltiness had no grounds in the special auditor’s report on the financial operation of the Ministry. (Dnevni List page 6, by S. Kuzman, “Ashdown’s accusations against Mijat Tuka are not valid”) |
| Investigation following Audit Report on BIH Fed. Ministry for Refugees | Nezavisne Novine, page 7, ‘State Prosecutor’s Office launches investigation’ – Edin Music, BiH Federation Minister of Refugees and DP’s, yesterday stated that BiH Prosecutor’s Office has launched the investigation at the BiH Federation Ministry of Refugees and DPs’ over special audit report on KM 14.3 million damage to ministry budget. |
Political developments | |
| Initiatives for drafting the new BiH Constitution
| Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Initiatives for drafting the BiH Constitution: Enabling the creation of a modern and efficient European state’ – After the deputies of SDA, Coalition HDZ-Christian Democrats- HNZ and BOSS to the BiH Federation Parliament had rejected to vote for the constitutional amendments imposed by the High Representative, it has become clear that, according to their statement, they have been advocating for drafting a new state Constitution. |
| HDZ BiH Presidency session
| Oslobodjenje pg. 9 ‘International community does not respect election results’, Dnevni Avaz ‘Colak demanded discussion on the constitutional amendments’ – By its actions, the international community makes it impossible for the HDZ BiH officials to take over the responsibility on the basis of the election results, the party’s Presidency concluded at its session late on Wednesday. “Our engagement has been made impossible by the imposed BiH Law on Civil Service,” Ivica Marinovic, the member of the Presidency, told Oslobodjenje. According to Dnevni Avaz, the acting President of the party, Barisa Colak, in the course of the session launched discussion on the constitutional amendments imposed by the HR since, according to him, it was about the most important issue related to the BiH state functioning. |
| BiH delegation with EC and EU representatives
| Dnevni List (front and page 3, not signed, “European orientation of BiH is unquestionable”) carries that a BiH delegation led by Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, met with European Commission President, Romano Prodi, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Javier Solana, and Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Southeast Europe Countries, Doris Pack. They also met with EU Commissioner for Foreign Policy Chris Patten, European Parliament President, Pat Cox, and NATO’s Head for the Balkans, Robert Serry. According to Acting Head of BiH Agency for European Integration, Osman Topcagic, Patten stressed it was necessary to work on the introduction of unique customs and value added tax. Also, according to Patten it is necessary to remove all obstacles for foreign investments and business in general, directly supporting “Job and Justice” reforms and guidelines of Bulldozer Commission. |
| EU and Balkan | Vecernji List (front page “EU also opened for Balkan”, and page 8 “EU door opened for Western Balkan”, by Zoran Kresic) carries that European Commission published an encouraging document with regard to the EU admission. However, according to VL there is a fear that BiH might be at the end of the queue of the countries waiting for the EU admission due to BiH internal disagreements and if it does not introduce value added tax, if it does not meet The Hague requests and establish unique command responsibility and Ministry of Defense at the state level. VL says that BiH does not have a joint stand on the most of the issues. (Oslobodjenje pg. 6) |
| OHR urges for immediate formation of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Government | Dnevni List (page 14, by D. Kozina, “It is necessary to form Cantonal Government as soon as possible”) and Slobodna Dalmacija (last page, by M. Landeka, “OHR is concerned about the fact that the Cantonal Government has not been formed yet”) carry that during yesterday’s press conference of international organizations seated in Mostar, the OHR called on representatives of the political parties in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) to sit at the negotiating table and agree upon forming of the Cantonal Government as soon as possible. OHR Spokesperson Avis Benes stressed that the Head of OHR South, Deputy High Representative Jean-Pierre Bercot, is seriously concerned about the fact that the HNC is the only Canton in BiH in which the Government has not been formed yet. She also stressed that DHR Bercot is appalled by the results of the audit of the Federation Ministry for Refugees and Displaced Persons, which was presented in Sarajevo last week. (Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘HNC is the only Canton without Government’) |
| DL on FBiH Law on Civil Service | Dnevni List (front and page 7, by S. Kuzman, “Stormy reactions with regard to adoption of Draft Law on Civil Service: It is being expected that OHR exerts pressure against FBiH House of Peoples”) carries that during its last session of the House of Representatives of the Federation of BiH Parliament Draft Law on Civil Service was adopted but with many Amendments and some of them significantly change the offered text in whose drafting OHR representatives and domestic experts were involved. DL carries Deputy Chairman of the HoR of FBiH Parliament Josip Merdzo as saying: “We are expecting that the OHR will exert pressure against HoP of the FBiH Parliament not to adopt that law. Even the parties from the opposition voted for the amendments. During the talks with the OHR representatives HDZ even advocated the option to have only one Agency at the state level and not to form the entity ones. At that time the excuse was that Serbs do not really agree wit that option.” In addition DL carries the SDP reaction on the same issue (“Legality of FBiH Government was brought in question”), as well as BOSS reaction (“BOSS demands withdrawal of Draft Law on Civil Service”) and the statement of OHR Spokesperson Mario Brkic (“We do not support such Draft Law on Civil Service”) on this issue. |
| Parliamentary control over FOSS to be established | Vecernji List (page 8, by E. Me, “Control of work of FOSS”) reports that the Federation Intelligence Service (FOSS) could in the future be supervised by the Federation Parliament. Apparently, the Commission for defense and security of the Federation House of Representatives will suggest the Federation Parliament a formation of a special body that would supervise the work of the FOSS because of suspicions that there have been illegalities in the work of FOSS. Moreover, VL reports that the Commission was discussing complaints submitted by former SNS and AID employees (NB: former Croat and Bosniak intelligence services respectively) that say that the current acting director of FOSS, Ivan Vuksic, committed numerous crimes during the times he was the director of SNS, the practice that has continued during his tenure at the FOSS. The former employees’ complaints also connect former FOSS director, Munir Alibabic Munja, to suspicious hiring of “people from Serbia”. |
| SNS/SNSD | Nezavisne Novine, page 8, ‘Lolic threatens to Spasojevic with exclusion from party’ – Branislav Lolic, SNS President, yesterday threatened to Jezdimir Spasojevic, President of SNS Regional Board in Bijeljina, with his exclusion from the party if proved to be true that five municipal boards of the SNS joined the SNSD./ Lolic denied any knowledge into this issue, claiming that as long as he leads SNS, it would be functioning independently. Nebojsa Radmanovic, President of the Executive Board of the SNSD, confirmed that the SNS Bijeljina Regional Board decided to join SNSD in December last year, since when the talks on its admission into SNSD were discussed. Blic pg. 8 headline ‘Stronger opposition’ – “Regional Board of the SNS Bijeljina has joined the SNSD which will contribute to strengthening of the opposition,” SNSD Main Board’s member Dimitrije Ivanic told a press conference. |
| SDS/PDP | Nezavisne Novine, page 8, ‘SDS and PDP discussed misunderstandings’ – On Tuesday in Lukavica, the top leaderships of the SDS and PDP discussed their mutual quarrels. The relations between these two parties have started to fall down following RS EP affair. Igor Crnadak, PDP Spokesperson, stated that the meeting in Lukavica discussed partnership relations and more qualitative functioning of the parliament majority”. |
| SNSD on BiH institutions | Nezavisne Novine, page 8, ‘Crime at authority institutions obstructs BiH development’ – Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, expressed his view that the level of criminalisation in BiH, at all authority institutions, has increased so much that stable social and economic development in the state cannot be achieved. Nikola Spiric, SNSD MP at House of Representatives of BiH PA, supported Dodik’s claims by saying that the budgets in BiH are damaged for KM 1.5 billion on an annual basis. SNSD is of the view that the proposal on unified army is not a solution at all. (Blic pg. 2 headline ‘Unstable in RS’) |
Other issues | |
| ICTY Prosecution’s spokesperson on new indictments
| Dnevni List (page 3, by FENA, “Another 35 indictments for area of former Yugoslavia”) carries an ICTY Prosecution’s spokesperson, Florence Hartmann, as saying that the ICTY Prosecution intends to raise another 35 indictments for the area of former Yugoslavia by end of 2004. Commenting on a statement by Serbia and Monte Negrin Foreign Minister, Goran Svilanovic, that he expected 6 to 7 seven new indictments against citizens of his country, Hartmann says the statement is unfounded because the number of indictments depends on the ongoing investigations conducted by the ICTY Prosecution. (Blic pg. 2, Vecernje Novosti pg. 14) |
| Sarajevo seminar on BiH-NATO relations | Nezavisne Novine, page 7, ‘BIH General Staff is a pre-requisite for Partnership for Peace’ – Bruce McLane, Director of NATO operations for Balkans, yesterday reiterated positions by the Alliance that the single control and command over the armed troops, one ministry, one general staff are main pre-requisites for the BiH admission into Partnership for Peace. (Blic pg. 2) |
| RTRS removals | Glas Srpski, page 2, ‘Removals illicit’ – Office of International Confederation of Free Syndicates for southeast Europe, seated in Sarajevo, has sought from Dragan Davidovic, Acting Director General of RTRS, to, within three days time, annul all letters of resignation he handed to RTRS employees at the end of February, declaring them a technological surplus manpower. The International Confederation Office stresses that Davidovic violated Articles 163 and 113 of the Law on Labour. According to Enisa Salimovic, Legal Advisor at the Office, the letter was forwarded don 20th March. However, it seems like nothing has been done on this, meaning that Davidovic did not annul a single resignation he handed. Therefore, “it leaves us nothing but to react and press charges against RTRS, which we intend to do one of these days.”, stressed Salimovic. |
| RS EP | Nezavisne Novine, page 2, ‘Tunnel at Fatnik Polje is a political issue’ – Dragan Andjelic, assistant to director general at RS Elektroprivreda, stated that the decision on potential completion of works at tunnel from Fatnicko Polje to Bileca Lake would not be of a pure technical, but also political nature. According to him, such decisions are not to be passed by RS EP leadership. Blic pg. 6 (headline ‘More damage then benefit’) carries an article on Fatnica-Bileca tunnel. Although the special auditor’s report on the RS Elektroprivreda recommends to stop further works on building the tunnel (75% works finished), RS competent bodies claim that by continuing the tunnel’s building the Elektroprivreda will earn additional 3.4 million and the agriculture a half million euros. Blic pg. 6, Vecernje Novosti pg. 19 – RS Minister of Energy Milan Bogicevic has said that the Government does not exclude a possibility of privatising the majority share of RS Elektroprivreda and that everything will depend on business plan for revitalisation and development that possible investors will offer. |
| Four RS citizens arrested in Kostajnica | Glas Srpski, cover page story, ‘From to field to prison’ – Two days ago, Croatian border police arrested four citizens of RS from Kostajnica, Nenad Zgonjanin (53), Rajko Vujasin (40), his wife Gordana (41) and Faruk Kahric (61). They were arrested because they “illegally crossed the border with Croatia”. The true facts regarding this incident are as follows: four arrestees were cleaning weeds from the field owned by Kahric, which is located between Una River and channel of Uncica. This means that they live in the RS, but their field is located in Republic of Croatia. After detention in Croat Kostajnica, four arrestees were taken before investigative judge of Cantonal Court in Sisak. (Blic pg. 7) |
| Mosque reconstruction in B. Luka | Nezavisne Novine, page 10, “Reconstruction of Hadzi Omer mosque commences’ – As NN learnt at the Islamic Religious Community, Reconstruction of Hadzi Omer mosque in Banja Luka settlement of Dolac has commenced. According to Dusan Antelj, Director of the Secretariat for Religions at RS Government, the Islamic Religious Community has collected all necessary documents for the reconstruction of Ferhat Pasha Mosque in Banja Luka, while the commencement of reconstruction works depends on amount of collected and raised resources. |
| Lijanovici denies US Embassy is pressuring Siroki Brijeg authorities | Regarding yesterday’s report in Slobodna Dalmacija that the US Embassy is trying to pressure the authorities of Siroki Brijeg to write off the company’s debts to the municipality (see yesterday’s Cropress summary), today’s Slobodna Dalmacija (page 18, by Antonio Karamatic, “We did not ask help from Americans”) carries an interview with one of the co-owners of the “Lijanovici” Meat Industry, Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic, in which he denies the company asked the US Embassy to BiH’s help. Lijanovic admits meeting the Head of US Embassy’s office in Mostar, Steven Fagin, saying it was an ordinary meeting between an embassy and a prosperous company. In that aspect, Ivankovic says they talked about the situation the company is in, the customs related issues in particular, adding that the whole issue of blocking of the company’s account has a political background. Ivankovic also states the company has filed a lawsuit with the Federation Supreme Court because the account has been blocked without a proper court order. |
| Graffiti of support to Saddam Hussein in Stolac | Vecernji List (page 8, by F. M. “‘Saddam’s supporters’ growing mustache”) reports that graffiti supporting the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, have appeared in Stolac. Two graffiti, written on a demolished building of former museum that is located opposite to the Careva mosque, read: “Saddam, we will grow mustache” and “Anthrax in soup”. VL also reports that not far from that location there is another new graffiti: “They are burning our houses down, beware that ’93 does not happen again”. Apparently, the Stolac Police is searching for the author(s) of the graffiti. |