| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| HR on single customs | EU blacklist | Covic testimony delayed | Health Fund dir. dismissed |
| EU’s black list | Workers protests in BL | Ashdown on Customs Law | Health workers in strike |
| Association of POW | Banovic pleaded guilty | Protests in Lukavac | Banović pleaded guilty |
| BiH Presidency transfer | Fierce fighting in Monrovia | Protests in Banja Luka | General Ward on reforms |
| Oslobodjenje | Government offers discount on old debts of 750 million KM |
| Dnevni Avaz | Highway through BiH in five years |
| Dnevni List | “Covic responded to court summon”; “Ashdown: Your decision on customs will directly influence future of BiH”; “Interview with SDHR Gerhard Enver Schroembgens: Mostar Commission must increase level of meetings and speed of work” |
| Vecernji List | “Interview with Dragan Covic: We are taking over responsibility”; “Soldiers from BiH will be protecting peace in Iraq” |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | “Grahovo: Nebojsa Prpa and tycoons are buying Councilors though bribe and promises”; Capljina: Monument to Croatian freedom will be revealed tomorrow” |
| Glas Srpski | Usage and pay out of farming loans: Peasants milked the banks; Sarajevo: Cursing at Cardinal |
| Nezavisne Novine | Over a thousand of medical staff protested in Banjaluka centre: Dragutin Ilic, Head of Republika Srpska Fund for Health Care, removed; The Hague Tribunal: Predrag Banovic pleaded guilty |
| Blic | Responsibility for citizens’ health; Joint command for Republika Srpska Army |
| Ljiljan | Front-page story: Cantonal Court for employment – inspectors went to conduct a control and employed their wives; Sulejman Tihic – there will be no RS until next election; Tufik Kec – I have documents to prove Jensen is lying |
| Slobodna Bosna | Ready for penitentiary |
| BH Dani | Holbrooke on BiH authorities – they are not nationalists, that’s a criminal gang |
Economic/ social issues | |
| OHR urges BiH Parliament to pass bill on Customs Administration, tax body
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Vote for state customs administration by July 1’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Urgent adoption of law on customs, taxes needed’, Dnevni List front and page 3, by M.R., “Ashdown: Your decision on customs will directly influence future of BiH”, Nezavisne Novine, page 5, ‘Ashdown warned Republika Srpska MPs’ of importance of the Law on VAT’- The High Representative is calling on the BiH Parliament to adopt the Interim Law on Merging the Customs Administrations and creating the Indirect Tax Authority under urgent procedure at the sessions of House of Representatives on Friday, 27 June and the House of Peoples on Monday, 30 June. The High Representative said in interview yesterday: “This is the test for BiH authorities to prove its commitment towards the reforms and to lead the country into Europe”, according to OHR Spokesman Vedran Persic. “This is an exceptionally important moment for RS, for BiH and for your future. If BiH doesn’t pass this law, it will send the message to the world, which is still prepared to help, that we are not serious when it comes to implementing necessary reforms,” the High Representative Paddy Ashdown emphasized. |
| RSNA on Interim Customs, Tax Law
| Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘Safe box go to their owners’ – One of the conclusions passed at Wednesday night Republika Srpska National Assembly session is that the RSNA obligated Legal and legislative Board to review the enactment of the Interim Law on unification of the customs administration and indirect tax administration. The Board should then deliver results and its proposals to the Parliament. |
| BiH CoM on Vc corridor construction | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Bosmal close to the concession for highway construction’, Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 2 ‘Highway through BiH in five years’, Dnevni List front and page 5, by E. Mackic, “Bosmal is building high-way through BiH for 2,5 billion Euros” , FENA – Bosmal, a Bosnian-Malaysian company, initiated the possibility of building the entire 330 km of the 5C Corridor from Sava to the Adriatic based on a concession agreement. Bosmal proposes a one-year period for preparation work and another four years for the construction of the entire highway. An additional year is also requested for the event that not all work is completed in this period. If the concession agreement goes ahead (the concession would be proposed without a tender) the “Design, Build, Manage and Transfer” system would be used. The transfer segment means that that the entire highway infrastructure would be transferred to BiH for management after the agreement expires. The BiH Council of Ministers discussed this and several other possibilities for the construction of the 5C Corridor at a session in Sarajevo Thursday. At this phase the initiative has been described as acceptable, BiH Traffic and Communications Minister Branko Dokic said. Its adoption gives Bosmal the opportunity to show in the first four months its financial potential and credibility for participation in this project. “They propose that in the first four months after the adoption of the initiative they ensure 300 million Euro in one of the banks or bank consortiums, which will probably be established, for the development of the feasibility study, other studies and projects. In the event that these funds are ensured then the preparation of elements for the concession agreement would start”, Dokic said. In the meantime the BiH Council of Ministers needs to establish a BiH commission for concessions. Bosmal estimates that the construction of the 5C Corridor through BiH would cost approx 2,5 billion Euro, but Dokic said that approx 3,5 billion Euro would be a more precise figure. Bosmal proposes a concession of 40 years. BiH law allows a concession of 30 years, or up to 50 years under special circumstances. It the concession goes ahead its length will be determined at negotiations. |
| Lukavac workers’ protest | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 11 – After 4 hours of blockade on the main roads and Tuzla-Doboj road, several hundred workers from the Koksara company in Lukavac have stopped their protests. They reached an agreement with representatives of Tuzla Canton government and company management that they will be paid by middle of next week one, out of a total of 12 backlog salaries. The workers have also requested to be informed on the status of contract with company Kemocomplex from Germany. |
| Banja Luka medical workers’ strike | BHTV 1, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 7 ‘1,500 mediacl workers protested’, Vecernje Novosti pg. 3 ‘Strike in Clinical Centre’; Blic pg. 9 ‘Time for payment comes’ – About 1,500 health workers have held peaceful demonstrations in the streets of Banja Luka on Thursday, expressing their displeasure over the fact that numerous problems from the health sector have still not been resolved. They gathered in front of the RS Government, claiming that one month since they have been in strike the responsible institutions have failed to solve at least some of their requests. Representatives of the strikers’ board and Health Union presented Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, with their requests. At the today’s session RS Government adopted action plan for solving problems in the health sector, but did not adopt protocol and requests of the strikers’ board of the Banja Luka Clinical Centre. |
| Director of RS Health Insurance Fund removed | RTRS – Director of RS Pension and Health Insurance Fund Dragutin Ilic has been dismissed by RS Government. He was found responsible for neglecting of health professionals and failures detected by auditor commission. Ranko Krsman has been appointed acting director. Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 3, ‘Dragutin Ilic, Head of Republika Srpska Fund for Health Care, removed’; Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘We had enough promises’ also report on the medial workers protests and removal of Ilic. |
| Government offers discount on old debts of 750 million KM | FTV, Oslobodjenje front page, pg. 5 ‘Government offers discount on old debts of 750 million KM’ – The BiH Federation is considering a possibility to abolish a moratorium on wartime debts (in unpaid taxes, customs duties and social contributions) at the same time offering the companies to pay them with a discount, in instalments or in products. |
| Farming reform in RS | Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Peasants milked the banks’ – Although nobody knows for certain how many cattle is there in the Republika Srpska presently, it is known that since beginning of 1998 by end of 2001 the amount of KM 30 million in foreign investments and donations was used for the implementation of farming reform and replacement of agricultural machines. It is also known that these resources should be paid out, in order to provide resources for further allocation of loans to farmers in the Republika Srpska. Unfortunately, the majority of farmers ignore this obligation of theirs. |
| Krsmanovic on Republika Srpska Tax Administration | Nezavisne Novine, page 7, ‘Finance Minister demands audit into reports of the Republika Srpska Tax Administration’ – Although the Republika Srpska Minister of Finance, Branko Krsmanovic, claims that he ordered a thorough investigation be conducted in the dispute between Veljko Djukic, tax inspector, and |
| Fruktona sold for KM 25 thousand’ | Nezavisne Novine, page 13, ‘Fruktona sold for KM 25 thousand’; Glas Srpske, page 4, ‘Pepsi remains in Banjaluka’ – Republika Srpska Directorate for Privatisation yesterday signed the contract on the sale of 51.09% of state owned capital of the Banjaluka firm “Fruktona” with the Austrian Firm “Kreis Trade” from Innsbruck. The worth of the contract is KM 25 thousand. The contract was signed by Goran Skrbic, Director of the Republika Srpska Directorate for Privatisation, and Nedeljko Popovic, owner and Director of “Kreis Trade”. Skrbic stressed that the buyer has obligated that he would preserve the licence of the American firm “Pepsi”, which this Banjaluka firms holds for distribution and production of non-alcoholic drink in Republika Srpska. |
| DL: “I will destroy the G.I.P.I. so you won’t even have money for cigarettes!” | Dnevni list (front & page 5, by D.L.) carries the press release of the meat industry G.I.P.I from Citluk signed by its owner Pero Gagro: “The content of texts released by Zelimir Rebac, the director of the Customs Service, only proves that he has the pathological need to damage the reputation of G.I.P.I. meat industry, its workers and owners. Namely, Mr. Rebac knows perfectly what each of the journalists, upon order, asked people employed in G.I.P.I. and what answers they received. The conjugation of some media and Zelimir Rebac in his dirty intention is obvious. We do not avail of arguments of force as you do, but we avail of the force of the arguments. That’s why we refer to the High Representative in BiH, Paddy Ashdown, to do us honor to meet us in our firm together with his staff members, so that we can give them the substantiated denial of any slander at the expense of our firm”. |
| Eronet | ‘Seventh Day’ column by Senad Pecanin pg. 3 again deals with the Eronet issue. “The BiH CoM so far obviously have had no strength to resist pressures for legalization of several years of Eronet’s illegal activities and criminal-like issuing of the third license. But, the strategy of showing the problems under the carpet has to come to an end. And if in the end Terzic does not have the strength to do as his colleagues from the Macedonian government did, then the only thing more stupid then nodding his head before the most obvious robbery of the state is to do that without pocketing a few million Euro. That way at least he would know why he became an accomplice in serious crime.” |
Crimes/ fight against organised crime | |
| EU blacklist
| BHTV – Even though the EU will announce the list of individuals who will be banned from entering the EU countries tomorrow or in the next few days, the sources close to BHTV 1 today confirmed some of the names. In addition to Sasa Karadzic, the list includes some senior officials in our country. Out of the total of 100 individuals from the Balkans who will be penalized by the EU, 25 are from BiH. The so-called black list definitely includes Aleksandar Karadzic, son of the former president of the RS and the most-wanted Hague tribunal indictee, Radovan Karadzic, as well as Milenko Vracar, former finance minister of the RS in the government of Mladen Ivanic, currently director of New Banja Luka Bank. “The list will be expanded. We hope that we shall be in a position tomorrow or in a few days’ time to announce the list of individuals targeted by the ban from entering the EU countries,” said an EU spokesperson. BHTV has learnt that the names of RS NA Speaker Dragan Kalinic and MP Milan Ninkovic will not be on the list, and neither will be the name of Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije Radovic, who has often be accused of offering shelter to the Hague tribunal indictees. However, the media house has been told that one of the leaders of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and MP in the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Hasan Cengic, could be on the list. “If the name of Hasan Cengic is on the list after all, the reason will not be any of those mentioned in the decision, but it will simply be the continuation of attempts to eliminate SDA representatives who have contributed to the defence of BiH,” SDA Vice-president Seada Palavric told BHTV 1. Part of the job related to the EU list was carried out by the OHR. It seems that the EU countries will be out of bounds for some current and former politicians, war profiteers who are respected business people today, as well as religious leaders. Croat Radio Herceg Bosna also said the blacklist would be completed and announced soon. Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘The Karadzics cannot go to Europe’ – The newspaper learns that Radovan Karadzic’s wife Ljiljana Zelen Karadzic, his son Aleksandar and daughter Sonja will formally be banned from entering EU countries. Blic pg. 2 ‘They can check whether I hide Karadzic’ – Commenting on the speculations he might be put on the EU blacklist, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amfilohije Radovic, who is being considered as one of key individuals within the Serb Orthodox Church that protect Radovan Karadzic, says that the media publishing such information know more then he himself. “If the Hague says that I protect Radovan Karadzic, they can come and check it by themselves. And if they find Karadzic in monastery Ostrog or Montenegrian Metropolitan See, then they can accuse me of protecting him,” Metropolitan Amfilohije says. BH Dani on pg. 23 editorial by Gojko Beric ‘Ashdown’s album of gangsters’ – the author thinks that not a day passes by without HR Ashdown announcing a death sentence to organized crime. However, preparations for the action have been taking too long, writes Beric. He mentions the US black list and asks how come America has problem with the local criminals and BiH does not. In the last paragraphs, Beric says that Ashdown keeps repeating like a parrot that criminals, not nationalists, mostly endanger BiH, which is usually the same thing. “When he arrived to Sarajevo over a year ago Ashdown maybe could not recognize all those characters, but today he can no longer be given benefit of doubt. He knows very well who ha accepted as partners on the road of reforms in the BiH society – he meets them every day, shakes hands and poses for pictures.” |
| BiH Trade Unions leader threatened after calls for revision of privatization process | BHTV – In BiH, it is possible even for the trade union chief to receive a threatening letter. It happened to Edhem Biber, who has been threatened with assassination unless he stops calling for the re-examination of the process of privatization. The Sarajevo Canton Interior Ministry says that it has taken appropriate steps to discover the perpetrators. But the fact that the trade union first forwarded the letter to the media and then to the police could have a negative impact on the course of the investigation. Even though the president of the BiH trade union has been quite vocal in his calls for the revision of the privatization process, it is still surprising that the letter was sent to him, since the trade union lost a lot of its influence in the post-war BiH. However, Edhem Biber says that behind the letter is a group of people who want to prevent the forthcoming process of the privatization re-examination. “Threats are probably coming from the same group of people who have felt threatened – let us put it that way – by the initiative. But it is certain that neither I nor anyone else in the trade union will give up on the initiative. We have started the process, and it will be completed,” said Biber. The crime squad of the Sarajevo Canton Interior Ministry has taken appropriate steps to discover the individuals who sent the letter. “Mr Biber has not asked the Interior Ministry for any kind of protection, neither for himself nor for his family. But if there is any need for something like that, the cantonal police will respond,” said a spokesperson for the Sarajevo Canton Interior Ministry. Although there is as yet no specific outcome of the investigation, the trade union and its president have said such threats will not stop their attempt to uncover the theft of the workers’ property. The trade union says that, along with the BiH Federation’s government, it will do everything for the law on the revision of the privatization to be adopted as soon as possible. Hopefully all instances of crime and corruption in the process of privatization will come to light following this. |
| Banovic pleads guilty | BHTV 1, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 4, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8, Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 4, ‘Predrag Banovic pleaded guilty for persecution’, Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘Banovic pleaded guilty’ – Predrag Banovic, indicted by the ICTY for crimes committed in Prijedor in 1992, has admitted he is guilty of persecution of non-Serbs during the war. In line with the deal he reached with the Prosecution, Banovic pleaded guilty to first count from the indictment – crimes against humanity, while the Prosecution dropped four other counts from the charge. |
| Trial of Milosevic | BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 7 ‘Izetbegovic again accused of selling Srebrenica’ – Former US Ambassador to Croatia, Peter Galbraith, continued his testimony in the Milosevic trial at The Hague on Thursday. Galbright said former Yugoslav President Milosevic in summer 1995 gave Kninska krajina over to Croatia believing he would be able to keep parts of Eastern Slavonia. Milosevic responded by saying Croatia attacked Knin with the approval and active support of the United States. Galbraith said: “Our position was that we neither opposed nor approved the Croat military action”. |
| Dragan Covic appeared as a witness before Mostar cantonal Court | BHTV, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Hearing of Dragan Covic on Eronet case postponed’, Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 5, ‘Dragan Covic questioned’ – According to sources in the Mostar Cantonal Court, a hearing of the BiH Presidency member, Dragan Covic, took place on Thursday. Covic is charged with several criminal acts. Though the agencies have reported Covic’s hearing was related to illegal transfer of ownership of the GSM operator Eronet from Hrvatski Telecom, BHTV1 received information that Covic appeared as witness only. However, according to BHTV1 sources hearing about his criminal responsibility in this case is not excluded since the BiH Federation Police Administration has filed criminal charges against Covic for his involvement in Eronet case. Vecernji List (pages 2 and 3, by Zoran Kresic, “Ones who are imputing should stand trial”), Slobodna Dalmacija (page 20, by Antonela Vlaho, “Another 4 persons are waiting for hearing”, and last page, by M. Skobic, “Dragan Covic was not heard”) and Dnevni List (front and page 3, by Ne. D., “Covic responded to court’s summon”) also carry that Croat member of the BiH Presidency Dragan Covic appeared yesterday before the Mostar Cantonal Court with regard to the Eronet case. Covic said that his first meeting with the investigative judge was formal and that he will give testimony on details related to the Eronet case on August 18, 2003. Covic also said: “As a member of the BiH Presidency I have an obligation that through respecting of the BiH institutions I show in this way that all these political games, that have been played around me during the last two years, truly do not have any sense. The ones who stand behind these back-stage political games should be in these institutions. I believe that this is the best way to show to what extent I am right.” The dailies carry that apart from Covic, Marinko Gilja, Vjekoslav Soljic and Matan Zaric were heard yesterday. |
| DL: “Belgrade prepares arrest of Mladic?” | Dnevni list (p 2, unsigned) carries a part of writing of Kurir which finds out from well-informed sources that the special units of Serbian police and the Unit for Special Operations are preparing the arrest of Ratko Mladic. Over the last month, Western intelligence services and the Hague officials gave Serbian police “very precise information” on Mladic’s movements on the territory of Serbia. According to the intelligence’s sources, DL quotes Kurir article, Mladic spends most of his time between west Serbia and Eastern RS, but he is mostly on the Serbian territory with his associates and supporters. |
| Pogorelica case | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 2, ‘The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Prosecutor’s Office waiting’ – Following the findings of the international court expert, Rohana Gunarte, on Pogorelica camp, which contains assessments that the camp was intended for training of terrorist actions, Prosecutor’s Office is to make a move. According to NN source at the Prosecutor’s Office of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zdravko Knezevic, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Chief Prosecutor, will not make any assessment as to whether the indictment would be brought or not, before the defence attorneys of the defendants present their views on the findings. Bakir Alispahic, Enver Mujezinovic, Irfan Ljevakovic, Ejup Ikic and Edhem Veladzic, accused of “espionage and organization of the terrorist camp at Pogorelica” all claim that the findings of the international court experts is wrong and ill-intended. |
| Vitez: Main base for trafficking in people | Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 2, ‘Vitez is an epicentre of trafficking in people in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ – Edin Vranj, Head of the Deportment for prevention of trafficking in people and drugs smuggling at the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Interior Ministry, stated that at the present time, Vitez is the most critical spot as far as the trafficking in people in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is concerned. According to him, “Vitez, and also Tuzla, are the most neuralgic in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is a large number of night bars in Vitez, where the victims of trafficking are placed. However, there is also a large number of participants and organisers of this criminal activity, who know legal procedures and gaps well. Accordingly, it is very hard to catch them or to file their crimes.” |
Defence reform | |
| Commission for Defence Reform session
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, RTRS – Commission for defence reform held its third session in Banja Luka on Thursday. Chairman of the Commission James Locher said they had intensive and very productive discussion. SFOR Commander William Ward joined the meeting and announced the outcome will be beneficial for all people in BiH. RS representatives approved the reforms but also insisted the RS Army should continue to exist. Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘Commission behind closed door’; Nezavisne Novine, page 7, ‘Defence reform is a course towards NATO’ – The BIH Defence Reform Commission yesterday discussed the defence reform, necessary pre-requisite for the BiH admission into Partnership for Peace. Milovan Stankovic, Republika Srpska Defence Minister, stated that the Document passed by Republika Srpska National Assembly “Bases for defence reform” anticipates that the final outcome of reforms must reflect existence of the Republika Srpska Army and structure of defence system in accordance with the BiH Constitutions. James Locher, Commission President, expressed great satisfaction over the so far work of the Commission. He also expressed hope that the Commission will pass some concrete creative ideas, in the light of the preparations for the upcoming meeting, which should be held in Germany from 30 June to 4 July. |
| Paravac says defence reform possible without constitutional changes | SRNA – The chairman of the BiH Presidency, Borislav Paravac, said this evening that the reform of the armies in BiH would take place without constitutional changes. “I believe that this reform can be carried out so that the armies remain in the jurisdiction of the entities, and that their joint activities are necessary in just three spheres: in the defence of the sovereignty and integrity of BiH, if the army needs to intervene in case of natural disaster, and in units for peacekeeping missions abroad,” Paravac told Bijeljina-based BN TV. He pointed out that in his contacts with the international representatives so far he had not got an impression that the Army of the RS should be disbanded, or that the BiH Constitution should be amended. “I think that the current BiH constitution includes stipulations which can satisfy the needs of BiH and its entities when it comes to reforms, and I also believe that, as far as the army reform is concerned, there is no need for new defence ministries because the Standing Committee for Military Matters is implementing the reform successfully,” Paravac said. |
Political developments | |
| Chairman of BiH Presidency insists on resolving border dispute with Croatia
| FTV, RTRS, SRNA, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8, Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘Border for misunderstanding’, Dnevni List page 2, by Fena, “Issue of border between BiH and Croatia should be resolved completely” – Chairman of the BiH Presidency Borislav Paravac will be insisting that the authorized ministries and the BiH Committee for Borders resolve completely, rather than partially, the matter of BiH’s border with Croatia in Kostajnica. After meeting with Kostajnica’s municipality leadership, Paravac told SRNA that this should be of equal interest for BiH and Croatia, as resolving border disputes was a condition for EU integration. The reason for Paravac’s visit to Kostajnica was the municipality’s leadership concerns over Croatia’s one-sided proposal to dig up the Uncica canal on the right side of the river Una, which would create a physical barrier to where the state border should be marked. In this way 30 hectares of land including infrastructure, a stadium and a Napoleonic fortress would be inside Croatia. At the same time, this would create many problems for Kostajnica as it would lose access to the river Una and would be unable adequately to relocate the main road from the town centre. |
| Ashdown in BBC Hard Talk
| Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘New constitution will be written by BiH citizens’ – “The new BiH Constitution will not be written in the air-force basis or luxurious palaces somewhere in Europe. It will be written by the people of BiH,” said High Representative Paddy Ashdown in the BBC Hard Talk. |
| Rotation in BiH Presidency | Glas Srpske, page 3, ‘Covic is the Chairperson’; Nezavisne Novine, page 3, ‘Covic to take over duty today’, Oslobodjenje, Dnevni Avaz – Dragan Covic, Croat member of BiH Presidency, will on Friday take over the duty of the Chairperson of the BiH Presidency from Borislav Paravac. |
| Interview with Croat member of BiH Presidency Dragan Covic | Vecernji List (front page, “We are taking over responsibility” and page 3, “BiH in Partnership for Peace next year”, by Zoran Kresic) carries an interview with Croat member of the BiH Presidency Dragan Covic, who is to take over position of a Chairman of the BiH Presidency on Friday. Covic says: “I subjected everything to reforms, first of all, the reform of armed forces, strengthening of the diplomatic network and its reconstruction. The basic tasks on which I will place an accent in the next 8 months are attempts to stabilize economy of BiH. First of all, it will be focused on strengthening and creating of an atmosphere for foreign investment in BiH.” Asked whether there is strength and will to make Dayton 2, Covic says: “I believe that in the next year or a year and a half these processes will be started. I believe that we shall find strength for the solutions that will be nationally balanced and that will meet interests of three constituent and sovereign BiH peoples.” |
| Ljiljan interview with Tihic | LJILJAN on pgs. 19 – 22 carries an interview with Bosniak presidency member Sulejman Tihic. On Pope’s visit – that it was smth special and differed from welcoming other statesmen considering the role of Vatican and Pope. As for RS officials attacking Bishop Komarica following his statement during Pope’s visit, Tihic said he was disappointed with their reaction because Komarica was right. Asked about his lawsuit for the change of the RS’s name, Tihic said that this request was rightful considering the number of cases at The Hague against war criminals from the RS. “It’s foundation are over 500 mass graves, 8,000 killed Srebrenica people, hundreds of concentration camps and hundreds of inmates.” The army reform – said he was advocating single army, single civil command under the collective BiH Presidency, single HQ and single ministry. Added that unfortunately this process, as many others, has taken the path of many compromises and that might lead to ‘solutions’ that would not really solve the problem. |
| HNC Ministers | Retelling already published reactions to the outcome of the OHR vetting of the 3 Ministers in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Slobodna Dalmacija (last page, “HDZ taken by surprise by the decision”, by M. Landeka) carries that the decision on Goran Bilic and Kemal Isakovic was made by the OHR Mostar, whereas the one on Zeljko Raguz in the Ministry of Interior (N.B. This is obviously journalist’s mistake as Mr. Bilic was appointed in MoI and Mr. Raguz in the Ministry of Education) was made by the OHR HQ in Sarajevo. Reporting on the press conference by the SDA, Dnevni List (p 5, “The Proposition of New Candidates for Ministers Coming Soon”, unsigned) quotes the party Vice-president, Seada Palavric as saying that the SDA will nominate the new candidate for the post of the Minister of Justice and Local Self-Government in the HNC Government by Monday. “Although we are surprised by the fact that Isakovic did not receive the OHR’s consent, we will respect the request for submitting the name of a new candidate, because it is in our interest too to do it as soon as possible”, she added. Sarajevo media also reported on the issue. BH Dani ‘Bosanski Barometer’ column pg. 6 marked one of the latest moves by the OHR (failing to issue approval for three Herzegovina-Neretva Canton government ministers) with two black dots – meaning a terrible move. The last sentences of the article read that what surprises the most is the cynicism of OHR when appealing for new three candidates to be elected ‘who will not be persons with incriminating past and will be ready to fully implement the reforms’, after they (OHR) did everything to win over SDA ‘reformists’ to capitulate in favor of equally ‘reformist’ ambitious of the HDZ. |
| DL: Interview with SDHR Gerhard Enver Schroembgens on Mostar | Dnevni list (front page & p 7, “Mostar Commission must raise the level of its meetings and speed up the work”, by Miso Relota) carries an interview with the Senior Deputy High Representative (SDHR) Gerhard Enver Schroembgens, which is entirely dedicated to the issue of Mostar and the work of the Commission that is tasked to draft the new Statue of the city. SDHR explains that, apart from delivering the 8 principles, i.e. the guidelines for the Commission’s work, the OHR also delivered the way of their interpretations. Asked if the OHR gives suggestions to the Commission’s work, SDHR says that the Commission was founded by the BiH politicians, primarily the ones from Mostar, from different levels of authority. In light of taking responsibility, it is clear the Commission itself must define its method of work. As for the issue of national interest in other towns in BiH, Travnik for instance, SDHR refers to Principle No. 8 which clearly says that there must be institutional mechanisms which can protect the vital national interest of all the peoples and how to fulfill such a principle is exactly what the job and the goal of the Mostar Commission are. SDHR added the Mostar City Council is waiting for the Draft Statute in order to debate it. Yet, in light of the deadline (end of July), SDHR believes the Commission will have to raise the level of its meetings and speed up the work since the issues the Commission is dealing with are extremely complicated. “If the Commission keeps to the Principles presented, we will congratulate them on their work with pleasure”, SDHR concludes. In an inset, DL carries all the 8 OHR Principles. |
| SB: The increase of salaries in the BiH Parliament will cost taxpayers additional 7 million KM | Slobodna Bosna pgs. 5 – 7 entitled ‘The increase of salaries in the BiH Parliament will cost taxpayers additional 7 million KM’ by Asim Metiljevic – the recent ‘semi-illegal increase of salaries by reps in both houses of parliament, as the magazine describes it, will cost BiH tax payers approximately additional 7 million KM. According to a document the magazine managed to get a hold of, 43 out of 57 reps will get the pay increase (all professional reps). The magazine points out that despite warning they were violating the law, reps proceeded with the adoption of the decision. Reps Jusufovic (SBiH) and Mustafa Pamuk (SBiH) explained the increase was necessary in order to ‘protect the dignity of the Parliament’, while Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) and Jozo Krizanovic (SDP) voted against the decision. According tot eh magazine, the most tragic fact is that the increase comes when everyone keeps warning that BiH has one of the most expensive administrations in Europe that exhaust most of the state budget. |
| SB: Avaz again supported Ashdown to its detriment | ‘Avaz again supported Ashdown to its detriment’ Slobodna Bosna pg. 13 and 14 – in the ‘MINI MARKET’ column gives an example of the Sarajevo daily supporting HR Paddy Ashdown even when to its detriment. A few weeks ago the daily shot a series of articles attacking ‘Bosnalijek’ company and its Director Edin Arslanagic. However, during the same week, Arslanagic was in Avaz in the ‘Personality of the Day’ column where they portrayed him as a businessman who thinks about export and the Bosnalijek as a shine example of successful business dealing. The only thing that changed in those few days, reads the article, is that the company was visited by HR Ashdown during which he praised the company’s work. |
| Holbrooke’s interview for Dani | DANI pg. 30, 31 and 32 by Jasna Hasovic-Jelisic – an interview with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Said BiH was not ready yet to join the EU due to several reasons, some of them being the responsibility of forces who signed the DPA and never fully implemented it. As for total forgiveness, the kind that Pope called on, requests further actions, think Holbrooke. One of actions would be to fully defeat ultra-national parties such as the SDS, then defeat Mafia in places like Mostar and problems related to Kosovo and Montenegro that had to be taken care of. On the Election law, Holbrook said it was devised after the DPA and has a major fault as it’s structured to give nationalists too many chances to win at ethnically based elections. Repeated once again his idea of abolishing the SDS. |
Other issues | |
| A person insulting Cardinal Puljic, Bishop Komarica arrested
| Slobodna Dalmacija (p 5, “Cardinal Puljic and Bishop Komarica called names and spitted on”, by Zlatko Tulic) reports that on Wednesday evening, around 19:15 o’clock, at the time of the celebration of the Croatian Statehood Day in Sarajevo, Cardinal Puljic and Bishop Komarica, as well as an American citizen who was in their company, were called names and spitted on in a public place. While they were driving in a car, an unknown person got close to them in Lada Samara vehicle, licence plate No. 673-K-399, and uttered insults against them and against the Catholic Church. The incident, which took place in Novo Sarajevo, has been reported to the police. The Lada Samara is owned by Nedzad Kustura but it is not known if he was driving it that night. Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Verbal insulting of Cardinal Puljic, Bishop Komarica’ – According to the newspaper, Faruk Emirhafizovic was detained and heard by the Sarajevo polive over the incident. Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Cursing at Cardinal’; Nezavisne Novine, pages 1 & 7, ‘Detained for provocation of Cardinal Puljic” also reported on the incident. |
| International Helsinki Federation concerns over safety of Euro Blic’s journalist | Blic pg. 7 ‘We will monitor this case’ – The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights based in Vienna expressed concern on Thursday over the safety of Euro Blic journalist Tijana Veselinovic, especially following information that the police are deliberately violating the law in order to pressure her to reveal the source she used for her article published in the newspapers on Wednesday. The International Helsinki Federation stressed that journalists must not be intimidated or pressured when they are informing the public about event of public importance. “The International Helsinki Federation will continue to monitor this case and will inform BiH and RS authorities, as well as the international community in BiH about its worries,” a statement signed by The International Helsinki Federation Executive Director Aaron Rhodes reads. |