| FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Zitoprerada affair | RS Government session |
| Strike in HN Canton | Strikes in RS |
| Conflict of interest | SFOR in Pale |
| Jokic pleads guilty | North Korea |
| Oslobodjenje | Children, secretaries, drivers with diplomatic passports |
| Dnevni Avaz | Mladen Ivanic: Agreement on Ambassadors to be reached in seven days |
| Dnevni List | HNC: Education workers go on general strike on September 1; Midhat Arifovic: We do not allow political pressures when it comes to paying debts of big debtors; Slezak: Hadzic is organizer of attacks on my property |
| Vecernji List | Nun attacked: Ashdown: I fear we will not succeed |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Glas Srpske | RS Ministry for Education and Culture: Professors to receive higher salaries; Department for prevention of illegal financial transactions: Individual suspected of money laundering detained |
| Nezavisne Novine | 30th Plum Fair opened in Gradacac: Agriculture – BiH development chance; Shooting in centre of Sarajevo: Young man killed before the eyes of the people walking by; Croatian authorities accepted RS initiative: Banja Luka and Zagreb discussing construction of a highway; Pale: SFOR sets check points; Economic Institute warning on dangers in the contract between Telekom and European Bank: Credit – a little carrot, privatisation – big stick |
| Blic | They threaten to bring cattle in front of the Government’s building; By frauds and money laundering they earned 29 million KM |
Political affairs | |
| SDHR Wnendt shocked at Bosnian mass grave scene as body count rises to 250
| RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8, Nezavisne Novine, pg.2 – ‘It is necessary to admit that crime happened for the sake of BiH future’, Glas Srpske, pg. 3 – ‘Warning for the future’, Oslobodjenje pg. 7, ONASA – Senior Deputy High Representative Werner Wnendt, who visited the mass grave Crni Vrh near Zvornik on Wednesday, said he was shocked with the scene he saw. “I never had an opportunity to see something like this, but, unfortunately, these things happen in the world,” Wnendt told reporters after touring the mass grave with Zvornik Municipality Head Stevo Savic. Wnendt stressed that it is necessary to “recognize the past events, in order to build the future in these grounds”. Savic referred the local administration pledges for affirmation of return, co-life and tolerance in the Zvornik area, warning that efforts must be made “so the truth could see the light”. “The mass grave Crni vrh is a horrible warning for all steps we will draw in politics in the future, aiming to secure a better and happier future,” Savic said. Public Prosecutor of the Tuzla Canton Mensur Topcic said that 250 mortal remains of Bosniak victims, killed in Zvornik in 1992 and Srebrenica in 1995, have been exhumed from the mass grave. The exhumations at Crni vrh began on July 28 and are expected to end within three weeks. In the course of the day, Wnendt also visited Janja, where he met with representatives of the Bosniak returnees to the area. |
| BiH Election Commission finds conflict of interest in 65 cases against officials | FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Conflict of interests in 65 cases’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4, Dnevni List p 3, “65 officials must resign”, not signed and Vecernji list p 2, “65 cases of conflict of interest”, by Fena – The BiH Election Commission has concluded that in all of the 65 complaints lodged against elected and appointed officials there is conflict of interest, breaking the Law on Conflict of Interest in the Institutions of Authority of BiH, the Commission announced on Wednesday. The persons against whom these complaints were submitted have been given a five-day deadline to submit resignations from their incompatible posts. The Election Commission recalls that September 14 is the final deadline for the submission of complaints based on suspicion of the possible violation of the Law on Conflict of Interests in all cases where such founded suspicion exists. The Election Commission will extend the final deadline. |
| SDP blames “ruling nationalists” for poor security situation in Sarajevo
| Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Security situation in Sarajevo worrying’, ONASA – An extraordinary session of the presidency of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) BiH took place in Sarajevo on Thursday evening, and it was attended by members of the presidency of cantonal organization of the SDP, chairmen of the SDP’s municipal boards, as well as by municipality heads coming from this party. The SDP presidency is concerned over the current security situation in Sarajevo, and it believes that the ruling parties have lead to this general atmosphere of insecurity and fear, using as inducement a number of terrorist attacks which occurred this month. The SDP claims that it is convinced the prosecutors, police and courts will professionally take necessary measures to discover the truth about the terrorizing of citizens of Sarajevo, and that they will punish the perpetrators and wire-pullers in accordance with the law. “The SDP BiH and its representatives and MPs in parliaments at all levels have a task not to allow that ruling nationalists and mafia-racketeering media trifle with the lives of citizens of Sarajevo and other BiH citizens, at the expense of legal institutions”, a SDP statement read. |
| Sarajevo Canton SDP sends open letter to Ashdown | Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Bitterness with raise of MP, Minister’s salaries’, Vecernji List page 3, by f, “MPs salaries immorally increased”, Dnevni List, page 6, “Stop the plunder of taxpayers”, FENA – The Social-Democratic Party (SDP) Sarajevo Canton Organisation is dismayed by the decision of the Selection and Appointments Commission in Sarajevo Canton to increase wages and flat rates of delegates and ministers in the Canton by 30 to 100 percent, this party stated in a letter sent to High Representative Paddy Ashdown. “This latest act of arrogance by the ruling SDA and Party for BiH and the squandering of the budget solely for their own benefit has forced us to request Your intervention in stopping the robbery of taxpayers. We request You to suspend conclusions of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly and the decision of the Selection and Appointments Commission increasing wages and flat rates of delegates and ministers in the canton by 30 to 100 percent”, was stated in the letter. Otherwise, SDP stated in the letter, we shall review at the next SDP Sarajevo Canton Board session our participation in the Cantonal Assembly and its working bodies because our further participation will be no more than collaboration in such activities despite the fact that we are voting against them. “In the event of such an outcome we shall request the SDP Main Board to pass a decision instructing SDP representatives to leave all parliaments in order not to participate in the adoption of such immoral decisions, even by voting against them”, SDP stated in a letter to Paddy Ashdown. |
| Paravac’s office on expenditures | Dnevni List (page 2, “Paravac and members of his office are not spendthrifts”) – the Head of Office of Serb member of BiH Presidency, Simo Bozalo, denies media speculations that Borislav Paravac and his associates have already spent this year’s budget by behaving i.e. spending the money irrationally. Bozalo notes that until present days a financial plan on expenditures has not been adopted asking on basis of what the claims of overspending appear. He also stresses the issue is about imputations, petty politics and manipulation. “There is no overspending of funds. It is about costs of funding of basic functions of the Office, organizational unit in Lukavica and Office in Banja Luka”, says Bozalo. Blic pg. 7 ‘Imputations and lies in the media’ also carried the statement. |
| Statement of Day: Ian Cliff | Dnevni List (page 2), “Statement of Day”: “It is difficult to teach people in BiH to look forward”, by Ian Cliff, the UK Ambassador to BiH. |
| Dnevni Avaz interview with Ivanic | Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 5 – In an interview with the newspaper, BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic announced that an agreement on the distribution of the ambassadorial posts should be reached within the Presidency in seven days. Ivanic also addressed the issues of new ways of evaluation of the employees in the Ministry, status of BiH in Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Vc corridor… |
| Oslobodjenje: Children, secretaries, drivers with diplomatic passports | Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5 ‘Children, secretaries, drivers with diplomatic passports’ – The newspaper claims that a large number of public officials and civil servants including parliamentarians, drivers and secretaries posses diplomatic passports contrary to the valid regulations. |
| DL on meeting between Dodik and Cavic | Dnevni List (p 10, “SNSD will not enter suspicious coalitions”, not signed), Oslobodjenje pg. 2 quote Milorad Dodik, the SNSD president, as saying for Bijeljina-based “BN” TV-station that, during his meeting with the Republika Srpska President, Dragan Cavic, on possible re-structuring of the RS political scene, Cavic told him there was a need to re-define relations between SDS and PDP. As for offers to SNSD, this party is not to enter “suspicious coalitions” and early elections in the RS and BiH are a priority for the SNSD. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Plum Fair opened in Gradacac
| BHTV, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 10, mentioned on the front page ‘Healthy food represents a chance for BiH’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 3, mentioned on the front page, FENA – BiH Presidency Chair Dragan Covic, High Representative Paddy Ashdown and FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic opened in Gradacac today the 30th International Agriculture and Food Industry Fair – the “Plum Fair”. The High Representative urged BiH authorities to do all that is necessary to remove bureaucratic obstacles preventing food producers in BiH to export their products. “My nightmare is that we might not be able to economically develop this country. We shall not do this with large companies such as the Zenica steel mill, but with small and medium companies”, Ashdown said and reminded that agricultural productions is the “initiating force” of economic development in BiH. BiH Presidency Chair Dragan Covic also called for the removal of obstacles for the export of food from BiH. He reminded that BiH’s trade deficit is enormous and that export covers import with only 25 percent. FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic announced new legal projects that would stimulate agricultural production in BiH. 130 exhibitors from Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Serbia-Montenegro, Croatia and Great Britain are taking part in the Plum Fair. Vecernji List front “I fear we will not succeed” and page 2 “Failure of economic renewal is my nightmare”, by D. Jazvic, Dnevni List, page 5, unsigned, “State obliged to give support to domestic companies”, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 4 – ‘Agriculture is the economic future of BiH’ also covered the issue. |
| HR Ashdown to chair Bjelasnica-Igman project session today | FENA – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, will chair the 6th session of the Bjelasnica-Igman Project session, at Bjelasnica on Thursday 28 August. Before the meeting, the High Representative and members of Bjelasnica-Igman Working Group will visit sites on Mount Igman and Mount Bjelasnica where activities relevant to the Project are taking place. |
| RS PM Mikerevic, PDHR Hays to visit Foca/Srbinje and Gorazde today | FENA – RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic and Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays will visit Foca/Srbinje and Gorazde on Thursday 28 August 2003. Prime Minister Mikerevic and Ambassador Hays will meet local-government officials and businesspeople and discuss the ways in which the BiH authorities’ commitment to cleaning up the business environment, re-launching the privatization process and boosting exports can have a positive impact on the economy of Eastern BiH. They will also be briefed on the activities of the Bulldozer Committee in the Upper Drina Region, and will discuss progress in inter-municipal cooperation – an indispensable element in current efforts to revive the Eastern BiH economy – with mayors from the region. |
| PDHR Hays in Land Registry Office in Sarajevo | Reporting on Wednesday’s visit of PDHR Donald Hays to the Land Registry Office in Sarajevo, Vecernji list (p 2, “Hays in the Land Registry Office in Sarajevo”, by Fena) and Dnevni list (p 3, “Application of new Law on Land Registry Offices as of November”, by E. Mackic) report that this is the first Land Registry Office introducing computerized data base system. All the Offices in BiH are to become modernized by the end of 2004 and the fact that they are currently unsystematic represents an obstacle to economic development and investments. PDHR Hays in quoted by DL as saying that this project will also contribute to reconstruction of courts. FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Electronic system will be usefull for courts as well’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 8- ‘Starting next year, it will be much easier to get land registry certificates also reported on the event. |
| BiH Farmers’ Association sends letter to Mikerevic | Blic pg. 6 ‘We will bring cattle in front of the Government’s building’ – The BiH Farmers’ Association on Wednesday sent a letter to RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic, asking him to help resolving problems in meat processing industry. The Farmers’ Association announced it would bring livestock they cannot sell in front of the RS Government’s building and warned to block the border crossing in Gradiska if the PM fails to meet them on Friday. The Association is embittered with the fact that the state has not defined legal basis for the export, while every day a huge quantity of meat, which is not of a good quality, is imported. |
| RS Chamber of Commerce – Elektroprivreda agreement | Blic pg. 6 – President of the RS Chamber of Commerce, Mladen Micic, and the director of Elektroprivreda RS, Pantelija Dakic, signed an agreement on re-programming RS companies’ debt to the electricity utility, according to which the companies may pay 10% of the old debt, and the rest of debt would be paid according to agreement between a company and electricity utility. The RS Chamber of Commerce also supports the positions of Bulldozer Commission according to which the entities’ governments need to stop obstructing the implementation of project ‘Energy 3’ and make a prices’ proposal. |
| Money laundering affair
| Glas Srpske, cover page- ‘Person involved in money laundering detained’- the daily reports that the Department for prevention of illegal financial transactions arrested Zeljko Manojlovic from Laktasi. Manojlovic is suspected of money laundering and according to the first findings, he managed to ‘launder’ 8,8 million KM in only two weeks. |
| Croatian authorities accept RS Initiative re highway construction | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3 – ‘Banja Luka and Zagreb to discuss construction of a highway’- the RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic stated yesterday that Croatian authorities are ready to participate in construction of the highway Banja Luka – Okucani. NN quote Mikerevic: ‘Mr. Mesic [Croatian President] and I have discussed this project in Athens. He expressed Croatian readiness to participate in the project, bearing in mind the importance of this highway for Croatia. The basic problem that we need to resolve is the location of the bridge over the river Sava.’ According to some estimates, the construction of the highway Banja Luka – Okucani would require 400 million dollars and would last for five years. According to Mikerevic, Italian investors expressed their interest in the project and the first delegation will come to the RS in September. As for the 5c corridor, Mikerevic said he believes that BiH Council of Ministers cannot make such a decision autonomously and that the RS institutions will be involved in decision making process. |
| RS Telekom Affair | Nezavisne Novine, pg.5 – ‘Credit is a little carrot, Privatisation is a big stick’- The Economic Institute from Banja Luka forwarded its analyses of the RS Telekom credit arrangement with EBRD to the company, warning that this arrangement is an attempt to link commercial credit with the privatisation process, which is not in line with law provisions. The Letter of intent signed in January 2002 by Minister Branko Dokic, on behalf of the RS Government and RS Telekom Director General, Zeljko Jungic, included the obligation to complete the privatisation of the RS Telekom by January 2004. Experts from the Economic Institute claim that with this paragraph, the EBRD set the clear deadline for privatisation and tender conditions, which should be done by the Government, not by Telekom. General assessment of the Economic Institute on the Telekom contract with EBRD is as follows: ’The contract is atypical and complex…in general, this credit is a little carrot and privatisation is the big stick.’ |
| RS Government discusses budget, pension | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 – ‘Report on execution of budget for the first six months accepted’, Glas Srpske, pg.3 – ‘December pensions bigger’ – dailies report that the RS Government, at the session held yesterday in Banja Luka, accepted the report on execution of the budget for first six months of 2003. The Government also accepted the Financial plan of the RS PIO Fund for 2003. According to the RS Government Spokesman, Goran Radivojac, the minimum pension in RS should reach 180 KM by the end of this year. Radivojac also said that the Director of the Health Insurance Fund and members of the Steering and Board of Governors will be appointed at the next session of the Government. |
| Zitoprerada affair | FTV – Zitoprerada workers continue with hunger strike despite the Court’s announcement on starting the legal process related to the company. The Canton Court in Bihac scheduled beginning of the process against Zitoprerada for September 15. Doctors and ombudsmen believe that the process should be accelerated because of poor health condition of strikers. President of the Court, however, underlines that the Court cannot process the case in a quicker manner. So far 34 strikers have been hospitalised as many of them refuse health assistance. FTV – Forcing of workers to act against their lives (hunger strike as suicidal behaviour) can be criminal act, so that Zitoprerada company and Una-Sana Canton Government may be held responsible in case of fatal outcome. Head of BiH Trade Unions Edhem Biber interpreted that according to the article 175 (of the Criminal Code), employer and Government may be tried for criminal act of inhumane treatment of workers if there are some serious injuries and death cases. Maximal penalty in such a case is up to 5 years in prison. |
| Interview with Director of FBiH Tax Administration Arifovic | In his interview to Dnevni List (front & p 9, “We do not allow political pressures when it comes to paying back of debts by big debtors”, by Erna Mackic), Midhat Arifovic, the FBiH Tax Administration Director, says that the total of collected public taxes in Cantons and municipalities for the period January-July 2003 is by 16% higher than in the same period last year. Speaking of political pressures in the context of postponement of payment of taxes by big debtors, he says there are none, nor has he ever allowed the pressures. As for the allegation that criminal charges are filed against him, Arifovic says he does not know what the FBiH Financial Police has done and that he only knows that disciplinary procedure has been initiated against the Head of the Branch Office and against Head of Tax Administration in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. |
Education | |
| OHR South on education reform
| Dnevni list (p 15, “Benes: We expect implementation of administrative changes by end of week”, by D. Kozina) and Slobodna Dalmacija (p 4, “Unification of Grammar Schools by Friday”, by Zoran Zekic) report that the OHR expressed satisfaction with the final version of instructions for administrative unification of schools received from Central Bosnia Canton, adding their implementation at municipal level was expected, according to OHR South Spokesperson Avis Benes. As for the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC), confirmation of the instructions issued by the Cantonal Ministry is expected by Friday in all Mostar municipalities. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Instructions expected to be implemented by the end of the week’, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Implementation (of the instructions) on the ground expected’ also carried the statement. |
| Cro press on education issues | Dnevni List (page 13, by Vesna Leto, “Announced strike unifies principals of Croat and Bosniak schools”) – it is worth to note that the HNC Minister of Education, Jago Musa, together with an “OSCE representative for education”, held a meeting with school principals of elementary and secondary schools in HNC. Minister Musa noted that this was the first time in ten years that school principals of schools that work according to the Croat and Bosniak curriculum meet each other. The same papers (front and page 13, “Education workers go on strike on September 1”, by Vesna Leto) reports that representatives of Unions of education workers, namely Josip Milic, Slavko Laus, Omer Spaho and Jasna Sunje, had a meeting with Minister Musa and his associates yesterday. According to Josip Milic, the (HNC) Government has nothing adequate to offer to the Unions stressing that the essence of the problem is the collective agreement. “Their constant excuse is filling of the budget. We are not interested in that”, says Milic adding that the Government should step down if it is incapable of filling the budget. Milic goes on to say that the Unions are being offered a general collective agreement which applies to all budget beneficiaries, but according to Milic, it is the branch collective agreement that matters and which the Unions insist on. Minister Musa is quoted as saying that the announced strike of education workers cannot go ahead because the procedural pre-requisites are not met. Slobodna Dalmacija (page 16, by Darko Juka, “Puppets in municipality”) – says that a decision on the unification of two Mostar grammar schools was not adopted by the Municipal Council of Mostar’s Municipality Southwest although the unification was to be carried out in accordance with instructions issued by the HNC PM, Miroslav Coric, and Education Minister Musa. According to Juka, it is clear that the OHR and OSCE originally ordered the HDZ top, namely Barisa Colak and Dragan Covic, to implement the decision, who passed on the order to “junior puppets”. Furthermore, Juka says that not even the Mostar Bishop, Ratko Peric, could influence the HDZ top. According to SD’s “reliable sources”, Bishop Peric warned Colak and Covic that in case that the unification takes place, the priests will from altars label them as traitors of the Croat people. |
War crimes/incidents | |
| SFOR ended operation in Pale
| RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘SFOR set up a check point also near the surgery of Radovan Karadzic’s wife’ – The American and Italian SFOR contingents continued on Wednesday operation in Pale, which was described as “a regular check with the aim of preventing anti-Dayton activities”. Sometime after 0600 in the morning, SFOR set up five checkpoints, as was done a day earlier, which each include soldiers and two vehicles. The checkpoints were set up outside the police station, at the crossroads near the building of the Centre for Public Security of Sarajevo, outside Kristal bank in the centre of town and near the surgery of Ljiljana Zelen Karadzic and the family home of her daughter Sonja. The operation ended around 1900. Vecernje Novosti pg. 3 ‘SFOR monitors the Karadzics’ also reported on the operation. |
| RS police still not informed about NATO forces’ operation in Pale | Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘Do not catch Karadzic during the Orthodox holiday (Velika Gospojina)’, Blic pg. 7 ‘SFOR again irritates Pale’s citizens’ – The spokesman for the Srpsko Sarajevo Public Security Centre, Miroslav Popara, has told journalists that the Centre had still not been officially informed about the international forces’ operation in Pale, this being the second day of SFOR’s operation to “prevent anti-Dayton activities”. “SFOR is carrying out its operation in the area, just like yesterday, while all we can do is register the operation,” Popara said on Wednesday, adding that he believes SFOR was acting in accordance with its mandate in BiH. Popara expects that there will be no unpleasantness at Wednesday’s “fife players, folklore and ethno-music fair” and Thursday’s patron saint’s day of the Pale municipality, “whose residents are used to SFOR’s presence”. However, the RS police has asked SFOR to reduce its presence and activities during the holidays. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2- ‘SFOR sets up check points in Pale’, Glas Srpske, pg.3 – ‘Patrols in the streets’ also covered the issue. |
| New UN SC’s resolution on war crimes | Dnevni List (page 5, by I. G., “Urgent surrender of Karadzic and Mladic requested”) – the daily reports that the UN security Council will most probably come up with a new resolution on Thursday which will “call on all states, especially Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, BiH and the Republika Srpska in BiH, to intensify the co-operation and give all the necessary help to the ICTY, especially by turning in Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic as well as Ante Gotovina and other indictees on the run to the ICTY”, reads the Draft resolution which is sponsored by the Great Britain. |
| Great Britain pushing for sanctions against Croatia? | According to Globus weekly from Zagreb (front page “London requests sanctions because of Gotovina” and pages 6 and 7 “London: Arrest Gotovina, or else…”, by Igor Alborghetti and Bisera Lusic) – claims that the British Government has given an ultimatum to the Croatian Government requesting the arrest of an ICTY indictee at large, General Ante Gotovina, otherwise the Great Britain will request before the UN Security Council that sanctions be imposed on Croatia. Globus also claims that that Tony Blair’s Government has been keeping Croatia under “silent sanctions”, for instance by refusing to ratify the Agreement on Stabilization and Accession. Vjesnik (page 3, by Jasna Zanic Nardini, “’Sensationalistic rigging’ on British blockade of Croatia”) – carries the Croatian Ambassador to UK, Josko Paro, as saying that in communications with the British Foreign Office, one could never get a feeling that the British diplomacy would advocate the sanctions adding that there are no tensions between Zagreb and London. The same article carries “a spokesperson of the British Foreign Office” who confirmed for the daily that the UK does not propose sanctions against Croatia, calling the claims as “nonsense”. Vecernji List (page 13, by Deana Knezevic, “UN resolution can block our road to EU”) – interview with the Croatian Foreign Minister, Tonino Picula, who says that the forthcoming resolution, which mentions Gotovina together with Mladic and Karadzic, and which was pushed by the UK, will not result in sanctions against Croatia, however Picula suspects the resolution could hamper Croatia’s efforts in joining the EU. (Dnevni List, page 17, by D. L., “PICULA: No talk of threats of sanctions”, Vjesnik, front page “Picula: There is no talk of sanctions against Croatia in UN resolution”) |
| Nun verbally attacked in Sarajevo | Vecernji List (front “Nun attacked” and page 3 “Nun attacked again”, by Ivica Pjanic) – reports that a nun, who works as an assistant in the Secretariat of the Bishops’ Conference of BiH, was verbally attacked and insulted at the Sarajevo marketplace “Markale” yesterday around 1230 hrs. Apparently, one of the sellers, seeing the nun wearing her habit, insulted her swearing Cardinal Puljic and saying other profanities. Also, coming back from the marketplace, another, this time a female seller, offered the nun flowers, and when she replied that she did not need any, the seller started cursing at her. VL notes the incidents occur only five days after the vandalism in Catholic and Orthodox cemeteries in Sarajevo. (Dnevni List, page 3, Nun insulted at Sarajevo marketplace Markale”, Slobodna Dalmacija, page 18, by kta, “They insulted nun and cardinal” and Vjesnik, page 10, by A. Z., “Attack on Catholic nun in Sarajevo”) Dnevni List (page 2, by Katarina Pehar, “Do not give yours, respect others’”) – the author notes that one can read about desecration of tombstones and even insults of clerics almost on daily basis and that data show that the number of Croats is decreasing. The reason behind the situation, the author sees in nationalism that has entered all pores of our society. “It is sad that majority of talks is being conducted with the help from the IC. What happens when the IC leaves these areas? Will we take arms again?”, asks the author. Sarajevo dailies also reported on the incident. |
| Apartment of Islamic priest in Trebinje attacked | Blic pg. 7 – A group of unidentified youngsters attacked the HQ of the Medzlis of the Islamic community in Trebinje, which is the apartment of the Trebinje Imam Husein Hodzic, on Tuesday night, breaking two windows – the Medzlis announced yesterday. The statement said that the young boys, who according to witnesses were inebriated, shouted “that is the Imam’s apartment”. The young boys fled the scene, and the entire incident was reported to the police who carried out an investigation. |
| Nezavisne Novine on threatening letter sent to Tihic
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3 – ‘Tihic gets better protection’- BiH Security Minister, Barisa Colak stated that the Ministry will undertake all necessary measures to protect Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic and to identify individuals who sent threatening letter to him yesterday. Threatening letter was signed by members of the Chicago based organisation ‘Gavrilo Princip’. The EUPM Spokesman, Jon Oscar Solnes told Nezavisne Novine that the investigation is the responsibility of local institutions. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Threats to Tihic show how much BiH needs SIPA’ also published an article on the issue. |
Legal developments | |
| HJPC appoints judges for RS Supreme Court | Nezavisne Novine, pg.2 – ‘Smiljana Mrsa and Zlatko Kulenovic – new judges’, Glas Srpske, pg.3 – ‘Judges appointed’ – both dailies report that the HJPC yesterday appointed Smiljana Mrsa and Zlatko Kulenovic for judges in the RS Supreme Court. |