OHR BiH Media Round-up, 28/8/2005

NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs)

FTV (19,30 hrs)

RTRS (19,30 hrs)

Story on M. Masic

100^th anniversary of Trade Union

Seized bombs in Zagreb from BIH

General Collective Contract for FBiH

SDS agreed on defence reform

SDS on police reform

Union representatives in CoM

Explosion in Mostar

International day of Missing Persons

Union’s ceremony in RS on Sunday

Indictment against school principal

RS PoW on Serbs killings in Gorazde

Oslobodjenje

The lowest salary amounting 308 KM

Dnevni Avaz

Deadlines must be met

Dnevni List

Ljubicic will not testify against general Blaskic

Vecernji List

A boy living with rats

Nezavisne Novine

Smail Ganic’s family terrorising residents of Gornje Zimce village near Visoko

Political Developments/Reforms

SDS to support defence reform, still not agree to all police reform solutions

BHT Zorica Lolic – At Friday’s meeting of SDS Main Board, this political party decided to support the defence reform platform. This means that the transfer of defence authorities from entity to state level could be approved by RS National Assembly, where SDS is the majority party. At Saturday’s press conference, SDS stated, regarding the police reform, that they support the attempts of negotiation team to find a solution that is protecting the interests of RS. (Nezavisne Novine pg 3 also reported on the issue). However, SDS didn’t specify these interests, which means that police region maps with police regions crossing the entity border might be accepted. RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic stated that the negotiation teams are discussing this issue. “If we do not agree the crossing of entity borders now, we should definitely leave it up to future generations to reconsider this issue”, said Bukejlovic. After latest session of negotiations on police reform, media speculated on possible postponing of discussion on police regions for the next year.

RTRS Sinisa Mihailovic, FTV carried the same report- SDS stated that they will support the police reform model on the suggestion of Police Reform Commission since it will benefit RS. SDS said that the issue of defence reform is closely related to the issue of the police reform. Reporter ironically noted that SDS did not say what would be the benefit for RS if accepted the police reform adding that defence reform will be finished when RS NA at the session on Tuesday supports the abolishment of Entities’ Ministries of Defence (MoD) and transfer of authorities to the State level. Regarding the defence reform, PDP stated that many issues were left to Bosniaks adding that PDP will request the status of RS Army Property to be defined. RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic said that the negotiating team needs to come up with a solution for police reform adding that “if we fail to reach an agreement on issues of regions and crossing the entity borders nowadays, we should leave it for the coming generations to deal with it”. Bukejlovic’s team had proposed the solution for the police reform at the meeting in Hutovo Blato and it will be discussed again on Bjelasnica. RTRS found out that the aim is to prolong the negotiations on the police regions and crossings of entity borders since other principles are not the problem. On the other hand, SNSD claims that these are incomplete outcomes issued by RS President Dragan Cavic, Bosniak Member of BIH Presidency Sulejman Tihic and Chairman of BIH council of Minister Adnan Terzic. Nikola Spiric from SNSD stated that “we are for the reforms but if organised like this it is definite that SNSD will not support the police reform”. PDP expressed dissatisfaction with the organisation of the police reforms claiming that they were not informed on the proposed solutions regarding the police reform. Leader of PDP Mladen Ivanic stated “it is evident that International Community counts on the combination of SDS and SNSD. They pressurize SDS expecting SNSD to support it and if they do they will have the majority. Than they will have to take the full responsibility over their decisions before the RS”. Tihomir Gligoric from SP RS stated that nothing contrary to the conclusions of the institution can be adopted since it is against the BIH and RS Constitution. OHR stated that for them is relevant that all leading political parties contribute to the negotiations on police reform. Reporter noted that OHR eavesdropped the Friday’s SDS Main Board session adding that SDS would be considered as a main culprit if the police reform negotiations failed. Spokesperson to OHR Oleg Milisic stated that OHR never speculates on their succeeding moves. Bukejlovic said that sanctions will not be imposed adding that “with any solution reached now BIH can start the negotiations for Euro-Atlantic integration”. Reporter noted that the peak of police reform negotiations is approaching and that the RS Constitution, so important before, is now in a shadow of political events and vote trading. He concluded that adoption of defence reform will open the door ajar for Constitutional changes while police reform will throw it wide-open.  

Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘SDS to vote for abolishment of RS Defence Ministry’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2, Dnevni List pg 4 also reported that SDS accepted the defence reform solutions.

DRC Co-chair Gregorian: Deadlines must be met

Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Deadlines must be met’, pg 2 ‘Up today’s implementation of defence reform is promising’ – In an interview with the daily, BiH Defence Reform Commission Co-chair Raffi Gregorian said that at the meeting with top RS officials including Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic last week he had got assurances the proposed defence reform solutions would be passed at Monday’s session of the RS Government and delivered to the RS National Assembly for adoption on Tuesday. 

PDP’s Ivanic believes establishment of joint SDS-SNSD position on police reform possible; PDP not to be obstacle to defence reform

BHT – PDP President Mladen Ivanic believes that an agreement on police reform between SDS and SNSD could be possible. “The international community, and especially part of OHR, are pushing a new for of coalition. They obviously count on SDS and SNSD support regarding the police reform. They obviously don’t count on PDP”, said Ivanic.

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘PDP will not be an obstacle’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 – PDP said on Saturday they would not be an obstacle to faster BiH’s accession to Partnership for Peace and NATO.

SPRS to support defence reform, says two police reform principles acceptable but maps must be in line with Constitution 

BHT, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Police areas in line with Constitution’ – SPRS party believes that the police region maps should be agreed now. Tihomir Gligoric from SPRS stated that the two basic police reform principles are acceptable. He emphasized that, when discussing the police regions maps, the negotiators should make sure that the final solution is in accordance with RS and BiH Constitution. Talks on police reform will continue next week on the mountain of Bjelasnica near Sarajevo.

Bukejlovic expects crucial reforms in BIH to be completed by the end of September

RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Talks will be completed within deadline’ – RS PM Pero Bukejlovic stated on Saturday in the course of his visit to Bijeljina that he expects reforms in BIH to be finished by the end of September in order that BIH can start the negotiations on Association and Stabilisation Agreement with EU and apply for NATO membership. He added that he counts on the understanding by other involved parties.

War Crimes

SCG to call on ICTY indictees to surrender

BHT Boris Grubesic – SCG Minister of Defence Prvoslav Davinic stated that he is going to ask the SCG Supreme Council of Defence to call on all ICTY indictees to surrender. Davinic emphasized that all war crime indictees must be tried.

Head of Belgrade NGO Kandic will present new videos of Scorpions

BHT – Head of Humanitarian Law Fund Natasa Kandicwill present new videos of “Scorpions” to Serbian judiciary institutions. The videos present piece of evidence for war crimes committed in Cazinska Krajina BiH. These videos prove that the “Scorpions” unit was fighting on the side of rebel Fikret Abdic. As Kondic confirmed, the videos also

showed order of Milorad Lukovic Legija and Slobodan Medic Boca to kill prisoners.

Hayat – Director of Fund for Humanitarian Right, Natasa Kandic has denied that she owns one more tape with shots of execution of Bosniaks from Srebrenica and explained that Fund has a tape of a shot paid action in Krajina, where members of “Scorpions”, RS Army, Serb Voluntarily Guard and forces of Fikret Abdic lead the fight against the BiH Army’s Fifth Corps. 

Still no official confirmation of Zelenovic’s arrestment

BHT – ICTY and RS Ministry of Interior still didn’t officially confirm that war crime indictee Dragan Zelenovic has been arrested in Russia. According to unofficial information, RS Police Director Dragomir Andan went to Russia in order to agree details on Zelenovic’s extradition with Serbian and Russian authorities. Bakira Hasecic from “Association of Women-Victims of War” stated that the speculations on Zelenovic’s arrestment are part of political game. She confirmed that the members of Association are willing to testify in all trials against war crime indictees, but only at BiH Court or ICTY.

Pink, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 – Russian Ambassador to BiH also could not confirm apprehension of Zelenovic.

DL: Ljubicic will not testify against general Blaskic

Dnevni List cover page, pg 3 ‘Ljubicic will not testify against general Blaskic’ – The ICTY Prosecution has officially lodged a complaint agsint the verdict to HVO wartime commander, general Tihomir Blasikic. Pasko Ljubicic, who has been frequently mentioned as a potential witness in retrial of Blaskic before ICTY, according to his lawyer, does not even think about it. 

Economic/Social Issues

100^th anniversary of Trade Union, Collective Contract signed

BHT Angela Cvitanovic – At the celebration ceremony of 100^th anniversary of Trade Union, FBiH Government, Association of Employers and Trade Union signed the new Collective Contract. This Contract will equalize the right of employees in private and public sector. The Contract also defines the minimum salary now amounting 308 KM. As President of Association of Independent Trade Unions Edhem Biber stated, this Contract will remove the possibilities for avoiding the payment of contributions, which will be a great benefit not just for workers, but also for the state. President of Association of Employers BiH Tomislav Grizelj stated that this contract would force all employers to pay the contribution for their employees. He also invited the authorities to decrease the contribution payments. Trade Unions in BiH hope for establishing of Economic Social Council for dialogue with public sector.

Pink, Hayat, FTV,  Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘The lowest salary amounting 308 KM’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4, Dnevni List pg 2, Vecernji List pg 3, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 also covered the issue.

NN commentary: Bulldozer stuck in government’s drawers

Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Bulldozer stuck in government’s drawers’ Mirza Cubro – The Bulldozer Commission has spent in the past nine month some KM 100,000 as not a single out of 50 foreseen measures for improvement of business environment has been realized, the author quoted Commission’s Coordinator Alija Remzo basic as saying. The entire project, according to the article, has been blocked ever since it had been taken over from OHR by the BiH Association of Employers.  

Judiciary

HJPC Chair Peric: Lozancic pardoned Prce in an inappropriate way

Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Lozancic pardoned Prce in an inappropriate way’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 – The BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) considers as inappropriate the way in which FBiH President Niko Lozancic pardoned formers FBiH Defence Minister Miroslav Prce. “The pardoning as an institution/legal means must exist but it must not be misused,” said HJPC President Branko Peric in an interview with ONASA news agency.