Headlines in Print Media |
Dnevni Avaz: Instruction by Minister Hadziahmetovic – Export of military equipment banned; BiH Presidency members took an oath – They promised to work for the good of the entire BiH; Bahto released from custody; Campaign for the education reform – Ashdown says this country has large number of talents
Dnevni List: First constituting session of new composition of BiH Presidency: Mirko Sarovic, Chairman of BiH Presidency
Vecernji List: Affair “Orao” is spreading: Federation was arming Iraq?
Slobodna Dalmacija: Paddy Ashdown believes that sanctions can be avoided: React swiftly and decisively against RS!
Glas Srpski: Why is Lagumdzija keeping silent?; SFOR smokes without excise stamps
Nezavisne Novine: Inaugural session of BiH Presidency – Sarovic, Tihic and Covic promise reforms; Zlatko Lagumdzija: SDP supports Silajdzic as CoM Chair designate
FRY Nacional: Serb officers in the Hague by Wednesday: Action of arresting Mladic and Sljivancanin starts; Seselj: Saddam has not given me 7 but 700 million US$
Blic: Pressure on the RS due to ORAO affair continues; Gojko Savanovic: No joint curricula; A corpse of drug user found in a train in Brcko
Orao affair |
The consequences which the former and future authorities might have to face as a result of the problem with Orao (over alleged arms sales to Iraq) could be extremely negative for BiH. Because of violations of UN resolutions, Washington has sent final warnings to Banja Luka and Belgrade. The Bush administration has increased its pressure on the authorities in Belgrade and Banja Luka, urging an immediate and absolute halt to all military links with Baghdad and has called for legal measures against those responsible for the violation of the UN resolution. Following several months of futile diplomatic efforts and warnings about the possible consequences of future military links with Iraq, the State Department took concrete action in this field. Compromising reports about the authorities in Belgrade and Banja Luka are being circulated in the public, with announcements of urgent punitive measures unless the latest practice, which has been described as direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions, is brought to a halt immediately. The US warns that if the authorities in Belgrade and Banja Luka continue in future to turn a deaf ear to the requests for a total halt to the military links with Iraq, it could result in the initiation of a process before the Security Council and also US unilateral punitive measures against the governments and the responsible individuals in Yugoslavia and the Republika Srpska (BHTV 1, Monday’s prime time news at 1900)
BiH Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Minister Azra Hadziahmetovic issued on Monday an instruction on implementation of the Decision on the export and import of weapons and military equipment, this Ministry stated. The decision on Classification of Goods for Export and Import Regime went into effect on October 20 2002. The decision specifies that the BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations will give the final approval for weapons exports from BiH. The BiH State Border Service, entity authorities and Brcko District authorities were informed that the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations has still not issued a single approval for export or import of weapons. The Ministry stressed that urgent measures are required to ensure that not a single export of weapons and military equipment goes forward without the approval of this Ministry. All relevant state, entity and Brcko District authorities will be timely informed about the start of the process of giving approval for weapons exports. If any weapons exports took place after October 20 they were entirely illegal, the Ministry stated (BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz, p 2, Oslobodjenje, p 7, Glas Srpski, p 3, Nezavisne Novine, p 5).
“The Orao affair has strengthened the role being played by our protectors. It is absurd, but in this way the RS strengthens BiH as well and it should be supported in that,” Zija Dizdarevic wrote in an Oslobodjenje editorial: ”RS strengthens BiH”.
Slobodna Dalmacija (page 14, by Dino Mikulandra) carries an editorial saying that “the Orao affair in the RS is as made for disclosing of immoral hypocrisy of leaders of a new world order on the territory of the BiH colony, which is sovereign according to these leaders.” The editorial also carries that the author agrees that “BiH has to be cantonized according to the Swiss model, and that the RS should be dis-empowered, however, this is not the reason to applaud hypocritical slaps of Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, (the author qualifies him as a Lord Governor) who was shocked that somebody in BiH cooperates with the countries that violate the international rules”.
Following the Orao affair, the BiH Federation Defence Ministry will at an self-initiative check on the operation of eight companies belonging to the Entity’s military industry, Ferid Buljubasic, the Deputy Federation Defence Minister said in a statement for Oslobodjenje, (front page, p 7).
Vecernji List (front and pages 2 and 15, by Zdenko Jurilj) carries that Nebojsa Covic, a Vice President of the Serbian Government, claims that ‘Sarajevo factory “Unis” and factory for production of explosive devices “Vitezit” from Vitez were closely cooperating with Belgrade’s company “Yugoimport”, which seems to be the main mediator in the illegal business operations with Iraq.’ Also, the name of the Travnik’s factory of hydraulic materials “Bratstvo” was mentioned in this context. VL says that Managers of the aforementioned factories denied the aforementioned information. (Slobodna Dalmacija, page 6, carries the same)
Vecernji list (page 3) carries article which says that Head of OSCE Mission in BiH Ambassador Robert Beecroft warned that the trade with Iraq was not only related to old spare parts but also to sale of fuel for missiles. Permanent Council of OSCE should receive in-details report about this issue by the end of this week, says VL. The daily also says that at least two persons must had known about business activities of “ORAO” institute, i.e. Minister of Defense of the RS, Slobodan Bilic, and Head of HQ of the RS Army, general Novica Simic, who decided to travel to Burma in the time of investigations related to “ORAO”. Vecernji List (title: “Ashdown – Removals to follow”) also says that the High Representative Paddy Ashdown for the time being warns that it is too early to talk about names of those who will bear the consequences, but confirms that responsibility will be established, and removals will take place. The daily speculates that this might be related to Mirko Sarovic, new Chairman of BiH Presidency, for in his previous post of President of the RS, he was also the Commander in Chief of the RS Army.
Slobodna Dalmacija (front and page 14, by Fena/Srna) carries article which says that the High Representative Paddy Ashdown, expects the RS and Bosnia-Herzegovina authorities to act swiftly and decisively in order to avoid potential UN Security Council sanctions following the breaches of the UN embargo on export of military hardware to Iraq. “I fear that their action will be belated and inadequate because once the UN sanctions committee and US Congress become involved, we lose control and the outcome could be genuinely depressing for Bosnia-Herzegovina,” Ashdown stated. Asked about Jacques Klein’s statement in New York that “it was the will of the international community to allow the mujahadeens to stay in Bosnia-Herzegovina because this was the safest option for the whole world”, Ashdown reiterated that this was a security issue that came under the competence of the UN mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Nezavisne Novine, p 5, Glas Srpski, p 3, Blic, p 17).
This week’s edition of Reporter carries an extensive report about the Orao affair and the consequences that the RS will possibly face if the investigation into the case proves that the RS Government and RS authorities were either involved or knew about the illegal arms trade to Iraq. The authors of the article, Igor Gajic and Slobodan Durmanovic, write that the IC will not be satisfied with dismissals of small fish such as the three officials that the RS Government recently dismissed. They state that the OHR is under a lot of pressure to use its authorities to dismiss the RS officials responsible for this case. As the best candidates for dismissal the authors mention the RS Chief of Staff General Novica Simic and RS Defence Minister Slobodan Bilic. However, the magazine also mentions RS President Sarovic and RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic whose positions are seriously shaken with this affair.
Nezavisne Novine reports (p 4) that the Croatian police continued with search of the “Boka star” ship, which has been docked in the Rijeka port for the past seven days. Croatian Police and Interpol are trying to find out who made a delivery and where the shipment was supposed to end up. The Police stated it temporarily seized 14 containers in which they found explosive.
Inauguration of BiH Presidency/post-election coalitions |
Paraphrasing in Dnevni List the statements by the 3 new Presidency members (Sarovic: truthfulness to the Dayton Peace Agreement, in other words – not accepting any other internal structure of BiH except the current one; Tihic: respect for the BiH Constitution but, when deemed necessary, will advocate changes to it; Covic: will struggle for the implementation of the reforms plans and programmes presented by the HDZ-led Coalition during the pre-election campaign), Miso Relota comments that the common constant in the speeches of the three newly-elected BiH Presidency is the struggle for reforms and changes in BiH, as well as the support to the announced High Representative’s reforms. ‘They asked to be trusted so we will accordingly give them some time to fulfil what they have promised and will wish them luck. They will certainly need it.’
The chairman of the SDP BiH, Zlatko Lagumdzija, has said that the party would support Haris Silajdzic‘s nomination for the post of chairman of the Council of Ministers but only if a parliamentary majority adhering to the programme of a democratic alliance for reforms were to be formed (Oslobodjenje, p 8, Dnevni Avaz, p 8).
In their respective statements with Oslobodjenje (p 8), the SDP Vice-president, Sead Avdic, and General Secretary Miro Lazovic said that the party had not taken any official position regarding the possible support to Haris Silajdzic as the BiH prime minister designate, so that it was just about Lagumdzija’s private opinion.
Vecernji List (front and page 5 by Robert Bubalo) carries that the information saying that the time has come that Bosniaks overtake control over the Ministry of Finances and Ministry of Defense, have been coming lately from Party for BiH and SDA. VL also says that Safet Halilovic, the President of Party for BiH, even insists on it, although his party has not decided yet whether it will join the coalition HDZ and SDA. Halilovic claims that by changes in the areas of finances and defense, the issue of parallelism would be resolved. Barisa Colak, an acting HDZ President, stated that HDZ has not been discussing this issue yet. Colak believes that “talks on this issue should take place in a package, that is, the discussion on the distribution of positions within the Federation Government should take place at the same time as the discussion on the distribution of positions in the RS Government and the Council of Ministers”. Colak added: ” I can guarantee that Croats will not lose a single Ministry in terms of an unfavorable distribution, as it happened at the time when the Alliance was in power. At that time Croat got two very unattractive Ministries.”
Both Banja Luka papers report, Nezavisne Novine (p 2)and Glas Srpski (p 4), that the SDS and PDP together with some smaller parties secured parliamentary majority in the RS NA. The papers quote PDP official Goran Milojevic as saying that PDP has reached informal agreement with SDS and some other parties. Milojevic refused to say which parties agreed to join that coalition. The paper states that those smaller parties could be SRS, SPRS, DNS, DSRS, DPS, SNP and pensioners’ Party. However, the representatives of these parties told the papers that they did not reach any agreement.
The papers also quote SDS Spokesman Dusan Stojicic as saying that the coalition, made up of SDS, PDP and some other smaller parties, is almost a reality. He said that the SDS had negotiations with the ruling parties, but also with some smaller parties which entered the RS NA. “Certainly, it will be a stable and wide parliamentary majority made up of RS-based parties”, said Stojicic. (Nezavisne Novine p 2, Glas Srpski p 4, Blic, p 2)
Glas Srpski (p 4)and Nezavisne Novine (p 2),quote PDP Spokesman Igor Crnadak as saying that when it comes to post-election deals, the SDS’s offer was the best of all. According to Crnadak, SDS offered PDP the post of RS prime minister, the largest number of ministerial posts in RS government and the post of BiH foreign minister. He said that this is much better than Dodik’s offer, who only offered PDP 2 or 3 ministerial posts in RS government. (Blic, p 2, carries a statement by the PDP General Secretary, Nevenka Trifkovic, on the same issue)
SRNA News Agency quotes SNSD Chairman Milorad Dodik as saying that he does not treat seriously the announced SDS-PDP coalition. “SNSD expects PDP to make a decision regarding the post-election coalition that will change the current situation and definitely place SDS in opposition, because it is the best solution for the RS, especially given the latest developments in the RS”, said Dodik. According to him, the announcement on PDP-SDS coalition is nothing but a test balloon. Dodik said that the proposal on Partnership for changes and development is not designed to be “take or leave it” kind of offer and that all realistic demands of PDP will be built in that documents, if PDP decides to form the coalition with SNSD. “In order to continue with the negotiations we must have a clear decision by PDP. The most important thing is that we form a coalition that works, that is, the coalition of PDP, SNSD and other political parties, which can take the path of European integration”, said Dodik. (Blic, p 2, FRY Nacional, p 11)
Ognjen Tadic, Secretary General of the SRS, reiterated at a press conference yesterday that the SRS would not make a coalition wit the SDS. (Blic p 2, Nacional p 11)
In an interview for Vjesnik (page 3), BiH Cardinal Vinko Puljic asserts, in replying to a question as to the reasons for which national parties won the BiH elections again, that the issue has been blown so much out of proportion that it is becoming banal. “Had the International Community genuinely wanted to resolve the BiH issue, it would not have lead to this. Once the issue of equal rights is resolved and when there is no outvoting, the national issue will not come to the foreground any more. Each man needs assurances that it will not always be the stronger and the biggest in number one who is right. Then the election results will be different. The International Community will not accept this and that is why it causes what it attacks.”
Federation-related news |
A part of the recent High Representative’s decision related to the Law on the Federation Government, according to which the residence for the five entity ministries must be found in formal and technical way in Mostar, has been in the past days again actualized the old story about the removal of all Federation institutions from Sarajevo to Mostar, meaning about the establishment of Mostar as the Federation capital. It is about an idea initially launched almost six years ago by then HDZ BiH senior official and the current ProENS leader Jadranko Prlic. According to Oslobodjenje’s Senita Sehercehajic, the idea has been at least warmed up partly by the High Representative’s decision and partly by the election victory of the national political parties, primarily the HDZ, in the entity. (Oslobodjenje, pages 4-5, mentioned on the front page, Dnevni Avaz, p 10)
International community/OHR activities |
education reform. “I propose a vision for education reform that includes modern schools, where all parents and students have a voice, where teaching is as interactive as possible, and where students’ creativity, individuality, diversity, and special talents are encouraged and used to drive the learning process,” said Ambassador Robert M. Beecroft, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He spoke at one of six schools around BiH where the education campaign was launched, which is the Sarajevo-based Dzemaludin Causevic primary school. Ministers of education, principals of international organisations, school directors, students, teachers and parents participated in the launch, which took place in schools that have set a good example, introducing innovative techniques and promoting inclusive education. They have made a positive impact on children’s lives. As the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, noted, “the teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are already reforming the education system from inside. As these innovations spread, so too will their positive impact.” The education campaign It is envisaged that the campaign will last until early spring 2003. (Dnevni Avaz, p 3, mentioned on the front page – Ashdown: This country has a lot of talents, Oslobodjenje, p 3, Nezavisne Novine, p 7, Glas Srpski, p 4, Blic, p 7)
Glas Srpski also quotes RS Education Minister Gojko Savanovic as saying that at the PIC Steering Board meeting, scheduled to take place on November 21st in Brussels, a new education plan for BiH will be presented. According to him, the education reform does not imply imposition of joint curricula in the RS and BiH Federation. (Blic, p 7)
“After a decade of engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations mission is leaving at the end of this year. While the United Nations agencies will remain, the organization’s responsibilities for policing will be taken over by the European Union. History will look back on our engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the first faltering step toward a doctrine of international community,” the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, wrote in an article published in Monday’s New York Times (the article carried by Tuesday’s Dnevni Avaz, p 5, and a part by Oslobodjenje, p 3, Dnevni List, p 11)
Both Banja Luka dailies, Glas Srpski (p 5) and Nezavisne Novine (p 3), report that on Monday in Brcko SFOR arrested a person suspected of spying the facilities of the MND North. The paper quotes SFOR Spokesman Sean Mell as saying that one person has been taken to the Eagle base for questioning. Media earlier reported that SFOR arrested on Saturday a person named Sabahudin Fiuljanin, the man who, along with other 10 mujahedeen families, moved from Bocinja to Maoca near Brcko (Blic, p 7, Dnevni List, p 3 by B.Curkovic)
As FRY Nacional (p 3) learns from Serbian Ministry of Interior Affairs, Serbian Police in cooperation with certain “informal groups” has launched the action of arresting Ratko Mladic and Veselin Sljivancanin. On Friday evening Serbian Minister of Interior Affairs Dusan Mihajlovic held a meeting with the closest associates in order to make a plan for arresting of all from the Hague’s list who are on Serbian territory. Representatives of the Special Anti-terrorist Units refused to participate in the action. Instead, “an informal group” of war veterans, former or active soldiers and policemen will perform the action.
Headlines in Electronic Media |
- Constitute session of BiH Presidency held today in Sarajevo
- Session of the Supreme Defence Council in Banja Luka, where events regarding the Air Institute “Orao” in Bijeljina is being discussed
- Mourning day in Russia
FTV 1 (1930)
- Mirko Sarovic first Chairman of the new composition of BiH Presidency in 4-year mandate
- Panel of the FBiH Supreme Court revoked detention to 4 accused for smuggling of weapons to Kosovo
- Session of the Supreme Defence Council of RS in Banja Luka
- Prosecutor in case of Mladen Naletilic and Vinko Martinovic gave closing argument
RTRS (1930)
- New BiH Presidency has been established
- RS Supreme Defense Council holds session tonight in Banja Luka