29.05.2005

OHR BiH Media Round-up, 29/5/2005

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RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs)

TV PINK (18,00 hrs)

BHT 1 (19,00 hrs)

Decisions of BIH CC

Becirbasic on defence reform

Italy denies Gotovina arrest

RS parties to meet in Kozara

NATO meeting in Ljubljana

NATO meeting in Ljubljana

Law on high education

Conference on human trafficking

Becirbasic on defence reform

Becirbasic on defence reform

Feature story on lungs cancer

RS parties in sessions/police reform

 

NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs)

FTV (19,30 hrs)

RTRS (19,30 hrs)

EUFOR action in SBC

Three men killed in car accident

Car accident epilogue

World News

FTV cameraman attacked in Zenica

RS parties to meet in Mrakovica

Face to Face with HR Ashdown

Brcko District procurement issue

NGO’s on police reform

Regional News

RS parties to meet in Kozara

Becirbasic on defence reform

 

Oslobodjenje

BiH Deputy Defense Minister Becirbasic: BiH has greater ambitions than is the accession to PfP itself

Dnevni Avaz

Struggle for top HDZ BiH post: Can Ljubic defeat Dragan Covic

Dnevni List

Mostar: A woman suffers brucellosis

Vecernji List

Hajduk wins Croatian soccer league

Nezavisne Novine

Traffic accident near Vitez: Three brothers died

 

Political Developments/Reforms

BiH Deputy Defence Minister Becirbasic says BiH must form professional armed forces under NATO standards

 

 

BHT, RHB, Pink, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 3 ‘BiH has greater ambitions than is the accession to PfP itself’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Defense Ministries and Armies’ powers will be transferred from the Entities to the state’, Dnevni List ‘Common training of military units’, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 Aim is to  form armed forces controlled from the state level’- BiH Deputy Defence Minister Enes Becirbasic said that strengthening of command and control over BiH armed forces and defence institutions, including the transfer of jurisdiction from the entities to the state, are some of key steps that are to be made in defence reform in the coming period. According to Becirbasic, BiH needs to form professional armed forces that are structured, equipped and trained under NATO standards and economically sustainable. Becirbasic was speaking on defence reform at Saturday’s panel of the Congress of Bosniak Intellectuals Council in Sarajevo.

Ashdown to announce his further actions on Tuesday; HDZ’s Colak comments on HR

 

RHB – HR Paddy Ashdown stated that he would announce the measures that he will undertake by the end of the year on Tuesday. Ashdown took over his duty on 27th of May 2002 and HDZ BIH Chairman Barisa Colak said that the work of previous HR’s as well as the current one had been largely marked by dismissal of BIH officials without any procedure. Colak also stated that, on the other hand, many reforms had been initiated directly by OHR, which was good.

Hayat Face to Face: Editor Hadzifejzovic versus HR Ashdown

 

TV Hayat Senad Hadzifejzovic – As Senad Hadzifejzovic said, guests of Face to Face were the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown and himself. At the beginning of their talks, Hadzifejzovic said that in December, 2004, according to the CD survey, 3.800 citizens supported the HR’s work, while last Saturday, the number decreased to only 108 citizens, and asked the HR whether he was worried by that fact. The HR said that he did not believe in surveys conducted in that way, and added that he doubted the accuracy of such surveys. “It is not my job to be popular, but to get things done. I have been here for three years. We have done a tremendous job to build the state, and of course we have made some persons unhappy, and of course I take it seriously”, said the HR. “Of course, there are persons who do not support the work I have done in past three years. When you are working in a state in which three people who fought each other, are trying to build a state, it is natural not to meet all nations’ needs. After three years of solid work here, in which we have created all ingredients of the states, we have started solving the issue of criminal nets in the state”, said the HR. Hadzifejzovic pointed out that he would like all the Cantons and entities to be abolished, but that it seemed as if it was never going to happen. “RS is not going to abolished, and I will tell you why; it is a part of the Dayton Agreement and my job is to implement and protect the Dayton”, said the HR. “Whole Europe, Brussels, smart people, politicians, your chiefs say that the Dayton is a mistake and that Brussels BiH should be created. It seems as if someone is lying here”, said Hadzifejzovic. “No one said that the Dayton was a mistake. You cannot have peace without Dayton. If you want to abolish RS and FBiH, and maybe you should, it is something you have to do. I cannot do that for you. I thought you understood this. International Community (IC) cannot do that for you”, said the HR. “IC can, if it wants to abolish RS, almost over a night”, claims Hadzifejzovic. Hadzifejzovic said that BiH citizens saw no aim, no one had offered any political program to BiH, neither IC nor the HR, and added that BiH wondered aimlessly. “I do not understand why you want to paint such an extraordinary black picture of your state. Since I have come here, single judicial system, single legislative system, BiH Council of Ministers without rotating Prime Minister position, military forces under state control, single taxation system, united custom services, has been created… you are in front of the European doors and that is a phenomenal achievement. In the last year, economy has developed faster and stronger than in any other Balkan state; industrial production in FBiH has increased by ¼ in the last year, poverty rate dropped from 20 % to 17 %; foreign direct investments have gone up 25 %; export from BiH has gone up by 25 %… I agree that ordinary people still see no results of all the achieved… ”, said the HR. “For 16 years, since I am performing this duty, news editor, I have been reporting on the same topics… But this kind of nationalism and dissatisfaction has not been seen ever, even not before the war in BiH”, said Hadzifejzovic. “I do not believe that you are doing any good to this state by painting such a black picture. Of course I understand your impatience, but the progress you have achieved in last 10 years is amazing…you have asked me what I am planning to do in next 6 months. I am leaving by the end of the year and it is very important to make a good plan, and that is what I am going to do on Tuesday. If RS decides to continue police reform and if BiH heads towards Europe, I want to start transferring OHR authorities to local BiH institutions”, said the HR. “We want you to make this state the most normal and to stop experimenting”, said Hadzifejzovic. “But you should do that. You have to joint the Europe”, said the HR. On being asked why he had not removed Minister Branko Dokic, Ashdown said “I told Dokic that unless he submitted his resignation, I would have to remove him. Dokic is doing a major conference next week, and it would damage BiH if he resigns before the conference. I expect him to do that after he comes back”. At the end Ashdown pointed out that BiH could not join EU thorough OHR and that BiH politicians had to start doing something about the issue. “You have to start creating the environment of trust, not to constantly destroy that”, said the HR. In terms or RS Director, Dragomir Andan’s claims on Madrid terrorist attacks being prepared in BiH, the HR said that the claims were being investigated, and that he was going to conduct certain measures after having all facts investigated. In terms of RS National Assembly session, which is to take place on Monday, the HR said that he hoped that RS politicians were going to bring right decision and to continue talks on police reform. At the end, Hadzifejzovic pointed out that an ordinary person saw no future, young people were leaving BiH and that politicians were doing nothing to change that. “That is your job. I cannot …I came here three years ago and said that we were doing to do two things; create jobs and justice. Who would say, three years ago, that we are going to create institutions, powerful enough, bring presidents of state at courts of justice… but we have managed to do that. I agree with you that ordinary people cannot yet see any differences, but it takes time. You job is to criticise, but sometimes you should present good news as well. The reason why young people were leaving may be the fact that media does not present any good news at all. It is ridiculous that I had to promote BiH tourism abroad. Why have not you done that, why media does not do that”, asked the HR.

RS political parties in sessions in order to decide on final positions regarding police reform; leaders to meet in Mrakovica on Sunday

 

BHT Tanja Alavuk – Almost all political parties in the RS have their Main Boards session on Saturday and Sunday, in order to come up with final positions on the police reform, reports BHT. Final agreement between RS parties on this issue should be made on Sunday at the meeting in Mrakovica, before RS National Assembly session scheduled for Monday. The International Community does not give up on three principles set by the European Commission regarding police reform. “I want to say that there are still some issues that is impossible to agree on, and we will decide on that on Monday,” said SNSD representative, Nebojsa Radmanovic. “No one can expect constitutional changes without political consensus. Until Constitution is changed, we can’t act in any other way in the RS NA than in accordance with Constitution,” said Head of SDS Caucus in the RS NA, Borislav Bojic. RS National Assembly voted in December last year against reforms that foresees creation of police regions without respecting entities’ borders. “RS NA adopted political frame that made impossible to implement comprehensive police reform. BiH needs single police in accordance with EU standards,” said Head of SDA Caucus in the RS NA, Tarik Sadovic.

FTV Nadja Ridzic – Meeting of RS political parties, scheduled for Saturday on mountain Kozara, is delayed until Sunday. At this meeting, RS parties will try to find political solution for police reform, which will be discussed at the RS National Assembly session scheduled for Monday.  Some participants in the negotiations on police reform that were held on mountain Vlasic believe that the meeting on Kozara is only attempt to buy time. “There in no doubt that responsible are those parties who created such opinion that, if police reform is implemented, that would mean abolishment of the RS. This is significant decrease of the RS powers, but thin doesn’t mean that there will be not the RS anymore,” said one of the participants in the negotiations on Vlasic, Kresimir Zubak. FTV reports that many sees imposing as the only solution for police reform to be implemented. “It is indisputable that the RS could face the consequences, through suspension of international assistance in reconstruction, financial assistance, etc. It seems that such sanctions are the only solution,” said Zubak.

Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Discussion on police reform in Mrakovica’ also announced Sunday’s meeting of RS political leaders on police reform in Mrakovica.

Dnevni Avaz on upcoming HDZ BiH Convention: Can Ljubic defeat Dragan Covic?

 

Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Can Ljubic defeat Dragan Covic’, pg 4 ‘Covic lost HDZ Presidency’s support’ – Ahead of the HDZ BiH Convention scheduled for June 4 in Mostar, Drgan Covic has started so far unseen lobbying inside the party for his nomination for the top HDZ post, learn the daily. The well-informed sources, however, claim that Covic does not enjoy support in the party to the extent he is claiming to enjoy. On the other side, his counter-candidate Bozo Ljubic has ensured a significant number of votes in the field.  

SDA, HDZ, SDS believe Ashdown’s message re national parties does not refer to them

 

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Dzaferovic: This message cannot refer to us’ – Commenting on a HR Paddy Ashdown’s statement (in interview for ONASA) that the national political parties in BiH must reform if they want to survive on the political scene, SDA Vice-president Sefik Dzaferovic says that this message cannot in any case refer to his party. Representatives of HDZ BiH (Martin Raguz) and SDS (Nenad Misic) also do not recognise their parties in this message claiming that they have already reformed from exclusively national to the democratic parties.

 

Legal Proceedings

BiH Constitutional Court orders for information to be provided on missing persons

 

RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Entity’s Government ordered to provide information on missing persons’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘To provide information on missing persons urgently’  – BIH Constitutional Court tasked FBIH and RS Governments to submit information to the appealers on the members of their families missing during the war in BIH. CoM FBIH, RS and Brcko District Government are in charge for the implementation of this decision. This decision was made due to many appeals from organisations and associations that are looking for missing persons as well as many individuals. BIH CC rejected the appeal of Nikola Spiric for evaluation of constitutionality regarding the law on change of the town name Duvno to Tomislavgrad as well as the name of town Hrvatska BIla. It also declined the request for evaluation of constitutionality regarding several decisions made by Sarajevo City assembly on change of names of bridges, squares, streets and parks in Sarajevo .

 

Economic/Social Issues

Banja Luka-Gradiska highway interrupted over unresolved property issues

 

Pink Ljubisa Davidovic – Construction of the highway Banjaluka – Gradiska could be interrupted in the next 15 days, due to unsolved property issues and legal relations regarding the last 2 kilometres long section. If this problem is not to be solved, the construction of the longest and the most expensive section of this highway will not be finished until August 2006. In that case the credit of World Bank for construction of the remaining part of this highway and the whole project would be brought into question.