| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Protest of Farmers | Protests of Farmers | Farmers’ Protests | RS Union on wages |
| RS Government Session | HDZ Presidency sessions | Miners’ strike | Downsizing Army & Police |
| Aluminij on electricity price | Issue on Defence Minister | HDZ Presidency session | Protest of Farmers |
| Stockholm conference | Mostar Conference | Transparency Intern. BiH | Statement of Political Will |
| Oslobodjenje | SDA prepared the plan to remove Miletic |
| Dnevni Avaz | European ‘YES’ turns into ‘NO’!; BiH Defence Minister: Terzic still waits parties to submit the name of the candidate |
| Dnevni List | Blockade: Farmers blocked Vinjani border crossing with Republic of Croatia |
| Vecernji List | Milk was flowing at border crossing yesterday; Mostar: Imposed Statute to be changed soon! |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Paddy Ashdown is rigging political process against Jelavic |
| Glas Srpske | Slobodan Rakulj on Stockholm Forum: Bosniaks in their own way; Prijedor: Strike at Heating Plant |
| Nezavisne Novine | Experts warn: 10 times more drug-addicts in three years; Adnan Terzic: Three new ministries at BiH Government |
| Blic | What did BiH Delegation do in Stockholm: Bosniaks lobbied, Serbs got angry; Fight against corruption by phone |
Economic and social issues | |
| BiH farmers block border crossing
| RTRS, RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Farmers ask for 100 million KM’, Dnevni List front, pg 5 ‘Blockade: Farmers blocked Vinjani border crossing with Republic of Croatia’, Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 15 ‘They poured cistern of milk at border crossing’, Jutarnji List pg 3 ‘Protesters blocked border crossing between BiH and Croatia near Grude’, Vecernji List front pg ‘ Milk was flowing at border crossing yesterday’, pg 3 ‘Nevertheless, streams of milk crossed border’ – Members of the BiH Farmers’ Association blocked a border crossing Gorica-Vinjani Donji in West Hercegovina Canton on Monday. Approximately 200 people in this way expressed their dissatisfaction with conditions of the Free Trade Agreement between BiH and Croatia, where the problems arise from the fact that the BiH authorities did not sign agreements on veterinary and sanitary protection that resulted in the BiH goods not allowed to get across the border, and a lack of financial support to BiH Farmers. Ranko Bakic, President of the Association, stated that they would organised another protest in 15 days unless their demands are fulfilled. “As announced we had protest of agriculture manufacturers at the border crossing Gorica-Vinjani Donji. The protest passed in tolerant atmosphere. We announced all our requests. Our goal was to inform both the public and BiH authorises on what has to be done so that agriculture production moves towards right direction. There are two important requests. First request is 100 Million KM of assistance from entity budget in order to increase competitiveness of domestic products to the level of [products] from the countries that signed Free Trade Agreement with us. Second request is to enable export of agriculture products from BiH to the same countries. Next protest will be at Izacici, Raci, Zvornik and Brcko District. We plan to hold main protest on 1 April, when approximately 200 hundreds farmers would come at borders crossings”- said Bakic. BHTV 1 – Protests were supported by the Association of Private Manufactures and their representative Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic said that BiH looses hundreds of thousands KM and that Free Trade Agreements have to be revised. FTV – FTV journalists have tried to get in contact with BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Dragan Doko, who was blamed by the farmers for current situation, however the answer from his cabinet was that Minister has been out of town and there has been no possibility to contact him or get a statement, even in writing. |
| Aluminij Syndicate says company will pay 27,9 euros/MWh | FTV, RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘For a MWh 27,9 euros’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Ready to pay average price of 27,9 euros/MWh’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 6 ‘Higher electricity price destroys Aluminij’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Ready to pay average price amounting to 27,9 Euros’, Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Elektroprivredas are violating HR’s decision’ – Mostar company Aluminij is ready to comply with the Decision of the High Representative and pay an average electricity price of 27,9 euros/MWh. Statement by the Independent Aluminij Trade Unions also calls upon the FBiH Government – as the 100% owner of Elektroprivreda BiH and Elektroprivreda HZ HB – to state clearly whether the Aluminij will be supplied with electricity under the tariff system and whether it will comply with the HR’s Decision. Union also demands a long-term contract on electricity supply should be concluded, rather than month-to-month contracts as presently offered to the Aluminij by both Elektroprivredas. “In the recent days both Elektroprivredas have been offering electricity to the Aluminij at unacceptable prices, which no aluminium producer in the world could sustain. At the same time Elektroprivreda BiH is selling electricity to the foreign corporation EFT, which in turn offers this electricity to the Elektroprivreda HZ H-B at higher prices. This electricity is supposed to end up in the Aluminij. Since in his Decision the High Representative clearly points out that electricity cannot be exported until the obligations inside the country have been satisfied, this is a drastic example of the violation of HR’s Decision by the management of the Elektroprivrede BiH.” – reads the statement by the Independent Aluminij Trade Unions. |
| DA on the last meeting on Aluminij | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘BiH must import the electricity for Aluminij’ – Article refers to the latest meeting on the Aluminij, attended by the FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic, his deputy Dragan Vrankic, directors of the Elektroprivreda BiH and HZHB Enver Kreso and Vlado Maric, and Aluminij director Mijo Brajkovic. According to Avaz’s source, director Maric said at the meeting that the electricity supplies have not yet been regulated as Aluminij refuses to sign the agreement and warned that soon they would have exclude the company from the delivery. PM Hadzipasic answered that Aluminij must not be shoot down, and that the solutions must be found. Director of Elektroprivreda BiH Enver Kreso stated: “Two Elektroprivredas act like two companies in two different states. The law OHR imposed is good, but I am intimidated of its application. We have surplus of energy… Questionable issue is a price.” |
| Work wages in RS | RTRS, BHTV 1, Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Budget salaries in RS at minimum wage of BAM 68’, ‘Salaries paid according to minimum wage of BAM 82’ – Budget users in RS will receive their January’s wages according to minimal price of work of KM82, as it was agreed with IMF- said in the RS Independent Union. However, RS Government said that this price has not jet been implemented. . “What is characteristic in that decision is a fact that it will start applying to all budget users from the moment they harmonise price of labour for purpose of calculation of salaries. Until that happen we will use model of 68 KM plus 20%”- said by Goran Radivojac, Spokesperson for the RS Government. He stated that Budget users have not agreed on coefficient in last 3 months and that RS Government is working on creation of new Law on Salaries in public sector of RS. President of RS Independent Union Cedo Volas on the other hand claims that this price has been agreed with RS Government and that no one can change it now. RS Government say that there were some overdue payments to the workers and that January’s wages will be calculated by minimal price of work to be 68 KM and additional 20% of late payments and this will stay until law on wages is not passed. |
| Miners from Sanski Mostar on strike | FTV, BHTV 1 – Thirty six workers of the coal-mine Kamengrad, company near Sanski Most, commenced with the strike on Monday morning, over 37 overdue salaries and uncompleted privatisation of this mine, which before the war employed over 1000 people. Because of inability to solving problems, miners will probably start with hunger strike. According to Union President Izet Hodzic, unless their demands fulfilled miners will block the roads if their demands are not fulfilled. |
| BHTV 1 feature on Mostar International Investment Conference | BHTV 1- Representatives of over forty countries have announced taking part in the International Investment Conference to be held on 26and 27 February in Mostar. The majority of BiH projects, which will be presented at the conference, were already submitted to the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA). Current foreign investments in BiH and changes to the laws, directed at easing business, will also be presented at the conference. “Generally speaking, it is about the companies that look for a partner or have an idea as to how to start a production; or about the companies that already employ but they need additional means to raise the level of production, expand the company or to improve it”, says FIPA Director Mirza Hajric. The conference will also be attended by a number of states delegations. “For example, Croatia will be represented by the President of the Government and the State President, and of course a number of businessmen. From Serbia and Montenegro, we expect the State President, as well from Macedonia, Albania. There are countries from Islamic World which will come, especially those which are a little bit further, what sends affirmative messages, which will come by airplanes, so we will have strong and numerous delegations of businessmen”, says Chairman of BiH Presidency Dragan Covic. Few of the contracts to be signed in Mostar were already prepared. |
| Kukic writes to Ashdown on Hercegovacka Bank | Dnevni List pg 9 ‘Supplemented story on international Mafia in BiH!?’, Nezavisne Novine pg 7 ‘A letter to Paddy Ashdown’ by S. Kukic – Both dailies carry carries a letter that professor Slavo Kukic [former chair of HT Mostar Supervisory Board] sent to the High Representative Paddy Ashdown, regarding the article published in Dnevni List on January 26 which reported that the Hercegovacka Banka Provisional Administrator, Toby Robinson, and her expert James Milne (former Head of Finances in CRA) are taking actions whose legality and ethic value is questionable. Kukic is surprised by the fact that neither Robinson nor Milne reacted against this article and for this reason he believes that, perhaps, DL had good sources and correct information in that article. Kukic says that he is addressing the HR through press because he is afraid that his letter might end up in the basket even before the HR sees it, but also because of the fact that Robinson and Milne are a part of the international administration in BiH and thus the HR is directly or indirectly responsible for their actions. Kukic says it is the HR’s obligation to check the media reports and inform public about them. |
| Concession Commission to be appointed | RHB – BiH Transport and Communications Ministry will submit a list of candidates for the members of Concession Commission to the Council of Ministers. Minister Branko Dokic explained further that CoM will consider short listed candidates stated. Proposed list should be presented to BiH Parliamentary Assembly for adoption. He also stated that the Ministry also requested from Paddy Ashdown, High Representative, to appoint one candidate. |
Defence and security issues | |
| RSNA adopts demobilisation of soldiers and reduction of police
| RHB, FTV, BHTV 1, RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Soldiers and policemen at ease!’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Dismissals for 2200 soldiers and 621 policemen in RS’, FENA, SRNA – The RS Government on Monday adopted the decision on demobilization of soldiers and reducing the number of employees in police, also tasking RS Defence Ministry and RS Inteior Ministry to, by the end of February, prepare the lists of 2.200 soldiers, i.e. 621 police officers, who will be laid off in line with the reforms in these fields. According to the statement by the RS Government Press Office, the funds for paying of compensations have been insured by the RS Budget for 2004 from the succession funds, while the manner of distributing them is defined by the programme for accommodating of fired persons from the RS defence system and the Criteria for determining the surplus workers – police officers in MoI, which was accepted by the Government. It only |
| Update to BiH Defence Minister issue | BHTV 1 – Agreement between the ruling parties regarding the appointment of the first state Defence Ministers is expected to be reached by the end of this week. Parties from RS would agree with Bosniak representative on hold the position, however under the condition to keep the number of state Ministries to nine, meaning that the Civilian Affairs Ministry and Ministry for Refuges, DPs and Human Rights would merge. However, this solution is unacceptable for Bosniak’s representatives, which said that number of Ministries should be increased and not decreased. Deadline for establishment of the BiH Defence Ministry is 15 February, and is one of the main conditions which would enable BiH join the Partnership for Peace, and consequently NATO. Blic pg 13 ‘SDS: We have a candidate for the BiH Minister of Defense’ – SDS Bijeljina Municipal Board President, Cvijetin Nikic, stated at a press conference that his party had a quality candidate for the position of the Defense Minister, other than the previously mentioned candidate Dragan Kapetina. Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘HDZ will re-examine the position of Ahmet Hadzipasic’ – Following the session of HDZ Presidency, FBiH President and HDZ Vice President Niko Lozancic said that HDZ did not discuss the issue of BiH Defence Minister position. |
| Oslobodjenje: SDA plans to remove Miletic | Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 7 ‘SDA prepares plan to dismiss Zlatko Miletic’ – Daily claims that “following the series of unsuccessful trials to remove director of FBiH Police Administration Zlatko Miletic”, HDZ and SDA decided to remove him changing the obligatory nationality of the police’s leader [SDA has expressed readiness to ‘give’ the position to HDZ, and in return would have Bosniak to perform the duty of FBiH Defence Minister]. Article reads that the campaign lead on the alleged unequal representation of Bosniaks in police [and judiciary] in the past several months has also been lead with the same reason, while “the real information on the Bosniak representation show that 59.7% of employees in FMoI Administration are Bosniaks.” |
| DA in with Ashdown, on intelligence, BH Defence Minister and SIPA | Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘European ‘YES’ turns into ‘NO’!’, pg 5 ‘At this moment, we are certainly on the way towards failure’ – The High Representative Paddy Ashdown, in an interview to DA, warned over the problems with the implementation of reforms, especially those concerning the State Information and Protection Agency, BiH Intelligence Service and defence. In that context, he specifically underlines the problem of the obstructions coming from RS: “Dayton is very clear about this… There is no legal ground for entities to control intelligence service… If politicians from RS say that Dayton protects them, than they have to be aware the it would be utterly inappropriate for them to be seen as the obstacle to the Dayton provisions which are for the benefit of the state. And in the case of intelligence service, Dayton is very clear and it would not be wise to oppose to it.” Regarding the appointment of the BiH Defence Minister, Ashdown said that “we have less than two weeks to solve it, and the politicians still ramble in the dark not knowing how to find a modus for an agreement.” He also warned that in the case of state Defence Minister, SIPA and the state High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council he would not impose the decisions instead of BiH authorities to reach them. |
| Terzic: ‘If we don’t meet deadline, we don’t deserve to join PfP or NATO’ | Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Terzic still waits parties to submit the candidate name’, pg 2 ‘I still wait for the parties to submit the name of the state defence minister candidate’ – Daily reads in the introduction that the “appointment of the BiH Defence Ministers would… as majority of the process of the state importance, turn into another soup opera which takes us furtherer from European integrations.” In a statement for DA, Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic said: “We have accepted the deadlines, but it looks like we cannot respect them. If we cannot finalize the procedure of appointment and confirmation of the state defence ministers, than, I am sorry to say, we don not deserve the admission to Partnership of Peace, or NATO.” Terzic, not hiding his dissatisfaction with the three ruling parties – SDA, SDS and HDZ – who were supposed to agree on this issue and submit him the name of the candidate, stressed that the entire issue was treated without needed seriousness. “I still wait them to submit the names. I kept saying – come on, deadlines are running out, we accepted them, nobody pushed us, but nothing happens with my appeals. I know we have to have the state defence ministers of this or that people, foreigners do not care about that, but we have to have him”, stresses Terzic. Terzic also commented on the proposal to ‘swap’ the position in the FBiH Govt: “I know there are some stories on changing the positions at the Federation level, so that Defence Ministry would go to Bosniaks, and MoI to Croats. That would change the situation regarding the nationality of the state Defence Minister. While those are only the stories, they still prove that the FBiH Government restructure came into the wrong time.” |
| SD speculates on SDA candidates for BH Defence Minister and SIPA Deputy Director | Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 15 ‘Faik Lusija comes at head of Secret Service?’ by Zlatko Tulic – SD carries that for a longer period of time SDA is trying to harmonize stands regarding the personnel proposals for leading people of the state Ministry of Defense and state Security Intelligence Agency [SIPA]. SD says that according to the sources close to the SDA top, SDA would appoint BiH Army Brigadier Hamza Visa (lecturing at Sarajevo Moslem Religious Secondary School) the state Minister of Defense in case that Bosniaks get this position. According to SD, former assistant of the Federation of BiH Minister of Interior Faik Lusija, who is described by a SD journalist as a key person is a rigged process against 6 Croats in the Leutar case, would become Deputy Director of SIPA instead of current Deputy Head Emir Bijedic that SDA is intending to remove. |
| Oslobodjenje on mtg of Joint Military Commission | Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Today the decision on the army structure?’ – On Tuesday, the Joint Military Commission [JMC] should bring decision on harmonizing the structure of entities armed forces, if the armies’ leader in BiH reach an agreement. If this happens, BiH Presidency will have a ground for making the official decision on the BiH Armed Forces and its structure to be 12.000 professional troops. This would be followed by the extensive redundancies in the armies. According to the Oslobodjenje’s source, JMC’s meeting on Tuesday will be chaired by the Commander SFOR in BiH Virgil Packett. |
Political issues | |
| HDZ Presidency discuss FBIH Govt reshuffle and Mostar
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘HDZ will participate in re-examining PM Hadzipasic’s position’ – HDZ Presidency has met on Monday night in Sarajevo to discuss Mostar Statute, imposed by the High Representative Paddy Ashdown, and SDA initiative to reshuffle the FBiH Government. Late in the evening following the session, FBiH President and Vice President of HDZ Niko Lozancic stated to the press that the conclusion was that the party will participate in the process of re-examining the Federation authorities and the position of Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic. “However, before brining final decision it is necessary to redefine the partnership relations inside the FBiH Government, which will ensure functional work of the Government with a full respect to the national subjectivity of all three constituent peoples and the joint definition of the priorities for the work of the Government in the upcoming period”, stated Lozancic. Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘HDZ will re-examine the position of Ahmet Hadzipasic’ – Niko Lozancic also said that HDZ believes that the re-examination of the position of the FBiH Prime Minister doesn’t mean replacement of ministers automatically: “It is necessary to consider whether there is a need to dismiss the Prime Ministers or somebody else in the government, and who would that be.” BHTV 1, FTV – As for the issue of Mostar, HDZ concluded that the imposed Statute was not good, however that it would implement it. “We have said that we are not satisfied with this decision, you know… that we were opened for any possible negotiations about Mostar, we thought and we still do think that Mostar should have been solved alike all other units of local self-rule in BiH, but now we have to see how and in what way to implement this decision; and on the other side to see, does – beside this political will – the possibility to find some better solution, in the future, still exist”, said HDZ President Barisa Colak. |
| Ashdown warns in DA int: “European ‘YES’ turns into ‘NO’!” | Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘European ‘YES’ turns into ‘NO’!’, pg 5 ‘At this moment, we are certainly on the way towards failure’ – In an interview to DA, the High Representative Paddy Ashdown warned that BiH was “dangerously falling back with the reforms process. I have to say very openly, with all understanding, that in this moment we certainly are on the path towards the failure.” Stressing that nothing much happened in the past two months regarding the implementation of the reforms, Ashdown said: “I have to say that the biggest objections come from Republika Srpska and I would like to tell them that it would be crazy for them to position themselves as the main brake pullers of the BiH path towards Europe… Those who think that Dayton is the functional solution that observe that RS is the only objection of the only future that this country can have, and that is the way towards Europe. If that would happen, that RS could find itself in historically very difficult position.” HR Ashdown stressed that authorities must urgently finalize the procedures around unsettled issues of crucial importance, such as the State Information and Protection Agency, as well as the intelligence and security reforms. Asked about Mostar decision, Ashdown said that while he expects problems, five days following the decision everything goes as planned. In addition to criticising ruling parties, Ashdown also disapproved the opposition stand whereas both sides fail to reach any agreement in the interests of BiH and its path towards European integrations. |
| RS Radicals refuse to sign Statement on Political Will | RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Radicals against statement on the political will’, Blic pg 13 ‘The radicals: Cheap trick’ – The President of the Serb Radical Party of the Republika Srpska [SRSRS] Mihailo Mijajlica stated on Monday that his party will nto signe the so-called Statement on the Political Will scheduled for Tuesday. Statement was offered to all political parties in BiH by three main opposition parties from RS with an aim to preserve the constitutional and Dayton organization of BiH maintaining the status of the entities. Stressing that his party supported that principal, Mihajlica explained that Radicals will not sign the statement since this was “a cheap political trick timed in the context of announced protests and more often demands on the extraordinary parliamentary elections. It is obvious that those parties are preparing for forthcoming elections.” Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘Signing of the statement on entities moved to 17 February’ – SNSD President Milorad Dodik confirmed to Avaz that the signing of the Statement on Political Will has been moved to 17 February, in order to give the parties more time to declare themselves. |
| SDS Bijeljina on mtg between Kalinic and Kostunica | Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Brotherly concern of Serbia’ – Cvijetin Nikic, President of SDS Bijeljina Board, said that the most recent meeting between Dragan Kalinic, SDS President, and Vojislav Kostunica, President of DSS (Democratic Party of Serbia) placed a path for preservation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. He also called on Serb representatives assuming authority positions from both sides of Drina river to work on preservation and consolidation of Dayton BiH. |
| Terzic on restructuring Ministries | Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 2 ‘Three new ministries at BiH Government’ – the Chairperson of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, yesterday confirmed that the BiH Council of Ministers will soon be expanded for three new ministries: ministry of defence and ministry of agriculture, while existing Ministry of foreign trade and economic affairs should be divided into two separate ministries. |
| VL claims Mostar Statute could be soon changed | Vecernji List front ‘Imposed Statute to be changed soon!’, pg 4 ‘Mostar Statute to be changed soon’ by Zoran Kresic – According to the daily, the Statute for Mostar, which was imposed by the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, last week, could be changed soon despite announcements that the document is of permanent nature. According to the author, local political circles in Mostar are considering to adopt the “Ashdown Statute” in the City Council of Mostar in an emergency procedure, only to take another decision that would either cancel the Statute or take decision on new round of talks regarding the key document for the City of Mostar. The daily’s opinion is that the Statute is untenable in a long run. |
| DL editorial on fulfilment of 16 conditions and Mostar decision | Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Ashdown saves Mostar’ by Dr. Slavo Kukic – The author is very skeptical regarding BiH plans to meet 16 pre-requisites for starting talks on stability and accession with the EU, saying that even the first step, the issue of collection of RTV subscription fees, is showing how efficient the domestic authorities are. Kukic notes the only issue BiH can go to Europe with is Mostar, noting that even the Mostar issue was taken care of by a foreigner, the foreigner being the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown. In that context, Kukic notes that even when it comes to the only positive issue for Europe, political and all other “leaders” are trying to lecture HR Ashdown by organizing referendums and by sending all sorts of messages of “moral and intellectual authorities”. When it comes to the decision on Mostar itself, Kukic supports the HR, believing the decision should have been taken earlier. Still, Kukic says the HR should have not maintained the six electoral units, because the citizenry subconsciously take the electoral units as divisions. |
| Oslobodjenje op-ed on initiative to dismiss Hadzipasic and his refusal to resign | Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Prime Minister against his own [people]’ op-ed by Zija Dizdarevic – Referring to the refusal by the FBiH Prime Minister, Ahmet Hadzipasic, to resign notwithstanding demands coming from his party, SDA, author notes that “his resistance to the party leadership is a novelty in our political practice. Hadzipasic’s ‘no’ become important element in SDA restructuring following the death of Alija Izetbegovic. Tihic strives to maintain illusion of the unity by claiming that this was unanimous stand when it comes to FBiH Government, but it is clear that Bakir Izetbegovic [discreetly] and Hasan Muratovic [openly] oppose dismissal. That ruins Tihic’s authority as the SDA President.” Arguing that Hazipasic also jeopardized “usual SDA [and similar parties] behavior” of reaching agreements in private meetings, author also expresses his hope that SDA initiative will not be agreed between FBiH leadership: “For BiH democracy it would be very important for the issue of FBiH Govt dismissal to be solved before the FBiH Parliament. The issue of Government is logically to be put before the delegates elected by the citizens… If FBiH President and Vice President agree that PM should be replaced, that will be a proof that Party for BiH continues with the political promiscuity.” |
RTV subscription | |
| HT and HP Mostar oppose collection of RTV fee through telephone bills
| RHB, Dnevni List front, pg 4 ‘Canceling of phone connections threatens HT’, Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘RTV fee will not be collected with telephone bills for January’ – The Independent Syndicate of the Hrvatske Poste and Hrvatske Telekomunikacije’s employees believe that the acceptance of the agreement on collection of RTV subscription through telephone phones will damage the operations and successful business performed by both companies. Syndicate also said that the FBIH Government’s recommendation to sing the agreement directly threatens market orientation and competitiveness, as it would result with a number of cancelled fixed lines subscriptions. |
| Session of BH Telecom shareholders to discuss RTV subscription issue | Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘RTV fee will not be collected with telephone bills for January’ – Acting Director of BH Telecom Hamdo Katic stated for DA that the RTV subscription will not be included in the telephone bills for January. He also announced the session of BH Telecom’s shareholders session today, which is expected to appoint the Board authorized to decide on the singing of the agreement with FTV. Dnevni List pg 4 ‘BH Telecom and HT Mostar are doing preparations for payment of RTV subscriptions’ – Meanwhile, the current Steering Board demanded from a BH Telekom team of managers to prepare information for the Supervisory Boards on the effects of the arrangement with FTV and PBS. Also, DL says that according to unofficial information coming from BH Telekom and HT Mostar these two companies are making preparations to organize payment of RTV subscription. DL says that they were told that the biggest problem is the fact that the Steering Boards are temporary and they do not want to take over responsibility to sign the contract because of their status. Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Dokic: BH Telekom does not intend to implement the things agreed upon’ – Commenting the session of BH Telecom’s shareholders session, BiH Minister of Traffic and Communications Branko Dokic stressed that this absurd because the state owns 90 % of BH Telekom. Dokic added: “It does not seem to me as a good intention to resolve this issue on the whole BiH territory as it was agreed upon.” |
Legal issues | |
| SD claims Ashdown rigs political process against Jelavic
| Slobodna Dalmacija front ‘Paddy Ashdown is rigging political process against Jelavic’, pgs 12&13 ‘Ashdown rigging political process against Jelavic’ by Marijan Puntaric – Article argues that the whole process against Ante Jelavic and the rest is a politically rigged process, claiming that even the OHR is involved in it. The article notes that the Constitutional Court of BiH, on February 25 and 26, 2002, acknowledged the appeal lodged by Jelavic, taking a temporary decision which suspends all the activities of the Sarajevo Cantonal Court pertaining to the Jelavic case that was run by the said Court. In that context, SD claims that Ian Campbell, the Head of OHR legal department, on March 22, 2002, openly requested the President of the BiH Constitutional Court at the time, Snezana Savic, to change its decision, which Savic initially rejected, but due to growing pressure from the OHR, the BiH Constitutional Court gave in, giving the green light to the restart of process against Jelavic. Regarding the arrest of Jelavic, SD claims that only the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, the US and UK Ambassadors to BiH, COMSFOR, Prosecutor John McNair, Judge Bernard Boland and Director of Federation Ministry of Interior, Zlatko Miletic, knew about it in advance. |
| CoE warns RSNA to implement judiciary reforms | Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘RS must ensure judiciary reforms’ – Gay de Vel, Council of Europe’s general director for the legal issues, sent a letter to the RS National Assembly Speaker Dragan Kalinic, in which he demands from Kalinic to use his authority and ensure that RSNA ratifies the agreement which would enable the establishment of a single High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council. De Vel also stressed that the single Council at the level of the state is of the vital importance for the promotion of independent and unbiased judiciary. |
War crimes | |
| Update to disputes regarding Stockholm Conference on Genocide
| Glas Srpske cover pg ‘Bosniaks in their own way’, Blic pg 12 ‘Bosniaks lobbied and made Serbs angry’ – Serb members of the BiH Delegation, which participated in the work of the International Forum for Prevention of Genocide last week in Stockholm, have requested from the BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mladen Ivanic, and Serb member of the BiH Presidency Borislav Paravac to determine the responsibility for ‘the disputable’ composition of the delegation. Namely, despite to the decision of the BiH Presidency, according to which the Delegation should have been composed of two Serb members, two Croats and two Bosniaks, BiH was represented by two Serbs, one Croat and four Bosniaks. The article also carries the inset ‘Amor Masovic falsely presented himself’, which reads that Amor Masovic the President of the Federal Commission for Missing Persons, has been presenting himself as the President of a nonexistent state commission for missing persons. Slobodan Radulj, a member of the Delegation and the Advisor to Serb member of BiH Presidency Borislav Paravac, claims Amor Masovic has showed documentaries on Bosniak victims from Srebrenica during the visit to Stockholm, by which they had tried to hide the truth on victims in BiH. He claims that, as in accordance with the plan on the official trip, the Head of the Delegation, Zeljana Zovko, should have been the only one to address the participants of the forum. |
| US Ambassador to SCG on Mladic and Karadzic | Vecernje Novosti pg 2 ‘William Montgomery: to deliver Mladic and Karadzic’ – US Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro William Montgomery stated on Monday that USA are currently satisfied with the level of cooperation with the Government of Serbia regarding the issue of extraditing of Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic to the Hague Tribunal. He stated that he was assured their arrest and extraditing to the Tribunal would be a significant step forward for Serbia in the context of approaching the international institutions. |