The OHR Media Monitoring service is being improved. As of 3 July we will be offering you two distinct daily reports; the Morning Brief, covering all BiH’s top stories, and the afternoon BiH Media Round-up, containing the latest agency and radio news, summaries of relevant articles published by the international media and summaries of articles published by BiH’s periodicals.
OHR BiH MEDIA MORNING BRIEF
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
No news broadcast due to strike | Gregorian on BIH Armed Forces | Two killed at a wedding party |
| Ril on | Two injured in a car accident |
| EU insists on police reform | EUFOR involved in a car accident |
| FBIH Government on prisons | October elections, update |
NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
Candidates for October election | BiH Fiscal Council to hold session | Boy dies in motorcycle accident |
The issue of BiH citizenship | Privredna Bank case, update | Kozara battle anniversary |
OSCE PA session in | Report on | Reactions to Oric’s release |
Almhofer, Frattini on police reform | Report on a wood company | Selver still barricaded in his house |
Oslobodjenje | If there was no war, today BiH would have 4.3 million of citizens [Prof. Bosnjovic] |
Dnevni Avaz | Milorad Dodik is making para-police |
Dnevni List | Bloody end to wedding feast (case of double homicide in Capljina) |
Vecernji List | Blood feast (case of double homicide in Capljina) |
Slobodna Dalmacija | Kerum: employees’ salaries higher by 500 Kuna (Croatian trading company owner) |
Nezavisne Novine | They could not give me higher sentence |
Glas Srpske | Symbol of fight for freedom |
EuroBlic | Punishment to Oric is mocking of innocent victims |
Vecernje novosti | He slaughtered Serbs one by one |
Political issues | |
RS PM Dodik commenting PACE resolution on BiH: RS was created before
| Hayat – At the occasion of marking the 64th anniversary of battle on Kozara [WWII battle] on Sunday, the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik made a short comment on the recently adopted Council of Europe Resolution on BiH by saying that “ |
Serbian Justice Minister: PACE resolution adopted outside jurisdiction | Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Stojkovic attacked Tribunal because of Oric’ by M.Z.– Attending the ceremony battle in Mrakovica near Prijedor, Serbian Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic challenged the recently adopted PACE Resolution, stressing this document was passed “outside the jurisdiction”. |
PDP’s Ivanic: PACE Resolution absolutely has no special importance
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Mladen Ivanic insists on the story on RS secession referendum’ by Onasa– Addressing the participants of the PDP public discussion in Zvornik, party leader Mladen Ivanic stated: “This party constantly insists on the fact that RS has to maintain its constitutional position within BiH… We are prepared for changes and reforms, but not for humiliation of the RS within BiH.” He commented PACE Resolution saying: “It absolutely has no special weight, stressing it is good it showed up, since it showed all lack of information and inconsistency of part of people with a desire to decide about these territories”. He stressed that referendum on RS secession would be a natural answer to demands on RS abolition. |
PDP’s Crnadak: PACE Resolution harmful for BiH
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘PACE Resolution harmful for BiH’ not signed– Director of PDP’s Directorate, Igor Crnadak,on Sunday invited the RS representatives in BiH institutions to inform representatives of the Council of Europe [at next week’s session in Sarajevo] that recently passed PACE Resolution is harmful for BIH and directed against joint future. Crnadak told the press conference that resolution is “showing complete misunderstanding of situation in BiH”. Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘For preservation of constitutional position of RS within BiH’ by |
SD commentary: with RS as de facto state, BiH does not work; in RS panic over PACE resolution
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 10 ‘Republic [Srpska] is quivering’ by Radoslav Dodig – Dodig repeats the contents of the PACE resolution on BiH, mentions the reactions of Bosniak, Serb and Croat politicians and then asks himself what the Resolution means to BiH. He says that the Resolution is a result of ten years of fruitless |
Austrian Ambassador Almhofer:
| Hayat not stated – With regard to objections of RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, to the composition of Police Reform Directorate ( |
Interview with Austrian Ambassador to BiH: Not only police reform, but a number of reforms behind schedule
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Not only police reform is behind schedule’ by M.Cubro – In a half-page interview to daily, Werner Almhofer, Austrian Ambassador to BiH, says that the reforms necessary for completing |
DA: RS PM Dodik and RS Government pass the proposal Law on establishment of para-police Agency
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash, pg 3 ‘Milorad Dodik making a para-police’ by Edina Sarac – DA comments that the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik is not giving up the idea to preserve control over the police forces, thus deciding to speed up his secretly prepared alternative plan: establishing para-police force trough entity laws. Namely, DA carries that several days ago the RS Government established the changes to the Law on providing security to persons and property and private detective sector. This Law, as DA writes, should be discussed in urgent procedure at the RS National Assembly’s session [in record time, notes DA] and it allows the RS Government, as a legal entity, to be a founder of a security and detective agency. According to DA, the law ensures the RS Government is entitled to establishing an agency with powers to take over “a part of the certain activities and staff members of the RS Interior Ministry.” DA further notes that if the agency that Dodik allegedly plans to establish takes over partly the RS MoI’s mandate, than in practice it would mean that “[agency’s] staff would have police authorities, i.e. they will carry out operations in the field.” Author also notes that since the law would also allow this detective agency to conduct wire tapping and surveillance, that is also “police authority”. Author comments that Dodik intentionally “left undefined a part which refers to method, range and field of activities” the agency would perform, while the legislation reads this would be regulated by founder’s act. Sarac writes if the RS Government is a founder, it would decide what issues would the Agency deal with and how many armed employees would it have. “Interesting part is also the one which refers to financing, where it stands that no additional financial means are necessary to implement law”, which, as Sarac, explained means that Agency would be the RS budget beneficiary and would be financed from the same budget line as the current RS MoI. Inset ‘Prime Minister suddenly quite’ – DS concludes that the “conclusion [to the story] is logical: [Dodik] would have is parapolice made of personnel from current RS MoI which would be found surplus during the [police] reform implementation.” |
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to be held from 3rd to 7th July in
| PINK – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will be held from 3rd to 7th July in |
OSCE Parliament: EU is decisive to accept all Western Balkans countries, adding there is no shortcut to
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Support to new phase of post-Dayton BiH’ by Fena, Tanjug – During the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels, Austrian deputy Wolfgang Großruck will submit the report on political-security issues, which focuses on Southeast Europe. The report underlines that the so-called “Salzburg Declaration”, which was adopted by EU ministers at a meeting in mid March, confirmed the commitment of the EU to accept all Western Balkan states, despite the fact that certain states insisted that the Declaration calls for a debate on further enlargement. “However, it must be said that there is no shortcut to |
Member of BiH Parliament delegation Belkic to OSCE Parliament annual session: We will seek for help through direct investments
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Belkic: We will seek for help through direct investments’ by N.J. – Daily carries that BiH HoP representative Bosko Siljegovic and BiH House of Representatives MP Beriz Belkic will be members of the BiH delegation to the OSCE annual session in Brussels will be lead by the Deputy Chair of BIH House of Peoples Velimir Jukic. Belkic told daily: “Our stance is that countries heading the EU should be helped more through the direct investments, and we will, whereas we will take part in creating the resolution, candidate [this proposal] as something helpful for our country. The resolution will not change the situation, but can open processes and help realization of projects.” |
BIH Deputy Foreign Minister Rill participates in conference dedicated to future of Balkans in EU integrations
| PINK, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Future of the Balkans- from stability to euro-integrations’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Constitutional changes are not condition for |
ICG’s
| Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Referendum in RS dangerous for integrity of Serbia’, not signed – Representative of the International Crisis Group for the Balkans, James Lyon, stated for the Voice of America that it is more or less certain that Kosovo will be given some sort of ‘conditioned independence’, in the same time warning that Serbia could lose a lot should there be a separation referendum in the RS. “Some nationalists in |
Oslobodjenje: There are about 3.5 million people in BiH today
| Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4-5 ‘If there was no war, today BiH would have 4.3 million of citizens’ by S.Rozajac– Demography Professor Ilijas Bosnjovic stated that in 1991 there was about 4.3 million citizens in BiH, stressing that number of citizens ten years later is moving from 3.5 to 3.8 million. Bosnjovic stressed that there would be about 4.5 million citizens in BiH today, if there was no war. |
Sociologist Kukic and NGO | Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Elections deepened divisions in Mostar’ by J.Gudelj – Slavo Kukic, sociologist, is of the view that a number of inter-ethnic incidents shaking Mostar lately are not accidental, but instead organised with an aim to homogenise national electorate. He stresses that the youth should be holders of changes, which is not the case in BiH, since “the youth is either completely uninterested or most extreme part of BiH society.” |
War crimes and security | |
Serbian officials condemn ICTY decision to release Naser Oric
| RTRS by Tijana Velic, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Remember what you said for Oric’ by Onasa– Former Serbian Minister of Justice Vladan Batic called upon Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte to appeal to the ruling and demand just sentence for Srebrenica war time commander, Naser Oric, who was released from the ICTY after found guilty and sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment which he has already served. General Secretary of Serbian |
RS Detainees Association members would no longer respond to ICTY and
| Hayat – Following the sentence and release of Srebrenica BiH Army war time commander, Nasser Oric, who was released from ICTY custody after the Council made a ruling by which Oric was sentenced to 2 years in prison for crimes committed [which he has already served, as he spent 3 years in detention], the Chair of the RS Association of Inmates Branislav Dukic stated members of this Association would no longer respond to a court summons for testifying before The Hague Tribunal and the Court of BiH, because they ‘lost confidence in the equity of those institutions’. BHT1, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Serbs do not want to testify before Hague and |
PDP’s Crnadak criticizes Presidency Chair Tihic for statement about Oric release
| Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Ivanic is list holder for RS Parliament’ inset ‘Tihic’s statement is backtracking BiH’ by V.Popovic, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘PACE Resolution harmful for BiH’ not signed – PDP official Igor Crnadak told the press conference on Sunday that the statement of the BiH Presidency Chair Sulejman Tihic given after releasing of Naser Oric which said “someone was victim and someone aggressor” is a part of the rhetoric which returns BiH backwards. Crnadak underlines that it is not good that there are still politicians in BiH who believe in “existence of collective guilt and collective responsibility and do not understand that only individualization of crimes and its punishing can lead to better BiH’s future”. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Tribunal destroyed its credibility’ by Agencies – Mladen Ivanic, PDP President, Sunday assessed that through verdict against Naser Oric, “the credibility of |
Srebrenica former Commander Oric: not satisfied with the sentence, but refused to comment
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Justice should be trusted in’, mentioned on cover ‘I have not disgraced the homeland’ by Almasa Hadzic– In an interview to DA following a relase from ICTY detention, former Srebrenica Commander, Naser Oric,told he is not happy with a sentence, but he refused to comment the ICTY verdict. Further on in the interview, Oric talked about days spent in ICTY detention and relations he has had with others ICTY indictees. Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash, pg 3 ‘They could not give me higher sentence’ by J.Sarac – In a statement to daily, Oric says that he had no reason to expect some punishment in The Hague, since he is innocent, he defended his people within his powers and therefore he was relaxed throughout the trial. He added: “Innocent man cannot be sentenced. I believe in God and justice. I have no doubts in my sentence because I simply was not guilty.” |
DA op-ed: Naser Oric could not burn alleged 157 Serb villages, for there is no so many villages in the region | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Multiple lie launcher’ op-ed by Almasa Hadzic – Commenting statements of RS politicians regarding the ICTY decision, by which Naser Oricwas sentenced to 2 years in prison for crimes against Serb population committed in Srebrenica area in 1993, editorial reads the claim that Oric was responsible for burning 157 Serb villages in Drina area was not true. Hadzic explains that there were not so many Serb villages in that region at all. |
Serbian Minister Stojkovic: No extradition demands for former RS PM Klickovic
| BHT1 – No extradition demands have been issued so far for former RS Prime Minister, Gojko Klickovic. “The RS made no demands”, says Serbian Justice Minister, Zoran Stojkovic. Klickovic arrested last weekend by Serbian Interior Ministry upon the Interpol arrest warrant for suspicion of misuse of office, falsifying of documents and war crimes. RTRS – Stojkovic added that extradition would take its normal course if the request arrives in the following 18 days. Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘No demand from RS for Klickovic’ extradition’ by |
BiH HoR to discuss next week the proposal of the law amending the Law on BiH Citizenship
| Hayat not stated – Next week, BiH House of Representatives should discuss the proposal of the law amending the Law on BiH Citizenship. BiH Law on Citizenship foresees that foreign citizens can obtain BiH citizenship by naturalisation, in two ways: if they spend at least eight years in BiH, or if they spend five years, and marry BiH citizen. According to Hayat reporter, members of BiH Council of Ministers are well aware of the fact that all persons deprived of BiH citizenship could use this law regulation, and legally apply for BiH citizenship once again. In order to prevent this from happening, CoM created a proposal of the law amending the Law on BiH Citizenship, which should prevent those who were deprived of BiH Citizenship from applying for it again during next five years. In a short statement for NTV Hayat, former head of Bocinja village near Maglaj Abu Hamza stated that all former members of ‘El Mujahid’ unit would be deprived of BiH citizenship. “According to our information, Americans have forwarded to the BiH authorities the list containing the names of 15 persons who have to be expelled from BiH, and my name is on that list”, stated Abu Hamza. According to Hayat reporter, those people have been already deprived of BiH citizenship, in 2001; however, two days ago [Friday] FBiH Supreme Court ruled that this decision was not made in line with the existing laws, because FBiH Ministry of Interior failed to prove that they obtained BiH citizenship in an illegal way. However, this decision will have no effect, because it is expected that state Commission for Reviewing BiH Citizenships would deprive them of BiH citizenship once again. |
DL claims Commission identified 120 cases of illegal granting of BiH citizenship; not known whether illegal citizens still in BiH | Dnevni List pg 6 ‘120 illegal BiH citizens identified ‘ by T. C. – DL writes that the Commission for audit of naturalization on foreign nationals has to date identified 120 cases of illegally granted BiH citizenship, mostly to individuals from Asia and Africa, who have now been dispossessed of their citizenship. Source in the Commission reveals to DL that citizenships were granted based on participation in the war but the Commission is yet to officially confirm whether these persons have been expelled from the country or not. |
BiH Justice Minister S. Kovac: we have no legal grounds to request return of
| Dnevni List pg 8 ‘Algiers group: it’s all up to diplomacy’ by Danijela Kozina – DL runs a story on reactions to US Supreme Court’s decision on the Guantanamo prison for terrorist suspects and quotes BiH justice Minister Slobodan Kovac as saying that ‘there is no legal grounds for the Ministry to act in this case because it is only possible to request extradition when criminal proceedings against someone are under way in our country’. Kovac also says that ‘all is up to diplomacy now’. |
Trial in PB ES to resume: Robinson to be cross-examined | Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Defence to cross-examine Robinson’ – Daily notes that resumption of trial against Momcilo Mandic and other is “Privredna Banka East Sarajevo” case will today see cross-examination of Toby Robinson, Temporary Administrator of PB ES, who is witness of prosecution. (The defendants have been charged with embezzlements of millions’ worth.) |
Economic issues | |
BiH Fiscal Council discuses coefficients for allocation of revenues; FTV: Americans will prevent extending ITA SB Chair Dixon’s mandate to please RS PM
| Hayat – The members of the BiH Fiscal Council will meet on Monday in |
CoM Chair Terzic: If BiH Fiscal Council fails to make agreement the allocations would be stopped | Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘If we do not agree today the payments would be blocked’ by F.Cardzic– In the eve of BiH Fiscal Council’s session [Monday], the Chair of Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic said he expects all Ministers to attend the session which was not a case previously and which would ensure legitimate decision making. Underlining that allocation has to continue, Terzic said that the Council now has two choices: “One, to continue allocation according the Law on Single Account i.e. taking VAT applications as the base for setting coefficients and another one is to agree to change the Law and go for fixed coefficients.” Terzic stressed he personally believes that the best solution is not to take the average but to carry out the allocation on grounds of the previous month’s total of collected VAT. Thus, the allocation of, for instance, May 2006 would be grounded on coefficients calculated on basis of money collected for April, etc. “If we do not Agree, the payments will be again blocked. When it comes to us at the sate level, we do not suffer consequences of this situation. Our payments are being regularly carried out, thus I suppose that the entity representatives in the Fiscal Council would make an effort to come to final agreement,” says Terzic. |
Elections 2006 | |
Deadline for submitting the lists of candidates for October elections expires on Monday
| BHT1 By Sejla Tafro – Deadline by which political parties and candidates should submit their lists of candidates for upcoming October elections expires on Monday, 3 July. BiH Central Election Commission ( |
Bicakcic on his rehabilitation: At the moment I have no desire for political engagement
| Dnevni List, pg 6 ‘I have no desire for political engagement’, by R. Dautefendic – commenting on the High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling’s,decision to lift bans on holding public office against 7 persons, one of the persons in question, Edhem Bicakcic, says he at the moment has no desire to get engaged in the politics. Answering to the journalist’s remark that the (current) HR took the decision after elections lists have already been prepared (by parties), which in turn means he will not be able to run in the October elections, Bicakcic says he is position to take part in the elections, however he will not do it. Finally, DL wonders, considering that former HR Paddy Ashdown removed Bicakcic for alleged illegalities he committed in capacity of CEO of “Elektroprivreda of BiH”, why no proper criminal charges were pressed against him (Bicakcic). Hayat also reports Bicakcic will not run at these elections. |
DL reveals election lists of | Dnevni List, pg 4, mentioned on front ‘We reveal election list of |
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Zeljko Komsic and Jugislav Jovicic candidates for BIH Presidency’ by N.V., Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Hadzija Mehovic for RS President’ by V.P. – As DA learns, Zeljko Komsic from FBiH and Jugoslav Jovicic from the RS would be |
Zoran Tesanovic – PDP member for BiH Presidency
| RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Tesanovic and Nagradic candidates for BiH Presidency’ by Fena, Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Ivanic is list holder for RS Parliament’ by V.Popovic, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘End to election lists’ by S.Sa. – PDP nominated Zoran Tesanovic as candidate for BIH Presidency member at October elections. Slobodan Nagradic is the candidate for RS President. Tesanovic currently assumes position of BiH Deputy Minister of Civil Affairs, while Nagradic assumes the position of Advisor to RS Ministers of Sports, Youth and Family. |
VL claims Mehmed Zilic voted against constitutional amendments because SBiH wanted him to do so; SBiH to reward Zilic by nominating him as list holder in elections
| Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Zilic rewarded with becoming election candidate’ by Dejan Jazvic – VL runs a story on why BiH HoR member Mehmed Zilic recently voted against the constitutional changes contrary to the position of his party, SDA [reminder: constitutional amendments were two votes short of adoption]. VL finds that Zilic’s actions were directed by the SBiH party (Party for BiH) which was among the opponents of the constitutional changes and which, as it turns out now, rewarded Zilic by putting him on the SBiH election list as a holder. VL concludes that, already during the constitutional amendments voting, Zilic was promised a future in the SBiH party which makes it certain that Zilic will in the next four years be at least a parliament member. |
OHR BiH MEDIA ROUND-UP
Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 3 July
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
No news broadcast due to strike | Increasing of water levels | BiH Fiscal Council in session |
| Fiscal Council session | ICTY Council rejects release motion |
| Jovic failed to appear in ICTY | |
TV news broadcast on 2 July
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
No news broadcast due to strike | Gregorian on BIH Armed Forces | Two killed at a wedding party |
| Ril on | Two injured in a car accident |
| EU insists on police reform | EUFOR involved in a car accident |
| FBiH Government on prisons | October elections, update |
NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
Candidates for October election | BiH Fiscal Council to hold session | Boy dies in motorcycle accident |
The issue of BiH citizenship | Privredna Bank case, update | Kozara battle anniversary |
OSCE PA session in | Report on | Reactions to Oric’s release |
Almhofer, Frattini on police reform | Report on a wood company | Selver still barricaded in his house |
Oslobodjenje | If there was no war, today BiH would have 4.3 million of citizens [Prof. Bosnjovic] |
Dnevni Avaz | Milorad Dodik is making para-police |
Dnevni List | Bloody end to wedding feast (case of double homicide in Capljina) |
Vecernji List | Blood feast (case of double homicide in Capljina) |
Slobodna Dalmacija | Kerum: employees’ salaries higher by 500 Kuna (Croatian trading company owner) |
Nezavisne Novine | They could not give me higher sentence |
Glas Srpske | Symbol of fight for freedom |
EuroBlic | Punishment to Oric is mocking of innocent victims |
Vecernje novosti | He slaughtered Serbs one by one |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
BiH Fiscal Council fails to hold session due to absence of Ministers; allocation of public revenues blocked | |
BiH and German Foreign Ministers urge implementation of police reform | Srna news agency – The BiH Foreign Minister, Mladen Ivanic, stated today during the meeting with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, that the delays in polcie reform are the only problem that could endanger signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between BiH and EU. „Politicians in BiH must reach an agreement on police reform as soon as possibe, if possible before the October elections,“ said Ivanic. German Foreign Ministers also stressed out the importance of constitutional and police reforms in BiH. “It is time for BiH politicians to assume the responsibility adn for the political decision on closing down the OHR in July next year to be implemented,“ noted Steinmeierr during his one-day visit to BiH. |
Security, war crimes and judiciary | |
FBiH Govt discusses report on situation in overcrowded FBiH penitentiaries
| PINK – FBIH Government discussed a report on situation in FBIH penitentiaries which stresses that capacities of the prisons and detention centres in FBIH are not in line with the standards determined by the Law on Execution of Criminal Penalties and EU prison rules. FBIH Government stressed that FBIH Justice Ministry will suggest measures dealing with the overcrowded FBiH penitentiaries. Hayat – The total capacity of all prisons in FBiH is 1,390 inmates out of which 1,047 accused and 343 detainees. However, on 31 May this year, total of 1,640 persons were imprisoned, out of which 1,341 are accused serving their sentences and 299 persons in detention. In order to ease pressure on capacities of current facilities, the FBiH Government proposed the abandoned military barracks to be used as prisons in the future. Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘To turn old military barracks into prisons’ not signed, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Military barracks without perspective should be turned into prisons’ by Fena – also reported. |
Lawsuit against Netherlands’ Government is being prepared
| Spiegel, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Compensation for families of murdered Srebrenica victims’ by Spiegel, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Bosniaks request compensation’ unsigned – DL carries information published in German weekly Der Spiegel that Dutch law firm “Van Dipen Van der Krof” is preparing a lawsuit against Dutch Government and the United Nations for failing to protect Srebrenica population and for cooperation with the BiH Serb forces in July of 1995. At that time Srebrenica was a UN protected zone guarded by Dutch peacekeepers. The legal team, headed by German attorney Axel Hagerdorn, has for two years now been working on the lawsuit requesting compensation for families of almost eight thousand people who lost their lives in Srebrenica. |
Commission for audit of granted BIH citizenships to assess 1500 obtained citizenships by end of August
| PINK by Ljubisa Davidovic – Commission for audit of granted BiH citizenships is supposed to audit 1500 citizenships by the end of August. BIH Deputy Minister of Security Dragan Mektic stated that procedure for revoking the citizenship is very complicated, but added that the number of illegally obtained citizenships is much higher then speculated in the media. Mektic also stated that those who illegally received the citizenships would be asked to leave the country, and if they refuse the BiH authorities would deport them. |
FTV: Case of purchase of ‘Privredna Bank’ building threatens to become an example on how the highest BiH court bodies are being disrespected
| FTV by Sinan Saric, Halid Rifatbegovic – The case of purchase of ‘Privredna Bank’ building, namely Brcko branch office, to ‘Pavlovic Bank’ threatens to become an example on how the highest BiH court bodies are being disrespected, says FTV. Namely, BiH Constitutional Court (CC) brought decision annulling the sales contract, by which the building was given back to ‘Privredna Bank’, thus annulling decisions of District Brcko Basic Court and Appellate Court. According to FTV, Brcko Supervisor, Susan Johnson, caused additional problems by her letter, in which she asked for the BiH CC’s decision to be suspended, due to what the Appellate Court annulled the BiH CC’s decision. Reporter ridicules the whole issue by saying that no state in the world comments courts’ decisions and furthermore adds that Johnson is most probably aware of this since she said ‘I get no recommendations, I asked for clarification…I am not following the substance of the case at all’. The BiH Helsinki Committee has also opposed such relations. The BiH CC has submitted the BiH Prosecution with information on non-implementation of the decision and that is why criminal reports are expected to be filed. |
DL op-ed on recent incidents in Mostar: more than just pre-election campaign | Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘War wounds’, by Arijana Beus – commenting on cases/incidents that have occurred in Mostar in past one month or so (violence following Brasil-Croatia match, attack on imam in west part of city, placing of memorial plaque at Potoci near Mostar), the author reckons it is not just pre-election games we are dealing with here, it is in fact a far deeper crisis, insisting that Mostarians are not safe to take a walk where they want. Finally, Beus says the authorities must do much more to prevent any sort of provocative actions since “wounds of war are still open and should not be touched”. |
Political issues | |
Political analyst gives overview onto parties’ progress in RS in last 10 years
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Voters award and penalise’ by Z.Markovic – Reminding of latest |
Pol. parties in RS comment on
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Poll’ – carries comments of party officials regarding latest |
Patriot says PACE Resolution is absurd, idiotic document, aimed against existence of BiH
| Patriot cover pg splash ‘Counsel from Europe’ pg 6 ‘Racist-like Resolution of Council of Europe’ by Slobodan Vaskovic – Regarding last week’s adoption of PACE Resolution (PACE stands for Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe), the author notes that Resolution “is not absurd but idiotic document directly aimed against existence of BiH as a state. Resolution is an angle of destruction of Dayton BiH and all European parliamentarians who voted for its adoption have essentially supported unitarian but also secessionist forces in BiH, giving them additional force on the pace leading to fall and disappearance of this state.” The author underlines Resolution is also racist-like since it shows unhidden desire for abolition of all rights of one entire people for the sake of other peoples in BiH. Vaskovic notes this Aryan-like document brought up in Sarajevo’ dark corners has backtracked ethnic divisions to 1992 and annulled all positive developments made after the Dayton Agreement onwards. |
Patriot critical of DEPOS leadership Djuric, Cenic and Buekjlovic
| Patriot pgs 7-9 ‘Charlatans and impostors’ by Slobodan Vaskovic – Daily notes that compilation of election lists is a shock in every single party, since this process is the most precise measure of value of party officials, showing rating of each of them. Author notes compilation of lists oftenly results in severe conflicts within party members. The author refers to DEPOS, party consisted of a number of minor political parties in RS and whose members are Svetlana Cenic and Pero Bukejlovic, as political stillborn, which will not win any votes at the elections. The author reports that DEPOS Main Board on Thursday decided on final list of candidates for elections, but Nedjo Djuric, in charge of signing election lists on behalf of DEPOS, has falsified lists and proposed himself and Bukejlovic as member of BiH presidency and RS president respectively Friday. The author underlines that Djuric, Cenic and Bukejlovic have completely privatised this party, with an aim to attract voters of other DEPOS party co-founders to their side. He refers to the triple as charlatans and impostors. |
Controversial comments regarding Law on rights of elected officials | Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘MP’s to get advisors’ by R.Cengic – Following the adoption of the Law on rights of elected and appointed officials in F BiH, daily carries statement of |
Economic issues | |
International port in Neum should be constructed | BHT1 By Marina Martinovic – BHT1 comments that one of the issues which has been launched during the pre-election campaign is the issue of construction of international port in Neum, reminding that the Agreement on Port Ploce with Croatia has not yet been ratified. Reporter concluded that domestic politicians, although being enthusiastic, still have neither strategy nor navy units, regulated by law. In this regard, BiH Presidency member Borislav Paravac stated: “If there are economic reasons why the port [in Neum] should be constructed, we are going to do that, of course. We have not discussed the issue and it is difficult to bring such a decision without a procedure carried out by the BiH Council of Ministers.” BiH Ministry of Transport and Communications states that it has not conducted any activities regarding the issue. While domestic experts claim that it is possible to construct the port and that it would be of extreme use, a Croatian expert says that there is no reason whatsoever why the port should be constructed. |
Association of savers expects BiH CC will annul Law on payment of foreign currency savings
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Authorities are clearly working in favour of corruption and crime’ by Dk. Omeragic– Commenting on the Law on settling of obligations on old foreign currency savings passed by the BiH Parliament, the Chair of BiH Association for protection of old foreign currency holders, Amila Omersoftic, said that this Law is identical to entity laws, which were declared unconstitutional by the BiH Constitutional Court and demands its annulment. She explained that this Law transforms savings into bonds, and that by passing the Law BiH parliament has “legalized all embezzlements with old savings on entity levels”. Omersoftic underlined that BiH Finance Minister Ljerka Maric as proponent of the Law, should be “behind bars”, but adds that Maric is the executor of the robbery “conducted by OHR power clique, such as [former PDHR] Ambassador Donald S. Hays and others from IMF and World Bank who finance corrupted and immoral BiH authorities.”. Stressing that pressures in this case are huge, she emphasized largest pressure on executive power comes from IMF, while OHR controls judicial authorities. Noting the Association would file lawsuits against commercial banks, BiH, FBiH, RS, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, OHR and IMF, Omersoftic said: “Our stance is that UN arbitrage would have to be demanded in this case. I regret the fact that current High Representative [Christian] Schwarz-Schilling hasn’t dedicated more attention to the issue and provoked democratic Europe to stand up in defence of its principles.” Nezavisne Novine pg 7 ‘Savers expect annulment of Law’ by G.G. – also reported. |
Oslob op-ed condemns BiH and Slovenia for failing to agree on health insurance of citizens who earned pensions in Slovenia | Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Pensioners, be careful with your health!’ op-ed by Marina Kavaz-Sirucic – Condemning both BiH and Slovenian authorities for not reaching an agreement over issue of health insurance of BiH citizens who earned their pensions in Slovenia, editorial reads: “Pensioners, be patient. Delegations of two countries will quickly make an agreement, as soon as they receive mandate. By that time, don’t you dare to get sick.” |
NN op-ed urging privatisation audit | Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 “Audit’ by Predrag Klincov – The author urges audit of privatisation process in BiH, saying only 2% of BiH citizens are of the view privatisation was conducted in a fair and legal manner. He concludes by saying that “detailed and compromise-less, but also cautious privatisation audit is needed in order to try to get back at least trust of former employees and other right-deprived citizens in justice and righteousness.” |