| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Conference in Sarajevo | Ban of landmines | Legija turned in | Legija surrendered |
| Posavina on education law | Hungary in EU | EU expansion | Veterans on amendments |
| SDS urges OHR on report | Sale of BH Steel | Suspect arrested in Turkey | SDS urges OHR on report |
| Covic to visit Prozor | Reforms in education | Conference on mines bans | Protocols on road building |
| Oslobodjenje | SFOR removed medical waste burning site; Eronet will be awarded the licence if it is returned to Federation and HT |
| Dnevni Avaz | Terzic: We cannot take over full responsibility; Ambassador Petritsch visting Visoko and Sarajevo: Clean the entire country from mines; Youth Forum request the flag back; ISPAT offers more than LNM? |
| Dnevni List | Right on Croatian language more important than money and sanctions; Fines for non-filed tax up to 100 000 KM |
| Vecernji List | Mines: 2000 mine fields lurk victims; Soldiers sue Federation of BiH claiming over 117 million KMs |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Pulled down crosses, flag taken off, coat of arms destroyed; Order to prisoners: change place of residence |
| Glas Srpske | The former commander of “Red barrets” surrendered: Legija in detention; According to BK Television sources: He claims he is innocent |
| Nezavisne Novine | Prime suspect for Djindjic murder in detention: ”Unis” employees blocked the road Banjaluka-Derventa: Employees demand salaries |
| Blic | Exclusively – Legija: What did he say after he surrendered |
Legija surrenders | |
| A suspect for Djindjic’s assassination surrenders
| RHB, BHTV 1, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover, pg 18 ‘Will Legija disclose who participated in the Djindjic’s assassination, Glas Srpske cover pg story ‘Legija in detention’; Nezavisne Novine cover and pgs 2-3 ‘Legija surrendered’, Blic front page ‘Exclusively – Legija: What did he say after he surrendered’, and a number of articles on pages 3-7, Nacional Belgrade daily front page ‘Guri guaranteed to Legija he would not end up like Siptar and Kum did’, and articles on pages 3-9– Both dailies extensively report that the prime suspect in the murder case of Zoran Djindjic, the former Serbian Prime minister, Milorad Lukovic Legija, yesterday turned in to police in front of his house in Belgrade. |
| Legija claims he is innocent | Glas Srpske cover page report ‘He claims he is innocent’ – BK Television yesterday reported that Milorad Lukovic Legija said after he surrendered to the police that he would like to prove he is innocent. |
Economic and development issues | |
| International Mine Conference in Sarajevo
| RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Accelerate removal of mines across BiH’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Mined areas are an obstacle to BiH development’, pg 8 ‘Halilovic: removal of mines I painful, slow and very expensive process’, Vecernji list front page splash ‘Mines: 2000 square meters of mined land lurking victims’, pg 2 ‘Petritsch came to BiH to make tour of mine fields’, Dnevni list front page splash ‘Sarajevo: International Campaign on Ban of Landmine’, pg 5 ‘BiH one of most mine-intoxicated countries in Europe’- The three-day Annual Global Meeting of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines [ICBL], attended by over 100 researchers and activists from 70 countries, commenced on Monday morning in Sarajevo in organization of the Norwegian National Aid and Handicap International. Deputy BiH Foreign Minister Lidija Topic, Chairman of the first “Auditing Conference on Banning Landmines” and the former High Representative to BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the 1997 Nobel Prize Winner and the ICBL Ambassador, Jody Williams, opened the meeting. Aim of the conference is to finalize the chapters on research within “Landmine Monitor” for 2004, as well as the activity plan for this year’s Auditing Conference on the Landmine Ban Agreement to be held in Nairobi. The meeting in Sarajevo should indicate the past progress, as well as the continuation of activities aimed at having BiH fully cleared of mines. FTV – Judy Williams said: “The point is to remind ourselves that we influence lives of real people through our daily work insuring Bosnia is clean of mines and that other countries do not have to live with that too.” Former HR, Petritsch, said: “Since I left two years ago a huge progress is achieved in organization of de-mining, helping victims, but a lot more should be done. And I am convinced that the job could finish in the next five years if someone does his best.” BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Clean entire countries of mines’, pg 3 ‘Domestic authorities have to get more involved in project of removing mines’, Dnevni list, p 5, ‘De-mining a condition for returns’ – During the day Ambassadors Petritsch and Williams visited the de-mining locations in Visoko and Sarajevo. |
| FBIH Govt to discuss sale of BH Steel | BHTV 1 – At the next session of the FBiH Government, there should be a decision reached on the new owner of BH Steel. Two companies are competing for this: LNM Group from London [that has just recently purchased mines Ljubija] and ISPAT group from Bombay. Ahmet Hadzipasic, FBiH Prime Minister, said that this should be discussed with Kuwaiti company also who owns 50% of BH Steel. Both of these companies are acceptable but LNM Group from London has an advantage as it already owns Ljubija mine. Dnevni Avaz cover ‘ISPAT offers more than LNM?, pg 8 ‘Financial officer of ISPAT is superior?’ – Daily also refers to the upcoming FBIH Govt discussion on purchase of 51% of shares of BH Steel, and writes it learned the content of companies offers. It concludes that ISPAT’s is better as it proposed employment of additional 500 employees [while LNM suggests it keeps current 2700 staff members], and that it says ISPAT would invest about 155 million KM in next ten years [while LNM says it would invest 135 million KM]. |
| Serbia and RS signed protocol on roads | RTRS, Blic pg 12 ‘Ilic promised bridge’ – Minister for Capital Investments in Serbian government Velimir Ilic and RS Minister of Transport and Communications Dragan Solaja signed protocols in Banja Luka on the repairs on the high way M 18 on the fraction Kuzmin–Raca-Bijeljina. Protocol on high way M18 has determined a joint building of the road bridge over river Sava in Raca. “Minister Ilic will give instructions tomorrow so design can begin and we can get the necessary technical and design documentation so we can apply with the international finance institutions or certain donators,” said Dragan Sojala, Minister of Transport and Communications. Ilic added that Serbia recognized importance of building a good road network, and added that it invested 450 million Euros this year in building and reconstruction of roads. “We want to solve the border at Raca, there is the high interest and a pressure from people involved in the transport of the goods for that to be finished as soon as possible,” said Ilic. Ministers Ilic and Sojala have spoken about the status of Air Srpska and on common investment on railway building Zardan 8 which will go through Visegrad in one part. Both Ministers informed RS President Dragan Cavic and RS Prime minister Dragan Mikerevic on all details of their talks. |
| Oslobodjenje on 3rd GSM licence
| Oslobodjenje cover, pgs 4&5 ‘Eronet will be awarded the licence if it is returned to Federation and HT’ by Aldijana Omeragic – The Communications Regulatory Agency [CRA] has published recently criteria for the 3rd GSM licence, while both EROnet and HT Mostar are both certain that the verdict of Mostar Municipal Court would determine who will be awarded with the licence. On 6 May, the last hearing will be held in the Court in the case processed upon the demand by HT Mostar, which demands return of its 51% of Eronet shares sold, illegally claims HT, in 1991. “If HT wins that case, than licence will be automatically given to Eronet, but HT would be its majority owner,” says Stipe Prlic, HT Director. While Bozo Knezevic, Eronet director, said it was only important for Eronet to be awarded the licence, CRA Director Kemal Huseinovic stresses that credible operator must win it. On one side, Eronet has mobile infrastructure already, however it has to lease international lines through HT Mostar and a number of HT’s base stations outside of former Herceg Bosna region. Additional problem for Eronet could be baking guarantees, as operator has to pay 140 million KM for the licence. While state could guarantee for HT Mostar, a number of Croatian companies could do the same for Eronet. |
| DL on hearing over Eronet ownership structure | Dnevni List page 5 ‘By sale of Hercegovacka Banka Federation is losing Eronet!?’ by D.L – Regarding the court case in which HT Mostar demands return of 51% of ownership over Eronet, DL carries that the Federation of BiH is interested in this case since the return of shares would additionally increase the value of HT Mostar in the privatisation process. According to DL, the sale of Hercegovacka Banka will create an additional problem in the whole case since by the sale of HB company Herzegovina Osiguranje, that owns considerable percentage of shares in Eronet, will be sold as well. DL says that in this way over 80% of ownership in Eronet will be in the hands of foreigners and only a small amount of income will go to BiH. |
| CRA director says agency has no money | Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Not enough money even for electricity’ – The Director of the Communications Regulatory Agency, Kemal Huseinovic, stated for daily that the decrease of the agency’s budget for this year enabled CRA to perform its duties. He repeated that the state authorities must ensure conditions for CRA functioning, underlining it is one of the conditions for BiH accession to EU. Such conditions would provide the Agency with necessary independency, while at the moment it has no enough money even for the basic needs. |
| Mehmedagic: OSCE makes pressure on BiH Constitutional Court | Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘OSCE pressures BiH Constitutional Court’ by FENA – BiH House of Representatives did not adopted the proposa by the FBiH Government to discuss in a package and bring decision on three laws regulating the housing issues, and therefore excluded the possibility to talk about the de-nationalisations, that is the possibility to ensure compensations of the previous owners, stated FBiH Urban Planning and Environment Minister Ramiz Mehmedagic. This brings into the question two other Laws – Law on Sale of Apartments with tenancy rights, and the Law on return of apartments for which there was no claim filed. Mehmedagic says that provisions regarding the Law on Sale of Apartments do not discuss whether or not military apartments purchased in March and April 1002 would be return, as that is already solved. However, says Mehmedagic, OSCE makes a pressure against BiH Constitutional Court as it announced it would participate the public discussion of the Court on article 3a. He continues: “In any case it is worrying that OSCE, after pressures on the FBiH Govt and FBiH Parliament, now makes pressure against BiH Constitution Court trying to suspend 3a article. In that way all cases related to the apartments purchased in March and April 1992, regardless to the capacity of the right used and all the forged documents for which it was established that there were used to prove that apartments were bought legally, and the fact that those same officers used the same military funds to purchase apartments in Sarajevo, Banja Luka an Belgrade, but all that would go now into the field of human rights,” says Mehmedovic. |
| Oslobodjenje: SFOR removed illegal waste | Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 15 ‘SFOR removed medical waste burning site’ – Daily’s leading story says that following months of warning against “scandalous” burning of dangerous waste near Zivinice, SFOR has finally removed the illegal medical waste disposal site in place called Gornja Visca. By the end of the August, SFOR will remove the machines for burning other types of garbage. Daily also claims that this waste has been transported to the settlement with helicopters, and that the number of cancer patients increased significantly. Oslobodjenje carries that the number of illegally managed illegal sites have been located in Tuzla Canton, whose authorities recently discovered this issue and concluded that it has to be fixed. |
Political issues | |
| SDS urges OHR to completes audit of its financial report ASAP
| RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Complete report audit as soon as possible’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘SDS calls on OHR to finalize revision of financial report’, Dnevni List page 15 ‘Ban of SDS work is introduction in radicalisation of situation with negative consequences’,Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Claims that SDS is financing para-military organisations are fabricated’; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘According old recipe’ – SDS Spokesperson Dusan Stojicic said that SDS calls on OHR to finalize the process of auditing party’s financial report party for 2003 and the first three months of this year as soon as possible, and to publicly announce the results. Stating that SDS has nothing to hide in the report forwarded to OHR on April 19, Stojicic regarded as mere speculations and attempts of politicization certain allegations that the SDS financial report is irregular. He rejected as incorrect and constructed the allegations, made last week in certain printing media in RS, that SDS is financing extremist paramilitary organizations in the country and abroad and said that these allegations represent “constructing of lies against SDS with the basic purpose of creating some sort of an alibi for what OHR should decide on the Party’s financial report”. RTRS – On the allegations of sponsoring extremists, Stojicic repeated: “ I can say that they are morbid media construction behind which are those with a single interest to bring down RS and who recognizes that the strong SDS is the only obstacle for achieving the anti Serbian goal”, said Stojicic. He further said that: “I want to warn hot-shots and political circles with interests hiding behind the articles in “Nezavisne Novine” that a ban against SDS would represent a decision without precedent in the modern European political practise and the introduction into specific forms of radicalisation of life in this region.” |
| Petritsch: significant progress achieved in BiH
| RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘BiH on good way to EU’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘We have to adjust to European rules’ Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘BiH getting closer and closer to Europe’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘BiH getting closer to becoming a normal European country’ – The former High Representative to BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, on Monday stated that significant progress has been realized in BiH, especially in the fields of construction, refugee return and property repossession, and in establishing and enhancing of State institutions. “BiH is slowly becoming a normal European country and is heading on the path of membership of the European Union,” said Petritsch adding that BiH moves ahead on the road taking it farther away from divisions and antagonism. |
| HDZ Vice President A. Spajic on sanctions imposed against HDZ board of Central Bosnia Canton
| Dnevni List front and page 7 ‘Right on Croatian language more important than money and sanctions’ by M. Relota carries that as of Saturday the HDZ Board of the Central Bosnia Canton has been under sanctions because they did not accept the decision on the administrative status of ‘two schools under one roof’. With regard to this situation HDZ Vice President Anto Spajic stated that they will not give up the demand to incorporate in the Law on Primary and Secondary Education the provision that Croat children study according to the Croat curriculum regardless of the sanctions that High Representative Paddy Ashdown will impose against them. |
| Update to Stolac ‘flag incident’ | Dnevni Avaz cover, pg 4 ‘Youth forum request the flag back’ – The members of Youth forum from Stolac filed the demand with the Stolac Police Administration requesting return of the state flag [on 1 May, members hoisted BH flag in Stolac removing Croatian, after which criminal charges were filed against Nermin Dizdar, president of the organization, for spreading ethnic hatred and intolerance]. The flag has disappeared from the mast on Saturday afternoon. Police stated they conduct investigation into the entire case. Vecernji List pg 8 ‘’Croat flag’ has become criminal flag to Bosniaks’ – That new incidents like the last one can be expected since the Youth Forum does not give up their demands to remove Croat and Catholic symbols in Stolac. Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Events around hoisting state flag should be investigated by BiH Security Ministry’ – BH Minister for Civil Affairs, Safet Halilovic, criticised Herzegovina-Neretva Cantonal Interior Ministry for the statement following the ‘flag incident’ in Stolac. Halilovic adds that the police should not have judged those involved but informed the public, and stresses that BH Security Ministry should get involved by investigating the events. Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Situation is Stolac is normalizing’ – DL carries that 2 days after the incident with a flag in Stolac the situation in Stolac is normalizing. President of the Stolac Municipal Council Zoran Turkovic stated that the tensions have calmed down He added that he does not support any sort of violent behaviour, however, problems such as mono-ethnic symbols should be resolved in Stolac in the coming period since the aforementioned problems emerge due to the fact that these kind of issues have not been resolved yet. Slobodna Dalmacija front and page 13 ‘Pulled down crosses, flag taken off, destroyed coat of arms’ by A. Vlaho, I. Raguz – also deals with recent incidents in Stolac. |
| Oslobodjenje op-ed slams HNK MoI for its press statement on Stolac | Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Stolac case’ op-ed by Senka Kurtovic – Referring to the ‘flag-incident’ in Stolac over the weekend, author notes: “Well, only in our country it can happen to have, eight years after the war after all illusions on Great Croatia were buried down and after it became clear that there will be no the ‘third entity’, Croatian flag waves. Probably, it is only in our country that hoisting state flag can be seen as racial and ethnic hatred, division and intolerance. In any other, normal, country, such move would be praised. In Bosnia, in Herzegovina, in Stolac, it has been punished. MoI claims that after all, some one wants to make Stolac a case city against. That is disgraceful, incorrect and mean. Dizdar and Youth Forum don’t want to make Stolac a case city. That city became that in 1993, when Bosniaks were expelled to concetration camps… Stola is a case. In which nothing is accidental.” |
| RFE interview with Bond | Dnevni List page 7 ‘To reduce administration at Cantonal and entity levels’ – DL carries an interview that US Ambassador to BiH Clifford Bond gave to Radio Free Europe. Bond said that SDS has to do everything it can in order to arrest war criminals otherwise, voters in the RS will consider SDS politicians responsible for the situation that the war criminals are still at large. Talking about the current organization of BiH, Bond said that by the direct election of a head of a Municipality and implementation of the tax reform municipal institutions should be strengthened so that they can offer services to the citizens in a better way. He also added that huge administration should be reduced at the Cantonal and entity level. Bond reiterated that the Dayton Peace Accord could be changed, however, it must happen at the local level. |
| Ivanic on BiH accession to EU Croatian | RHB, Vecernji List page 2 ‘Ivanic: Biggest part of politically sensitive issues is behind us’ – The European Union enlargement is an important event for BiH, because Europe is geographically closer to BiH, and on the other side it is an additional stimulus to BiH to take this path more seriously, told the press on Monday BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic. He stressed that “it is not realistic to expect Europe to adjust its rules to us, but instead we must adjust to the European rules”. Ivanic added that he believes that BiH would open the negotiations for signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement by the end of the year. |
| Biscevic: Croatia’s EU membership will have positive impact on BiH | RHB – Croatian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Hido Biscevic has said Croatia’s admission to the European Union will have a positive impact on BiH and Bosnian Croats. Biscevic was commenting on the positive opinion Croatia was recently given on its EU embership application in an interview with Bosnia’s Catholic Weekly. He said Croatia’s EU membership would provide an anchor for Bosnia in its own Euro-Atlantic integration. Biscevic stressed the need for Bosnia’s three constituent peoples, the international community and neighbouring countries to apply an integral approach that will improve the existing constitutional solutions. Retaining the country’s political division as defined by the Dayton peace accords would be most detrimental to Croats in Bosnia, he was quoted as saying. He also said that Bosnia should define its political platform and elect leaders who would cooperate with the international community in order to set up a system that would provide the country with lasting stability. |
Defence and security | |
| Terzic comments State Department report on fight against terrorism
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘We cannot take over the full responsibility’, pg 2 ‘Terzic: BiH Government still cannot take over responsibility for fight against terrorism’ – Following the report published by the State Department which says that the fight against organized crime in BiH has slowed down since the arrival of nationalists parties on power, Chair of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic states that the report is contradictory as it gives remarks such as abovementioned while at the same it reads that a number of actions have been undertaken. However, Terzic stresses that the state authorities are still not in position to take over the full responsibility for the fight against terrorism, as well as the activities against human trafficking, etc. He explains that the institutions dealing with that issue are still at the entities’ levels. He adds that as soon as SIPA is fully operational and single Intelligence Service established, operations such as this would be much more effective. BH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic is of the same opinion when it comes to SIPA and OSA. |
| VL on soldiers’ lawsuits against FBiH Army | Vecernji list front, pg 3 ‘Soldiers sue Federation of BiH claiming over 117 million KMs’ by Zdenko Jurilj – VL reports that some 13 000 members of the Croat and 24 000 members of the Bosniak component of the FBiH Army have filed law-suit in which they demand from the Federation of BiH to pay to them overdue salaries and other outstanding compensations that the FBiH Ministry of Defense never paid for the period 1999 – 20002 for reasons that have never been explained. VL says that the Ministry owes an average of 9000 KMs on account of 2 unpaid salaries and other fees to members of the Croat component. If the amount is multiplied with the number of claimants and if the number of members of Bosniak component is added, VL says the overall debt of the FBiH Ministry of Defense would be over 300 million KMs. The daily says that collective lawsuits do not mention individual responsibility of either military or political leaders. The paper adds that, aware that the positive judgement could additionally burden the FBiH budget, FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic has submitted a request to FBiH Constitutional Court for assessment of legality of procedure according to which members of Croat component were paid their salaries. Namely, the PM is reported to believe that members of the Croat component do not have the right to payment of overdue amounts since their salaries were paid contrary to the Rules on Procedure that had once been signed by the then FBiH Minister of Defense Ante Jelavic and his Deputy Mahmuljin. |
| ICTY confirms brigadiers Jasmin and Haris Saric are not under investigation
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Brigadier Jasmin Saric is not under Tribunal’s investigation’ by Az. K. – The Hague tribunal doesn’t lead the investigation against FBiH Army brigadier Jasmin Saric, one of the Bosniak candidates for general positions with BH Armed Forces rejected in the SFOR vetting procedure. SFOR Commander Virgil Packett also dismissed Saric from the Army without a right to pension. The written confirmation from the ICTY which states that the Tribunal leads no related investigation has arrived to the Bosniak officer for relationship with the Hague, Amir Ahmic, whom Tribunal also confirmed that it did not approve any BiH court to lead investigation against Saric. Daily reminds that on 4 April, ICTY also confirmed that another rejected Bosniak candidate, brigadier Selmo Cikotic, as also not a subject of their investigation. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘No investigations against either Jasmin or Haris Saric’ – DA brings that ICT also confirmed that it leads no investigation against brigadier Haris Saric. |
| Radovanovic on appointment of generals | Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Radovanovic is waiting for explanation from SFOR’ – Nikola Radovanovic, BIH Defence Minister, yesterday stated that he expects a letter from SFOR Commander by Wednesday at latest, where SFOR would explain the reasons for rejecting the candidatures of 10 Officers of Croat and Bosniak nationality, who failed to undergo vetting procedure for BiH defence institutions. He also confirmed he has not still received the list with names of new candidates. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Miladin Milojcic deputy head of Joint HQ’ – Radovanic says that Standing Committee for Military Matters will hold the session tomorrow and establish the list with the names of candidates who passed the SFOR vetting procedure for generals positions with the BH Army. The lists will be forwarded to BH Presidency, who will bring the final decision on their possible appointment and allocation. He says that up to known it is only known that Miladin Milojcic will take over the position of Deputy Commander of Joint HQ, and Mirko Tepsic will be in Operation Command. |
| RSNA to discuss RS Veterans’ Law | RTRS – The RS Association of the War Veterans has filed 8 amendments to the Law on Veterans’ rights, war invalids and families of fallen soldiers. If the RS National Assembly does not adopt these amendments at the session on Tuesday, veterans will be ready to radically fight for their rights. That was a message sent at the Monday’s Assembly of the war veteran’s organisation in Prijedor. Representatives of the association categorically stressed that hey will not give up on their demands. Basic objections to the current law refer to the financial compensation for invalids and war veteran supplement. “I can not imagine what will happen if the amendments get to be declined. We will go out on the streets and demand that certain officials leave their positions,” said Savo Cvjetinovic, Chairman of RS War Veteran Association. Authorized Minister Mico Micic says that the amendments proposed are easy to adopt but not to implement. He stressed that all amendments are acceptable but one where Association asks for the increase of benefits for war invalids. Micic says that, although the Association believes that he should resign if this amendment is not adopted, such addenda would be simply impossible as there is no money in the budget for such increase. “If my resignation would help veterans’ organisations to get more, that the families [of killed soldiers] would get more, I resign now, I don’t have to wait for the budget to be approved or the implementation of budget, because with this calculation of 0.9 will be hard enough to ensure the budget at the beginning of next year,” said Micic, whose stand has been supported by the International Monetary Fund. RTRS – SDS spokesperson Dusan Stojicic stated that SDS will support the request of veteran’s organisation because this law will increase the compensation to war invalids and social reforms in RS. The RS National Assembly holds special session on Tuesday to discuss the Law. |
| FBiH HoR to discuss FBiH Veterans Law | Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘HDZ BiH prepared more than ten amendments’ by A. Becirovic – HDZ representatives at the FBIH House of Representatives today will file more than 10 amendments to the draft Law on Defenders’ Rights. FBiH HoR today discusses the draft Law, and author says that despite of HDZ objections, it is expected that even HDZ endorses the draft. According to Zdravko Beslic, HVO representative in the working group organized by OHR, HDZ amendments will deal with the outstanding issues. Also, the term ‘shehid’ is still unacceptable for HVO members, and additional amendments will propose for foreign citizens that were members of BH Army or HVO not to be included in the Law. Chairman of the SDA Caucus in FBIH HoR Semsudin Mehmedovic said that SDA would support the draft Law, and that the same is expected from Party for BiH. |
| NN editorial on intelligence | Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 “Appropriate intelligence officers’ by Mirza Cubro – The author is writing about the intelligence reform, saying that judging by the so far announcements and nominations for the highest positions at this Agency, the politically appropriate personnel, instead of professionals, would be leading it. He hardly believes that the state intelligence agency would be founded on the professionalism, apolitical aspect and independence. He further refers to Edhem Besic, currently Executive Director of FOSS, saying he has also applied for the position of OSA Director, but the Chairperson of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, has not forwarded his application for vetting procedure at OHR. On this, Cubro says that Prime Minister has no doubt in whether to appoint a professional with long work experience or an absolute beginner as a new director of state intelligence agency. |
Media | |
| DA on FTV and PBS Law
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Basic: There will be no redirection of means collected through RTV taxes’ – Following the adoption of the PBS Law by CoM last weeks, FTV reacted during the weekend [please see OHR Weekend Media Brief] issuing a press statement highly critical of the provision in the law which stipulates that all marketing and subscription income for all three broadcaster will be collected to the single bank account, from where RTRS and FTV will receive 27% each, and rest would go to BH RTV. Director of FTV Jasmin Durakovic explains the anger: “This is an issue of principles. It is not that we are against the state broadcaster… However we believe that stipulated division of [financial] means is unacceptable. The point on subscription is not as questionable as the one regarding to the income from marketing services, as our marketing incomes is about 4 to 5 times bigger than RTRS’s.” Deputy BiH Transport and Communications Minister, Haris Basic, stated that there is nothing questionable about the Law, adding that citizens do not pay subscription only for FTV. As for marketing, Basic said that income from marketing for bother RTRS and FTV is expected to decrease anyway, as operational state broadcaster would attract more clients. Durakovic on the other hand claims that the future situation will also cause a number of workers to stay without their jobs. |
| SD on FTV | Slobodna Dalmacija pg 15 ‘Petition spreads from one hand to another’ – In light of petition that is being signed in favor of establishment of a Croat channel on FTV, SD carries Stjepan Jukic, the person who launched the petition, as saying that the Information Commission deliberately misinformed public on the petition content. Namely, Jukic says that the petition reads “we will gladly pay FTV subscription tax once FTV broadcasts programme by and for BiH Croats on the channel of BiH Croats”, while the Commission omitted word “BiH” and turned the mentioned sentence into a call for non-payment of subscription tax. He also denies the petition is being signed in parish offices in Livno. In a separate article on the issue, Slobodna Dalmacija, p 15, “No one is satisfied with FTV”, by Zoran Zekic, Mate Bandur, an MP in the House of Peoples and a member of the Information Commission, as saying that having only one channel on FTV and the request to pay subscription for that violates the right of choice and democracy. “I truly see nothing disputable about there being 3 channels for all the 3 constituent peoples in BiH. The petition does not intend to deprive anyone of any right or a channel, but only aims for the right of choice for one. We are all dissatisfied with that TV, why not restructure it then at no one’s detriment?”, Bandur wonders. |