| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18:00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19:00 hrs) | FED TV (19:30 hrs) |
| CoM session | EU Parliament | Children as war victims |
| Bulldozer Commission | SFOR’s denial | SFOR’s denial |
| SFOR on army camp | Israel Army | World Bank in BiH |
| Feasibility study | Textbook revision |
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| Oslobodjenje | The war was an aggression and a tragic conflict of peoples; Customs in BiH – the RS succeeds in getting divided customs; A search for bodies of killed Kozarac people’ |
| Dnevni Avaz | War veterans requesting 1,000 KM pensions; The US Independence Day marked; New conditions for the return of military flats; Kozarac – negotiations in Belgrade unsuccessful |
| Dnevni List | Camps where special forces trained in Pogorelica are working?; Hasan Muratovic – change of the BiH Constitution will not take place soon; Interview with Vladimir Raguz – the SDA sold Bosniaks of Herzegovina while the HDZ sold Croats from Sarajevo |
| Vecernji List | Aggression became a tragic conflict; Due to decision of Toby Robinson – another 21 employees lost job |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Lagumdzija and Anic were violating UN embargo on the export of weapon; Murderer of Andjelic family was choking Head of Special Police Unit a year ago |
| Glas Srpski | Banja Luka; Basaric in detention; How to ease draught consequences in Republika Srpska: No one to pay for the damage |
| Nezavisne Novine | Illegal waste area in Mostar settlement of Rudnik waits to be removed for a year and a half already – ecological bomb amongst 10,000 residents; Employees of ‘Ratarstvo’ company blocked the Banja Luka – Gradiska road: farmers want their salaries and change of officials; Gradiska – a mass grave discovered in Gradiska; Director General of the RS Telekom, Zeljko Jungic – Telekom audit will show illegal actions |
| Blic | Topola’s agriculturists blocked road Gradiska-Banja Luka; Zeljko Jungic – results of the revision in the RS Telekom will be unpleasant |
| LJILJAN | Zlatko Miletic blackmailing Mirsada Zutic-Beganovic; Midhat Ridzanovic – the language spoken on the RTRS more Bosnian than the one used on the FTV |
| BH DANI | Summer 2003 – time to leave; Politics in the police – everything that Zoran Cegar must not say |
| Slobodna Bosna | Let ‘vlasi’ (an insulting word for non-Muslims) hang |
Political Affairs | |
| BiH CoM session
| CRHB at 15:00 hrs by Zana Rebo – the BiH Council of Minister held a session on Thursday in Sarajevo, where reps establishment the rules and procedures on work of the Council. These define the work of the institution, organizations of the services, the relationship with the Parliament and cooperation with executive and administrative institutions of both BiH entities. The information on immigrants from BiH was also adopted, and according to those data over 930,000 BiH citizens reside outside of the country. The CoM also discussed an issue of establishing a state news agency, but no decision was made in that regard. Minister Ivanic said that ministers believed that the privatisation of existing agencies and their market position was a high priority. The CoM will bring the decision on this issue at its next session. BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Darko Doslo – “Along with adopting the Standing Orders, we have constituted two different boards, the Economic Politics Board and Interior Politic Board. These boards start with their work immediately. This will contribute to more efficient work of the institution,” said Ivanic. RTRS at 19:30 hrs by Stjepan Zlikovac – The Council also accepted information on diaspora, 930,000 of BiH citizens outside of BiH, and the Ministry of Refugees and Human Rights was tasked to focus its work on strengthening links with BiH citizens living abroad. Dnevni List pg. 5 ‘BiH refugees will be returning from Slovenia as of August 1’ – reported on the session. |
| Feasibility Study
| CRHB at 15:00 hrs – the third round of discussions with BiH officials and EU on the Feasibility Study continued on Thursday. At the session, the issues of functioning of judiciary and security institutions in BiH dominated. Acting Director of Directorate for European Integration, Osman Topcagic, told FENA that the second day of the discussions was devoted to issues such as fight against organized crime and corruption, asylum and migration. Vecernji List pg. 2 ‘The EC Mission satisfied with response’ – “For the time being a single issue, which might be an obstacle to the progress of BiH in the process of stabilization and integration, has not been identified,” said Topcagic. |
| Isic nominated by SDA?
| FTV at 19:30 hrs – the SDA appointed a new candidate for the Justice Minister in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. The candidate will undergo a vetting procedure at the OHR. According to unofficially information, the candidate is Mumin Isic. |
| EU black list | RTRS at 19:30 hrs – the OHR and EU admitted they made a mistake by listing a dead priest Veinović on the EU black list. Instead, Bishop Filaret has been listed, but he rejects any connections with Karadžić. ‘Which Bishop are we talking about’ Oslobodjenje pg. 3 – OHR Spokesperson, Vedran Persic, stated a mistake was made and the name of late Bishop Veinovic was put on the list instead of the name of Bishop Filaret. Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 ‘Filaret: I would help Karadzic and Mladic’, Glas Srpske pg. 5 ‘I will sue them (creators of the list) before the international court’ – Bishop Filaret yesterday stated that he neither helped not protected Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. ‘I will press charges before the international court. I have not protected anyone and they should prove that I protected Mladic and Karadzic. I would be happy if I had a chance to help them as they are brave sons of the Serb people, whom I love and respect.’ Filaret also said that he did not receive the list officially and added that if he finds his name there, he would be happy and proud to be in the group of the ‘brave ones’. According to Filaret, he would feel really bad if he were amongst those praised by Javier Solana, Madeline Albright and Carla Del Ponte. Vjesnik pg. 10 by Alenko Zornija ‘Office of Paddy Ashdown was preparing list of unwanted persons when entering EU countries is in question’ – the OHR is the most responsible when the EU black list is concerned and that due to the lack of high quality checking at the EU HQ the name of dead Bishop Veinovic appeared on the list. On the same issue Dnevni List pg. 3 ‘Lawsuit against the EU’ – statement by Bishop Filaret. Also, DL on pg. 5 ‘Vracar’s approval to enter Great Britain revoked’ reports that the UK government is aware that Milenko Vracar had been issued an entrance visa for the UK in February this year for the period of six months. Considering the fact that Vracar is included on the EU’s list, the visa has been revoked. SB on pgs. 5 – 8 reported on the list and backgrounds of people listed. The article is entitled ‘Europe showed how ridiculous it is for Americans’ and one of the subtitles reads ‘Ashdown removed the living criminals from the list and included dead people’. |
| Oslobodjenje commentary | ‘Presidents’ in Oslobodjenje on pg. 2 by Zija Dizdarevic – on Tihic- Paravac conflict. As for Paravac’s statement that Tihic’s statements resemble those in the past, the author says that this is yet another attempt to shift the blame for the war onto others and at the same time it represents a threat. As for Tihic’s statement that war criminals should not be in the authority, the author recalls the SDA made no objections when Paravac was appointed, and also the SDA went into a coalition with the SDS. |
| Draza Mihajlovic’s monument | Ljiljan pg. 11 ‘That’s General Draza’s guard’ – describing the most recent situation in Brcko regarding the request on the removal of Draza Mihajlovic monument. The article reads that Bosniak and Croat councilors at the Brcko Assembly had brought the request, while Serb councilors had obstructed it, so the Supervisor had had to mediate between the confronted parties. The issue will be discussed at a special session of the Assembly. “It would be simpler for Supervisor Clarke if he applied the international laws, in accordance with which erecting monuments of war criminals was not allowed, and there was no doubt that Draza Mihajlovic was a war criminal…” |
| FBiH breached UN arms embargo? | Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 1 and 19 ‘Lagumdzija and Anic violated UN embargo on export of arms’ – earlier speculations that companies from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) violated the UN-imposed embargo on the export of arms to Iraq have been confirmed. According to the daily’s source close to the FBiH government, soon there will be a report that shows that at least two companies from the FBiH violated the embargo, namely the ‘Vitezit’ from Vitez and ‘Bratstvo’ from Novi Travnik. Reportedly, these companies exported their products, spare-parts for howitzers and M84 battle tanks, to Iraq, Syria and China via the ‘Yugoimport’ from Belgrade. According to SD, the report that is going to be completed in a few days, will ruffle plenty of feathers and labels two persons as two most responsible individuals – former FBiH Defense Minister, Mijo Anic, and former BiH Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija. |
| Cegar case | Dnevni List pg. 3 ‘Where Special Forces trained in Pogorelica are working?’ – the case of Commander of the Special Police Unit with the BiH Ministry of Interior, Zoran Cegar, did not start with the recent incident on the premises of the BiH Parliament, but much earlier. DL says that one should remember that SDA Vice President, Seada Palavric, stated in early May that she did not believe that Cegar and Head of the Federation of BiH Police, Zlatko Miletic, were being threatened and this resulted in preparations for their removal. DL goes on to say it is strange that the Secretary of the House of Peoples (referring to Izmir Hadziavdic) does not recognize the uniform of a member of Special Police, the one who is tasked to protect him. Slobodna Dalmacija pg. 1 and 17 – daily claims to be in possession of a letter that Cegar sent to the EUPM Commissioner, President of the Federation, Human Rights Chamber, Cardinal Vinko Puljic and High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, in which he describes details of his ‘verbal duel’ with Hadziavdic. According to Cegar, he was walking through the hall carrying his official uniform and official pistol on his belt when a man called Fudo asked Hadziavdic who was the man with the gun to which Hadziavdic responded that it was special police unit commander Cegar. According to Cegar, an order followed to disarm him, which Cegar refused and after that there was a shout from the crowd ‘disarm the Vlah (an insulting word for non-Muslims). Vlahs will not stroll around here like they used to, call Avaz, put him on the front page’. Moreover, SD reports that Cegar’s letter reads that the ultimate goal of this affair it to change the current Law on Interior Affairs, disempowerment of Miletic and transfer of a significant part of the police authorities to the FBiH Interior Minister. BH DANI pg. 22 and 23 – also carried an article on the case pointing out the case got on the agenda of the FBiH HoR session in a record time. The magazine is basically trying to point out that the main issue here is the intensity with which Federation coalition partners are trying to win posts in the police and judiciary. |
| HNK government | Vecernji List pg. 4 ‘Isic an SDA candidate, HDZ’s ministers still unknown’ – on nomination of three ministerial candidates for the vacant seats in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK) government after the original ministerial candidates did not pass the vetting procedure. The author learns from a source close to the Mostar SDA that the party has nominated Mumin Isic, currently an employee of the Mostar City Administration, as its candidate for cantonal Minister of Justice. Regarding two other posts that need to be filled by the HDZ, namely offices of Minister of Interior and Education, Science, Culture and Sport, the author learns from a source within the HDZ of HNC that the party could nominate its candidates even today, however the source stresses a more realistic option is that the new candidates would be known next week. Dnevni List pg. 1 and 15 – the HNK government Press Office released that previously announced sessions of the HNK Government will not be held until the government had been completed i.e. the three ministers appointed. The explanation from the press office says the reason behind the postponement is down to the fact that competent ministers of two biggest spenders of the cantonal budget have not been appointed yet. |
| Hercegovacka Bank | Vecernji List pg. 3 ‘Another 21 redundancy overnight’ – VL says the Provisional Administration, after it initially sacked 11 employees of its subsidiary, the ‘Hercegovina osiguranje’, yesterday sacked another 21 employees of the subsidiary. Moreover, the daily reports that the ‘Autocentar’ company of Siroki Brijeg, which is partly owned by the ‘Hercegovina osiguranje’, these days handed over redundancies to 30 of its employees without an explanation and out of the blue. In a written statement coming from the Provisional Administrator of Hercegovacka bank’, Toby Robinson, there is an explanation that ‘some measures have been taken to secure self-sustainability of the subsidiary companies and their attraction for potential bidders in the sale of bank and its assets’. |
| Mostar Mufti replies to OHR and OSCE | Dnevni List pg. 10 ‘International community makes compromises at detriment of Bosniaks’ – a statement by the Mufti’s Office from Mostar, which is a reaction to OHR/OSCE statement that labeled the latest statement by Mufti Seid ef. Smajkic as ‘irresponsible’. The Mufti’s Office would like to remind representatives of international community in Mostar about a few issues for which the IC is, according to the Mufti’s Office, responsible, the issues that have not been resolved after nine years of the IC’s presence in Mostar. Some of the issues listed in the letter are – the usage of the Mostar grammar school, the usage of the Mostar stadium, the Mostar airport etc. |
| Interview with Muratovic | Dnevni List pg. 1 and 9 – an interview with Deputy Speaker of Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, Hasan Muratovic. “The BiH Constitution is a fundamental document, which resolves a political concept of ruling the State. It cannot be changed through ad hoc commissions or ad hoc approach. It should be given to the experts so they analyze the existing BiH constitution first and that they propose what should be changed in it and in which way (…) I am not sure that this change will take place soon and for this reason we should rely on resolving of the core of the problems through laws.” |
| Interview with Raguz | Amid stories on difficult position of the Sarajevo Croats, Dnevni List pg. 1 and 7 – an interview with a member of the NHI’s Main Board, Vladimir Raguz, where he talks about the difficult position of Sarajevo Croats. Raguz warns that out of 730 people employed in the administration of the Sarajevo Canton, from the cantonal Prime Minister all the way down to the doorman, there are only 28 Croats, which is against the Protocol signed after the DPA by Alija Izetbegovic and Kresimir Zubak. The Protocol stipulated that public services of the Sarajevo Canton had to employ 8,5% of Croats, the pre-war percentage of Croats in Sarajevo. In Raguz’s opinion, the SDA sold Bosniaks of Herzegovina, particularly of Mostar, whilst the HDZ sold Croats of Sarajevo. “The current HDZ is much different to the then HDZ but it’s pretty late to change things,” says Raguz. |
| SB interview with Terzic | SB pg. 16, 17 and 18 ‘If foreign donors withdraw, BiH is dead’ by Danka Savic – conducted an interview with CoM Chair Adnan Terzic. Asked about most concerning issues in the Feasibility Study, Terzic singled out the issue of the import-export balance and of the BiH Veterinary Office. Talked about admission to the EU and stated that Croatia was already considered a country that would soon finds itself on its way to Europe. |
| SB on the issue of Croats being endangered | SB on pg. 22 and 23 dealt with an issue of Croats being endangered in Sarajevo. Under the title ‘is it unbearable for Croats to live in Sarajevo’, the magazine basically lists the events in the past week that re-opened the issue of Croats being endangered in Sarajevo (Helsinki Committee statement, statements by Cardinal Puljic and verbal assaults on Catholic priests in Sarajevo). |
| Czech daily on BiH’s prospects for the EU | Bosnia is on margins on of the interests of the EU, US and international organization. The expectations of the local politicians that BiH will enter the EU by 2009 are unrealistic, assesses Czech daily Hospodarszke Novini. The magazine warns that the entire Balkan is on the margins of interest because klarge amount of the US capital has been directed towards the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. Also, a number of financial scandals and misuse of donations contributed to the weakening of internationals’ interest. Therefore, concludes the Czech daily, perspectives of BiH are looking sombre. |
Education Affairs | |
| Textbooks revised | BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Alma Mesanovic – school textbooks for national subjects have been revised. The main objective of the Expert Team was to remove unacceptable contents from the textbooks. “We have eliminated all the insulting contents from the textbooks, like contents on aggression and hatred,” said Milos Milincic, a member of the Expert Team. Another Expert Team member, Ismet Krnic, stated that no textbook would be published if it had not been revised. FTV at 19:30 hrs by Elvisa Tatlic – The main objective of the revision was to remove unacceptable contents from the textbooks, especially those concerning the interpretation of recent historical events. RTRS at 19:30 hrs by Dejana Radovanovic – Most revisions were in a national group of subjects, namely history and mother tongue. A middle solution for the recent history was to remove any comments and leave only dates and events. Using constitutional solutions solved disputes over official languages. Journalist asked about the word ‘aggression’, but an RS member of the Commission said the word had been replaced by ‘tragic conflict of people’. ‘The war was an aggression and a tragic conflict of peoples’ pg. 1, 4 and 5 – the Commission for Revising textbooks agreed that the text books on BiH history will read the pervious war was an aggression and a tragic conflict of peoples. A part of the Commission from the RS support the later expression, while Federation professors believe term ‘aggression’ is appropriate. Ismet Krnic, a Commission member, said this was a step towards Europe, and that no textbook would be printed unless insulting and inappropriate contents were removed before. Milos Milencic, Commission Coordinator, said they decided to list events between 1974 and 2003 without any comments. Avaz pg. 4 ‘Krnic: terms balija, ustasha and chetnik removed’ – Falk Pingel, OSCE Director of the Education Department, said they were pleased the revision was conducted. Vecernji List pg. 1 and 3, Dnevni List pg. 4 ‘Unacceptable contents removed from textbooks’ – VL goes on to say that one of the most sensitive issue in the recent history of BiH, the interpretation of the war between 1992-1995, will be left to new generations for solving. In that context, the daily says the pupils in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been for years taught that in 1992 an aggression was conducted against BiH adding that such term could be removed from textbooks and replaced with an expression ‘tragic conflict’ in order not to insult children of Serb returnees. |
Police Affairs | |
| Intelligence reform | FTV at 19:30 hrs by Arijana Saracevic-Helac – President of the Expert Team for Intelligence-Safety Reforms, Kalman Kocis, held separate meetings with BiH Presidency members. The legal basics for the reforms will be completed by August 1st, when the BiH Parliament on HR’s request needs to adopt corresponding Law without delay. By the January 1, BiH should have a joint Intelligence Service. Kocis has conducted a similar reform in Hungary, and made the Hungary Intelligence Service one of the most efficient from all the transition countries. According to Kocis, the Service would protect citizens and their rights, politicians, BiH from threats. Members of the BiH Presidency have different attitudes on the matter. “I am convinced that BiH will have a joint intelligence service, legally arranged to provide certain decentralization. The important thing is that the law needs to determine precisely the Service’s authorization frames, and also to establish the supervising of the Service – my opinion is that it should be supervised by the BiH Parliament,” Dragan Covic, Chairman of BiH Presidency stated. Sulejman Tihic stated that it was impossible for him to except a concept of two regional services suggested by Kocis. “This concept anticipates two regional centres. For me this represents legalisation of existing services by giving them a single name,” said Tihic. Borislav Paravac still refuses to give an interview for the FTV. During a phone conversation, Paravac refused to give any precise statement, only that he would support the future agreement with entity governments. |
Economic Affairs | |
| Law on Taxing of Products Trade and Services
| CRHB at 15:00 hrs by Zana Rebo – at Thursday session, the FBiH government established a draft of amendments and changes to the Law on Taxing of Product Trade and Services, as well as the Law on Public Incomes and FBiH Financing. These were changes to the existing laws as envisaged by the Bulldozer Commission, which referred to the point of collection of taxes of high-tariff products. Minister of Finance, Dragan Vrankic, stressed that these laws determined payers of taxes on product trade and services as traders who import high-tariff products. This way, it has been regulated to tax oil, coffee and alcohol at its import. These changes will take place on August 1, and are expected to improve legal trade. “We have finally removed the possibility of ‘fiscal rivalry’ inside BiH,” stated Dragan Vrankic. The new-adopted Law will determine a distribution of tax incomes for the cantons. The Federation government did not discuss a draft Law on Public Income Paying, even though the BiH Union requested it. The Total amount of Federation companies’ debts for public incomes exceeds 750 million KM. FTV at 19:30 hrs by Indira Sehic – alsor eported on the session. |
| WB | BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Seid Masnica – the World Bank threatens to suspend $7 million funding for companies for public services in Mostar as long as they are divided on municipalities. The decision on creating a joint public service company in Mostar was postponed by the votes of members of the Party for BiH and SDP. The Mostar authorities do not think that the funding is endangered. |
| RS Telecom | RTRS at 19:30 hrs by Stela Jungic – General Manager of the RS Telecom, Željko Jungić, announced some deficiencies in the public procurement in the company. He said the audit by special OHR auditor would reveal the lack of transparency in some transfers, which is mainly a consequence of eagerness for the fast expansions and sometimes inadequate personnel. “We have to strengthen our internal controls,” said Jungić. He does not expect dismissals like in Elektroprivreda, because the company was so profitable and successful. He admitted the company charges high rates for international services, but also very low for domestic services. Nezavisne Novine pg. 1 and 3, Glas Srpske pg. 3 ‘The safe full of satisfaction’ – Jungic does not believe the audit report will result in major consequences nor that it would lead to dismissals, as was the case with the Elektroprivreda. Quite opposite from Jungic’s assessment, PDHR Donald Hays stated in an interview for NN a month ago that ‘his instinct tells him that the audit of Telekom will show many similar or even same problems as in the Elektroprivreda’. As NN has learnt from its sources, the results of the OHR’s audit of RS Telekom will be publicised early in September. Blic pg. 7 ‘Results will most probably be unpleasant’ – “We have to strengthen our internal controls”, said Jungic. He admitted the company charges high rates for international services, but also very low for domestic services. |
| Customs system remains divided?
| ‘Customs in BiH – the RS succeed in getting divided customs’ pg. 1 and 6 – the IC gave in to requests of the RS heads by allowing for a joint customs system to remain divided in entities. Instead of four customs regions, as requested by Croat and Bosniak reps at the Commission for Indirect Taxation, there’s a talk about seven of them. FBiH Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, confirmed this on Thursday. He said the seven regions would match entity borders, which meant entities would have their fiscal sovereignty, and there would not be complete, joint customs. |
| Regional Bulldozer commissions | ‘Six regional Buldozer commission working successfully’ Avaz pg. 2 – OHR Spokesperson, Vedran Persic, yesterday stated that six regional Bulldozer commissions were operating successfully and were currently preparing the first package of reforms for the current month. Dnevni List pg. 7 ‘Successful work of regional Bulldzoer commissions’ – same statement. |
| Law on Revision of Privatisation | ‘The voting on the Law on Revision of Privatisation postponed again’ Avaz pg. 4 – on the FBiH government session held yesterday. The voting on the Law on Revision of Privatisation was postponed again. Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, said they had to be very careful with the Law as it falls into a group of laws that the IMF and WB were interested in. They sent for a parliamentary procedure changes to the Law on Products Trade and Services Taxation Law, devised upon the suggestion of the Bulldozer Commission (concerns taxes on high tariff goods). Also in Oslobodjenje on pg. 9 ‘The Sale Tax and Tax on second hand cars’. Dnevni List pg. 4 ‘Preliminary draft on public incomes at hold’ – also reported on the session. |
Media Affairs | |
| PBS
| RTRS at 19:30 hrs – The recent decision by Media Coordinator Shearer on the single Management Board was not against the RTRS, said OHR Sonja Pastulović. The RTRS is facing a catastrophic situation and this decision has been aimed to save the RTRS. On the issue of the PBS in Avaz pg. 8 ‘Shearer led PBS to bankruptcy’ – the BiH Party for Women thinks that Broadcasting Agent, John Shearer, is to blame for bringing the PBS on the verge of the bankruptcy. They said he spent money anyway he pleased and the party concluded the PBS was devised for the needs of the OHR, therefore the OHR should cover the costs of the losses. The second story on the same page ‘The decision by Broadcasting Agent leads towards the joint RTV BiH’ – the RS Union thinks the latest decision by Shearer is damaging for the RTRS and it endangers its further independent work. Said the new Central Steering Board was conflicting with the existing Law on PBS brought by the OHR. The statement by the Party for Women was reported in Oslobodjenje on pg. 4 ‘Shearer led the PBS to bankruptcy’. Nezavisne Novine pg. 5 ‘The OHR endangers work of the RTRS’, Glas Srpske pg. 2 ‘A screen with two frames’ – reported both statements by the Women Association and RTRS Union. According to OHR Spokeswoman, Sonja Pastuovic, Shearer had to act due to the failure of the Republika Srpska National Assembly to appoint four members of the RTRS Board of Governors, as determined by the Law. Chairman of the RTRS Board of Governors, Danko Ruzicic, claims that concerns of the RTRS Trade Union are groundless. Ruzicic said that he got assurances from the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, and his Broadcasting Agent, John Shearer, that there was no room to talk about centralization and that the new Central Steering Board would only coordinate work of all three broadcasters. |
| BH DANI on PBS | DANI pg. 6 ‘Bosanski Barometar’ column on the latest HR’s move related to the PBS graded with a single black dot, meaning a bad move. The magazine thinks the best HR Ashdown could do when Shearer left to renounce all decision Shearer proclaimed during his mandate, because all of them led to the sinking of the national TV. Instead, reads the article, Ashdown asked Shearer (the magazine makes a cynical remark about the part where HR had to ask Shearer since Ashdown has ‘divine authorities’) to make a decision that would help pull the PBS out of the crisis by the end of the year. |
| Returnee Affairs | |
| Avaz commentary | ‘Why is Zepa forgotten’ Avaz pg. 3 Edina Sarac – in her commentary, Sarac claims that officials only deal with the subject of returnees when they actually need more votes. Sarac goes on to prove her point by using an example of Zepa people, who, according to the author, have been forgotten by all those who have made them promises because Zepa people continue to live in sheds. |
Judiciary Affairs | |
| Raguz on BiH Police Court
| CRHB at 15:00 hrs – President of the BiH Court, Martin Raguz, stated that he expected the issue of the establishment of the BiH Court Police to be solved by the end of this year. “Prior to that, it is necessary to produce necessary legal documents in order to implement the Law on Court Police,” said Raguz. He added that certain discussion already took place with the BiH Justice Ministry, which, according to this Law, would have the authority over work of the Court Police for what he said to be in contradiction with solutions at the entity levels, where such roles were given to the President of Supreme Court. |
| Criminal Law in RS | BHTV at 19:00 hrs by Zorica Lolic – the RS Ministry of Interior has organized a two-day round table on criminal legislation reforms in the Republika Srpska. The Criminal Law, Law on Criminal Procedure and Law on Witness Protection are in use in the RS since June 1st. Domestic and foreign experts together with IC reps are helping in defining the police operational procedures concerning the adopted laws. “I’m glad to say that we are about to implement a completely modern criminal procedure, coordinated by the European standards,” stated Miodrag Simunovic, Constitutional Court Judge. Applying the new Criminal Law represents a new challenge for the RS police. “By applying the new Law on Criminal Procedure, we expect more efficient and more economic procedures, and also respecting of the defendants’ rights,” stated Minister of Interior Zoran Djeric. |
| Raguz on Court Police | ‘The Court Police by the end of the year’ Avaz pg. 2 – BiH Court President, Martin Raguz, yesterday said he expected the issue of the establishment of the BiH Court Police to be resolved by the end of the year. In Oslobodjenje on pg. 4 ‘The BiH Court Police by the end of the year’. |
| SDA vs. OHR on Criminal Law | ‘We want to protect ordinary citizens, not criminals’ Oslobodjenje pg. 8 – the SDA thinks the statement by OHR Spokesperson, Oleg Milisic, regarding the draft Law on Criminal Procedure, is absurd. Semiha Borovac, a delegate at the FBiH HoP, said the SDA never protected criminals and the goal of the amendments was to protect ordinary citizens who would not have means of financing their defense. Also, she said the OHR probably would not give in s far as the issue is concerned, and that reps were not allowed to think differently and participate in the work of the Parliament in a quality kind of way, which is what they should do. Instead, she said, we receive criticisms and accusations from the IC. |
| Munro testifies | Dnevni Avaz pg. 31 ‘Colin Munro testified about incidents in Mostar’ and Oslobodjenje pg. 27 ‘Judge Vladimir Spoljaric questioned Colin Munro’ – Judge of the cantonal Court in Sarajevo, Vladimir Spoljaric, yesterday held a hearing for former Head of the OHR South, Colin Munro. DA says that hearing lasted four hours and it took place behind the closed door. According to unofficial information, Munro was heard about the events in hotel ‘Ero’ and about a role of Dragan Mandic, who was the Minister of Interior of the Herzegovina Canton at that time. DA says that it is not known as to what Munro said about Mandic’s role yesterday, however, Munro used to say earlier that it seemed as if Mandic was helping, but that actually he was one of those who organized the demonstrations. Munro was also questioned about the investigation that the Sarajevo Cantonal Court is carrying out against unknown persons from Mostar because of suspicion that they abused their positions. Oslobodjenje says it was not possible to learn as to what Munro said about this case, however, it is known that there is a court procedure against Dragan Mandic and Minister of Interior of the West Herzegovina Canton Vinko Culjak because they abused their positions. |