| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Pre-war savings accounts | Vuksic’s resignation | Mine accident | Attempt to arrest Karadzic |
| BiH Presidency | 5-C Corridor | Novi Seher | Corridor 5-C |
| Education reforms | World news | FOSS | Red Cross |
| 5c corridor |
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| Croatia – Slovenia |
| Oslobodjenje | FOSS Director Ivan Vuksic resigned |
| Dnevni Avaz | Comprehensive investigation and suspensions |
| Dnevni List | Completion of corridor Vc by 2010; Press conference of international organizations in Mostar: Education reform does not obliterate any language; Front door of joint school building set on fire |
| Vecernji List | Too little Croats in state service; FBiH PM Hadzipasic: We cannot punish those who do not implement Government’s decisions |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
| Glas Srpske | Ministry of Energy denies OHR: There were no threats!; Bijeljina: Karadzic looked for at Bishop’s Office |
| Nezavisne Novine | Following FOSS information on alleged preparations of coup d’etat: Vuksic resigns, Hadzipasic demands investigation; Construction of highway Banjaluka-Gradiska: Machines waiting for money and the law; BH Presidency: Ambassadors at seven states dismissed, new appointed |
| Blic | 17,000 persons still missing in BiH |
Security affairs | |
| Acting FOSS Director Vuksic resigns
| FTV, BHTV, ONASA, Osloboodjenje front page, Slobodna Dalmacija page 6, by H, “Head of Intelligence-security service of Federation of BiH resigns” – The acting director of the Federation Intelligence Service (FOSS), Ivan Vuksic, resigned on Wednesday, FTV reported. The information has been confirmed by an anonymous source in the Office of the High Representative. Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Ivan Vuksic withdrew from the post by himself, an investigation opened in OHR’ – According to the newspaper, Vuksic requested to be put under a sort of suspension until a legal proceeding against him before the Sarajevo Canton Court (related to Herecegovacka Bank developments) is completed. He also requested that FOSS Executive Director Edhem Besic is suspended as well because he had been maintaining permanent contacts with the removed FOSS Director Munir Alibabic. At the same time, an investigation has been opened within OHR into the allged links between some OHR officers with Alibabic’s group. Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Premier Hadzipasic requesting temporary suspensions’ – FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic on Wednesday afternoon requested FBiH President Niko Lozancic and his Deputies Sahbaz Dzihanovic and Desnica Radivojevic to approve temporary suspension of Besic and Vuksic. Both Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz say that the FBiH Government is expected to discuss FOSS report, which initiated the entire affair, at its session on Thursday. |
| SDP leader places himself at prosecution’s disposal over coup plot claims | Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Lagumdzija will not use immunity’, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Start from me’, Dnevni List page 3, “Investigation on planned coup requested”, SRNA – The President the BiH Social Democratic Party (SDP) and deputy to the BiH House of Representatives, Zlatko Lagumdzija, on Wednesday informed the chief Federation prosecutor, Zdravko Knezevic, that in view of the accusations that he had organized the bomb attacks in Sarajevo and prepared a coup d’etat, he was placing himself at the disposal of the prosecution without invoking his immunity as a parliamentary deputy. In a letter to Knezevic which was forwarded to the media, Lagumdzija urged the investigation to begin with the SDP and him personally, but to “continue and finish with those who created such monstrous accusations”. “Any well-informed and well-intended person would know that all these accusations are based on brutal lies and that their creators are provoking a situation which would have brought them to face justice in court in any organized democratic state. In any way, it is necessary not only to initiate proceedings, but also to complete them by punishing the culprits,” Lagumdzija said in his letter to Knezevic. Lagumdzija also said that he decided on this public statement because of the feeling of responsibly for the difficult situation and the survival of BiH, as well as the weight of the accusations and their possible consequences. |
| FTV story on FOSS scandal | FTV – Scandal related to group lead by Zlatko Lagumdzija and Munir Alibabic, allegedly organised to shake constitutional-legal foundation of BiH, gets new dimension. Entire case was opened upon report of the Federation Intelligence/Security Agency FOSS, who was tapping Former Head of FOSS Munir Alibabic’s phone. Case was submitted to the Federation Prosecutor and his response is expected. People from the Federation Prosecutor’s Office claim information and media-created title “Putsch” were exaggerating, because intention, aim and consequences of the act must be proven. In the meantime, Head of FOSS Ivan Vuksic was scared of consequences and claimed report was sent without his knowledge. OHR Spokesperson Vedran Persic: “Of course, OHR is concern because intelligence found its way to media. Firstly, OHR expects respective Federation authorities to undertake steps and will consider its own moves if necessary.” Even President of the Federation Supreme Court Amir Jaganjac treats publishing of information on tapping Alibabic’s phone as act of crime. Executive Director of FOSS Edhem Besic claim Ivan Vuksic violated the law by tapping Alibabic’s phone. Zlatko Lagumdzija calls Federation Prosecutor to undertake investigation. Alibabic claims tapping started when he was engaged in one international agency for war crimes and calls High Representative to take same measures as he took when he was removed. |
| SDA, Party for BiH, HDZ leaders met over FOSS report | As FTV is informed, meeting of state, entity and political parties’ officials on FOSS issue was held in the Presidency Building late on Wednesday. Oslobodjenje, front page, reported that the meeting was attended by only top SDA and HDZ officials. However, according to Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Suspend officials who worked for Alibabic’, a consultative meeting was held in the office of Sulejman Tihic and it was attended by the leaders of HDZ, SDA and Party for BiH. The participants agreed on the future activities with regard to the FOSS report and requested FBiH Government to initiate suspension of all FOSS officers having contacts with Alibabic and his group. |
| Reactions to the FOSS report | Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘OHR: Federation Prosecution Office has right to investigate into criminal activities’ – The OHR believes that the FBiH Federation Office should deal with a report on the alleged Munir Munja Alibabic’s illegal activities. Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 2 ‘Suspend responsible persons until the completion of the investigation’ – Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic said that the investigation should determine the role and the responsibility of each individual involved in the affair. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘The report has gone into the right hands’ – HDZ BiH leader Barisa Colak said that the FOSS report had gone into the right hands and that the FBiH Prosecution Office was fully competent to make correct conclusions about the issue. Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘SDA: We are concerned about the organised group’, Dnevni List p 8, “International Community for early elections?”, by Fena – The SDA expressed its concern about the information on the existence of an organised group working on to de-stabilise political situation in the country. |
| Nezavisne Novine on FOSS affair
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘Vuksic resigns, Hadzipasic demands investigation’ – Ahmet Hadzipasic, Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will demand an investigation into leakage of intelligence information from FOSS and other institutions, that dispose of intelligence information. Amir Jaganjac, President of Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, claims that disclosure of intelligence information is a criminal act. Vedran Persic, OHR Spokesperson, expressed concern of OHR over the leakage of information to the media. According to NN inset, Ivan Vuksic, Acting Director of FOSS, yesterday filed his resignation according to unofficial sources. |
| EUPM on BiH politicians behaviour | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3, ‘Politicians should pay attention to what they state’, Blic pg. 7 ‘Politicians hamper police’ – Alun Roberts, EUPM Spokesperson, yesterday stated that the politicians, but also BiH media, should be more careful in passing any assessment whenever they make comment or report on serious incidents or criminal acts. He also said that they should first check every piece of information with the police bodies. He said that: “The statements, which some politicians gave upon some criminal acts, should have been grounded on facts instead of rumors.” |
Economic/social issues | |
| Croatian, Bosnian, Hungarian Ministers discuss Vc corridor
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 – Transport Ministers of Croatia, BiH and Hungary together with members of expert teams from three countries met in Osijek on Wednesday to discuss building of 5c corridor. They agreed corridor had extreme importance in economic, tourist and trade connections between not only these three states, but also EU member states. BiH Transport and Communications Minister Branko Dokic, Croatian Traffic and Communications Minister Roland Zuvanic and Hungarian Deputy Economy and Transport Minister Herence Kovac signed memorandum on joint agreement and stances on 5c corridor building. Entire building of that important traffic corridor could be expected to be finished by 2010. Ministers Zuvanic and Dokic denied media allegations that there were certain misunderstandings between two states in regard to this issue. Dnevni List front and page 5, by Fena, “Completion of corridor Vc by 2010”, Slobodna Dalmacija, page 6, by H, “Corridor Vc will be completed by 2010”, Jutarnji List, page 3, by N. Patkovic, “Ministers sing memorandum on corridor Vc”, Vjesnik, front page “Croatia, BiH and Hungary agree on construction of corridor Vc” Also reported on the meeting. |
| HB Radio on 5c corridor | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna – Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic stated that Bosmal company, three months before the deadline, secured 300 million Euros needed to complete the first stage in building 5c corridor. Dnevni list daily writes that documents they obtained read that in November 2002 Bosmal had only two registered workers. According to same document, Bosmal employed only 9 people in the period between December 2002 and August 2003 and that it paid 6829 KM of allowances. It is unknown whether Bosmal submitted its financial report, however daily speculates that it was hardly possible that any company with such references would have 300 million Euros secured with the assistance of Malaysian bank. Dnevni list also says that a year ago, USA in its investigation of the companies supporting terrorism activities in the world also checked Bosmal company. |
| Terzic officially receives guarantees from BOSMAL | BHTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 – Even bank guaranties for covering cost of creation of the feasibility study and expropriation of lands, Bosmal Company hasn’t been awarded with job of construction of the 5-C corridor. Croatian proposal is still in the game. Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic: “Council will wait now for the meeting of the corridor coordination body and determine future steps in accordance with its decisions.” Construction of the 5-C corridor will provide not only technical advantages, but economical development too. Of course, if contractor would hire local companies for execution of works. Terzic: “In our response to the Bosmal Company, we have stated clearly that we require, during construction, BiH companies to execute any works they can”. RTRS – Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic met on Wednesday with representatives of BiH-Malaysian Company Bosmal, who is offering funds for preparation works for the corridor 5-C. Terzic: “I am interested in what is written in the letter of guaranties since that letter will determine CoM’s future movements. I am glad that CoM hasn’t started any activities that are not going to end positively”. Council will wait now for the meeting of the corridor coordination body and determine future steps in accordance with its decisions. Council will still persist in decision that corridor should be constructed by the BiH firms, except for works that require technology that don’t exist in BiH. Dnevni List back page, by H, “Terzic: Croatian bid is no competition for Bosmal” reports that the Chair of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, stated yesterday that the letter of intention of the Croatian Government on construction of the Corridor Vc through BiH is no competition for the “Bosmal”. “The letter of intention of Government of Republic of Croatia cannot be put in the same competition because the Bosmal’s offer is much more concrete”, said Terzic after a meeting with representatives of Bosmal who submitted Terzic the banking guarantees worth 300 million Euros. PM Terzic also stated that BiH experts would in the next few days render the documentation submitted by the “Bosmal” after which there could be a decision on further steps. |
| DL on appointment of Director of Indirect Taxation Administration | Dnevni List (page 6, by Anica Tonic-Babic, “Your move, Lord”) – the author compares Chicago from 1930s and Sarajevo from present days and appointment of the “first policeman of USA” and appointment of the Director of Indirect Taxation Administration in BiH by asking what would have happened had Elliot Ness and the untouchables been neglected by the then commission for appointments and what would have happened had Al Capone been appointed the first policeman. The author says the difference between the then Chicago and Sarajevo now, is that (Fuad) Kasumovic, with many criminal reports filed against him, is still in contention to become the “first tax-man in BiH”, whilst (Zelimir) Rebac , who filed criminal reports, is out of picture. “Lord Ashdown, it is your move! BiH citizens have the opportunity to see the real face of the OHR. Is it the one that support filing of criminal reports or the one that supports throwing the reports into the bin?”, questions the author. |
| OHR on the need for adoption of the indirect taxation law | Oslobodjenje pg. 7 ‘ Adopt the law or you lose millions of KM’ – If the domestic politicians fail to adopt the law on the indirect taxation in the regular parliamentary procedure, which has been drafted by an authorized OHR commission, a direct consequence will be blockage of the BiH’s moving towards Europe, loss of an EU assistance of 10 million KM and another one of 45 million euros planed to be implemented through the CARDS program. Chief OHR Spokesman Julian Braithwaite confirmed in a statement for the newspaper the mentioned financial assistance would be brought into question in case of non-adoption of the law. |
| Construction of Banjaluka-Gradiska highway | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 9, ‘Machines waiting for money and the law’ – The commencement of construction of highway Banjaluka-Gradiska has been postponed for spring time next year, until when the Republika Srpska Government should create legal pre-requisites necessary for the construction and management over highways. |
| Eventual closure of Air Bosna Company | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2, ‘”Air Bosna” to be closed’ – If no agreement is reached with the International Agency for distant flights, BiH air-company “Air Bosna” may be closed some of the coming days. Owing to the debt of EURO 646 thousand towards International Agency, Air Bosna, whose founders are Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and “Energoinvest” has been suspended from this system. |
| RS Ministry of Energy denies OHR | Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘There were no threats’ – Zdravko Milovanovic, Associate at the Republika Srpska Ministry of Energy and Development, said that the London firm EFT, as the only bidder for the construction of the hydropower plant “Buk Bijela”, did not make any threats to the Republika Srpska Government , nor did it expose Government to any pressure. He reminded that the tender for plant will be opened ‘til 27 October, stressing that “it is inappropriate to foresee that EFT will remain the only bidder, bearing in mind that six tender documentation have been purchased so far”. |
| Telekom affair(s) | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6, ‘Telekom paid KM 19.5 million, not 30 million to Funds’ – According to budget rebalance, adopted by Republika Srpska National Assembly in March this year, Telekom Srpske paid the amount of KM 19.5 million, instead of 30 million to Republika Srpska Funds of Health care and Pension and Disability Insurance. The amount was paid out from Telekopm income. In February this year, Zeljko Jungic, Director of Telekom Srpske, stated that Telekom paid KM 30 million to Funds in 2002. |
| Economic cooperation between Serbia and RS | Blic pg. 7 ‘Goods arrive easier to Federation’; Vecernje Novosti pg. 11 ‘Shengen on Drina’ – Meeting of Chambers of Commerce of Republika Srpska and Serbia and Montenegro took place yesterday in Banja Luka. It was said that the RS trade with Serbia was reduced in the last six months for 12 %, while the trade of Serbia and Federation is increasing. The reasons for reducing the RS trade with Serbia are the customs barriers and openness of market for goods from other countries. Addressing the businessmen, RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic said that the reason for poor economic cooperation between Serbia and RS was insufficient use of economy in two states, announcing urgent measures to improve that. |
| Oslobodjenje: Covic’s group tried to sell a ruin for a million KM | Oslobodjenje pgs. 4-5, mentioned on the front page ‘Covic’s group tried to sell a ruin for a million KM’ By Azhar Kalamujic – The Federation of BiH Government obliged the Entity’s Customs Administration to completely fulfil its obligations from a criminal contract on the purchase of a Mostar’s SOKO facility for the needs of the customs office in the town. According to the contract, the Customs Administration should pay to the Mostar-based Euro Consulting the rest of the money amounting up to 330,000 KM. The Administration has been refusing to pay these funds since it believes the purchase of the building was illegal and damaging for the customs office and that it should have been annulled. |
Political developments | |
| BiH Presidency session
| Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 5, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 and pg. 9, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘BH ambassadors in seven states dismissed, new appointed’, Blic pg. 7 ‘No budget rebalance’, Vecernji List page 2, by D. Jazvic, “New BiH ambassadors to Vatican, Macedonia and Belgium”, Dnevni List, page 3, unsigned, “New ambassador to Vatican appointed” – The decisions on the vacancies in the BiH diplomatic and consular offices should be upheld in the coming days, Presidency Chairman Dragan Covic has confirmed after Wednesday’s session of the body. The issue of the excessive spending by the office of the Serb member of the Presidency, Borislav Paravac, and appropriations of the remaining funds has not been resolved yet and a solution will probably be sought in the rebalance of the budget. Members of the state Presidency have upheld the decisions on seven diplomatic and consular offices, creating conditions for normal functioning of the diplomatic and consular network. According to Presidency Chairman Dragan Covic, this issue should be completely resolved in the coming days. “I hope that after the next session of the Presidency we will have a decision on all vacancies, or posts which according to various criteria could be made vacant. I think that including those seven we considered today, the total would be around 15, and there will be no longer be any obstacles in creating vacancies, either on the basis of retirement age, years of service or on the basis of one’s mandate in the diplomatic service,” said Covic. The other important issue which was discussed at the session was the budget, that is the appropriation of the remaining funds. The members of the Presidency, according to Covic, maintained their positions, and so a solution to this sensitive issue has yet to be found. “I will contact the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury in order to create conditions for the rebalance which was taken as an obligation in January of this year and has not been done yet, and I hope that in agreement with the IMF we will create a sufficient financial basis for the Presidency to be able to function normally until the end of the year,” Covic emphasized. Covic also confirmed that the other two Presidency members have been informed about, as he says, the fact that his recent interview with the Washington Post does not reflect the view which he expressed during talks with the journalists of this paper. The interview stated that Covic had said that members of the terrorist network Al-Qa’idah are active in BiH. |
| OHR South on public utility issue in Mostar | Slobodna Dalmacija (p 6, “Unnecessary politicization of education”, by Zoran Zekic) and Dnevni List (front & p 16, “Education reform does not obliterate any language”, by D. Kozina) report that, at yesterday’s regular weekly press conference in Mostar, the OHR South spokesperson, Avis Benes, did not want to prejudice the outcome of the Mostar City Council session dedicated to the World Bank loan meant for public utility issue in Mostar. She said the OHR supported the position of the World Bank, adding she hoped reason would prevail in order not to lose the loan. DL adds she did not want to speculate on possible sanctions in case of the failure of the session. |
| Interviews with FBiH PM Hadzipasic | Vecernji List (front and page 6, by Eldina Medunjanin, “We cannot punish those who do not implement Government’s decisions”) – when questioned whether the Government he is leading has the real power or whether the power is in the hand of the IC, the Prime Minister of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ahmet Hadzipasic, says that he sees the IC as a helping hand for implementation of the Government’s decisions and goes on to say that the Government’s task is to enact laws, proposals, measures and conclusions that have to be implemented on the ground. PM Hadzipasic also warns that the whole structure needs to function properly because the laws and decisions are pointless if they are not implemented. Questioned to be more specific about the statement, Hadzipasic says: “Look, if there is a decision which, lets says, goes into salaries of employees and reduction of operational costs, and if the decision is not carried out, how do I sanction the people. It is a very long process for me to remove somebody in a steering board or management”. Questioned about the attitude towards the “Aluminij” Mostar and the price of electricity for the company, PM Hadzipasic says the Government will do everything that the company gets the electricity from both the Elektroprivreda of BiH and Elektroprivreda of HZ HB for the same price, because at the moment the electricity from EP HZ HB is more expensive by some 20%. Vjesnik (page 3, by Dada Zecic, “Hadzipasic: Talks with Croatia about export of Bosnian electricity are welcomed”) – asked to assess the privatization process in the FBiH, the FBiH PM Hadzipasic says the privatization process has been blocked in the past year and a half and that the FBiH Government has been intensively working on the de-blockade of the process in the past six months. “In case that we go into the process without the real concept, the investors could ask themselves whether some new BiH Government could again undertake an audit of the privatization. Law on audit, which is currently in parliament, should be a motive to foreign investors to believe in the rule of law in BiH”, says Hadzipasic. |
| NN editorial on early elections, Ashdown
| Nezavisne Novine editorial by Josip Blazevic, pg. 7, ‘Early elections’ – The author refers to an opposition call, which has been used so often lately – that is the call for early elections. Although author is skeptical as to whether elections would bear any fruit and bring any good to the people of BiH, he is convinced that in these hard times for everybody, the politicians would somehow manage to collect the resources and accordingly hold elections, that often cost a lot of money. The paragraph, referring to the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, reads as follows: “And Paddy Ashdown would, most probably, continue the same practise: he would maintain his engagement small corrupted politicians, who evidently are not capable of implementing wide reforms in the state. But he should not be blamed for that, because people has elected the current establishment of state leadership. However, Ashdown should be blamed for wrong implementation of his personal powers: regardless of how assume the power – left wing, right wing, nationalists, non-nationalists – the HiRep should properly and without using double standards use his powers to lead the BiH on the path of progress. Because, that is his role and responsibility. And it is just a waste of time to have any belief that political forces in BiH are capable of leading the state, without the mediation of international community.” |
| Ombudsmen request FBiH Government’s response on removals in Steering Boards | Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Ombudsmen request FBiH Government’s response on removals in Steering Boards’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 9 – The Federation of BiH Ombudsmen, Vera Jovanovic, Esad Muhibic and Branka Raguz, requested the FBiH Government to urgently respond to their recommendations with regard to the removals and new appointments in the public companies’ steering boards. |
| VL says FBIH HoR ignores decisions of BiH Election Commission | Vecernji List (front “Sanctioned MP still in parliament” and page 2 “Removed but still sits in Parliament”, by E. Medunjanin) – the article says that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) Parliament is ignoring a decision of the BiH Election Commission according to which the mandate to an SBiH MP, Amira Dzajic, should be terminated. In June 2003, the Election Commission sanctioned Dzajic over violation of Law on Conflict of Interest, fining her 10.000 KMs and banning her from participating in steering boards and public companies too. Despite the decision, Dzajic has been in the past two months participating in the work of the FBiH House of Representatives. According to VL, the Mandate-Immunity Commission of the FBiH HoR deems there are a lot of unclear issues in the Dzajic case. According to the President of BiH Election Commission, Hilmo Pasic, there aren’t any unclear issues saying the FBiH Parliament should observe the decision. |
| DL: Mirko Sarovic on SDS – SDA relations | Dnevni List (p 10, “Partner relations between SDS and SDA brought into question”, by Fena) quotes SDS Vice-president, Mirko Sarovic, as saying that relations between SDS and SDA have been brought into question following Sulejman Tihic’s statement that the RS leaders do not want to inform the public on locations of mass graves in the RS. “Some Bosniak leaders obviously constantly need material to create tensions”, said Sarovic adding that “the RS also has questions to pose to Tihic”. He expressed surprise with the RS’s mild reactions to Bosniak caucus’s initiative in the RS People’s Council on the change of the entity symbols. “The RS response should be strong and unambiguous: Serbs make majority people in the RS and it is understandable that they express their identity through their symbols”, Sarovic concluded. |
War crimes | |
| RS police launch failed operation to find Karadzic
| BHTV, RTRS, ONASA/AFP, Oslobodjenje back page, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8, Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Karadzic looked for at Bishop’s Office’, Vecernje Novosti pg. 17 ‘Search for Karadzic’ – RS police launched Wednesday their first-ever operation to arrest top war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, but failed to find him, a police official told AFP. Police raided the house of Orthodox Serb bishop Vasilije Kacavenda in the northeastern town of Bijeljina Wednesday afternoon after a tip that the former Bosnian Serb leader was hiding there, the police official said. “It turned out that we received false information that Karadzic was hiding there, we did not find him,” the official said. Republika Srpska remains the only territory in the former Yugoslavia that has not yet arrested a single war crimes suspect, according to media. RS Interior Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that it received a tip that Radovan Karadzic is hiding in the house of Bishop Vasilije in Bijeljina, a senior police official told ONASA. He said the police blocked the house but failed to find war crimes suspect Karadzic. |
| Osmanovic and Hafizovic at Crni Vrh | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘Responsibility from innocent Serbs should be removed’; Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘Hope in reconciliation’ – Adil Osmanovic, Republika Srpska Vice President, and Sefket Hafizovic, Deputy Parliament Speaker of Republika Srpska, represent the first delegation from Republika Srpska, that yesterday visited the location of mass grave at Crni Vrh. Osmanovic stated that Dragan Cavic, Dragan Mikerevic and Mladen Ivanic, should also pay a visit to this locality and accordingly remove responsibility from the entire Serb nation, who did not take any part in genocide of Bosniak people. |
| 17,000 missing persons in BiH | Blic pg. 7 ‘17,000 persons still missing in BiH’ – Some 17,000 persons are considered missing in BiH according to the date of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Mirsad Kebo, the head of the ICRC office, Werner Kaspar, and representatives of the entities’ commissions for missing persons, Aleksandar Radeta (RS) and Marko Jurisic (Federation of BiH) signed in Sarajevo on Wednesday an agreement on ante mortem data about missing persons. The International Committee of the Red Cross office in BiH will start collecting information on people who went missing during the war so as to speed up the identification of bodies that are discovered almost every day in numerous mass graves. Matching post mortem and ante mortem data is a standard identification procedure carried out along with DNA analysis, Kaspar said, hoping that this method would speed up the search for missing persons. Sarajevo media also covered the issue. |
Education | |
| Novi Seher school issue | Dnevni List (front & p 42, “Front door of joint school building set on fire”, by Zeda) and Vecernji list (front page “Parents set door on fire” & p 3, “School door set on fire”, by Branka Janko) report on the incident that took place in Novi Seher 2 nights ago when front door of the school was set on fire. DL says Support Unit of the Cantonal Ministry of Interior joined the local police in investigation. DL adds that tensions in Novi Seher were high yesterday and that parents who transferred their children to Ozimice school added to tensions. The daily also says that the Zenica-Doboj Canton Education Minister, Sreto Tomasevic, was on his way to the spot, but “he received a phone-call from the OHR” instructing him to go back to Zenica for his own safety sake. School Headmaster Mara Caic called upon parents of school children to trust the teachers who come to work every day. She added it was a lie that the Croat curriculum would be abolished. VL reports that the solution to the problems caused by unification of “2 schools under 1 roof” in Novi Seher is not at sight, adding that scheduled meeting between Minister Tomasevic and the Council of Parents of Croat Pupils did not take place yesterday. The parents say safety of the Minister in this area is not questionable. |
Other issues | |
| Illegal construction in Mostar
| Dnevni List (page 13, by I. T., “Tomic resigns, Jahic buys house”) – an article about the issue of illegal construction in Mostar which notes that Mostarians could witness completion of works on a building which is being built on the location of the former, pre-war pharmacy in Mostar AKA “Apoteka”. DL also notes there have been many affairs that followed the construction works, including the resignation of the former (Deputy) Mayor Neven Tomic. DL believes no construction works could have been done without a blessing from the Mostar Mayor, Hamdija Jahic, also questioning the “unclear” role of the OHR, which did not raise the issue of Jahic’s responsibility despite findings of the OHR’s Anti-corruption team which stated: “General opinion is that the whole issue represents a general example of corruption; appointment of persons under your control, forged and/or missing documents, invalid decisions etc”. In light of the report which was also forwarded to Mayor Jahic, DL is amazed with the fact that the OHR is tacitly approving the resumption of the construction works on the said building. In that context, DL says the rumour has it that the secret lies in the fact that the contractor of the “Apoteka” building is a certain Durakovic whose building is rented to the OHR (South) |
| New Members of HJPCs join the Councils | Blic pg. 6, Sarajevo media – Four new members joined the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils of BiH, the Federation of BiH and the Republika Srpska on Wednesday. Katarina Tomic and Plamenko Custovic were appointed to the HJPC of the Federation of BiH and Slobodan Stanisic to the HJPC of Republika Srpska. Malcolm Simmons was appointed as an international member of the HJPCs of BiH. |