| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| CoM session | CoM on BiH ‘s EU prospects | RS negotiating w. Karadzic’s family |
| Covic visited Vares | Humphreys on coop with the ICTY | ICTY softens Nikolic sentence |
| Hadzipasic visited Jajce | Cavic and Matijasevic on PIC session | Feature story on Vlasenica |
| Is Gotovina in BIH? | Matijasevic on arrest of Karadzic | Srebrenica Commission report |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Interruption of program airing | Hadzipasic visited Elektrobosna | Cavic on PIC session |
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| Apartments reconstruction in Vares | PDP on PIC session |
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| RS negotiating w. Karadzic’s family | Support for Bukejlovic’s Government |
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| Cavic on PIC conference in | Kalinic was not in RSNA building |
| Oslobodjenje | Dragan Cavic: Road to |
| Dnevni Avaz | Premier Terzic on PIC conclusions: Border with SCG will be fully closed (controlled by state bodies, covered) |
| Dnevni List | Zeljko Komsic: Conflicts and divisions of any kind do not threaten SDP |
| Vecernji List | Criminal charges against 70 persons who voted twice |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Police knew about Olena (HIV-infected Ukrainian prostitute who recently died) two months before her death |
| Nezavisne Novine | Dragan Cavic and Darko Matijasevic promised: Hague fugitives will be arrested; Pero Bukejlovic does not have the support of 42 delegates |
| Glas Srpske | One who waits will not live to see it happen |
| EuroBlic | Contacts with family on Karadzic’s surrender |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbia-related headlines |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbia-related headlines |
PIC/Cooperation with ICTY/reforms | |
| Cavic and Matijasevic on PIC session, cooperation with ICTY
| RHB, TV Pink, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, cover pg splash and pgs 2-3 ‘Hague fugitives will be arrested’ by V. Popovic, Glas srpske pg 5 ‘Dayton remains, Srpska survives’ by G. Dakic, EuroBlic pg RS1 ‘Through Hague to Europe’ by Rajna Radosavljevic, Vecernje Novosti pg 4 ‘Great forces are defending RS’ by M. Labus – RS President Dragan Cavic and RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic on Friday held a press conference regarding the PIC session. Cavic stated that the session was held in an ambience that doesn’t represent tensions for RS and added that obstructions and system resistance of RS is something that cannot be mentioned any more. He also stated that ICTY obligations must be fulfilled as soon as possible. He said the Council has warned political leaders from BiH who call on abolishing of RS to focus on the admission to Euro-Atlantic structures instead of putting stability in BiH in jeopardy. He emphasized that the Council has welcomed recommendations of PRC. Matijasevic announced RS MoI would continue conducting activities with regard to arrest of all war crimes indictees, including Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Vecernji List pg 3, mentioned on front ‘RS Police is negotiating with Karadzic’s family’ by B. Stevandic , Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Banja Luka: RS MoI is negotiating with Karadzic’s family’ by A. Macanovic, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Negotiations with Karadzic on his surrender have been underway’ by A.B., Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘RS MoI negotiates on Karadzic’s surrender to The Hague’, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 5 ‘Road to Brussels goes only through The Hague’ also carried Cavic/Matijasevic’s statements on PIC session. |
| FBiH and RS politicians on PIC recommendations
| Nezavisne Novine, pg 2 ‘F BiH: the report was not unexpected; RS: a step towards the Hague was made’ by M. C. and V. P. – Most of politicians from F BiH find the recommendations of PIC not to be surprising or unexpected, while RS politicians think a step towards the Hague was made. The article carries statements of Safet Halilovic (Party for BiH) and Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) who think the primary role and responsibility for arrest of war crimes indictees lies upon RS authority. Niko Lozancic (HDZ) commented on police reform by saying the reform would create more efficient means for arresting war crimes indictees. SNSD, PDP and SPRS are encouraged with the fact PIC recommendations referred to the state authority, and not only to RS authority. Slobodan Popovic (SDP) thinks the High Representative should have been criticized too at PIC session. |
| Matijasevic: RS Police is negotiating with Karadzic’s family’
| RHB, TV Pink, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Vecernji List pg 3, mentioned on front ‘RS Police is negotiating with Karadzic’s family’ by B. Stevandic , Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Banja Luka: RS MoI is negotiating with Karadzic’s family’ by A. Macanovic, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Negotiations with Karadzic on his surrender have been underway’ by A.B., Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘RS MoI negotiates on Karadzic’s surrender to The Hague’, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘RS MoI in contact with Karadzic’s family’, EuroBlic cover ‘Contacts with the family on surrender of Karadzic’ and pg RS1 ‘Through Hague to Europe’ by Rajna Radosavljevic Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Negotiations with Radovan Karadzic’s family’ not signed, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘We will not give up’, Nacional Belgrade daily pg 3 ‘RS authority on surrender of Karadzic’ not signed, Vecernje Novosti pg 8 ‘We are offering him to surrender’ by M. L. – RS Police Minister Darko Matijasevic has confirmed RS MoI was negotiating with Radovan Karadzic’s family and families of other war crimes indictees on voluntary surrender of the indictees. |
| Sonja Karadzic says the police has been contacting them every week
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Sonja Karadzic says the police has been contacting them every week’ by FENA, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Negotiations with Radovan Karadzic’s family’ not signed, Glas Srpske, pg 2 ‘No news on Radovan’ by Srna – Sonja Karadzic – Jovicevic, daughter of Radovan Karadzic, confirmed that the local authorities have contacted her and other members of the family in order to determine the possibility for voluntary surrender of Radovan Karadzic. She claims the family has not had any contact with Radovan Karadzic for years. |
| PDP encouraged with PIC position
| RTRS – PDP is encouraged with the position of Peace Implementation Council regarding permanent existence/survival of entities. PDP is also encouraged with the clear warning to BIH politicians that demands for abolition of RS doesn’t have the support of International community. |
| Terzic on PIC/ cooperation with ICTY
| Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 2 ‘Border with SCG will be fully closed (controlled by state bodies, covered) by S. Numanovic – The BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Adnan Terzic will establish a team to speed up the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal so that the war crime indictees be brought to justice as soon as possible. The team will comprise representatives of the state institutions including CoM, OSA, SIPA and SBS as well as RS institutions on one side and representatives of OHR, ICTY, EUFOR, NATO and EUPM on the other side. The body is to hold its first meeting in ten days. The meeting should be attended by Terzic, RS President Dragan Cavic, RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic and High Representative Paddy Ashdown. In an interview with the daily, Terzic however emphasized that the body would not deal with apprehension of war crime indictees and that the responsibility for this task lies with the RS institutions. He added that the obligation of the authorized state institutions/services/agencies was to support RS authorities. One of the priorities in apprehending war crime indictees would be, according to Terzic, establishment of a full control of the border with |
| SDA on PIC, war crime processing
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Full RS cooperation with The Hague necessary/unavoidable’, FENA – The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) supports the request of the Peace Implementation Council that calls on full and unconditional cooperation of RS authorities with the Hague Tribunal. The Head of the SDA Caucus in the RS National Assembly, Tarik Sadovic, on Friday told a press conference that the RS authorities now have an opportunity to prove that they are in favor of cooperating with the Hague Tribunal by prosecuting hundreds of criminals, whose names are stated in the Srebrenica Commission’s Report. Sadovic added that SDA has also supported the initiative of its representative in the RS National Assembly, Sadik Ahmetovic, that every town in BiH names one of its central streets “The Street of the Victims of Genocide in Srebrenica”. |
| NN op-ed on PIC recommendations, arrest of war crime indictees
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘A step back’ by Mirza Cubro – The author refers to PIC recommendations with regard to arrest of war crimes indictees and criticizes the fact OSA and SIPA, as state institutions, are doing nothing to arrest war crimes indictees. ‘BiH does have these institutions, but only formally. Persons, who either do not want or do not know how to put it in function, are in charge of putting these institutions in function’, the author claims. He claims OSA, instead of investigating on whereabouts of Radovan Karadzic, is eavesdropping on persons who, on behalf of the Hague Tribunal, are searching after Karadzic, Mladic and others. He concludes by saying the state will not be able to arrest war crimes indictees for a long time because of poor personnel solutions in its institutions. ‘RS has effective authority but no political will to fully cooperate with the Hague’, he concludes. |
| EC’s Humphreys says BiH has to make significant progress in two months
| TV Pink, BHT – The Head of European Commission’s Delegation to BiH Michael Humphreys said that BiH had to make great progresses, in next two months, regarding the ICTY cooperation and police reform. Humphreys said “We will review the situation on 10th and 11th of March, together with the BiH Government, and we will make the assessment on where we are and what still needs to be done. Particularity I have acknowledged the greatest activities of RS President Dragan Cavic and RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic, but it is sill insufficient. More needs to be done, more must be done, and the time is short.” Humphreys pointed out that if the progresses were to be made regarding cooperation with the ICTY, in next two months, BiH could start the negotiations on Association and Stability Agreement by the end of the year. |
| VL: Humphreys on OHR’s powers and role in BiH
| Vecernji List pg 5, mentioned on front ‘Paddy Ashdown will get successor next year! by Z. Kresic carries an interview with Head of the EC delegation in BiH Michael Humphreys. Asked about reduction of international administration’s powers and a role of the EC on the way towards |
| CoM session: State Ministries met most of the EC requirements
| RHB, TV Pink, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘On liberalization of visa regime in March’ by V.Z., Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Another month for meeting rest of tasks’ by D. Jazvic, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Filling of state Ministries with cadre is necessary’ by E. Mackic, Nezavisne Novine, pg 3 ‘There will be no negotiations on admission to EU without cooperation with the Hague’ announced on cover by M. C.– The BiH Council of Ministers held a session on Friday during which they discussed activities of the state authorities with regard to implementation of obligations coming form 16 conditions, which are priority for the beginning of the negotiations on stabilization and accession. After the session an assistant to Director for European Integration Darija Ramljak stated that the arrest of chief war crime suspects is still the main obstacle for the BiH authorities to start with the negotiations on signing the agreement on stabilization and accession with the EU. She also said that the aforementioned Direction is mostly satisfied with the fact that state Ministries have met most of conditions set by the EC. The article also carries that during this session the BiH CoM did not discuss the police reform and distribution of money that BiH will get by selling barracks ‘Marsal Tito’. Oslob. also says that Ministers from the line of Serb people attended this session. |
| ICTY investigator in Herceg Bosna archive in Siroki Brijeg
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 16, mentioned on front ‘Secret visit of ICTY investigators’ by D. Ivankovic carries that the delegation made of 3 employees from the Croat Office for cooperation with the ICTY and one representative of the ICTY visited on Friday archive of former Croat Republic of Herceg Bosna located in the Grammar School in Siroki Brijeg. SD carries statements of a few officials from this area who say that they were not informed about this visit and that the archive is available to everyone. |
Political developments | |
| SDP leader Lagumdzija on the party convention’s agenda
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5, mentioned on cover ‘I would have surrendered long time ago if I reacted to every attack’ – In an interview with the daily ahead of today’s party convention, SDP BiH leader Zlatko Lagumdzija said that the SDP Congress would first discuss realization of two tasks defined at the 2002 convention: drafting the new SDP statute and program. The new documents are, according to Lagumdzija, aimed at profiling the SDP as a modern, European party with social-democratic orientation. |
| SDP Vice-president Komsic on today’s SDP Congress
| Dnevni List cover pg splash and pg 8 ‘Conflicts and divisions of any kind do not threaten SDP’ by F. Hebibovic carries an interview with SDP Vice President Zeljko Komsic on the eve of the 3rd SDP Congress that is to take place today (Saturday). Komsic says that he expects from this Congress the election of a new party leadership and adoption of a new Statute and programs, as well as a few resolutions and declarations regarding the issues, which are important for BiH. Asked whether SDP will suggest today adoption of the proposal on new organization of BiH, Komsic says: ‘We have made the whole concept of constitutional changes in BiH long time ago…We have clearly stated in that concept what kind of the constitutional organization of BiH we support and we informed both, domestic public and the International Community about it. ‘ On the same issue Vecernji List pg 2 ‘New mandate for Zlatko Lagumdzija’ by E. Medunjanin announce today’s SDP Congress and speculates that Zlatko Lagumdzija will be re-elected the SDP President. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Delegates to elect President amongst Markovic, Pecanac and Lagumdzija and pg 3 ‘Will Lagumdzija be elected President?’, Nezavisne novine, pg 4 ‘SDP congress will be held in |
| Croatian Election Commission to sanction irregularities during voting for Cro presidential elections in BiH | Vecerenji List cover pg splash and pg 15 ‘Criminals charges against persons who voted twice’ by S. Perica – The Croatian Election Commission is checking the information on irregularities during voting for the Croatian presidential elections in BiH and it was concluded that some persons voted twice once in Croatia and once in BH. VL says that, most probably, the whole case will end up with filing criminals charges against these persons. |
| Bukejlovic on election of new RS Government, police reform
| Glas srpske, pg 5 ‘Neither concord, nor dispersion’ by N. Diklic – PM designate Pero Bukejlovic has warned political parties to overcome their narrow interests and to show concord necessary for preservation of republic institutions. He has reminded all parties they need to follow the Agreement on Harmonized Political Activities and says no party that fails to comply to first 5 items of the Agreement will have Ministerial posts at the new Government. ‘In accordance with this, there will be no representatives of SDA at the Government’, Bukejlovic said. He referred to the program he would present at a session on February 15 and stressed the fight against crime and continuation of reforms will be priorities. Inset ‘Police’ quotes Bukejlovic as saying he was glad the HR has promised not to impose a solution with regard to police reform. He said he trusted Serb members of PRC and knows they would not accept any reform that would be detrimental for RS. |
| SDS: election of new RS Government depends on PDP
| Nezavisne Novine, pg 4 ‘Pero Bukejlovic does not have the support of 42 delegates’ announced on cover by V. Popovic – SDS on Friday indirectly admitted it still does not have the support of 42 delegates by saying the election of the new Government depends on support of PDP delegates. The article carries an announcement PDP would present its final stance on Sunday. It also carries unofficial information that a majority of PDP delegates oppose to supporting PM designate Pero Bukejlovic. |
| Cavic: PDP promised to support Bukejlovic
| EuroBlic pg RS3 ‘PDP has promised to support the designate’ by N. B. – Acting SDS President Dragan Cavic has stated the party expects from PDP to support PM designate Pero Bukejlovic since it gave this promise prior to his appointment. ‘They have promised this both verbally and in writing and, on base of this, I have appointed Bukejlovic’, Cavic has stated. |
| SDA will not support Bukejlovic’s Government/SDA on police reform
| RHB, RTRS, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘SDA will not participate and it will not support Bukejlovic’s Government’ not signed, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘We will not support RS Government of Prime Minister designate Pero Bukejlovic’ – President of the SDA Caucus in the RSNA Tarik Sadovic stated at the SDA press conference held on Friday that SDA representatives will not vote and their cadre will not participate in the Government proposed by RS Prime Minister Designate Pero Bukejlovic. Commenting on the proposal of the map on 10 police regions presented by High Representative Paddy Ashdown Sadovic said that it is the result of compromise, which represents departing from the principles of functionality and efficiency. As an example he stated the police region with a seat in Foca and not in Gorazde and the Police region |
| RS Refuges, DPs to request for referendum on secession of RS from BiH
| Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Straight to referendum!’ by S. Radjen – Todoric, EuroBlic, pg RS8 ‘Referendum for separation’ by S. R. M. – The President of the RS Union for Coordination of Associations of Refugees and DPs, Veljko Stevanovic, has announced the Union would request from RS NA Chairman Dusan Stojicic to sign out referendum for separation of RS from BiH unless the international community stops applying pressures on RS institutions with regard to transfer of the authority from RS to state level. |
Economic/social issues | |
| GS cover page story on pensioners’ issues
| Glas Srpske cover pg story ‘One who waits will not live to see it happen’ by R. S. – F BiH Minister of Labor and Social Policy Radovan Vignjevic has recently stated that 9,500 pensioners – returnees from RS to F BiH who have earned their pensions at the territory of F BiH – have not earned their pensions in F BiH because it exists only since 1994. The President of RS Association of Pensioners, Rade Rakulj, thinks the Minister’s statement was dangerous and made with an aim to prevent return of Serbs to F BiH. ‘The biggest culprit for such a situation is High Representative Paddy Ashdown who, by his silence, is practically approving violation of human rights’, Rakulj has stated. The President of RS Pensioners’ Party, Ruza Nikic, shares a similar opinion and says: ‘Ashdown is peacefully watching F BiH violating human rights. If RS behaved in such way, I am sure he would not act in this way. He would reach for punishments immediately’, she said. She said the Pensioners’ Party has therefore decided it should organize a protest in front of OHR Sarajevo. |
Miscellaneous | |
| RS President Cavic: I still support the Srebrenica Commission report
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘I still support the Srebrenica Commission report’, FENA – RS President Dragan Cavic on Friday stated that he still supported the Final Report of the Srebrenica Commission and everything that was stated in it, because its contents was substantiated by evidence. “Everything that is being said outside the Srebrenica Commission is full speculation to me, especially the documents that do not have titles or signatures”, Cavic told a press conference. Cavic made this statement in response to a question on how he saw the Srebrenica Commission’s Report today and how did he comment on certain documents that dispute the final report, especially in the segment that spoke about the number of the Srebrenica victims. Cavic stressed that the matters presented by the Srebrenica Commission through its Final Report were substantiated by evidence, which were a part of the report, and this concerned the material of several tens of kilograms of documents from archives, given statements, charts of mass graves, etc. He reiterated that the RS ministries of interior and defence have located over 30 mass graves. As he said, everything else represents “digging of graves and political manipulating with events”. |
| Bogdanovic: Serb members of Srebrenica Commission were authors of explanation of the report | RTRS, Glas Srpske, pg 5 ‘The story has just begun’ by G. K. – Former Chairman of Srebrenica Commission Milan Bogdanovic has confirmed he and Srebrenica Commission members from RS were the authors of the explanation of certain items of Srebrenica report. He claims they have decided to write this explanation due to “arbitrary interpretations” of Srebrenica report. The explanation claims the list of 7,806 names refers to persons reported as missing. Out of this number, 1,438 mortal remains have been identified. |
| OHR on removal of Stolac cross
| Dnevni List pg 7 ‘OHR: This is not about denying anybody’s rights but about respecting rule of law’ by D. Kozina – Commenting on the issue of the Stolac cross, OHR spokesperson Sanela Tunovic stated: ‘Thedecision to remove illegally constructed objects in the Stolac fortress should be implemented in a peaceful and orderly manner. This is not about denying anybody’s rights, including religious ones. This is about respecting the rule of law. The decision of the Annex 8 Commission to Preserve National Monuments declaring the Old Town of Stolac a national monument and requiring the removal of illegally constructed objects is in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement.’ |