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J: Prlic goes to Hague | RS Officials on HR’s decis. | OHR demand | OHR statement |
RS P- Minister’s statement | NATO decisive to arrest K. | D.Mikerevic’s statement | RS Officials on HR decision |
OHR statement | Police troops in RS | D.Cavic’s statement | Priest’s health condition |
Arrest on the Border | J.Prlic’s statement | J.Prlic’s statement | Returning to Jabuka |
Oslobodjenje | Jadranko Prlic: I believe that The Hague will establish real truth about Herzegovina |
Dnevni Avaz | Prlic and the others will request guarantees by the FBiH Government |
Dnevni List | “Prlic: I am proud because I will be able to defend truth”; “FBiH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finances Dragan Vrankic: Better treatment of Croat areas” |
Vecernji List | “The Hague conducts investigations even against 24 Croats”; “Mostar: Zrinjski – Sarajevo 2:1” |
Slobodna Dalmacija | “Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica: I was following my consciousness”; “Trials in Croatia according to new The Hague bills of indictment as of January 1, 2005” |
Glas Srpske | Following decision of High Representative: Found guilty before the trial; Metropolitan’s diocese: Invitation to Carla del Ponte; Bratunac: If SFOR can, so can Fata |
Nezavisne Novine | Following HiReps’ decision: SDS to face removals or ban; Petar Kunic: I left PDP because it turned into an interest group |
Blic | Strike on SDS |
Belgrade’s Nacional | Commandos are protecting Karadzic |
War crimes/Cooperation with ICTY | |
Ashdown requests Kalinic to provide him with full financial report by April 19
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 3, mentioned on the front page ‘Report on SDS financial operations by April 19’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Ashdown requests Kalinic that cooperation with war criminals stops’, FENA – Following his decision to sanction the SDS for not cooperating fully with ICTY, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, has invited the President of the SDS, Dragan Kalinic, to provide him with a full report into the SDS’s financial affairs by April 19. Kalinic has been asked to take personal responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of this financial statement. “Dragan Kalinic is the President of the SDS, and therefore the person most responsible for ensuring that all the party’s links with indicted war criminals have been severed. It has been alleged that the SDS is still financing and supporting certain indictees, and I look forward to Mr Kalinic convincing me otherwise”, the High Representative said on Sunday. The High Representative will also be considering whether to take action against other political parties, in order to ensure full cooperation with ICTY. Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘Soon removals or ban of SDS’ – NN quotes a senior official of the international community saying that the OHR is considering the possibility of removing senior officials of SDS from their positions at the party and at the executive positions of BiH. NN further brings yesterday’s demand by the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown. The RS Parliament Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, said that the financial report would be prepared by 19 April. On this he said that: “The report will show that the party resources are used in accordance with the Statute and the programme and the positive legal regulations.” According to NN inset, the OHR Director of Communications, Julian Braithwaite, stresses that Ashdown will today visit Banjaluka with the Ambassadors of the EU member states and meet Republika Srpska officials. The main topic of the meeting will be the failure to arrest war crime suspects. |
RS Prime Minister urges keeping a cool head over ban on financing SDS | Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘RS interest above the interest of the parties’, Blic front page and p 13 ‘Introduction to new interventions?’, ONASA – RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic said Sunday that party interests cannot not be above the interest of RS, which must start fulfilling its international duties. He told reporters he expects that after a session of the main board of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) on April 6, a solution will be found related to the decision of the High Representative to ban financing of SDS. Mikerevic expressed hope the decision will not influence on the present majority in the RS parliament. He stressed that from the government’s position it is very important to keep “cool head” and that party interests be subordinated to the interests of RS. “This means that the majority in the RS parliament should survive in order to keep stability of RS and its leading role in fulfilling reforms necessary for BiH joining NATO’s Partnership for Peace,” he said. Dnevni Avaz carried the statement on pg. 2 within the article entitled ‘HR’s punishment introduction into the ban of SDS’. Vecernji list (p 2, “Mikerevic: RS must start fulfilling its obligations towards the Hague”, by f) carries Dragan Mikerevic, the RS Prime Minister, as saying that the RS has the international obligation to cooperate with the Hague and that its citizens must realize that the RS must start fulfilling this obligation the way Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro do. He added that appropriate operational measures in this respect would be taken soon. |
Cavic says OHR accusations severe, widely formulated | BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Illegal behavior should be sanctioned but not through banning party’s work’, FENA, SRNA – RS President Dragan Cavic on Sunday assessed that the intervention of the international community in BiH was assuming disturbing proportions and warned that the worst thing was that “this is not the end, there will be more of this, and nothing good will come of this”. “All those who talk of BiH as being a democratic country, by this kind of intervention are breaching key norms of conventions on civic and human rights. Also, SFOR operations, not just the latest one in Pale, have brutally contravened all of Annexe 6 of the Dayton Agreement and Article II of the Bosnia-Hercegovina Constitution,” Cavic told journalists in Banja Luka. The RS President reiterated that no one denies SFOR the right to find and arrest those accused of war crimes, although they must not breach international norms. Cavic said the decision of the High Representative to freeze all further payments from the state budget to the Serb Democratic Party, for non-cooperation with the Hague tribunal, represented a brutal breach of conventions on civic rights. He assessed that the accusations, put forward by OHR, are very severe and the demands so widely formulated that it could turn out the SDS will never again receive payments from the budget. According to him, if this were to happen, then the SDS would be seeking legal redress not just with the BiH courts, but also abroad. Dnevni Avaz carried the statement on pg. 2 within the article entitled ‘HR’s punishment introduction into the ban of SDS’. The daily also quotes Dragan Kalinic, the SDS President, as saying that the HR’s decision to freeze SDS funds might be introduction into the ban of SDS work. Vecernji list (p 2, “SDS not to be financed from budget any more?”, by Branka Stevandic), Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Found guilty before the trial’, Blic front page and p 13 ‘Introduction to new interventions?’ carried statements by Cavic and Kalinic as well. |
Party for BiH says OHR decision on freezing SDS funds justified | Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘It is high time to sanction non-cooperation with the Tribunal’, ONASA – Chairman of the Party for BiH Presidency Safet Halilovic said on Sunday that the decision of the High Representative to ban the financing of the Serb Democratic Party is justified. “For the sake of preserving the credibility of international institutions, High Representative Paddy Ashdown was forced to pass this decision because the SDS does not cooperate with the Hague Tribunal, despite it being an obligation of BiH, and even makes comical remarks about SFOR efforts in arresting war criminals,” Halilovic said. He added that the SDS never rejected the political aims and methods of war-time Ser leader and war criminal Radovan Karadzic, which include crime, genocide, concentration camps and ethnic cleansing. “Cooperation with the ICTY and apprehension of war criminals are prerequisites for the admission of BiH into NATO’s Partnership for Peace and European institutions, and the SDS is directly obstructing reforms. The High Representative should undertake similar measures against all political parties that prevent BiH from implementing reforms,” Halilovic said. Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘SDS has not distanced itself from Karadzic’ carries Party for BiH press release on the issue. |
SDA supports OHR decision on freezing SDS funds | Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘It is high time to sanction non-cooperation with the Tribunal’, ONASA – Vice president of the Party of Democratic Action Mirsad Kebo said on Sunday that his party fully supports the decision of the High Representative Paddy Ashdown to freeze all budgetary financing of the Serb Democratic Party. “It is high time to sanction those who obstruct the cooperation with the ICTY. The SDS has been in the authority since the signing of the Dayton Agreement, and the Republika Srpska authorities have not arrest one war criminal,” Kebo said. |
DA, NN editorials on HR’s decision to freeze SDS funds
| Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Ashdown’s punishment’ Commentary of the Day by Miso Vidovic – “The High Representative’s decision was expected since the SDS has never distanced itself from its founder, neither it has had intention to hand him over to The Hague,” wrote Vidovic. Nezavisne Novine editorial pg. 7, by Almedin Sisic, ‘Ashdown versus Kalinic’ – The author is writing about two most recent decision by the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, concerning the SDS. He believes this issue raises disputable attitudes amongst the public, especially their analysis. According to him, there are several truths, and each of them is linked with one cause: non-cooperation of the SDS and Republika Srpska with the Hague Tribunal. He also says that the decisions by HiRep may result in either removal of some SDS officials from party and state positions, or ban on further work of SDS. He also concludes this article by saying that a catastrophe would take place, unless HiRep got evidence from Kalinic “proving that SDS does not co-operate with the war crime suspects” and leaves him on the position. |
Serb Orthodox Priest, his son remain in coma | Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Health condition still serious’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘Health state of priest and his son unchanged’, ONASA/AFP – A Serbian Orthodox priest and his son were still in a coma Sunday four days after being wounded in a NATO swoop on their home in an attempt to capture top Bosnian Serb war crimes fugitive Radovan Karadzic, a hospital official said. “They remain in a coma and are on life-support machines,” Amra Odobasic, spokeswoman for the hospital in the northern town of Tuzla where the two were being treated told AFP. “It would be inappropriate to speculate on their possible recovery since they are still in a very critical condition,” she added. The priest Jeremija Starovlah and his 28-year old son Aleksandar were injured during a pre-dawn swoop by NATO troops on their home on Thursday. |
Nikolaj blames Del Ponte for attack on Pale’s priest | BHTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Nikolaj blames Del Ponte for attack on Pale’s priest’, Vecernji list (p 3, “Call to del Ponte to visit wounded priest”, by eme), Dnevni list (back page, “Del Ponte in visit to wounded priest and his son”, not signed), Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Invitation to Carla del Ponte’; Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘Carla del Ponte called to visit Archpriest Jeremija and Aleksander Starovlah’, Blic p 12 ‘Invitation to Carla del Ponte to visit priests’ – Head of the BiH Orthodox Church Nikolaj sent an open letter to Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte on Saturday inviting her to visit badly injured Orthodox Priest Jeremija Starovlah and his son Aleksandar in Tuzla Clinical Center and see how brutally SFOR has been implementing ICTY orders evidently abusing Geneva Conventions and the Dayton Agreement. |
Bishop Grigorije on Karadzic | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘SPC does not protect Radovan’ – In a brief interview to NN, Bishop Grigorije from Serb Orthodox Church says that Serb Orthodox Church does not protect Radovan Karadzic, the former Republika Srpska president, charged with war crimes. He also accuses the authorities of Republika Srpska for being “hypocritical” stressing that they only care for their “positions and seats”. On HiRep, he says he is “incapable of keeping the situation under control”. |
Nacional on Karadzic’s security
| Nacional Belgrade daily p 3 ‘Serbian Gurkas against avax’ – The Belgrade daily claims it has contacted an unnamed person who is well informed on Karadzic and his security. They say they have sent questions for the person to a certain place and later the person phoned them and gave the answers. The person said the most important thing was to neutralize ‘avaxes’. ‘This is a dangerous and complicated system. Them most important thing is to send them to a wrong direction, and this is done by a small group of experts-volunteers’. The paper reads this has proven to be successful so far, because ‘frantic SFOR members are hurtling randomly and are killing innocent priests’. Regarding the armed team in the field, it is much smaller than suspected in public. They are well trained for close combat and it is thought that only Gurkas would be a match for them in a direct conflict. |
Prlic and the others go to The Hague today
| Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5 ‘I believe that The Hague will establish real truth about Herzegovina’ – Interview with Jadranko Prlic, one of the six wartime officials of the Croat Community of Herceg Bosna who were recently indicted for war crimes by the ICTY. “I am the last person who should be indicted for war crimes in Herzegovina. However, I trust in the institution of the Hague Tribunal and I have no doubts that the Tribunal will determine what was actually happening in Herzegovina (during the war)”, said Prlic. Dnevni List (front and pages 6 and 7, “Prlic: I am proud because I will be able to defend truth”, not signed), SD (page 3, “Prlic: I will prove my innocence”, by Hina), VL (page 4, “Prlic: I was the first one who said that BiH can be independent”, by Fena) carry that former President of the HR HB Government Jadranko Prlic issued a press release commenting on the ICTY bill of indictment issued against him. The press release says that he is shocked over the accusations stated against him. Also, he is certain that he will not only prove his own innocence but a true goal and purpose of organizing and functioning of temporary executive authority body at that time. Dnevni Avaz pg. 4, Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV also carried the statement. Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 4 ‘Prlic and the others will request FBiH Government’s guarantees (for their temporary release)’, Slobodna Dalmacija (page 3, “6 of them go to The Hague today”, by Hina), Vecernji List (page 5, “6 Croats go to The Hague”, by Hina) – The six former officials of (wartime) Croat Republic of Herceg Bosna and HVO (BiH Croat army), Jadranko Prlic, Bruno Stojic, Valentin Coric, Berislav Pusic, Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic are today leaving from Zagreb for Amsterdam and then The Hague. They are scheduled to appear before the ICTY on Tuesday. Vecernji List (front page, “The Hague investigations are being conducted even against 24 Croats” and pages 4 and 5, “People smallest in number the most present in The Hague”, by J. Pavkovic, D. Ravic, Z. Jurilj) carries that so far the ICTY issued bills of indictment against 24 Croats because of their engagement in the HR HB. VL says it is shocking that Croats as a BiH people smallest in a number are the most present in The Hague. According to VL, Sarajevo will process at least another 24 Croats for alleged crimes that Croat soldiers committed over Bosniaks. l VL (page 4, “Whole top of former HR HB will testify in The Hague”, by Z.J.) carries that the high-ranked representatives of the military and political top of former the HR HB will testify in the process against 6 Croats. SD (front and page 3, “Trials in Croatia according to new The Hague bills of indictment as of January 1, 2005”, by M. Pn.) carries that according to SD reliable sources the ICTY expects from Zagreb to make possible that Croatian courts start as soon as possible with processing and trials in accordance with new bills of indictment that the ICTY will sent to Zagreb during the next two months and therefore claims of Croatian Minister of Justice Vesna Skare-Ozbolt who said that there would not be new ICTY bills of indictment are not completely correct. |
Mikerevic on Srebrenica report | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5, ‘I expect report on Srebrenica by 10th April’, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘The deadline might be extended’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8, Vecernji List pg. 2 – RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, yesterday expressed expectation that he would get the Report on Srebrenica by 10th April. |
Political developments | |
Kunic on PDP
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5, ‘PDP is an interest group’ – Petar Kunic, independent candidate at the BiH House of Representatives and one of founders of the PDP, says that he has left PDP before the PDP Chair Board excluded him from the Chair Board membership, so this decision by party officials has no effect. He stresses he left PDP because this party has turned into the interest group, consisted of unqualified and compromised people. He also says that Mladen Ivanic, PDP President, did not allow the issue of involvement of some people in criminal activities be discussed. He did not want to say whether he would become a member of some other political party after his mandate of the independent delegate completes. |
HR on calls for abolishment of Republika Srpska | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5, ‘Statements on abolishment of Republika Srpska should be ignored’ – the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, said he would protect Republika Srpska and the Dayton Peace Agreement and that he would not allow they be damaged. However, he noted that the Republika Srpska must fulfil duties from this Agreement. Responding to press question as to whether he would oppose to campaign for abolishment of Republika Srpska, he said: “My advise to people in Republika Srpska would be not to listen to provocative statements of some people, who should behave more responsibly. Instead, Republika Srpska people should rely on the Constitution of this state defined by the Law – the Law is the Dayton Peace Agreement.” |
DA: With Karadzic (at large) and corruption we are not welcomed in Europe | Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘With Karadzic (at large) and corruption we are not welcomed in Europe’ By Sead Numanovic – In the article on the prospects of BiH’s accession to Partnership for Peace and EU, the author concludes based on recent statements for the newspaper by some of the most senior EU and NATO officials that the doors of EU and NATO are closed for BiH as long as Radovan Karadzic is at large. |
Interview with Michael Humphreys
| Dnevni List (page 9, “Positive solutions have not been imposed, however, there was pressure to pass them”, by R. Radic) carries an interview with Head of the EC Mission Michael Humphreys. DL says that although in the EC report on the process of stabilization and accession BiH has got positive marks for the things that were done ‘under a stick’ of the International Community, Humphreys says that the solutions were not imposed, but they were passed after pressures were exerted and that good marks were also given for the reforms that are being implemented voluntarily. He also said that although High Representative Paddy Ashdown has authorities to impose decisions referring to the areas from the Feasibility Study the good side of the HR’s policy is that he is not going to do it. |
DL editorial on violation of governmental appointments | Dnevni list (p 11, “Ashdown facing new slap”, by Slavo Kukic) carries an editorial that reads that, as a person coming from a normal country, the High Representative Paddy Ashdown thought that his work in regard to governmental appointments was finished with the imposition of the Law on Governmental Appointments. But he failed to realise that, in this country, authority and power mean the Law to those in power. Kukic says that both public and the HR himself ignored his warnings about irregularities in appointments in Mostar-based Croat Telecom (HT Mostar) and their silence was taken for a signal to ruffians to go on with their (mis)deeds. To illustrate the fact that leading positions in companies are meant for ruling parties’ members or affiliates, Kukic gives the examples of Sulejman Tihic’s tendency to have SDA cadre overtake Banovici mine, of appointmentsin BH Telekom’s temporary Steering Board and HT Mostar’s Supervisory Board. Kukic goes on to allege that the true reason for Croat Ministers’ boycott of the FBiH Government’s work was not outvoting but the appointments in HT Mostar, i.e. the request to dismiss the Supervisory Board that was recently appointed in conformity with Ashdown’s Law. And so the HDZ returned to FBiH Government as it was given a promise that the Board would indeed be dismissed so that Dragan Covic’s favourites can be appointed instead. “If Ashdown is silent to this again, it will be a slap to his face and a proof that he is not up to galimatias’ traps. So, dear Paddy, it is your turn”, Kukic concludes. |
DL interview with Dragan Vrankic, FBiH Deputy PM and Finance Minister | In his interview for Dnevni list (front and p 5, “Better treatment of Croat areas”, by Miso Relota), Dragan Vrankic, FBiH Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, says that he is not entirely satisfied with the partner relations in the authority but adds that the situation is now far better than it used to be and that partner relations have no alternative. He says that an acceptable balance has been achieved in the FBiH budget and distribution of public revenues. Despite the fact that the budget is not a development-oriented one, Vrankic announces a number of projects (road infrastructure, Mostar Clinic, Lucki bridge etc.). “We know equality cannot be bought with money, but one must take care of equal representation in filling the budget and distribution of budget funds for the needs of those who fill the budget”, he says. He also says that some 1000 people will get retired on the grounds of Regulation on favourable conditions for age retirement of FBiH Army. |
Editorial on education reform by M. Tadic | Dnevni List (page 11, “Croatian God Mars”, by Marko Tadic) carries an editorial in which the author is harshly criticizing HDZ representative in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Ivo Miro Jovic and his statements against proposal of Law on Higher Education. The author says: “The danger for the University in Mostar are not Bosniaks, Serbs or the International Community but the political autistic patients who objectively do not know what the University is…With such people the Mostar University does not have future.” |
Incidents/disputes/affairs | |
Incident in Orthodox Church in Konjevic Polje
| Glas Srpske, cover page report, ‘If SFOR can, so can Fata’ – GS reports that Fata Orlovic, the returnee to the village of Konjevic Polje, yesterday dashed into the Orthodox Church during the morning mass, broke religious objects and assaulted the priest Milan Milovanovic. This is the third time this woman has done this. This incident has greatly upset the Serb population in this settlement, who make the minority. Several Bosniaks, who gathered in front of the Church, insulted Serbs, orthodox believers and the press, who were waiting for the police to write report. Blic p 15 ‘Fata desecrated altar’, Vecernje Novosti p 21 ‘Fata entered altar’ also covered the issue. |
VL on disputable names of BiH towns | In light of Constitutional Court’s decision on abolishment of adjective “Srpski” in the name of BiH towns, Vecernji list (front page “Towns have disputable names” and p 3, “Half the towns have disputable names”, by Robert Bubalo) carries the list of such towns adding: “The most impertinent trend is surely the one of omitting the word “Herzegovina” at any cost. Thus, it is not impossible to have an initiative on changing the name of the state into “Bosnia” soon. |
VL: “SIPA disqualifies experts over – marital status” | Vecernji list (p 2, by Dejan Jazvic) carries that, over the last couple of weeks, several appeals by the candidates for various leading positions in SIPA arrived to the seat of the BiH Ministry of Security. According to unofficial information, at least 4 candidates who have successfully passed the tests and other professional and legal check-ups for the positions, have been disqualified by SIPA leadership for banal and often unfounded reasons. That is why individuals have demanded the BiH Ministry of Security to react and some of them have announced law-suits against SIPA leaders. VL alleges that all the appeals have been lodged by Croats and that the main role in their disqualification was played by Dragan Lukac, the Croat Deputy Director of SIPA. |
VL on Popovo Polje situation | Vecernji list (front page “Mud and rubbish swamped new plantations in Popovo Polje” and p 7 “Mud and rubbish swamped plantations”, by Frano Matic) carries that farmers from Popovo Polje area have announced private law-suits against the responsible people from the RS Elektroprivreda, i.e. Trebisnjica hydro-electric plant who are claimed to have caused the disaster by letting the water. Andrija Simunovic, the Mayor of Ravno, says that expert teams are still assessing the damage the amount of which will be known in a month’s time. |