| FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| SGV letter to HR | RS NA session |
| Sell of cars in Mostar | Mikerevic on Srebrenica |
| Brcko assembly | Lawsuit against FBiH |
| Oslobodjenje | Vrankic prevents investigation into large-scale robbery in Mostar |
| Dnevni Avaz | Seada Palavric: Some expecting removals of Terzic, Hadzipasic |
| Dnevni List | “Chairman of Mostar Commission Norbert Winterstein: Unanimous decision on unified budget”; “Croats from BiH divided in struggle for Croatian Parliament” |
| Vecernji List | “Hundreds thousands KM stolen in small change”; “Winterstein: Mostar will not be sum of 6 Municipalities” |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | “OHR does not want to give Prlic”; “Kupres in fear of epidemic of leukemia” |
| Glas Srpske | Tragedy of family Remetic in Masici near Gradiska |
| Nezavisne Novine | Republika Srpska Parliament: MP’s obligated RS Government to take stance on Telekom; Housing policy of Srpske Poste: Pejic got apartment with four rooms intended for deficit personnel; Banjaluka: Bond: Republika Srpska Government established economic stability; HJPC: Ivanic’s secretary is BiH Prosecutor |
| Blic | Bond praises the RS Government |
Political developments | |
| Mostar Commission
| BHTV, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 9 ‘I am mediator, not commentator’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 10 ‘Many functions in Mostar will be centralised soon’ – Working commission for Mostar Statute has reached consensus on single budget. It is good sign for future negotiations, which will need to solve other important questions. Chairman of Commission Norbert Winterstein said all sides agreed on one mayor for whole Mostar and single budget, what will be important for efficient functioning of the City. However, it seems that municipality Mostar North will organise referendum to give a chance to citizens to express their views on future structure of Mostar City. Vecernji List (front and page 2 “Winterstein: Mostar will not be sum of six municipalities”, by Zoran Kresic) – reports from a press conference by the Chairman of the Mostar Commission, Norbert Winterstein, during which he stated that after the reforms had been implemented in Mostar, it would become a city it once was before the war, in which a people could not outvote other peoples. According to VL, this indirectly confirms that during the process of making of the new Statute of Mostar, the principles of the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, which say that Mostar will be one unit of local self-government, would be observed. “Mostar will become one city, and not a sum of six municipalities. The City will be united the way it was before the war”, said Winterstein. Winterstein also said that the current situation was untenable and expensive and that municipalities have more authorities that the City. He further explained that members of the Mostar Commission agreed on establishment of single city budget and admitted that the biggest differences within the Commission are related to elections and way of filling of the Mostar City Council. The journalist’s feeling is that Mr. Winterstein was reserved in his answers to the journalists, not wanting to confront the already confronted visions of the Bosniaks and Croats regarding the future of Mostar. According to Winterstein’s words, the Statue of Mostar will have elements of protection of vital national interests built in, which should provide guarantees that there is no outvoting of peoples. In that context, VL says the City Council will have party and peoples’ caucuses that will be able to invoke the protection of vital national interest. Slobodna Dalmacija (page 7, “Statute will protect national interests”, by Zoran Zekic) – reports that Winterstein, talking about the referendum in the Mostar’s Municipality North, stated that the Mostar Commission is the one that would come up with the final outlook of the future city and that he would soon hold meetings with economists, journalists and citizens to see their vision of the future city. (also reported in Dnevni List, front and page 17, “Unanimous decision on single budget”, by V. Kljajic) |
| RS National Assembly adopts defence reform, moves closer to PfP
| FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘RSNA accepted defence reform’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5, ‘MP’s transferred responsibility for stance-taking on Telekom onto RS Government’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Door for partnership open’ FENA – After an all-day debate, the RS National Assembly late on Wednesday adopted a report of the commission for the reform of the defence system in BiH. It passed a decision to proceed with amendments to the section of the RS Constitution which refers to the defence system. With 52 votes in favour, the Assembly confirmed that the report of the commission for the reform of the defence system provides a good basis for future legislative activities at the levels of the RS and BiH, and appealed to RS deputies in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly to ensure that conditions are met for the country and its entities to join Partnership for Peace. The Assembly authorized the commission for constitutional matters to draft the amendments to the section of the RS Constitution which refers to defence as quickly as possible, on the basis of the proposal by the entity government. The assembly failed to adopt a conclusion proposed by SNSD deputies whereby the RS National Assembly is accepting the report of the commission for the defence reform and taking on the obligation – in the process of changing the constitution and law – to adopt a decision resulting in the abolition of military service, and to amend certain decisions in a constructive way. Blic, p 13 ‘Kalinic: the issue for executive authority’, Vecernje Novosti p 21, ‘Telekom pushed into the background’ also reported on the session. |
| SGV sends letter to Ashdown, calls for equal rights in BiH Federation | FTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Unequal representation of peoples in FBiH Parliament’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘Request for implementation of amendment on constitutionality of peoples’, FENA – The Serb Civic Council – Movement for Equality on Wednesday sent a letter to High Representative Paddy Ashdown. “You are aware that more than a year has passed and that a solution is still to be found for filling the vacancies in the floor group of Serb deputies in the House of Peoples of the Federation Parliament. We believe that the Federation parliament, i.e. the ruling parties, lacks the political will to implement the amendments to the Constitution of the Federation, providing for the constituent status of the people, and to take adequate steps to fill the vacancies in the floor group of Serb deputies in the House of Peoples of the Federation Parliament,” the letter says. “This fact has a negative impact on the process of implementing constitutional amendments providing for the constituent status of the peoples,” the Council added in its letter. |
| Barisa Colak on HDZ BiH Presidency decision to support HDZ Croatia | With regard to the HDZ BiH Presidency decision to support HDZ Croatia, Dnevni List (page 5, Colak: I was expecting such decision!”, by M. Relota) carries that HDZ BiH President Barisa Colak stated the he expected such decision. Asked whether the HDZ BiH Presidency will declare itself on the members of HDZ BiH who are on the other lists for Diaspora, Colak says that certainly the HDZ BiH Presidency will have to make its stand on this issue and he added: “I would have been more direct and I would have known how to respond to this question if some of our candidates were on the lists of other parties from BiH.” Talking about normalization of relations with HDZ Croatia, Colak says that he would not talk about normalization because this would mean that the relations that the two parties have had so far were not normal. Colak added that the relations and contacts between the two parties should be more frequent and better. |
| Four HR-removed politicians running for Croatian Parliament | Dnevni List (front and page 5, “Croats divided in fight for Croatian parliament”, by Ivica Glibusic) – reports that the Croatian Election Commission published lists for the forthcoming elections in Croatia. It is worth noting a few names that are running for the Croatian Parliament, namely Petar Milic (Independent list), Zdravko Batinic and Ivo Andric Luzanski (Ljubo Cesic Rojs’ list) and Marko Tokic (Ivic Pasalic’s list). All four have been removed from politics by the then High Representative for BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, over events surrounding the so-called Croat self-rule in 2001. |
| Opening of Old Bridge in Mostar on July 23, 2004 | Dnevni List (page 4, “Ceremonial opening of Old Bridge on July 23, 2004”, unsigned) reports that the ceremonial opening of the Old Bridge and the Old Town core in Mostar will be held on July 23, 2004, as decided yesterday by the Organizational committee of the event. The BiH Presidency earlier appointed members of the BiH Presidency, BiH Foreign Minister, Mladen Ivanic, BiH Security Minister, Barisa Colak, Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mostar, Hamdija Jahic and Ljubo Beslic, the Canton 7 PM, Miroslav Coric, FBiH PM, Ahmet Hadzipasic, RS PM, Dragan Mikerevic, FBiH Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, Assistant Minister for Local self-government in the RS Government, Ante Nikolic, FBiH Minister for Culture, Gavrilo Grahovac, FBiH Interior Minister, Mevludin Halilovic, Head of World Bank’s Office in BiH and a representative of the OHR to the Organizational committee. |
| Hays on Law on restitution | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6, ‘Hays proposes that proposed law on restitution is rejected’ – In a letter which Donald Hays, PDHR, addressed to House of Representatives at BiH Parliament, he suggested BiH Parliament not to adopt the proposed Law on restitution, which was forwarded for parliament procedure in June this year by Nikola Spiric, Chairperson of BiH House of Representatives. Hays stresses that adoption of this Law would result in serious consequences for BiH, noting that this problem cannot be solved so rapidly. Nikola Spiric, Chairperson of BiH House of Representatives, said that BiH Parliament is to decide on this. |
| Wnendt in Banjaluka | Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘Return is major concern’ – Werner Wnendt, Senior Deputy High Representative, yesterday stated that the process of refugee return is in the hands of local authorities. After the meeting with Jasmin Samardzic, Republika Srpska Minister of Refugees and DP’s, Wnendt stated that a progress has been achieved in refugee returns in the area of Banjaluka, noting that international community would keep encouraging refugees to return to their pre-war houses. He also said that sustainable return needs sustainable economic development. Samardzic told the journalists that 95% property reinstatement claims have been resolved in Republika Srpska so far, noting that this process will have completed in Banjaluka by the end of this year. Responding to press question why IC did not intervene to solve the problem of Sanski Most returnees, Wnendt said that he has no sufficient information, noting that local authorities and courts should deal with this. Graham Day, Head of Regional OHR Office in Banjaluka, said that OHR insisted that court comply with the Law. |
| Mikerevic with Bond | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2, ‘Republika Srpska Government established economic stability’; Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘More jobs next year’, Blic p 13 ‘Compliments to the Government’, Vecernje Novosti p 21 ‘Salaries in accordance with revenues’ – Yesterday in Banjaluka, Clifford Bond, US Ambassador, stated that the Republika Srpska Government has established macro-economic stability which may be a good grounds for investments, new posts and economic development of Republika Srpska. Bond also said that the Republika Srpska Government should increase salaries in public sector, which will be ensured through increased inflow of resources. He also announced that on 7th November, BiH delegation will commence with first round of negotiations regarding its membership in World Trade organisations. Ambassador supported decision by Republika Srpska National Assembly to adopt Law on indirect taxation. He also assessed that the adoption of the proposal by Defence Reform Commission would result in BIH admission into PfP and downsizing of military personnel. After meeting with Bond, Dragan Mikerevic, Republika Srpska Prime Minister, said that Republika Srpska appreciates cooperation with the USA. He also informed Ambassador Nond with projects, which are of importance for economic development in the next year. According to NN inset, Ambassador Bond yesterday in Kozarac opened the Information and Education Centre “Teledom”, alongside with Prijedor local officials. Vecernji List page 2, “RS establishes macro-economic stability”, by f, Sarajevo media also covered the issue. |
| Analysis of the executive bodies’ performance | Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 2 ‘Some expecting removals of Terzic, Hadzipasic’ – SDA Vice-president Seada Palavric told the newspaper that the claims were groundless that the commission appointed by the party’s Presidency to analyse work of the executive bodies at all levels in BiH was actually designed to remove certain officials. Vecernji List (page 5, “Results of work of Ministers on check”, by Dejan Jazvic) – reports that the SDA has formed a special party commission the aim of which is to make an analysis of work of the executive authority so far, especially of the work of the BiH CoM and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government in which the SDA has a big influence. The commission will, should it establish subjective responsibility, request that “appropriate measures” be applied. The daily also carries a member of Presidency of HDZ BiH, Ivica Marinovic, who says the HDZ will not resort to similar measures which remind of the old communist times, but would instead discuss the issue at sessions of the Presidency of HDZ BiH. Slobodna Dalmacija (page 21, “Executive authority under magnifying glass of SDA”, by D. Pasic) – notes that 5 members of the SDA’s commission include: Adem Boric, Elmir Jahic, Sefik Dzaferovic, Hasan Muratovic and Sefkija Cekic. Sarajevo dailies also carried Marinovic’s statement. |
Legal affairs/inspections | |
| Six state prosecutors appointed in Bosnia
| FTV, FENA, Oslobodjenje pg. 3, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘Ivanic’s secretary is BiH Prosecutor’ – The BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) on Wednesday appointed six prosecutors to the state prosecution service. The state prosecutors are Ahmet Halebic, Jadranka Lokomic-Misirac, Mirsad Strika, Vaso Marinkovic, Miroslav Markovic and Biljana Simeunovic. Vaso Marinkovic will be the deputy chief prosecutor, the VSTV has said. They will assume their posts on December 1. |
| SFOR raided court premises in Zenica | FTV, Oslobodjenje pg. 7, mentioned on the front page, Dnevni Avaz pg. 3, mentioned on the front page, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘SFOR searched premises of Cantonal Court and Prosecutor’s Office’ – SFOR troops inspected premises of Canton Court and Prosecutor’s office in Zenica on Wednesday. SFOR representatives reported it was about a routine control to gather information on possible anti-Dayton activities. Documents in 10 boxes were taken from the building and SFOR transported them to unspecified location. Zijada Arifhodzic from the Court said: “Inspection went smoothly and with professional attitude by soldiers, so all employees could perform normal activities.” Dnevni List (page 6, “SFOR members blocked and searched Court and Prosecution in Zenica”, by Zeda) also carries that SFOR members blocked and searched premises of the Zenica-Doboj Canton Court and Prosecution yesterday. British officer Benjamin Thorph stated that all information regarding the results of the action will be known at a regular press conference of international organizations in Sarajevo. On the same issue Vecernji List (front page, “Search in Zenica Court”, and page 3, “SFOR carried out search in Zenica Cantonal Court”, by M. Beogradlija) carries that during the action SFOR members took out a few computers. VL also notes that a few trails against the persons charged with war crimes from ‘A’ list of the ICTY have been underway before the Zenica Court. |
| Oslobodjenje: Vrankic prevents investigation into housing construction crime in Mostar | Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5 ‘Vrankic prevents investigation into housing construction crime in Mostar’ – The Mostar-based Cantonal Prosecution Office at the beginning of October requested the FBiH Financial Police and Interior Ministry to urgently submit reports on construction of several buildings in Mostar and privatisation of certain facilities in the area. However, according to the newspaper, the senior HDZ officials including FBiH Finance Minister Dragan Vrankic have been trying to prevent investigation into these matters. Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘I do not prevent financial police investigations’ – In a statement for the newspaper, Vrankic confirmed that at a today’s session of the FBiH Government he would insist on removal of FBiH Financial Police heads, Zufer Dervisevic and Miroslav Vidovic, since he was absolutely dissatisfied with their performance. Vrankic denied claims he was obstructing certain financial police investigations. |
| Indictment against Milakovic | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘Bill of indictment against Milakovic today’ – After six months of extensive investigation, BiH Prosecutor’s Office will today press charges at BiH Court against Milorad Milakovic and his associates for trafficking in people. |
Media restructuring | |
| Chris Patten on PBS reform
| Dnevni Avaz pg. 5 ‘PBS reform is important for BiH integration into Europe’, mentioned on the front page ‘PBS must serve citizens’ – Interview with Chris Patten, the EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs. “The existence of a public broadcasting service, which will be independent and which will serve the public in a way the commercial RTV stations cannot do, is an important part of European tradition. That is why the reform of PBS in accordance to the Europe-wide standards is an important part of activities of the countries seeking to join EU,” Patten said. |
| Collegium of PBS Director on BBC plan | Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Ensure economic basis for functioning of each broadcaster’ – The Collegium of the BiH Public Broadcasting Service Director discussed at its latest session the BBC consultants-proposed plan for restructuring of the sector. It concluded that, apart from recognised qualities based on experiences of the western media houses, the plan contained a critical number of solutions that cannot be accepted in offered versions. This particularly refers to obvious neglecting the program as a key basis for any organisational or personnel structuring of a broadcaster. |
| BiH Communications Ministry drafts Public Broadcasting System restructuring material | Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Establish an inter-editorial board for exchange of programs’, ONASA- The BiH Ministry of Communications and Transport on Wednesday forwarded working material regarding the Law on the Public Broadcasting System to the BiH Council of Ministers Chair, Entities Prime Ministers, the European Commission, the Office of the High Representative, and to PBS, Federal TV and RS TV managing boards chairmen. Besides providing the working material of the mentioned legislation, the Ministry also noted a number of European Conventions that were used as pillars in preparing the proposal of the law, the Ministry said. It believes that centralization and subordination in public broadcasters were not in accordance with the spirit of European practice, but on the contrary, their mutual coordination, which is why it suggests the establishment of an inter-editorial committee for exchange of programs and news. The Ministry also proposed formation of a public broadcasting corporation as the fourth legal subject of the system. The corporation is supposed to provide for joint management and use of transmitting infrastructure, with the aim of significantly reducing the expenses of all three public services. |
| SDP on PBS restructuring | Oslobodjenje pg. ‘Sale of RTV home would cement division’, Nezavisne Novine. Pg. 5, ‘Ashdown uses his position in an inadmissible manner’, FENA – The BiH Social Democratic Party (SDP) regards as unacceptable the manner by which Paddy Ashdown is using the institution of the High Representative and reputation of the international community in the process of restructuring the Public RTV System BiH. The Secretary General of SDP, Svetozar Pudaric, said at a press conference on Wednesday that there are at least two important reasons that prove that the interest of BiH citizens is not primary in motivating those people from OHR, which propose this manner of resolving the problems of the PBS. SDP declares that selling of property, in this case the RTV house, factually cements the division of a single media space in BiH. Pudaric stressed that SDP does also “not accept the approach OHR proposes towards the eventual or most probable surplus workers in restructuring of PBS”. |
| OHR on Republika Srpska draft law on RTRS | Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Law beyond the order’ – In a written statement, OHR yesterday assessed that proposed Draft law on RTRS, prepared by Republika Srpska authorities, is not justified, because it is not worked out in coordination with institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and BiH. |
Srebrenica | |
| RS PM Mikerevic of Srebrenica events
| Dnevni List (page 11, “Serb people need truth about Srebrenica”, by De. L.) – the Republika Srpska Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, stated in Banja Luka yesterday that the Serb people needed the truth about the Srebrenica events from 1995, expressing a conviction that “everything that happened in Srebrenica is not a collective responsibility of the Serb people”. Mikerevic also says that the RS Government will during its next session, probably on November 13, appoint 5 members of the Commission that is to establish the truth on the Srebrenica events. In that context, Mikerevic says that the RS Government is looking for credible people who are able to establish the truth and individual responsibility in order to restore the credibility of the RS and Serb people. The RS PM also said that the engagement in the Commission was a responsible and time consuming job, because of which it is very hard to find the right people for it. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3, ‘Serb people need the truth about Srebrenica’; Glas Srpske, pg. 3, ‘Facts instead of emotions’, Blic, p 13 ‘Mikerevic: truth in the interest of the RS’, Vecernje Novosti, p 9, ‘Testimonies from the Hague as well’, Sarajevo media also carried the statement. Vecernji List (page 2, “Our crimes”, by Dejan Jazvic) – notes that all peoples in BiH are having problems acknowledging crimes committed in the names of their peoples, stressing that no commission or report will be significant enough until “we face ‘our’ crimes”. “Leave the sentences to the ICTY”, concludes the author. |
| Workers of Battery Factory in Srebrenica announce blockade of roads | Dnevni List (page 8, “Battery Factory workers announce blockade of roads”, by Fena) carries that former workers of Battery Factory from Potocari near Srebrenica will block all roads in this part of BiH on November 7, if the Republika Srpska Government does not realize their demands with regard to the payment of severance pays amounting to 10 000 KM, as well as, of compensations due to forced termination of employment contract. People from the Trade Union of the aforementioned factory confirmed that former workers will come in front of the RS Government building in Banja Luka and through peace protests they will draw the public attention to their difficult material position. |