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| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| | Tadic in BiH | Tadic in BiH |
| Tadic supports DPA | OSCE meeting in | RS Government in session |
| OSCE meeting in | Conference in Zenica | Milosevic trial |
TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Tadic in BIH | Feature on education | HVO disabled veterans | Cavic to talk with Dodik |
| Mladic pension in SCG | Njegus appointed to CoM | | Tadic to visit BiH |
| HSS supports BIH farmers | Trnovo murder probe | FBiH Constitution breached | CoM on Pardons Law |
| 20 dead in | Explosion in Prijedor | Democratization textbooks | Trial to Bojic and Purisic |
| Oslobodjenje | I cannot guarantee deadline to extradite ICTY suspects; I wish Mladic has no protection of SCG Army |
| Dnevni Avaz | Terzic: I don’t allow anybody to interfere with my work; Biber: I will warn the world on the threats over privatization |
| Dnevni List | Bankruptcy – Cantons remain without incomes |
| Vecernji List | Ashdown’s salary amounts to 330 pensions |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Nezavisne Novine | Boris Tadic: |
| Glas Srpske | Tragedy at the settlement of Sitnisi near Srbac: He killed his godfather in the hunt |
| EuroBlic | Additional; investigation into war crimes in Brcko and Bijeljina: Two persons suspected |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related topics |
| Nacional | Features Serbian related topics |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Tadic meets BiH Presidency | BH Radio 1 at 12.00 – Serbian President Boris Tadic arrived in a three-day official visit to BiH. Immediately upon arrival, Tadic met with the BiH Presidency members to discuss issues of cooperation with The Hague Tribunal, search for missing persons and process of reconciliation amongst the peoples. Tadic said that still there were unresolved issues between RTRS at 12.00 –Borislav Paravac stated that: “Following last week’s meeting we had with Carla del Ponte, ICTY Chief Prosecutor, we today exchanged views. I am glad we were informed that the cooperation between RS and |
| Conference on infrastructure in Zenica
| BH Radio 1 at 12.00 – A conference to discuss improvement of infrastructure in BiH with the special attention to be paid at further development of road, railway and river communications is taking place at BH Steel in Zenica. The conference has been prepared by OHR and BiH Ministry for Transport and Communications. |
| RS Government in session
| RTRS at 12.00 – RS Government to hold session in |
| Ivanic to address OSCE Foreign Ministers today | FENA – BiH Foreign Affairs Minister Mladen Ivanic today will address the participants of the 12th meeting of OSCE Foreign Affairs Ministers in |
Political issues | |
| Boris Tadic in official visit to BiH
| RTRS by Aida Halilovic, Nezavisne Novine cover ‘Dayton revision is dangerous for the region’ and pgs 4-5 ‘Dayton revision would be dangerous for the regional stability’ by Mirjana Kusmuk – The Serbian President, Boris Tadic, in the eve of this departure to visit BiH said that cooperation with ICTY is a essential issue for existence of RS, that RS should remain and that RS is a guaranty of the stability of both BiH and entire region. Tadic added that cooperation with ICTY demands cooperation by the all police structures in the region, as well as the establishment of the Intelligence Service of SCG, BiH and BHT 1 – BHT 1 carries that Tadic stated for Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4-5 ‘I cannot guarantee deadline to extradite ICTY suspects’ by Nagorka Idrizovic – In an interview to daily, Tadic also warned that if the Dayton Peace Agreement is to be changed without the census of all three peoples it could be dangerous. On war crimes, he said: “As the president of RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Tadic in Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka’, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Signing of agreement on border is being postponed needlessly’ by A. Beus, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Serbian President Tadic in BiH today’ by F, Glas Srpske pg3 ‘Sarajevo as the first station’ by N.Z.; EuroBlic pg 3 ‘Tadic in BiH’by A.D.– – During his three days official visit, Tadic will meet top state and entitie’s officials while in Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka, including the BIH Presidency members, BIH MoD Nikola Radovanovic, FBIH PM Ahmet Hadzipasic, HR Paddy Ashdown, RS President Dragan Cavic, RS PM Dragan Mikerevic, RSNA Speaker Dusan Stojicic and FBiH President Niko Lozancic. |
| Cavic to meet Dodik to discuss current crisis in RS
| RTRS by Biljana Knezevic – RS President Dragan Cavic is prepared to talk to SNSD leader Milorad Dodik about the current political situation in RS, and the talks will take place at the beginning of the week. Dodik said that entire Republika Srpska is in the fear of the NATO Summit on 9 December, and stressed that the RS Government headed by the Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic could prevent this however failed to do anything about it. Dodik said that RS is in a state of uncertainty which could leave serious consequences for RS and its citizens since the sanctions are being loudly spoken of. SNSD has sent an urgent demand to meet the President Cavic and SNSD has prepared some suggestions to exit the current crises. “I think that I was very clear [in my suggestions]… The Government should be replaced and responsibility regarding failure to fulfil ICTY obligations should be determined, and new Government composed,” said Dodik. On the other hand, Cavic said that RS now needs a political consensus and not the Government’s reshuffle. “It is logical that oppositional parties want to see the reshuffle of the Government,” said Cavic adding: “I would invite Mr. Dodik to take…I will let him to take over the Government, but I can tell you that his remarks do not stand…this Government is of much better quality and capability than Mr. Dodik thinks,” said Mikerevic. Opposition believes that their talks are not about the power but about protection of RS, and SNSD is certain that after 9 December many things could be different. Cavic agrees with this: “New wave of sanctions would cause even deeper political crises and certainly in this moment I can’t speculate what would be a political response from RS, it will depends on what will happen. I think that sanctions will be counterproductive,” said Cavic. “I think that something should be done instead of just standing passively and waiting for someone to undertake some measures,” said Dodik. Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 2 ‘RS Parliament should replace Government’ by D. Risojevic; Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Urgently to meet Cavic!’ by D.Z. – announcement of the meeting. |
| Terzic on the work of CoM
| Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘I do not allow anyone to interfere in my work’, pg 2 ‘I do not want to talk to anyone including PIC about the number of sessions held’ by A. Malagic – In a statement for the daily, BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Adnan Terzic says that if the international community is not satisfied with the CoM’s performance they can simply say so and “we will leave”. “However, it really makes me angry when they are delivering us lectures on holding the sessions (number of sessions held),” said Terzic. Terzic said he was confident that BiH would be invited to start talks on Stabilization and Association Agreement with EU early next year. |
| RTRS: CoM draft new Law on Pardons
| RTRS by Zorica Rulj – After the High Representative Paddy Ashdown revoked thescandalous Law on Pardons, the Council of Ministers has started with the preparations to draft the law in accordance with the European standards. Working group has already been established and international experts from OHR will participate in the drafting process to avoid further misunderstandings. BiH Justice Minister, Slobodan Kovac,has no explanation how this law could have got into the parliamentary procedure and be adopted at the first place, even though the Law was drafted in his Ministry. “There is a question, weather the pardons can even be considered if a proceeding is in progress…Certain things must be regulated more precisely,” said Kovac. The Law had set that Commission for Pardons and the Ministry should give recommendations for pardons, but it wasn’t determined who will be members of the Commission, their number and it was even possible that friends of suspects are in the Commission. Reporter reminds that the BiH Parliament has brought that Law, decided that public and media shouldn’t be informed about it and that it is not in the official gazette. |
| FTV on breaches of the constitution in FBiH HoP
| FTV – FTV broadcast short feature on the respect of the FBiH Constitution and the provisions on constituency of peoples. FTV presenter says that one of the examples of breaches of FBiH Constitution is the lack of full presentation of the Serb delegates in the FBiH House of Peoples. Two years following the parliamentary elections, there have been still only 11 representatives of the Serbs out of 17 needed in FBiH HoP. This could bring into the question legality and constitutionality of all decisions adopted by current FBiH Parliament. Proposal of amendments to the FBiH Constitution in order to solve this issue was sent to the FBiH House of Representatives five months ago, but it so far it has not managed to get included in the agenda. |
| Establishment of majority in Brcko District Assembly still uncertain
| Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘More wishes than seats in government’ by V. Jahic – According to the daily, the establishment of the majority in the Brcko District Assembly is still uncertain. It was announced last week that the Party for BiH would also support SDP thereby allowing election of Mirsad Djapo as the Mayor and Sinisa Kisic as the Assembly Chairman. However, it seems that talks are being continued and that nothing has been resolved yet. |
| DL: BiH Croats to lose Croatian citizenship?
| Dnevni List, pg 4, mentioned on front ‘Is Croatia giving up on Croats in BiH?’, by I. Rozic – DL investigates into possibility that BiH Croats, who also have a Croatian citizenship, lose the Croatian citizenship should |
| Colak on HDZ, SDA and PDP becoming observers with European People’s Party
| Dnevni List, pg 5, mentioned on front ‘Malicious people must admit that Europe recognizes us’, by D. Polovina-Mandic – DL carries the President of HDZ BiH, Barisa Colak, as saying that the fact that the HDZ, SDA and PDP have been granted a status of observers with the European People’s Party shows that the parties in question have accepted democratic principles and standards. According to Colak, the said parties have successfully gone through the first “filter” by becoming observers in the biggest association of European parties, which has around 90 votes in the European Parliament and which needs only a few votes to have an absolute majority in the Parliament. According to Colak, this is of great importance to BiH and its efforts to join European integration, because without getting closer to European parties, it is impossible to get closer to Euro-Atlantic integration. |
| NN brings reactions to Kunic’s call on RS officials to resign
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘There must be changes in RS’ by A. Sekulic – NN brings comments of some politicians from the RS following the announcement of the letter Petar Kunic, delegate at the BiH HoR, when on Friday he called on the RS most senior officials to file resignation and hence save the institutions of the RS. Dragan Mikerevic, RS Premier, said: “I am not running away from the responsibility of this Government and I do not debate it could not be better.” Dragan Cavic, RS President, is of the view Kunic’s call did not refer to him, stressing that he would never tender resignation, owing to numerous reasons. Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, said that Kunic has observed the way RS authority is functioning from the close range over the past four years, expressing his absolute support to Kunic’s idea for changes. Milanko Mihajklica, President of RS Serb Radical Party, shares Kunic’s view. Branko Dokic, PDP official, is of the view resignation would not be any solution. |
| Ivanic on defence of RS and its institutions
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Appeal on opposition’ by Srna – PDP on Sunday appealed on the opposition to defend RS bodies and institutions. PDP President Mladen Ivanic emphasised that the party must reply in a right manner to attempts of introducing non-constitutional changes to BiH Constitution. He pointed out the PDP supports constitutional changes that represent a pre-requisite for European integrations, noting: “PDP opposes changes by which political goals of parties from Sarajevo are imposed on us’” Ivanic expressed his view that the international community must change its role in BiH as of next year, so that the local institutions finally takeover the responsibility for the future of BiH. |
| SDU says RS MoI should be abolished
| Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Necessary suspension of RS MoI’ by Fena, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘RS MoI should be suspended’, mentioned on cover, by L. Sinanovic, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘SDU of BiH demands suspension of RS Interior Ministry’ by FENA – Mirko Milicevic, SDU of BiH Presidency member, stated Sunday that the SDU of BiH demands from the international institutions to suspend the RS Interior Ministry owing to its nine-years long inefficiency, deceit and constant obstructions for the arrest of war crime suspects. He said that the impression is widening that RS MoI is the protector of the Hague indictees. |
| Dnevni Avaz responds to Oslobodjenje criticism
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Avaz is not afraid of messages by profiteers and it will support review (of the privatization)’ – Dnevni Avaz denies claims from Oslobodjenje’s press release of Saturday and the daily says that, as the newspaper with the largest circulation in BiH, it is not against any re-capitalization or any other privatization game in and around Oslobodjenje if it is not about state money. |
| VL speculates Croat reps will not endorse FBiH budget for 2005 if recovery of waste dump excluded | Vecernji List pg 7 ‘8 million KM envisaged for Vihovici’ by M. Relota – On the ground of rebalance of the Federation of BiH budget for 2004 the item according to which 5,3 millions KM were supposed to be allocated for recovery of illegal waste dump Vihovici in Mostar was excluded. VL says that this decision caused big dissatisfaction of Mostarians and Croat representatives in the FBiH Parliament. VL also says that it is very possible that Croat representatives will not give their support to the FBiH budget for 2005 if they do not get concrete promise that recovery of Vihovici will be priority for the next year. |
Economic, social, judicial issues | |
| FTV on status of HVO disabled veterans
| FTV by Zeljka Mihaljevic- It has been expected that the inter-state agreement by which |
| FTV on fight against corruption in Tuzla Canton | FTV by Halid Rufatbegovic – The future of the Tuzla Cantonal Commission for fight against corruption and organized crime future is under a question. Misunderstandings are a direct consequence of the interference of the political parties at the time when there is an official information on crime growth in this |
| NN on financial irregularities at Sarajevo Canton Employment Bureau
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘BAM 14 million lost over irregularities’ by R. Cengic – The Steering Board of the Sarajevo Canton Employment Bureau announced that the amount of approximately BAM 14 million of surplus, collected over past years, have not been presented in the Business Plan of the Bureau for 2004. the Steering Board announced it would propose some concrete measures against “those responsible for this omission”. |
| DL: Cantons to be deprived of certain incomes
| Dnevni List front pg splash and pg 3 ‘Bankruptcy – Cantons remain without incomes’ by I. Glibusic – On the ground of the conclusion coming from the Federation of BiH House of Peoples, the FBiH Government sent to the parliamentary procedure last week amendments to the Law on allocation of public incomes according to which Cantonal budgets will be deprived of 12 % of incomes. Commenting on this decision, FBiH Minister of Finances Dragan Vrankic stated: ‘We chose this option since due to the Free Trade Agreements with neighboring countries customs incomes of the FBiH dropped drastically. Because of this reduction some sort of intervention had to be made in order protect functioning of the FBiH and in order to balance incomes.’ DL concludes that being aware of the fact that Croat Ministers opposed further reducing of Cantonal funds, this move can be judged as a wish of majority in the FBiH Government since Vrankic himself expressed concern over financial problems in most of the Cantons. DL also says that is remains unclear as to how this demand came from the FBiH HoP since representatives of all Cantons participate in its work and where mechanism for protection of vital national interest exists. |
| VL on salaries of IC officials in BiH: ‘Ashdown’s salary amounts to 330 pensions’
| Vecernji List, front pg splash ‘Ashdown’s salary amounts to 330 pensions’ and pg 5 ‘Ashdown’s 50.000 KMs salary amounts to 330 pensions’, by Zoran Kresic – The author notes that BiH has become a real “heaven” for international politicians, soldiers, judges and prosecutors since they are allegedly paid as much as their colleagues in Iraq, however they are not faced with suicide bombers on daily basis. VL notes that the current High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, is on top of the “pyramid” with monthly incomes in region of 50.000 KMs, which, according to VL, amounts to 330 average pensions or 100 salaries in BiH. Listing amounts of salaries of other international senior officials in BiH (PDHR Hays, SDHR Wnendt, Prosecutor McNair, Maj-Gen Leakey), the author notes that despite the EU and USA making an “exit strategy” for the next year, one can expect an opposition to the plan from the “international bureaucratic apparatus in BiH”, which is generating crisis in BiH in order to prolong its stay in BiH. As an example, VL notes the Law on pardon that was annulled by HR Ashdown, despite being prepared by HR Ashdown’s “experts”. |
| Biber: I will warn the world of threats being delivered over privatization reviews
| Dnevni Avaz pg 8, mentioned on cover ‘Biber: I will warn the world of threats being delivered over review (of privatization initiatives) – In a statement for the daily before his departure to Japan, where he is attending the Congress of the International Confederation of the Independent Trade Unions opened on Sunday, BiH Trade Unions Association leader Edhem Biber said he was confident the initiatives for the review of the privatization in BiH, revival of the economy and poor social position of robbed workers in the country would also be on the Congress’ agenda. |
| DA int with RAK Director Husenovic
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Eronet management brought illegal decisions’, mentioned on cover ‘Telephony cheaper as of 1 January’, by Sead Numanovic – In the interview to DA, the Director of the Communications Regulatory Agency [RAK], Kemal Huseinovic, has announced the prices’ decrease of both mobile and fixed telephony as of 1 January 2005. In addition, he explains that the reason Eronet was not awarded the 3rd GSM licence because HT Mostar was better in seven categories. In addition, Eronet illegally occupied the frequency. “Eronet management brought illegal decisions,” said Huseinovic. Dnevni List pg 8 ‘RAK did not get decision on HT Mostar registration’ by J.P. – RAK’s spokesperson Amela Odobasic stated that RAK still has not received the decision on registration of HT Mostar as majority owner of Eronet. |
| RS Justice Minister on reduction of judicial salaries | Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Unfortunate solution’ by G. Dakic – RS Minister of Justice, Saud Filipovic, stated he is not satisfied that ‘the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, has brought the decision on reducing salaries of judges and prosecutors in BiH.” He noted: “I feel sorry the High Representative has reached this decision. I would have been happier if salaries of judges and prosecutors had been harmonised at BiH level’. He believes this decision had derived from a poor economic situation in RS and the Federation of BiH. He also said the reduction of salaries should not reflect on the work of judges and prosecutors. |
War crimes | |
| DA: Mladic rests in Tito’s villas in SCG
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Mladic resting in Tito’s villas in SCG’ by S. Numanovic – According to reliable information collected by the daily, Ratko Mladic does not enjoy just SCG pension but also a protection by SCG Army. Wartime RS Army Commander and one of the most wanted war crime indices is a frequent guest in military facilities including the Army Hotel in Meljine near the Montenegrin costal town of |
| Marovic: ‘I would be pleased if Mladic is not protected by SCG Army’
| Oslobodjenje pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘I would be pleased if Mladic is not protected by SCG Army’ – Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic has told Sunday’s edition of Blic that 10 million citizens of Serbia-Montenegro “are held hostage outside the gates of the European future” unable to move forward because “Brussels believes that we have not met our obligations towards The Hague”. “For me this is a far greater danger than the possible destabilization of the country, which could happen as a result of the arrest of Hague indictees,” Marovic said. Asked whether he trusts the authorities when they say that Hague indictee Ratko Mladic is not hiding in Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Mladic resting in Tito’s villas in SCG’ by S. Numanovic – also includes Marovic’s statement. |
| Update to Brcko District PO files on war crimes
| EuroBlic cover and RSpg 8 ‘Two persons suspected’ by L. Stefanovic – Zekerija Mujkanovic, Brcko District Public Prosecutor, confirmed to EuroBlic that following additional investigation, Brcko District Public Prosecutor’s Office has forwarded to BiH State Prosecutor’s Office evidence file for two persons suspected of having committed war crime in the area of pre-war municipality of Brcko. He did not want to reveal names of these two persons. |
| War crimes files at
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘The Hague approved investigations against 58 persons’ by R. Cengic – Alma Dzaferovic, Head of the Tuzla Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office Department for war crimes, confirmed that the Tuzla Cantonal PO has received A-label on files for processing 58 persons for war crimes. She noted additional investigations need to be conducted in all these cases. |
| Accusation against Sefer Halilovic | Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Report against Sefer Halilovic’ – The PSC in Istocno Sarajevo has filed with the District Prosecutor’s Office an amendment to the report against Sefer Halilovic, the former Chief of the former BiH Militia Main HQ’s Operations Centre, as well as against 24 members of the-then civilian and military authorities in the Federation’s part of Sarajevo. According to the PSC Spokesperson, Radovan Pejic, the report concerns the war crimes committed against Serbs in the |