| RADIO HERCEG BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Croats arrived in Hague | HB Officials in Hague | HB Officials in Hague | HR visited Banja Luka |
| HR visited Banja Luka | HR in Banja Luka | Carla D.Ponte in Sarajevo | HR statements |
| FBiH Farmers’ protest ends | SDS- Press Conference | HR in Banja Luka | Reactions to HR decision |
| Conference in Tokyo | M. Dodik on HR decision | SDS- Press Conference | SNSD agenda |
| Oslobodjenje | Leaders of ‘Herceg-Bosna’ leave for the Hague |
| Dnevni Avaz | The six arrived in The Hague |
| Dnevni List | Send-off of The Hague indictees without authority representatives; Delic: Bills of indictment against Bosniak officers are pure speculation |
| Vecernji List | Flak jackets and handcuffs for Croats from BiH; Paddy Ashdown step before SDS ban |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Slobodan Praljak: We shall also win The Hague battle; Danijel Bajkusa was threatened with death |
| Glas Srpske | Testimony of Holy Father Slobodan Lubarda: Vitorka listened to screams; “Together to truth”: People should decide |
| Nezavisne Novine | Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic, Stojic, Coric and Pusic left to The Hague: Six Croats from BiH surrendered to The Hague; Paddy Ashdown and EU Ambassadors met Republika Srpska officials: SDS must prove it does not finance war crime suspects; Sarajevo: FOSS is tapping delegates at BiH Parliament |
| Blic | Ashdown’s punishment: SDS loses 100,000 KM per month |
| Vecernje Novosti | Republika Srpska is obstacle on path to Europe |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Sculls of Jeremija and Aleksandar Starovlah were broken with blunt object: Crime of sick sadist |
ICTY | |
| Six wartime Herceg-Bosna, HVO officials arrived in The Hague
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje front page, pgs. 4-5 ‘Leaders of ‘Herceg-Bosna’ leave for the Hague’, Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 3 and the Dossier (a special supplement), Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘Six Croats from BiH before judges in The Hague’, Vecernje Novosti p 17 ‘Let them prove we are guilty’ – Jadranko Prlic, Bruno Stojic, Milivoj Petkovic, Slobodan Praljak, Valentin Coric and Berislav Pusic, accused of crimes against humanity, grave violations of the Geneva Conventions and violations of the law and customs of war, have arrived to Amsterdam aboard a regular flight from Zagreb. The Dutch police took them at noon to the detention centre of the international criminal tribunal for former Yugoslavia. The Six Croats from BiH are accused of attempts to separate part of the territory of this country, attempts of expulsion of Bosniaks by killings, deportation and threats and of attempts to join some kind of great Croatia. Among all these indictees, Jadranko Prlic had had most duties, including holding the post of BiH foreign minister for several years after the war. He stressed the absurdity of the indictment and added that he would reject all accusations. “My stance regarding the accusations is clear and I expressed it in 1993 and when I apologized to Muslims for crimes which had been committed by some Croats,” Prlic said. He added that real criminals had not been punished on either side. “With this indictment, especially in its part about me, we are no closer to justice. On the contrary, we are getting away from the truth and this region is taken further away from all democratic processes,” Prlic said in the plane just before arriving to Amsterdam. Dnevni List front and pages 4 and 5 ‘Send-off of The Hague indictees without authority representatives’ by I. Glibusic, Vecernji List front page ‘ Flak jackets and handcuffs fro Croats from BiH’ and pages 2 and 3 ‘Croats from BiH in The Hague’ by Z. Bajt, Slobodna Dalmacija front page ‘Slobodan Praljak: We shall also win The Hague battle’ and page 4 ‘6 indictees taken from plane in flak jackets’ by T. Klauski,Hina also reported on the issue. Vecernji List pages 4 and 5 ‘Croats from BiH shocked’ not signed, carries that Croats in BiH take qualifications stated against Croat(ian), wartime political and military leaders as a direct accusation because of organizing defence of their areas, their survival in BiH and the defence of BiH itself. Vecernji List, page 4 ‘Signature on crime’, by Zdenko Cosic, notes it is not a coincidence that BiH Croats again depart for The Hague from Zagreb, not from Sarajevo, from country they were born in, and where they committed the alleged crimes. According to Cosic, ‘it is obvious that that IC is more interested in disciplining the Republic of Croatia, than strengthening of sovereignty of BiH. The hypocrisy of the policy of The Hague is clearly evident in the fact that one of indictees is Jadranko Prlic, the man who ‘saved ‘ Dayton agreement’. Slobodna Dalmacija, page 16 ‘Were you in criminal endeavour too, dad?’, by Marin Erceg, argues that the indictments against the six Croats are about political indictments against the most senior political and military officials of BiH Croats. The author notes that the indictments indeed mention some concrete crimes the indictees are charged with, however, Erceg says the essence of the indictments is targeted against the political and military activity of one people and its legitimate military during the war they did not start. |
| The Hague Chief Prosecutor to visit Bosnia today | FTV, Oslobodjenje back page ‘Del Ponte in Sarajevo today?’ – The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, will on Tuesday arrive in Sarajevo. According to the same source, Del Ponte will once again hold talks with representatives of the RS about their failure to cooperate in arresting war crimes indictees, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. She is due to hold talks with representatives of the BiH and the Federation of BiH governments in Sarajevo. |
| DL: ‘Delic: Indictments against Bosniak officers are pure speculation’ | With regard to the media reports saying that member of the wartime BiH Presidency Ejup Ganic, war Commander of 3rd Corps of the BiH Army Sakib Mahmuljin and BiH Army General Rasim Delic are possible ICTY indictees, Dnevni List front and page 4 ‘Delic: Indictments against Bosniak officers a pure speculation’ by E. Mackic carries General Delic as saying that these are pure speculations and that he has not been informed about anything yet. |
| GS on SFOR operation: Vitorka listened to screams | Glas Srpske cover page story, ‘Vitorka listened to screams’ – Slobodan Lubarda, Priest, who was the first one to speak with Vitorka Starovlah, the wife of Jeremija, told Glas Srpske that after the intrusion of SFOR, Vitorka was listening to screams and whines of her husband Jeremija. She also said SFOR did not let her go to the room, where her husband and son were. Priest Lubarda also said that he and Vitorka yesterday visited Starovlah Jeremija and Aleksandar, whose heads and other parts of the body are still in bandages owing to multiple fractures, in the hospital in Tuzla, where they are still plugged on life support units. According to GS inset, Amra Odobasic, Spokesperson of the Tuzla Hospital, said that Jeremija and Aleksandar Starovlah are still in critical condition. She passed on doctors’ assessment that their state should either improve or deteriorate in the coming days. Nezavisne Novine carry this report as separate article on pg. 4, ‘Jeremija and Aleksandar Starovlah in critical condition’, Vecernji List page 5 ‘Starovlahs are still in critical condition’ by f also report on health condition of Jeremija Starovlah and his son. |
| Belgrade dailies on SFOR action on Pale | Vecernje Novosti p 17 ‘They were brutally beaten’ – Priest Miomir Zekic, who lives next-door to wounded Priest Jeremija Starovlah and his family, claims it is not true that SFOR soldiers did not shoot from fire weapons. He stated that he looked trough a window of his apartment to see what was going on, and they shot at him but missed. ‘After they saw me at the window, they barged in like dogs, tied me and my wife, threw us down on the floor and this is how we had to wait until morning’, Priest Zekic said. Wife of Priest Zekic stated: ‘They were beating Priest Jeremija and they tied his wife and kept her closed in other room. The injured man was yowling with pain for an hour’. Nacional Belgrade daily, front page and p 2 ‘Crime of sick sadist’ – The Belgrade daily reads: ‘Several hours after the tragedy at the Parish home on Pale, a grand propaganda machinery of Paddy Ashdown gave semi-statements at the scene and prevented the truth on sufferings of Jeremija and Aleksandar Starovlah from getting public. Namely, they emphasized the thesis saying the father and his son were injured from too large quantity of explosive, yet the nature of injuries indicate they have been beaten to death with blunt objects. A medical worker from Tuzla has stated: ‘It seems as SFOR has used an object similar to a baseball bat, attempting to get a ‘confession’ on Radovan Karadzic’s whereabouts. According to injuries, it can be concluded that people who sought for this ‘confession’ from the Starovlahs were not professionals but sick sadists’. Dr. Stevan Sikimic, a medical doctor from Military-Medicine Academy from Belgrade, did not give so many details but said he was sure the explosion did not cause the injuries, but these were caused with a blunt object. |
| DL says IC does not want to arrest Karadzic on purpose | Dnevni List, page 2 ‘Kriva Drina’, by Nermin Bise (NB: Kriva Drina is a term often used for situations which are hard to remedy) – the author claims that the IC is not arresting Karadzic on purpose, perhaps waiting for presidential elections in the US, because it is hard to believe that the international military cannot track Karadzic and Mladic down. Bise notes that financial sanctioning of the SDS is not an appropriate measure, because one can never expect the SDS to arrest Karadzic. |
International Community-RS/SDS | |
| Ashdown visits Banja Luka
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Let them prove break (divorce) with Karadzic’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2, mentioned on the front page ‘RS is the main obstacle on BiH’s road to Europe’, FENA – High Representative Paddy Ashdown said on Monday in Banja Luka that he had reasons to believe that certain elements within the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) were maintaining financial contacts with war crime indictees, and that it was now time for the party to prove whether this was the case. Ashdown said that this did not necessarily imply that this was taking place with the support or knowledge of the SDS leadership. Asked whether he would ban the SDS, Ashdown pointed out that for this reason he has decided to give some space to the party to respond to this information and to verify it. “It would be irresponsible of me to allow public funds to be given to those people who are possibly maintaining financial contacts with war crimes indictees, including the founder of this party, Radovan Karadzic,” the High Representative said, adding that the objective of his actions in the past couple of days has been “to give a chance to the members of the SDS, rather than to ban the party”. At a news conference in Banja Luka, Ashdown stressed in clear terms that the ball was now in the SDS’s court, and that it remained to be seen how the party would respond. Dnevni List, page 17 ‘Ashdown: I have given SDS a chance’, by De. L., Slobodna Dalmacija, page 18 ‘RS is an obstacle to BiH road to Europe’, by A. Macanovic, report that the High representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, and Ambassadors from EU countries, yesterday met with the Republika Srpska President, Dragan Cavic, RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, and the RS National Assembly Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, when the HR and Ambassadors stated that the RS did not completely fulfill what’s required for joining the Euro-Atlantic integration, foremost issues pertaining to the cooperation with the ICTY. HR Ashdown is carried as saying that he has given the SDS a chance by withholding it a financial support from the budget. “I have reason to believe that some elements of the SDS, I am not saying it happens with knowledge and support of the leaders, are maintaining financial contacts with war crimes indictees”, said the HR. RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘RS represents an obstacle on the BiH’s road to Europe’, SRNA – High Representative Paddy Ashdown said on Monday in Banja Luka after a meeting with the RS vice presidents, Adil Osmanovic and Ivan Tomljenovic, that “the RS represents the main obstacle on the BiH way towards Europe” and that it should now decide “whether it will be part of forces which will lead BiH towards Europe or it will represent an obstacle”. Ashdown said that it was “disheartening and dangerous for the RS to represent the main obstacle in many key questions which are significant for the future of BiH”. He explained that this was about six key questions from the Feasibility Study, including the law on public purchases, the Public Broadcasting Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PBS) and the law on notaries. He said that regarding some questions the RS did not meet the Feasibility Study obligations and that its acts were also “against the Dayton Agreement regarding the PBS because the Dayton Agreement states that a state institution has to be set up in this sphere”. Ashdown repeated that the RS powers had not detained any Hague indictees within the last nine years. “The RS existence is ensured by a law, but the RS must also adhere to the law,” Ashdown stressed. The RS cannot expect Dayton to protect its entity if it does not meet the obligations regarding the BiH state as stated in the agreement, he explained. He added that BiH had only one future, i.e. “Europe and NATO”. Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2, ‘SDS must prove it does not finance war crime suspects’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Lower tone for octave’ – The High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, stated that the goal of his latest actions towards SDS is not to ban further work of this party, but to give it a chance to prove it does not maintain financial contacts with Radovan Karadzic. After yesterday’s meeting in Banjaluka with the Republika Srpska President, Dragan Cavic, the RS Parliament Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, and RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, which was also attended by the Ambassadors of EU member-states, Ashdown said: “I gave some space to SDS to provide me with information on this and to prove whether this is true or not.” Robert Bashor, the Dutch Ambassador to BiH, said that Republika Srpska has failed to fulfil all conditions on the path towards European integration, including co-operation with the Hague Tribunal. After yesterday’s meeting with Republika Srpska Vice Presidents, Adil Osmanovic and Ivan Tomljenovic, Ashdown assessed that “RS is the main obstacle on the BiH road to Europe”. After visiting Banjaluka Psychiatric Clinic yesterday, HiRep said that the reconstruction of this clinic does not solely depend on the financial resources, but also the political will of the Republika Srpska Government and the city authorities to resolve this issue. According to NN inset, Paddy Ashdown told RTRS Radio that at the beginning of January this year, he held private meetings with Republika Srpska officials and discussed the issue of RS co-operation with the ICTY. They promised him then that they would change their approach towards this institution. HiRep said: “The choice is clear – Europe or Karadzic!” Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Indifference worries the most’ – GS carries a report on yesterday’s visit of the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, to the Psychiatric Clinic in Banjaluka. He stressed it is of extreme urgency to build a new building for psychiatric clinic. In yesterday’s interview to RTRS Radio, Paddy Ashdown said that Branko Dokic, BiH Minister of Traffic and Communication, does not allow that a single broadcasting system is established. Blic p 13 ‘I expect truth’, Vecernje Novosti front page and p 6 ‘RS – obstacle on path to Europe’ also reported on the visit. |
| HR interview for RS Radio | RTRS – High Representative Paddy Ashdown has gave an interview to RS Radio (carried by RTRS) where he said that RS Officials have promised him, during the private meeting in January, that they will change their attitudes especially when it comes to cooperation with ICTY, so that BiH could join Euro- Atlantic Integrations. He pointed that NATO Summit is getting closer and it is final time that they fulfil their promises. HR said that RS has a choice, Karadzic or Europe, and on that way he gave it clear what he expects of RS Government, but he didn’t said how much time they have to do that. HR didn’t confirm or deny that he had a meeting with RS Officials, after which he decided to freeze Budget payments for SDS, he said that he decided that after he received informations that some from SDS are financially supporting Radovan Karadzic. HR said that if he doesn’t receive suitable informations on SDS financial transactions he will have to take some other measures, but he didn’t point what are those. HR also said that Minister Dokic (meaning BiH Minister of Transport and Communications, Branko Dokic) is not allowing the establishment of united RTV System, even though for RT RS that would mean a secured position. He pointed that he will not impose this Law, but that it should be accepted by BiH Governments. |
| Cavic says RS in favour of BiH’s way towards Europe | BHTV, RTRS, Blic p 13 ‘Cavic: RS shaken, cooperation continues’, Vecernje Novosti front page and p 6 ‘RS – obstacle on path to Europe’, FENA – After a meeting of senior RS representatives with High Representative Paddy Ashdown and ambassadors of EU current and future members to BiH in Banja Luka on Monday, RS President Dragan Cavic said that the RS powers had sent a clear message about the RS being committed to BiH’s way towards Europe. He stressed that the need for BiH to function was understood. He calls for obligations, which must be met in line with the EU conditions, to be based on global principles – that BiH entity regulations are determined in Dayton and that a balance between entity and state posts must be established when state functions are being set up. “We are not against this process and we wish to participate in it as an equal partner,” he added. |
| SDS’ Stojicic: SDS cannot take responsibility for functioning of RS institutions | BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Main Board, Presidency to take their stand today’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘SDS assesses it is losing 100,000 KM monthly’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘SDS loses 100 thousand KM on a monthly basis’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘Accusations without proofs’, Blic front and p 13 ‘SDS loses 100,000 KM every month’, Vecernje Novosti p 6 ‘From friends and membership fees’, Dnevni List, page 16 ‘OHR to get financial report by April’, ONASA – Spokesman of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) Dusan Stojicic said it is unacceptable to sanction his party because of the lack of cooperation with the ICTY, because the SDS cannot take responsibility for the functioning of RS institutions. Stojicic said he is convinced that the recent decision of High Representative Paddy Ashdown to ban all budgetary financing of the party will be a temporary measure. He added that the party’s financial report will be forwarded to Ashdown on 19 April. According to Stojicic, the SDS will lose around 100,000 KM per month due to the ban, which will have a negative effect on the preparations for the pre-electoral campaign. Commenting on SFOR’s recent action in Pale, when priest Jeremija Starovlah and his son were injured, Stojicic said a media campaign against the Serb Orthodox Church has been in progress for some time now. Regarding the High Representative’s statement that removals of RS senior officials are possible, Stojicic said this is most likely “just a threat”. |
| Dodik on freezing SDS funds | BHTV, RTRS – SNSD President Milorad Dodik said that High Representative’s decision to freeze SDS accounts only made SDS to look like a sacrifice. Milorad Dodik said that HR should go all the way or not do anything at all. He said that if that was done to SNSD they wouldn’t be able to work, but when it comes to SDS this is nothing for them, because their money is not on those accounts. “I believe that there is an agreement between SDS and Mr Ashdown, about the ways how this will be solved”- said Milorad Dodik, SNSD President. Milorad Dodik on Monday met with Ambassadors of EU countries in BiH, where he pointed SNSD readiness to participate in all reforms that will take BiH to EU and PfP. Milorad Dodik said that cooperation with ICTY is known fact and he pointed that unnecessary atmosphere is being created around this, like was seen in RS in last few days. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘Co-operation with ICTY is responsibility of RS authorities’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘The Hague is the most important issue’ – Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, stated after yesterday’s meeting with the Ambassadors of EU member-states, that Republika Srpska authorities are responsible for co-operation with the Hague Tribunal. He also said that SNSD would support any action, which would resolve this problem. He also said that “it is inadmissible that mistakes keep re-occurring – the mistakes that would result in further suffering of people, who have nothing to do with this.” |
| Oslobodjenje editorial: Encouraging HR’s measure | Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Encouraging measure’ In Focus column by Mirko Sagolj – “The latest Ashdown’s move towards (against) SDS and its President Dragan Kalinic suggests the High Representative’s determination to stop the national political parties’ attack on a single BiH,” wrote Sagolj. |
| State to get powers for arresting war criminals, SDS (not) to be banned | Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘State to get powers for arresting war criminals’ – If BiH is not admitted into NATO Partnership for Peace at the Summit in Istanbul in June primarily due to a lack of RS cooperation with ICTY, BiH will enter a new phase of reforms in which certain powers (for apprehension of war criminals) will be transferred from the entities’ to the state level, the newspaper learns from the diplomatic sources. According to the same sources, the international community does not intend to ban SDS’ work because that is exactly what the leaders of the party want in order to show themselve4s in the public as heroes and sacrifices. The IC will instead de-mask SDS and show the real activities of this party. Nacional Belgrade daily p 9 ‘Ashdown considers banning of SDS’ – A high official of the international community in BiH has confirmed that OHR considers removing of high officials of SDS from all positions at the executive bodies of BiH authority. The High Representative holds SDS responsible for the fact war crimes indictees, primarily Radovan Karadzic, have not been arrested as yet, as the article reads. Vecernji List, front and page 18 ‘Paddy Ashdown one step from banning SDS’, by Branka Stevandic, notes that the High Representative’s decision on funding of the SDS could be an introduction into a decision on banning the work of the SDS or removal of its leaders. According to VL, this worries the SDS leaders, Dragan Cavic and Dragan Kalinic too. “I fear that the ban on funding of the party from the budget is just a small part of what will happen to the SDS”, said Kalinic. VL also quotes the HR as saying: “By the decision on banning of funding of the SDS from the budget, I have given the space to the party to prove me wrong. My aim was to give the SDS a chance, not to ban it. The ball is in their court, and it depends on them what happens in the future”. |
Political developments/reforms | |
| Ivanic, Doko attend conference in Tokyo
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘Japan, EU to help western Balkans’, Dnevni List page 2 ‘Organization of BiH solution for Kosovo’ by Nina – BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Mladen Ivanic and BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Dragan Doko are attending a Conference on Peace Consolidation and Western Balkan’s Economic Development, which is being held in Tokyo, Japan. Beside Western Balkan’s countries’ Ministers this Conference is attended by representatives of European countries, USA, EC, UNHCR, IMF, International Bank for Development and Reconstruction and Stability Pact for South- Eastern Europe. BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mladen Ivanic said, during the Tokyo’s Conference, that BiH is an example of successful International involvement and he also pointed the success made in implementation of Property Laws in BiH. Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Dragan Doko pointed that BiH is developing economically, making the example of B3 credit rating BiH got, but he pointed that for BiH development foreign investments are necessary. |
| Radovanovic: Ministry of Defence received list of candidates for top posts in the armed forces | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5, ‘Ten officers under vetting procedure at OHR and SFOR’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4, mentioned on the front page ‘Names of the candidates sent to OHR for check’, FENA – The BiH Ministry of Defence (MoD) received Monday proposals from entity MoDs on individuals that should be promoted to the rank of general, i.e. appointed to posts in defence institutions at the state level, BiH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic told FENA. He said that the proposals concern 13 posts – one in the BiH MoD, three in the Joint Staff, three in the Operational Command, and the remaining in entity defence structures. “Candidates for these posts currently have the rank of brigadiers in the FBiH Army and colonels in the RS Army. They need to send in their detailed personal information in accordance with the set criteria within the next two to three days,” Radovanovic said. They will then be checked by the OHR and SFOR. After these institutions complete the checks and provide their approval the proposals will be forwarded to the BiH Presidency. |
| Auditors will have to check into business operations of SDS and HDZ – BiH Election Commission | Vecernji List, page 7 ‘Auditors will have to check into business operations of SDS and HDZ’, by Eldina Meunjanin, claims that the BiH Election Commisson will in the future be focusing on issues pertaining to funding of political parties, noting that an audit of business operations of political parties will also take place. According to claims of a ‘senior official of the BiH Election Commission’, the auditors are the weakest link in the said Commission, explaining that only two people are working in the auditors’ office, although there were supposed to be seven of them. According to VL, the BiH Election Commission will soon task the auditors to check into financial operations of political parties, which is foremost the case with the SDS and HDZ. |
| Korac says local elections to take place on October 2 | Dnevni List, front and page 7 ‘Writs for municipal elections will be issued of April 15’, by Miso Relota, carries a member of the BiH Election Commission, Lidija Korac, as saying that the said Commission will issue writs for municipal elections on April 15, the elections which are to take place on October 2 this year. Korac adds: “At the moment, amendments to the BiH Law on Elections are being discussed, and one of proposals of changes is to hold electionsof Sunday, not Saturday. If the changes are adopted in the parliamentary procedure, the writs will be issued on April 16, and the elections will take place on October 3 (…) Everything says that the FBiH Parliament will adopt the law on election on heads of municipalities in FBiH by April 15”. |
| Message of Association “Together to Truth” | Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘People should decide’ – The Association “Together to the truth” yesterday announced that in collaboration with other non-governmental organisations, this Association will start collecting signatures for the holding of referendum, at which the citizens of Republika Srpska would vote whether they would support Republika Srpska separation from the unitary BiH. The Association sends a message to the Republika Srpska leadership and Paddy Ashdown, saying that: “People wonders!” Namely, the people, inter alia, wonder where is Republika Srpska in European integration. Blic p 13 ‘Through petition to referendum’ also reported on the issue. |
| VL: “Mazowietzki supports change of Dayton” | Vecernji List page 6 ‘Mazowietzki supports change of Dayton’ by f carries that the special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Human Rights on the territory of former Yugoslavia in the period from 1992 until 1995, Tadeusz Mazowietzki, stated in Sarajevo yesterday that a new international conference should be convened at the 10th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) during which it would be necessary to talk about the revision of the DPA. |
Economic/social issues | |
| Results of international tender for sale of Hercegovacka Banka should be known in about 20 days
| Vecernji List front and page 7 ‘At least 115 million KM for Hercegovacka Banka’ by Z. Jurilj carries an article regarding the Hercegovacka Banka (HB) issue in which the author says that according to some estimations the HB Provisional Administration spent about 15 million KM during three years of its work and depositors and shareholders of the bank, who cannot get their money for three years already, are at a verge of nervous breakdown. VL says that according to the announcements coming from the HB Provisional Administration the results of the international tender for the sale of the HB should be published in about 20 days. According to VL information, some banks and companies from the Western European countries and USA are interested in purchase of this bank. |
| Oil Refinery Trade Union addressed RS leadership | Vecernje Novosti p 21 ‘We will block border’ – Milorad Djeric, the President of the Trade Union Organization of Srpski Brod Oil Refinery, has stated that the Trade Union has sent an open letter to RS NA President Dragan Kalinic, RS Government President Dragan Mikerevic and RS President Dragan Cavic. The letter reads that the Oil Refinery employees will not go on strike, but will block roads and border crossing point in Srpski Brod. The President of RS Trade Union of Energy, Mirko Djukic, has stated that they will address CoM and request banning of petroleum and petroleum products imports in duration of one year. They will also demand an immediate and consistent implementation of the Article 6 of the Law on Control of Petroleum Quality. |
| VL critical of latest ‘Bulldozer’ brochure | Vecernji List, page 8 ‘Bulldozer and owl’, by Radoslav Dodig, speaking of the contents of the latest ‘Bulldozer’ brochure, the author firstly criticizes the very name ‘Bulldozer’, saying it resembles force, revolution, noise and destruction, and goes on to say that the contents of the brochure is at the level of a elementary school pupil, with questions such as ‘Why is this a progress?’, ‘What do you think about effects of this reform’ etc. The author is highly critical of the comic within the brochure, “Adventure of Max’, saying he could not get down to the bottom of it and that the comic is very boring. |
Security affairs | |
| FOSS continues tapping functionaries
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5, ‘FOSS is tapping delegates at BiH Parliament’ – Several NN collocutors from FOSS confirmed that the FOSS is tapping and tailing delegates of the BiH Parliament, who took part in the work of the Parliament Commission on coup d’etat affair. The NN sources claim that Kristina Silic, a close assistant of Ivan Vuksic, is in charge of this activity. According to NN inset, NN source close to Kalman Koscis, Chairperson of Intelligence Reform Commission, says that it is not the job of the Commission Head to take care of what intelligence agents do when they are not members of the Commission. Also, NN source hopes that the institutions in charge would ensure that FOSS and OBS act in accordance with legal provisions. |