TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| “Storm” celebrations in | HR on SBS Director | CoM announced talks with farmers |
| “Storm” commentary | CoM on BiH Law on Defence | Establishment of the MPI approved |
| Regional news | RS Gov. on agreement with | RS Govt. on agreement with |
| Mandic & Culjak sentence abolished | Regional News | SPC on Radovan Karadzic |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| HR on SBS Director | 9 kg of heroin in BiH truck | CoE report on West Balkans |
| Farmers still on hold | New BiH license plates issue | Selman on legal property agreement |
| CoM on BiH Law on Defence | Ashdown on new SBS Director | CoM session |
| RS Gov. on agreement with | BiH CoM session | HR on police reform |
| Oslobodjenje | Free trade between BiH and |
| Dnevni Avaz | Paddy Ashdown announces solution to crisis in SBS: One should not have doubts in my decisiveness |
| Dnevni List | Name |
| Vecernji List | Toby Robinson exclusively for Vecernji List: Fima and Validus buying Hercegovacka bank |
| Nezavisne Novine | Rasim Ljajic: Noose is tightening around Karadzic and Mladic |
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| Political Developments/Reforms |
| HR Ashdown warns it would be bad news if he had to appoint SBS director
| RHB, Pink, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje, pg 3 ‘High Representative announces his solution’, by Fena, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Appointments for State Border Service announced’, by NINA, Vecernji List, pg 8 ‘Concerns with appointment of SBS director’, by f, Nezavisne Novine, pg 3 ‘Ashdown concerned with lack of appointment of SBS director’, not signed – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, on Thursday expressed his concern about the fact that no director has yet been appointed for SBS. As a key institution safeguarding the security of the state, this state of affairs cannot be left unresolved for long, the HR said. “It would be very bad news if I have to once again make this appointment. But no one should doubt my decisiveness. Nor should they be in any doubt that if I am required to make this appointment, then my decision will be based on merit and professional criteria only, not ethnicity,” he said. The HR also emphasized that those such as the director of SIPA who have already been legally appointed cannot be removed. “There cannot be any meddling in this. It is not up to the Presidency or anyone else to illegally remove someone who has been installed,” he said. Hayat – Revolted and angry because director of SBS still hasn’t been appointed, HR Ashdown almost openly said that his word would be last. Dnevni Avaz, front pg splash and pg 3 ‘One should not have doubts in my decisiveness’, by S. Numanovic – Apart from carrying the OHR statement from above, Avaz learns that either Vahid Alagic or Vinko Dumancic could be appointed the SBS director by decision of the HR. According to Avaz’s information, HR Ashdown’s statement is also a warning to BiH authorities, foremost to the BiH Presidency, to take action. Inset entitled ‘Terzic: Appoint leaderships until end of August’ – says that according to Avaz’s information, the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, has sent the BiH Presidency a letter appealing to them to reach an agreement on appointments to leading posts in the SIPA and SBS. Terzic ‘signaled’ to the Presidency that the whole procedure must be completed by end of August, otherwise the HR will be appointing leaders of these two agencies. |
| BiH to lose equipment for detection of radioactive material?
| Hayat – By Zumra Arnautovic– Equipment for detection of radioactive material and prevention of its illegal transport was donated, three years ago, to BiH by International Agency for Atomic Energy and EU, but untill day this equipment was never installed at border crossings. Advisor in BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs, Srdjan Arnaut, stated that this equipment would provide control over passing the border. Information Office of Indirect Taxation Agency and their representative Andja Cosic stated that opening of border-passing Izacic was delayed due to property dispute, stressing that ITA has just started to function, which was one of additional difficulties. Ministry of Civil Affairs as Arnaut stressed informed that additional financial means are necessary for installing of this equipment, being that BiH has to order strict location, invests in instalment of equipment and it has to educate people who will operate this equipment. Cosic explained that this equipment is stored at Izacic and that there is no reason why it shouldn’t be installed soon. At the end Reporter stressed that further delays could cost BiH this equipment, because it could be directed to another user. |
| HR Ashdown on police reform, cooperation with ICTY
| RHB, Hayat, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz, pg 12 ‘Bukejlovic, RS Government and SDS responsible for police reform’, by Onasa – HR Paddy Ashdown warned RS authorities to express readiness for police reform and cooperation with ICTY by end of August or RS PM Pero Bukejlovic will be held responsible as well as RS Government and SDS. HR stated that it was agreed in |
| Oslobodjenje op-ed: Ashdown’s empty threats resulted in no results
| Oslobodjenje, pg 9 ‘Last Ashdown’s threat?’, by Mirko Sagolj – Commenting on the HR Paddy Ashdown’s statement given in the interview to Nezavisne Novine regarding responsibility of the RS PM, Pero Bukejlovic, the RS Government and SDS (see above), Sagolj says that firstly, Ashdown failed to mention “his favourite” Mladen Ivanic and his party as possible co-culprits, and secondly, that threats that Ashdown has been sending in last three and half years resulted in nothing whatsoever. As for the future of police reform, Sagolj notes that even HR Ashdown does not know would be signing a possible agreement since the parties had previously reached an agreement, but the “old deceivers from the Dayton-like RS” managed to avoid or postpone the police reform by insisting that the police reform should be signed by the entity and state authorities. |
| BiH CoM on defence laws
| Pink, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje, pgs 4-5 ‘Inter-entity and constitutional harmonization of defence law’, by Fena, Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 ‘Law on defence and service in armed forces in Parliament soon’, by Fena, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Farmers in front of government in next 15 days’, by Mensud Zorlak, Nezavisne Novine, pg 3 ‘Law on defence and army service waiting for opinions of entity governments’, by M. Cubro – Law on Defence and Law on Army Service will enable establishment of full capacity, necessary for performance of Armed Forces in protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH, while passing of these Laws would mean that BiH has fulfilled criteria for association with PfP and NATO. Because of that, members of Council of Ministers were familiarized with drafts of these Laws and after the session CoM has obligated BiH Ministry of Defence to harmonize the drafts with opinions of BiH Ministry of Justice, BiH Ministry of Finances and Treasury and Office for Legislation. Beside this BiH Ministry of Defence is obligated to get opinions of Entities’ Governments and Agency for State Service, so that law proposals could be drafted and submitted to CoM. Deputy of BiH Minister of Defence, Marina Pendes explained that BiH MoD has already asked Entities’ Governments for transition of authorities, stressing that CoM has obligated them to discuss laws with certain Institutions so that there would be no delays in passing of these laws, which according to her should be done by September. |
| Nezavisne Novine: BiH authorities do not know how much NATO standards would cost
| Nezavisne Novine, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Authorities do not know how much NATO standards would cost’, by M. Cubro – NN notes that the BiH MoD does not know how much the equipping and training of BiH armed forces, which is to be in line with NATO standards, would cost. Deputy Defence Minister of BiH, Enes Becirbasic, says there are still no rulebooks on calibre and type of weapons the BiH armed forces would use, underlining it is very difficult to make an estimation since the process lasts several years. He says that the pattern of future BiH armed forces’ uniform has already been chosen. It will be similar to uniform that will be used by the |
| RS Justice Minister Selman on property-legal issues with
| Pink, RHB, Dnevni Avaz, pg 8 ‘Agreement with Croatia should return to entities for discussion’, by Srna, Dnevni List, pg 6 ‘Cooperation with Croatia in jurisdiction of entities’ by Dario Pusic, Vecernji List, pg 9 ‘RS Government for agreement between BiH and Croatia’, by rt, Nezavine Novine, pg 5 ‘Agreement must go through procedure in entities’, by P. Klincov – RS Deputy Prime Minister and RS Minister of Justice, Dzerard Selman, has rejected all allegations that RS Government is obstructing signing of agreement on property-legal relations between BiH and Croatia. Selman stressed that RS Government fully supports signing of this agreement, under the condition that a whole procedure is returned to BiH Institutions, in fact to Entities’ Governments. Selman stressed that they are aware of importance of this agreement, but that some of the issues are strictly under the authority of Entities, emphasising that opinions on this agreement, before it is signed, have to be given by in charged Ministries and Institutions. “Because this is about transfer of certain authorities from Entities, we think that Council of Ministers and its Delegation…fully have to abide by the Law on signing of international agreements and that this Delegation must be contained of RS representatives, during every meeting”- stated Selman. BHT – The Serbs from Hayat – Selman stressed that RS wasn’t represented in FTV, RTRS – BiH Justice Minister Slobodan Kovac stated that the issue of occupancy holder’s rights was very difficult for RS since a lot of Serbs from Croatia are now living in RS and are very much interested in those rights. The entire documentation on the agreement will be sent to RS ministries who then in return should send their objections to RS Government by 17th of August. |
| RS Vice President: Cavic controls RS institutions, RS ministers in BiH, Paravac
| Dnevni Avaz, pg 8 ‘Dragan Cavic controls institutions in RS and BiH’, by E. Sarac – Vice President of RS, Adil Osmanovic, stated to Avazthat the RS President, Dragan Cavic, is directly running all institutions in the RS, as well as the Serb ministers in the BiH Council of Ministers and Serb member of BiH Presidency. Osmanovic notes that ever since Pero Bukejlovic has become the RS Prime Minister, no strategic decision for RS was made without Cavic’s approval. |
| CoE report: No political will to fight corruption in BiH
| RTRS, Nezavisne Novine, pg 5 ‘There is no political will to fight corruption in BiH’, by Beta – Council of Europe published a report in Strasburg where it states that achieved progress of West Balkans countries in fight against corruption is far from European standards. The report also states that BIH does not have enough political will in that fight as well as that it doesn’t invest enough money in it. |
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| War Crimes |
| BiH CoM approves establishment of BiH Institute for Missing Persons
| BHT, Hayat, FTV, Oslobodjenje, pgs 4-5 ‘Inter-entity and constitutional harmonization of defence law’, by Fena, Dnevni Avaz, pg 3 ‘Establishment on Institute for missing persons in BiH approved’, by S. S., Vecernji List, pg 8 ‘Establishment of Institute approved’, by Valentina Rupcic – The BiH Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the Missing Persons Institute (MPI) at the state level. The MPI will take over the activities, personnel, duties and responsibilities of RS Office on Missing and Detained Persons and the FBiH Commission on Missing Persons. It should create unique and transparent list of persons who went missing during the war in BiH, which will leave no room for the political manipulations of the numbers of victims. The signing ceremony of the Agreement will take place in |
| SCG’s Ljajic: Noose around Karadzic and Mladic is tightening
| Nezavisne Novine, front pg splash and pg 6 ‘Noose is tightening around Karadzic and Mladic’, by V. Popovic – Carries an interview with the Serbia-Montenegro Minister for Human Rights, Rasim Ljajic, in which he claims that the ‘noose’ around Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic is tightening. “I do not have relevant information that would point out that Karadzic is hiding in |
| Ser Orthodox Church, Montenegrin authorities deny Karadzic is in
| BHT, Hayat, RTRS – Serb Orthodox Church denied the information that Metropolitan of Montenegro and Primorje Amfilohije is hiding |
| Lawyer Tomic: Sasa Karadzic did not call on Radovan to surrender
| RTRS – Dusko Tomic, attorney of Sasa Karadzic (son of Radovan Karadzic) denied the statement published in Slobodna Bosna weekly where it states that Sasa called upon his father to surrender. He did on the other hand confirm the authenticity of the SB interview with Sasa. |
| RS office for search for missing persons identifies 6 persons
| RTRS – RS Office for search of missing persons announced that 6 persons were identified in the centre for autopsy and identification. 5 of them were civilians and one was a soldier (RS army). Slobodan Skrba from RS Office for search of missing persons stated that some of the victims were from FTV – The persons disappeared during the war in |
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| Economy, Social Issues |
| BiH CoM tasks Minister Doko to hold talks with farmers
| BHT, RHB, Pink, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje, pg 4 ‘Meeting with farmers in 15 days’, by Fena, Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 ‘Meeting with farmers in 15 days’, by Fena, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Farmers in front of government in next 15 days’, by Mensud Zorlak, Vecernji List, pg 8 ‘Measures to save domestic production in next 15 days’, by Dejan Jazvic – After 42 days of farmers’ protests, the representatives of BiH authorities finally decided to hold a meeting with representatives of agricultural producers. BiH Council of Ministers (CoM) tasked Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations to organize such meeting in next 15 days; decision was welcomed by protesters and by other farmers’ associations in BiH. Since members of BiH CoM started their holiday after Friday’s session, it still not clear who will attend this meeting. “The meeting should take place in 15-days time. I believe that minister (of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Dragan) Doko will be able to organize that meeting and to gather all those people”, said Deputy BiH Defence Minister Marina Pendes. Members of BiH Farmers Association feel “encouraged” with the fact that BiH authorities will finally listen to their demands, because their tents, pitched in front of the BiH Institutions building, started to leak. |
| Assistant Minister Pandurevic: BiH needs better subsidies
| Oslobodjenje, front pg splash and pgs 4-5 ‘BiH’s measures towards Croatia slightly decreased import’, by A. Omeragic – The BiH Assistant Foreign Trade Minister, Nenad Pandurevic, notes that the protective measures that BiH has introduced against import of Croatian food products (obligation to pay 40% of full duties), have not resulted in drastic decrease of import of Croatian products, especially dairy products. Pandurevic says that the market, perhaps because of habit or faith in quality, still demands Croatian, as well as SCG products, despite them being more expensive. Pandurevic reckons that other measures should protect BiH farmers such as better subsidies, since the RS and FBiH allocate some 50-60 million KMs a year in subsidies, whilst |
| FTV: Foreign companies win lucrative jobs in BiH
| FTV – New BiH license plates will probably be manufactured in foreign countries: BiH Minister of Civil Affairs decided – although his decision has not gone into effect yet – to assign this 6-millions-KM job to a German company. “Our ministers and our Government is working better for other countries than for its own citizens”, said Typographers’ Syndicate President Amer Toskic. The change of license plates and drivers licenses will start at the beginning of 2006. The license plates that are currently on domestic cars are manufactured by domestic companies; therefore, the representatives of the (BiH) Foreign Trade Chamber believe that the tender-related criteria should be domestic companies-friendly. “Since it is in our interest that domestic companies get these jobs – even if they do not completely satisfy the conditions from the tender, if they are very close, or if they objectively can do it – they should get these jobs”, said BiH Foreign Trade Chamber Vice-President Milan Lovric. |
| Toby Robinson announces Hercegovacka bank will be sold to buyers from
| Vecernji List, front pg splash and pg 7 ‘Fima and Validus buying Hercegovacka bank’, by Zoran Kresic – In an ‘exclusive’ interview for Vecernji List, the Provisional Administrator for Hercegovacka bank, Toby Robinson, reveals that investors from Croatia have secured funds the purchase the ‘Hercegovacka bank’. Robinson is certain that two brokers from |
| Corridor Vc coordinator: Corridor will not go to Neum
| Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Possible construction of passenger harbour in Neum’, by I. Rozic – The State Coordinator for construction of Corridor Vc, Izet Bajrambasic, says that announcements by some politicians from Sarajevo that Nuem should be the most southern point of the Corridor Vc, not Ploce, is inappropriate because everything has already been agreed upon. Bajrambasic also notes that Neum has not used its full capacities, adding that there is an initiative to build a passenger harbour in Neum. |
| Kebo calls for intervention funds for returnees
| Hayat – BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Mirsad Kebo has warned on urgency for establishment of intervene fund for help to returnees and announced soon meeting on this issue with representatives of OHR, UNDP, UNHCR and other institutions. |
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| Affairs |
| Director of ‘Srpske Poste’ Pejic expels minister Deretic from ‘Srpske Poste’ building
| Hayat (ATV’s report)- Constitutive session of Provisional Steering Board of “Srpske Poste” should have been held in facilities of “Srpske Poste”, but it was held in RSNA offices. Representative of State shares, RS Minister of Labour and Veterans Miodrag Deretic explained that Director of “Srpske Poste” Milutin Pejic has expelled them, using very rude language. Deretic stressed that only his associates have prevented him to beat Pejic up. Deretic stressed that this incident will not prevent him to deal with performance of this company, which claims to work with losses, even though they are receiving over KM17 million from RS Telecom. Since 2007, Telecom will not be obliged to pay this amount and members of Steering Board claim that “Srpske Poste” will collapse then. Deretic also said that he will inform RSNA, Speaker of RSNA, Prime- Minister and RS President about this incident, stressing that Pejic couldn’t act like this if he wasn’t protected by someone in high position. RTRS – Pejic threw out the members of Srpske Poste Supervisory Board who were present at their first session. They continued their session at RS National Assembly building. RS Minister Of Labour and Veterans, Miodrag Deretic, who is a representative of state capital, stated that he is surprised with Pejic’s act since he is a master of martial arts and was therefore very close to using them on Pejic. Pejic wouldn’t comment anything and added that he will explain everything at press conference scheduled for next week. Deretic stated that Supervisory Board has many questions for Pejic. Drazen Abramovic, Chairman of Supervisory Board, stated that the loss of Srpske Poste is 15 million BAM annually which will of course interest all shareholders of this company, RS Government included. Reporter conclude that new information about the issue will be known after the next session of Supervisory Board. (Nezavisne Novine, pg 9, mentioned on front ‘Milutin Pejic chucked minister Deretic from building of ‘Posta’’, by D. Risojevic |
| Bulgarian police discovers heroin in BiH truck | FTV – Report by Nadja Ridzic – 9 kg of heroin, discovered by the Bulgarian police eight days ago in a truck owned by the ‘Hari 2’ company from Novi Travnik, is still the main topic in this central Bosnian town. While two of their drivers, Munib Kalbic and Miralem Herceg are still in prison in |
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| Miscellaneous |
| Croatia celebrates anniversary of operation Srorm, reaction by Draskovic, DS
| FTV, RHB, Pink, BHT, Hayat, RTRS, Dnevni List, pg 10 ‘Storm was leigitimate and justified’, not signed, Vecernji List, pgs 2-3, mentioned on front ‘Gratitutde to Tudjman over Storm’, by Vanja Moskalov, Vecernji List, pgs 4-5 ‘Dissatisfied generals’, by Petar Grubisic, Nezavisne Novine, g 4 ‘Storm celebrated’, by agencies – The tenth anniversary of the successful military operation “Storm” is celebrated in Croatia. Central manifestation took place in Knin, where most of the Croatian high-ranked officials, including President Stjepan Mesic, and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader participated in ceremony. Several retired Croatian Generals, however, organized their own celebration, because they disagree with the Croatian Government policy towards fugitive general Ante Gotovina. BHT, Hayat, Nezavisne Novine, pg 4 ‘Ethnic cleansing should not be celebrated’ – In the same time, Serbia-Montenegro Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Draskovic expressed his disappointment with the fact the no one in Croatia officially condemned the fact that 250.000 Serbs were expelled from Croatia during the operation “Storm”, ten years ago. RTRS – Commemoration mass was served in Sremska Raca for all Serbs killed in operation ‘Storm’. RTRS – DS feels that military actions of Croatian Army, namely the ‘Storm’ and the ‘Flash’ are being used to destabilise situation in BIH. DS expects that RS will be blamed for disrupting the relations between |
| BiH Army veterans meet on
| FTV, Hayat, Oslobodjenje, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Those who gave lives for BiH must not be forgotten’, by A. Vatres – Nezirevic, – As a part of manifestation “BiH’s defence – Igman 2005”, numerous citizens, former soldiers and members of their families, as well as numerous delegations visited commemorative plaque dedicated to fallen defenders at Igman’s Veliko Polje. The delegation of Canton Sarajevo Government, led by the Cantonal Assembly President Meliha Alic, and Cantonal Minister of Health Zehra Dizdarevic, laid flowers on the commemorative plaque. The manifestation “BiH’s defence – Igman 2005” will end on September 26, with a roundtable titled “Siege and defence of Dnevni Avaz, pg 9 ‘Our right to freedom will never be questionable again’, mentioned on front ‘Ef. Ceric: We are returning debt to defenders’, not signed – Participants were addressed by reis-ul-ulema Mustafa effendi Ceric. |
| DL: Term
| Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 4 ‘Name Herzegovina is being used ever so less’, by Ivica Glibusic – The author argues that name of Bosnia and and Herzegovina is being desecrated more and more in domestic and foreign media, as well as in statements of BiH and foreign officials. Glibusic says it is even more worrying when BiH is referred to as |