07.02.2005

OHR BiH Media Round-up, 7/2/2005

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Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on7 February 2005

RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs)

BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs)

Conference on security in Greece

More than 60 killed in Iraq

Zagreb : Conf. against Terrorism

Spanish consulate in Bern seized

Wnendt visits Zagreb

World news

TV news broadcast on 6 February 2005

RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs)

TV PINK (18,00 hrs)

BHT 1 (19,00 hrs)

Armed citizen chased to BIH

Conference in Greece

Kidnapper surrendered to the police

PDP session in Banja Luka

HoP repres. on new police structure 

Investigation on six state institutions

ICTY trials in next week

Dragan Cavic on PIC session

PDP won’t participate in new RS Gov

Mass in Siroki Brijeg

Bukejlovic not supported by 42 rep.

Explosion in Banjaluka

 

NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs)

FTV (19,30 hrs)

RTRS (19,30 hrs)

A person kidnapped his daughter

Kidnapping case in BiH-Germany

Kidnaper surrenders to RS police

Lagumdzija re-elected BiH SDP Chair

Lagumdzija re-elected SDP President

PDP session in Banja Luka

PDP Main Board in session

PDP won’t participate in new RS Gov

Bukejlovic has parliament majority

RS SP will not support Bukejlovic

SPRS won’t support Bukejlovic

SP RS will not support Bukejlovic

 

Oslobodjenje

University requests for money earned through sale of Marshal Tito barracks

Dnevni Avaz

Lagumdzija leads/pushing SDP into abyss

Dnevni List

Janica also won gold in downhill skiikg

Vecernji List

For first time Janica won golden medla in in downhill skiikg

Slobodna Dalmacija

Features Croatia related headlines

Glas Srpske

Life in mud and darkness

Nezavisne Novine

Father-kidnapper was arrested in Novi Grad; PDP still without stance on new RS Government

Blic

He donated 100,000 KM for children; PDP will not enter RS Government

Vecernje Novosti

Features Serbia related headlines

Belgrade’s Nacional

Features Serbia related headlines

 

LATEST NEWS OF TODAY

SRS might not support RS Government

FENA – President of the Serb Radical Party (SRS) of RS, Milanko Mihajlica, stated on Monday that his party would not support the new RS Government in case the Serb majority, required for its appointment, was not secured.

Croat member of BiH Presidency Covic on RS resistance to constitutional changes

 

SRNA – The Croat member of the BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, stated that the RS resistance to the changes of the Dayton Agreement is a result of the justified fear from centralization and that the decision making process would be carried out entirely in Sarajevo. In an interview with Belgrade based ‘Politika’, Covic underlined that DPA has already been radically changed. On the BiH lawsuit against SCG for aggression, Covic said that he doubts in its ‘good’ outcome: “It appears more and more that Bosniak… are suing SCG, so even I – the member of the Presidency – do not know at what stage we are in this regard.

Serbian President advisor: Silajdzic, Cengic or Ganic indicted for war crimes

 

SRNA – The advisor to the Serbian President on cooperation with the ICTY, Jovan Simic, said today that the ICTY Prosecution has presented to the Tribunal an indictment against either Haris Silajdzic, Hasan Cengic or Ejup Ganic for confirmation. He told SRNA that the Prosecution signed in all three indictments for BiH/RS. “What is certain, is that one indictment pertains to an official of the former Bosnian political or military leadership,” he said. Simic reiterated that one indictment probably pertains to former JNA general Momcilo Perisic for the shelling of Mostar. He explained that the Prosecution signed six indictments before December 25, which were not presented until January 10 because of the holidays, and that one of them is against Kosovo premier Ramus Haradinaj.

 

Political developments/reforms

SDP Congress – reactions/commentaries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oslobodjenje pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘Can Lagumdzija re-gain 150,000 votes? A. Omeragic and Az. Kalamujic – According to the authors, the third SDP BiH Congress held in Sarajevo on Saturday confirmed leadership of Zlatko Lagumdzija. The gathering was also characterized by certain attempts to analyze in an objective manner reasons for the party’s popularity fall. Despite discussion and adoption of the new SDP statute and program it seems that all the attention of attendees was directed towards the election of the new President.

Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Statute does not oblige me to resign’ V. Zivak – Zlatko Lagumdzija, the re-elected SDP BiH President, told the daily that the party already started preparations for the next general elections. He however emphasized that he would not resign if SDP does not win the 2006 elections. Ljubisa Markovic, one of the three candidates who ran for the SDP President at the Saturday’s Congress, proposed an amendment to the party Statute stipulating that the party leader must resign from office in case of election failure. The amendment was not adopted by the Congress.     

Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 2 ‘Lagumdzija leads SDP into abyss’ L. Sinanovic – BOSS President Mirnes Ajanaovic, SDU Vice-president Sejfudin Tokic and SDA Vice President Seada Palavric believe that re-election of Lagumdzija means continuation of the current SDP policy that will ultimately lead towards further SDP’s marginalizing. Party for BiH leader Safet Halilovic did not want to comment on re-election of Lagumdzija.  

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Manipulations of greedy leader’ M. Kukan – The author considers the SDP Congress another farce directed by Lagumdzija.

Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Zlatko Lagumdzija SDP President again’ by D.P.M. carries that Zlatko Lagumdzija has been re-elected the SDP President. Vecernji List pg 2 ‘New divisions at sight’ by E. Medunjanin also carries that Lagumdzija’s counter-candidates Ljubisa Markovic and Nermin Peceanac did not hide their disappointment over the fact that most participants of the SDP Congress did not see necessity of internal changes within the party. VL also says that there are other high-ranked SDP officials who stated accusations about Lagumdzija’s autocratic way of running the party. VL says that due to this situation, some circles at the Congress said that a new split within SDP is possible.

Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘As it was expected, Lagumdzija is new-old president’ by M. Cubro, all BiH electronic media also reported on re-election of Lagumdzija.

CoM Chairman Terzic goes to Brussels to meet senior EU officials, talk on abolishment of visas to BiH citizens

 

Dnevni Avaz, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘I will ask for abolishment of visas to BiH citizens’, by S. Numanovic – Carries an interview with the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, who last night departed for Brussels where he is to have a series of meetings with senior EU and NATO officials, including the EC President, Jose Manuel Barosso, and NATo Secretary General, Japp de Hoop Scheffer. When it comes to the meeting with Barosso, Terzic says it will be an opportunity to analyze the progress achieved so far in reforms in BiH and to stress the interest of the BiH CoM that the EU places BiH on the list of countries that does not require visas to enter the EU. Terzic says: ‘There have been some announcements that the visa regime towards BiH could be liberalized. On the other hand, I advocate the complete abolishment of visas, not only the liberalization. Earlier we got a list that we need to realize and now we have to analyze with the new Commissioner Franco Frattini what BiH has done in order to know where we stand’.

PDP will not participate in new RS Government

 

RHB, TV Pink, BHT, TV Hayat, FTV RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘PDP will not participate in new RS Government’, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘PDP will not participate in work of RS Government’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘PDP still without stance on new RS Government’ by V. Popovic, EuroBlic pg RS3, mentioned on cover ‘Without PDP members at RS Government’ by N. B., Glas Srpske, pg 2 ‘They do not want to enter the new Government’ by N. D. – During PDP Main Board session it was concluded that PDP was not going to participate in new RS Government. PDP still has not decided on whether it is going to support new RS Government. Member of PDP Main Board Rodoljub Trkulja said that the Government was going to be elected on 15th of February since it was in RS’ interest. Trkulja said “Approach of new RS Prime Minister designate is still not clear. That is why the question how to support the new Government arises. It will depend not only on RS PM’s approach, but on SDS’s opinion on solution of crisis in BiH Council of Ministers. In next several days, after having discussed on all these issues, PDP is going to give its opinion.”

Op-ed on PDP’s support to Bukejlovic

 

Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Semi-pregnant PDP’ by Predrag Klincov – The author criticizes PDP over its stance on whether to support the new RS Government or not, by saying PDP’s stance “we will not, but we also will” reminds of a story of a semi-pregnant lady and indicates PDP is slowly changing its direction back to SDS again. He explains such a development of the situation by the fact that RS NA delegates would hardly accept the fact they would lose their chairs if they fail to support PM designate Pero Bukejlovic. He claims fear of Mladen Ivanic that he would have to face an indictment over selling “Kristal” bank for only 1 €, unless Bukejlovic gets the necessary support, also contributes to this situation. He concludes by saying that, if PDP supports Bukejlovic, it would be an interesting political suicide of a party.

Dragomir Babic: HR, SDS and PDP are generators of crisis in RS

 

Nezavisne novine pg 2 ‘Generators of crisis in RS are SDS, PDP and High Representative’ by S. Karic – Chairman of “Narodni front” (People’s front) NGO Dragomir Babic claims the main generators of crisis in RS are SDS, PDP and High Representative Paddy Ashdown. ‘Ashdown has achieved, through his measures, the very thing he came to BiH for – he has strengthened nationalistic parties and made it possible for them to continue robbing what has left from state property’, Babic has stated. With regard to PM designate Pero Bukejlovic, he says SDS does not care who Bukejlovic is but it is only important that he is a person that can be manipulated with and that would hide crimes of his party comrades. He expressed his surprise with behavior of the international community, which has allowed SDS to appoint a designate while, several years ago, it had not even allowed the party to appoint its Ministers to RS Government.

SPRS not to support Bukejlovic

 

TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘SPRS not to support Bukejlovic’, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Without support to Bukejlovic’ – RS Socialist Party (SPRS) Main Board decided not to support RS PM designate Pero Bukejlovic. SPRS Chair Petar Djokic said: “We will not support the Government in which SDS or any other national party is going to participate.”

TV Pink: Bukejlovic not supported by majority in RSNA

 

TV Pink – SDS Leadership informed that RS Prime Minister designate Pero Bukejlovic was not supported by 42 Parliament representatives and that election of the new Government depended on SDP representatives. Bukejlovic is being supported by 34 out of 83 representatives. DNS member Drago Kalabic confirmed that DNS was not going to support Bukejlovic. SDA members are also not going to support Bukejlovic. PDP announced that it would decide whether to support Bukejlovic during its Main Board session, which was going to be held on Sunday. SNSD, RS SP, SDP and Stranka za BiH were the first political parties which informed that they were not going to support any government with SDS ministers. Two days ago, SDS Chair Dragan Cavic said that RS was going to elect its Government on 10th of February, when RS National Assembly is going to hold its session.

Bukejlovic says he has RSNA majority support even without PDP votes

RTRS, FTV – RS PM-designate Pero Bukejlovic stated that he has parliamentary majority even without PDP support/votes. He added that due to PDP’s decision not to participate in the new Government he will have to change planned distribution of ministerial seats in his Government since he intended to include PDP members in it.

Novakovic, Raguz and Dzaferovic on CoM reconstruction

 

EuroBlic pg RS1 ‘Expanding is inevitable’ by Nedeljka BreberinaMomcilo Novakovic (SDS) criticizes CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic because he had independently presented the public with proposal on CoM reconstruction, without prior discussion with relevant factors on this issue. He added that the establishing of any Ministry at BiH level would mean reduction of the authority of the entity Ministries therefore SDS caucus will not participate in a discussion with regard to this issue until RS NA presents its stance. Martin Raguz (HDZ) thinks CoM cannot be held responsible for implementation of strategic processes that are important for BiH without establishing two new Ministries. Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) supports Terzic’s initiative on expanding CoM because it is primarily a legal obligation.

TV Pink: BiH parliamentarians on police reform

 

TV Pink – Recently, High Representative Paddy Ashdown has presented proposal on new police organisation in BiH. HR proposed 10 police regions. Great majority of BiH politicians disagree with the proposal. Representatives from BiH House of Representatives commented the proposal. SDA representative Elmir Jahic said: “We especially disagree with the width and residences of certain police centres. Sarajevo regional centre is a small one; by this the relevance of the capital is being neglected. On the other hand, when talking about Foca regional centre, Foca has never been a regional centre, in any way. The only possibility is for Foca to become logistic shelter for ICTY indictee Radovan Karadzic.” Independent representative Mladen Potocik said: “Principle by which the police is organized on state and regional level is OK by me, but I do not understand the International Community and why it does not think about the fact that all regions have to have its police, judiciary and administrative systems established while discussing on such organization, which means that the whole issue is not harmonized since here are 5 regions and 10 police regions.” SDS representative Momcilo Novakovic said: “SDS finds the whole concept of regions which goes beyond inter-entities’ borders unacceptable.”  SDP representative Selim Beslagic said: “I think that this solution allows Paddy Ashdown to present it as a democratic principle, which proves that BiH is going to work hard to solve the issue. The only thing I find acceptable is the deadline by which the whole issue has to be solved.” Independent representative Petar Kunic said: “I think that the proposal is not in accordance with BiH Constitution, due to the fact that it abolishes entities’ borders.” HDZ representative Ivo Miro Jovic said: “I really have no idea on how the whole thing is going to function, time will prove.” 

Note: Reporter commented that it was obvious that HR would have to use all his authorities in order to make the representatives accept his proposal.

RS President Cavic on PIC session recommendations, police reform

 

TV Pink – Even though Peace Implementation Council state members welcomed recommendations of BiH Police Reform Commission, they also pointed out that the issue had to be solved through discussion, which was supported by all relevant RS police structures. RS President Dragan Cavic said “PIC points out that the reforms could be carried on only by consensus. By this, fact and HR’s statement, that no decisions regarding police reform are going to be imposed, is strengthened. The solution has to be reached by consensus in order for Feasibility Study terms to be fulfilled. It was also said that problems are being more realistically approached. Consensus, as political approach in solving these problems, is being supported. It is especially stressed in areas defined by HR’s decisions; such as defence reform, where HR decided to extend the Commission’s mandate and police reform, where HR decided to establish Police Reform Commission, which ended its mandate. This implies that there would be no imposing, and that consensus will (need to) be reached.”

 

War crimes

Regional conference on war crime processing ends in Belgrade

 

 

 

 

 

 

BHT, Dnevni List pg 2, mentioned on front ‘BiH adjusted its legislation to ICTY the most’ by De.L. – The conference called ‘Creating conditions for transferring competence on domestic courts in procedures started in The Hague’ finished its work in Belgrade on Sunday. According to a source close to the Conference, the impression has been made that BiH has done the most when legal regulations and adjusting of the legal system to the ICTY principles is in question. DL also says that President of the BiH Court Meddzida Kreso had a very remarkable presentation during which she stated that persons who committed war crimes in BIH should stand trials in BiH and not in some other countries. Vecernji List pg 3 ‘BiH ready to take over The Hague cases’ by ibc carries on the same issue that it was also stated during the aforementioned Conference that BiH courts are ready to take over all cases that the ICTY forwards to them. 

Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Ready to take over cases from the Tribunal’ B. Boskov – Participants at the conference concluded that judicial institutions of the countries in the region were in principle ready to process war crime cases.

DL editorial on failed attempts to arrest war criminals

 

Vecernje Novosti pg 6 ‘Five teams to judge’ by Dusan Stojakovic – A special department of BiH Court in Sarajevo should start processing war crimes cases by the end of February. For the start, cases of 12 indictees will be transferred from the Hague Tribunal, including cases of Dragomir Milosevic (accused of bomb-shelling of Sarajevo) and brothers Milanand Sredoje Lukic (accused of committing war crimes in Visegrad). A representative of the Secretariat of the Hague Tribunal, Mattias Helmann, confirmed Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte has filed a request to ICTY Chairman to allow processing of cases of twelve war crimes indictees before local courts in the territory of former Yugoslavia. 

Vecernje Novosti on processing of war crimes at BiH Court in Sarajevo

 

Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Please surrender’ by M. Karacic carries an editorial in which the author criticizes behaviour of RS politicians when the arrest of war criminals is in question and in this context the author singles out RS Minister of Interior Darko Matijasevic and RS President Dragan Cavic. The author concludes: ‘When some of our statesmen publicly calls on the hunt after the war crime suspects as Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader did it with regard to the case of ICTY fugitive Anto Gotovina only then we can say that BiH exists as a state. Until then there is no much difference between us and Wild West.’

Brcko District Prosecutor: Tribunal gave consent for processing of 13 war crimes cases

 

Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘The Hague Tribunal gave its consent for processing of 13 war crimes cases’ by N. Tanasic – Brcko District Public Prosecutor Zekerija Mujkanovic has stated that the first indictee for war crimes committed in Brcko was arrested at the end of 2004. The Prosecutor’s Office claims it is searching for other indictees mentioned in 13 war crimes cases, which were labeled with “A” mark by the Hague Tribunal. ‘Our community must find strength to bring all criminals before the court and stop all stories on collective crime, because it does not exist’, Mujkanovic has stated.

 

Economic/social issues

Sarajevo University requests for money earned through sale of Marshal Tito barracks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oslobodjenje, front pg splash and pgs 4-5 ‘University wants money from sale of ‘Marsal Tito’, by Aldijana Omeragic – Following the decision of the BiH Parliament to allow the sale of the ‘Marsal Tito’ barracks for the needs of the US Embassy to BiH, Oslobodjenje notes that the decision has caused a quarrel among the MPs, who cannot agree on the issue how to spend the money, some 12,9 million KMs. Azra Hadziahmetovic (MP, SBiH) a former member of the University of Sarajevo top, requested from her fellow colleagues (MPs) to allocate the money to the University, whilst Ivo Miro Jovic (MP, HDZ) wants the money to be used to pay out the old foreign currency savers, and Nikola Spiric (SNSD, MP) wants the money be split among all the universities in BiH. Oslobodjenje notes that following the Agrement on succession (among former Yugoslav republics), all the military property became the state property. The daily also carries the State Public Defender, Dragica Miletic, who is not ‘thrilled’ with the situation in which the BiH CoM is selling the barracks because, according to Miletic, the lawyers are at the moment preparing a law that will regulate the matter i.e. how can the Government sell, rent or give away its property. On top of this, Miletic believes that the University of Sarajevo is not entitled to any compensation.

Ilicka settlement in Brcko without electricity, roads and utilities

 

Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Life in mud and darkness’ by M. Dj. – Ilicka settlement, only 2 km from the center of Brcko, still does not have an adequate electricity supply, road nor utilities. Despite to this fact, no funds have been earmarked from 2005 Brcko District budget for development of this settlement. Citizens are disappointed and have filed amendments to the budget. They say, unless their amendments are adopted, they would use all means, including citizens’ disobedience, to fight for their rights.

Brcko District Assembly delegates donated his salaries to children without parents

 

EuroBlic cover pg splash ‘He donated 100,000 KM for children’ and pg RS8 ‘He gave his salaries to children’ by L. S. – Brcko District Assembly delegate Miodrag Bukvic (SDS) has decided to donate salaries he would receive as the delegate in the following four years (in the total amount of approximately 100,000 KM) to children without parents. He explained that he and his family have sufficient incomes (he is an owner of a mill near Brcko) for life therefore he has decided to fulfill his pre-election promise and renounce his salaries for the benefit of those in need.

Expert team to change Draft Law on Privatisation Audit

 

Dnevni List pg 8, mentioned on front ‘To remove politics from privatisation’ by J. Petrovic – Federation of BiH Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Izet Zigic stated: ‘Respecting all objections of representatives we shall change a Draft Law on Privatisation Audit and we shall send it to the parliamentary procedure again.’ He added that for this purpose they will form an expert team which will be made of both, the people who support and those who do not support this Law. Zigic also stressed that experts and not politicians will be members of this team in order to remove politics from the privatisation audit. According to a DL source, this Law will not help in taking care of numerous workers who lost job in the privatisation process. President of the Croat Caucus in the BiH House of Peoples Slavko Matic stated that Croat representatives will oppose this Law again if it envisaged selective privatisation. 

Mobilkom Austria offers 21 million Euros for 51% of shares in Eronet

 

Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Mobilkom Austria renewed offer’ by Z. Kresic – Mobilkom Austria again expressed its readiness to offer 21 million Euros for 51% of shares in Eronet, which are currently in ownership of HT Mostar. VL goes on to say that in this way Mobilkom hinted continuation of the race with HT Zagreb, that is Deutsche Telekom, for the BiH market since HT Zagreb owns 49 % of Eronet shares and 32% of shares in HT Mostar. According to the article, Mobilkom will make its offers more topical after the verdict of the BiH Supreme Court, which is going to decide whether the majority of shares (51 %) will be returned to companies Hercegovina Osiguranje, Alpina Commerc and the Grude Municipality that lost ownership over Eronet on the ground of the verdict passed by the Cantonal Court in Mostar.

 

Miscellaneous

Armed Bosnian who kidnapped daughter in Germany surrenders in Bosanski Novi

 

 

RHB, BHT, TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 43 ‘Kidnapper fled across four states’, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 64 ‘Armed father surrendered after crossing five borders’, AFP, Dnevni List pg 4, mentioned on front ‘Threatening with bomb Kantarevic crossed 4 borders’ by N. Bise, Vecernji List pg 53 ‘From Germany to Bosnia with bombs and kidnapped child’, mentioned on front ‘He kidnapped daughter and rushed through Europe armed’ by Z. Grgurinovic, R. Soldo, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash ‘Father-kidnapper was arrested in Novi Grad’ and pg 3 ‘He was arrested in BiH for kidnapping his daughter’ by G. Golub, EuroBlic, pg RS2 ‘He kidnapped his own child’ by Beta, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Kidnapping in Germany, surrendering in Srpska’ by M. Mihajlovic, Vecernje Novosti pg 14 ‘Kantarevic surrendered’ not signed – A father armed with pistols and hand grenades who kidnapped his four year-old daughter and fled by car across Europe, gave himself up Sunday in his native Bosnia, police said. Edin Kantarevic, an emigre who left his home in Germany after a family row, had surrendered without incident at Bosanski Novi, a spokesman said. The child was safe. Kantarevic left Viersen in western Germany Saturday night. Police cars pursued him through four countries but did not attempt to halt him because he had threatened to kill the girl. “We didn’t have a chance to intervene because we did not wish to put the child’s life at risk, knowing the man was armed and desperate,” said an Austrian interior ministry spokesman. There had been a risk of the man blowing up his daughter and himself with a hand grenade if police tried to arrest him, the official warned. German police cars pursued Kantarevic as far as the Austrian border, where an Austrian special police squad took up the chase Sunday morning. The fugitive crossed into Slovenia and reached the border with Bosnia where local police negotiated with him. “Bosnian police established contact with him when he arrived on their border” Sunday afternoon, said Bernhard Treibenreif, head of Austria‘s Cobra crack special police unit, told AFP in Vienna. “He agreed to hand over his grenades and one of his two pistols,” he said. “The Bosnian authorities guaranteed that he would be tried according to normal and not under special anti-terrorism laws.” Kantarevic gave himself up at Bosanski Novi in Bosnia , where his parents had a house, local police said.