Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 7 March
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
HDZ-CCD Caucus on Constitution | BiH lawsuit against | RS Govt. in session |
BiH HoR in session | BiH HoR in session | BiH HoR adopts initiative of SP RS |
UHSP wants new elections in Mostar | US calls BiH to adopt const. changes | Davidovic in |
TV news broadcast on 6 March
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
Oil leak into Neretva, consequences | Milan Babic committed suicide | Milan Babic committed suicide |
Oil leak: the ecologic catastrophe | BiH lawsuit against | Snow difficulties in BiH |
Heavy snowfalls in BiH | Dodik to bring charges against | World News |
Educational workers’ strike in HNK | FBiH House of Rep. passed budget | Indictments against 3 war indictees |
NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
Milan Babic committed suicide | Milan Babic committed suicide | Milan Babic committed suicide |
Trial against Gojko Jankovic delayed | BiH vs. | Regional News |
BiH lawsuit against | Merdzo and Mandic sentenced | BiH lawsuit against |
RS CoP on BiH lawsuit against | FBiH HoR in session | War crime indictments confirmed |
Oslobodjenje | Milan Babic committed suicide in the Hague prison |
Dnevni Avaz | [ITA Director Causevic] Dodik made up debt worth millions |
Dnevni List | Merdzo and Mandic sentenced to 1 year in prison (Former HNC offiicials sentenced to 1 year in prison due to abuse of position and powers) |
Vecernji List | He committed suicide or he was killed (on death of Milan Babic) |
Slobodna Dalmacija | Fabus ‘students’ pass exams in hotel rooms (on controversial faculty from |
Nezavisne Novine | Milan Babic committed suicide |
Glas Srpske | Milan Babic committed suicide |
EuroBlic | Milan Babic hanged himself |
Vecernje novosti | Noose of a dangerous witness |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
BiH HoR in session, delays discussion on changes to election law
| RTRS – BiH House of Representatives will not discuss the proposed Law on changes and addenda to BiH Election Law, since the BiH HoR Collegium has accepted request of the Constitutional and Legal Commission to postpone this point on agenda owing to large number of amendments filed. The proponents of the law are Momcilo Novakovic ( |
FBiH HoP, RS Govt in session discussing 2006 budget proposals
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| RTRS – Igor Davidovic, BiH Chief negotiator with EU on |
US official Di Carlo called on BiH to adopt const. changes | BH Radio 1 – Deputy Assistant US State Secretary Rosemary di Carlo called on BiH political leaders to respect to the deadline [end of March] for adopting constitutional changes, for these could be applied in the October elections, reports Voice of America. |
War crimes | |
Former Croatian Serb leader Babic commits suicide in his ICTY detention cell
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Association of Serbs from
| Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Milan Babic committed suicide’ by G. K. Inset ‘Burden of conscience’, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash and pg 3 ‘Milan Babic committed suicide’ by D. Risojevic Inset ‘Burden of conscience’ – Association of Serbs from Croatia on Monday assessed Milan Babic committed suicide because of burden of his conscience due to false testimonies he had given during processes that are being carried out before the Hague Tribunal. The Association says Babic’s suicide is a proof his testimonies had been extorted, therefore cannot serve as evidence in procedures before the Hague Tribunal. Vecernji List cover pg splash “He committed suicide or he was killed’, pgs 2 and 3 ‘Milan Babic hanged himself or he was killed?’ by G. Jungvirt – VL also says that speculations according to which Babic was killed by former members of secret services because of his testimony against former Serb officials indicted by the ICTY already appeared in Serbia. |
Main hearing in BiH against
| Hayat by Asim Beslija, |
RS CoP discusses BiH lawsuit vs.
| Hayat by Milijana Kos, ATV Banjaluka – On Monday, the RS Council of Peoples (CoP) discussed the issue of the BiH lawsuit against |
FTV ’60 minutes’: BiH team under pressure to settle out of court on lawsuit against
| FTV current affair program ’60 Minuta’By Arijana Saracevic Helac – Commenting the main hearing before the International Court of Justice in the case of BiH lawsuit against |
BiH to get law regulating financial position of ICTY fugitives and their aides; BiH HoR to discuss it on Tuesday
| Hayatby Snjezana Mulic – Eleven years after the end of the war, BiH is to get a law that regulates the position of ICTY fugitives and their aides. The name of the draft law, which representatives in the BiH House of Representatives should discuss on Tuesday, is the ‘Law on the use of temporary measures toward persons who are indicted, but not within the reach of the Hague Tribunal, and those who help The Hague indictees’. According to NTV Hayat, this law should have been adopted a long time ago, but the Serb representatives were against it. However, things changed after the definition of those who help the Hague indictees has been modified. “This law is now completely in accordance with the law on criminal procedure and BiH crime code. On the other hand, it also satisfies the European standards related to persons indicted for war crimes, their property and the property of their helpers”, explained Momcilo Novakovic, Serb representative in the BiH HoR. If adopted, the law should prevent ICTY fugitives and their aides from using checks, notes, bank deposits, securities, certificates, dividends and investments. |
DA op-ed: Hard to build peaceful future without verified historical facts | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Insane thesis from Belgrade’ by Husein Orahovac – Commenting recent reactions from official Belgrade, which says that the peace in region could be threatened by the BiH lawsuit against |
Budgets, finances and other economic issues | |
FBiH HoR passes 2006 budget, which is against IMF criteria
| Hayatby Lejla Gutlic – At the extraordinary session of the FBiH House of Representatives, deputies adopted the proposed FBiH budget for 2006 in amount of approx. 1.13 billion KM, four million KM more than the initial proposal. FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic explained that these additional funds are intended for three cantons – Podrinje, Livno and Posavina Cantons – to stimulate an employment of disabled persons. Since FBiH Budget had to be adopted in urgent procedure, Hadzipasic announced at the beginning of HoR session that he would not accept amendments to the budget; therefore, all the amendments have been rejected. |
FBiH HoR passed budget proposal but no distribution of payments until the law on allocation of revenues is passed
| Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘2006 Budget proposal passed’ by S. Sehercehajic – Even though 2006 budget foresees transfer of means for war disabled veterans [KM30 million] and subventions for negative VAT effects [KM25 million], the FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic stated that there would be no payments from the budget until the FBiH Law on allocation of public revenues is passed. FBiH Finance Minister Dragan Vrankic stated that there is about KM200 million on single account of Indirect Taxation Administration intended for FBiH, but distribution of means is not being conducted. Vrankic also brought into question payments of other budgetary beneficiaries if issue of the vital national interest of the proposed Law on allocation of public revenues is not solved soon. Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Passed budget for 2006 of KM billion and 139, 6 million’ by A. Hadziarapovic, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Questionable payment of pensions to wartime invalids’, by Mensud Zorlak, Vecernji List, pg 6 ‘Finally adopted’, by f – also carries Hadzipasic as saying if the FBiH Constitutional Court does not decide on the Croats’ request regarding the invocation of vital national clause related to allocation of revenues soon, it could jeopardize the payment of February pensions to military invalids. |
ITA Steering Board to analyse revenues in 2005, but claim that Dodik lawsuit has no grounds
| Hayat – Steering Board of the BiH Indirect Taxation Administration decided to carry out the analysis of the revenues made in 2005, in order to establish whether the accusations from the RS against the IAT were justified or not. RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik earlier stated that ITA owes between 30 and 40 millions KM to the RS, and announced that the entity authorities would file charges against ITA Steering Board Chair Joly Dixon. BHT1 – On the other hand, the Board cays that the lawsuit would be groundless. RS PM Dodik explained that he spoke to Dixon: “He explained to me what I did not understand; the Steering Board had brought a decision how to allocate the means in 2005. According to the decision, ITA owes to the RS between 30 and 44 millions KM.” In late February, the former Finance Minister, Svetlana Cenic, also criticised ITA claiming it owes 37 million KM and called on the RS authorities to file charges against ITA. On the other hand, the FBiH Finance minister and member of the ITA Steering Board Dragan Vrankic says that the allocation of revenues was respected, and that the lawsuit would be ungrounded. Dodik has also announced lawsuit against the ITA Director Kemal Causevic. PINK, FTV– reported. |
RS PM Dodik:Responsible persons are ITA Steering Board members and Director Causevic
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Dodik also holds Causevic responsible for halting payments of tax incomes for RS’ not signed – The RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik told the press conference on Sunday that the RS Government would demand the responsibility of the Chairman of the Indirect Taxation Administration [ITA] Steering Board, Joly Dixon, because of the decision to halt payments gathered through indirect taxes to the RS. Dodik stated: “For such condition responsible persons are |
Secretariat of ITA Governing Board: Governing Board Chairman Dixon has no comment
| Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Dixon has no comment’ by D. V. M. – The Secretariat of ITA Governing Board has stated Chairman of ITA Governing Board Joly Dixon has no comment on the statement of RS PM Milorad Dodik who announced he would file criminal denunciation against Dixon if ITA fails to pay back 37 million KM to RS [see OHR BiH Media Round up March 6]. The Secretariat stated |
ITA Director Causevic: RS received 140 million KM more than the previous year
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Dodik made up debt worth millions’, pg 2 ‘In 2005 they received 140 million KM more than the last year’ by F.C. – Responding to accusations of the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik who claims that Indirect Taxation Administration [ITA] owes the RS sum of 30 million KM, ITA Director Kemal Causevic stated that ITA fulfilled decision of Steering Board on allocation of indirect taxation for 2005. Causevic said that ITA collected 260 million KM more than previous institutions, adding that RS received 140 million KM from that amount. Causevic also pointed out that this is the first such complaint so far, although ITA was submitting monthly and quarterly reports. |
ITA Steering Board member Vrankic: RS is not being owed anything
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘RS is not being owed anything’ by S.S. – Indirect Taxation Administration [ITA] Steering Board member Dragan Vrankic told daily that ITA scheduled meeting for Friday to set the complete analysis for work in 2005 in order to respond to the claims of the RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. Representatives of entity finance ministries will also be present at the meeting, said Vrankic, adding that there is no basis for accusations: “Firstly, the RS cannot be owed. I think that these data to which RS representatives refer are not reliable. And regarding the possible lawsuite against [ITA Steering Board Chairman Joly] |
BiH Farmers announce blocking of border crossings, and preventing of Mostar Fair from taking place if BiH Minister Doko doesn’t fulfil their demands
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RS Syndicate supports RS Govt. in announcement regarding audit of privatisation process
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Support to audit of privatisation’ by |
RS Association of farmers demands from RS PM to annul decisions former RS Min. of Agriculture made on concessions | EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Concessions beyond Law’ by Mirna Soja – The RS Association of farmers will demand from the RS Premier, Miloard Dodik, to annul eight of ten decisions on allocations of concessions, which former RS Minister of Agriculture, Goran Perkovic, signed last week. According to President of Association, Vladimir Usorac, the concessions were allocated in illicit manner. |
HR: information technology could brings foreign investments
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Information sector is a great chase for BiH’ by T.L.– In a statement for DA, High Representative Christian Schwarz- Schilling who would lead BiH delegation of small and medium businesses in IT Fair in Hanover, said that sector of information technologies could bring foreign investors, but only if BiH continues to develop business environment. Swarz-Schilling stressed that this ectr in BiH is still in development, but underlines that installment of computerized system for registration of companies is foreseen for the April, which would be one of the topics of the meetings in |
Political issues | |
If RS Govt adopts budgets, RSNA to hold extraordinary session; Speaker Radojicic meets French Ambassadors
| FTV – If the RS Government accepts the Budget for 2006, the RS National Assembly will hold extraordinary session to discuss the issue, says the RSNA Speaker Igor Radojicic. He met with the RS NA Collegium and Council of Peoples in order to discuss efficiency in work of legislative bodies and cooperation between the RS Government, RS NA and Council of Peoples. It was agreed that the laws which could cause difficulties in terms of vital national interests to be submitted to first be submitted to the Council of Peoples. Radojicic also met with French Ambassador to BiH Henry Zipper De Fabiani, who said that that he came to |
DA: New RS MoI replaces seven Chiefs of Departments in police administration, only RS Pol Director Andan remains
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘Minister Cadjo replaced all seven heads of administration’ by E.Sarac – Daily learns that newly appointed RS Interior Minister Stanislav Cadjo replaced all seven heads of police administration in this entity. Cadjo removed RS MoI chief of cabinet Zoran Glusac and appointed Stevo Ivetic at this position. He also informed seven heads of administration that they are in the technical mandate as of that moment [journalist did not specified the date] and that they can submit their resignations in written during the day. Removed officials are chief of police administration Nijaz Smajlovic, chief of crime-police Dragi Milosevic and other heads of departments Mladen Petrovic, Vaso Sevarika, Indira Rogic, Zeljko Rogic and Uros Pena. Daily also learns that Cadjo would probably replace five heads of Public Security Centres “so his party leader [Milorad] Dodik could reach full control over the Ministry.” Inset ‘From Matijasevic’s crew only Andan remained’ – Cadjo did not replace RS Police Director Dragomir Andan, whom he has no procedural right to replace. Daily alleges that if Andan does not “adulate” he would be replaced trough a wider procedure by and Independent Board and RS Government. |
NN: Following demand of RS PM Dodik, Assistants to Ministers in RS Govt. tendering resignations
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Assistant to Ministers tender resignations’, announced on cover ‘Majority of assistants to Ministers at RS Government tendered resignations’ by P.K.-G.G. – Daily reads that majority of assistants to Ministers at the RS Government have tendered resignations in line with demand made by Milorad Dodik, RS Premier. Government says that depending on individual assessments into performance of each assistant and secretary, decision on their future engagement would be made. Daily lists names of assistants and secretaries to each Ministry. According to inset ‘Department Heads at RS MoI tendered resignations’, all department heads at the RS MoI have tendered resignations following arrival of new minister. Stanislav Cadjo, RS MoI, Monday stated that their resignations are “in the phase of consideration” and have not been accepted as yet. |
VL: Appointments of Croat ministers in new RS Govt is farcical, argues they are not genuine Croat representatives
| Vecernji List, pg 5 ‘Croat ministers defending RS’, by Dejan Jazvic – the article argues that the appointments of three Croat ministers to the new RS Government, who have been appointed by the SNSD (Anton Kasipovic, Education), PDP (Slaven Pekic, Agriculture) and |
| RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘They are leaving Council of Ministers’ by N.Z. – Dragan Cavic, |
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘ |
HDZ spokesperson Relota: HDZ accepts compromise solution if BiH would remain 1 election unit/
| Dnevni List pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Covic and Brkic changed opinion’ by D. Pusic – HDZ spokesperson Miso Relota stated: ‘We accept a compromise solution if BiH would remain 1 election unit. If it was insisted on the direct election of the BiH Presidency we demand that BiH was 1 election unit. This is about the destiny of the Croat people.’ Relota also believes that the Venetian Commission’s opinion would be in accordance with the HDZ proposal. |
VL on constitutional changes: SDA’s Tihic and SNSD’s Dodik created pact at expense of Croats
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘Agreement between two at expense of the third’, by Miro Bosnjak – argues that the ongoing process of constitutional changes has gone into crisis because the SDA and SNSD leaders, Sulejman Tihic and Milorad Dodik respectively, “made an informal pact at the expense of the third party”, i.e. the Croats. According to the author, the Tihic-Dodik agreement would turn the Croats into minority in the Bosniak-controlled FBiH, whilst the Serbs would preserve their statehood embodied in the RS, which is a concept unacceptable to the Croats to the extent that they (Croats) for the first time reached a consensus about a political issue – that they do not want such a state. To illustrate the Croats’ unequal status, the author underlines they are the only people that are invoking the vital national clause since they get regularly outvoted in parliamentary procedure. |
Preliminary stance of Venice Comm. on const. changes to arrive today
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Preliminary stance of Venice Commission is expected today’ by A.Malagic – The Special Representative of Council of Europe Secretary General Tim Cartwright stated for daily that preliminary stance of Venice Commission on three offered possibilities for electing BiH Presidency members should be issued by end of Tuesday. During the talks on constitutional changes, representatives of seven BiH parties could not agree on this issue, and they requested opinion of Venice Commission which of three offered possibilities is the most acceptable with regard to human rights. Cartwright stressed that this body “only give recommendations, and sovereign states accept it or not.” |
| FTV current affair program ’60 Minuta’ by Bakir Hadziomerovic – Featuring on recently reached agreement on constitutional changes which was sent to the Venice Commission for the stance on the election of the BiH President and two Vice Presidents, and which was heavily criticized by SBiH, BOSS and SDU, FTV carried out an interview with |
BiH Chief Negotiator Davidovic preparing next round of | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Davidovic talks on details for the next round in Brussels’ by T.L. – BiH Chief Negotiator Igor Davidovic visited Brussels to meet EU officials and discuss technical details on continuation of talks on Stabilisation and Association Agreement [ |
Social Study proves Austrian sceptical of
| Kurier pg 4 ’Balkan countries in the EU: Great Scepticism’ – Presenting Study of Austrian Society for European Policy and |
UN DP research: 1/3 of BH citizens believes institutions are corrupt
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘One third of citizens believes institutions are corrupt’ by S.Gojkovic – The latest research UN DP (UN Development Programme) has carried out on the sample of 1650 interviewees in November 2005 states that one third of BH citizens is of the view state and entity institutions are inclined to bribe, corruption and office abuse for private purposes. |
Seminar on implementing laws on financing political parties commences in
| PINK, Oslobodjenje pg ‘Financing of parties is more of a political issue’ by Fena, Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘American model’ by N. Z. – Five-day seminar “Implementation of Laws on financing of the political parties” began and the President of BiH Election Commission, Branko Petric, said that financing of political parties is not only a financial but also a political and democratic issue. The organizers of the seminar are BiH Election Commission, OHR and IFES from |
BiH Presidency Chair Tihic in
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Albert II pleased with progress in BiH’, mentioned on cover ‘Tihic: |
Trial, security and judicial issues | |
Ex HNC PM Merdzo and ex HNC MoI Mandic sentenced to 1 year in prison due to abuse of position and powers
| Dnevni List cover pg splash and pg 19 ‘Merdzo and Mandic sentenced to on 1 year in prison’ by N. Dedic carries that before the Cantonal Court in Mostar former Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Prime Minister Josip Merdzo and former HNC Minister of Interior Dragan Mandic were sentenced to 1 year in prison due to abuse of position and powers. Namely, back in 1999 Merdzo signed the tender on making the contract with a security service agency that would secure the HNC Government building and Mandic proposed to choose security service agency ‘Redarstvenik’ since it mostly employed policemen who lost job at that time. For this purpose 66 000 KM were transferred to ‘Redarstvenik’ and the decision is disputable since it was passed without majority of Ministers’ votes. Also, according to the law only police and not a private agency could secure Cantonal institutions. Vecernji List pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘1 year in prison to Merdzo and Mandic’ by R. Soldo also carries that 757 308 KM in total were paid during 2000 in this way. |
HJPC: Dodik’s announcement on new Special Prosecutor’s Ofice could threaten efficiency of RS judiciary
| FTV current affair program ’60 Minuta’ByDragan Stanimirovic – Commenting on appointment of new RS Government and new RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, reporter commented on Dodik’s plans which presented in his exposé [for more details see BiH Media Round-up March 1], especially on the part in which he announced establishment of the Special Prosecutor’s Office to deal strictly with the organized crime. Chair of BiH High Judicial and Prosecution Council Branko Peric believes that such judicial body might be a threat to the efficiency of RS judicial system since the courts and prosecution offices already work under very bad conditions. |
PDHR
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘To accept Government’s proposal on courts’ by Fena – The Principal Deputy High Representative, Larry Butler, called on the FBiH House of Peoples (HoP) to support legislation at their session Tuesday that will modernize the way in which BiH deals with minor offences, OHR said. “Asking the FBiH taxpayer to maintain 71 minor offence courts as a separate structure to the existing court system is unacceptable,” said Butler noting that “some of these courts barely have enough cases to keep their employees occupied, and yet the court system throughout the FBiH desperately needs investment in infrastructure and technology that will speed up the application of justice.” |
US Department of State’ Report: BiH is becoming bigger market and transit node for smuggling in narcotics
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5, announced on cover ‘BiH is becoming bigger and bigger market and transit node of narcotics’ by D.Rs.-S.G. – The Report the US Department of State presented Monday reads that Bosnia and Herzegovina is becoming bigger and bigger market and regional node for smuggling in narcotics. The Report reads that in spite of the increasingly better cooperation between the bodies in charge in BiH, the results in the fight against drugs lack, since that cooperation is not coordinated well. One of the reasons for this is political division at all authority levels. |
NN op-ed: the story on liberalization of visa regime is not realistic at the moment | Nezavisne novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Small concessions and great lies’ by Mirza Cubro – The author notes EU Foreign Ministers might decide this week to approve relaxation of visa regime for BiH citizens, however, local politicians are skillfully turning the term “relaxation” into the term “liberalization”. The author notes the story on liberalization of visa regime is not realistic at the moment since EU countries have no intention to abolish visas for BiH citizens in next several years from several reasons, primarily because of fear from allowing suspicious persons linked with crimes to enter their countries. The author concludes by saying BiH citizens will be able to travel to EU countries without visas only after the state develops a system in which the rule of law would be respected. |