OHR BiH Media Round-up, 7/4/2004

Oslobodjenje

Carla Del Ponte in BiH: Continuation of hunt on Karadzic requested

Dnevni Avaz

Carla Del Ponte arrived in Sarajevo: Unannounced visit from The Hague

Dnevni List

The Hague; 6 pleaded not guilty; FBiH Minister of Health Tomo Lucic: There were no deliberate obstructions of Pliva

Vecernji List

6 Croats on bills of indictment: We are not guilty; Salaries for teachers increased by 20 %

Slobodna Dalmacija

Prlic: I sympathize wit all victims from the bill of indictment; Drinovci mission (im)possible

Glas Srpske

Patriarch Pavle’s letter – Beaten to death; Reception cancelled; Cardinal Vinko Puljic – Painful event; Son is in more difficult condition than father; Autonomy instead independence; Love cultivates flowers

Nezavisne Novine

Raiffeisen bank in Banjaluka robbed – BAM 40.000 taken; Amor Bukic, RS Chief Prosecutor: “Prosecutor’s Office investigates sale of Kristal Bank”; How is SDS financed – Duga Company property of SDS; Del Ponte spoke with General Pecket – SFOR continues search for Karadzic; ICTY – Six Croats plead not guilty; BAM 50 million RS Government owing to RS Health insurance fund

Blic

Message of SDS to Ashdown: We will prove everything we do is done in legal way; Consequences of SFOR brutality: Easter reception was cancelled; Crime in Brcko: Thieves killed old woman

ICTY

The ICTY Chief Prosecutor’s visit to Bosnia

TV Hayat, Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje front page ‘Continuation of hunt on Karadzic requested’, Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 3 ‘Unannounced visit from The Hague’ – The Hague tribunal chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, was in Sarajevo on Tuesday. Her visit was shrouded in a veil of secrecy and, therefore, journalists had very few information at their disposal. The only information which was confirmed is that the chief prosecutor held talks with SFOR Commander Virgil Packett. Unofficially they talked about arresting war crimes indictees, namely Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, and that the hunt on the two as well as all other war crime indictees is continued. The last operation in Pale, in which priest Jeremija Starovlah and his son Aleksandar were seriously wounded, showed for the first time that SFOR was resolute in arresting Radovan Karadzic and that it was prepared to suffer losses in its own ranks. Del Ponte did not hold talks with representatives of the country and the entities. This is her most mysterious visit so far.

Dnevni List, back page ‘Indictments for Bosniak generals put on hold’, not signed – also reports that the Chief ICTY Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, arrived in Sarajevo yesterday. DL also learns that del Ponte visited Banja Luka, where she talked to the RS officials about lack of cooperation between the RS and the ICTY. DL goes on to say that there are no information that could confirm that del Ponte brought with her new indictments, this time against former generals of the BiH Army.

Nezavisne novine page 3  ‘SFOR continues to arrest PIFWCs’; ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, visited Sarajevo where she met COMSFOR, General Virgil Packet, confirmed SFOR Spokesperson, Dave Sullivan. “Prosecutor Del Ponte met commander Pecket. They spoke about arrest of persons indicted for war crimes. It was working meeting and that’s all I can say”, Sullivan stated. After the meeting that lasted for couple of hours Karla Del Ponte went to The Hague. “It was working visit to SFOR. There will be no meeting with High Representative or any domestic authority on any level”, explained Florence Hartmann, Spokesperson of the Chief Prosecutor. She didn’t want to say what they have discussed.

New indictments against senior Bosniak officials?

Vecernji List, page 3 ‘The Hague charges Bosnian military top’, by Zdenko Jurilj – according to information that VL received from sources close to the FBiH authorities, the ICTY Prosecution could be raising indictments against former commander of the BiH Army’s 3^rd Corps, Sakib Mahmuljin, former commander of the BiH Army, Rasim Delic, and the wartime BiH Minister of Interior, Bakir Alispahic, for the crimes committed against the Croats in central Bosnia and Serbs in the Sarajevo area. VL also mentions a possibility of charges against a former member of BiH Presidency, Ejup Ganic.

Slobodna Dalmacija, back page ‘Del Ponte brings new BiH-indictments?’, by D. Pasic – notes that the media in BiH have in past few days operated with names of Ejup Ganic, Rasim Delic and Sakib Mahmuljin as possible indictees.

SFOR: Karadzic or Europe

Herceg Bosna Radio, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Well-known criminals are protecting Karadzic’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘SFOR holds RS leadership responsible’, Vecernji List, page 6 ‘BiH can choose between Karadzic and Europe’, by Dejan Jazvic, Dnevni List, back page ‘Indictments for Bosniak generals put on hold’, Blic p 12 ‘Condition critical, doctors are cautious’, FENA – SFOR remains determined to take action against indicted war criminals and the network supporting them and when such an opportunity arises it will carry out operations in accordance with its mandate, SFOR spokesperson Dave Sullivan told a press conference in Sarajevo on Tuesday. About the last week’s operation in Pale when Orthodox Priest Jeremija and his son Aleksandar Starovlah were injured in an attempt to arrest Radovan Karadzic, Sullivan said that SFOR deeply regrets that the operation resulted in injury and stressed that they were entirely unintentional and an unfortunate consequence of the operation that was impossible to predict. “NATO is an alliance of democracies strongly determined to minimise the risk of civilian casualties in military operations. However, we also recognise that operations of such nature carry the risk that, despite all efforts to predict and reduce such risks, unwanted unintentional consequences can happen”, Sullivan said. He said that the context within which SFOR carries out such operations needs to be kept in mind. In accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions all UN member states are responsible to do all they can to support the transfer of indicted war criminals to the Hague Tribunal. “The burden for respecting international law concerning this issue lies with BiH, but it is a fact that SFOR arrest 29 indicted war criminals while BiH authorities were mostly passive and RS authorities did not arrest a single indicted war criminal”, Sullivan said. Explaining why force was used in Pale, Sullivan said that SFOR is searching for Radovan Karadzic who is protected by criminals prepared to use lethal force. “And we are looking for him because the RS has done nothing during the last nine years on respecting international law and fulfilling its commitments based on the Dayton Peace Agreement in order to arrest Karadzic”, he said. “Karadzic means staying in the past, a network of crime, corruption and fraud chocking any economic progress. Europe means jobs, better living standard for all citizens, a chance for BiH to develop as a new European state and not to stay behind”, Sullivan said and added that if Karadzic is not arrested then the RS leaders would have to explain to their people why are they not fulfilling their hopes for a better life. Radovan Karadzic is holding hostage all citizens of this country and if he really cared for the future of Serbs in BiH he would have surrendered himself, Sullivan concluded.

DA: Criminal Karadzic saved by RS Army intelligence officers

Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Criminal Karadzic saved by RS Army intelligence officers’ – According to the daily’s source close to the BiH intelligence circles, Radovan Karadzic fled from Pale last week just a few hours before the SFOR operation in the town’s parish facility and now is hiding in the area of Zvornik. The source claims that Karadzic was informed on the SFOR operation by the RS Army intelligence officers, who then organized Karadzic’s transport to one of military barracks near Pale. 

SDS: The High Representative’s decision undemocratic but obligatory

RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘Financial report to be prepared by April 19’, Nezavisne Novine page 4 ‘Financial report will be ready soon’, FENA – The Main Board of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) regards the Decision issued by the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, on freezing all further payments to the Party as imposed and undemocratic, but also as obligatory. After the SDS Main Board session on Tuesday evening it was announced that the financial report would be prepared by April 19 and forwarded to the High Representative. SDS declares that the High Representative’s practice of introducing sanctions against institutions, officials and parties leads to creating of an unstable political climate and radicalization of situation in RS and BiH, which is very dangerous in context of the regional events. “Such a practice, which has become a daily routine, does not lead this society to freedom and democracy, but instead to absolutism and fear”, it was said.  The announcement states that SDS will, due to the “illegal and groundless qualifying and sanctioning”, seek legal protection for violating the laws and international conventions on human and civil rights, at all relevant judicial and political addresses. Dnevni List, page 17 ‘SDS wants suspension of financing of party to be lifted’ also reports on last night’s SDS Main Board session. It quotes the SDS spokesman, Dusan Stojicic, as saying that SDS hopes the High Representative will suspend his decision once he has seen a financial report of the SDS that will be delivered to him by April 19.

NN on SDS financing

Nezavisne novine  page 4  ‘Duga Company ltd. Doboj in property of SDS’; SDS Doboj Municipality Board has owned Duga Company ltd since 1994. This is the fourth year since adoption of the Law that prohibits political parties from owning of compaines. Duga Company ltd. has been registered in Doboj Basic Court on April 5, 1994. The address registered in the Court has been changed on March 28, 2002. SDS Doboj Municipality Board is registered as founder and Milan Ninkovic as acting Director. Ninkovic was president of the SDS in Doboj and RS MP. Duga is registered for obtaining 57 business activities. “At this moment I have no information if any Municipal Board owns any company. On Duga you will have to contact people from SDS Doboj”, said SDS Spokesperson, Dusan Stojicic. Milan Ninkovic said that company was separated from the SDS.

Belgrade Nacional on HR Paddy Ashdown’s policy towards SDS, RS

Nacional Belgrade daily p 7 ‘By father and by uncles’ – The daily carries a lengthy article on High Representative Paddy Ashdown and overall situation in BiH and region. The author of the article claims the HR was doing everything possible – including inappropriate statements, blackmails and threats – in order to erase SDS from political maps and to erase Republika Srpska from geographical maps, which does not contribute to the implementation of the Dayton Agreement or stabilization. The author wanders: ‘Why doesn’t the Mister condemn what has been happening and is happening in Kosovo and Metohija?’. The author of the article later quotes Zoran Mijatovic (the author of ‘Requiem for state secrets’) as saying that Paddy Ashdown went to Kosovo in 1998, where he was taped in a house of an ethnic Albanian, where the owner of the house showed him well hidden weapon. According to Mijatovic, Paddy Ashdown, instead of criticizing the person, warned the owner not to show the weapon to everyone, because ‘the world is very sensitive to such scenes’. Regarding the SFOR action in Pale, the author of the article wanders how would Mr. Ashdown react if such thing had happened in his country. The article goes on to say: ‘Mr. Ashdown, I am sure your measures that are storming down on SDS and RS have an opposite effect – you do not know our people. Most probably, this will lead to strengthening of forces within this party and its popularity will surely rise. Your actions will provoke anger in us’.

Orthodox Diocese Dabrobosanska broke off relations with International Community

Vecernji List page 6 ‘Joint Easter reception cancelled’ by eme, Slobodna Dalmacija page 17 ‘Easter reception cancelled’ by D. Pasic and Dnevni List page 17 ‘Orthodox Diocese Dabrobosanska cancelled announced Easter reception’ not signed carry that Orthodox Diocese Dabrobosanska informed a Secretary General of the BiH Presidency that after the recent SFOR’s action in Pale and wounding of Orthodox priest Jeremija Starovalh and his son, the Orthodox Church decided to break off all relations with the International Community and organizations in BiH that support such insane endangering of basic human rights such as rights on life, religion and property. Also, it was said that for the same reasons the Orthodox Church decided to cancel a joint Easter reception that has been scheduled together with Vrhbosna Archbishop’s Diocese. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2, Oslobodjenje pg. 3, Blic front page and p 12 ‘Easter reception cancelled in sign of protest’ also reported on the issue.

Patriarch Pavle sent letter to COMSFOR

Nezavisne novine  page 3  ‘Priests are not hiding PIFWCs’; His Holiness Patriarch of the Serbs Pavle and Holy Synod of the Serb Orthodox Church sent a letter to COMSFOR, General Virgil Pecket. Patriarch Pavle and members of Synod remind that they have requested from COMSFOR, HR and even UN Secretary General to stop with useless and inappropriate disturbing of orthodox citizens of Pale. “Last time we wrote you in February this year when soldiers under your command broke in the church and homes of the priests during the Christmas holidays. Now, you have ordered a real invasion prior to Easter holidays”, letter said. Patriarch Pavle and members of Synod hope that it is now clear to the General that Serb priests are not hiding persons indicted for war crimes.  

Cardinal Vinko Puljic expressed his solidarity

Blic p 12 ‘Congratulations and solidarity of Cardinal Vinko Puljic’ – Cardinal Vinko Puljic sent Easter congratulations to Orthodox Patriarch Pavle, in which he also expressed his solidarity with the Serb Orthodox Church because of sufferings of Priest Jeremija Starovlah and his family. Cardinal Puljic expressed his solidarity for all innocent victims and expressed his regret because disturbances jeopardizing human rights and dignity are occurring again.

Six wartime BiH Croat officials pleaded not guilty to war crimes before ICTY

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘Former (wartime) Croat Republic of Herceg-Bosna leaders pleaded not guilty’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘All pleaded not guilty’, Vecernji List front page ‘6 Croats on bills of indictment: We are not guilty’ and page 2 ‘6 Croats pleaded not guilty’ by Z.B. , Slobodna Dalmacija front page ‘Prlic: I sympathize with all victims from the bill of indictment’ and page 5 ‘6 before The Hague judges: We are not guilty’ by Hina, Dnevni List front and page 3 ‘6 pleaded not guilty’ not signed, Nezavisne Novine page 3 ‘Six Croats plead not guilty’, ONASA/AFP – Six former (wartime) top BiH Croat officials on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over atrocities committed against Bosniaks during the 1992-95 war in BiH. “Not guilty on any of the counts,” replied each of the six, who surrendered to the tribunal on Monday, after the 26 counts against them were read out. The indictees include Jadranko Prlic and Bruno Stojic, respectively the former prime minister and defense minister of the statelet of Herceg-Bosna, which tried to secede from BiH after it broke away from Yugoslavia in 1992. The ICTY has charged Prlic and Stojic, BiH Croat generals Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic, former military police commander Valentin Coric and Berislav Pusic, the head of a prisoner exchange commission of forming a joint criminal enterprise to “permanently remove or ethnically cleanse Bosniaks and other non Croats” from parts of southwestern BiH to form a “Greater Croatia”.

Vecernji List, page 4 ‘BiH Presidency on guarantees for Croats’, by Dejan Jazvic – reports that the BiH Presidency is going to hold an extraordinary session today to discuss a request of Prlic, Stojic, Praljak, Coric and Pusic’s lawyers, that BiH authorities give guarantees to the ICTY, which will result in a pre-trial release for their clients, since they are BiH citizens. VL reminds that only the entity governments can give such guarantees, and that the BiH Presidency can only make recommendations to the entity governments.

Slobodna Dalmacija, page 16 ‘Mayor of New York should be tried too?!’, by Petar Milos – arguing that charges on command responsibility can be pressed against everyone, the author notes: ‘Could the murderers and smugglers be controlled in the wartime chaos? Therefore, the perpetrators need to be charged for the crimes, not the indictees without whom there would have been even more crimes. To accuse the BiH Croats for command responsibility is like charging the Mayor of New York for everyday homicides in the city.

HNC HDZ Board on ICTY indictments against 6 Croats and OHR’s sanctions against HDZ and SDS

Dnevni List page 9 ‘Organizing defence is not criminal project’ by M. Relota, Slobodna Dalmacija page 16 ‘HNC HDZ: Defence is not a crime’ by D. Juka, Vecernji List page 4 ‘The Hague qualifies defence as a crime!?’ by F carry that the HDZ Board of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton held a session yesterday during which they discussed the ICTY indictments against 6 Croat officials. During the session it was concluded that none will be able to dispute the fact that Croats were the first ones who organized themselves in the struggle against the aggression and there are no accusations that can underestimate sacrifice of those who were fighting in the Homeland War. The HNC HDZ Board also believes that the International Community keeps using double standards and the last OHR’s moves when HDZ and SDS were sanctioned in the same way prove it since HDZ is being sanctioned because it is trying to secure conditions in which the rights of the Croat children will not be endangered in the process of the education reform, while SDS gets the same kind of sanction for supporting persons charged with war crimes.  

Political developments/reforms

Solana on EUFOR

Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘EU plans to deploy 6,000 soldiers in BiH’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘British general will have command over 7,000 EUFOR soldiers’, Vecernji List page 7 ‘Javier Solana wants to define framework for replacement of NATO in BiH’ by F – EU High Representative for Foreign Politics and Security Javier Solana expressed before the European Ministers of Defence in Brussels on Tuesday wish that general framework for replacement of NATO troops with EU in BiH is done by the end of April.  Javier Solana predicts that operational military preparations will start after the NATO Summit in Istanbul, where the SFOR Mission in BiH should officially be pronounced as over. He pointed that most important is that it is determined what are the obligations of EU and what of NATO troops possibly to remain in BiH. “I insist on one thing, we must be sure that by the end of year will be able to fulfill obligations related to financing of EU troops in BiH”, warned on Tuesday Solana. European Ministers of Defend agreed that the search for war criminals should be continued and after the SFOR mandate expires.

VL says candidates for generals’ positions have suspicious past

Vecernji List, page 5 ‘Proposed officers with files in The Hague’, by Dejan Jazvic – claiming that the BiH Defence Minister, Nikola Radovanovic, has forwarded the OHR names of candidates for senior duties in BiH armed forces for vetting, the author claims that although the names have not been made public, some information have leaked into the public as to who the candidates are. VL argues that some of the candidates have very dubious wartime past, especially the current commander of the FBiH Army’s 1^st Corps, brigadier Selmo Cikotic, who was the commander of the BiH Army in Bugojno during the war. In this context, VL unofficially learns that investigators from the ICTY connected Cikotic with crimes against Croat civilians and military in Bugojno on several occasions.

Slobodna Dalmacija, page 17 ‘The Hague to erase Selmo Cikotic from the list?’, by Zlatko Tulic – the daily claims that Cikotic is unlikely to pass the vetting procedure by the OHR because of his wartime past and numerous evidence that the ICTY investigators have collected against him. SD adds that even the SFOR HQ is not ‘thrilled’ with Cikotic’s candidacy.

BiH CoM session

BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘As of the end of June the asylum (policy) will be competence of the BiH authorities’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 10 ‘Draft law on statistics adopted’, Dnevni List page 3 ‘Conditions for negotiations on accession to EU are being met’ by R. Radic, FENA – BiH Council of Ministers on Tuesday adopted the Action Plan on Immigration and Asylum in BiH, and the Special Report on situation in this field. Deputy BiH Minister of Security Dragan Mektic told the press that the field of immigration and asylum in BiH was disordered due to inexistence of a relevant legal framework, so that BiH was regarded as a country advantageous for transit of illegal immigrants towards the Western European countries. He said that the Action Plan defines the measures and activities for preventing illegal immigration. The CoM also adopted the draft law on statistics.

BiH HoP session

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje ‘Amendments to the law on anthem, coat of arms passed’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘Ten laws in urgent procedure’, Dnevni List, page 7 ‘Police and education in shortened procedure’ by D. Polovina-Mandic, Vecernji List, page 7 ‘Through faster procedure to reforms’ by E. Medunjanin,FENA – The BiH House of Peoples adopted on Tuesday changes to laws on the BiH anthem and the BiH coat of arms in the same form as adopted by the BiH House of Representatives last week. The House of Peoples also adopted changes to the law on the BiH flag and the BiH Public Attorney Office law, but in a bit different text than adopted by the House of Representatives requiring additional harmonisation of the texts between the two Houses. Delegates also adopted changes to the BiH conflict of interest law. The House of Peoples also supported the proposal that a dozen proposed laws be discussed through shortened procedure. This means that the time need for discussing laws such as the framework law on higher education, law on preventing money laundering, law on SIPA, law on police officials and the law on the witness protection program would be cut in half. At the request of the BiH Election Commission changes to the BiH election law will also be discussed through shortened procedure in order to ensure that changes are adopted before April 15 when the BiH municipal elections will be announced.

Economic/social issues

Minister Doko addresses conference in Tokyo

Herceg Bosna Radio, FENA – The Ministerial Conference on Peace Consolidation and Economic Development in Western Balkans, which was attended by ministers from BiH, Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo, was held on Monday in Tokyo. The Conference, which was also attended by representatives of 40 countries, as well as the representatives of significant international organizations, was organized by the Governments of Japan and Ireland, which holds the EU Presidency, it was announced by BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations. In his address BiH Minister of Foreign Trade Dragan Doko stressed the significance of the central Asian countries, especially Japan in the period of global economy, indicating that BiH’s strategic position in central Europe is important for potential economic partners. “What is essential for progress is the international investment – and we understand what we ought to do in order to attract the much needed foreign investments. We have launched an ambitious and overall programme of reforms that are leading us – not as fast we would want them to the ultimate goal of creating a self-sustainable economy. Activities are directed towards creating a business climate that has the necessary guaranties for the investors from Japan and other parts of central Asia”, stressed Minister Doko. 

SD: Aluminij in troubles with electricity again

Slobodna Dalmacija, page 18 ‘Elektroprivreda blackmailing again’, by Z. Zekic – argues that the ‘Aluminij’ Company of Mostar is again in troubles regarding supply of electricity to the company, since previous contract on supply of electricity expired on March 31. SD explains that according to the decision by the High Representative for BiH, all the consumers in BiH have to fit in the electricity tariff model, which the ‘Aluminij’ did, and subsequently paid electricity during the winter, more expensive period at about 35 Euros per MW/h. According to the tariff model, the summer regime started on April 1, which means electricity is charged at 23,7 Euros per MW/h. In that context, SD explains that news are coming from ‘Aluminij’, according to which the ‘Elektroprivreda of BiH’ and its CEO, Enver Kreso, say there is not enough electricity for the period between April and October, despite the ‘Elektroprivreda of BiH’ signed a few month ago contracts with the EFT on sale of surplus electricity and few other arrangements with Slovenians. This all leads the author to argue that this a case of violation of the OHR’s decision because there can be no export of electricity until domestic demands have been met.

Investigation into Kristal Bank privatisation

Nezavisne novine  page 5  ‘Prosecutor’s Office investigates sale of Kristal banka’; RS Prosecutor’s Office has got four audit reports: Kristal banka, Banjalucka banka, Srpske poste and Banjaluka Clinical Centre. These reports are very important to us and that’s why they have priority in our work, said RS Chief Prosecutor, Amor Bukic. It is possible that there were irregularities during the privatisation process of Kristal banka but it doesn’t mean that there were criminal acts, stressed Bukic. He added that District Prosecutor will have final word on that. Report on investigation in Telekom Srpske is at District Prosecutor’s Office too.

US’ Clifford Bond on BiH economy

Vecernji List page 7 ‘Entrepreneurship is moving force’ by f – carries that during a round table discussion dedicated to development of medium and small size companies in BiH, organized by the USAID and the US Embassy in BiH, the US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond, warned that the BiH economy did not recover fast enough although the International Community offered financial and every other kind of assistance. Bond stressed it was hard to define current BiH priorities, however, small and medium size companies might be a moving force of the complete economic development of the country. Sarajevo media also covered the issue.  

BiH farmers want postponement of Free Trade Agreement

Dnevni List, page 7 ‘Tons of food imported in five days’, by M. B. – the BiH Association of Farmers addressed the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, unhappy with the Free Trade Agreements with the neighboring countries, i.e. Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. The Association claims that in first five days of application of the Agreements alone, thousands of tons of food from Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro ‘swamped’ the BiH market. In light of this claim, the Association wants Terzic to postpone the application of the Agreement until the end of 2004, otherwise they will be forced to demand their rights at protest rallies before institutions of authority and border crossings.

Media

Spiric initiates meeting to discuss BiH PBS law

FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg. 9 ‘Spiric convenes meeting on PBS law’, Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Make PBS legal’, FENA – BiH House of Representatives Speaker Nikola Spiric called on BiH Council of Ministers Chair Adnan Terzic, Delegation of the European Commission in BiH Head Michael Humphreys, BiH Transport  and Communications Minister Branko Dokic and the Public Broadcast System (PBS) Executive Commission on Tuesday to hold a joint meeting and discuss the BiH RTV System (PBS) Law. In the request he expressed concern over remarks made by the OHR and High Representative Paddy Ashdown that the failure to pass this Law is one of the main reasons for the failure to fulfill conditions for successfully reaching the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the BiH Parliament stated. The objective of the meeting is to reach an agreement on what efforts need to be made for BiH to fulfill this important condition. The meeting will take place today.

Intelligence/security issues

FOSS – ISA

Nezavisne novine  page 2  ‘FOSS agents under investigation create Intelligence and Security Agency’; FOSS agents who are under investigation of Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office because of coupe d’etat affair work on establishing of BiH Intelligence and Security Agency. This was confirmed by source of Nezavisne novine close to Intelligence Reform Commission. Ambassador Kalman Kocsis has formed couple of working groups that work on merge of two entity intelligence agencies in one on state level. In working groups are Pasaga Mesic, Amhet Kico, Zoran Kuljanin, and Samir Dzemidzic. Drago Fers, OHR’s man in charge for merge of two entity intelligence agencies, confirmed that these people work in working groups that are led by Kalman Kocsis. “I haven’t appointed them in working groups. My job is to implement process of merge of agencies”, stressed Fers. OHR didn’t want to comment how it is possible that people who were found responsible for violation of human rights in coup d’etat affair can work on establishing of new state intelligence agency. “We can not comment work of that commission”, said OHR spokesperson, Oleg Milisic. Source of Nezavisne novine said that Kalman Kocsis is not interested in the background of the agents who are creating new state intelligence agency.

BiH House of Peoples established commission to supervise intelligence-security sector/agency

Nezavisne novine  page 2  ‘Commission for controlling of the work of agents has been formed’; The BiH House of Peoples adopted a decision establishing the Joint Security-Intelligence Commission for supervising the work of the Intelligence and Security Agency on Tuesday. The Commission has 12 members, six from each of the Houses of the BiH Parliament. Commission members from the House of Peoples are: Halid Genjac,

Mustafa Pamuk, Tomislav Limov, Velimir Jukic, Nade Radovic and Vinko Radovanovic. Commission members from the House of Representatives are Hazim Felic, Sead Avdic, Nijaz Durakovic, Milos Jovanovic, Nikola Spiric and Filip Andric.

Bosnian citizen involved in Madrid terrorist attack?

Nezavisne novine  page 2  ‘Ongoing investigation on Bosnian citizen participation in attack’; BiH Ministry of Security investigates if Sanel Sjekirica, one of three persons suspect of recent terrorist attack in Madrid, is BiH citizen, said Dragan Mektic, Deputy BiH Minister of security. Investigation is ongoing and I think that we shall have results in two or three days, Mektic stated.