| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| OHR on SDS | OHR on SDS | FBiH Govt in session | Reconstruction in RS |
| Appointment of generals | Youth Peace Summit | 11th economic fair in Tuzla | Higher education law |
| ICTY update | Law on Social Security | BiH manufacturers | Return of refugees |
| Iraq update | “DEPOT” vs. “Cistoca” | Sex industry in Kosovo | University centre in RS |
| Oslobodjenje | Ashdown on SDS: They financed chetnik movement, robbed public funds; Mothers of Srebrenica: Newly discovered mass graves already known? |
| Dnevni Avaz | SDS financed also chetnik movement; Radovanovic: I still did not receive new proposals |
| Dnevni List | Prosecution: Investigation against Covic and others from ‘Soko’ group suspended; Paddy Ashdwon: Funds under SDS disposal will remain blocked |
| Vecernji List | Welfare issues: Grey economy delays protest of workers; Ashdown is accusing SDS of financing of chetniks |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | People from Split threatened: We are leaving Kupres!; Jelavic is also being charged because of money for war victims |
| Glas Srpske | Paddy Ashdown: Decision delayed; SDS: Untenable situation |
| Nezavisne Novine | Ashdown on SDS report: Following audit, sanctions against SDS are possible; Simo Bozalo: Paravac’s wife is also buying wardrobe from the budget resources |
| Blic | Expensive state: Politicians went too far with salaries; Background of murder of Novica Lukic: The police wanted to kill Milan in order for him not to betray Karadzic; Furious Legija was silent in front of judge; Mila Djindjic: I have hired a lawyer, I am coming to Belgrade |
| Dani | Features sports related headlines |
| Ljiljan | The US Embassy more important for our state than students |
| Slobodna Bosna | A letter on situation in SDS that Radovan Karadzic did not receive |
Political developments | |
| Ashdown: “SDS report is inadequate, incomplete and at times misleading”
| RHB, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz cover splash, pg 3 ‘SDS also financed chetnik movement’, Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Decision delayed’; Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘Following audit, sanctions against SDS possible’, Dnevni List front and page 18 ‘Funds under SDS’ disposal will remain blocked’, Vecernji List front page ‘Ashdown accuses SDS that they financed chetniks’ and page 3 ‘Ashdown: SDS was financing Ravna Gora Chetniks’ Movement’, Slobodna Dalmacija page 9 ‘Paddy Ashdwon: SDS was giving donations to Ravna Gora Chetniks’ Movement’, Blic pg 12 ‘Ravna Gora Chetnik Movement was financed too’, Vecernje Novosti pg 5 ‘They helped Ravna Gora members’ – Upon analyses of the SDS financial report, the High Representative Paddy Ashdown stated on Thursday said that at a news conference in Sarajevo that he requested for a full and detailed audit of the financial activities of the SDS from the OSCE audit office. Ashdown added that a special focus of the audit must be on regional offices, because, according to the report, the party’s financial transactions were mostly conducted in these offices. He also underlined that it seems most of the financial activities and abuses were occurring there and added that SDS assets will remain frozen until a full audit has been completed. “The report is inadequate, incomplete and at times misleading,” Ashdown said. He added that IC is in possession of the documents that reveal the SDS has on at least one occasion made donations to the Ravnogorski Cetnicki Pokret. HR said that the movement was not illegal, and there were not enough evidences against to ban it. BHTV 1 – “SDS has been involved in activities that are quite possibly criminal, it seems that they had been connected to a number of criminal groups and that fact worries us the most. SDS members are involved in abuse of local funds, blackmailing and various kinds of frauds. This must be stopped” said Ashdown. Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4&5 ‘Financed chetnik movement, robbed public funds’ – Ashdown said that SDS report did not remove the doubt that that party supports Radovan Karadzic and the network for war crimes suspects. HR Ashdown also warned that there are indications of the local SDS offices to be involved in the systematic abuse of public funds, property fraud, and the extortion of money from private businesses. An initial review of the SDS’s internal financial controls also suggested a scandalous lack of transparency, which – says HR – was probably done explicitly to hide criminal activity. |
| SDS says it has no objections against international auditors
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘We are not against engagement of the international auditors’, ONASA – SDS has nothing against an international auditor reviewing the report on party’s operation, which was handed to the OHR on April 19, party’s spokesman Dusan Stojicic told Onasa Thursday. He said the party expects that facts and full truth be set over the financial report on party’s operation. “We have nothing against that job being completed through an international auditor,” he added. Stojicic said the party was not asked to hand over any additional information. Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘It is good that international auditors to check operation’, Vecernji List page 3 ‘SDS: There is nothing illegal in report’, Dnevni List page 18 ‘SDS is not against international auditor’, FENA – Stojicic told FENA today that it is good that international auditors will check financial activities of this party so that the truth on whether it is supporting indicted war criminals can finally be established. “I think that using international auditors, if someone thinks that we do not have competent people, is a good way to complete this,” Stojicic said. Blic pg 12 ‘SDS: We will eliminate doubts’, Vecernje Novosti pg 5 ‘Let them check’ – “We are of the view this job can be completed within a short term, since it is not so extensive,” said Stojicic. Glas Srpske cover page report ‘Situation is untenable’; Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Dusan Stojicic: Auditor should determine the truth’, SRNA – He also noted that the preparations for the upcoming local elections have already commenced, stressing that “situation of this kind, which prevents regular financing of the party, is untenable from the point of legality, legitimacy and democracy of the entire process.” |
| Slobodna Bosna on situation/disputes in SDS | Slobodna Bosna front page ‘A letter on situation in SDS that Radovan Karadzic did not receive’, pgs. 5-7 ‘If Cavic and Kalinic do not settle down their disputes, RS will be in danger!’ by Senad Avdic – On the March 3 this year in Banja Luka, the SFOR members arrested General Bogdan Subotic, wartime RS Defense Minister and one of the closes Radovan Karadzic’s associates, on suspicion of maintaining contacts with the war crime indictees. On the occasion, SFOR seized a document supposed to be forwarded to Karadzic analyzing situation inside SDS and requesting him to arbitrate in the current disputes within the party. According to Avdic, Dragan Cavic and Dragan Kalinic are heading two sides in dispute. Theoretically it is possible to find three solution for the dispute: systematically discredit all those putting their personal interests above the party’s ones; at any cost reconcile opposed options/factions; chose one of the sides. The authors recommend the second option, which is reconciliation between the two confronted sides, as the best solution both for the SDS and RS and therefore request Karadzic to mediate in settling down disputes between Cavic and Kalinic. |
| FBiH Govt brings decision on civil war victims | RHB, BHTV 1, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘213 KM base for benefits for civil war victims’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Compensations for civil victims from FBiH budget’, Dnevni List page 5 ‘Rights for civilian war victims secured’, Slobodna Dalmacija page 19 ‘Budget is getting more and more empty’, Vecernji List page 3 ‘1,5 million KM to BiH cinematography’, ‘Basis amounting to 213 KM to civilian war victims’ – FBiH Government adopted amendments to the law on social welfare and protection of civilian war victims. Authorized minister, Radovan Vignjevic, explained at the press conference following the session that the Law are part of the World Bank assistance to the entities authorities and BiH Government in the social reforms sector. The amendments are aimed at guaranteeing equal rights for all civilian war victims in FBiH, irrespective of place of residence. Financing of mechanisms for the practicing of rights of victims is now under the jurisdiction of the Federation. Instead of the present monthly compensation to victims in the amount of 70% of the monthly disability compensation, the amendments foresee the amount of 213 KM as the basis for calculating the monthly compensation. This solution will ensure that all civilian war victims across the FBiH enjoy equal rights, in proportion to the FBiH budgetary assets. |
| Petritsch on BiH’s path towards Europe | BHTV 1 by Sanita Lisica – “BiH did not achieve much ten years after the Dayton Agreement,” said former High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch after the end of seminar on future of BiH held in the organization Association BiH 2005. He also said that BiH authorities did not work much on implementation of reforms and that they had to understand that BiH had to go towards EU by itself. He said that BiH could achieve more and that during his mandate there were only four Ministries on state level and its activities were not ideal. “There is still the problem of discrimination which concerns process and constitution has to deal with these problems. Laws that are being adopted have to be implemented and you need some kind of support for this, without that these laws are useless,” said Petritsch. He also pointed out that BiH had to be more self-confident concerning the fact that International Community was leaving this country. FTV – The conclusion of the seminar also said that BiH has to make revision of its constitutional solutions as the existing ones present obstacles for its future development. The seminar was attended by 88 members of different organizations. He said that it was possible to do more concerning this problem, in the past but that it was very difficult to make all three BiH nations satisfied, and that entities are obstacles for BiH to become EU member. |
| Mikerevic announces reconstruction of his Cabinet | RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Mikerevic announces reconstruction of RS Govt’ – The RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic, said that the Government has done a lot in the past 15 months, however that more could have been achieved. For this reason, he announced the launch of initiative for reorganization of the Cabinet, carries Radio RS. “I analysed the work of the ministries and I will offer my opinion to RS National Assembly at one of its next session,” said Mikerevic. RTRS – He added that the reconstruction should accelerate reforms, and has no political background. |
Defence and security issues | |
| FBiH Parliament adopts Law on Veterans’ Law
| RHB, BHTV 1, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Law on Veterans population adopted’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Veterans Law adopted’ – Federation BiH Parliament on Thursday adopted the Law on the Rights of Veterans and Their Families, for the first time after the war. It was adopted as a result of three-day long discussions, first in the House of Representatives, and than in the House of Peoples. The Law insures fundamental material protection primarily for the war invalids, children of fallen fighters without both parents, wives with children and the parents of fallen soldiers. International financial partners have previously recommended that the annual implementation of this law should not exceed 300 million KM. The Law will be applicable to the members of former BH Army as of 1 January 2005, and for HVO members as of 31 December 2005. By than, BiH and Croatia are expected to sign the inter-state agreement that would regulate donations of that country for HVO members. According to authorized minister Ibrahim Nadarevic, the Law will have about 45.000 beneficiaries. Dnevni List, p 4, ‘Franjicevic: The Law on Veterans’ Rights is compromise of a compromise’ – Mate Franjicevic, the President of the Croat caucus, has said the Law is a compromise of a compromise. The programme of dismissing of and providing for surplus members of the FBiH Army and FBiH Defense Ministry was adopted as well. |
| Covic says Croats proposed four new candidates for generals | RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Four new candidates for generals’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Covic: Croats have candidates’, Slobodna Dalmacija last page ‘Covic: Proposal of new candidates for generals’ positions completed’, Vecernji List page 2 ‘Covic proposed 6 officers for generals’ positions’, FENA – BiH Presidency member Dragan Covic told FENA today that from the “Croat side” the proposal of new candidates for positions of generals is complete and that only harmonising and putting together biographies of those candidates remains to be done. “As a member of the BiH Presidency I had a commitment to in a way motivate the FBiH Defence Minister to nominate new candidates for those positions. I am confident that the proposals, together with the documentation, will arrive in the BiH Ministry of Defence by tomorrow morning. SFOR will then check the candidates”, Covic said, and also refusing to disclose candidates names. |
| Radovanovic/Nikolic on appointment of generals | Dnevni Avaz cover ‘I still did not get new proposal’, pg 2 ‘I still did not get new proposal for generals’ – BH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic said that there are still no new information regarding the list with new candidates for general BiH Army positions. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Nikolic: I don’t believe we will succeed to offer new names next week’ – FBiH Defence Minister Miroslav Nikolic stated that next week he would submit the names of the new Bosniak and Croat candidates for general positions to BiH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic. “Even though I do talk with some people who could be candidates, the question is whether they would accept the vetting procedure out of fear. But, I do believe that we will succeed to offer next week the people that would pass strict SFOR checks,” says Nikolic. [N.B. in the article, unlike in the headline, Nikolic is positive about having the list with candidates next week. Possible print mistake.] |
| SFOR says it would stick to their initial decision on generals’ candidates | Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘We stick to our initial decision’ – SFOR spokesman Robert Lapreze said on Wednesday that the date for dismissal of the FBiH officers, previously candidates for posts of generals in BiH Army but failed to pass SFOR vetting procedure, was not set yet. Brigadiers Selmo Cikotic, Jasmin Saric, Goran Medic and Haris Saric failed to meet the criteria, hence SFOR ordered their urgent dismissal from the military service, over alleged involvement in war crimes. “They will receive neither pension nor severance payment,” said Lapreze. He also confirmed that SFOR received the letter from BH Presidency Chair Sulejman Tihic “who demanded further explanation and we will answer to his question, but we stick to our decision. It is of vital importance that those who be appointed to the positions of generals be persons of trust.” BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Packett has still not decided whether he would meet with the Presidency’ – He could not say whether SFOR would reply to the BiH Presidency in a written form or they would hold a meeting. Spokesman for the Office of the High Representative Kevin Sullivan said the OHR had not received so far any request by the BiH Presidency regarding such a meeting. |
| Tihic on further procedure re appointment of generals | Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Tihic passes the “job” to Dudakovic’ – BH Presidency Chairman Sulejman Tihic, following the session of the Presidency on Wednesday, stated that he would not participate in the process of proposing candidates for generals positions to BiH Army, but that he would let BH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic and FBiH authorities to solve this issue. Asked which institution will send a list of candidates to Radovanovic, Tihic answered that in charge should be the FBiH Army Joint Command, currently headed by the general-colonel Atif Dudakovic. |
| US Embassy, Mektic on State Department report on fight against terrorism | Nacional Belgrade daily pg 19 ‘UN requests for information on Al’Qaeda in Bosnia’ – The US Embassy to BiH claims the American Government would not impose sanctions to BiH because of a slow process of the fight against terrorism. “The point is that the BiH authority must create relevant institutions and authorize them to make a progress in the fight against terrorism. We are ready to provide with help in these efforts, yet the responsibility will remain in hands of BiH,” representatives of US Embassy to BiH have stated. Dragan Mektic, the BiH Deputy Minister for Security, said: “Currently, we are preparing a report for the UN Committee for Fight Against Terrorism, which has asked from us to verify whether there are militant terrorist organizations or its cells in BiH. They have paid a special attention to the issue of possible existence of Al’Qaeda cells, as well as to what is being done to prevent a possible recruiting of terrorist personnel in BiH.” Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Mektic: We do not know if there are terrorist organisations in BiH’ – Dragan Mektic also stated that the Ministry does not hold information into possible existence of terrorist organisations in BiH, and whether such are connected with some of the global terrorist organisations. He said that the Ministry is compiling information of this kind. |
| US freezes property of three NGOs from BiH suspected of terrorist links | Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘Bush ordered freezing of property of three humanitarian organizations in BiH’ – DA carries that Administration of US President George Bush has ordered all banks in US to freeze the property of three humanitarian organizations from BiH, believes to be connected to Al’Qaeda. Organizations in question are: Al Haramain, Al Furqan and Al Mased Al-Aqsa Charity Foundation, and also the Bosnian office of Taibah International organization. According to US Finance Department, USA also asked from UN to put these organizations in the list of organizations supporting terrorist activities. |
| NN op-ed on terrorist presence in BiH | Nezavisne Novine pg 7 ‘Are there terrorists in BiH’ editorial by Mirza Cubro – The author says that BiH is one of rare states in the world, that does not know whether terrorist organisations are active within its territory and whether those organisations recruit members of BiH citizenship. He claims that the security system in BiH is split into parts, stressing that entity intelligence services, entity and cantonal police forces are working for their purposes and there is not a minimum of co-ordination between these two institutions. He also notes that there is indeed an anti-terrorist team in BiH, whose members hide information from each other or present just a minor part of such information. On this, he stresses that this team practically represents a political ikebana, whose main task is to frame the false picture of how something is done. |
War crimes: Srebrenica Commission/Visegrad action | |
| Srebrenica Commission members meet with Associations of Srebrenica survivors
| Oslobodjenje cover, pg 8 ‘Newly discovered mass graves already known for?’ by A. Avdic – Members of the RS Government-appointed Srebrenica Commission on Thursday visited Tuzla Commemoration Centre, and met with the representatives of Srebrenica Survivors. Commission Vice President Smail Cekic said to Oslobodjenje that he informed the Associations on the work Commission carried to date. “We are afraid that the [new] mass graves… are already known to the FBiH Missing Persons Commission, and that these locations are being used to show that the Commission does something,” stated Hatidza Mehmedovic, president of Srebrenica mothers Association. However, Cekic said that following recent removals in RS [by HR Paddy Ashdown], its authorities cooperate much better. The President of the Srebrenica Women Association Hajra Catic complained over the fact that Commission Chair Milan Bogdanovic did not meet them as well, but Cekic explained that was not the part of the visit’s protocol. The meeting with Mothers of Srebrenica was also attended by international Commission member Gordon Bacon. Attendees also discussed the number and identities of the victims. Commission asked from all Associations to submit them the lists and materials that could be used to determine the number of victims. However, reps of certain associations refused so, adding that RS authorities had all information. BHTV 1, FTV – also covered the meeting. Dnevni Avaz pg 15 ‘Families of victims insist crimes perpetrators to be identified’ – DA carries statement by Hatidza Mehmedovic as saying: “We repeated our earlier demands to discover all locations with still unknown mass graves. We also ask to reveal all places were executions took place, especially the names of those who carried out and ordered killings, as well as the names of units that they belonged to. We cannot live knowing that today criminals who killed our children live peacefully, at large, without any responsibility attached.” |
| Spiric says RS officials must state on IWPR report re Visegrad action | Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘To confirm or deny claims of the London Institute’ – Nikola Spiric, BiH House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, yesterday stated that the most senior officials of the RS should confirm or deny claims of the IWPR that Milan Lukic was supposed to be silenced in Visegrad action, because he was disclosing information about Radovan Karadzic. Spiric said that he himself luckily does not hold such information. |
| DA claims Novica Lukic killed because he leaked info to ICTY, not Milan | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Novica Lukic gave information to Hague and that is why RS special police killed him’ – Following the report by IWPR, DA claims that according to “well informed intelligence source in the country” the real aim of the Visegrad police was to kill Novica Lukic, as he was the one who leaked information to ICTY, and not his brother Milan. The source claims that “extremist SDS wing” learned about Novica’s cooperation with ICTY and decided that everything has to be done to ‘remove’ “unpleasant witness which would also reveal some things about fishy business in which, beside mafia, a part of RS police is involved with.” Article also speculates that, as the operation was commanded by one of the assistants of the RS SWAT Chief Dragan Lukac, the investigation should show whether Lukac was not present as he was very close to Milan Lukic, ICTY indictee, at the time of Biljana Plavsic’s presidency. Blic front, pgs 10&11 ‘The police tried to kill Milan in order for him not to betray Karadzic’ – carries excerpts from the IWPR report [please see yesterday’s Media Round-up for details.] |
| Bond: Visegrad action must not stop actions to arrest war criminals | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Visegrad action cannot be excuse to stop arresting war criminals’- During his visit to Prijedor, US Ambassador to BiH Clifford Bond was asked to comment the allegations made by IWPR report on Visegrad action. Bond said he was not familiar with the report, but added that the conditions under which the operation was carried out must be known. “Such activities are mostly dangerous, as they are being done using force. I am not saying this to justify mistakes which police perhaps made, but that cannot be used to as an excuse to discontinue the operations of arrest of war criminals and brining those indicted for war crimes to justice,” commented Bond. |
| Mikerevic on Srebrenica | Dnevni List page 2 carries in its ‘Statement of Day’ RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic as saying: ‘They can remove me if that will help to reveal the truth about Srebrenica.’ |
Legal issues | |
| DL on suspension of investigation on Dragan Covic and Soko Group
| Dnevni List, front, pg 5 ‘Suspended investigation against Covic and rest from Soko Group’ by De. L – DL learns from Valerija Tomic, a Prosecutor of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton [HNC] Prosecutor’s Office, that the FBiH Prosecutor’s Office has sent a memo to the HNC Prosecutor’s Office in Mostar demanding a temporary suspension of investigation activities against Dragan Covic, Branko Kolobaric, Berislav Cubela, Eugen Cubela, Gordana Stojkic and Jelka Milicevic, who are suspected of illegal privatisation of Mostar-based Soko Pteron Co. The suspension is to last until court jurisdiction is decided upon. As only preparatory activities for the investigation were done, no indictment against the suspects has been issued. |
| Main court hearing in Eronet – HT Mostar held | Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Verdict in Eronet case on 14 May’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Graphologist confirmed Prosecutor’s allegations’, Vecernji list pg 2 ‘Decision on Eronet to be made in a month’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 9 ‘Defendants request charges to be dropped’ – The main hearing in the case of Hrvatske Telekomunikacije Mostar’s demand for return of 51% of shares in Eronet was held at Municipal Court in Mostar. Graphologist confirmed that disputable documents, the dates on which span over a period of two and a half years and which were signed by the then HPT Mostar Director Marinko Gilja, were signed by the same pen from which it might be concluded that they were signed on the same day. DL and SD say that ruling in the case is announced for May 14, while VL says it will be made in a month’s time. |
| SD reveals content of charges against Jelavic, Prce, Karlovic and Rupcic | Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 16 ‘Jelavic charged with misuse of funds meant for sufferers’ by Marin Erceg – In light of announcement by Prosecutor of Special Department for Organized Crime of BiH Court, John McNair, that the indictment against Ante Jelavic, Miroslav Prce, Miroslav Rupcic and Ivica Karlovic will be issued next week, SD reveals the indictment contents saying that the four could be charged with re-routing of funds that were arriving from Croatia in the amount of 216 million KMs and with alleged abuses in Hercegovacka Bank. The author says the starting flaw is the fact that the Prosecutor does not realise that the Croatian financial assistance to Croat institutions, soldiers and DPs is not public revenue and does not make part of FBiH budget. Theinset titled ‘Bosniak component has 550 million KM debt’ reads that the second part of the indictment will most probably refer to the FBiH Defense Ministry. SD adds that investigators used OSCE’s audit report, which identified that the debt of the Bosniak component towards suppliers for period 1996-2000 was 550 million KM, whereas Croat component’s debt was only 5 million. The author wonders why this is never mentioned adding it is absurd to keep the suspects in detention for so long, while the state gives guarantees for war-crimes suspects to be on pre-trial release. |
Education issues | |
| Sullivan on sanctions against HDZ
| RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Sanctions until schools are unified’, Vecernji List, p 3, “Fines to HDZ until integration”, Slobodna Dalmacija, p 18, “5% of revenue taken from HDZ over education”, Dnevni list, p 2, “Statistic data create wrong picture of economy” – Spokesman for OHR Kevin Sullivan confirmed that following in-depth consideration HDZ in Central Bosnian has been sanctions due to the failure to implement decision on administrative unification of the ‘two-schools-under-one-roof’. HDZ will be sanctions each week until it does so. |
| BiH HoP today discusses Law on Higher Education | RHB – On Friday, the BiH House of Peoples will discuss the draft Framework Law on Higher Education in second reading. Delegates on Tuesday adopted the Law in first reading, and at request of the Croat caucus it was agreed to hold the discussion in second reading once the Constitutional-Legal Commission has assessed the justification of the total of 60 submitted amendments, of which only seven have so far been adopted. BiH House of Representatives adopted the Bill on Higher Education on Tuesday. Adoption of the Higher Education Law by May 7 is a condition for receiving the World Bank’s credit of US$ 42 million. Students from the Mostar Sveuciliste consider the law as unconstitutional. “Thesis which says that adoption of the draft Framework Law on Higher Education would lead to close down of Mostar University is complete senseless,” reassures Safet Halilovic, BiH Civil Affairs Minister. RTRS – announces the session of FBiH HoP. |
| OHR, WB urge adoption of Higher Education Law | FTV – Spokesman for OHR Kevin Sullivan reminded that the World Bank’s deadline for the BiH authorities to adopt the Higher Education Law expires at the weekend, and stressed that if the law is not passed, BiH will not receive a 42-million dollar credit. Sullivan said this was a lot of money that would allow investments into large improvements in education. He pointed out that the law, in which provisions protecting languages and cultures of all peoples have been included, would implement modern European standards in high education in BiH. Blic pg 13 ‘Ultimatum of the World Bank’ – Spokesperson of the World Bank Srecko Latal has stated that the deadline for the adoption of the Education Law expires today (Friday), but the World Bank would discuss this issue on Monday, May 10. |
Economic/media/other issues | |
| VL interview with Minister Vignjic on gray economy
| Vecernji List front page splash ‘Welfare issues: Gray economy postpones workers’ unrest’ page 6 ‘Grey economy stops social unrest in BiH’ by E. Medunjanin carries an interview with Federation of BiH Minister of Labor and Welfare Radovan Vignjevic. Asked whether he is afraid of social unrest, Vignjevic says that the gray economy in the FBiH but also in BiH amortizes the situation and if there were no the gray economy most probably the social unrest would have taken place long time ago. He added that the FBiH Government is not afraid of social unrest. Asked to comment on the journalist’s conclusion that some problems are being resolved slowly exactly because of the gray economy, Vignjevic says that the gray economy is certainly not good for public funds, pension and health insurance etc. however, according to Vignejvic, the question arises as to what should prevail either the social unrest or abolishment of the gray economy. |
| SBiH, SDS explain why they rejected list for Concession Commission | Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘High stakes for which there must be no buy out of ‘cat in the bag’’ by E. Sarac – After BiH House of Representatives rejected the proposal by the Council of Ministers for appointment of the Concession Commission, DA brings that delegates of SDS and SBiH, who also voted against it, believe that stakes are too high to “buy cat in the bag.” Beriz Belkic of SBiH said that his party opposed it due to strictly professional reasons, explaining SBiH was not briefed on the application process, did not know how many people applied, and that biographies of proposed members did not reveal whether they are competent for the positions. Momcilo Novakovic from SDS said that this party opposed to the candidates proposed due to age of three members, the fact that many occupy positions in state bodies, and problematic biography of one of the members who “wrote word aggression”, which, says Novakovic, has nothing to do with the Commission. Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Chiefs of cabinets and advisors nominated’ – Belkic says list was rejected as two thirds of the candidates are associates, advisors or chief of cabinets in the institutions. |
| OHR urges appointment of Statistic Agency director | Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Statistic data create wrong picture of economy’, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Appoint Director of Statistic Agency’ – The Office of the High Representative said on Thursday that the BiH Council of Ministers must cease the delays in the appointment of BiH Statistics Bureau director and their deputy. “Failure to do this could have a negative effect on the efforts to invest in BiH and create new jobs,” the OHR said, adding that BiH is still not attracting investments sufficient for the growth of BiH economy. “The lack of adequate statistical data is one of the reasons behind the negative image of BiH regarding investments,” said the OHR, illustrating it with the fact that the unemployment rate is actually twice as high as that presented in the statistics. |
| Bond visits Prijedor | RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Obvious progress, good future’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Visegrad action cannot be excuse to stop arresting war criminals’ – US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond, on Thursday visited heads of Prijedor municipalities and talked with them behind the closed doors. The Prijedor Mayor, Nada Sevo, stated that Ambassador was briefed on the most common issues in the municipality, and the progress of implementation of USAID sponsored projects. Bond noted that obvious progress has been achieved in Prijedor. |
| SD on newly appointed BHT Director Trivic | Ljiljan pg 7 ‘Campus’ op-ed by Mensur Brdar – The author reminds that there has been a discussion taking place in Sarajevo for several months now on whether to allow construction of the US Embassy building at or near the site foreseen for the future Sarajevo University Campus. “There is, however, a hope that the Americans will give up on the location,” author claims adding the US can build as big facility as they want on several other appropriate locations including, for example, the Betanija [a large portion of land nearby Sarajevo downtown]. Note that the location for the construction of the Embassy building at the site of the former Marsal Tito Barrack was officially offered as the only one to the US State Department by the Sarajevo Canton authorities and not strictly requested by the US side. |
| Ljiljan on initiative to build US Embassy building within the former Marsal Tito barracks | Slobodna Dalmacija pg 18 ‘London-based Yutel fan runs BH TV’, by Zlatko Tulic – With regard to appointment of Milan Trivic to the position of Director of BH TV 1, editorial carries that most people are skeptic about the appointment due to Trivic’s past career, particularly the fact that as a Yutel [N. B. network TV of former Yugoslavia] journalist he produced biased and inaccurate reports on JNA aggression on Croatia. SD adds that it is only the High Representative Paddy Ashdown who congratulated Trivic on the appointment. Yet, SD says Trivic is aware of the difficult task ahead of him, wondering what BH TV 1 will be able to produce and for whom. |