Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RS Radio (12,00) |
| BiH Pres. to discuss Terzic’s resign. | New mass grave discovered in Kljuc | BiH Pres. to discuss Terzic’s resign. |
| Meeting on parliamentary majority | War crime indictees whereabouts | BiH MPs visiting Dutch Parliament |
| BiH MPs visiting Dutch Parliament | Trial of Slobodan Milosevic | War crime indictees whereabouts |
| US recruiting military staff in BiH | SBiH revokes support to Terzic | Trial of Slobodan Milosevic |
TV news broadcast on
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Covic met with Sanader | Report on Srebrenica | Report on Srebrenica | Pres. session tomorrow |
| Pres. session tomorrow | Gravesite Stari Kevljani | Vlahovic visited Potocari | OHR on Srebrenica report |
| OHR on Srebrenica report | BiH citizens leaving to | ICTY indictments for Brcko | HR on ICTY indictees |
| Mostar City Council | Offensive in Falluja | BiH Presidency session | Trial for Lukic’s murder |
| Oslobodjenje | RS Government admits liquidation of Bosniaks |
| Dnevni Avaz | Prosecutor Rattel leads/conducts investigation |
| Vecernji List | Americans are looking for Commanders in BiH |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Sex tourism in |
| Glas Srpske | RS Trade Inspection: Phantom at Banski Dvor |
| Nezavisne Novine | Srebrenica Commission Report: 7800 persons murdered; Terzic: If they want me to stay, they need to support reforms; Update to trial for murder of Novica Lukic: Lukac: Action in Visegrad was ordered by Njegus |
| Blic | Temporary decision: Tuition fee reduced from 600 to 350 KM; Panic over aids: |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related topics |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Momcilo Mandic, a businessman from RS, replies to the latest accusations of Paddy Ashdown: You no longer have English agent Mihajlovic to arrest me; |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| BiH Presidency discussing Terzic’s resignation with political parties’ representatives
| Herceg Bosna Radio News at 1200 – BiH Presidency is holding a working-consultative meeting with representatives of parliamentary majority parties today. Topic of the meeting is the functioning of the parliamentary majority in the BiH Parliament and the resignation filed by Chairman of BiH CoM, Adnan Terzic. Moreover, the Presidency is also scheduled to meet with Defence Ministers of BiH and both entities. Sifet Podzic, the Chief of Joint HQ of BiH Armed Forces, is also to attend the meeting. |
| New mass grave discovered in Kljuc municipality | BH Radio 1 News at 1200 – Another mass grave was discovered at the site of Laniste in the Kljuc municipality. The grave is in a 57meter-deep cave and is the sixth one discovered in the area so far. The experts are to start exhumation process today. |
| Serbian Justice Minister on war crime indictees whereabouts
| BH Radio 1 News at 1200, RS Radio – Zoran Stojkovic, the Serbian Justice Minister, says he is not aware of a document containing addresses of certain ICTY indictees that was allegedly forwarded by the RS authorities to the Serbian Government. SNSD leader Milotrad Dodik recently said that the Serbian Government was doing nothing to arrest war crime suspects although the RS authorities had provided it with the addresses of some of them |
| BiH parliamentary delegation visiting
| Herceg Bosna Radio News at 1200, RS Radio – Delegation of the BiH Parliament, led by Speaker of the BiH House of Representatives, Martin Raguz, is visiting the Dutch Parliament and Dutch Foreign Ministry today. According to Raguz, talks will focus on reforms that are currently taking place in BiH. Also, this morning the delegation met with the President of ICTY, Theodor Meron. In that context, Raguz says talks included issues pertaining to adoption of laws regarding war crimes trials in BiH. |
Crimes/Legal Proceedings | |
| OHR commends Srebrenica Commission’s work
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘RS Government admits liquidation of Bosniaks’ by Sanita Rozajac, Dnevni Avaz pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘RS claims responsibility for crime in Srebrenica’, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash ‘7800 persons murdered’ and pgsd.2-3 ‘The list with 7800 names of murdered persons’ by R. Cengic; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘The courts’ turn’; Vecernje Novosti pg 17 ‘Final list: 7,800 victims!’ by Dusan Stojakovic, EuroBlic RSpg1 ‘Crime is no longer disputable’ by Dusanka Stanisic, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘7800 missing persons on 34 lists’, by D. Polovina-Mandic,FENA – The Senior Deputy High Representative, Bernard Fassier, on Monday said that he was pleased that the BiH Constitutional Court’s Human Rights Commission’s assessment of the Srebrenica Commission’s Report was largely positive, although it is stated that much work needs to be done if this process is to be completed fully. On Monday, OHR received a copy of the letter that the |
| Montenegrin Foreign Minister honors Srebrenica war victims
| FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Srebrenica is a symbol of human suffering’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 Vlahovic paid respect to Srebrenica victims’, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Vlahovic laid wreath in Potocari’ by N.B.– No crime committed during the senseless war in the region, whether in Srebrenica or anywhere else, must be forgotten, Montenegrin Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahovic said in Potocari, where he laid a wreath at the memorial to the Srebrenica victims on Monday. Vlahovic said this evening that he bowed before the innocent victims of Srebrenica, which represented a symbol of unnecessary human suffering and crimes against all the peoples in this region. “We must not forget this and similar crimes,” Vlahovic said, and added that he was in Srebrenica on behalf of the whole of |
| Investigation launched into PBES operations
| Dnevni Avaz, front pg splash and pg 2 ‘Prosecutor Ratel leads investigation’, by S. N. – Dnevni Avaz learns that a Prosecutor in the BiH Prosecution, Jonathan Ratel, has opened an investigation regarding the liquidation of the Privredna Banka of Serb Sarajevo (PBSS). Apparently, Ratel has been submitted documentation on situation in the PBSS and he is expected to determine the accountability of the PBSS Managing Director, Momcilo Mandic, as well as of some officials of the RS Government and |
| Basic Court appoints PBES bankruptcy manager
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Basic Court appoints bankruptcy manager’ by P. Klincov – RS Banking Agency on Monday confirmed that all 150 persons employed at Privredna Banka Serb Sarajevo would be handed termination of employment with the exception of some clerks, who will be working during bankruptcy proceedings. |
| Mandic responds to Ashdown
| Nacional cover pg splash and pg 5 ‘Momcilo Mandic, a businessman from RS, replies to the latest accusations of Paddy Ashdown: You no longer have English agent Mihajlovic to arrest me’ by M. B. – Momcilo Mandic has stated that he would willingly surrender if HR Ashdown proved he had ever given a single KM to any of the Hague indictees. Regarding the claims that he was financing war crimes indictees, Mandic has stated: ‘Ashdown is lying. He is telling the same story over and over again. If it were so, he should present some proof in public. Ashdown’s second-class agent Dusan Mihajlovic arrested me last year upon his (HR’s) request…his agent is no longer at the head of MoI so he cannot fulfill demands coming from England’. Mandic also claims HR Ashdown has been threatening with shutting down PBES for three years now, adding: ‘They have been spending my money. Approximately 320 workers have been receiving salaries from my money. Damage I have suffered because of them amounts approximately 15 million KM.” He stated that his son was arrested and added ‘this is Ashdown’s democracy in which people are being dismissed, removed and killed’. Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Mandic rejected Ashdown’s accusations’ by NINA also carried Mandic’s reaction to Ashdown’s allegations. |
| Ashdown calls for arrest of Mandic
| Vecernje Novosti, pg. 17 ‘Extradite Mandic’ by Beta – High Representative Paddy Ashdown has called on the authorities in Belgrade to undertake all necessary steps in order to bring Momcilo Mandic before the face of justice in BiH. Nacional Belgrade daily, cover page splash and pg. 5 ‘You no longer have English agent Mihajlovic to arrest me’ by M. B. also reports on the issue. |
| Mandic:
| Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Serbia cannot extradite me’, Dnevni Avaz, pg 2 ‘Mandic: Serbia cannot extradite me to BiH’, not signed – Momcilo Mandic notes that funds belonging to the PBSS were never used to help the ICTY indictees, adding that Serbia cannot extradite him to BiH at the request of the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, because the Serbian judiciary has already acquitted him once with regard to this case, reports Fena. “Ashdown had been arriving to |
| HR on arrest of war crime indictees
| RTRS, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘I am waiting that RS authorities arrest The Hague fugitives’ by ds – High Representative Paddy Ashdown expressed hope that the RS authorities will arrest ICTY fugitives and thus open the way to future and leave sanctions behind. The HR stressed: ‘I want that the RS authorities arrest war crime indictees. Only they can do it. If they succeed then it would be a big progress on the way towards the EU and NATO.’ |
| Nacional on attempt arrest of Karadzic
| Nacional Belgrade daily, cover ‘Nepal “Gurkas” have been defeated by Karadzic’s security guards: Do not send us there anymore!’ and pg. 3 ‘Do not send us there anymore’ by N. B. – The article claims twelve members of Nepal “Gurkas” have been killed six months ago in a clash with Radovan Karadzic’s security guards near Cajnice. A source close to top officials of RS Army claims two security guards were also killed during the clash. The article carries details of the alleged attempt to arrest Radovan Karadzic. Inset ‘Rose: You will never catch Karadzic’ reads there are some rumors saying former COMSFOR Michael Rose has said to KFOR Commander Michael Jackson Karadzic would never be arrested. Allegedly he has drawn this conclusion from history of wars in this region, and said one person could never be found in inaccessible areas of BiH. |
| Update to Hercegovacka Banka case
| Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Not a word about Jelavic’s role again’, mentioned on front, by D. Jazvic, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 12 ‘Housing loans from money coming from Croatia’ by Z. Tuilic,Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Bulldozers prevented paying back of loans’, mentioned on front, not signed report that the trail against former HDZ President and a suspect in the Hercegovacka Banka case Ante Jelavic continued on Monday when 4 persons, who were granted special loans of the Federation of BiH Ministry at that time, testified. VL says that just like in the case of testimony of Hercegovacka Banka Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson, these witnesses did not mention Jelavic and his role in the case. Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘The way on loan-spending was not examined’ by A. Durmo, |
Political developments | |
| BiH Presidency special session on Terzic’s resignation to take place on Tuesday
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHT, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Terzic’s resignation to be discussed today’, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘BiH Presidency is waiting for agreement’ by Z. Kresic, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 12 ‘Nevertheless, Adnan Terzic remains?’, mentioned on front, by B. Kristo,Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Today about Terzic’ by S.R.T.; EuroBlic, pg. RS2 ‘The Presidency is still calculating’ by D. S., Dnevni List pg 5 ‘BiH Presidency on Terzic’s demand’ not signed,ONASA – A special session of the BiH Presidency to discuss BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic’s resignation initially scheduled for Monday has been postponed. Drago Vukovic, Presidency Chairman Borislav Paravac’s advisor, said that the session had been postponed because of the Presidency members’ previously scheduled activities. “It is also necessary to consult the ruling political parties in BiH before discussing the matter,” Vukovic said, adding that session was to take place on Tuesday. Terzic forwarded a letter of his resignation to the Presidency on Thursday, as he cannot get support of the parliamentary majority for reforms. The reason behind his move was the decision of the BiH House of Representatives to adopt a differentiated VAT rate of zero and 17%, and not a single, 17% VAT rate, as proposed by the BiH Council of Ministers. |
| Terzic on his resignation
| Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Current BiH CoM remains if there was single VAT’ by Z. Kresic carries Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic who comments on his resignation and says that a single VAT rate amounting to 17 % is the only solution for BiH and most probably destiny of the current composition of the BiH Com depends on it. Asked to comment on the fact that SDA representative Fatima Leho, who comes form the same party as he, proposed the Amendment with 2 VAT rates, Terzic said that immediately before the session of the Parliament the agreement to vote against existed, however, this did not happen. |
| NN: Comments on Terzic’s resignation
| Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash and pg 3 ‘If they want me to stay, they need to support reforms’ by M. Cubro – Several NN collocutors from the parties of ruling quintuplet on Monday confirmed that Adnan Terzic would most likely stay on the position of the BiH CoM Chairperson. Barisa Colak, HDZ of BiH President, stated that: “I will meet our partners during the day and discuss the announced resignation of Terzic. I think BiH CoM did a good job and all problems were settled through mutual talks.” Terzic, BiH Premier in resignation,has statedhe is aware of the support the coalition parties provide him, adding: “If they want me to stay, they need to support reforms.” Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Staying on authority depends on Parliament and Government of F BiH’ by R. Ce. – Safet Halilovic, President of Party for BiH Presidency, stated prior to Monday evening session of Party for BiH Presidency that the Party for BiH would demand from F BiH Parliament to give its stance on the problems observed in relation with the privatisation, adding: “We will prepare a document and present it to F BiH Government and Parliament. Decision on further involvement in authority of Party for BiH would depend on their stance.” |
| Party for BiH withdraws support to Terzic
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Support to Premier Terzic revoked’, mentioned on cover – At a session held in Sarajevo late on Monday, the Party for BiH Presidency decided to conditionally revoke support to BiH CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic as long as the SDA makes impossible adoption of certain reform projects that are of importance for FBiH and BiH. The Presidency refers to the draft laws proposed by the Party for BiH Ministers including the amendments to the FBiH Privatization Law. |
| Alternative Presidency calls for early elections
| Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 5 ‘Official request for early elections’, by M. Batarello – The Chairman of Alternative presidency of BiH, Ranko Bakic, has sent the Chairman of BiH Presidency, Borislav Paravac, a letter in which he calls on Paravac and BiH Presidency to accept resignation filed by the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, dissolve the BiH Parliament and create conditions for organization of early elections in BiH. Bakic notes that “all the incompetence of the current authorities were recently demonstrated during the adoption of the Law on VAT”, adding that by insisting on one VAT rate, which ignores the difficult economic situation majority of BiH citizenry is in, Terzic and his government are in fact showing that they do not have a realistic insight into situation the country is in. Oslobodjenje pg 8 also covered the issue. |
| Halilovic meets with US Ambassador McElhaney
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Dayton Constitution not optimal solution’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘McElhaney: Dayton Constitution not optimal solution’, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘To change BiH Constitution without interference of foreigners’ by E. Medunjanin, FENA – BiH Minister of Civil Affairs Safet Halilovic and the U.S. Ambassador to BiH, Douglas McElhaney, on Monday talked about the current political situation in BiH. Halilovic briefed the |
| Interview with M. Raguz on BiH organization
| Dnevni List pg 9 ‘Organization of state main obstacle to approaching EU’, mentioned on front, by |
| Four NGOs on equal constituent status of peoples in BiH
| BHT, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘Implement constitutional provision in accordance with 1991 census’, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Constitution Court’s decision just partly implemented’, ONASA – Representatives of four non-governmental organizations request that legislative bodies, executive authorities and parliamentary political parties adopt programs for implementation of constitutional amendments guaranteeing equality of peoples in BiH and undertake measures in order that proportional national representation in accordance with the census from 1991 be ensured in all institutions. Representatives of Serb Civic Council – Movement for Equality (SGV-PR), Council of Bosniak Intellectuals Congress (VKBI), Croat National Council (HNV) and Association of Independent Intellectuals Circle 99 presented on Monday in Sarajevo “Requests and Recommendations” from the roundtable discussion “The statehood of BiH in the context of implementation of amendments on constituency of peoples in the BiH Federation and in the Republika Srpska” held on September 16 in Sarajevo. Participants at this roundtable discussion agreed that amendments on constituency of peoples in BiH have not been respected. The reconsideration of national structure of employees in municipal administration and public services is proposed in the presented “Requests and Recommendations,” as well as measures for implementation of constitutional provisions on proportional national representation in both entities. A need is also pointed out for harmonization of constitutional solutions in BiH with standards of democratic states. |
| VL commentary on initiative to establish TV channel in Croatian language
| Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Divisions with channel – assimilation without channel’ by D. Juka carries a commentary on the initiative to establish a TV channel in Croatian language. Commenting on this situation the author says it is absurd that leading people of state institutions fight for the establishment of a TV channel in Croatian language although they are responsible for the fact that such channel does not exist ‘especially when it is known that there was a tacit agreement reached between the Croat side and the OHR at the end of the 90-ies according to which a special channel in Croatian language would not be demanded’. |
Economic/Social affairs | |
| ITA Steering Board member Sefika Hafizovic on VAT rate
| Dnevni Avaz, pg 4 ‘VAT law as adopted by House of Representatives cannot be successfully implemented’, by L. Sinanovic – The Indirect Tax Authority’s Steering Board (ITA SB) has sent the BiH Parliament a letter last week, which says that the ITA SB cannot take responsibility for successful implementation of the Law on VAT in form which was adopted by the BiH Parliament’s House of representatives on November 4, 2004. Member of the ITA SB and Economic Advisor to the FBiH Prime Minister, Sefika Hafizovic, says the Law on VAT, in form which was adopted by the MPs in the HoR, cannot be successfully implemented because in case the zero rate is in place, in reality it would mean that extra taxpayers would have to be registered, as much as double in fact, which in turn would make the successful implementation of the VAT law impossible because the current administration cannot process two VAT rate in such short period of time. ITA SB’s letter also notes that the system with two VAT rates has two key shortcomings, namely it increases corruption and brings difficulties to the implementation of the law. |
| NN op-ed on ITA
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Admitting the failure’ by Predrag Klincov – The author is writing about the VAT, noting that Adnan Terzic and Renzo Daviddi have practically admitted – through their agents for adoption of a single VAT – that the BiH ITA would not be capable of performing one of main tasks. By saying that several-rate VAT system would create space or tax evasion, they have actually questioned all the fuss about establishment of ITA and its aim to root out the crime. |
| FBiH civil servants go on strike
| BHT, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Federation civil servants went on general strike’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Functioning of Federation institutions paralysed’ by E. Medunjanin, ONASA – Employees of Federation of BiH institutions started a general strike on Monday morning, demanding from the FBiH Government to harmonize the salaries in the Federation with the salaries of employees in the state institutions, FBiH Institutions Trade Union president Nihad Guso said. The strike board’s demands were defined almost two months ago, Guso said. However, the Government has continually ignored them, resulting in the strike of employees of 12 ministries and services, as well as FBiH Tax Administration. “We demand from the Government to annul the decision that illegally reduced the minimum wage by 10%,” Guso said, adding that the employees also demands that the basic/minimum salary is harmonized at 128 KM, pursuant to an agreement reached with the Government in February. “Our demands are for harmonization, not for an increase of salaries,” Guso said. |
| Activities of RS Trade Inspection
| Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Phantom at Banski Dvor’ by D.V.M. – The article is about the ongoing activities of the RS Trade Inspection, namely the case related to the firm “Parma trade” from Laktasi, proved to have been engaged in business deals with five firms, that do hot “reside” at the registration addresses. |
Miscellaneous | |
| Americans offer BiH high-ranked officers to serve as their Commanders in
| Vecernji List cover pg splash ‘Americans are looking for Commanders in BiH’ and pg 13 ‘HVO Brigadier offered to be Commander in Iraq’ by Z. Jurilj – According to VL, high-ranked US Commanders, who act within SFOR’s peace mission in BiH, held meetings with some retired or removed BiH Generals and Brigadiers and openly offered them high-ranked positions in the US units in Iraq. VL also says that according to their reliable information this process has been lasting for over a year. According to the article, retired HVO Brigadier Goran Medic, who was banned to remain in the active service of the Federation of BiH Army on the ground of the decision passed by former SFOR’s Commander Virgil Packett mid this year, was among the first ones who received the aforementioned offer. Commenting on this meeting, Medic stated: “Nothing was agreed during this meeting. My private plans are different.’ |
| On women trafficking in BiH
| Slobodna Dalmacija cover pg splash and pg 13 ‘Sex tourism in Herzegovina’ by A. Karamatic carries an editorial about a young girl form Ukraine who died of AIDS in Mostar last week and about women trafficking in BiH in general. All other BiH media are still covering the issue prominently. |