09.12.2003

OHR BiH Media Round-up, 9/12/2003

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CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs)

BH TV 1(19,00 hrs)

FED TV (19,30 hrs)

RT RS (19,30)

Appeal process for Blaskic

ITA Director appointed

Gorazde hospital issues

ITA Director appointed

ITA Director appointed

Moldova meeting

ITA Director appointed

Conference on gender

 

Elections in Russia

Lagumdzija vs. Avaz

 

 

Oslobodjenje

Significant fall in tobacco manufacturing in BiH: Local production of cigarettes to fall apart?; Avaz banned from writing on Lagumdzija; Government to fall down because of overdue pensions

Dnevni Avaz

Judge Milosavljevic against Avaz: Lagumdzija wants to introduce censorship; Chris Patten speaks for Avaz: We planned to give 2 bn Euros for the region; GSM: Dokic on the licence: Many will feel their head spinning

Dnevni List

Ashdown cuts the Gordian knot; Ceric gave advice to Bosniaks from Mostar; Kemal Causevic will have to resolve issue of waste dump ‘Uborak’

Vecernji List

Croatia takes over BiH meat industry; HDZ BiH delays purges within the party

Slobodna Dalmacija

Trucks with waste blocked Mostar; Threat of 300 Bosniak mujahedeens

Glas Srpske

Municial Association of Derventa former inmates: Terror of Croatian Army;

BiH Prosecutor’s Office: First on the list is ‘Uzdah’

Nezavisne Novine

Banjaluka: First test-tube baby born in Republika Srpska; BiH CoM: Kemal Causevic is ITA Director; Ian Cliff: It will be hard to implement economic reforms in BiH

Blic

RS loses military apartments; A family infested with trichinosis because of a bogus veterinarian

 

Economic and social issues

CoM appoints Kemal Causevic as ITA Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

CRHB, RTRS, FTV, BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Kemal Causevic appointed as the ITA director’, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Kemal Causevic appointed yesterday’, Dnevni List front, pg 5 ‘Kemal Causevic Director of Indirect Tax Administration’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 16 ‘Kemal Causevic Director of Tax Administration’, Blic pg 13 ‘Causevic is ITA Director’ – BiH Council of Ministers appointed Kemal Causevic as BiH Indirect Taxation Administration Director in Sarajevo on Monday. The CoM also determined plan of activities in order to meet all conditions set by EC. New ITA director Kemal Causevic invited parliamentarians to pass the draft Law on ITA in original form with 4 regional offices and added: ‘My appointment doesn’t mean that the Agency will be fully operational, since RS has to provide with adequate premises. I expect to have my team in place shortly and then to start difficult task of merging custom authorities and introduction of VAT… I invite all citizens to be critical of our work, but also to support our efforts.’ Causevic previously worked as an Advisor to the FBiH Finance Minister.

Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 3 ‘Kemal Causevic is ITA Director’, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Causevic forcibly appointed’ – Ljerka Maric, BiH Minister of Finance, said that ITA will not start functioning as of 1 January 2004, but its functioning will commence asap.

[Kasumovic’s comment]

Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Causevic new director of customs’ – Carrying that the CoM appointed ITA Director, daily also brings reaction from Fuad Kasumovic, who won the first competition for the position but was not appointed because of alleged frauds committed in FBiH Customs. He said that he currently expects the answer on his complaint he submitted with the BiH Ombudsmen, and added: ‘I know I cannot go against [Paddy] Ashdown and [Michael] Humphreys, but I will fight till the end.’ Asked to comment what will be done if Frank Orton confirms that the second competition of the candidates was illegal, as Kasumovic claims it was, EC Spokesperon Frane Maroevic said: ‘We will wait for Orton’s decision. Every if it goes in the favour of Kasumovic, CoM doesn’t have to appoint him.’

OHR and EC welcome Causevic’s appointment

CRHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Not good that the decision was brought following the pressure from EC’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Main seat of Administration in Banja Luka’ – OHR welcomed decision by the BiH Council of Ministers to finally appoint the Indirect Taxation Administration Director. OHR spokesperson Oleg Milisic told FENA that OHR has viewed as positive the fact that all decisions concerning the ITA were reached by BiH institutions without direct intervention by the international community. However, OHR stressed it was concerned that party interests delayed this decision for months and that it came only following repeated pressures by the European Commission. –

RTRS – OHR officials also expressed their hope that the ITA work will speed up now. Spokesperson Mario Brkic also praised BH institutions to leading this process on their own, but at the same time stressed that it was necessary to solve other issues regarding the work of the Administration, such as finding a seat for it in Banja Luka, adopt the law in the form acceptable to EC and appoint management bodies.

FTV – EC Spokesperson France Maroevic: ‘It was important to have this appointment, but whole process was unnecessary delayed for several months.’ Stressing that the appointment was positive, OHR Spokesmen Mario Brkic also stressed: ‘Politicising of this case has caused delays and it sent a bad signal.’ Asked to comment on Causevic’s appointment despite criminal charges filed against him, Maroevic said: ‘We know about that investigation, but CoM has made appointment and we’ll see what was a background for these charges.’

Dixon urges adoption of ITA Law

Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘International community is also responsible for slow implementation of reforms’ – Joly Dixon, the Chairperson of the Indirect Taxation Commission, is of the view that all those who took part in selection of candidates, including international community, are responsible for delay in appointing the ITA Director and delay in implementation of customs and tax reforms in general. He expressed his great disappointment over the fact that the ITA Law has not been passed as yet, nor was the location where ITA would be placed identified.

Bosnian Business Conference in London

RTRS, Vecernje Novosti pg 21 ‘Mikerevic in London’ – RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic arrived to London on Monday, where he will participate the work of the conference on BH progress and partnership. Conference has an aim to attract UK investors to BiH. The conference is hosted by the UK Ambassador to BiH Ian Cliff, and attended by the FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic, the High Representative Paddy Ashdown and Central Bank Governor Peter Nichol.

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Due to large interest by the businessmen, we asked for new hall’ – The Director of BiH Foreign Investment and Promotion Agency [FIPA] Mirza Hajric stated that a large number of companies participate the London’s conference: ‘Interest for this business forum is really large, so we had to look for additional hall yesterday in order to receive all those who announced their arrival,’ – commented Hajric adding that 200 businessmen will participate the conference. 

Nezavisne Novine cover and pg ‘Progress and partnership’ op-ed by Ian Cliff – In the op-ed, British Ambassador to BiH says that he will on Tuesday chair the business conference in London called ‘Progress and partnership’, whose goal is to encourage British businessmen and companies to seriously consider the possibility to invest in BiH. he also makes a reference to ongoing privatisation process in BiH, stressing that surplus of labour will have to be enabled to classify anew and find other jobs. For this, some agencies should be established as well. He stresses that BiH has real potentials and qualified labour and it should use it properly and through appropriate strategy to be set by state authorities.

Avaz claims premium for 3rd GSM licence to be extremely high

 

Dnevni Avaz cover ‘Many will feel their head spinning, pg 11 ‘Many will feel their head spinning when they hear how much is GSM licence in BiH’ by F. Cardzic – According to BH Minister for Transportation and Communications Branko Dokic said for daily that he cannot comment on the price of third GSM licence premium, whoever said: ‘Ministry did prepare the estimate of a value for third GSM licence, but information on that is just about to go to the CoM Economy Board.’  He added that he believed that there will be third GSM operator after 31 December. Avaz claim it learned that the price for licence would be enormously high.

Negotiations with Montenegro on use of the port

Blic pg 13 ‘Bar instead of Ploce’ – Chairman of BiH CoM Adnan Terzic has assessed that it was of a strategic interest for BiH to use Ploce Port, yet he has announced that an alternative could be in using Montenegrin Bar Port should it be impossible to reach a political agreement with Croatia. Terzic confirmed for Podgorica ‘Vijesti’ that he had discussed the use of the Montenegrin Port with Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

Oslobodjenje claims local tobacco production falls apart

Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 7 ‘Local industry of cigarettes falling apart?’ – Daily’s cover page story brings that according to the Hajrudin Hadzimesanovic, advisor to FBiH Finance Minister Dragan Vrankic, said that the local tobacco production is rapidly falling. While the export of cigarettes has increased resulting in 6 million KM increase of profit, FBiH Customs Administration also noted 22 million KM less collected from taxes.

 

Political developments

CoM finally brings decision on SIPA temporary seat

 

 

CRHB, FTV, RTRS, BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Kemal Causevic appointed as ITA Director’, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘SIPA temporarily seated in Zrak building’, Nezavisne Novine cover, pg 3 ‘Kemal Causevic is ITA Director’, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Causevic forcibly appointed’, Blic pg 13 ‘Causevic is ITA Director’ – At the session on Monday, BiH Council of Ministers agreed on the temporary location of a seat for the State Information and Protection Agency to be ‘Zrak’ building in Sarajevo. The final decision will be brought following the consideration of three additional premises in Nedzarici, Sarajevo and Serb Sarajevo. Cropress also reported on this issue.

Dailies: Mostar Commission on Tuesday holds last session; update 

Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Final decision to be made by the High Representative’– According to dailies, the Mostar Commission is going to hold its last session on Tuesday, in order to discuss the election system for the City. Previously, as chairman of the commission Norbert Witnerstein announced, the parties agreed to Mostar being single city with a single budget. However, consensus was not reached in the matter of electoral units, and administrative structured, while Oslobodjenje says that due to these reasons ‘it was to be expected that the High Representatives make the last move.’

Dnevni List front, pg 4 ‘Paddy Ashdown cuts the Gordian knot’ – DL also says that during the last few days the SDA top has intensified its pressure exerted against the OHR regarding the future organization of Mostar and that SDA officials hysterically repeat that Paddy Ashdown must not proclaim Mostar one unit of the local self-government, since they believe that in this way Mostar will become the Croat center. DL concludes that in any case the HR will cut the Gordian knot after New Year’s holidays since it is very likely that he will leave for vacation on December 15.  

Dnevni List front, pg 9 ‘Ceric gave advice to Bosniaks from Mostar’ – DL also says that although it seems that SDA and Party for BiH do not have the same stand with regard to this issue they are more unified than they have ever been, and they just do not put in the same way the things they want in Mostar. According to the article, all SDA Mostar officials, Fatima Leho, Salem Bubalo and Zijo Hadziomerovic, were in Sarajevo on Monday. Although they did not attend the same meetings, the article says it is hard to believe that they did not drop by the SDA Headquarters in order to get instructions before the Mostar Commission passes the final decision.

Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Bosniaks in Mostar must not ghettoise’ – Visiting Mostar in order to speak with youth on drugs, head of Islamic Community in BiH mufti Mustafa effendi Ceric also addressed the issue of Mostar saying that Bosniaks must not be isolated and ghettoised. He also added that those politicians who represent Bosniaks interests in the process of Mostar integration must fulfil their tasks as expected and that they have to cooperate with the international community. Ceric stressed Bosniaks must not play with the ‘favourable’ status they have in the IC.   

Road blockages around Mostar over failure to agree on waste dump site

FTV – The representatives of three Mostar Municipalities with the Croat majority (Southwest, West, South) protested on Monday against the unsolved problem of waste disposal in Mostar and blockade of the ‘Uborak’ waste dump. As a sign of the protest, trucks of the ‘Parkovi’ public utilities company from (west) Mostar blocked the M17 road for an hour.Municipalities with Bosniak majority refuse to allow use of waste disposal site on their territory for litter from Western Mostar. World Bank has allocated 2 million KM for new public utilities company and 5 million for disposal site, however unless the problems are solved the donations will be lost.

Dnevni List front, pg 15 ‘Jahic and Beslic will have to solve issue of Uborak waste dump’, Vecernji List pg 7 ‘Road blocked because of waste’, Slobodna Dalmacija front, pg 15 ‘Truck with garbage block Mostar’ – The Head of Municipality Southwest, Mladen Margeta, notes that the Croat majority municipalities have adopted decisions, meeting requirements of the World Bank, saying that the price of disposal of waste at the ‘Uborak’ dump set at 60 KMs per one ton is unacceptable for the Croat municipalities. Margeta calls on the IC to get involved and solve the issue, and the City authorities to observe the pre-requisites set forth by the World Bank regarding the “Uborak” waste dump. According to the President of the Mostar City Council, Ivan Musa, the situation is about parallelisms pointing finger at the Mayor of Mostar, Hamdija Jahic. In that context, Musa says the Deputy Mayor, Ljubo Beslic, met the requests related to the Croat municipalities.

[Mayor’s comment]

Oslobodjenje pgs 4&5 ‘Garbage ‘blocked’ M17’, ‘WBs patience running out’ – Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic announced the meeting on Tuesday of the directors of both public utilities companies, as well as the all municipal heads and representatives of OHR. He added that the blockade of the M17 road would not solve the issue, and added: ‘No city municipality did everything necessary in order to implement the decisions by the City’s Council. Some municipalities made partial decisions, actually the part of the decisions that they are in their interest. One cannot solve utilities’ problem partially, it has to be solved in the package.’

HDZ BiH Presidency held session

Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Decisions on expulsions from party postponed’ – The Presidency of HDZ BiH, at a session held on Monday, did not take a decision to sanction its officials who participated in the last Croatian parliamentary elections on lists of other parties rather than the HDZ’s.

Vecernji List front ‘HDZ BiH postpones purges in the party’, pg 2 ‘Decision of purges postponed’ by Zoran Kresic – According to the author, the latter shows either that there is no consensus among 20 members of the Presidency or that there is no real power to go ahead with the purges. The issue will be again discussed at a next session of the Presidency that is due to take place before December 20 the latest.

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Implementation of partial inter-party elections announced’ – Presidency of the party also discussed the reports from cantonal boards of the HDZ on the performance of the party at all levels of the authorities: ‘According to the discussion held it is possible to conclude that will be go for interparty elections, but not in all of the party’s organizations.’ – stated HDZ President Barisa Colak at the press conference held following the session. 

Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘No-one will dominate’ – HDZ BiH also concluded that they are in favour of the Mostar as a single city, as a unified unit of local self-rule in which no peoples will dominate.

Moldavian representatives met with BiH authorities

CRHB, BHTV 1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Big possibilities for economic cooperation’, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘With agreements to better bilateral relations’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Agreement on anti-tax evasion signed’ – BiH and Moldavian representatives will meet again Moldova capital in March at forum of economic agents to discuss ways to strengthen co-operation and broaden ties, Moldavian President Vladimir Voronjin told journalists on Monday following the talks with BH Council of Ministers Chairman Adnan Terzic. Two statesmen discussed the ways two governments improve relations and sign a greater number of agreements. Terzic praised the establishment of contacts between the Chambers of Commerce of the two countries and their intention to present potentials of the two economies in March. Varanjin also met with BH Presidency.

EU ministers consider EC respond to BiH’s Feasibility Study; Ivanic, Terzic to attend PIC meeting

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘EU’s council to consider EC’s respond’ – Daily reads that the heads of EU states will on Tuesday consider EC’s respond on progress achieved in the reforms process in BiH, based on which they have issued the positive answer to the BiH Feasibility Study. According to Avaz, diplomatic circles in Brussels are expected from Foreign Affairs Ministers, meeting within Council for General and Foreign Affairs, to adopt the report form the Commission and to support 16 conditions laid down. Following this meeting, BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic is expected to join PM Terzic at the PIC Meeting. 

BHTV 1 – At the next meeting of the Peace Implementation Council in Brussels, BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic will present strategy for the fight against poverty, but also economic program for 2004-2007. Brussels’s officials believe that important progress on feasibility study has been achieved, but also warn that conditions laid down were a serious challenge.

Patten: EC to spend about 2 bn euros in Western Balkans in next 3 years

Dnevni Avaz cover ‘We planned to give 2 bn Euros for the region’, pg 5 ‘Almost 2 bn Euros will be spent in the region in the next three years’ by S. Numanovic – Addressing a group of journalists from BiH in Brussels, EC Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Chris Patten said that Paddy Ashdown was right to say that BiH should be encouraged with yes answer given to the Feasibility Study, but also that it should be focused on what is left to be done. He also announced that in the next three years, EC plans to spend a bit less than 2 billion Euros in this region. ‘There are some other problems in the world we must deal with, but we plan to threat the issue of Western Balkans very seriously’, – stressed Patten, and repeated that all countries from the region that expressed their wish to join EU are expected to full respect their international obligations, including full cooperation with the ICTY. On the latter, Patten said that EC takes full consideration of the reports by Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, and since they indicate the lack of appropriate cooperation EC will require arrests of war crimes suspects at ‘maximum speed’.  

SD interview with Florijan Boras

Slobodna Dalmacija pg 19 ‘Racan forgot you, however, we shall correct it’ by D. Juka – DL carries an interview with Florijan Boras, who was a special representative of HDZ of Croatia President Ivo Sanader at the ceremony of unveiling a monument erected in honor of late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. Among other things, Boras says: ‘Certainly, our wish is that BiH as a whole is organized as a legally organized state, in which the Croats, as well as the Serbs and Bosniaks prosper. In accordance to this, BiH is our friendly and neighboring state and we shall have correct relations with BiH and Federation of BiH authorities, as well as, with the High Representative of the International Community and we shall certainly work on improving of the state relations between BiH and Croatia, however, independently from this we shall have direct contacts with representatives of the Croat people and we shall help the Croats.’   

Racan slams Boras’ statements in Siroki Brijeg

Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Speech of hatred in Siroki Brijeg’ – Ivica Racan, Croatian Prime Minister, assessed that the appearance of Florijan Boras, envoy of HDZ President from Croatia, Ivo Sanader, at the unveiling of monument to Franjo Tudjman in Siroki Brijeg on Saturday represents a late speech of hatred. Sanader yesterday disassociated from statement given by Boras.

Oslobodjenje editorial on Tudjman’s monument and ruling parties

Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘The style of ruling’ editorial by Mirko Sagolj – Referring to the Franjo Tudjman’s monument in Siroki Brijeg, author writes that this proved that HDZ Croatia will stay loyal to Tudjman politics. At the same time, ‘HDZ BIH leaders Barisa Colak and Dragan Covic also undoubtedly made clear that HDZ BiH also stays blindly loyal to Tudjman’s politics towards BiH, meaning to its division. After the monument was placed and unveiled, there were reactions from the nationalists parties that HDZ BiH shares the power with – SDA and SDS. Of course, very negative ones. These parties estimate that this was politically inappropriate act.’ Sagolj further claims that both SDA and SDS knew about the monument for three months, but did nothing about it. ‘Why they were silent than, and now they react?’ Well, probably because they don’t want to mind make each other angry. They only can rule this country in that way… That is the style of their ruling over this country… Until they achieve their final goals – until they divide BiH. If they could.’ – concludes the editorial. 

 

Security issues

Dnevni Avaz banned to write on Lagumdzija following ‘coup d’état’ affair 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FTV, BHTV 1, Oslobodjenje cover, pg 2 ‘Avaz banned to writes about Lagumdzija’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Avaz banned from writing any false information about Zlatko Lagumdzija’, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Bringing up lies at account of Zlatko Lagumdzija banned’ – Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz has been banned by the Sarajevo Cantonal Court to write about Zlatko Lagumdzija. Avaz has been banned to to ‘pass on incorrect and untrue claims against Zlatko Lagumdzija, and which are directed against jeopardizing Lagumdzija’s reputation’, as it was concluded by the judge Nevenka Jancic-Milosavljevic. This is temporary measure till completion of litigation process Lagumdzija vs. Avaz before the court. The court made decision on the basis of charges filed against Dnevni Avaz by Lagumdzija on November 29 for slander and false writing in Avaz about alleged coup d’état and Lagumdzija’s involvement. The court found his rights were breached and that he was personally and politically discredited. In response to the decision, Avaz’s Editor-In-Chief Fahrudin Djapo sent a letter on behalf editoral board to public. The letter reads this decision is an attempt to introduce censorship and prevent free media. Avaz also announced it will launch a wide spread campaign against anti-Bosniak composition in judicial institutions and would inform OHR and the Peace Implementation Council of the cases, and seek protection of media freedoms. The letter also accuses the judge in the case of making partial decision. 

Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Lagumdzija wants to introduce censorship’, pg 9 ‘Judge from Munja’s minutes delivered scandalous measure’, ‘Introduction of UDBA-like censorship leads to dangerous radicalising’, ‘The request for move away judge Milosavljevic-Jancic’ – the issue largely covered harshly criticising court’s ruling.

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘When Lagumdzija introduces censorship’ editorial by Fadil Mandal – Editorial says that the court’s ruling presents breach of the freedom of media, while in country such as USA or UK something like this would never happen. ‘Proved corrupted politician and new Bolshevik Zlatko Lagumdzija, who not even jokingly can be compared with serious statesmen is proved by the court from the public like polar bear. He can do anything he wants, he can spend state money for his wife’s purposes without any control and sanctions, but journalists and public have to keep quite about it.’ – reads the editorial.

Ashdown urges intelligence reforms and start of SIPA’s work

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Does BiH need police?’ by S. Numanovic – In an interview to DA, the High Representative Paddy Ashdown stressed that following ITA and defence reforms, BiH must now speed up intelligence reforms. He also outlined three main reasons for that: worsened instability of intelligence services in BiH, scandals that lately amused BH audience and worsened global security situation. ‘After the Istanbul, the situation is largely different, and the country with intelligence in this condition is much weaker than others. As someone responsible for security also, I cannot allow this risk and I have sent the letter to the President of BH Government stressing that Council of Minister must pass the Law on the Intelligence-Security Agency by 15 December, and that by mid March next year BH Parliament has to adopt it.’ – stressed Ashdown. Asked whether he had ideas as to how police forces in BiH should be restructured, Ashdown answered that was the issue for BiH to solve, not the international community: ‘I thought that BiH has 13, but later established that that are actually 20 different police forces, ranging from cantonal and entities to court police, the State Border Service… BiH authorities have to solve this issue on their own in order to respond to the request by the EU and improve the rule of law in your country. For the beginning, the Law on SIPA should pass the state parliament and that agency has to start working.’  

 

War crimes

Blaskic’s appeal trial started

 

CRHB, FTV, BHTV 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘The first hearing behind the closed doors’, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Discussion on Tihomir Blaskic’s appeal has started’ – The trial by appeal of Croat general Tihomir Blaskic, who was sentenced to 45 years of prison in the first-degree process for crimes against humanity committed in central Bosnia, commenced on Monday before the Hague Tribunal. A witness of Blaskic’s defence started giving his statement, but behind closed doors for the purpose of insuring his protection. Defence requests Blaskic’s acquittal, considering the newly found documents in the archives of Croatian intelligence services, obtained in the spring of 2000 after the death of the former Croatian president, Franjo Tudjman. The prosecution regards the appeal as groundless and requests maintaining of Blaskic’s prison term.