OHR BiH Media Round-up, 9/9/2002

 

Print Media Headlines

Oslobodjenje:Galijasevic affair – Votes go to SDP and Haris Silajdzic, Fire destroys Jahorina hotel in Pale

Dnevni Avaz: Munir Alibabic says 14 charges officials involved in terrorism; Jahorina hotel burns to the ground

Jutarnje Novine: Heart surgery in Sarajevo

Dnevni List: Munir Alibabic’s report detrimental to Intelligence Service; Belkic: We must prove that BiH state is not behinds arms trade to Iraq

Vecernji List: Hotel Jahorina burns; ; Belkic: We must prove that BiH state is not behinds arms trade to Iraq

Blic: Several refugees injured in Jahorina hotel fire; Mladen Ivanic – we will secure timely pay out of pensions

Glas Srpski: Agricultural development in the RS, RS Commission for Missing Persons says reactions to Srebrenica report too hasty

Nezavisne Novine: Hotel Jahorina fire leaves refugees without temporary home

Arms Trade with Iraq

BiH Presidency chairman Beriz Belkic told BHTV 1 last night that state institutions have to prove that the state of BiH is not behind possible violations of UN resolutions and military trade with Iraq. If this is not done, things will not go our way, Belkic noted. “That would not be good for BiH, absolutely not good, because BiH is a member of the UN and the state will have to bear all the consequences. I am referring to the reputation and position of the state. I think what the most important thing is in this case is to see if there is any involvement of the official structures of power in BiH – the entity authorities in the RS in this case – or if it is a case of autonomous activities by a company or a number of its employees.” (BHTV 1, front page story in Dnevni List and Vecernji List, Oslobodjenje p. 3)

Commenting on the affair involving the alleged sale of weapons to Iraq by Orao company based in the RS, SNSD candidate for the BiH Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic said on Sunday that the RS leadership must have been informed about the illegal trade. “What is already clear is that such a huge business could not have been done without the knowledge of senior military leaders, RS Defense Ministry officials, RS Customs Administration and the very top of the RS leadership,” said Radmanovic. (FENA, Oslobodjenje p. 5, Dnevni Avaz p. 2)

Nezavisne novine (p.2) reports that although the BiH Presidency called international organizations to help in the investigation related to the RS sale of the weapons to Iraq, it appears that the BiH authorities alone will have to deal with this issue. OHR Chief Spokesman Julian Braithwaite told the daily that theOHR is monitoring the investigation closely. “However, we do not want to make any comments on how deeply we are involved in it.” The RS President, Mirko Sarovic, who attended the session of the BiH Presidency said that he had not been informed about the alleged sale, and stressed that he will undertake all the necessary measures to identify  individuals and companies involved in the affair. The RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, stated that RS established a commission to work on the case and the commission should submit its report tomorrow (10th September).

Reactions

Petar Kunic, the PDP party: “The final position should be known after the Commission conducts the investigation. If the allegations turn out to be true, then the responsible persons from ‘Orao’ company should be punished”.

Slavko Dunjic, the SDS party: “I doubt that the company, such as ‘Orao’, could be involved in the sale of weapons to Iraq. However, if the allegations are true, I hope that the RS will suffer no consequences. Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija claims that BiH is a unitary space and that this has nothing to do with BiH, which means that the RS should not be afraid of consequences”.

Nebojsa Radmanovic, the SNSD party candidate for the BiH Presidency member, believes a fast and impartial investigation should be conducted, and he points out that the cooperation of the RS President, Mirko Sarovic, is quite ironic.

Petar Djokic, the SPRS party President, is surprised that the information on eventual sale of weapons to Iraq has been brought just now, before the elections and in time when BiH is close to joining the Partnership for Peace, and he claims he does not know what is the true aim of the information.

Branislav Lolic, the SNS party President, thinks the information that has not been verified should not be placed in public, because it creates affairs. He also thinks this information has been placed in public with an aim to misuse it for pre-electoral purposes. (Blic, page 7)

Federation Intelligence Agency affair

At a press conference held on Sunday, the director of the Federation Intelligence Service [FOSS], Munir Alibabic denied that the FOSS report about 14 former senior BIH officials being involved in an organized crime contained elements of criminal charges. He, however, stressed that the controversial report does contain indications that a group of officials was engaged in a number of cases of organized crime, corruption, robbery, and murder, all of which were highly detrimental to the Federation and its citizens. Alibabic also condemned media in Sarajevo who “are manipulating with this report without having proper authorization,” and an “irresponsible official” who gave this document to the press. “I expect that responsible bodies, with the help of the OHR, will penalize the theft and abuse of the FOSS report which was submitted to judicial institutions.” (front page of Dnevni Avaz, Oslobodjenje f.p., Dnevni List f.p., Ljiljan published the transcript of the FOSS report, BHTV 1)

In an article on the issue, Ljiljan’s Mustafa Borovic writes that the latest moves made by FOSS Director Munir Alibabic were aimed at “satanizing his own people” and clearly show that the entire affair was well-thought and pre-planned “by those who had once not succeeded to divide BiH and destroy the Bosniak people.” “Following a number of fixed political processes, court-rooms and jails in the BiH Federation are full of Bosniaks, as the war crime suspects and genuine criminals belonging to the other two peoples are freely walking throughout the state, “ Borovic emphasized.

This week’s Ljiljan also published an article on the firing of more than 200 former AID (Bosniak Intelligence Service) members from the newly-established FOSS. “It seems that the current SDP authorities(through their nominee Munir Alibabic) are quickly changing the intelligence structure in order to promote their own cadre, just in the same way they are appointing police commissioners,” Enes Jakupovic wrote.

BiH State-level developments

In a statement for the press, the Party for BiH expressed its dissatisfaction with the slow implementation of constitutional amendments in BiH. “S BiH is particularly concerned about the attempt of the RS government to usurp several state competencies in form of the creation of the Ministry for Foreign Trade and several agencies which would have jurisdiction over issues generally considered to be under state jurisdiction,” said S BiH and called the OHR to stop “such anti-constitutional activities.” (Dnevni Avaz p. 2)

Vecernji List (page 2, by M. Stankovic) reports that the OHR believes that a system of Criminal Law regulations is a crucial part of the judiciary reform. The daily notes that Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, placed the judiciary reform at the top of his priority-list. “For this reason, the OHR expects that House of Peoples and House of Representatives of the state Parliament support the Criminal Law. Bringing to life of this law will mean a transfer of a part of competence from entities’ to a state level.” VL concludes that resistance to the judiciary reform is still present in the Parliament.

Dnevni List (page 3 and front page) writes that many believe that BiH should get a joint Ministry of Interior at the state-level. Tomislav Limov, an assistant of the Federation Minister of Interior, stated for DL that ‘expectations that BiH gets joint Ministry of Interior are not only realistic but life shows that this way of organization is necessary if there is a wish to secure a necessary degree of security to citizens on the whole BiH territory.’

Federation Affairs

SDP’sSabrija Pojskic told Dnevni Avaz (p. 3) that SDP deputies in the Federation Parliament have prepared a new draft of the Restitutional Law, which should be discussed at one of the upcoming session of the House of Peoples and House of Representatives. “We will propose that all apartments – about 18,000 of them – in the Federation are offered for purchase. This pertains to vakuf-owned apartments and those that belonged to religions communities or cultural associations before nationalization. Any other solution would be discriminatory and would put in question the equality of citizens living in the Federation.”

Vecernji List (page 4) carries reaction of the Croatian Telecom from Zagreb on the text published on  August 24th in VL titled “Toby Robinson is lobbying for international big business”. “Shares of CROHERC offered by Provisional Administrator of ‘Hercegovacka Banka’ were excellent opportunity for HPT Mostar to reach quick and practical solution as a first step in their dispute over ownership of ERONET Company. By accepting the offer, HPT could have developed their business, which would lead to increased value of HPT Mostar, and much better position towards their competition. Rejection of CROHERCC shares shown that management of HPT Mostar is not working for the goal of business development of users’ interest. (…) Croatian Telecom is willing to provide an overall support to the HPT Mostar in order to achieve the situation that is good for the company, state, and above all, for users and employees. However, Mr. Kukic and Mr. Prlic will have to take care of interests of HPT and not follow their own plans”.

The BiH Council of Ministers reported last week that the business crime damaged the Federation by 40 million KM during the last year only. Due to the crime, nearly 32,000 bills of indictment were filed at the level of BiH. VL says that the lack of proper laws and other concrete moves, which have been envisaged by anti-corruption strategies of the entities and state in order to prevent economic crime, contribute to this situation. Vecernji List (page 2, by Dalibor Ravic)

RS Affairs

The Chairman of the RS Commission for Missing Persons, Nedeljko Mitrovic, assessed that initial response to the report of the RS Government Bureau for relations with ICTY on Srebrenica represented  “nervous and hasty reaction.”(Glas Srpski, cover page). “I do not want to comment on the accuracy of the data presented in the report as this is not in my jurisdiction. The reaction from BiH Federation was expected. However, I am surprised that representatives of various international organizations have denied the information presented in the report, without analyzing it.”

Pre-election activities

Regional and municipal boards of the Party for BiH and party’s youth association in Maglaj refused to comply with last week’s decision of the S BiH Court of Honor to strip Mugdim Galijasevic of the membership in the party. Around 120 S BiH delegates who gathered in Maglaj on Sunday announced that on the cantonal level they will support the SDP and its candidate Mugdim Herceg, while on the state-level, they will remain loyal to Haris Silajdzic.

In the period between 25th August and 5th September, Nezavisne Novine carried out an opinion poll involving 2,220 BiH citizens (1,020 in the RS and 1200 in BiH Federation). According to the results, a great change occurred in the RS and it is realistic to expect that the election results will be different than two years ago (Nezavisne Novine, p.5). The result of the opinion poll are as follows: RS President: Dragan Cavic (SDS)  – 26%; Milan Jelic (SNSD) – 26%; Dragan Mikerevic (PDP) – 11%; Radislav Kanjeric (SRS) – 4,5; other candidates – 15,5; do not know for whom to vote – 17%. RS member to BiH Presidency: Mirko Sarovic (SDS) – 26%; Nebojsa Radmanovic (SNSD) – 19%, Branko Dokic (PDP) – 15%, Ognjen Tadic (SRS) – 7%, Mirko Banjac (SNP) – 7%; other candidates – 10%, do not know for whom to vote – 16%. RS National Assembly: SDS – 26%; SNSD – 26%; PDP – 11%; SRS – 4,5%; SDP – 4,5%, other parties – 11%; do not know for whom to vote – 17%.

Vecernji List (page 3 and front page) reports that this Sunday mass in Scit, near Prozor, was attended by many Croat politicians (Barisa Colak, an acting HDZ President, Dragan Covic, a Croat candidate for the position of a Croat member of the BiH Presidency, Dragan Vrankic, a Governor of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Miro Grabovac Titan, from HDU, Mladen Ivankovic Lijanovic, from People’s Party Working for Prosperity etc). The daily writes that during the homily, the Catholic Cardinal Vinko Puljic also talked about the upcoming elections. ‘Do not let others decide about us without us.” Puljic also said that that at the elections everybody should be guided by the voice of their own consciousness.

In an interview with Dnevni List (pages 6-7, conducted by Miso Relota) the NHI candidate for the BiH Presidency, Mijo Anic, stated: “I was in some towns where no other Croat politician ever came before, and significant number of Croat live there. (…) My orientation is to visit as many villages as possible, because as I see today, villages are in most difficult position (…) When I become member of the Presidency I will strongly work on implementation of reforms in BiH, because without fundamental reforms there will be no progress in BiH (…)  my task will be to create Army of BiH, that is,the Ministry of Defense and joint command of Army of BiH. I see it as three-component because I think that is the only possible solution. I am against two-entity army. We should strengthen positions of BiH as a state, because at that level all are equal, and for Croats that is very important issue. (…) The most difficult period of my life was period of so called Croat Self-Rule”.

In an editorial in Feral (pages 32-33), Ivan Lovrenovic) writes that 7 years after the end of the war, BiH citizens still cannot choose among a few political options. “There are only two possibilities: to vote for restoration of pure ethnocracy or for a reform model, no matter what it means.’ The editorial says: ‘The biggest number of voters , completely confused and disoriented,  will be standing in front of numerous voting ballots, however, those who vote for the parties of restoration will make the biggest mistake, because all chances will be lost with them in power… However, the role of International Community, no matter as to what kind of method of intervention Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, chooses after the October elections, will have to be much more discrete and sustained in this case than two years ago.

Miscellaneous

Four people were injured in the fire that broke out on Saturday morning in Jahorina Hotel. For several years now, one wing of the hotel was used as a collective center for DP families from Sarajevo. The RS President, Mirko Sarovic, visited Jahorina and promised urgent reaction of the RS authorities and assistance to the people who were settled in the hotel. (Glas Srpski, p.3,cover page in Nezavisne Novine, Oslobodjenje, Dnevni Avaz, Dnevni List, Vecernji List, first item in RTRS, FTV, BHTV 1)

Electronic Media Headlines 

BHTV 1

  • Jahorina hotel that is placed nearby Sarajevo was destroyed by fire.
  • Releasing of the FOSS report represents a violation since it is a classified document
  • The RS Government will discuss on mid next week, a possible shipment of military equipment from “Orao” to Iraq. 
  • Sadam Hussein announced a referendum to decide on extension of his mandate

FTV

  • Jahorina hotel burned. More than 240 refugees without shelter.
  • Moscow in fire- smoke made life unbearable
  • Returnees to Drvar threaten to boycott the school

RTRS

  • Fire in the Jahorina Hotel left over 250 refugees without temporary accommodation.
  • BiH Election Commission deleted more than 3000 dead people from voters’ lists.
  • Belgrade – The deadline for registration of the presidential candidates for republic elections is at midnight.
  • Former Chief UN Weapons Inspector supports Iraq.