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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Pre-election activities |
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 |
Electronic Media Headlines |
- 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.