Miners of the “Srednja Bosna” coal mine in Zenica are in strike for nine days already. The main reason for the strike is that salaries for March and April had not been paid to the workers yet. It was also said that many workers are “on waiting” while new ones are being employed. One of the miners said that his salary was 37 DEM. Miners appealed on all company and state officials to pay them their salaries.
2:30
Zenica steel mill was approved a credit in amount of $61 million by Kuwait Investments Company “Kia”, with the only condition to form a joint company that would unofficially be called “Kia” steel mill.
2:00
CoM session was held today at OHR, discussing the matters of privatization, restitution and ownership. The main desire and principle of all members of the session is that there must not be discrimination in privatization process, that everyone must take part in it and that privatization principles must be accorded between Federation and the RS. Representative Hodzic said that the draft law on Privatization, proposed by HR Westendorp, should be reviewed, adding that it is necessary to enable equality of everyone in the privatization process, to decide what is the property of BiH, to accord entity laws on privatization with this law, and to resolve the matter of right to take part in the privatization process.
1:30
Federation Prime Minister Bicakcic and his deputy Bilandzija met with presidents of Canton governments. It was announced that first ten contracts on buying of apartments might be signed on Monday. Bilandzija also informed cantons representatives about proposal of the European Union Commission for Customs, that is in regard with reorganization of customs services in Federation and the RS.
1:30
Regular session of the RS Parliament began today in Banja Luka. Matter of September elections was also discussed, as well the Arbitration Decision for Brcko and laws on ministry of internal affairs, Constitutional court and courts in the RS. By this issue of the news, the agenda was not determined yet. According to information by an anonymous source, the RS police commenced issued a warrant for former RS Prime Minister, Klickovic because of criminal activities.
2:30
Hague Tribunal Prosecutor’s office forensics team began exhumations at the Cancari Cesta locality, southwest from Zvornik, UN spokesman Ivanko said. As said by Ivanko this is exhumation of a secondary location, which means that bodies were originally buried in a separate grave, and afterwards relocated. Ivanko also said that there are still no conditions for inauguration of the joint police in Herceg Bosna canton Livno, because Serb policemen are not enabled to take part in the police. Ivanko also said that local authorities failed to create safety conditions for refugee return to Drvar and to assure safety for Serb policemen who were supposed to be assigned in Drvar.
2:00
Meeting of the Herzegovina/Neretva Canton police officials from Bosniak and Croat side was held in Mostar, and there was no agreement on naming the police chief in Stolac. According to HN Canton MUP Minister, Coric, the agreement was not achieved because the two sides had completely opposite standpoints. Corovic proposed that the chief of police in Stolac should be a Croat again, because there is about 10.000 Croats living in Stolac and several hundreds of Bosniaks. His deputy Dziho asked that this function should be assigned to a Bosniak representative, since they were predominant in this town according to the census from 1991. Since the proposal was refused, Dziho will ask arbitration from IPTF Commissar and HR Westendorp.
2:00
Employees of the Vares police station addressed a letter to IPTF Commissar, Monk that says that Zenica Doboj MUP Minister Mehmedovic refused to give ids to policemen of Croat nationality, which is why they are not paid as well. Croat policemen asked IPTF Commissioner to use his influence on the ministry in order to accept these policemen and finance them.
1:00
Eight high officials from the RS Government MUP were replaced or discharged because of suspicions they tried to organize a parallel MUP, obstructed the work of legal MUP and tries to bring down legally elected RS authorities. The RS MUP Minister, Stankovic, signed the announcement. General Borovcaniin, Cols. Slavko Palesic, Malko Koroman, Dragomir Vasic, and Major Okuka were suspended and will be criminally charged while General Karisik, and MUP employees Skobo and Zoljic will probably be pensioned. According to the announcement, these persons, along with 37 employees of the RS MUP, held conspiracy meeting in Zvornik, called “Hajduk’s Evening”.
1:00
European Union representatives visited Tuzla today. The UK Ambassador to BiH, Crawford said that BiH have the future and that EU is determined to contribute to it. EU aid in this year will be about 100 million ECU. Crawford said that EU ambassadors chose Tuzla for it is the most successful area in BiH and should be the model for the rest of the country.
1:00
German Special Envoy for Refugees, Schlee visited Mostar and met with the city officials informing the m about decision of the European Commission to approve 4.8 million ECU for houses reconstruction in Mostar. Schlee also said that there is a chain of projects for assistance in the RS as well.
1:00
BiH TV syndicate addressed a letter to HR Westendorp, in which was said that BiH TV must be democratic, open to all political options and with no influence of ruling parties and structures. Our wishes are that BiH remains muti-ethnic, public TV, available to all nations in BiH. The syndicate considers that implementation of these ideas require economic support, and expresses its readiness to hold a meeting with the HR in the presence of people from editorial and technical branches.
1:00