16 November 97, 19:30
Sarajevo – Footage of the BiH delegation visiting Pope John Paul in Vatikan. Addressing the Pope in the name of the delegation Cardinal Puljic pointed out that this visit represents a return visit to Pope by which they express the devotion and frank thankfulness of all the peoples of BiH to the Pope. Visiting Sarajevo, you, Holy Father, brought the whole world into our town and to BiH, the Cardinal said. The Pope answered that all ordinary people in BiH, as well as representatives of authority, made a deep impression on him during his visit to Sarajevo in April this year. He promised that the Holy Chair will also in future give support to the civilian and social development of BiH. The Pope called on the BiH Presidency to build relations among all peoples in BiH.
5:00
Cardinal Puljic handed to the Pope the newly published books Pope in Sarajevo and The Holy Father Pope II in his shepherd trip on 12 and 13 April 1997 – Sarajevo, BiH, which consists of speeches delivered on the occasion of the Pope’s visit to Sarajevo.
1:00
Members of the State and Religious Council gave short comments on the visit pointing out the importance of the Pope’s support for BiH.
2:00
The news from Iraq was unusually placed at the very beginning of the news block, with the information that world leaders support diplomatic means to sole the Iraq problem. As surprise news, it was accentuated that Kuwait was against a military intervention against Iraq.
2:00
Brcko – After 10 hours of work, stoppage and proceedings, the constitution of the Brcko Assembly ended yesterday in Brcko. In the shadow of the first constituting session was a tense situation which threatened to provoke an incident. Fortunately, with the help of Supervisor Farrand it was halted. A Statement signed by some associations and entitled The Criminals at the Place of Crime was apparently meant to be an invitation for the lynching of Bosniak and Croatian deputies. The signatories who demanded that they should be arrested and sued by the RS legislature, forgot that these deputies came to their own town from which they were brutally expelled. Farrand’s Office reacted in the correct way, said the anchor. Farrand strongly warned the initiators and signatorie, as well as media who broadcast and published this agitating statement, the comment concluded.
1:30
The PEC published statistic on the implementation of the results of the BiH local elections, so far. A large number of the constituent sessions have been held, but the details of the unsuccessful inauguration results and delays in implementing results within 30 days, or not even holding the first municipal sessions, is very worrying. 57 municipalities did not even hold inaugural sessions within the 30 days since the official results became known, and in 22 municipalities the implementation of the local election results has not even begun. Answering a question as to whether OSCE could have done something in advance so that this would not have happened, Johan Verheyden, OSCE Spokesman said that the preventative action was not needed. The obligation to hold the inaugural session rests with the local authorities and we have confidence. Therefore this period of 30 days has been given for the inaugural sessions. We shall act first if we see that either conditions were not met or there was no wish to hold these sessions. OSCE has a list of mechanisms for those who to implement the local election results, Verheyden said.
2:30
Jahorina – The FPA informs that the RS Assembly, which went ahead with its work after Biljana Plavsic’s decision of 3 July to dismiss it, will convene tomorrow on Jahorina. The Assembly should decide if it is going to obey this decision or not. According to the OSCE’s Spokesman Verheyden, the preparations for the elections in RS are going ahead satisfactorily .
1:00