16 October 97, 19:30
Sarajevo – On the eve of a conference on Brcko scheduled for 20 October, Chairman of the BiH Presidency Alija Izetbegovic met with Arbitrator for Brcko, Roberts Owen. Ejup Ganic, President of the Brcko Commission and BiH Ambassador to the UN, Muhamed Sacirbegovic also participated in the meeting.
Chairman Izetbegovic reiterated that only the FBiH can secure that Brcko should become a multi-ethnic city while the presence of the international community will be required for a longer period.
The Brcko Arbitrator was reported to have planned to meet with all the interested sides in BiH prior to the Vienna conference as well as with Robert Farrand, Supervisor for Brcko.
1:00
Sarajevo – FBiH top officials held a meeting with IPTF and the US embassy representatives on restructuring of the Neretva-Herzegovina cantonal police. Efficient functioning of the Interior Ministry had been jointly assessed as a foundation for general stabilization of the entire Federation, said the report.
UN Spokesman Alex Ivanko was quoted to the effect that “Bosniak policemen escorted by IPTF entered Martin Brod in late afternoon yesterday and together with Croat policemen organized joint patrols”.
1:00
Sarajevo – At today’s session of the FBH Government, a debate on pension funds lasted almost two hours. As a result, it was decided to further elaborate amendments on the existing laws on pension funds in order to establish a unique pension funds for the entire Federation.
However, legislation related to pension funds was expected to be endorsed by the Parliament by the end of the year. Ministers confronted their views with regard to financing of pension funds. State revenues could not cover the funds fully, opined some ministers and pointed to the problem of insufficient funding. With the rather difficult economic situation, where the ratio between the pensioners and the employed working force was 4:1.4, the problem would be difficult to resolve.
3:50
Sarajevo – The Assembly of War Invalids held a session today. Deputies from the Tuzla-Podrinje canton walked out in protest because of the proposed agenda and PM Bicakcic’s failure to attend the session. Predominant topics on the agenda were: the failure of the FBH Government to meet its financial obligations towards war invalids and lack of systematic regulations in this matter. Namely, participants pointed out that legislature related to the status of war invalids needed to be regulated within the overall framework of the Federation legislature.
3:50
Sarajevo – The affair Energopetrol seemed to be coming to its close, said the report. Chairman of the BH Presidency Alija Izetbegovic received President of the BH Union Sulejman Hrle to discuss a crisis in Energopetrol. Izetbegovic denounced that the SDA was in support of a newly appointed general manager of that company. However, he added that a new managing board of Energopetrol would be soon formed to select a new manager and that a thorough investigation into the alleged tax evasion worth 62 million Deutsche marks. by Eneropetrol would be carried out.
Neven Tomic, Deputy Co-Chairman in the CoM told the press that a session of this body scheduled for today was cancelled due to the absence of Co-Chairman Haris Silajdzic. According to Tomic, the postponement of the scheduled session came as” a result of incorrect attitude towards this state institution”, underlining that, “under the Rules and Procedures, in the absence of Co-Chairman, Deputy Co-Chairman should chair sessions”. None of the ministers from the CoM had been notified of Mr. Silajdzic’s plans to be absent, he added.
1:50