OHR BiH TV News Summary, 18 May 1999

News Headlines

  • BiH Presidency to send letter to Donors’ Conference
  • BiH Federation House of Peoples adopts 1999 budget
  • RS National Assembly adopts 1999 budget, Radicals leave session, displeased with military budget cuts
  • Overpass on Belgrade-Nis road destroyed by NATO
  • NATO hits Smederevo heavily on Tuesday
  • Albanian Army deploys troops on Serbian border
  • Yugoslav Interior Ministry expresses gratitude over release of captured soldiers
  • More NATO members to contribute to air strikes
  • KLA and Serb forces clash in Decani, 800 refugees enter Macedonia
  • Western media reports increased army deployment in Montenegro, Blair visits Macedonia
  • NATO to deploy ground troops at beginning of June – Sergejev
  • Chernomyrdin and Talbott hold talks with Finnish President in Helsinki
  • US deals with consequences of Milosevic’s regime, due to inability to deal with its causes
  • RS Supreme Court orders new trial for three Srebrenica men
  • OHR roundtable on return and reconstruction held in Zenica
  • For many refugees no steps were taken to ensure return home that they are hoping for – Association of Refugees and DPs
  • TV BiH Temporary Executive Board discusses Television Law
  • Bicakcic presides over session of BiH Federation Coordination Board for Renewal and Reconstruction
  • Radisic accepts credentials from Italian and Slovakian Ambassadors
  • Donors to present new help plan for BiH at upcoming Brussels conference
  • Bicakcic and Austrian partner to agree on plans for Bascarsija Hotel by 1 June
  • BiH Foreign Trade Ministry and World Bank successfully complete negotiations over new credit
  • Covic meets with IMF chief in BiH
  • Meigs meets with Dodik and Sarovic
  • Srebrenica Women’s Association on difficulties in searching for Srebrenica missing persons
  • HNS wishes to terminate two existing BiH entities
  • BOSS demands extension in appeal period for privatization certificates
  • Drvar and Glamoc returnees back at work
  • ICTY report
  • Report from Cannes Film festival

News Summary

BiH Presidency to send letter to Donors’ conference

The BiH Presidency will present a report at the upcoming Donors’ Conference describing the growth in the BiH economy but also requesting further funds in order to create a self-sufficient economy. BiH Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic is the person chosen to present this text in Brussels. BiH Presidency members have not agreed on a letter to SFOR regarding the use of BiH airspace. BiH Presidency Chairman Zivko Radisic will therefore send such a letter in his own name. Other Presidency members will declare themselves on the issue of the use of BiH airspace and its relation to the Dayton Agreement after SFOR replies. The BiH Presidency agreed to launch a procedure for membership in the World Trade Organization.

02:16

RS National Assembly adopts 1999 budget, Radicals leave session, displeased with military budget cuts

The RS National Assembly adopted the 1999 budget at their session in Banja Luka on Tuesday, but SDS and SRS delegates walked out of the session, displeased with the budget cuts ratio between the BiH Federation and RS Armies. The RS Defense Minister, on the other hand, supported the budget. SDS and SRS delegates also demanded discussion on the non-implementation of their resent decisions regarding the final Brcko arbitration decision and the moratorium on the functions of RS representatives in BiH institutions. Their demand was not meet and these matters will be discussed at the next session. A conclusion that Yugoslavia needs to take part in the Bonn meeting for the Balkans, scheduled for the end of May, was reached without CD Coalition, SDP, NHI and HDZ BiH consent.

02:17

TV BiH Temporary Executive Board discusses Television Law

President of the TV BiH Temporary Executive Board Ante Domazet gave the following statement concerning the proposed law on RTV BiH. “Regarding Article 16, we propose the realization of programs in the Croat and Bosniak languages, which means on two complementary channels accessible to the entire BiH Federation. As far as Article 71 is concerned, we propose employees of RTV BiH be part of this division too. In addition, the agreement between RTV BiH and the BiH Federation should be composed within 60 days of RTV BiH establishment. We are putting aside 30% of subscriptions in a 12 month period for RTV BiH needs, which will have to go through a transition period during that time. Transition of property agreement between the BiH Federation and RTV BiH should have no rigorous deadlines, like the publicly declared six-month period. We adopted views for the rapid establishment of RTV BiH that, until its final constitution, should have secure working conditions throughout BiH. A meeting with the OHR will serve to establish further activities regarding restructuring of RTV BiH.”

03:40

HNS wishes to terminate two existing BiH entities

The HNS BiH issued a press statement proposing the complete cantonization of BiH instead of the ethnic canonization, meaning the cessation of the current two entities. They wonder what attitude the BiH delegation will assume at the EU conference on the economic and political organization of southeast Europe, considering that there is no unified foreign policy in BiH.

00:25