News Headlines
- Responsibility for resolution of BiH Council of Ministers crisis rests with BiH Presidency – OHR
- Farrand tenders resignation, Petritsch confirms receipt of resignation
- Reason for Farrand’s resignation was political pressure by Bosniak side – ONASA
- Competent ministries of BiH entities and Pension-Disability Insurance Funds signs agreement on common rights and obligations
- Petritsch imposes Law on Judicial and Prosecutorial Service in the BiH Federation
- BiH Federation House of Representatives adjourns session, President Ganic and Vice-president Andric-Luzanski still have not nominated BiH Federation Constitutional Court justices
- Sarajevo Canton Privatization Agency annuls privatization of hotel Marshal on Mount Bjelasnica
- BiH Federation Government to discuss transformation of PTT Sarajevo and HPT Mostar into BiH Federation Telecommunications and Postal Service at next session
- BiH Federation Government determines budget for work of State Commission on Missing Persons in 2000
- New DNA laboratory for identification opens in Tuzla through assistance of US and Dutch Governments
- RS Government holds 100th session and adopts anti-corruption program
- Head of Ilidza Municipality and SFOR sign agreement on return of Ilidza hotels Serbia, Herzegovina and Terma (three of them)
- Opposition holds rallies throughout Serbia due government take over of independent media in Serbia
- International community condemns Serbian regime’s closure of independent media
- Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic afraid of possible actions by Yugoslav Army in Montenegro
- Murders in Gospic, Croatia, are possibly the gravest Croat crimes against the Serbs in the Croatian war – Washington Post
- World news
- Economic reform in BiH going in good direction – Bicakcic at SDA Press conference
- How BiH can become an independent democracy? – Lagumdzija at roundtable organized by US Institute for Peace
- HDZ announces names of its candidates for local municipal authorities
- Party for BiH accuses IC of forcing elections, despite the fact that refugees still have not returned to their pre-war homes
- BiH Republicans appeal on Petritsch to suspend all privatization agencies and establish team to carry out privatization process
- Automobile Factory Sarajevo (TAS) Syndicate appeals on competent bodies for help so that workers do not suffer consequences of illegal business operations in TAS
- Two-day Symposium on Problems in BiH Higher Education starts in Sarajevo
- Petritsch establishes Transitional Broadcasting Agency
- TV BiH signs agreement on cooperation with ‘BiH World Miss’ organization, it is now authorized to broadcast this event
- Sports
- Weather
News Summary
Responsibility for resolution of BiH Council of Ministers crisis rests with BiH Presidency – OHR
The responsibility for the resolution of BiH Council of Ministers’ crisis rests with the BiH Presidency. The Presidency has the opportunity to resolve this issue by next Tuesday or, on the contrary, it will damage BiH’s reputation in the world. This is the OHR comment on Wednesday’s session of the BiH Presidency session and the withdrawal of Tihomir Gligoric’s nomination for Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers. The BiH Presidency has the opportunity to make progress until the upcoming session of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council convenes in Brussels on Tuesday. OHR spokesperson James Ferguson stated that the IC is monitoring everything and this May is international BiH month. (00:34)
Farrand tenders resignation, Petritsch confirms receipt of resignation
International Brcko Supervisor, Ambassador Robert Farrand has tendered his resignation and High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch has confirmed its receipt. The Brcko District Government reacted to the resignation, saying that this resignation comes at a very unsuitable moment. Ambassador Farrand, in a statement, said that he has finished one cycle in the establishment of the District and the establishment of its institutions, which has meant three years away from his family in the US. This was crucial to my decision to resign. In a statement issued by Petritsch, it said that Farrand participated at the very difficult time of establishing peace in Brcko, and that he personally prepared the implementation of two arbitration decisions (Brcko) and the third decision that finally established the Brcko District. According to Petritsch, in 1998, Brcko was the first municipality in the RS with a multiethnic police, local administration and judiciary. (01:02)
Reason for Farrand’s resignation was political pressure by Bosniak side – ONASA
According to ONASA, the reason behind the resignation of Brcko Supervisor Robert Farrand was political pressure from the Bosniak side due to their dissatisfaction with the refugee return process. ONASA emphasizes that the US Embassy and UN Mission to BiH were also very dissatisfied with the work of Ambassador Farrand. According to ONASA, Gary Matthews is going to replace Farrand before the end of this month. (00:26)
Petritsch imposes Law on Judicial and Prosecutorial Service in the BiH Federation
High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch has with Wednesday’s decision imposed the Law on Judicial and Prosecutorial Service in the BiH Federation. OHR spokesperson James Ferguson said that the unbearable delays in the legislative process have demonstrated the lack of political will in BiH Federation Parliament. According to one provision of the new law, all judicial functions will be examined in the next 18 months. The High Representative will extend this deadline, if necessary. In the meantime, UN spokesperson Douglas Coffman said that Jacques Klein welcomes Petritsch’s decision and that the UN Mission, within their program for monitoring the judicial system in BiH, will do everything to support the implementation of this law.
01:26
Petritsch establishes Transitional Broadcasting Agency
The Transitional Broadcasting Agency was established on Thursday in a decision by High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch and represents an important step in the unification of broadcasting systems and attracting foreign investments. Members on the governing board of this agency will include IMC, the principal broadcasters in both BiH entities and the Agent for RTV Property Transfer. The TV BiH presenter comments: “Considering the fact that this story is related to our TV outlet (TV BiH), we have used it as introduction to our next report. The TV BiH will do everything to give you the full experience in the selection of Miss BiH and the Miss World Pageant.”
00:30