Sarajevo – At the press conference of the IC representatives, the OHR spokesman Haselock announced the names of OHR employees, died in helicopter accident yesterday. Their names are: Ambassador Gerd Wagner – ICHR deputy, Leah Melnick – officer in OHR, Charles Morphet – Officer of the British Foreign Office, Jurgen Schauf – Amb. Wagner’s body guard, Thomas Reinhardt – German diplomat. SFOR spokesman Riley read the condolence message from SFOR commander Gen. Shinseki that says the tragic loss of those inspiring and devoted people represents a sad stroke for all of those who work on the peace process in BiH. This bright example of unselfish devotion will keep inspiring our joint efforts in the DPA implementation in BiH. Answering the question on whether the death of those high IC diplomats will affect the work on field in BiH, the spokesman of OHR Haselock and UN spokesman Ivanko said that those were experts whose absence will surely be missed by us all, the life goes on and we have to find the way to proceed with our work . Ivanko said that the UN will publish no information about the cause of accident before the complete investigation determines the actual cause. BiH President Izetbegovic signed the condolences book, as well as many other BiH officials, and Sarajevo citizens. Condolences were also expressed by NATO Secretary. Gen. Solana and UN Secretary Gen. Annan.
The officials from Washington published the names of Americans deceased In the accident: David Krishkovich – IPTF, Leah Melnick – OHR, Livio Beccaccio – IPTF, Marvin Padgett – IPTF, William Nesbitt – ICITAP. US President Clinton expressed his deepest regrets on the death of American citizens, and his regrets and deepest sympathies for the families of the rest of deceased. US Special Envoy Gelbard will come personally on this occasion.
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Brussels – The Steering Board of the World Bank decided to give another financial injection to BiH. WB mission chief in BiH O’Sullivan informed CoM Co-chairman Silajdzic about the new credit of $120 million. Federal Prime-Minister Bicakcic also received the WB delegation.
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Mostar – At the session of BiH Federation Government, the main issue was the Renewal and Reconstruction Programme (RRP). The session begun with a minutes silence for deceased in the helicopter accident yesterday. The Government adopted the information about RRP implementation, and the proposal on temporary prohibition of tobacco import. The decision on financial support to the Financial Police was also adopted, as well as the features of BiH Police ID’s.
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Sarajevo – HoP Chairman Ljubic scheduled a HoP session for October 1. Ljubic’s cabinet announced that the HoP will consider the proposition and law drafts delivered to HoP by BiH Federation Government.
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Vienna – Although OSCE Ambassador Frowick, after his meeting with RS President Plavsic, announced that OSCE would decide on pre-elections by consensus, the OSCE spokeswoman Flemming announced in Vienna that despite what was confirmed in Banja Luka, OSCE has not the opportunity to decide on pre-elections in RS.
OSCE spokesman Verheyden reacted to the publishing of preliminary election results, saying that only the Temporary Election Committee may publish the results and confirm the technical accuracy of the elections’.
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Bihac – At the beginning of the press conference held by OSCE, UNHCR, UN, IPTF and SFOR representatives, the deepest regrets were expressed on the death of IC officials, died in yesterday’s accident. OSCE spokesman said that the main job now is to implement the election results. UNHCR spokesman said that 1870 houses in Una/Sana Canton were being rebuilt within the “Bihac – Open City” project. UN and IPTF continued to supervise the exhumation from the “Bezdan” mass grave. The exhumation is ceased temporarily while identification process of bodies is completed.
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Sarajevo – The decision of the Parliament to pronounce SDS representative Ostojic as the Human Rights Committee Chairman resulted in reactions from BiH Parties. The Jeopardised Peoples Society austerely condemned this decision, saying that, Ostojic (called BiH Serb’s Gebels by Simon Visenthal) was amnestied from his crimes by the BiH Parliament. JPS said that Ostojic was responsible for sacking Bosniak people, deportation of Bosniaks to concentration camps and mass rapes. Thus, the BiH Parliament accepted the theory of “three sides in war” and civil war in BiH.
The SDA Main Board chairman Genjac said that SDA believes that this choice was a huge mistake made by BiH Parliament representatives. The SDA spokesman Grbo said that despite the Hague opinion about Ostojic, he is by all means one of the founders of crimes in BiH.
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Reports on the Refugee Return – In the past two months, two meetings were held between the DP’s and refugee representatives from BiH and RS. It was concluded that this matter mostly depends on the DPA implementation and democratic streams in RS who stand for BiH reintegration and refugee return in accordance with Annex 7 of DPA. DP’s representatives also adopted the conclusions that support the ICTY work and demanded for free approach to all mass graves and possible prisoners of war.
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