News Headlines
- Mesic new Croatian president, report on post-election victory celebration and Mesic’s first interviews
- BiH Ambassador to Croatia Hasan Muratovic believes that BiH-Croatia relations will intensify and change due to possible change in Croatian foreign policy
- ‘One of top priorities in new Croatian foreign policy resolution of all problematic Issues with neighboring countries, relations to BiH will show direction of Croatian policy’ – Zdravko Tomac, president of Croatian Foreign Policy Board
- Holbrooke congratulates new Croatian president, expresses hope that new authority will respect Dayton Agreement without reservation
- OSCE firm stance on supervising and conducting April municipal elections, saying they will not be postponed – Domi
- European Investment Bank anticipates that 900 million euros needed to realize first Stability Pact projects
- Steering Board of Peace Implementation Council meets in Brussels, Petritsch and Barry in attendance
- BiH Council of Ministers holds session
- Radisic to make request at BiH Presidency session for Mihajlovic to take over duties of chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers
- Dodik appoints Nenad Suzic as Deputy RS Prime Minister
- RS National Assembly closed-door discussion on election of new government finishes without conclusion
- BiH Federation Government delegation visits Montenegro to investigate possible cooperation and strengthening relations
- Montenegrin officials condemn Pavle Bulatovic assassination
- Assassinated Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic under The Hague investigation due to possible involvement in crimes committed in Kosovo – ICTY Deputy Prosecutor Graham Blewitt
- World news report
- Werner Blatter, UNHCR Head of Mission to BiH, confirms 19,000 minority returns to Sarajevo Canton in 1998/99
- Accusations of Serb political parties against Brcko Housing Commission result in Serb DP protests
- Regional Water-Pipe Company Blue Water of Travnik and Austrian Company Alpine form joint company Alpine BiH to build waterworks supply networks
- Jelavic, Izetbegovic, Zubak, Lagumdzija, Simic, Pejanovic, Komsic and Council of Bosniak Intellectuals (VKBI) congratulate Mesic
- HDZ congratulates Mesic and expresses hope that new Croatian authority will support BiH Croats
- SNSD Main Board Member Slavko Mitrovic expects revival of Croatian parliamentary system after Mesic victory
- Culture
- Povratak (Return) Refugee Association supports the work of Brcko Housing Commission
- Two German offices for refugee return assistance closed
- BiH must increase private investments – World Bank
- Jelavic receives credentials of Japanese Ambassador to BiH
- Izetbegovic meets with Japanese Ambassador to BiH
- BiH establishes diplomatic relations with Cyprus
- Silajdzic meets with International Conference of Independent Syndicates
- SDP Zenica organizes panel discussion ‘Give Young People a Chance’
- BOSS on apartment buyouts
- DNZ holds press conference
- Symposium on reform of BiH education curricula ends in Sarajevo
- Violence will not be tolerated – OHR, OSCE, UN and IMC to oppose big obstacles to media freedom
News Summary
Steering Board of Peace Implementation Council meets in Brussels, Petritsch and Barry in attendance
The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council held a session in Brussels. High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch and OSCE Head of Mission to BiH Robert Barry participated at the session. Petritsch stated that the focus of attention was directed at economic issues in BiH. He explained that initiating production, a radical macro-economic reform of the economy and the implementation of reforms in the banking system are the keys to IC success in BiH. The Peace Implementation Council Steering Board gave its full support to Petritsch to speed up all of these processes, especially the process of privatization. Petritsch stated that the Permanent Election Law represents the base for every modern and democratic society. He considers that the BiH Parliament response to the BiH Council of Ministers, if they would accept or reject the draft permanent election law, is of critical importance to the final phase of considering BiH’s admission to the Council of Europe.
01:52
BiH Council of Ministers held session
The BiH Council of Ministers adopted the Law on Customs Policy and Tariffs. The Council also prepared a proposal for an IMF stand-by arrangement. Deputy Co-Chairman Neven Tomic informed that the Council of Ministers had fulfilled all requests imposed by the IMF in the terms of the stand-by arrangement. The BiH Council of Ministers adopted an agreement between them and the EC on media programs amounting to 2.4 million euros. From the amount, 900,000 euros will be given to the Open Broadcast Network, 700,000 euros will be invested to establish the BiH Public Broadcasting Service and 800,000 euros for the further work of the IMC.
01:50
Accusations of Serb political parties against Brcko Housing Commission result in Serb DP protests
The accusations of Serb political parties against the Brcko Housing Commission’s work have initiated protests by Serb DPs. Serb DPs held protest rallies in front of the OHR office in Brcko and the Brcko Municipality Building. They demanded the abolishment of the Brcko Housing Commission, the stop of evictions carried out according to Housing Commission orders and protection of Serb DPs. Mirsad Djapo, the president of Brcko Municipal Assembly, said “we have formed a Multiethnic Housing Commission and it is a model for resolving housing issues in BiH.” Djapo said he supports the Brcko Housing Commission in its work and believes that it will work in accordance with the rules. He asserted that mistakes could be uncovered in the work of the Housing Commission’s inspection team. The Brcko Housing Commission has resolved over 200 cases to date, and has worked in accordance with International Supervisor Robert Farrand’s instruction to work only on cases of multiple occupancy.
02:20
Violence will not be tolerated – OHR, OSCE, UN and IMC to oppose big obstacles to media freedom
The OHR, OSCE, UN and IMC have together drafted a six-point program that has the goal of protecting the rights of journalists and freedom of speech. An OSCE spokesperson stated that, after the attack on Zeljko Kopanja, the IC realized it has to send a clear message that violence and other forms of media intimidation are not going to be tolerated. The joint work of these organizations has brought an initiative on bringing a law on media that would establish robust and effective legal protection of journalists. The Press Council has introduced self-regulation into journalism, and this will protect journalistic ethics and professionalism. The BiH Association of Journalists is working on the adoption of certain documents drafted by the Press Council. Besides this, they are also working on a manual for police and journalists with the goal of informing police on the rights of and legal procedures in regard to journalists, and vice versa. A seminar on media, to be sponsored by the Council of Europe and OSCE, is scheduled to take place in the autumn. International organizations will carry out research on media freedom in first six months of 2000 to get a clear picture of the situation, and will continue monitoring officials who suffocate the media freedom. The IMC reminds media outlets on their obligations during the pre election campaign in BiH. The IMC Code of Practice includes rules that obligate the print and electronic media to ensure fair coverage and equal access to all registered political parties and candidates. The IMC reminds media outlets that they are obliged to submit programming schedules on political presentations to the IMC seven days before the pre-election campaign period starts. It also reminded that, currently, revision on instructions for paid political advertising is ongoing and that TV media would be informed of this on time.
02:23