OHR BiH TV News Summary, 8 September 1998

BiH Parliament House of Representatives held the last session in this mandate. HoR adopted the Federation Government report for the period January-June 1998. The Law on Security of Deposits in banks was also adopted as well as the Law on Amendments on the Law on Selling of Apartments with residential rights. Changes of this law equated the rights of BiH Federation Army soldiers, HVO and the police with the rights of veterans of the World War Two.
2:00

BiH Federation Parliament House of Peoples Collegium held a session. Representative Pasic asked for explanation from the OSCE about their decision to hold another session of the BiH Federation HoP after the elections.
1:00

The BiH Government and the Government of Japan exchanged note verbale about Japanese aid projects in BiH. Two projects were discussed, the project of long-term credit to the Kakanj Mines in amount of $30 million, and the second project for food production improvement, worth $4 million. This project also covers both BiH Federation and the RS.
1:00

Austrian FA Ministry official Jandel, state at the press conference in Sarajevo that BiH entry to the European Union is a long-term process and cannot be achieved in near future. Before entry to the European Union, BiH has to fulfill many conditions, not only the DPA implementation, said Jandel and added that BiH also has to be democratised, human rights and national minorities have to be respected, and that economic reforms and further efforts in market economy must be made. Jandel also added that the European Union hopes they will be able to see moderate politicians instead of hard-liners and nationalists after the elections.
1:00

European Parliament delegation visited Banja Luka today. After his meeting with RS President Plavsic, delegation head, Hose Maria Girobles said that the EU and himself see the upcoming elections very important. RS President Plavsic said that the visit of the European Parliament in this moment is very important.
0:30

UN Secretary General Special Envoy, Rehn visited Mostar, and held meetings with Herzegovina/Neretva Canton officials and Cantonal MUP representatives. Main issues of the discussion were work of the joint police, legal system, refugee return and the safety conditions in the areas of return.
2:00

The cornerstone for the Business Trade Centre Brcko was laid today. German TCI Company donated 26 million DEM for this centre. The purpose of the centre is to assist faster and better BiH economic reintegration.
2:00

The decision of the RS authorities and local authorities in Brcko to allow the land for construction of houses to Bosnian Serb refugees, temporarily settled in the Brcko region, caused a lot of attention in the public. Brcko Supervisor Farrand said he hopes he will soon hold meetings with the RS authorities, regarding this matter, in order to investigate the legal aspect of this decision. Interviewees of the BiH TV said that Serb refugees in the Ivici municipality area find the most of their construction material in comment: The statistic shows how this decision of the Serb Government pushed their people into thievery, just like some other decisions of the war governments of the smaller BiH entity.) About 150 houses were in demolished state immediately after the Dayton, and now there are about 360 demolished houses. (The construction material is not alone at the strike of thieves, but also the infrastructure material). Farrand expressed his concern about this and said that if this appears to be true, he would take actions to resolve this problem immediately.
2:30

25 Bosniak families returned to the village of Gacice, as agreed with the OHR. Canton Governor Terazic’s cabinet announced that DP’s arrival went without problems. Returnees are supposed to start reconstruction of houses in the next several days.
0:30

UN spokeswoman Moore said that activities of the ICTY exhumation team were suspended last week, due to changes of the safety situation, and because of SFOR‘s engagement during the upcoming elections.
0:30

Fighting in Kosovo continued after several days of silence. Severe conflicts were recorded in the villages of Djakovica, Decani and Drenica regions.
1:30