The presenter started off the news with a brief statement that the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina put the first examples of the new coinage (the ten-pfennig piece) into circulation.
BiH officials must show more responsibility, said US Envoy Robert Gelbard, in a press conference after his meetings in Sarajevo and Banja Luka. He had particularly strong criticism for the Bosniak side, for complaining of obstruction, while they and the Croat leaders have failed to establish the Federation government. He also had urgent warnings concerning the need for immediate liquidation of the National Bank and the dissolution of the current Institute for Financial Exchange (ZPP). He stressed that Milorad Dodik is the ‘best solution’ as Prime Minister for the RS. He did not confirm rumours about the rewards offered by the US for the arrest of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
3:00
The continuation of the RS Assembly session failed to pass the ‘second of the vital packet of property laws’ – the draft of Changes to the Law on Housing Relations. In the break which followed discussion, the RS government – ‘ probably under pressure from the representatives of the OHR’ – prepared an amendment, incorporating requests from the KCD BiH, but the inclusion of any amendment was resisted by the SDS. When the parliament sits again, on 22 December, the law will again be discussed. The KCD BiH considers this delay a step backwards from implementation of the main requirements of the Dayton Agreement.
The afternoon continuation of the session was closed to live TV coverage. The SDS and SRS demanded the impeachment of RS Minister of Information Rajko Vasic, claiming this move was aimed at excluding the opposition from publicity, and that state radio-television SRT is controlled by foreigners and the current RS government. RS president Nikola Poplasen told the parliament he had agreed the structure of the police should be changed, but only in as much as the ethnic population of the RS alters. (While Poplasen was quoted, the camera panned over graffiti apparently saying ‘Buzz off to the Hague!’) BiH President Zivko Radisic reiterated his opposition to the ‘silent revision of the Dayton Agreement, and the possible extension of the authority of the High Representative at Madrid.
5:00
Rasim Kadic, Federation Minister of Refugees and Social Welfare, gave a press conference. He advised that the approximately 10 000 employees of IC organisations, ‘a mine as yet unexploited’ should contribute towards social benefits.
3:00
Ambassador Richard Ellerkman, chief of the Regional OHR stated in a press conference that the Bosnak side has kept its promise of vacating 123 Croat-owned houses at Naselje Polje, for returns. However the Croat side is demanding an extra 31 houses should be vacated. The presenter commented that ‘this announcement of 2-way return is smeared by rumours that the Bosniak side did not fulfill their obligations.’ Safet Orucevic is quoted stressing permanent readiness to enable return.
2:00
Brcko: the latest session of the multi-ethnic assembly was full of complaints from Bosniak representatives that nothing was being done by the authorities to address 2-way return. TV BiH covered the positions of all sides.
1:30
The foreign bloc was followed by coverage of the IMC press conference. TV BiH laid especial stress on the statements on the illegal broadcasting of Croatia Radio-Television.
1:00
Political coverage: TV BiH used NTV 99 coverage of Forum 2000, the political network of which Zlatko Lagumdzija, of the SDP, is president. Party Press conferences described were from The Party for Bosnia; the SDP; the HSS. Party coverage was followed by further coverage of the ongoing exhumations near Sanski Most, conducted by the ‘State Commission for Missing Persons’. The presence of OHR representatives was noted.
1:00
This item was followed by a call for tolerance from Cardinal Vinko Puljic.