OHR BiH TV News Summary, 9 November 1999

News Headlines

  • BiH Presidency prolongs adoption of Law on border service
  • Petritsch regrets that joint institutions not focal point they were intended to be
  • Ninth session of BiH Federation House of Representatives discusses corruption and live coverage of house sessions
  • BiH House of Representatives holds session
  • NH Canton Bosniaks freeze cooperation with Regional OHR Office
  • Deadline for registration of coalitions ended, OSCE Tanja Domi pleased with results
  • 21st Socialist International Congress accepts SDP BiH and Croatian SDP into membership
  • Trial of former Tuzla Canton Head, Ministers and Financial officer postponed after 35 minute session
  • OHR to prevent violations of human rights in Capljina and Stolac Municipalities – Mate Hoffman
  • Closing address in six BiH Croats at ICTY expected to end on 11 November
  • World news
  • Sixth anniversary of destruction of Old Mostar Bridge
  • If TV EROTEL fails to accept IMC license it is due to influence of Zagreb – Haselock
  • US Embassy supports OHR efforts to reform media and OSCE and OHR decision for Kozomara to remain RT RS General Director
  • European Commission disappointed with RS Government decision to replace Kozomara because they lack legal authority for such action
  • Mirnes Ajanovic disrupts work of BiH Federation Parliament – SDP
  • BOSS initiates procedure to divide property of former Communist Party still used illegally by SDP
  • Jelavic and Radisic obstructing work of BiH Presidency – BSP
  • Doboj Mayor to sue all media that reported him attacking journalist
  • Air Bosna to acquire two Air-Buses
  • Samra Begovic is new Miss BiH and will represent country at Miss World Pageant in London
  • Sports
  • Weather

News Summary

BiH Presidency prolongs adoption of Law on border service

The BiH Presidency prolonged the adoption of the draft BiH border service law since Croat Presidency Member Ante Jelavic and Serb Presidency Member Zivko Radisic’s reiterated their objections. The BiH Council of Ministers must also reach an agreement on the draft border service law. The BiH Presidency said that the draft BiH Permanent Election Law must be harmonized with provisions of the BiH Constitution and international standards of parliamentary procedure. One of the key objections from the Croat side is the election process for Presidency members and the election of officials to the BiH Parliamentary. “These are the only two institutions with the power of veto, which is a protection of vital international interests and it is clear that we have not brought this into question. It is not an obstruction in the adoption of the draft BiH Permanent Election law” said Jelavic’s Cabinet Chief Martin Raguz. Izetbegovic objected to the use of the P-2 Form and non-acceptance of the constituents of all three people throughout BiH. A Radisic Advisor said that the Serb side found the draft Election Law, in its present form, acceptable.

02:47

Petritsch regrets joint institutions not focal point they were intended to be

High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch presented his first report to the UN Security Council. Petritsch said he expected the Property and Housing Laws to have a great influence on the return process. The ownership reform package consists of two parts: first, the harmonization of entity laws that will create equal rights for all refuges and, second, detailed instructions to the authorities, said Petritsch. The draft BiH Permanent Election Law is also of great importance, he added. It, along with the Property and Housing Laws, can speed the country’s transformation. Petritsch said he regretted the fact that joint institutions failed to be the focal point they were meant to be.

00:42

BiH House of Representatives holds session

The BiH House of Representatives has considered the draft law on naturalized citizens and did not adopt it. The House did adopt its program of work until the end of this year, as well as laws needed for BiH admission into the European Council. SDP Vice-president Sejfudin Tokic demanded clarification of the information presented at a previous session by BiH Deputy Foreign Minister Dragan Bozanic regarding the existence of training camps for Chechen fighters. “What Ivanov told me during our discussions in Russia is definitely true. He told me that they have information of these camps and would give us further information when they gather it, said Bozanic. House delegate Nikola Spiric was also very energetic about this issue. “According to information from official agencies, there are several locations in the BiH Federation where there are terrorist training camps. Besides foreigners, there are also representatives of the BiH Army command that are participating in these training centers.”Delegate Hilmo Neimarlija said he was “shocked with Spiric’s statement, because it so brutally connects the Islamic religion with terrorism. This is not his first insult” said Neimarlija. This CD Coalition delegate will withhold from any further comments as long as Spiric withdraws his statement. However, as he said, “we will consider other possibilities to deal with this insult and his inflammatory language and behavior.” House delegates agreed with an SDP proposal for a competent ministry to look into this matter while Spiric’s demand to ask SFOR for an explanation has been refused.

05:02

NH Canton Bosniaks freeze cooperation with Regional OHR Office

Bosniak representatives in NH Canton have decided to freeze cooperation with the OHR Regional Office in Mostar. Bosniaks took this step due to the HDZ blockade of all Cantonal, City and Municipal functions, and due to the non-implementation of OHR decisions and agreements regarding Mostar that had already been signed. All future cooperation will be carried out exclusively with the OHR in Sarajevo. Bosniak officials demanded the regulation of the use of the Mostar Gymnasium premises within the seven-day deadline in accordance to Council of Europe standards and a decision of former High Representative Carlos Westendorp.

00:34

OHR to prevent violations of human rights in Capljina and Stolac Municipalities – Matei Hoffman

After meeting with the BiH Federation Ombudsmen regarding Capljina and Stolac Municipalities, OHR Ambassador Matei Hoffman said that the High Representative’s ban on the reallocation of pre-war land for housing, private businesses, cultural and religious purposes was not being respected. Capljina has no offices to accept property claims, while the Stolac office is accepting claims but is not processing them. “In neither of the municipalities were citizens able to return to their flats or have their property returned, which Hoffman described as ‘sabotage’. The High Representative will not stand back from undertaking measures to enable the implementation of civil rights. The OHR, in cooperation with the BiH Federation Ombudsmen, will create a package of measures aimed at stimulating the return process to these municipalities. Hoffman abstained from answering whether this meant the possible replacement of authorities in these two municipalities.

01:15

If TV EROTEL fails to accept IMC license it will be under influence of Zagreb – Haselock

If TV EROTEL fails to accept the IMC provisional license it will fall under the influence of certain people in Zagreb who care more about themselves than the interests of Croats in BiH, said OHR Deputy High Representative for Media Issues Simon Haselock. Regarding a statement by RS Information Minister Rajko Vasic on the replacement of RT RS General Director Andjelko Kozomara, Haselock said that the statement represented a threat to the independence of the public broadcasting system in BiH.

00:30

Mirnes Ajanovic disrupts work of BiH Federation Parliament – SDP

The SDP Caucus in the BiH Federation House of Representatives considers that Mirnes Ajanovic, the BOSS party president, is interrupting the work of the Parliament. Ajanovic’s accusations against the SDP are based on lies, which are intended to divert the public’s attention from the responsibility of the ruling parties for corruption, said the SDP.

00:10

Jelavic and Radisic are obstructing the work of BiH Presidency – BSP

The Bosniak Party of Rights warns the public that BiH Presidency Chairmen Ante Jelavic and Presidency Member Zivko Radisic are obstructing the work of this body. He said members of the BiH Presidency are blocking the adoption of the draft BiH border service law, calling on the OHR to impose the adoption.

00:15

Doboj Mayor to sue all media that reported him attacking journalist

Doboj Municipal Mayor Mirko Stojcinovic said he would sue TV BiH correspondent Mirko Srdic for slander and libel. On 3 November, Srdic reported on TV BiH news that Stojcinovic physically assaulted him. TV BiH reported on Tuesday that Stojcinovic denied seeing Srdic on the day of the alleged attack, announcing lawsuits against every media that broadcast that information.

00:25