Friday
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Car accident near Grude | New EC Directorate | “Sugar affair”- terrorism | Olympic games |
| EU ready to help Balkans | | Criminal activities in Prozor | Ballot papers for RS |
| Terzic in | SCG about law suits | Brdjanin’s trial over | Blame shifting in “Forgery” |
| Reuters research | New mass grave located | RS-paradise for fugitives | 109 victims in Miljevina |
Saturday
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Sugar factory against FTV | Incident in Stolac | Natural catastrophes | SFOR released Pejcic |
| HR’s private visit to Mostar | Exhumation in Kevljani | Massacre in | Sugar affair & terrorism |
| Assumption of the V. Mary | Exhumation in Miljevina | Prnjavor Masque reopened | Lawsuit against FTV |
| Pope in Lourd | SFOR released Pejcic | CIPS issued 1,4 mil. ID’s | BL Mljekara affair |
Saturday
| Oslobodjenje | Ahead of sale of BH Steel: The biggest investment in BiH after the war |
| Dnevni Avaz | FBiH Defence Minister Nikolic: July class of soldiers in barracks as of September? |
| Dnevni List | Stolac: Dizdar and company removed Croat flags |
| Vecernji List | Even 70 % of Croatians believe in appearance |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Without re-organization BiH to be faced with new war |
| Glas Srpske | Todorovic at escape |
| Nezavisne Novine | 28th summer Olympic games were opened; BiH Prosecution is checking on Islamic humanitarians; BHT started program broadcast at its own frequency |
| Blic | Drama over abandoned baby: Unscrupulous mother had an assistant |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbian related titles |
Sunday
| Oslobodjenje | Pre-election scene in |
| Dnevni Avaz | Salaries in FBiH Government: Ministers receiving two salaries per month |
| Blic | Features Serbian related titles |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbian related titles |
NOTE: Due to celebration of Catholic religious holiday (Assumption of the Virgin Mary) Croat(ian) dailies have published two-day issues on Saturday.
Economic/social issues/media | |
| BHT1 on its own channel
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Vecernji List pg 4 ‘BHT1 started with its work’ by mmu, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 3 ‘BHT started program broadcast at its own frequency’ by N. Krsman, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 6, mentioned on cover ‘Whole-day program started’, Dnevni Avaz ‘Ashdown: We have fulfilled a requirement from Feasibility Study’ – BHT 1 started with broadcasting of its programme on its own channel on Friday. VL says that in his speeches European representatives and High Representative Paddy Ashdown welcomed beginning of BHT1 work. |
| Laws on PBS have still not been passed
| BHTV on Friday – BHTV 1 has started broadcasting on its own channel as the Laws on Public RTV System and Service have not been passed jet. A large number of amendments to the laws have been proposed. European Commission feels that they must not be obstacle to passage of the Laws. Official Brussels see this issue as a dilemma “do we want the PBS or not” and their support to start of negotiations on Stabilization and Association will certainly depend on BiH response.Establishment of PBS is one of the main demands from the Feasibility Study. “The main reason why EU insists on establishment of Public Broadcasting System is because the media, during the war, have participated in creation of hatred and mistrust and paid the price because of such the developments. That is why we have advised for the establishment of PBS, which will rise above those problems, which will work for the public and answer the public”, said Renzo Daviddi,Deputy Chief of EC Delegation in BiH. While some political parties having majority in the parliament are putting in the obstacles to passing the Law, EU has only one question. “The question is does this country needs a PBS or not. If you say that it does not then we will draw conclusions from that”, said Daviddi. |
| Oslobodjenje on sale of BH Steel
| Saturday’s Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘The biggest investment in BiH after the war’ – By signing a contract on sale of a package of the Zenica-based BH Steel shares worth to US dollars 425 million, the FBiH Government officials will without any doubt conclude/make one of the biggest deals after the war. The FBiH Government and LNM Company owner, an Indian Lakshami Mital are to sign the contract in Zenica on Monday. LNM is to provide 80 million dollars as a founding capital as it will invest additional 235 million in next three years. |
| Dnevni Avaz: FBiH Ministers receiving two salaries monthly
| Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz ‘Ministers receiving two salaries monthly’ – Since they had been banned from being members of Steering Boards in public companies i.e. having additional monthly income, the FBiH Government members have found a new way in which a minister would be receiving an extra monthly salary. Similarly to the Parliament, the decision has been made that the ministers would be receiving an average Federation salary, which currently amounts to KM 535, as a compensation for working with ad-hoc commissions or bodies (established from time to time to harmonise or additionally agree on certain issues). |
| Ashdown visits Mostar with his family, appeals for further development of tourism
| Herceg Bosna Radio on Saturday, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Doors widely opened for tourism’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Ashdown delighted with fact Mostar looks so nice’, mentioned on cover ‘Ashdown visited Old Bridge with grandchildren’, ONASA – High Representative Paddy Ashdown on Saturday paid an unofficial visit to Mostar where he and his family toured the Old Town and the Old Bridge. Ashdown said that he was satisfied over a huge number of tourists in Mostar. “What we should do now is offer the tourists a good vacation in Mostar, since that would be a source of income for the entire BIH and of course Mostar. Tourism is an industry,” Ashdown said. |
| Interview with PDHR Hays
| Vecernji List pg 6 ‘OHR spends over 20 million Euros’ by R. Radic – In an interview given to VL, Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays says that in autumn he will be able to say as to when a value added tax will be introduced in BiH. Asked how much the OHR spends per year, Hays says that the annual budget amounts between 20 and 21 million Euros and that it used to amount between 25 and 26 million Euros. Hays added that this means that the budget is reducing. Asked about the privatisation of the Aluminij company Hays says that he is involved in the privatisation process in BiH and that General Manager of Aluminij and Prime Ministers want the privatisation of this company. Hayssays that some problems exist with regard to this issue and the World Bank has been involved in it. He added: “We shall focus on this issue by the end of the year and try to find the right solution.” |
| RS Trade Minister Gaspar on meat imports from SiCG
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 4 ‘RS Government might call Dragan Doko to account’ by A. Sekulic – This is an interview with Boris Gaspar, RS Minister of Trades and Tourism, who announced that the RS Government might call BiH Minister of Foreign Trades and Economic Relations Dragan Doko to account over damage importers of meat from SiCG are suffering. Gaspar emphasised that meat imports is not under his jurisdiction and said that he got involved in this issue in order to help to resolve the crisis. ‘The main problem is poor communication with the BiH Ministry of Foreign Trades and Economic Relations’, Gaspar stated. Boris Gaspar also commented on the action of control of petroleum quality at gas stations in RS and said that the results show that presence of surrogates and petroleum of poor quality has been significantly reduced. |
| Update to Banja Luka Dairy
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 8 ‘RS Government: The “Dairy” will not stop its work’ by P. Klincov, EuroBlic, pg. RS2 ‘Without milk as of Tuesday’ by Tijana Veselinovic – The RS Government claims that the Banja Luka Dairy will not be closed or under a bankruptcy process when it enters the privatisation, despite to the statement of Director Vlajko Guresic who stated that the Dairy will stop the production on August 17. The Prime Minister’s Spokesperson Goran Radivojac yesterday sad that the Dairy cannot enter a bankruptcy procedure during the course of privatisation. ‘RS Ministry of Finances will propose a solution to the problem of the Dairy’s debts by August 19’, Radivojac said. |
Security/incidents | |
| Stolac Youth Forum removed Croat flags
| Dnevni List front and pg 3 ‘Stolac: Dizdar and company removed Croat flags’, by M. Relota – According to the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministry of Interior a group of 30 members of the Stolac Youth Forum removed Croat flags in the centre of this town yesterday and this move caused a mass gathering of Stolac citizens of a Croat nationality. According to the HNC MoI Secretary Andjelko Sesar, before the incident President of the Stolac Youth Forum Nerin Dizdar and his colleagues came to the Stolac Police Administration and announced that they were going to remove the Croat symbols in Stolac. Sesar added that Commander of the Stolac Police Administration, Safet Ratkusic, warned them that they would break the law in this way and suffer consequences for such move. Sesar also said that the Police and especially Police Commander Ratkusic were rather passive and unprofessional with regard to this case. Sesar believes that most probably criminal charges will filed against responsible ones or they will be charged with misdemeanour. On the same issue Slobodna Dalmacija pg 7 ‘Bosniaks removed Croat flag’ by BHTV on Saturday, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Bosniaks removed Croat flags’, mentioned on cover ‘Bosniaks removed Croat flag in Stolac by force’ by F. Matic, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 4 ‘Young Bosniaks pulled down Croatian flag’ by Srna, Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Bosniaks pulled down a Croatian flag’ not signed, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘Nerin Dizdar detained by police’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Nerin Dizdar taken of two flags of Herceg-Bosna’ also covered this incident. |
| Editorials on removal of flags in Stolac
| Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Flags – for the second time …’ by N. Bise comments on the aforementioned incident and the author says that power-wielders at the state, Federation of BiH and Cantonal levels are directly responsible for the things that are taking place in Stolac and elsewhere in BiH. According to the author, they deliberately support status quo in this town because of the coming elections. Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Stolac and Virgin Mary’ by I. Zovko comments on the aforementioned incident by saying that the incident did not take place accidentally but exactly on the eve of coming of the HDZ delegation to Stolac and celebration of the Catholic religious holiday Assumption of the Virgin Mary. |
| Stolac Mayor Obradovic surprised by police inefficiency
| Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Mayor Obradovic surprised by police inefficiency’ – Stolac Mayor Zeljko Obradovic condemned removal of Herceg-Bosna flags saying he was unpleasantly surprised by the behaviour of police. “The police response to the action of Stolac Youth Forum and organised/prepared removal of flags was not adequate. I think that the police should have been more efficient and more professional in the entire case,” said Obradovic. |
Political developments | |
| BiH Election Commission orders printing of ballots for RS municipalities with disputable names
| BHTV, FTV RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 6, mentioned on cover ‘Serb and non-Serb ballots’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Election Commission met dedalines set by Law’, ONASA – The BiH Election Commission on Friday made the decision ordering the printing of ballots for 13 municipalities in the Republika Srpska whose names have been challenged by Decision of the BiH Constitution Court. “The Commission regrets that the authorities were not able to respect/implement the Decision of the |
| OHR on names of towns printed on ballots
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 3 ‘OHR: Decision of the Election Commission was the only choice’ not signed, Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Correct decision of the Commission’ not signed – OHR has assessed that the decision of the BiH Election Commission to print ballots for 13 municipalities in RS by using names of these towns in accordance with the Election Law was the only decision that could have been brought under given circumstances. OHR fully supports this decision and expresses its regret over the fact that the Election Commission was brought in such a position because the competent authorities have failed to implement the decision of the |
| SDU’s Tokic: Election Commission’s decision scandalous | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Election Commission’s decision scandalous’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Election Commission directly violates BiH Constitution’ – Vice-president of the BiH Social-Democratic Union Sejfudin Tokic assessed on Friday as a political scandal a decision by the BiH Election Commission to print names of the municipalities with Serb prefix on ballots in spite of the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling describing these names as discriminatory. |
| NN op-ed on politics and elections
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 7 ‘Why are idiots dealing with politics?’ by Mato Djakovic – The author begins with explaining that the word “idiot” in Ancient Greece was used to describe ‘a common citizen’, one who does not deal with politics. He claims every citizen in BiH deals with politics, hence no person here is an idiot. He refers to complexity of the process of voting and says he already doubts in regularity of elections. He also says: ‘The ones on power do not want to do their work because they are not “idiots”. To them, the High Representative is an “idiot”. I mean the “idiot” in accordance with the Homer’s definition, because he deals with politics instead of them. This is perhaps a bit complicated for some people, but when one thinks this through it is quite simple…Sooner or later you will become an “idiot”. Either the Homer-like “idiot” or idiot of nowadays’. |
| Terzic visits
| Herceg Bosna Radio on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘BiH can count of Greece’s support’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2, FENA – BiH Council of Ministers Chair Adnan Terzic on Friday held talks with Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis in Athens, it was announced by BiH Council of Ministers. Caramanlis reiterated In this context, Terzic underlined that the announced signing of agreements between BiH and Greek foreign trade chambers after the Olympic Games would be a great encouragement for the business capacities from the two countries. |
| RS radicals urge premier to remove SDA ministers
| Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Request for removal of SDA ministers’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Mikerevic requested to remove SDA ministers’, SRNA – The executive committee of the RS Serb Radical Party (SRS) on Saturday called on RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic to dismiss SDA-no0minated ministers from the Entity Government as soon as possible. Failing this, the Radicals will no longer be part of the parliamentary majority nor support a government with SDA ministers. In their statement, the radicals urged Mikerevic to accelerate consultations on the election of a new interior minister. The SRS executive committee demanded at its session in |
| On proposal to form 3 Republics within BiH
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 15 ‘Reality but not solution’, mentioned on cover, by Z. Tulic carries an article on the proposal to form 3 Republics within BiH and according to professor Dubravko Lovrenovic, who was a participant of the discussion held by a group of experts who deal with the issue of constitutional changes (the group was formed by the Centre for Security Studies), professor Bozo Zepic came with the aforementioned proposal, however, Zepic himself does not support such model but in Lovrenovic’s opinion Zepic was right when he said that the BiH reality moves exactly in that direction. SD says that most of participants of the aforementioned discussion share this opinion. |
| Zepic on proposal to form 3 Republics within BiH
| Slobodna Dalmacija front and pg 15 ‘Without re-organization BiH to be faced with new war’ by Z. Zekic – Talking about the proposal to form 3 Republics within BiH, Professor Bozo Zepic says that this would not mean establishment of the third entity, the Croat self-rule or Herzeg Bosnia. He added that he and Head of the |
| Oslobodjenje’s Sagolj on SDA’s Muratovic | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Political head of university’ op-ed by Mirko Sagolj – Sagolj wonders what the Sarajevo University did so wrong to have as its head Hasan Muratovic, who is still obsessed with division of BiH on ethnic basis. |
| Interview with Lagumdzija
| Dnevni List pgs 26 and 27 ‘Results of nationalistic parties are disastrous’ not signed – In an interview given to Radio Free Europe, SDP President Zlatko Lagumdzija mostly talks about the coming elections and, among the other things, Lagumdzija says: “I really think that High Representative Paddy Ashdown must finally explain to himself and admit that he made a disastrous mistake by proclaiming nationalists reformers…” Asked whether BiH has future, Lagumdzija says that it does when we get rid of nationalism and a position of the HR, when we become mature enough to take destiny in our own hands so that the HRs come to BiH as tourists and not to promote our tourism at the time when BiH citizens are faced with poverty. |
| Statement of Day: SDA Vice President Elmir Jahic | Dnevni List pg 2 carries in its ‘Statement of Day’ SDA Vice President Elmir Jahic as saying: “The Parliament should pass the decision on sending of BiH soldiers to |
| General Directorate for EU Enlargement takes over role in our country
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV on Friday, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 14 ‘BiH also has chance to join EU’ by D. Pasic, Dnevni List Saturday pg 2 ‘BiH step closer to EU’ by N. Bise – The EC delegation in BiH issued a press release which says that BiH will be a part of the General Directorate for Expanding together with other countries from the Western Balkans. The press release also says that the Commissioner who will be in charge of this issue in BiH is Olli Rehn who come s from |
| Gluhovic on Mostar Statute
| Dnevni List Saturday pg 12 ‘Mostar Statute unfavourable for return process’ by M. Colak – Spokesperson of the Mostar Area North Miralem Gluhovic says that they have received about 1500 claims for return of Serbs and Bosniaks to this Area and 30% of their claims were realized so far. Gluhovic warned that this is not enough and that the work of the former Municipality North was stopped exactly at the time when better implementation of the process of return should have taken place. According to him, the former Municipality North planned in its budget a considerable amount of money for reconstruction of infrastructure in returnees’ settlement, however, the execution of the budget was not made possible due to passing of a new Mostar Statute. |
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| Vecernje Novosti, Saturday, pg. 6 ‘Paddy is satrap and self-ruler’ by Kosta Cavoski (part three – the final part – of Kosta Cavoski’s feuilleton) – The author says that HR Paddy Ashdown’s decisions are severely violating human rights and freedoms as guaranteed by the most important international acts. According to Cavoski, since EU bodies are nominating and practically appointing the High Representative, one should look into violations of the Convention on Human Rights and Basic Freedoms, on which the European Council was established. The author lists a number of laws that have been violated by HR’s decisions and concludes by saying: ‘Masters of the world have again estimated there are people who are no capable of ruling themselves in a proper manner, therefore they need to be put under a benevolent guardianship. Since they do not want to accept it voluntarily, one has to occupy their country and impose a foreign administration for their own good’. This, according to Cavoski, in RS leads to a paradox – basic human rights and freedoms are shamelessly violated for the benefit of the same basic human rights and freedoms, while a foreigner, as some kind of a satrap, decides on everything without any kind of a control and removes elected officials in a belief that he is establishing democracy by doing this. |
Crimes/investigations | |
| Sugar financing terrorists?
| FTV on Friday, Herceg Bosna Radio, RTRS on Saturday – Since the end of the war some Humanitarian Organizations have been importing large amounts of sugar into BiH and individuals from those Organizations have been repacking that sugar and exported it to Croatia, from where it has been distributed to EU countries. This information was confirmed to FTV by sources close to the investigation into “sugar affair”. It is suspected that money earned through these operations has been used for financing some terrorists’ organizations. One of the main persons of sugar smuggling, in first years after the war, was |
| Croatian sugar factory to sue FTV
| Herceg Bosna Radio, RTRS on Saturday – A Croatian sugar factory based in the town of Osijek has announced to file a lawsuit against FTV after they had said in their Friday news program that sugar, which was smuggled from BiH through Croatia to the EU countries, was being repacked in this factory.FTV reported that number of humanitarian organisationsimported sugar into the BiH and individuals were transporting it to the |
| NN on ‘sugar affair’
| Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 5 ‘The Prosecution is checking on Islamic humanitarians’ by M. Cubro – A source close to the State Prosecutor’s Office on Friday confirmed for NN that the BiH Prosecution is investigation on involvement of Islamic humanitarian organization in the “sugar affair” in BiH. ‘These organizations were importing sugar because they have needed it for the work of soup kitchens. We are trying to get to original documentation and determine whether the imported quantity reflects the real needs of these humanitarian organizations’, the source said. Rudolf Udiljak, the Head of the Department for Prevention of Customs Frauds at the former Federation of BiH Customs Administration, has confirmed that this Department is involved in investigation on this affair. |
| SFOR releases former Bijeljina police chief suspected of aiding Karadzic
| BHTV on Saturday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje back page ‘SFOR released Mile Pejcic’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8, Vecernje Novosti, Sunday, pg. 13 ‘Two weeks in detention’ by M. Mitric, SRNA – SFOR on Friday released the former head of the Bijeljina Public Security Centre, Mile Pejcic, an SFOR press release read. SFOR soldiers detained Pejcic on 31 July in Brcko on suspicion of involvement in activities contravening the Dayton Agreement. Pejcic was dismissed from the position of Bijeljina Public Security Head on 30 June on orders from the High Representative. “These operations, which also include arrest, are within the boundaries of the SFOR mandate. They are carried in support of the efforts of the Hague tribunal to bring all war crimes suspects to justice,” the statement said. SFOR will continue to investigate all possible links with the network of helpers of war crimes suspects. |
| A new mass grave found in BiH
| BHTV on Friday, Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘New mass grave discovered near Omarska’, FENA – A large mass grave was found on Friday in the Kevljani area in the Prijedor municipality, a senior official of the Federation Commission for Missing Persons Jasmin Odobasic said for the FENA agency. The mass grave was found close to the Omarska camp. This is why it is assumed that victims from this camp are in the grave. At the moment, it is not possible to estimate how many bodies there are in the mass grave. It is also not known whether this is a primary or a secondary grave. The first body was found 4.5 metres deep. In 1999, the Hague tribunal experts exhumed 143 bodies from a mass grave 300 metres from this location, Odobasic said. |
| SCG Foreign Minister Draskovic on lawsuits against SCG
| BHTV on Friday, FENA – Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) Vuk Draskovic has stated that it is in the interest of his country to withdraw the charges against the participating states of NATO in order to “distance” itself from the policy that “led to the NATO’s aggression against the FRY” in the spring of 1999. In an interview for the |
| OHR on Draskovic’s statement
| Herceg Bosna Radio on Friday, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘Does International Community exert pressure against BiH?’ by De.L., Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘The lawsuit is a matter for competent institutions of BiH and SCG’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘OHR does not want to comment on Vuk Draskovic’s statements’ – The OHR did not want to comment on the statement by the Serbia and Montenegro Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Draskovic who stated for RTV Serbia that it is normal to expect that the IC will exert pressure against BiH to withdraw a lawsuit filed because of aggression against Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Asked to comment on this statement OHR Spokesperson Oleg Milisic stated: “The OHR believes that the issue of the lawsuit is a matter for competent institutions of BiH and SCiG as two sovereign states.” |
| Update on ‘Forests of Herceg
| Slobodna Dalmacija Saturday pg 7 ‘Former Director and Cantonal Prime Minister in detention’ by F. Mioc – Judge of the Cantonal Court in Livno Nedim Begic passed the decision on a one-month detention for former Director of Public Company ‘Forests of Herzeg Bosnia’ Ivica Cobanac and former Prime Minister of the Canton 10 Government Mirko Mihaljevic. Cobanac is charged with making of damaging contracts, while Mihaljevic is charged with the abuse of position and authorities. |
| Update to the Starovlahs case
| Vecernje Novosti, Saturday, pg. 6 ‘They have not heard about the beating’ by D. S., I. S., S. O. – The article refers to the report on the SFOR action on April 1 in Pale, sent by the Commission of BiH Parliamentary Assembly HoR to the Parliaments of Slovenia, Great Britain, Italy and USA. The article reads that neither the State Department nor Pentagon has received the report. The Slovenian Government, Defence Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia too have not received the report as yet. The Presidency of the Italian Government says that, due to collective vacations, they can neither deny nor confirm whether they have received the report or not. |