OHR BiH Weekend Round-up, 16-17/10/2004

Oslobodjenje

Cementing occupation of BiH on Drina – Why Belgrade does not want meeting?

Dnevni Avaz

Following rejection of bids for HT Mostar – Hadzipasic says concept had been wrong

Dnevni List

Mostar, bad traffic accident: Grandfather and grandson get killed

Vecernji List

New initiative on import of cars: Stop to import of old cars

Slobodna Dalmacija

Prime Minister and SBiH would sell Eronet to Austrians

Glas Srpske

There is no hat for four heads

Nezavisne Novine

Celo will be indicted for murdering a Serb wedding guest; Covic and Bicakcic cases before BiH Court ; Serb people wishes to be integrated to European Union; SFOR searched an apartment of General Veletic

Blic

Mladic was hiding in Topcider; Cavic: Trough truth to trust; Bosniaks and Croats are naming towns in RS; Trade Union announced protests for October and November

Vecernje Novosti

Features Serbian related titles

Nacional

I see Karadzic whenever I wish

Oslobodjenje

RS police missed a Radovan Karadzic’s supporter

Dnevni Avaz

McNair has already taken over the cantonal cases

Dnevni List

HKD Napredak: Property problem in Zagreb solved

Vecernji List

Features Croatia related headlines

Slobodna Dalmacija

Features Croatia related headlines

Blic

Features Serbian related titles

Vecernje Novosti

Features Serbian related titles

War crimes/judiciary

RS Government receives final report on Srebrenica

FTV, RTRS on Friday, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 6 ‘Srebrenica Commission submits report’, by De. L., Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 3 ‘Report was sent to the Government’ by G. K. and M. D., FENA, SRNA – The RS Government on Friday received the final report of the commission investigating events in Srebrenica and its surroundings in the period from 10 to 19 July 1995, it has been confirmed for media by Cvijeta Kovacevic, head of the government press relations bureau. The final report, which has been put together by the Srebrenica commission, will be studied at one of the forthcoming government session and will then be forwarded to the BiH Constitutional Court‘s Human Rights Commission. Kovacevic said that details of the report would be presented to the public once it has been properly studied. Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 3 ‘RS Government received Srebrenica Commission report’ by D. R., EuroBlic, Saturday, cover ‘Cavic: Trough truth to trust’ and pg. RS2 ‘Trough truth to trust’ by N. B. and Srna carry RS Prime Minister’s Spokesman Goran Radivojac statement on the issue. 

EuroBlic, Saturday, cover ‘Cavic: Trough truth to trust’ and pg. RS2 ‘Trough truth to trust’ by N. B. and Srna – the article quotes OHR Spokesperson Ljiljana Radeticas saying: ‘We expect to receive the report in the course of the day. We will present our assessment only after the Commission of the BiH Constitutional Court presents its stance’.

8371 persons went missing in and around Srebrenica

BHT on Saturday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘Names of 8,731 Srebrenica residents on the list’, Dnevni List, Sun, pg 6 ‘938 persons went missing after occupation of Srebrenica?’, by Arijana Beus – DL reports that the Srebrenica Commission determined that 8371 persons went missing in and around Srebrenica. In that context, DL reminds that it has been frequently mentioned that 7.793 went missing between July 10 and July 19, 1995, however it would appear that additional 938 persons went missing after July 19. DL also quotes the President of FBiH Commission for missing persons, Amor Masovic, who does not want to comment on the Srebrenica Commission’s report until he has seen it. “I have not received the report, they were obliged to submit it to our commission, which has not been done yet. We expect the report after the RS Government has adopted it”, says Masovic. Slobodna Dalmacija, Sun, pg 7 ‘8731 Bosniak went missing in Srebrenica?’, by H also covered the issue.

RS President Cavic on Srebrenica Commission report

RTRS on Friday, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 3 ‘Cavic: Names of 6,500 victims were listed’ by Srna, EuroBlic, Saturday, cover ‘Cavic: Trough truth to trust’ and pg. RS2 ‘Trough truth to trust’ by N. B. and Srna, inset ‘7,500 victims in July of 1995 on the lists’ – RS President Dragan Cavic stated on Friday that the annex to the report of Srebrenica Commission lists 6,500 names of victims that were killed in the period of time between July 10 and July 19, 1995.

‘Apart from this, annexes to the report will include events during the entire July, out of which a number of 7,500 victims will derive’, Cavic has stated. He assessed that a positive result of this fact will be preventing of any speculations with numbers, and he said that the report will be a confirmation of a political maturity of RS.

DL: HR Ashdown on RS’ cooperation with ICTY

Dnevni List, Sat, pgs 6-7 ‘Ashdown: We will never leave BiH’, mentioned on front, by Danka Polovina-Mandic – Carries an interview with the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, in which, talking about the cooperation with the ICTY, says: “In the speech before the Venice Commission I stated that one of pillars of the Dayton (Peace Accord) was the cooperation with The Hague. If the RS cannot meet a small part of obligations from Dayton even after nine years, then we are entitled to ask whether the RS, as a whole, is breaching the Dayton agreement. Those who seek protection stipulated in the Dayton agreement, they must fulfil obligations stipulated in Dayton, and I am referring to the RS”.

Ashdown meets with Arbour to discuss war crimes processing

Herceg Bosna Radio on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Talks on war crime trials in BiH’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Ashdown briefed Louise Arbour on war crimes chamber establishment’, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 5 ‘Enable trials in BiH in beginning of next year’, not signed, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, back pg ‘War criminals soon at bh-court’, by F, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 8 ‘To make trials for war crimes before BiH Court possible’ by Fena,FENA – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, met with United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour in Geneva on Friday. Ashdown briefed the High Commissioner on the situation regarding war crimes processing in the Balkans, and particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina . Among other things, the two officials talked about the setting up of a War Crimes Chamber within the Court of BiH, different methods of investigating and prosecuting war crimes in the Balkans, as well as fight against the organized crime including trafficking of women. 

Serbian President says it is not patriotic to cover up Srebrenica crime

Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘I am terrified by possibility that war criminals are free to walk the streets’ – The truth about the wars on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and the process of reconciliation have become a part of official policy in the region. It is everyone’s total obligation to sweep his own backyard, and criminals and victims to have their names and last names revealed. These are the main messages from the opening of the Victimological Society of Serbia-organised conference entitled “Truth and Reconciliation in former Yugoslavia’, held at the Belgrade City Assembly. “There is no such patriotism or affair of the state which would make it possible to cover up crimes like the one which happened in Srebrenica,” the Serbian president, Boris Tadic, said. “It is a custom to say that it is my honour and pleasure to open this and that. It is not my pleasure to open this conference, because it would have been better not to have reason to open it,” Tadic added. The Serbian president also said that he was terrified by the possibility that war criminals were free to walk the streets. “It is as if there was a massive attempt to annul the reality, such as happened with Jasenovac (concentration camp in World War II where a large number of Serb antifascists were executed) through the decades after World War II, and it is now happening with Srebrenica,” Tadic concluded.

Hartmann of future indictments

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 7 ‘Tribunal’s investigations will be completed by end of year’, by A. Beus – The spokesperson of ICTY Prosecution, Florence Hartmann, commenting on announcements that the ICTY Prosecution would raise indictments against several senior Bosniak officials because of war crimes against the Serbs in BiH, says the announcements are pure speculations. Hartmann says the ICTY Prosecution’s investigations will be completed by end of year and the public will soon know which indictments will be raised.

SFOR raids Hotel Krajina in Banja Luka

BHT, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Documents from general Stojan Veletic’s room seized’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘SFOR raided apartment of general Stojan Veletic’, Vecernji List, Sat, pg 2 ‘SFOR searches hotel ‘Krajina’’, by bs, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 3 ‘New operation in Banja Luka’, not signed, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 2 ‘SFOR searched an apartment of General Veletic’ by D. R., EuroBlic, Saturday, pg. RS2 ‘SFOR raided Krajina’ by T. V., Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Books too were suspicious’ by M. Dzepina – SFOR soldiers on Friday searched an apartment in military hotel “Krajina” in Banja Luka. The apartment has been temporarily used by retired General Stojan Veletic, a former Deputy Chief of RS Army Headquarters. Soldiers took from the apartment two boxes containing various documentations. SFOR Spokesperson Mark Hope said ‘an apartment’ was searched. He refused to disclose any details regarding the reasons for the search. He said this was ‘a search conducted in relation to anti-Dayton activities’.

Minister Colak on recent SFOR’s operations

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 3 ‘Colak: SFOR did not carry out its priority task’, mentioned on front, by Nermin Bise – Commenting on the frequent operations that SFOR has been conducting lately in the RS, BiH Security Minister, Barisa Colak, says SFOR should complete its tasks that it took upon itself in BiH by end of the mandate. “In any case, SFOR’s mission was one thing, it is also certain that this other mission, which EUFOR is assuming, will have its significance. However, it is beyond doubt that SFOR has some tasks it should complete by end of the mandate”, says Minister Colak.

RS Police’s operation in Bijeljina

TV Hayat, BHT, FTV, RTRS on Saturday, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 3 ‘RS police missed a Radovan Karadzic’s supporter’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘RS police did not found Ljubomir Borovcanin’, Vecernji List, Sun, pg 2 ‘Searched for Borovcanin, found Vasiljevic’, by bs – VL reads that (RS) Police was searching after Ljubomir Borovcanin, who is wanted by the ICTY, in Bijeljina yesterday between 0415 and 1000 hrs. Instead of Borovcanin, the Police arrested Dragan Vaske Vasiljevic, who is suspected of helping the war crimes support network.

Dnevni List, Sun, pg 5 ‘Dragan Vasiljevic Vaske detained!?’, mentioned on front, by N. Bise – DL carries a spokesman of Bijeljina Police, Dragomir Peric, as saying that the Police blocked Bijeljina between 0415-1000 hrs, raiding three residential buildings in Bijeljina whilst looking for a person wanted by The Hague Tribunal. The Police received the order from the Bijeljina County Court. DL’s sources close to the RS MoI say the Police was looking for Borovcanin, however he was not found.

Vecernje Novosti, Sunday, pg. 8 ‘RS Police is chasing too’ by V. Mitric also covered the issue.

RS President Cavic on whereabouts of ICTY indictees

RTRS on Friday, Dnevni List, Sun, pg 2 ‘Cavic did not submit information about Beara in The Hague’, not signed – The RS President, Dragan Cavic, denied media reports that he submitted the ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, information about whereabouts of Ljubisa Beara and other 11 persons who are wanted by the ICTY. “It is not true, however it is true that the RS Interior Ministry has been working intensively on identification of whereabouts of indictees from the RS who are on public indictments, and there is no dilemma about that”, says Cavic. Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg 4 ‘Cavic denied he forwarded information on Beara’s whereabouts to the Hague’, EuroBlic, Saturday, pg. RS2 ‘Trough truth to trust’ by N. B. and Srna inset ‘Cavic did not informed on Beara’, Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Not a word on Beara’ not signed also carried the statement.

DL: Mladic was hiding in Belgrade?

TV Hayat, BHT on Saturday, Dnevni List, Sun, pg 28 ‘Soldiers got killed because they revealed Mladic’s shelter?!’, mentioned on front, not signed – Two soldiers, namely Drazen Milovanovic and Dragan Jakovljevic got killed on October 5 whilst on sentry at the entrance to the underground shelter at Topcider, Belgrade. The event is still clouded by mystery as to what really happened. DL reads that the facility in question was raided one day before (October 4) by members of the ‘Kobra’ special military unit and ICTY investigators, who were looking for general Ratko Mladic. A source says the information on Mladic’s whereabouts was submitted by the Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla del Ponte.

Dnevni List, Sun, pg 3 ‘Ratko Mladic perhaps on Topcider’, not signed – Del Ponte’s spokesperson, Florence Hartmann, denies that the ICTY investigators were looking for general Mladic at the aforementioned site. Hartmann notes: “Serbian authorities informed us that they were looking for Ratko Mladic, but we do not have details regarding the issue whether a search operation after any fugitive was conducted on the day of accident”.

EuroBlic, cover and pgs. 2-3 ‘Mladic was hiding in Topcider’ by Tanja Nikolic Djakovic, Vecernje Novosti, Sunday, pg. 12 ‘We were not searching for Mladic’ by FoNet, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Mladic was hiding in a military facility in Topcider’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 Hartmann: The Hague investigators did not look for Mladic in Topcider’ also covered the issue.

RS Government removed Head of Secretariat for relations with ICTY

BHT, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 6 ‘Velimirovic instead of Mijatovic’ by V. P., EuroBlic, Saturday, pg. RS3 ‘Velimirovic: It will be difficult’ by N. B., Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Velimirovic and Bogdanovic were appointed’ by G. K. – RS Government on Thursday evening removed Zivorad Mijatovic from the position of the acting Head of the Secretariat for Relations with ICTY and appointed Janko Velimirovic to the position. RS Government has also removed the Head of the RS Office for Missing Persons, Aleksandar Radeta, upon his own request for the removal and has appointed Milan Bogdanic to this position.

Former US Ambassador to Belgrade on Carla del Ponte

Nacional Belgrade daily, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Carla is a huge pest’ not signed, Vecernje Novosti, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Carla is routinely causing damage’ by Tanjug  – Former US Ambassador to Belgrade William Montgomery accused Carla del Ponte of practically disabling local politicians to cooperate with ICTY by her behaviour.

Nacional quotes Montgomery as saying: ‘Aggressive and arrogant behaviour of Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte has strengthened nationalistic forces and brought the work of democratic governments in question’.  

Montgomery thinks the re-appointment of Del Ponte to the position of the Chief Prosecutor was a great omission.

Lawyer Toma Fila on wartime documentation of RS

RTRS on Friday, EuroBlic, Saturday, pg. RS2 ‘Fila: wartime archives have disappeared’ by Srna, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘RS cannot submit wartime documentation since it has disappeared’,  – Lawyer Toma Fila from Belgrade has stated RS could not forward wartime documentation to ICTY because it has disappeared after the Dayton Agreement was signed. ‘A part of documentation was taken by some persons to their homes, a part disappeared and a part was burned. To demand from RS, President Dragan Cavic or from Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic to forward the documentation is a nonsense’, Fila has said.

BiH Prosecutor’s Office took over cases of Covic and Bicakcic

BHT on Friday, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover ‘Covic and Bicakcic cases before BiH Court’ and pg. 3 ‘McNair took over cases against Covic and Bicakcic’ not signed – BiH has given an approval to the BiH Prosecutor’s Office Special Department for organised crimes, economic crime and corruption to take over ten cases against high officials from the Federation of BiH. The cases will be transferred from Mostar and Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Offices.

According to unofficial information, the request has been approved several months after the Head of the Special Department, John McNair, has requested to take over the processing of cases in relation to forty former and current political and public persons from the Federation of BiH. Several files against the current Chairman of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, are among these cases. The list, among other, includes former Federation of BiH Prime Minister Edhem Bicakcic, former President of the Federation of BiH Vladimir Soljic, former Police Minister of H-N Canton Miroslav Prce, former Federation of BiH Minister for Refugees Sulejman Garib and former official of the Federation of BiH Ministry for Refugees Fikret Hadzic. Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘McNair has already taken over our cases’, pg 2 ‘State Prosecution continues with investigation into Covic, Bicakcic and Garib’s acts’ also covered the issue.

Rattel says there was no bargain with Mandic

Nezavisne novine, Saturday, pg. 6 ‘The Prosecutor’s Office has not made a bargain with Mandic’ by M. C. – Johnatan Rattel, the international prosecutor of the Special Department of the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, on Friday confirmed that the BiH Prosecutor’s Office has not made a bargain with Aleksandar Mandic, son of Momcilo Mandic, with regard to pleading guilty for approving loans that have led to a bankruptcy of “Privredna Banka” Serb Sarajevo. On the other hand, Dusko Tomic, Aleksandar Mandic’s lawyer, on Friday said he has reached an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office on pleading guilty. ‘We have agreed that Aleksandar Mandic would plead guilty and in return would be sentenced to two years in prison on a probation. A judge will confirm the indictment on Monday, after which this agreement would become official’, Tomic stated.

Ramiz Delalic will be indicted for murdering a Serb wedding guest

Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 3 ‘Celo will be indicted of murdering a Serb wedding guest’ by A. Durmo, EuroBlic, Sunday, pg. 7 ‘Indictment soon’ by FoNet, Vecernje Novosti, Sunday, pg. 12 ‘Murder at Serb wedding’ by FoNet – Ramiz Delalic Celo should soon be indicted of murdering a Serb wedding guest, Nikola Gardovic, on March 1, 1992. ‘Delalic was again questioned on Friday at the Cantonal Prosecution in relation to circumstances of the murder of the Serb wedding guest’, Oleg Cavka, the Spokesperson of Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office, has confirmed.

Delalic was transferred from Zenica prison to Sarajevo prison on Thursday evening upon a request of the Chief Prosecutor Branko Sljivar. According to NN, Delalic was transferred to Sarajevo because he has offered to the Prosecutor’s Office to be a witness in several “major” cases. According to unconfirmed information, he offered help in relation to “Leutar” case, “Torlakovic” case, “Ugljen” case and several other extensive investigations on explosions in Sarajevo.

Political developments/media

HR Ashdown on future of OHR, BiH joining PfP

Dnevni List, Sat, pgs 6-7 ‘Ashdown: We will never leave BiH’, mentioned on front, by Danka Polovina-Mandic – Carries an interview with the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, which is opened by the journalist’s remark that the IC and High Representative himself have made many mistakes in BiH because, as HR Ashdown puts it, nobody is infallible. Questioned to comment on recent talks about abolishment of the institution of the High Representative for BiH, and whether BiH is ready for it, HR Ashdown notes that BiH is not ready for it. “The OHR will not be abolished, it will probably transform into something else, probably into the office of special representative of the EU, but we not ready for it either, although perhaps we are not far from it. When will it happen, it is a matter for IC and BiH bodies (…) We will never leave because it is too important to Europe to have a stable BiH, but we will change from the High Representative who imposed issues and intervened into a special representative of the EU who will offer a helping hand. It is an evolution process, not withdrawal”, says HR Ashdown. Questioned whether the issue of accession to the NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme is conditioned with changes to the complicated constitutional set-up in BiH, HR Ashdown noted that the change to the Constitution was not a condition. “It could be desirable, but it is not a necessary condition”, explains HR Ashdown. RTRS on Saturday carried parts of the interview.

Venice Commission on powers of High Representative for BiH

Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat ‘Venice Commission comes to BiH’, by B. Kristo – “A team of the Venice Commission will be spending the next week in BiH within preparations to give its opinion on powers of the High Representative for BiH”, stated on Thursday the Venice Commission’s administrator Carolin Marten. Marten stated that that the Commission would give its final opinion in December. SD explains it was the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, which asked for the opinion.

Western Balkan foreign ministers meet in Macedonia , discuss European prospects of the region

BHT, FTV on Friday, Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘The Balkans can be zone of peace and stability as well’ – By adoption of a joint statement of the Foreign Ministers of Stabilisation and Association Processes and Adriatic Charter Ilinka Mitreva of Macedonia, Miomir Zuzul of Croatia and Kastriot Islami of Albania, the first informal meeting ended in Ohrid. The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro Vuk Draskovic and BiH Deputy Foreign Minister Lidija Topic. French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier was present late Friday in the first part of the meeting. “We have discussed everything from perspective of our European future,” said Macedonian Foreign Minister Mitreva, adding that mechanisms and modalities for sooner implementation of the European standards were also reviewed, which will guide the region forward and will confirm its European course. Albanian Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami said that the new spirit of cooperation is noticed in the region, with which the countries will justify the European support and will join the dedicated Western Balkans in the EU and not only by political, but also by economic assistance. Croatian Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul said that this year is especially important because the Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans’ countries started to be implemented. “It is a new and strong instrument which leaves space to other countries, as Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Hercegovina, to acquaint with its contents,” he said. Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic called the international community to fulfil its obligations in view of UN Resolution 1244 for Kosovo, adding that his country will not allow independent territory in the frameworks of its borders. “If this happen, it will be a threat for the stability of entire region,” Draskovic said. BiH Deputy Foreign Minister Lidija Topic said that her country intensively works on fulfilment of the needed standards for the start of the negotiations for signing of Stabilisation and Association Agreement and inclusion in the Partnership for Peace Programme.

Serbian President Tadic met with representatives of Serb political parties from BiH

BHT, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 4 ‘Serb people wishes to be integrated to European Union’ by Beta, EuroBlic, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Meeting of Serb leaders’ by Lj. B., Glas Srpske, Saturday, pg. 6 ‘Serbia for peaceful Balkans’ not signed, Vecernje Novosti, Saturday, pg. 5 ‘Our language should be protected’ by D. R. – Serbian President Boris Tadic on Friday stated that Serbia and representatives of Serb community in the region must contribute to regional stability and become a part of the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integrations. Tadic met with Serb political representatives from countries of SE Europe. Representatives of Serb political parties from Croatia, RS, Hungary, Macedonia and Albania attended the meeting. RS representatives were Acting President of SDS Dragan Cavic, member of SDS Presidency Borislav Paravac, PDP representative Dragan Mikerevic and SNSD President Milorad Dodik.

After the meeting, Tadic has stated that it was agreed during the meeting those responsible for war crimes should stand trial.

Avaz interview with Cavic

Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 5, mentioned on cover ‘I did not go to Belgrade because of The Hague’ – Interview with RS President Dragan Cavic. “If the pre-condition for accession to EU and NATO is abolishment of the entity’s constitutional arrangement of BiH there will be no that accession, at least in my opinion. Why do we need accession to those integration if it will produce internal problems?,” said Cavic. 

Dodik on regional stabilisation

Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, cover and pg. 4 ‘Serb people wishes to be integrated to European Union’ by Beta (‘Dodik supports Tadic’s stance’ – inset) – SNSD leader Milorad Dodik has said he supported the stance of Serbian President in relation to the policy of regional stabilisation. He also said all participants of the meeting have expressed their support to determination of Serbia saying that Serbs from SE Europe should do everything to develop principles acceptable by European standards.

Terzic receives letter of support from French Prime Minister

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Support to mid-term development strategy’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘It is encouraging BiH is strengthening rule of law’, FENA – BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Adnan Terzic received a letter from French Prime Minister Jean-Peirre Rafarin on Friday expressing encouragement following the success of the latest coordination session of donors at which support for the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Program (PRSP) was ensured.

The French Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the fact that BiH, following the completion of the first period of reconstruction, is now in a position to strengthen the rule of law and common institutions with the objective of creating a single economic space, the BiH Council of Ministers stated. “France unequivocally supports BiH in its efforts to strengthen administrative capacities and the economy, especially with the CARDS program and I am looking forward to the opportunity of signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which will be the next phase in your moving closer to the EU”, the French Prime Minister wrote.

SDA against introduction of national channels on state TV, new census

Herceg Bosna Radio on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Census against decision on equal constitutional status’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘SNSD’s motives for census are strictly of political nature’, FENA – The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) is against the introduction of national channels on the state television, SDA Vice-President Seada Palavric told a press conference in Sarajevo on Frday. However the TV’s “programme/editorial policy must insure equal representation of ethnic, religious, cultural, traditional and other characteristics of all three constituent peoples and national minorities,” said Palavric. SDA expects all political structures in BiH to reach a consensus on BiH’s road to the European Union. This means, according to Palavric, that the Law on the Public Broadcasting Service, as the 16th condition of the Feasibility Study, must be adopted in accordance with the European standards. The SDA also regards as unacceptable the law on population census in BiH, which was proposed by SNSD. The proposed law is aimed, according to Palavric, just at getting rid of 1991 census as the basis for the implementation of the constitutional amendments defining full equality of all constituent peoples in the entire BiH’s territory. Palavric emphasized that it was not possible to discuss eventual carrying out of the new population census until the full implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s Decision on equality of constituent peoples. Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 4 ‘We have respected a suggestion of EC’ by V. P. also carried the statement.

BiH Ministry for Communications on Draft PBS Law

Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 4 ‘We have respected a suggestion of EC’ by V. P. – Zdravko Savija, an advisor at the Ministry for Communications and Traffic, says that the article of the Draft PBS Law, which the European Commission has brought remarks to and which are actually amendments of SDA, is a suggestion of the very European Commission the Ministry has received on April 19, 2004. ‘This is their suggestion, and now they have a suggestion upon their own suggestion’, Savija said. Savija claims that a recommendation of the Committee of the Council of Ministers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe reads that managing of technical resources, property and advertising cannot be included in the authority of a corporation.

HDZ, CCD on RTV laws

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 5 ‘Rights are guaranteed to minorities, withheld to Croat people’, not signed – The Caucus of HDZ-Croat Christian Democrats (CCD) in the BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives claims that the OHR and EC are accusing the Caucus of insisting on RTV channel based on ethnic affiliation. The Caucus’ press release says its MPs had an active role in efforts to adopt the relevant laws within established deadlines, however the MPs are aware of the influence the media has on formation of public opinion. The press release also reads that proposals of RTV laws will not guarantee realization of principles described in article 10 of the European convention on human rights, which talk about issues of editing and broadcasting of programming. Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 10 ‘We are entitled to our own TV’ also carried the release.

Bishop Sudar says Croat entitled to Croatian language on TV

Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, pg 13 ‘Nobody wants language from FTV’, by Zlatko Tulic – Carries (Catholic) Bishop Pero Sudar as commenting on the issue of language(s) used on FTV. “Some Bosniak intellectuals believe it is ‘disgrace’ that the Croatian language is being imposed via FTV. I understand them. One has to know that the Croats, despite being smallest in numbers or because of that very fact, are entitled to their language on TV they pay for”, says Bishop Sudar.

FBiH Statistics Bureau on new census initiatives

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Preparations require five years’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8, FENA – The FBiH Statistics Bureau regards as ungrounded and unserious the initiatives for carrying out the population census in BiH in the ad hoc timeframe of one to two years. “We do not wish to talk about the intents and goals of the initiatives for speedy implementation of census, but it is peculiar that the supporters of the initiative are coming from political circles exclusively, and not from the institutions responsible for conducting the census”, the Bureau’s Director Dervis Djurdjevic told journalists on Friday. “Conducting a population census envisions comprehensive preparations that could take up to five years”, said Djurdjevic and added that many details must be considered in order to get reliable results. Djurdjevic also estimates that the new census would cost approximately 12 million euros.

BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees on census

Nezavisne novine, Saturday, pg. 4 ‘Extensive preparations are needed for a census’ by V. Popovic – BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Mirsad Kebo stated on Friday that a census should be carried out in BiH but only after refugees and displaced persons return to their pre-war homes. He claims that no political obstructions have prevented a census, and he said that ‘extensive preparations and great funds are needed for this work’. He expressed his belief that BiH Parliament would adopt a law on census, which is a pre-requisite for the admission of BiH to EU.

SDA Deputy President Seada Palavric has stated: ‘SDA thinks a law on census, introduced to the parliamentary procedure by SNSD, is unacceptable because the proposal and motives of SNSD are not ensuring certain statistical information’.

Stevo Pasalic, the President of the Republic council for demographic policy, has announced a round table discussion on census would be held in Banja Luka on November 12.

Law on population census not to be imposed

BHT on Friday – Law on Population Census will not be imposed and EC has decided that it would be best for BiH if the census is carried out in 2010. EC asks that the census is carried in six years along with the censuses in regional countries. It was explained that BiH will be able to start the negotiations with the EU, even without the accurate number of its population. Renzo Daviddi, Deputy of EC Mission’s Head, said that this issue is very important, but it is not the demand of the EU, as it was presented by the media.

Delegation of Croatian Parliament to visit BiH

Dnevni List, Sun, pg 3 ‘Raguz: Visit of Croatian delegation comes at the right moment’, not signed – A delegation of the Croatian Parliament, led by its Speaker Vladimir Seks, will be visiting BiH on Monday and Tuesday at the invitation of the Speaker of BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives, Martin Raguz, and the Collegium of the BiH Parliament’s House of Peoples. On the first day of the visit, the delegation will be in Sarajevo to meet with their hosts at the BiH Parliament, which is followed by meetings with the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, and members of the BiH Presidency. On the second day of the visit, the delegation will be travelling to Mostar, where it will be meeting with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mostar, and visiting the University (Sveuciliste) of Mostar, Mostar Clinic and ‘Aluminij’ Company. According to Raguz, the visit comes at the right moment, assessing that BiH-Croatia relations are extremely good. Still, according to Raguz, there are some pending issues that need to be solved, such as property related issues, PlocePort, dual citizenship, extradition related issues and ratification of borders. Box entitled ‘Meeting with Cardinal Puljic’ announces the delegation’s meeting with Cardinal Vinko Puljic. DL unofficially learns that the Croatian political top is concerned with the current position of the Croats in BiH, especially following the recent warnings by Cardinal Puljic. Vecernji List, Sun, pg 2 ‘Vladimir Seks in return visit to BiH’, not signed, Nezavisne Novine, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘Vladimir Seks to visit Sarajevo on Monday’ by M. C., Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 7 also announced the visit.

Complete election results on Monday

BHT on Friday, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 3 ‘Complete results of Municipal elections on Monday’, by D. P. – According to the President of BiH Election Commission, Vehid Sehic, the BiH Election Commission will hold a press conference on Monday, at which complete results from all polling stations would be presented.

SD’s update to elections in Mostar

Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, pg 16 ‘Mayor coming from HDZ?’, mentioned on front, by M. Landeka – The daily reports that according to current election results, the City Council of Mostar will have 15 councillors coming from the HDZ-led coalition, 10 from SDA, 4 each from SBiH and SDP, and 1 each from NSRZB and HSP Djapic-Jurisic-HCSP. SD reminds that no party has so far nominated any candidates for the Mayor of Mostar, whilst the media speculated that the future Mayor would come from HDZ. In that context, SD reports that names of Ljubo Beslic, Goran Bilic (both HDZ) and Adisa Vucina (NSRZB) were mentioned as possible candidates.

SDHR Wnendt visits Mostar

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 12 ‘Werner Wnendt saves Mostar?’’, mentioned on front, by V. Soldo – The daily notes that Senior Deputy High Representative, Werner Wnendt, visited Mostar on Friday where he a held meeting with Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mostar, Hamdija Jahic and Ljubo Beslic respectively. According to DL’s information, SDHR Wnendt also met with representatives of three political parties that had good election results in Mostar, namely Barisa Colak (HDZ), Safet Omerovic (SBiH) and Huso Kapic (SDP). DL could not get any official information about reasons behind SDHR’s visit, however DL unofficially learns that SDHR Wnendt talked to aforementioned persons about the election results and implementation of the Mostar Statute. This leads the author to conclude that the visit by SDHR Wnendt let everyone know that the OHR would continue to be involved in activities related to the implementation of the Statute and that the OHR would not allow politicians in Mostar to ‘sleep’ during the period of change in power. DL reiterates that the fact that heads of departments and service with the Mostar City administration are yet to be appointed show the need for more “frequent” involvement by the IC in Mostar.

DL says institutions in Mostar still not unified

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 15 ‘Institutions in Mostar are still parallel’, by Sanja Bjelica – The daily claims that apart from the City administration of Mostar, all other institutions in the city are still parallel i.e. that they have not been unified yet. According to the President of City Council of Mostar, Ivan Musa, the Commission in charge for implementation of the process did not complete its job, and Musa notes that the work on unification of institutions will rest with the new City Council and that the process would be finished by next Christmas. On the other hand, Milan Jovicic, Vice President of Mostar City Council and member of the said Commission, says the Commission completed its job and gave the Council guidelines, but the City Council did not adopt the necessary decisions on unification of institutions. Jovicic blames the HDZ, saying the HDZ has been obstructing the process. Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Jahic claims HDZ is obstructing unification of institutions in Mostar’ quotes Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic as saying that the Mostar institutions have still not been unified due to obstructions coming from HDZ.

DL on Covic’s statement re ‘moles’ in HDZ

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 30 ‘Sacrifice ‘mole’ in order to save thief’, by Zvonimir Jukic – Commenting on a recent statement by Vice President of HDZ BiH and Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, that there is a ‘mole’ within the HDZ Presidency that is working on dividing of the HDZ and against interests of the Croat people, the author claims it is all about another perfidious game by the HDZ leadership. The author says that Covic and Barisa Colak want to achieve three main goals with the story about the ‘mole’: firstly, they want to blame the ‘mole’ for the evident failures of the HDZ; secondly, they want to prevent the ‘moles’ from taking over the party following the poor showing in the local elections: and finally Covic and co want to strike fear into every member of HDZ who are not under their control. DL argues that the ultimate goal is to conceal the crime certain HDZ leaders committed before and to buy time prior to proceedings before BiH courts.

RS Council of Peoples on names of towns in RS

EuroBlic, Saturday, cover ‘Bosniaks and Croats are naming towns in RS’ and pg. RS1 ‘Political ping-pong’ by T. Veselinovic – The article reads that members of the joint commission of RSNA and RS Council of Peoples will try to reach an agreement on names of towns in RS with “Serb” prefix. It also reads that Bosniak and Croat caucuses have filed amendments to the names. According to the article they think Croat and Bosniak national interest was put in jeopardy because the Law on territorial organisation and self-governance only formally changed names of towns with “Serb” prefix.

Update to petition for independence of RS

Nacional Belgrade daily, Saturday, pg. 2 ‘RS independence will succeed!’ by D. V. M. – The article carries an interview with David Vuic, an advisor at the American administration, in which he commented on initiatives for independence of Kosovo on one hand and RS on the other hand. He claims RS citizens have enough arguments to achieve their independence and he commented on activities of HR Paddy Ashdown: ‘We in Washington realize that Ashdown’s moves are illegal and are opposite to everything representing the western democracy’. He also claims there are some leading people at US Congress who are willing to support the initiative on RS independence.

He says he and many other people in Washington think it is time to clearly say that Serbs in RS are discriminated and deprived of their human rights. ‘Personally, I wish this initiative for RS independence to succeed. It is time RS should stop enduring all injustice imposed by poorly informed and bias international community’, Vuic stated.

GS on the work of BiH Inter-religious Council

Glas Srpske, Saturday, cover page story ‘There is no hat for four heads’ by N. Z. – Orthodox Priest Vanja Jovanovic says the BiH Inter-religious Council has not been functioning since the beginning of this year. He claims the Inter-religious Council is not, nor it can be, an umbrella religious organisation in BiH.

Chairman of the council Jakob Finci has confirmed that the Council has not held a meeting since January this year.

Oslobodjenje on border line between SCG and BiH

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘Cementing occupation of BiH on Drina – Why Belgrade does not want meeting?’ – The reason why SCG border police and military were not withdrawing from some 450 hectometres of BiH territory in the area of Janja lies in existence of an agreement on protection of borders signed in 1996 between RS and then Yugoslavia, according to Mustafa Begic, the Director of the BiH Geodetic and Legal-Property Administration.

Economic/social issues

Ashdown presented with Contribution to Tourism 2004 award

FTV on Saturday, Vecernji List, Sun, pg 3 ‘Ashdown gets tourist award’, by f, Dnevni List, Sun, pg 4 ‘Ashdown receives award for contribution to BiH tourism’, by NINA, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘European tourist journalists awarded Paddy Ashdown’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Ashdown awarded for promotion of BiH’s tourism’ – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, was on Friday presented with the European Federation of Travel Journalists’ “Contribution to Tourism 2004” Award at a ceremony held in Split. The award was made in recognition of the High Representative’s “personal, significant, creative contribution to the work of making Bosnia and Herzegovina a tourist destination once again” and is based on an analysis of BiH coverage in the European media following the tourism promotion campaign organized by the High Representative at the beginning of the year. As part of the campaign the High Representative, together with BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic and Deputy Foreign Minister Lidija Topic, led a delegation of BiH tourism experts to The Hague, Stockholm, Berlin, Paris and London in May with the aim of “rebranding” BiH. In a message read at the award ceremony last night, the High Representative, who is in Geneva for meetings with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour and other international officials, thanked the organizers and noted that the award itself is “evidence that the message to European travelers that BiH is now a tourism destination and no longer a war zone is getting through.” He added that, “tourism has the potential to become a major source of job growth and an important source of foreign exchange earnings for BiH,” and that in order to optimize the potential of this sector, “the BiH authorities must take serious steps to rationalize the financing of tourism promotion, standardize hotel classification and expand programmes designed to transfer skills from tourism personnel in other countries to those in BiH.”

FBiH refuses telecoms bids by Croatian, Austrian firms

Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Hadzipasic: Concept was wrong’, pg 5 ‘Concept of HT Mostar developments was wrong’, HINA – The government of the Federation of BiH has decided that offers submitted by Croatian Telecom (HT) and Austria’s Mobilkom to enter the mobile telephony market in BiH are equally unacceptable, Federation Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic has said. In a statement carried by Saturday’s issue of the Sarajevo-based Dnevni Avaz daily, Hadzipasic said that the Federation Government had considered memoranda of understanding submitted by the two companies and decided that neither took into account the interests of BiH. T-HT’s bid was based on the transfer of the company’s majority interest in Mostar’s Eronet mobile operator to HT Mostar, while Mobilkom offered to purchase a majority interest in Eronet and financially back HT Mostar so that it could provide services as a GSM operator. Vecernji List, Sun, pg 4 ‘BiH Government rejects offers by T-HT and Mobilkom’, by H also carried Hadzipasic’s statement.

SBiH would sell Eronet to Austrians

Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, front pg splash and pg 12 ‘Prime Minister and SBiH would sell Eronet to Austrians’, by M. Landeka – The daily reminds that the FBiH Government could not decide during its last session held last Thursday whether to accept the Memorandum of Understanding it prepared with HT Zagreb or the latest offer by Mobilkom Austria. FBiH Minister of Traffic and Communication, Nedzad Brankovic, apparently confirmed that none of two proposals received the necessary majority. SD learns from a source close to the FBiH Government that Ministers from SBiH and Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic are against the deal with HT Zagreb. The General Manager of HT Mostar, Stipe Prlic, who is in favour of deal with HT Zagreb, says some powers that be are playing dirty games in interest of Mobilkom Austria.

BiH Foreign Trade Chamber of import of cars

Vecernji List, Sat, front pg splash ‘New initiative on import of cars: Stop to import of old cars’ and pg 3 ‘Ban for import of cars older than five years’, by Zdenko Jurilj – The Department for Vehicles with the BiH Foreign Trade Chamber is launching a new initiative according to which only cars that are 5 years old and younger can be imported to BiH. The current legislation allows import of cars that are 7 years old. According to the Chairman of the said Department, Alija Kirlic, says the initiative is aimed at improving security on BiH roads, since the current legislation allows the import of questionable cars.

International experts completed work on draft BiH regional development strategy

Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘Five economic regions can effectively attract investors’ – The international experts engaged in drafting BiH regional development strategy have completed their work. The final documents have been prepared and the regional projects that will be included in them will be priority for financing from the future EU funds for the regional development. “Five economic regions in Bi9H can effectively attract investors,” says OHR Spokesman Kevin Sullivan .