31.05.2004

OHR BiH Weekend Round-up, 29-30/5/2004

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Friday

RADIO HERCEG BOSNA  (18,00 hrs)

BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs)

FED TV (19,30 hrs)

RT RS  (19,30)

Dusko Jovanovic killed

Scheffer visited Sarajevo

Scheffer visits BiH

Dusko Jovanovic killed

Solana supports HR

ORH’ Braithwaite on RS

Braithwaite on RS

Scheffer in BiH

Romanian Summit

Jovanovic murdered

New BiH HoP Speaker

Law on BiH Custom Tariff

Miomir Zuzul in Belgrade

New conflicts in Iraq

Jovanovic murdered

Explosion in Kozarac

Saturday

NTV HAYAT  (18,55 hrs)

BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs)

FED TV (19,30 hrs)

RT RS  (19,30)

Mostar Old Bridge

NATO parliament session

Kujundzic case

Robbery in Vlasenica

Civil war victims

Military apartments

US Bond on RS

Clifford Bond on RS

Interview with Pupovac

Law of local self-rule

Arms warehouse in Cazin

Ivanic on PfP

Life in Vukosavlje

Murder of Jovanovic

International terrorism

Military apartments issue

Saturday

Oslobodjenje

What new Law on FBiH internal debt settlement foresees – The state will pay out 200 million KM to invalids, pensioners, small depositors and soldiers

Dnevni Avaz

FBiH Premier Hadzipasic: Yet half of a backlog pension to be paid put in 30 days

Dnevni List

Protests: Export of raw materials from BiH banned, farmers announce protests

Vecernji List

Chances of getting into NATO are zero

Slobodna Dalmacija

Communications agency extends tender: BiH getting third mobile network

Glas Srpske

“Dan” editor murdered; “Dan” staff – Shots after threats; Journalist association of Montenegro – Death of public word; Cigarette is evil companion

Nezavisne Novine

NATO Secretary General’s message to BiH authorities – Five weeks for BiH to arrest Karadzic; Clifford Bond on noncooperation of RS with ICTY – Politicians should be punished; Land around Oil Refinery was on mortgage

Sunday

Oslobodjenje

Nikola Spiric defended JNA officers

Dnevni Avaz

Adnan Terzic: BiH is a hostage of Karadzic

Dnevni List

Buducnost goes to football’s Premier league: Velez did not make it

Vecernji List

Hercegovacka bank case: Six more persons under investigation

Slobodna Dalmacija

Features Croatia related headlines

 

BiH accession to EU, NATO/Cooperation with ICTY

NATO SG Scheffer warns BiH can join PfP only if it arrests most wanted war crime suspects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘BiH’s chances to join PfP are almost equal to zero’, mentioned on cover ‘Arrests first than PfP, Oslobodjenje pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘Apprehension of criminals first than PfP’, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, back pg ‘Key to Partnership for Peace in RS’ hands’, by Zdenko Rerig, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 5 ‘BiH has been given deadline to extradite The Hague suspects’, mentioned on front, by Renata Radic, Vecernji List, Sat, front and pg 2 ‘Chances of getting into NATO are zero’, by Dejan Jazvic, Nezavisne novine  cover and page 3  ‘Five weeks for BiH to arrest Karadzic’; Glas Srpske  page 2  ‘Still there is time’ – NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, stated in Sarajevo yesterday that BiH would not be invited to join the Partnership for Peace at the NATO Istanbul Summit without arrests of most wanted war criminals in BiH. “If something considerable does not happen in the next five weeks with regard to war criminals, chances of BiH joining the Partnership for Peace will be very weak, almost zero”, said SG Scheffer. Chairman of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, stated that he agreed with the sequence of moves set by NATO, noting that the biggest responsibility for arrest of war criminals lied with the RS authorities. Serb member of the Presidency, Borislav Paravac, notes that the climate and procedures in the RS pertaining to the arrest of war criminals were changing, stressing the role of the RS Ministry of Interior, as well as the role of State institutions, such as SIPA, which is getting the authorities and mechanisms for catching the war crimes suspects.

OHR Braithwaite: All now depends on Banja Luka

BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje ‘BiH cannot be held hostage by its entities’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘BiH cannot to Europe as long as Karadzic is at large’, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 5 ‘International community gives up on arrest of Radovan Karadzic!?’, by N. Bise,, Nezavisne novine  pg 3  ‘The answer for BiH admission to PfP is in Banjaluka’ FENA – Reacting to recent speculation in the media about what the OHR would do if BiH does not get into Partnership for Peace, Julian Braithwaite, OHR Chief Spokesman and Director of Communications said that the real question was not what would the OHR do after NATO’s Istanbul Summit next month, but what would the BiH authorities do before the Summit to help this country get in to PfP and integrate into the Alliance that offers the prospect of lasting peace and security for BiH. “Both NATO and the European Union have made it clear that BiH’s path to Europe cannot go through the OHR. The BiH institutions themselves have to undertake the reforms that are necessary for Euro-Atlantic integration.  They have to show that they are politically committed to, and take political responsibility for, BiH’s integration in to those two institutions.  They have to demonstrate that they are no dependent on the international community to agree and implement reforms in BiH,” Braithwaite emphasized. “BiH has made significant progress on defence reform over the last year.  But BiH will have to uphold its international obligations towards ICTY before it is admitted to Euro-Atlantic institutions.  NATO has not yet taken a decision whether or not to admit BiH into PfP at the Istanbul Summit at the end of next month.  What needs to be done now is clear: the RS needs to detain indictees and transfer them to The Hague,” he added. The answer to whether BiH gets in to Euro-Atlantic institutions lies not in Brussels or Sarajevo, but in Banja Luka, according to Braithwaite. “If BiH does not get in to PfP at the Istanbul Summit, that does not mean it will never get in to PfP.  That of course will be a matter for NATO.  But BiH cannot avoid having to deliver results on ICTY.  The RS authorities have to choose. They can have Euro-Atlantic integration, or they can have Radovan Karadzic and his friends. They cannot have both. The failure of the RS authorities to catch and transfer to the Hague a single high level indictee has now become the greatest obstacle to this country’s integration into Europe. If this doesn’t change, and change fast, it will have to be addressed,” Braithwaite said. “That does not mean the RS would be abolished. The RS is protected by Dayton. But it does mean that the state of BiH will have to be strengthened so that it can uphold its international obligations effectively and participate in the prosperity and security that Europe offers and that the citizens of BiH so desperately want. BiH cannot be held hostage by the failure of its entities”, Julian Braithwaite concluded. 

British Ambassadors says RS not to be abolished

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘RS will not be abolished’, ONASA – British Ambassador to BiH Ian Cliff wrote in an article for Nezavisne Novine of Friday that the pressure of the international community on the Republika Srpska to accelerate reforms “is not an excuse for an international plan to abolish the RS.” “The RS is part of the Dayton agreement, and it will remain a BiH entity,” Cliff wrote. He said that some authorities must be transferred to the BiH state level, in order that a sustainable and modern European country is created. Cliff also told the RS authorities that they have to make a huge turn in cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, noting that the RS has not arrested a single war crimes indictee, while the BiH Federation has extradited four of them to the Hague.

Solana: RS must arrest Karadzic

 

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 4 of the Pogled weekly supplement ‘RS must arrest Karadzic’ – EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said that the RS top leadership would become the main obstacle on the biH’s road to Europe if Radovan Karadzic is not arrested. “That is a serious situation and it will have to be resolved,” said Solana in the written answers to the daily’s questions. Responding to a question on relations between OHR and future EUFOR (inset on the same page entitled ‘More important Ashdown’s role’), Solana said that together “with the engagement of EUFOR, another important step will be made that will represent contribution to the further EU engagement in BiH.” “Ashdown’s role as the EU Special Representative will be much more significant in the next year. He will as such promote the entire EU policy in BiH,” said Solana.  

Oslobodjenje editorial on PfP

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘State bankruptcy’ In Focyus column by Gojko Beric – Beric reminds of a statement made by HR Paddy Ashdown assessing likely BiH’s non-accession to PfP as a tragic development. “The situation described by Ashdown as tragic actually represents a common state bankruptcy of the High Representative and those loving the exclusively national political options”, concludes Beric.

DL wonders whether entities in BiH will be abolished

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 11 ‘New BiH’, by Pejo Gasparevic – commenting on the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown’s, “warnings” that “it will be a serious issue that cannot go without consequences”, should the RS be an obstacle to BiH joining the PfP because of failure to arrest Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, the author wonders whether we are witnessing an institutional re-shuffle within BiH which will result in abolishment of entities. To back his thought up, Gasparevic stresses statement of the US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond, who noted “fixing of inefficient parts of Dayton agreement”, when Ambassador Bond highlighted the strengthening of State and municipal authorities in BiH. This leads the author to say that the entities and cantons in BiH are seen as ‘inefficient parts’ of authority that have to become weaker.

DL on BiH (not) joining PfP

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 11 ‘Bells toll for Bosnia’, by Zekerijah Smajic – speaking about what seems to be BiH’s failure to join the Partnership for Peace, the author criticizes BiH authorities, especially the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, who during his recent visit to Brussels advocated a thesis that reforms in BiH “are being implemented even faster than the procedures and deadlines of NATO and EU prescribe”. Smajic goes on to say that this week’s ‘NO’ from Brussels is a welcomed wake up call for the public in BiH because it has been fed with one-sided information regarding progress achieved in BiH, because the information had been provided by spokespersons of the Government. In that context, Smajic argues that BiH needs an objective political journalism, which will employ journalists, not Government officials.

DL’s Statement of Day: Sulejman Tihic

Dnevni List, Sat, carries in its ‘Statement of Day’, the Chairman of BiH Presidency, Sulejman Tihic, as saying: “By constant setting of new pre-requisites, the EU can endanger reforms”.

Ivanic on PfP

 

BHTV, RTRS on Saturday – Mladen Ivanic, the BiH Foreign Minister, stated in Vienna on Saturday that it was not decided yet would BiH be admitted into the PfP at the NATO Summit in Istanbul in June. Ivanic said that in his opinion BiH had fulfilled all conditions and that the decision on its accession to PfP was of a political nature. According to Ivanic, it before all now depends on assessment about the cooperation of BiH governments with the ICTY.

Minister Colak on BiH joining PfP, arrest of war crimes suspects

Dnevni List, Sun, pg 3 ‘NATO’s condition about five weeks difficult to meet!?’, mentioned on cover, by Miso Relota – commenting on the message by the NATO SG, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, that BiH has five weeks to extradite war crimes suspects to the ICTY if it wants to join the PfP, BiH Security Minister, Barisa Colak, says the NATO SG’s message is very clear. “On basis of what has happened so far, it is difficult to expect arrests of war crimes suspects in next few weeks. Still, one cannot be completely certain it will not happen, but realistic evaluations do not say it will happen. We have to wait and see whether there will be arrests of war crimes suspects. We cannot influence NATO ‘s decisions, but it would be better in BiH joined the PfP now in Istanbul, because the arrests cannot be avoided. There is no doubt we will have to fulfil that condition. I am afraid that the failure to join the PfP could have negative implications”, says Colak.

‘Tihic ruins Terzic’s lobbying for PfP’

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 8, mentioned on cover ‘Tihic ruins Terzic’s lobbying for PfP’ by Azhar Kalamujic – According to the author, some 30 days before the NATO Summit in Istanbul the two top Bosniak representatives in the state bodies, Sulejman Tihic and Adnan Terzic, present co0mpletely different positions on the BiH’s accession to PfP. While Terzic is persistently lobbying for the accession, Tihic supports NATO position that BiH cannot joint the program as long as the most wanted war criminals are at large. Terzic did not want to comment on Tihic’s statement. He however said he was confident the state Presidency wanted just like he did that BiH is admitted into PfP at the Istanbul Summit in June. Kalamujic wonders if this was a message send by Terzic that Tihic should in the future consult his colleagues in the state government before he makes any public statements on such issues.  

Terzic still optimistic about BiH chances to join PfP in June

Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Del Ponte will say where war criminals are crossing border’ – Interview with Adnan Terzic, the Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers. Ahead of the Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte’s visit to BiH, Terzic said he believed BiH still had time to press on NATO members. ‘Maybe we can be admitted into PfP,” said Terzic. Asked what will BiH authorities do by the NATO Summit in Istanbul, Terzic said that if nothing else the RS authorities could provide all data requested by the Hague Tribunal. “If they have not done it so far, they have a chance to do it now. If they do not give those information to the Tribunal they will be held responsible for Bi9H’s non-accession to PfP,” said Terzic. 

Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 5 ‘BiH is a hostage of Karadzic’ – An interview with Terzic. “I think that the RS authorities can show in the next five weeks what they have not shown in the past eight years. And will that lead to apprehension of Karadzic and Mladic is a question than can be answered only by them. In one word, RS will change either its behaviour of the system. Let them chose,” said Terzic. 

US Ambassador Bond on lack of RS cooperation with ICTY, appointment of Zaric

Nezavisne novine supplement ‘RS Politicians should be punished for non-cooperation with ICTY’, FTV, RTRS on Saturday, ONASA – US Ambassador to BiH Clifford Bond said that “certain” leaders in Republika Srpska should suffer the consequences if BiH is not admitted into the Partnership for Peace program at the NATO Istanbul Summit in June, due to the failure to cooperate with the ICTY. “I do not wish to speculate on who should take responsibility, as it does not only involve members of the RS Government, but leaders of political parties as well,” Bond said in an interview for the Banja Luka Nezavisne Novine daily. “Senior officials of RS institutions that did nothing to arrest war criminals are also responsible,” Bond said, adding that one of the most responsible people was the former director of the RS Intelligence-Security Service and present Deputy Head of the BiH Intelligence-Security Service Risto Zaric, whose appointment to this post was “strange and inappropriate.” Bond also did not want to speculate on the possible sanctions that High Representative Paddy Ashdown would impose on RS politicians in case BiH is not admitted into the PfP. He added that the international community should start contemplating the possible consequences and punishments. According to Bond, leaders of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and Croat Democratic Union (HDZ), Sulejman Tihic and Barisa Colak respectively, are partly responsible for the failure to arrest the former Serb leader and war criminal Radovan Karadzic.

HINA (Croatian News Agency) – US Ambassador to BiH Clifford Bond has accused Risto Zaric, former chief of the Intelligence and Security Service and current deputy director of the Intelligence and Security Agency (OSA), of being responsible for the country’s noncooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Speaking to Nezavisne Novine of Saturday, Bond said Zaric’s appointment to the post of OSA deputy director was odd and inappropriate. He added Zaric was one of the individuals who should be held responsible if Bosnia was not invited to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme in June. Bond was asked to comment on the fact that High Representative Paddy Ashdown accused Zaric at a press conference of obstructing the work of a commission in charge of investigating the 1995 war crime in Srebrenica but later approved the appointment. Bond agreed with Ashdown’s claim that OSA had done very little to trace war criminals, and said that Ashdown’s office had its criteria to okay or reject appointments.

VL says Del Ponte’s forthcoming visit to BiH finally meaningful

Vecernji List, Sat, pg 2 ‘Del Ponte in Bugojno, Mostar and Potocari’, by Eldina Medunjanin – VL notes that unlike on previous occasions, the forthcoming visit of the Chief ICTY Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, is very meaningful, because she will not be spending all the time in administrative visits to Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Zagreb. In that context, VL notes that del Ponte will be visiting Banja Luka on Monday where she will be meeting top RS officials, who are expected to undertake resolute measures in arresting prime war crimes suspects, and Association of RS POWs, which expects processing of war crimes against the Serbs. The same day, del Ponte is to meet former Bosniak prisoners and women, who are victims of war. The second day of the visit should see meetings with principals of the OHR and SFOR, and after that visits to Bugojno and Mostar, where del Ponte will be talking to officials of local courts that try war crimes cases. In the last two days of her visit, del Ponte should visit Potocari and talk to ‘Mothers of Srebrenica’ association.

New Head of RS Secretariat for relations with ICTY appointed

Nezavisne novine pg 5 ‘Mijatovic Head of Office for cooperation with ICTY’, Vecernji List, Sat, pg 2 ‘Zivorad Mijatovic new head for relations with The Hague Tribunal’, by f – the RS Government took a decision to authorize Zivorad Mijatovic, a graduate lawyer, to carry out duties of the Head of RS Secretariat for Relations with the ICTY until a new Head has been appointed. Previous Head, Dejan Miletic, was been removed by the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, because of lack of cooperation related to the work of the Srebrenica Commission.

RS Police search house of alleged Karadzic’s aide

FTV, RTRS on Friday, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sun, pg 9 ‘Radovan Karadzic aide’s house searched’, by H , Nezavisne novine  cover and page 3  ‘Predrag Kujundzic’s house searched’– RS Police searched the house and business premises of a local businessman (in Doboj), Predrag Kujundzic, who is suspected of aiding the war crimes suspect at large Radovan Karadzic. SD does not carry any details. FTV on Saturday, Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Suspected of helping war crime indictees’ and ‘He has been providing money for Karadzic’s security’ report that Kujundzic belongs to the Gavrilo Princip secret or5ganisation better known under name Black Hand. He is tasked to get money for the needs of Karadzic’s personal guards and he is mainly doing this through racketeering. 

 

Economic/social/property issues/human rights

Oslobodjenje: FBiH will pay out 200 million KM to invalids, pensioners, small depositors and soldiers’

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje cover page ‘The state will pay out 200 million KM to invalids, pensioners, small depositors and soldiers’ – The Federation of BiH will by 2008 pay out more than 200 million KM to the disabled persons, pensioners, members of the Federation Army and its business partners. This is foreseen by a new draft regulation on the internal debts settlement, which has been sent into the parliamentary procedure.

Hadzipasic: Yet half of a backlog pension to be paid in 30 days

 

Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 5 ‘Yet half of a backlog pension to be paid in 30 days’ – Interview with FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic. He said that he fully understands impatience of the pensioners and veteran’s population. “I am however confidenbt the Government will create conditions for payment of the second half of a backlog pension in 30 days,” Hadzipasic emphasized. The daily notes that the FBiH House of Representatives finally supported a report and a plan of action submitted by the Government. Hadzipasic said he had expected much more criticism by the deputies at the recent session of the House bearing in mind current difficult economic and social situation. “The government has been strengthened which is very important,” said Hadzipasic.  

Academic Matic criticises BiH government for not investing in science

Dnevni List, Sun, pg 23 ‘Story about BiH joining EU soon is nonsense’, by Renata Radic – in an interview for DL, the President of BiH Academy of Science and Arts and former Chairman of BiH Council of Ministers, Bozidar Matic, heavily criticizes BiH authorities for failing to invest money into science, noting that before the war, BiH invested 1,5% of its GDP into science, whilst the figure now is at 0,05%. Matic goes on to say that stories about BiH joining the EU soon are nonsense, because the EU’s policy says the science has to get 3% of a country’s GDP.

DL says financial situation in FBiH Army catastrophic

Dnevni List, Sat, ‘Army without salaries, stocks of food and fuel very low’, by Ivica Glibusic – according to information DL got from the FBiH Army, the situation within the FBiH Army is catastrophic. Apparently, the troops are yet to receive the April 2004 salaries, and on top of that the FBiH Government owes the troops two overdue salaries from 2001. In that context, DL says many former and current employees of the FBiH Army are filing lawsuits, and majority of verdicts are in their favour. Furthermore, according to DL’s knowledge, despite efforts to cut costs in the FBiH Army, the stocks of food and fuel are now minimal.

Military apartments before BiH Constitutional Court

BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Saturday, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 3 ‘Nikola Spiric defended JNA officers’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Spiric challenged ban of return of aprtments to the officers of foreign armies’ – A public hearing about the diputes related to the rights to repossession of the military apartements in the Federation of BiH was held before the BiH Constitutional Coiurt on Saturday. The existing laws and regulations in the FbiH do not allow return of these apartments to the officers of the former JNA (Yugoslav Perople’s Army), which have left the country at the beginning of the war. Demand for estimating the constitutionality of these laws and regulations was submitted to the Court by Nikola Spric, the deputy chairman of the BiH House of representatives. Togethre with Spiric, the Constitutional Court heard representatives of the FBiH Parliament and FbiH Government. Spiric said that these laws and regulations are not in compliance with the BiH Constitution and with the international conventions on human rights. The Constitutional Court will make decision on the issue at the next session.

BiH Helsinki Committee: Bosnians suffering national, political, gender discrimination

Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Women have no chances’, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘There is national, political and sexual discrimination in BiH’, FENA – Human rights violations in BiH are most often reflected in discrimination on the basis of national affiliation, political orientation and sex, the chairman of the BiH Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Srdjan Dizdarevic, told FENA on Saturday. According to Dizdarevic, it is difficult nowadays to find employment, appropriate education for children, adequate medical care and social protection, if you are a member of a minority people, wherever you may live in BiH. “You will be in a particularly unfavourable position if you are a member of a minority group,” he stressed. He believes that in a political sense, within the same nation, it is not the same thing if, for example, you are living in the RS and you are a supporter of Milorad Dodik’s SNSD or a supporter of the ruling SDS. “If you are an SDS supporter, you are much closer to material resources, better social positions and various privileges. Finally, if you are a woman in BiH society, all your chances are far slimmer than if you are a man. All this – all aspects of individual human rights proclaimed by international declarations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European convention and other conventions we in BiH have subscribed to – all this is brought into question if you do not belong to a majority nation on a given territory, if you are not a member of the ruling party and if you are not a man,” Dizdarevic said. He sees the way out of this in consistent adherence to international standards and a change in the political stance of the dominant political structures in the country. This, he believes, can be achieved through greater pressure applied by the citizens themselves. “The citizens must raise their voice, they must be aware of their rights and they must apply pressure on the people they vote for. This is the only way to overcome this situation,” Dizdarevic concluded.

BiH HoR fails to adopt amendments to Law on customs tariffs, farmers announce protests

 

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Vecernji List, Sat, pg 3 ‘Amendments to law on customs not adopted’, by f, Dnevni List, front and pg 3 ‘Protests: Export of raw materials from BiH banned, farmers announce protests’, by Erna Mackic, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sun, pg 9 ‘BiH Farmers announce new protests for next week’, by H – The House of Representatives of BiH Parliament did not adopt the Proposal of law on amendments to Law on customs tariffs because the MPs from the RS and 4 MPs from the FBiH voted against it. The Proposal, among other provisions, envisaged that a meat processor has to buy at least two kilos of pork meat from domestic producers to be able to import one kilo of pork. DL notes that representatives of farmers’ associations were embittered with the position of the MPs from the RS. According to Vladimir Usorac, the President of Farmers in BiH, “unfortunately, the SDS’s MPs voted against the people who voted for them in the elections. They cut off hands of people who helped them sit in the office”. The Association of Farmers says it expected a lot from the amendments to the Law on customs tariffs because it would have solved problems related to marketing of livestock. Farmers also note they will jot accept the decision as easily, but will start protests next week. Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 and Oslobodjenje pg 6 also covered the issue.

Deadline for application for 3rd GSM licence extended

 

Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, front and pg 12 ‘Communications agency extends tender: BiH getting third mobile network’, by M. Landeka – the BiH Communications Agency (RAK) has set June 7 as the new deadline by which all interested parties must apply for getting the third GSM licence in BiH. According to a RAK’s spokesperson, Amela Odobasic, the original deadline was May 24, but at request of ‘Eronet’ and ‘HT Mostar’ the deadline has been extended until June 7 because the companies need more time to acquire the necessary documentation.

VL: Ballot papers will be printed in BiH 

Vecernji List, Sun, pg 4 ‘Printing of ballot papers worth 1,5 million KMs’, by Mila Stankovic – notes that unlike last time, the job of printing of ballot papers for the forthcoming local elections will be awarded to a domestic company, since only domestic companies will be allowed to apply for the job. Last time around, domestic companies protested because the job was given to a foreign bidder.

 

Political developments

CAI says HR Ashdown failed to implement constitutional changes

 

 

 

 

Dnevni List, Sat, back pg ‘Paddy Ashdown annulled Petritsch’s successes’, not signed, Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Ashdown made mistake because he did not insist on implementation of the constitutional amendments’ – on occasion of High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown’s, second anniversary as the HR in BiH, the Centre for Analysis and Reporting (CAI), a BiH non-governmental organization, argues that HR Ashdown’s failure to persist on implementation of the constitutional changes, which were adopted at the end of mandate of his predecessor Wolfgang Petritsch, is HR Ashdown’s “most serious political miss”. Noting that the constitutional amendments order establishment of public administration, which will reflect the 1991 census in all parts of BiH, the CAI argues that the IC should pressure the local political elites more in order to implement the constitutional amendments, thus creating an atmosphere of true democratic transformation of BiH.

NHI and HSS form alliance

Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV on Friday, Slobodna Dalmacija, Sat, pg 14 ‘Zubak and Tadic join’, mentioned on cover, by F, Dnevni List, Sat, pg 7 ‘Together in elections, after that merging’, mentioned on cover, by D. Polovina-Mandic, Vecernji List, Sat, pg 4 ‘Together in elections – first move towards unification’, by Dejan Jazvic, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘NHI, HSS signed agreement on the alliance establishment’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 – Presidents of NHI and HSS, Kresimir Zubak and Marko Tadic respectively, signed an agreement on formation of the inter-party alliance in Sarajevo on Friday, which could be an introduction to merging of several other smaller Croat parties and other parties of political centre. According to Tadic, there are many small Croat parties, which are ‘jammed’ on the right, whilst in the meantime, there is a void in centre that the NHI and HSS are trying to fill. Zubak explains that the two parties, for the time being, could not reach an agreement on the merger between them, noting that “we made this alliance as the first step towards that direction”. Within the agreement on strengthening of cooperation between the parties, the NHI and HSS are planning to go together in the October local elections in 28 municipalities.

‘Croat block’ to be formed on June 5 in Mostar

Vecernji List, Sat, pg 5 ‘Croat block will not participate in elections in Bosnia’, by Ana Drmac – Ivan Bacak, one of people involved in establishment of a new party ‘Croat block’, confirmed the media reports on formation of the new Croat political party, noting that the party named ‘Croat block-voice of new generation’ will be most probably formed in Mostar on June 5. Bacak notes that he will advocate that the party goes together with the HSP BiH in the forthcoming (local) elections, but only in Herzegovina, not in Bosnia. “We are not planning to go to Bosnia because we appreciate positions and role of the Cantonal Board of HDZ of Central Bosnia with regard to important issues such as the education and unification of so-called two schools under one roof, because they did not give in to pressures and sanctions of the IC. The other reason is the fear that the Bosniaks utilize the existence of several strong Croat options to win the elections”, says Bacak.

DL critical of political process in Mostar

 

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 2 ‘Same old story in Mostar – nothing new’, by Sanja Bjelica – the author notes that despite recent major events in Mostar, such as the enactment of the new Mostar Statute, International Investment Conference and opening of the Old Bridge, which were labelled by senior officials as opportunities to bring prosperity to the city, the situation in Mostar, as far as everyday people are concerned, has not changed one bit. In that context, the author notes that the IC’s mouth is full of unified Mostar, despite the fact that Mostarians are not feeling the unification. To back her claim up, the author says the High Representative for BiH pompously unified the fire brigade in Mostar, which was to represent the start of unification of institutions in Mostar, whilst on the other hand the issue of funding of fire fighters has not been solved yet. In the rest of the article, the author criticizes the work of the Mostar City Council, whose functioning is often hampered by interruption of sessions, and which is yet to enact the city budget although the decision on temporary financing of the city expires on May 31.

DL says HR wants institutions in Mostar unified by September 15

Dnevni List, Sun, pg 3 ‘Institutions of city of Mostar must be unified by September 15’, mentioned on cover, by N. Bise – claims that the two strongest parties in Mostar, the HDZ and SDA, have intensified talks in last 15 days, the talks that public has no knowledge about. Allegedly, representatives of IC that are tasked with following of implementation of the High Representative’s decision on Mostar insist on these talks. According to DL’s information, the most frequent topics are related to issues of single city budget and process of unification of city institutions. In context of the former, DL learns that the Bosniak representatives in the Mostar City Council (MCC) will propose the MCC their position that only unified institutions should be included in the joint budget. In context of unification of institutions, DL learns that the High Representative has requested his people in Mostar to do everything in order to have institutions in Mostar unified by September 15.

Association of Croat refugees and DPs on registration of voters

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 7 ‘BiH is discriminating Croats during registration of voters from abroad’, by De. L. – the Association of expelled BiH Croats, which represents some 500.000 Croat who were expelled and displaced during the war have sent the High Representative for BiH, BiH Parliament, BiH Election Commission and several other institutions in BiH an open letter complaining of the procedure related to registration of new voters from abroad. Apparently, the procedure stipulates that the applicant, apart from proof of identification, also submits either a citizenship certificate or copy of a BiH passport. The Association notes that majority of BiH Croats, when leaving BiH, applied and received Croatian passports, but did not renounce the BiH citizenship. The letter reads: “It is frivolous to expect them to come from Sweden, US, Australia, even from Croatia, to get a certificate of BiH citizenship in their domicile municipality, since they do not have BiH passport as proof of citizenship”. As a solution, the Association suggests to the BiH Election Commission to check citizenships by using the database on BiH citizens, either the 1991 census of lists of voters from 1990.

 

Security/crime/investigations

DL on security state in BiH

 

 

 

 

 

Dnevni List, Sat, pg 11 ‘Stolen vehicles and terrorism’, by Zvonimir Jukic – reminding of a fact that official vehicles of two senior BiH officials (Barisa Colak and Borislav Paravac) have been stolen in past one month, the author notes that such thefts are unheard of in countries that want to join the European family and another proof of lack of seriousness of BiH authorities, its institutions and politicians. What worries the author more is his belief that if the officials cannot protect themselves, how can they provide security to everyday people during times of global struggle against terrorism. Jukic concludes: “Since the theft coincides with the second anniversary of mandate of the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, it becomes clear what results in establishing domestic services he has achieved, which he publicly boasts about frequently. One does not have to be amazed that BiH will, together with Serbia and Montenegro, stay outside the locked door to the Partnership for Peace”.

DL on appointments to OSA

Dnevni List, Sun, pg 4 ‘Chief inspector in agency still not appointed’, by Renata Radic – reminding that appointments to the OSA (BiH Intelligence-Security Agency) should be completed by this coming Tuesday and that the Chief inspector of OSA is yet to be appointed, DL says although the HDZ did not want to reveal whether its President, Barisa Colak, has submitted a name of a candidate for the post, unofficial information has it that it is likely probable that Zdravko Jukic, the current Head of FOSS (FBiH intelligence service), will be appointed to the said office.

VL says there are 6 new suspects in ‘Hercegovacka bank’ case

Vecernji List, Sun front and pg 3 ‘Hercegovacka bank case: Six more persons under investigation’, by Zoran Kresic – learns that the Prosecutor of Department for Corruption, Organized and Economic Crimes of BiH Prosecution, John McNair, has decided to extend the lists of suspects in the ‘Hercegovacka bank’ case by adding six new names. The six alleged new suspects are: Stanko Planinic, manager of ‘Ing pro’ of Mostar; Marinko Rozic, manager of ‘M Rozic’ of Mostar; Skajo Juka, manager of ‘Hercegovina gradnja’ of Posusje; Marinko Planinic, manager of ‘Cro herc AG’ of Mostar; Vlado Boban, head of administration for issues of Croat defenders and invalids in Canton 7 and Velimir Lovric, the first manager of ‘Hercegovacka bank’. Apparently, all six are charged with illegalities pertaining to granting of loans of ‘Hercegovacka bank’. VL also says that speculations have it that former Croatian Prime Minister, Zlatko Matesa, Croatian Finance and Defence Ministers, Borislav Skegro and Andrija Hebrang respectively, and senior officials of the Croatian MoD, Kresimir Cosic and Miljenko Galic, will be summoned for hearing.

Oslobodjenje: ‘Parliamentary commissions defend Jelavic, Rupcic and Prce’

Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg 6, mentioned on cover ‘Parliamentary commissions defend Jelavic, Rupcic and Prce’ – The BiH House of Representatives and the House of Peoples’ commissions for investigation into circumstances of the apprehension of Ante Jelavic, Miroslav Prce and Miroslav Rupcic have accused FBiH Police Administration Director Zlatko Miletic of illegally engaging special police unit in the operation, according to the joint bodies’ report. SDA members of the commissions were against such the formulation.  

Brod Oil Refinery issue

Nezavisne novine cover and page 5  ‘Brod Oil Refinery was on mortgage’; Brod Oil Refinery was on mortgage in 1995 but it lasted for a month only, said Dusan Kozic who was a Prime Minister in 1995 and has signed contract with Australian-Liberian company “Orbal Marketing Services”. Kozic claims that land around Oil Refinery, not Refinery itself, had been on mortgage. Former Prime Minister said that Orbal had not provided loan on USD 60 million. Therefore, mortgage does not egzist. Contract is in files of Sokolac Basic Court but is not found in Derventa Basic Court although this Court is in charge for Brod Oil Refinery.