Sarajevo – BiH Central Bank started to function, today. The base for a healthy financial system in BiH has been established and the necessary conditions have been fulfilled for the mobilisation of the IC assistance, Serge Robert, Central Bank governor told BiH news. Priority task of the Central Bank is issuing of the new currency – the convertible mark which will be covered with German marks. National Banks of BiH and RS must stop acting as the central banks. BiH Central Bank consists of a headquarters and three main units. The Steering Council headed by Governor is the highest organ of the Bank and consists of the representatives of the three constituent people. The BiH National Bank Headquarters is situated in Sarajevo and has its units located in Pale and Mostar.
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Sarajevo – The Commission for investigation of irregularities relating to the use of international donations, established by Alija Izetbegovic, Presidency Chairman convened its first meeting on 7 August, the Office of Kasim Omicevic, Commission member, informed. In preparing its work, the Commission sent forty letters to donors asking them to confirm if their donations have been used properly or not as well as to suggest directions in which the investigation should go.
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Kuala Lumpur – The members of BiH CoM Co-Chairs Haris Silajdzic and Boro Bosic, as well as the Minister of Foreign rade Hasan Muratovic were received by the Malaysian King and the Prime Minister, today. During the meeting with Prime Minister, the Malaysian decisiveness was confirmed to help reconstruction and development of BiH. There will never again be war in BiH, Boro Bosic pointed out on this occasion adding that BiH is internationally acknowledged country in which neither secession nor domination of one people will occur.
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Sarajevo – The last BiH joint body to be established – the Constitutional Court has been set up. The Rules of procedure, being until now a hindrance for the common bodies in any attempt to start working, have also been adopted after three day convening.
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Both BiH Assembly Houses meeting could be held in the last decade of August if CoM submits in time the laws foreseen by Sintra declaration to be passed. The Serb representatives in the Parliament gave a preliminary agreement for this date. The consultations of both Assembly Houses for holding the meetings on 8 August were stopped after CoM could not reach an agreement on citizenship and passports and demanded OHR arbitration.
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FBiH Ministry for Interior should have by today produced a list of culprits for the recent evictions of Bosniaks from Jajce. Although the highest level Croatian and BiH officials agreed in Split to finish investigation, the list has not been made public.
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Travnik – Working Group with a task to develop a program for the refugee return to their homes in the Central Bosnia and especially for the return of double evicted Bosniaks from Jajce, held a meeting today. Return program for all displaced people to the Middle Bosnian Canton should be verified on 25 August. A return of 600 refugees to Jajce municipality should start 15 August.
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Summary SRT TV News
SRT comments that the Constitutional crisis in the RS gave way for certain elements to interfere with the RS internal problems and politics. Therefore, the Constitutional Court (CC) is the only body that can drag the RS out of the crisis, and its decision must be respected by all RS bodies. The CC will begin the public proceedings on constitutionality of Plavsic’s decision to dissolve the Parliament and to schedule pre-term elections tomorrow in Pale. The Government and Parliament already confirmed their participation. Lawyer Radomir Lukic will be the agent of the Government, whereas lawyer Milan Trbojevic will be the agent of the RS President. There will be seven judges of the CC to make the final decision by majority of votes.3:00
On Aug. 5 1997, Plavsic signed an Agreement by which she extended the OSCE and PEC missions in the RS until the end of 1997, for the purpose of organising the Parliamentary elections in October. She agreed to use the voters’ registration that was made for the local elections. The Agreement proves that Plavsic continues to make decisions without preliminary consultations, because only the Parliament can decide whether mandate of some international organisation can be extended or not. Therefore, Plavsic’s decision can be interpreted as pre-judging the CC decision.
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Banja Luka – Plavsic’s press conference – Plavsic warned that a lack of co-operation between the RS police and IPTF in Brcko, that is, the RS police refusal to issue IDs to Muslim returnees, can only jeopardise the RS position with regard to the final decision about this town. She underlined that there is serious danger that the Federation will issue their IDs instead, because people must have some documents. With regard to Buha’s statement that Serbs are the most hated nation in the world, Plavsic said that Serb people should not have such pessimistic thoughts about themselves and confront the IC. She especially criticised Glas Srpski, underlining that RS media must be more open instead of being in the service of the party (referring to SDS). On the question if she talked about the hand-over of Karadzic and Mladic with Holbrooke, Plavsic said that ‘the talks with Holbrooke and Gelbard passed without mentioning that issue. I had even been told before the meeting that we would not talk about that issue which helped me to relax and to hold talks in a good atmosphere.’ She also announced the establishment of her own party which will be based upon Raskovic’s ideas that will be fully respected this time. (Raskovic established the SDS in Krajina).
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SRT again reported on 3,270 voters from Brcko who still did not register, underlining that one must expect manipulations since the ballots will be counted in Sarajevo. SDS Brcko President, Bosic expressed his concerns that Brcko voters will not vote if the PEC does not solve the problem of 15% of voters from Brcko.
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Pale – The VRS HQ met members of the Commission for the Sub-regional Arms Control and discussed the reduction of arms in the RS and Federation. SRT reported that the Commission said that this was only a regular meeting because the RS Army had almost fulfilled their obligation.
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Pale – Deputy Minister of Interior, Karisik and Commander of the Special Police units for anti-terrorist attacks, Saric talked to SFOR representatives about reorganisation of special police forces in the RS. The RS MUP confirmed that there are no special police forces in Teslic, Nevesinje, Srbinje, Bileca, Trebinje, and in the region of Pale, as SFOR suggested, and advised them to check it themselves.
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Commentary on media stigmatisation of the Serbs – (summarised) SRT reported that media stigmatisation of Serbs started along with the civil war in BiH. Although they are people with a 1,000-year-long tradition, Serbs are marked as criminals without any evidence of their crime. After a shell exploded on the market (in Sarajevo) and killed civilians, the Muslim TV sent pictures of the massacre to the world even before the smoke had faded away, accusing ‘Chetniks’ from the hills for that. According to world media, there are several thousands of raped Muslim women. If that’s true, those women would have given birth to at least q few thousands of children, which has never happened. Then the story of mass graves: all TV and media were on the field, in the vicinity of Srebrenica, digging around, but haven’t found anything. However, they reported that mass graves do exist but their location is still unknown. And, finally the last thing in a row – establishment of the Hague Tribunal, in which the Serb alleged war criminals are ‘winning’ 10 to 1. ‘Thanks to this institution, the Serb national leaders and heroes, Karadzic and Mladic, have become the most verbally attacked persons in modern Europe,’ SRT reported, adding that the truth is hidden behind thick curtains, but some light is slowly but certainly coming inside this vicious circle. German journalist Deichmann published an interview with Karadzic in German papers Zie Deutche Zeitung and gave an interview to Belgrade Vecernje Novosti, saying that he did not have the impression of Karadzic as unstable, mentally disturbed, nervous or severely depressed person, but that he himself (Deichmann) was a bit nervous and tense when he first saw Karadzic. However, Karadzic shook his hand as a friend and talked to him in fluent English. On the question why he is interested in Serbs and the civil war in the former BiH, Deichmann said that he is not interested in Serbs, but only in truth.
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