05/19/1997

OHR Local News Issues, 19 May 1997

One of the World Bank executive directors, who is visiting our country, Jean Daniel Gerber, head of the eight member delegation announced the possibility of holding the Donors Conference for BiH in July. Director Gerber expressed his optimism after holding talks with CoM in which he hoped that all conditions set before CoM would be fulfilled. He accentuated donors satisfaction with the good co-operation between the Entities. Boro Bosic, CoM Co-chair underlined that the problems with the Central Bank and single currency – main conditions for the talks with IMF – could be solved in next 15 days.
3’00”

Ejup Ganic, Federation Vice-President talking with Kofi Anan, UN Secretary General, in Vienna, focused on the necessary urgent holding of the Donors Conference for BiH and arresting of the war crime indicted persons.
1’00”

The Serb Citizens Council (SCC) delegation informed Alija Izetbegovic, BiH Presidency Chairman, about the content of the SCC declaration on human rights for political and national equality. AI supported their stand that rights should be recognized for the Serbs living in Federation and for the Bosniaks and Croats living in RS, i.e. to all peoples living in BiH. The SCC representatives asserted also that many citizens of the Serb nationality had expressed their wish to return back to their former homes.
2’00”

An agreement on the beginning of the process for the RS police reform, which will start in Brcko and Banja Luka, was achieved in Banja Luka yesterday, Alex Ivanko told press conference. It has been agreed that the number of policemen in these two cities will be significantly lowered, that the force will be multi-ethnic – i.e. a certain number of Bosniaks and Croats will form the force. Ivanko informed also that measures have been taken against policemen who were involved in the March incidents in Gajevi.
2’00”

We shall finish the establishing of six Mostar city municipalities despite the fact that representatives of SDA and HDZ boards did not harmonize the Municipal Statute text, Ivan Prskalo, Mayor of Mostar told a press conference after his and his Deputy’s regular weekly meeting with Sir Martin Garrod, Regional OHR in Mostar. Safet Orucevic, Mostar Deputy Mayor, confirmed that he also agrees with the constituting of the municipal councils regardless of the fact that the Statute has not been finalised. Prskalo expressed his disagreement with the Federation Ombudsmen and OSCE representatives, who suggested that 82 Bosniak families, evicted from west Mostar after the signing of the DPA, return as a first group to their homes. We shouldn’t make European states only on the Croatian regions, but form European towns also on the regions which belong to the Bosniaks, Prskalo said.
2’30”

Vladimir Soljic, Federation President, sent an answer to Sir Martin Garrod, concerning the problems of the Mostar hydro-electric plant, BH Press informs quoting HABENA.
1’00” Mirsad Ceman, BiH Federation House of Peoples Acting Chairman, held a meeting with the Teslic municipality commissioners and representatives of the local communities, whose areas should belong to the Usora municipality. The goal of the meeting was to inform commissioners of the activities on the Law for border changing.
1’30”

120 international controllers have arrived in BiH to study the appeals of refugees who have registered to vote in municipalities where they intend to live in future.
0’30”

Rasim Kadic, Federal Minister for social politics and refugees together with Damir Ljubic, his Deputy, met with representatives of the Stolac authorities and Presidency of this municipality situated in Mostar.. Their talks focused the final realization of the project for the return of 100 Bosniak families to Stolac. According to Kadic, a conclusion of this meeting is that all wish success for this project. Encouraging is the fact that the Croatian side expressed full readiness for co-operation.
2’30”


Summary SRT News

Banja Luka – RS President Biljana Plavsic and Vice President Dragoljub Mirjanic received today British Defence Minister, George Robertson. The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the British Defence Ministry, the UK Ambassador to BiH and SFOR Commander for South-West sector August Ramsey. This is the first visit of British officials since the Labour party came into power.

RS President Biljana Plavsic told the press that her collocutors had given her assurances that the new British government’s policy in BiH would remain the same and pledged that British assistance in the implementation of the DPA would continue.
3’00”

Serb Sarajevo – President in the BiH Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik has visited construction sites in Serb Sarajevo where 2000 housing units will be built. Krajisnik has also paid a visit to “TAT” and “Energoinvest” companies.

At a meeting with political officials and business entrepreneurs from Serb Sarajevo, Krajisnik emphasized that a lager portion of funds for construction had already been secured, mostly owing to good contracts with banks and companies in FRY. He denounced speculations about a possible exchange of territories, stating that Serbs wanted to build Serb Sarajevo.
4’50”

Lukavica – RS officials held a meeting with World Bank representatives to review various programs on the reconstruction of the RS. Co-Chair in the BiH CoM Boro Bosic stated after the meeting that the reconstruction of the RS and FBiH was one of main preconditions for the preservation of peace in the country. Bosic also expressed hope that a Donors Conference on BiH would be held soon.
2’50”

The Police Station in Zvornik protested against a new regime of removing local police check points through the RS introduced by IPTF on 10 May and insisted that the decision be revised. According to the statement, such a decision could be detrimental to the security situation in the country.
1’50”

World News – Independent media in Mostar report that the Muslim population in Mostar east is embittered and frightened because of latest events which indicate that the Muslim authorities “sold out” the entire Mostar to the “HB”. This is primarily related to Muslim renouncement of the ownership on the hydro-power station “Mostar” and dissolution of the BiH Army 4th Corps in Mostar. Green berets and the Resistance Movement in Mostar sent a letter to President Izetbegovic qualifying the act of putting the Muslim brigade under HVO control ” a treason against the state”.

A member of the BiH Presidency Kresimir Zubak announced today the revival of the Herzeg-Bosnia community.
1’00