Sarajevo – The fourth Assembly of the Serb people accepted a document which could be a turning point in the creation of national relations on the BiH territory. Namely, the Assembly accepted a Declaration of human rights on political and national equality. The Declaration demands changes in the BiH, Federation and RS Constitution according to which all peoples: Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs would be the constitutional people on the whole BiH territory. This idea, originating from the Serb Civic Council (SCC), received large support from many political parties as well as from the international community. Talking at the meeting, Dr. Mirko Pejanovic, SCC President pointed out that the return of refugees and displaced person to their homes is the most important pre-requisite for making this idea true. He mentioned that some 50 thousand Serbs wish to return to their homes in Federation, but bureaucratic, unbridgeable barriers provoked a feeling of hopelessness in people. Therefore the SCC requested that the Federal and Cantonal authorities establish an extra body for a quicker solution to this problem.
The SCC Declaration was supported by local political parties as well as the international Community. Alija Izetbegovic, Presidency President and some other BiH and Federation officials sent a cable of support for the Declaration idea saying that the constituency of all peoples in BiH, is an important step to the integration of the country. SCC Assembly thanked BiH TV for the live transmission of the meeting.
4’30”
Trebinje – Seventeen Bosniaks from Trebinje have, after more than 4.5 years, visited their town for the first time today. They visited their relatives graves. An earlier planned meeting with the Trebinje Serbs at the hotel Ognjiste did not succeed, since police drove away Serbs who came to see their neighbours. A bus appearance on the Trebinje streets provoked an astonished reaction by the local citizens. Some friendly people waved to the bus, the others were provocatively showing three fingers.
2’30”
Brcko – The newly appointed HR to BiH, told the news yesterday in Brcko that the key for implementation of the Dayton Accord lies in Brcko. Robert Farrand, the supervisor for Brcko criticised the Serb police for not giving promised support to ensure safe conditions for preparations for the local elections. Regional OHR distributed an official statement to the local radio stations explaining the procedure of obtaining identity cards for returnees.
1’30”
Brcko – While Westendorp and Farrand confirmed what has already been said many times, the Brcko evicted and displaced people have been waiting more than 5 years to return to their homes. Their improvised settlement at the edge of the town is growing larger and larger. A clip showed several families building small houses out of scarce building material, paper boxes and flimsy materials.
3’30”
Sarajevo – Two important visits are expected tomorrow: Bob Dole, American Republican invited by Haris Silajdzic, CoM Co-Chair, who will receive the charter of an honoured Sarajevo citizen and Javier Solana, NATO Secretary-General.
1’00”
At the G7 summit in Denver in the last three days, BiH was one of the discussed topics. Leaders of the most powerful countries in the world, expressed their readiness for further help to BiH but not unconditionally. Klaus Kinkel, German Foreign Minister said that Russia is expected to exercises a pressure on the Bosnian Serb whose commitment for the implementation of the DPA was the smallest one.
2’30”
Summary SRT News
Although the international community is constantly trying to impose the implementation of the DPA, it almost destroyed the agreement by postponing the donors’ conference. Therefore, the RS is now strengthening its own pre-war relations and turning to the neighbouring countries such as FRY. In Serb Sarajevo, RS President in BiH Presidency, Krajisnik met the FRY political and economic delegations from Nis and discussed the economic development of the RS. Krajisnik said that freedom and statehood are sacred for the Serbs and were the main reason why they fought the war. He emphasised that Serbs should help each other and take the two most important paths in the future – the path of patriotism and the path of hard work. Drina river shouldn’t be a border but the backbone of Serbhood. After the meeting, the FRY delegation visited the Famos factory in Serb Sarajevo and the IEBL in Dobrinja.3:00
Denver – Tages Spiegel reported that the representatives of Group of Seven and Russia announced that they will support the RS and Federation only if they implement the DPA, otherwise they will suspend the financial aid.
2:00
Brcko – The SRT had a live report from a makeshift TV studio in Brcko with Teodor Gavric, a representative of voters’ registration, as a guest. He said that the registration is being carried out without any problems, and if god helps, it will be completed as expected. He also said that international monitors are supervising every local person who works at registration centres, which makes voters nervous and slows down the whole process. Gavric underlined that Brcko citizens are obliged to register. It is their patriotic and moral duty, and they will be considered traitors of their own country if they don’t vote, whereas the local leadership is on the ground to prevent any possible manipulations.
5:00
The OSCE HQ in Sarajevo announced that 2,5 million people from the RS [900,000] and Federation [1,3 million] have been registered so far.
Rakovica, Ilidza municipality – Residents of this village and few more villages in the vicinity sent a complaint to the IPTF and other international organisations, saying that the Federation construction company Geoinzinjering will soon destroy the 400 year-old Orthodox cemetery because of excavation of dolomite at a site nearby.
3:00