Sarajevo – The participants of today’s CoM session did not agree on the Law of Citizenship and Passports, although suppressed by deadlines decided by Sintra agreement. RS representative Bosic said that there was no agreement on the Law of Citizenship, because it was created in opposition of the DPA, and unconstitutionally. Unlike Bosic,, Vice-Chairman Tomic said that the bigger part of the law was agreed, and that there is only a few things left to discuss. HR Westendorp was also present at the session and his comment was that the laws have to be adopted, so that the IC could see progress in this matter. Westendorp said that he wished to reopen all aid sources because all sides had shown co-operation. The other subject of the session was the memorandum on opening the airports. Bosic said that there was a proposition to SFOR to open the Banja Luka airport tomorrow at noon. OHR spokesman Bullivant said that tomorrow is the deadline for agreement on airports, and if both sides do not agree by then, OHR will impose it’s solution, which would be some sort of a punishment. Bullivant also said that the OHR do not accept excuses related to Krajisnik’s absence from the CoM sessions, but that the OHR has some indications that it will change with the forthcoming visit of Holbrook to BiH.
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Sarajevo – At today’s session of the Federation House of Representatives only one out of thirteen subjects was adopted – The report on the work of the Government. As the session is still in progress, it is expected that the ombudsmen report on the current human rights condition in 1996 will be adopted. Special attention was paid to the return of refugees, and it was noticed that the process of return has intensified recently. Kljujic proposed the foundation of the assembly committee for determining the true status regarding the British Foreign Affairs Minister Cook’s claim about misuses of money donated to BiH.
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Doboj – The draft of the New Municipalities Foundation Law, and the foundation of Usora municipality did not satisfy the local people. The inhabitants of the Tesanj region made a roadblock on the Doboj – Teslic route. In regard to this, the Federal Prime minister Bicakcic said that this draft will be reconsidered. Bicakcic also said that the reconsidered law will be an improvement in the Federation development.
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Bonn/Sarajevo – German co-ordinator for refugee issues Schlee informed BiH CoM co-chairman Silajdzic about activities that Germany is preparing in regard to this matter. The subject of this report was the enabling the new working places for returnees, as well as the synchronised work between Bonn and Sarajevo in this matter.
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Busovaca – Representing the OSCE Ambassador Frowick, the OSCE delegation visited Busovaca. The delegation supported the Open City programme in this area. The local authorities reported to OSCE that the urgent reconstruction is required in order to return of 1.5 thousand people. Local authorities also guaranteed the full DPA implementation.
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Stolac – The pilot-project of refugee return is being delayed by the Federal Ministry for Refugees and UNHCR. There is no information for the reason of this delay. UNHCR in Mostar is preparing a meeting in order to overcome the current situation in Stolac. According to the latest information, this meeting should commence on Friday.
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Sarajevo – After discussions with German Foreign Minister Kinkel, and HR deputy Wagner the Coalition for Return is even more determined to realise freedom of movement, and refugee return. Coalition priority is the scheduling of a meeting with UNHCR so that current events regarding refugee return might be discussed. The Coalition representative Sehalic said that the main task is to support the returnees, and those who wish to return.
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Banja Luka – At the Displaced Persons meeting from July 29, it was concluded that the DPA implementation considers the fulfillment of Annex 7 of the DPA. DP’s demanded access to all mass graves; to ask from the BiH Government to demand the Croatian regular army retreat from the territory of BiH; to enable the return of Serbs displaced from Croatia. DP’s association is asking for all BiH cities to be pronounced as opened, the suspension of all Pilot-Project and similar solutions of return as well as for suspension of the reciprocity scheme in entities co-relations.
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Travnik – The Mostar OSCE executive Joseph represented OSCE Ambassador Frowick at the session of Middle-Bosnian canton assembly. Joseph said he was impressed with the co-operation of Croats and Bosniaks in Federation implementation. The assembly adopted two amendments on the canton constitution.
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Sarajevo – The SDA party commented on British Foreign Affairs Minister Cook’s statement about misuse of money donated to BiH, saying that Cook is the victim of false information. SDA spokesman Grbo said that Cook’ statement suited the enemies of BiH. Grbo said that the point of such information is an attempt to spoil relationships between Great Britain and BiH.
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Summary SRT TV News
Sarajevo – The CoM session – the CoM discussed the Law on Citizenship and the Law on Passports. The Serb side insisted on discussing issues which had been postponed by the Bosniak representatives, such as the establishment of telecommunications and the agreement with the WB. Co-chair Bosic said that he also insisted on discussion with regard to a bank account in Vienna into which Bosniak and Croat officials illegally put certain resources. The CoM did not discuss the issue of opening borderlines either.3:00
Brcko – RS Vice-president Mirjanic, members of the Government, OHR, ECMM, and others attended a session of the Municipal Board of Brcko, and discussed the local elections and problem of 3270 refugees who could not register, but who expressed their wish to live in Brcko in the future. Mirjanic said that the IC should be reasonable and understand the Brcko people who came to Brcko not of their own free will, and have found their permanent accommodation there. Prior to the session, Mirjanic and members of the Government held talks with Brcko Supervisor Farrand who had given them guarantees that Serbs would not be evicted from Brcko. Farrand also promised that he would personally talk to OSCE representatives in order to resolve this problem.
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Laktasi – Prime Minister Klickovic and members of the Government met the local leadership, and discussed the economic and political situation in the RS. Klickovic expressed his wishes that the current crisis in the RS will be over soon.
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Pale – Minister of Civil Affairs, Albijanic met the German Special Envoy for Return of Refugees, and discussed the repatriation of refugees. Albijanic said that the RS does not have anything against the return, but it must be organised in accordance with living conditions on the ground. According to Albijanic, the return will be impossible to carry out without reconstruction of economy.
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Prijedor – ‘If there was justice and if the Hague wasn’t what it is – a stage for lynching the Serbs in public, than a large number of protests against the arrest of a doctor and humanist would be accepted,’ SRT commented on the peaceful protest of Kovacevic’s working colleagues and people from Prijedor in front of the hospital who gathered to show their disapproval of the proceedings against Dr. Kovacevic. One of doctors said that the destiny of the Serbs is repeating over again – 10 armed men attacked a doctor at work and killed an another man in front of his son. Serbs are attacked although they only want to have their own life, peace and their piece of a land. He sent a message to Kovacevic to survive the Hague as he survived Jasenovac in the World War II.
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Flash news:
Dutch media reported that US and Germany intend to start a media war against SRT in the course of the SRT pre-election programming campaign by interrupting it. Russian Foreign Office said that Russia does not want to sent its troops to capture alleged war criminals because it goes beyond the SFOR mandate. A journalist of Belgrade Vecernje Novosti, Lalic, said that US was strongly against arrest of war criminals when they took part in the establishment of the DPA. However, Clinton and British Prime Minister Blair changed their position and sent SFOR not only to arrest war criminals but also to kill them. The SFOR mandate doesn’t finish with this, Lalic said, but now they insist on conducting the process of refugee return.
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Svjetlica near Doboj – SRT talked to people who were attacked by a group of about 20 Muslim soldiers disguised as civilians yesterday, commenting that in the last couple of days 70 Muslims, mainly soldiers of 109 Muslim Army brigade, tried to sneak deep in the RS territory.
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After they ordered the burning of Glas Srpski copies in Banja Luka several days ago, the Co-ordinating Board for Support of President Plavsic’s decisions issued a warrant against the editor in chief of Glas Srpski. Commenting on this decision Glas Srpski said that these are the same people, members of minor political parties in the RS, who say that they strongly support and work in line with the RS Constitution. ‘We believe that the responsible institution will finally react to such behaviour, because that was the last straw,’ Glas Srpski said.
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