BiH CoM ended its five hour meeting today failing to reach an agreement on passports, citizenship and opening of the Banja Luka airport. Agreement was reached for Tuzla and Mostar. The session will continue tomorrow. We are ready to accept everything that the OHR suggested in this direction, Haris Silajdzic, CoM Co-Chair told media. Commenting on the citizenship problems he pointed out that Pale will give a chance to all Serbs who wish, to register for BiH citizenship regardless of their origin. This is demographic engineering which does not suit us. Neven Tomic, Co-Chair Deputy estimated that a positive result on the issue is close. We see the situation relating to the airports in quite another light, Boro Bosic, CoM Co-Chair pointed out.
2’30”
BiH Assembly issued a statement demanding from CoM to submit for adoption the citizenship and passport draft laws in an attempt to pass them and comply with the Sintra dates. The Serb deputies in the BiH Assembly agreed with holding an urgent session of both Assembly Houses in order to pass pending laws foreseen by the Sintra schedule, i.e. as soon as the CoM submits them, Avdo Campara, Deputy House of Peoples President announced. A meeting of both Houses of BiH Assembly Collegiate bodies has been announced for August. A date for the Assembly’s meeting could be set up soon, Campara said.
1’30”
Office of Alija Izetbegovic announced that the Presidency Chairman signed a decree on the establishing of a Commission for investigation of accusations of allegedly manipulated international aid for BiH. Izetbegovic recently sent a letter to OHR, EU, WB, UNHCR, US and UK Embassies asking them to suggest their representative for the Commission. Only the EU and US Embassy answered. Follows a list of Commission members.
1’00”
A large part of the Central news was devoted to the Bosniaks evictions from Jajce during the weekend stating that the IC has allowed 48 hours for the Middle Bosnian Canton authorities to reinstall order, halt incidents and secure the conditions for a return of the evicted back to Jajce surroundings. Westendorp’s Office insist on holding an investigation and expect the results within seven days. Penalizing of the culprits is demanded as well as stepping down of the responsible persons from their positions. A meeting between the Federal and Middle Bosnia Canton leaders in OHR has been announced. Meanwhile the Middle Bosnian Canton authorities held a meeting and condemned the incidents and halt of the refugee returns to Jajce.
3’00”
Travnik – Edward Joseph, Director of the OSCE Regional Office in Mostar, talked with Ivan Saric, Middle Bosnian Governor and his Deputy, Adnan Terzic. In a short address to the journalists he said that the goal of the talks was to find a way to calm the situation down and establish renewed order and law in this part of the country. We are going to closely monitor the human rights on the whole territory starting from Jajce, Joseph said.
1’30”
In an unusual long Central news followed a lengthy story of the incident in Jajce described by the witnesses, among them by the son of the killed Hazim Salman and many others, resolute to return to their homes under all circumstances. Associations of refugees from many parts of the country issued their statements relating to the incident and their general problems.
4’30”
Vladimir Soljic and Ejup Ganic, FBiH President and his Deputy met separately with Gerd Wagner, Deputy HR and Robert Beecroft, US diplomat. Their talks focused on the situation in Middle Bosnia. After a meeting between Soljic and Gerd Wagner, Soljic’s Office issued a statement pointing out that the return of refugees is the most important part of the DPA. As for Soljic, he stated that he will do everything against those who instigate incidents. In a statement read out in full, a complete program of refugee return was demanded, since the current return is developing to the disadvantage of the Croats.
1’30”
Mostar is Croatian and will stay so no matter what the Moslem side think of it.. Our only aim is to unite the municipalities with Croatian majority and I believe that we will confirm it at the forthcoming election, Mile Puljic, Mostar HDZ Main Board president stated in an interview given to the local Croatian Radio. He also said that Robert Frock promised HDZ that he would consider the problem of election rules for the central city zone. The Federation Forum is, for him, an invented and illegal body.
1’30”
Summary SRT TV News
Banja Luka – RS President Plavsic met the World Bank delegation and talked about WB equal treatment of both the RS and the Federation which was agreed at the Donors’ Conference, and the policy of balanced development. Within the first two projects that will be financed by the WB the RS will receive $ 14 million for reconstruction of infrastructure, and $ 9 million for the budget.3:00
Brcko – Prime Minister Klickovic visited Brcko and talked with the local leadership about the two most important issues – construction of the railway Bijeljina-Milosevac, and the Government request sent to OSCE for issuing voters’ lists by August 20 at the latest. Klickovic threatened that there will be no September elections if OSCE does not announce the list of voters by Aug. 20, and if it doesn’t solve the problem of 3,500 refugees from Brcko who still did not register. SRT said that Ambassador Frowick convened a meeting to be held tomorrow in Sarajevo, at which he will discuss the above issues with electoral Commission from Brcko.
4:00
Sarajevo – The CoM session – the CoM discussed the MOU with regard to Mostar and Banja Luka airports which was signed by Silajdzic and Tomic. Bosic said that the Serb side could not accept it because they have slightly different position with regard to this problem. The CoM also discussed the Law on Citizenship and Passports on which they could not reach an agreement, whereas HR Deputy Wagner said that the CoM did not agree on distribution of ambassadorial offices either.
3:00
Flash news:
France, UK, and Sweden Foreign Offices suspended all the contacts with BiH embassies in these countries, respecting HR Westendorp’s decision to punish BiH for not respecting the Sintra deadlines. Austrian media reported that peace in BiH is endangered now more than ever which is the main reason why Holbrooke is coming back to BiH to try to revive his creation, the DPA. Dutch media reported that the local elections have the aim to weaken the power of entities and strengthen a unitary BiH. HR Westendorp concluded that the Muslim attack on a group of Serb returnees in Vogosca was organised. He also gave 48 hours to BiH authorities to calm down the situation in Jajce.
4:00
Banja Luka – Muslims released two POWs from their prison in Zenica, whereas Croat and Serb authorities carried out the exchange of 1 Croat dead soldier for 16 Serb dead soldiers. Croats also released 9 Serb POWs who finally returned to their country and freedom after three years of imprisonment.
3:00
Serbs in Banja Luka marked two years of the fall of Serb Krajina and paid tribute to all victims of Croatian crime against humanity, in which 2113 Serb refugees were killed and several thousand evicted from Croatia. SRT commented that this was the biggest exodus of Serbs ever, concluding that it probably hasn’t finished yet because destiny of Serbs who stayed in Croatia is still uncertain.
3:00