Sarajevo – The PEC decided to extend the registration period for voters abroad until June 14. According to the statistics, more than 1.6 million voters registered, and the weakest response of voters for registration is in Sarajevo so far. By casting lots, the OSCE made the order of political parties, coalitions, and independent candidates by which they will be presented on the elections lists.
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BH Press quoted the Croatian Foreign Minister Granic who said that BiH President Izetbegovic and Croatian President Tudjman should meet some time this month.
Sarajevo – The Forum on the Strategy of Economy Development in BiH – Local and foreign economic experts discussed the study analysis of the strategy and methods of economic help to BiH, which was made by the UN Centre for Economic Development in Vienna and which stresses the structural strategy of economic development. Among others, Co-chair Silajdzic, the Head of WB O’Sullivan, and ministers Prlic and Muratovic addressed the Forum. In Prlic’s opinion, the strategy is a total failure, whereas Prof. Stojanov said that the analysis is the only path that leads to a stable economic future. Commenting on the process of privatisation, Silajdzic said that only the BiH state can privatise the state property and was against ‘two privatisation mechanisms working separately in the two entities.’
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Sarajevo – Representatives of BiH and Croatian Academies of Science discussed the roles of their countries in Europe in the light of road linkage within the EU Programme of European Transport Corridors. This meeting yielded a joint agreement for seven corridors that will be discussed at the third Pan-European Conference to be held this month.
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Sarajevo – Meeting of the RS and Federation Governments – Headed by the Prime Ministers Klickovic and Bicakcic, the two delegations discussed the issues of communications, start of economy and transport of goods between the entities, as well as re-engagement of the two commissions, for correction of interior boundaries and for preparations for a joint presentation at the Donors’ conference.
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Foreign media reports:
Washington Post reported on reactions to Albright’s visit to the former FRY, saying that she established new relations between Milosevic and Tudjman that will be honoured by the Western countries. The Post also said that, as an outcome of Albright’s visit, certain things will be done with regard to the arrest of war criminals, or on the other hand the US will impose sanctions. Wall Street Journal quoted Silajdzic who said that Albright’s words will be measured by the number of returnees and arrested war criminals. London Times reported on US planes spying on Radovan Karadzic for a long time, whereas the US Defence Secretary Cohen said that there was a discussion on the establishment of special police forces in charge of arresting war criminals.
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Sarajevo – The Human Rights Chamber held a public hearing of five cases [four against both the state and the Federation, and one against the Federation only] with regard to violation of property rights. In four cases, the holders of the occupancy right are former JNA officers who either permanently or temporary lost their right to usage of an apartment, whereas the fifth case is with regard to dispossession of the applicant’s father’s property. The Chamber found that there are sufficient grounds for pressing charges in all five cases. However, the assistant to the agent of the Federation said that the low-price purchase of military apartments before the war had been carried out on discriminatory basis, therefore the government had to revoke the old purchase contracts so as to give everybody an equal start by adoption of new laws now.
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Tuzla – The three men from Srebrenica from the famous Zvornik Seven group were released from the hospital in Tuzla after they were medically treated because of severe tortures they had survived in Zvornik and Bijeljina prisons. ‘They should sue the international community and ask for damages compensation since the international community is guilty for not helping them. The international community must stop such incidents,’ BiH TV journalist said.
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Summary SRT News
Pale – After a meeting with Italian Ambassador Michele Valensise, Momcilo Krajisnik, RS President in the BiH Presidency (sic) told the press that he had warned the Italian diplomat of the possibility of overlapping competencies between BiH and the two entities.He specifically underlined that some international officials tend to employ such practice, which to him was tantamount to non-implementation of the DPA. Krajisnik went on to say that the Serb side could not agree with such practice, because the entities are states with limited independence, the rights of which are clearly defined. Ambassador Valensise confirmed that his government’s view on the implementation of the DPA had not changed, adding that cooperation between BiH and Italy would be improved if the peace agreement were to be implemented with more success.
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Krajisnik also met with Head of the ICRC mission in BiH, Peter Stocker. The talks focused on the new ICRC approach to the problem of missing persons. Krajisnik has offered his full support to the new approach and thanked his collocutor for ICRC ‘s balanced engagement in region.
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Speaker of the RS National Assembly Dragan Kalinic received today Thomas Dermont, UN Special representative for Children’s Rights in the former Yugoslavia. The main topic on the agenda was implementation of the Convention on Child’s Rights. Kalinic informed his collocutor that the RS National Assembly was going to name the Ombudsman for Human Rights and requested UNICEF to provide guidelines in further implementation of the Convention and possible suggestions to harmonize the existing laws in this field.
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RS PM Gojko Klickovic met with Head of the WB Rory O’Sullivan and discussed details related to the upcoming Donors Conference to be held on 25 June. PM Klickovic commented on the meeting by saying that the talks focused on conditions to be met for holding of the Conference. He confirmed that all requested conditions had been met except payment of loans but expressed hope that the problem would be resolved by lending funds or donations.
Sarajevo – RS PM Gojko Klickovic and PM FHiB Edhem Bicakcic held talks on preparations for the Donors Conference. Klickovic told the press that joint programs of the two entities in the field of metal industry and energy resources would be presented at the Donors Conference. PM Bicakic declared that the views of the two governments had become closer in the trade and commerce domains. The two prime ministers confirmed that the issues of gas supply and a commission on correction of the IEBL were also discussed.