News Headlines
- RS Government adopts report on its activities in period 18 January 1998 – 30 April 2000
- BiH Presidency totally responsible for blockade of BiH Council of Ministers – Ferguson
- Farrand to leave his post in Brcko at the end of May – OHR
- Former RS Brcko Municipality was first in BiH to establish multi-ethnic police, administration and judiciary – OHR
- Petritsch thanks Farrand for his efforts in preserving the peace in Brcko
- Belgrade citizens gather at another opposition rally on Thursday
- Serbian police intervened during demonstrations by Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) soccer fans on 17 May
- 37 Belgrade citizens arrested on 17 May
- Editions of Belgrade daily Blic appear in Serbian towns
- Protest rallies against Serbian regime organized throughout Serbia
- Serbian Government reacted in case of RTV Studio B because this media was calling for murder – Yugoslav Deputy Premier Nikola Sainovic
- Holy Synod of Serb Orthodox Church calls on Serbian authorities to stop forced suspension of independent media in Serbia
- OSCE Permanent Council condemns Serbian Government activities against independent media
- Russian Foreign Ministry condemns control of RTV Studio B by Serbian police
- Greece criticizes Yugoslavia over clampdown on independent media
- Political resistance main obstacle slowing return of refugees – Deputy High Representative Ralph Johnson
- UNHCR Head of Mission to BiH Werner Blatter visits Bosniak returnees in Banja Lucica
- Families of fallen soldiers meet with Commission on Missing Soldiers and Civilians and RS Red Cross representatives in Doboj
- Deputy High Representative Matej Hoffman meets with representatives of BiH political parties
- Plavsic comments on events within the SNS
- Radisic must hold consultations with parties by 22 May and nominate new candidate for chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers – SPRS
- SRS holds press conference
- RS, BiH and Mostar Pension Funds sign agreement on common rights and obligations
- Petritsch decides to impose Law on Judicial and Prosecutorial Service in BiH Federation – Ferguson
- BiH Federation Government adopts program for transformation of tax administration and financial police
- UN demands that SFOR assists in arrest of five Mostar Croats indicted of war crimes – Sarajevo media
- Robertson expresses concern over US Congress decision to withdraw troops from Kosovo in July 2001 – BETA
- Person murdered in Pristina – KFOR
- KFOR discovers body near Suva Reka, Kosovo – KFOR
- UN preparing indictments against prisoners in Kosovo – UN Mission to Kosovo spokesperson Susana Manuel
- Serbs in Northern Kosovska Mitrovica demand trials of Serb prisoners there immediately
- World news
- USAID donates KM 475,000 to 19 BiH NGOs
- Theater Festival starts in Banja Luka
- RS Sports Minister Milorad Karalic appeals on Petritsch to influence work of BiH Football Association concerning its neglect of RS soccer teams
- Siroki Brijeg Basketball Team management apologizes to Borac Nektar Team for 17 May incident
- OHR investigating physical attack on Borac Nektar basketball players – Ferguson
- Weather
- Serbian police shoot tear gas at demonstrators in Belgrade
- Jiri Dienstbier condemns police actions against RTV Studio B, Radio Index, B2-92 and Blic
- Resignation of Croatian Interior Minister Sime Lucin not accepted – Ivica Racan
- Situation in Kosovo improving, but there are still many conflicts – KFOR Commander Ortuno
- Macedonian Defense Minister Nikola Kljusev requests better KFOR control of Macedonia-Kosovo border
- 150,000 Kosovo citizens registered in population census in the past month – OSCE
- Kosovo Serb representatives due to meet with Solana in Brussels on 19 May – Pristina daily Koha Ditore
News Summary
BiH Presidency totally responsible for blockade of BiH Council of Ministers – Ferguson
At a press conference in Sarajevo, OHR spokesperson James Ferguson stated that the BiH Presidency bears all the responsibility for the blockade of BiH Council of Ministers’ work. Ferguson added that the BiH Presidency must appoint an appropriate candidate for Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers as soon as possible. He repeated the OHR position that the candidate must support the interests of BiH and efficient work of BiH common joint institutions, as well as the equality of both BiH entities. Commenting on the upcoming session of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board, scheduled for 3 June in Brussels, Ferguson said that if the BiH Presidency does not appoint a Chairman by then, the reputation of BiH would be brought into question. Ferguson also said that the Agent for Transfer of (RTV BiH) Property, John Shearer, appointed by the High Representative, brought an important decision on the formation of the Transco Agency, i.e. transmission company at the BiH level. The goal of this agency is to unite the present BiH transmission systems and provide foreign investment for their reconstruction. The OHR spokesperson said that, by the time of the establishment of the Transco Agency, the activities in transmission should be efficiently separated from the current transmission outlets. The Agency will be managed by a board comprising the representatives of the IMC, leading media officials in both BiH entities and the Agent for Transfer of Property.
01:27
SRS holds press conference
At a press conference in Banja Luka, SRS General Secretary Ognjen Tadic stated that the crisis in the election of the candidate for Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Tihomir Gligoric, has proven that he is an acceptable candidate for this post. The SRS believes that the RS Government does not ‘stand behind BiH Presidency member Zivko Radisic’s nomination of Tihomir Gligoric.’ Tadic added that the RS President (Nikola Poplasen) is not in a position to support the nomination. The SRS believes that the final result of all these (events) is the “policy of forced devaluation of the significance of RS institutions”, which are now unable to even support their own interests in BiH common institutions. Tadic concluded that the upcoming BiH general elections should be based on democratic principles and that the SRS fulfills all formal conditions to participate in those elections.
00:46