05.11.1999

OHR RTRS News Summary, 5 November 1999

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News Headlines

  • RS Government holds session on RS budget rebalance, action ‘Stop smuggling’ and refugee centers
  • RS Government dismisses RT RS Director Kozomara – SRNA
  • Vasic confirms Kozomara dismissal
  • Gasic on Kozomara dismissal
  • New Brcko police to be organized by end of 1999 – Novic
  • Novic speaks with Farrand on Brcko police
  • OHR considers laws on refugees, displaced persons and returnees – Stiglmayer
  • Stiglmayer holds press conference
  • BiH Federation Defense Ministry initiates equitable compensation for confiscated in Glamoc and Livno
  • Yugoslav UNHCR searches for owners of confiscated in Glamoc and Livno
  • Three children injured in mine explosion in Svetlje
  • Kosovo Albanians attack two Serbs in Kosovo Polje
  • Trajkovic and Bishop Artemije speak with Kosovska Mitrovica Administrator Garod on situation in Kosovska Mitrovica hospital
  • In Leposavic, Serbs protest against Garod decision on Kosovska Mitrovica Director dismissal
  • UNMIK warns UNMIK Slovenian nations not to go to public places
  • Threats to UNMIK Russian members
  • Kosovo Romanian representative discusses with Norwegian Envoy on position of gypsies in Kosovo
  • Final IC goal in Balkan is democratization of Serbia – Albright and Fischer
  • Montenegrin Prime Minister criticizes Serbian suspension of money transactions with Montenegro
  • SRS holds press conference
  • Dodik meets with Bishops Vasilije and Grigorije
  • Reconstruction of Church of Christ the Savior begins in Banja Luka
  • Several hundred Bosniaks visit Tjentiste
  • BiH House of Peoples holds session
  • Sarajevo Court starts trial against Osmancevic, who is suspected for war crimes done on Serbs in Kazan location in Sarajevo
  • HAMAS pamphlets in Travnik
  • HN Canton Main Board activities
  • 43 suicides in Sarajevo in last nine months
  • Central European Initiative Forum
  • World news
  • Sarajevo College of Machinery Day
  • Jelavic supports RTV service establishment
  • RS Education Minister Suzic not to give statements to RT RS until change of its editorial policy
  • IMC begins second phase of issuing long-term licenses
  • Rail workers trade union on strike
  • Sports and weather
  • Haselock reacts to Kozomara dismissal (report in 22:00 news)
  • RS Government dismisses RS Chief Education Inspector
  • Haselock reacts to Kozomara dismissal
  • Farrand holds press conference on Brcko District Statute
  • OSCE and SFOR hold press conference in Brcko on voter registration and SFOR operation ‘Harvest 99’
  • Brcko Mayor Kisic asks Dodik use his influence on activities of RS Telecom and Electro-Distribution companies in Brcko
  • Kosovo will not be democratic until it is multiethnic – Petritsch
  • Irish PM calls for toleration in Kosovo
  • Irish PM visiting KFOR Irish contingent
  • Serb Kosovo official Ivanovic discusses situation in Kosovska Mitrovica
  • Russian Duma condemns IC influence on Yugoslav internal policy

News Summary

Gasic on Kozomara dismissal

Commenting on information of the dismissal of RT RS General Director Andjelko Kozomara, International Administrator for RT RS Dragan Gasic stated that only the Executive Board was authorized to bring a decision on director’s position. The Executive Board neither adopted any decision nor discussed the possibility of Kozomara’s dismissal. “There are no grounds for such a move. Misinformation is part of a campaign, the goal of which is destabilization of RT RS and the possibility of direct political influence on the editorial policy” Gasic claims.

00:48

Stiglmayer holds press conference

OHR Spokesperson Alexandra Stiglmayer held a press conference in Banja Luka on Friday and stated that, if the RS Law on Refugees and Displaced Persons, recently adopted by the RS Government, violates the Dayton Agreement, High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch would request it be changed. Stiglmayer again stated that RS Vice-president Mirko Sarovic should seek Petritsch’s opinion on his assumption of the presidential duty. Stiglmayer condemned the attack on journalist Mirko Srdic, which is considered an attack on journalism.

01:22

SRS holds press conference

The SRS General Secretary Ognjen Tadic held a press conference in Banja Luka on Friday. Tadic stated that the SRS would ask RS citizens to boycott the upcoming local elections scheduled for 8 April 2000. According to Tadic, in that way, citizens will show that they do not accept the racketeering decisions of international officials that strangle RS autonomy. The SRS will not accept an unprincipled compromise. The party is closely monitoring the SDS attitude on the current SRS situation. Tadic stated that the fact that the SDS had not condemned the decision on SRS taking part in the local elections was irritating and troubling. The SRS expects the SDS to withdraw from the local elections. “The SDS should understand that people from the OHR are only offering the (disbanding) of a patriotic coalition” Tadic said. Tadic added that SRS representatives would take part in the next RS National Assembly session.

01:38

IMC begins second phase of issuing long-term licenses

Head of the IMC Licensing Department Dieter Loraine held a press conference in Banja Luka on Friday and stated that the IMC began the second phase of issuing long-term licenses to electronic media in BiH. TV outlets must respect requests for absolute financial transparency and establish multiethnic editorial councils. RT RS must also establish such a council. The decision is in accordance with the RT RS law. RTV outlets applying for license for the first time must submit a request by 1 January 2000. According to Loraine, these steps will influence the closure of some local TV outlets. Loraine suggested that they pool and form so-called regional TV centers.

01:30

Haselock reacts to Kozomara dismissal

Deputy High Representative for Media Issues Simon Haselock, commenting on the RS Government decision to dismiss RT RS General Director Andjelko Kozomara, stated that the decision of the High Representative is to ensure that new laws take precedence over and cancel previous laws and strengthen the conditions of interim arrangements. Dodik had guarantied the High Representative that he would support the law. According to the law on RT RS, only the Executive Board is authorized to make decisions on the position of General Director. The main principle of public media is that neither the RS Government nor any political party can influence media administration. According to Haselock, the statement of RS Information Minister Rajko Vasic is substantially and principally wrong. The RS Government cannot take such action, or even attempt to, because it is not in accordance to law. Kozomara’s position is in on the Executive Board. The Executive Board did not express dissatisfaction with his work.

01:20