Headlines
- Election campaign officially starts tomorrow
- Plavsic – elections – struggle between two options – prosperity and isolation
- Van Den Broek in the RS – with Plavsic in Banja Luka, and with Dodik in Bijeljina
- EU Delegation in Belgrade
- Israeli and Palestinians in discussion on American proposal on the solution of the Gaza strip issue
Election campaign is to start officially tomorrow. President Plavsic, on this occasion, stated that the elections would be an opportunity for the RS to prove that it belongs to Europe and can participate in its integration on an equal footing with the rest of European states. There are many parties. However, there seem to be only two options – the option that has been prepared in the last 12 months, since the election of the new Government particularly, and the second one which is that of isolation and the imposition of complex of being hated by the rest of the world.
2:06
President Plavsic met with the EU Commissioner, Van Den Broek, in Banja Luka today, on the forthcoming elections and reconstruction support by the EU for the RS. Speaking about the importance of the September elections, Van Den Broek stated that he hoped the people would make their choice because of the necessity to think about their own future, but not because of the support coming from outside.
1:12
Prime Minister Dodik, on his visit to Bijeljina today, signed the MoU with Van Den Broek aimed to ensure the EU financial support for the reconstruction of infrastructure in the RS. Van Den Broek stated that he expected the EU to clear the allocation of ECU 6 million needed for agricultural projects, and ECU 15 million for the reconstruction of bridges tomorrow.
1:46
Prime Minister Dodik met with the representatives of the Norwegian Embassy in BiH in Banja Luka this evening. After the meeting, Dodik stated that an agreement was signed on a donation by the Norwegian Government for water-supplies reconstruction projects worth DM 10 million. The donation will be distributed between the municipalities of Brcko, Modrica, Novi Grad, Gradiska, Trebinje, Kotor Varos, Prnjavor, Srbac.
1:17
Following media reports claiming that the RS Minister for Refugees and DPs, Miladin Dragicevic, has cleared Muslim resettlements in the village of Klisa, nearby Zvornik, the Ministry has released a press statement clarifying that Minister Dragicevic, during his working visit to the area, has requested that all sorts of visits should temporarily cease during the elections to prevent any possible incidents. The statement went on to stress that the issue of resettlement was within municipal jurisdiction and that the invented facts were intended to discredit the Minister himself and the Socialist Party that he is a member of.
1:21
President Plavsic met with the Speaker of the Austrian Parliament, Alfred Gesl today. The Austrian Speaker, who participated in the Second World War, expressed amazement at the high level of tolerance displaced by the Serbs during this war, and added that he had always opposed attempts by part of the IC wishing to limit Serb national goals.
0:59
A three-member EU delegation mediating in negotiations between Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians arrived in Belgrade. The delegation is expected to meet with the Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Zivadin Jovanovic, this evening on the proposed status of Kosovo and the most recent developments in that area. After meetings in Belgrade, the delegation will be departing for Kosovo tomorrow to meet with Albanian political leaders. ( plus other Kosovo-related issues)
4:07
The RS Association of Journalists today reacted to yesterday’s decision of the RS Government to remove directors and editors of 16 local radio and TV stations in the RS, describing this move as unacceptable, in spite of the fact that a large number of removed officials belong to the same party, the SDS.
0:49
According to the RS Ministry of Interior, measures by the RS Government related to the introduction of commissioners in local radio and TV stations are being implemented without any difficulties in the majority of municipalities involved.
0:45
The SNS held a press conference in Banja Luka today. Svetozar Mihajlovic, the Vice- President of the Party, stated that the recent measures introduced by the RS Government, in regards to local electronic media should have been undertaken before.
1:26
The Party of Independent Social Democrats also held a press conference at which they expressed support for the decision by the RS Government to remove directors and editors of 16 local radio and TV stations. However, if the decision does not eventually contribute to the restoration of order in the local electronic media involved, the Party will ask that the Government should revoke the decision and that Government’s position regarding the electronic media concerned should be reviewed.
1:03
The Serb Radical Party, at their regular press conference today, sharply condemned media-related measures introduced by the RS Government. The Party described the measures as illegal and stressed that media-related issues were not the responsibility of the Government, but rather that of municipalities.
0:56
A regular international press conference was held in Sarajevo today. The Spokesperson for the High Representative, Simon Haselock, presented the press with the contents of High representative’ s speech given before the UN Security Council in New York on progress made on the implementation of the DA in BiH so far.
47:00
A 25-year old Muslim, Easad Landzo, a war crime indictee, today admitted before the Hague Tribunal to have committed war crimes against Serbs in the Celebici concentration camp. Landzo also confirmed that other sentries had also committed crimes following orders by their superiors.
0:26