Friday
RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
Explosions in Mostar | Candidates for MoD | Candidates for MoD | Candidates for MoD |
BiH MoD candidate | OHR warning to RS | Meeting with EC | SFOR released Tesic |
SFOR released Tesic | ICTY News | OHR warning to RS | MoI performance in RS |
Dismissal of Croat Officers | Statement of RS MoI | ICTY News | BiH to PfP and EU |
Saturday
NTV Hayat CD (18,55 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
Genetically modified food | SDA Main Board in session | US Ambassador’s concerns | Public Holidays in RS |
War crime suspects | Establishment of MoD | Statement of CoM Chair | Trebinje Declaration |
Elections pool | FTA postponements | New leaders of SDS | Econ. collapse in Cajnice |
Bosnian village | Regional news | SDA Main Board in session | World News |
Saturday
Oslobodjenje | Stevic officially candidate for Minister of Defence; Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic will [not] resign?!; Leutar case: verdict confirmed |
Dnevni Avaz | State Prosecutor John McNair for Avaz: We will focus at big crimes; Tihic: I think that there will be no Govt reshuffle; Leutar case: Releasing verdict confirmed |
Dnevni List | Covic: Ten or so inter-state agreements to be signed; Derby and Petica betting shops blown up |
Vecernji List | Deputy Defence Minister will be Marina Pendes: EXPLOSION: Two betting shops in centre of Mostar blown up |
Slobodna Dalmacija | Croat self-rule on defendant’s bench; Explosion destroys two betting shops |
Glas Srpske | RS Administration employees removed from the office; Tesic released, Spending came to an end, Bad mark from diplomacy; journalists pinched by vallet; He survired execution; Died because of mobile phone |
Nezavisne Novine | Explosions in Mostar – Dinko Slezak’s betting places blown up; Mirko Sarovic, SDS caretaker Vice-President: “I haven’t seen Radovan Karadzic for years”; Ivo Sanader promised to Milorad Pupovac – Serbs will regain their property by the end of the year; SFOR released Dusan Bato Tesic: “SFOR soldiers haven’t mistreated me” |
Sunday
Oslobodjenje | SDA Main Board in Srebrenica: Property returned, people around the world; Serb Democratic Forum: RS is threatened |
Dnevni Avaz | Arrest of Karadzic and Mladic till the June summit; SDA Main Board visits Memorial Centre; Adnan Terzic for DA: OSA leadership names are only speculations; Hajric: French would invest into BiH tourism |
Dnevni List | Komarica: Croats do not have rights of minorities, let alone of constituent people; Jelavic, Rupcic and Prce remain in custody? |
Vecernji List | Consequences of trials for Jozo Leutar murder: “Assassins” demand huge compensation! |
Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
Defence and security issues | |
Stevic, Becirbasic and Pendes candidates for top positions in Defence Ministry
| BHTV 1 Fri, Oslobodjenje Sat cover page story ‘Stevic officially candidate for Defence Minister’, Vecernji List Sat front splash ‘Deputy Defence Minister will be Marina Pendes’, pg 2 ‘Stevic Minister, M. Pendes and E. Becirbasic Deputies’, Dnevni List Sat pg 2 ‘Candidates for defence minister to be checked by OHR’, pg 8 ‘MARINA PENDES – candidate for deputy defence minister of BiH’, Slobodna Dalmacija ‘Branko Stevic the defence minister’ – Branko Stevic, a lawyer from Bijeljina, who is currently deputy head of Bijeljina municipality, is the candidate for the BiH Defence Minister. Chairman of Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic confirmed that parties have submitted the names of candidates for positions within the state Defence Ministry and that he has forwarded them to OHR for confirmation. After that BiH Parliament should adopt the nominations and officially appoint Defence Minister and the Deputies. Despite the fact that IC set deadline runs out on Sunday, CoM Chair Terzic says that the procedure will be over by end of the month. Candidates for MoD Deputies are: a Bosniak representative is Enes Becirbasic, current Secretary General of the Standing Committee for Military Issues, and Marina Pendes, as a representative of Croats, current Urban Planning and Reconstruction and Return Minister in Central Bosnia Canton. “I have immediately sent [the names] to OHR for confirmation, and the procedure is known. I will call them and talk this over on Monday or Tuesday and after OHR’s confirmation and my talk with them, I will decide whether I will appoint them”- stated Terzic. RHB Fri, FTV Fri, Oslobodjenje Sat pg 5 ‘OHR will check Branko Stevic’, Vecernji List Sat pg 2 ‘Deadline on February 15 will be breached’ – Principal Deputy of the High Representative, Donald Hays said that OHR will carry out the check of proposed candidates for the lading positions within the state Defence Ministry as soon as possible. RTRS Fri, Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 2 ‘Branko Stevic the candidate for the first Defence Minister’ – “We will do this as fast as possible. Assuming that there are no problems it should not take longer than a week to 10 days”, said Donald Hays. FTV Sat – “My comment is that I am glad that few days after inter-parties agreement I have received the names of candidates, and sent them to OHR for necessary confirmation”, said Adnan Terzic, |
Bond concerned MoD appointments do not meet deadline
| Dnevni Avaz Sun pg 3 ‘Washington implements Dayton agreement, and it doesn’t breach human rights’ – In an interview to SRNA news agency, US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond expressed concern as the process of appointment of the new Defence Minister will be over only by the end of the month, although the set deadline expires on Sunday. |
Terzic believes new ministry will not cause problems in CoM | BHTV 1 – After the state Defence Ministry is established, the Council of Ministers will have ten ministries, which may disturb the national distribution of the positions. Current government has three Ministries lead by Bosniaks, three by Croats and with appointment of Branko Stevic to Defence Ministry Serb peoples will lead four Ministries. “We have Constitutional obligation to have parity in Council of Ministers and realistically, the danger exists. However, I consider that CoM has functioned for the passed year without some exaggerated national tensions and that we already have one well-coordinated team, where that one vote extra will not present a problem. I believe that more important now is that we have Minister of Defence so we could have more offensive attack for meeting of NATO in Turkey in the mid year so that we could join Partnership for Peace. Any way by the end of the year it is obligation that we balance that national composition”, commented Adnan Terzic, Chairman of CoM. |
Terzic on OSA and SIPA leadership nominations | Dnevni Avaz Sun cover ‘Names for leadership of OSA are only speculations’, pg 2 ‘I don’t know whom I will appoint to OSA and SIPA leaderships’ – In a statement for DA, Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic says that the names that appeared lately in media as the candidates for the leading positions with SIPA and the state Intelligence Agency [OSA] were nothing but the speculations. However, Terzic did not deny possibility of some of those mentioned to be appointed at the end: “People who are no in the working group for the implementation of the Law on State Intelligence Agency keep appearing in media as the candidates for the future leaders in that service. In this moment, I really don’t have concrete names, and cannot confirm whether Almir Dzuvo, Risto Zaric and Mladen Alapeza would be appointed to the leading positions with OSA.” Terzic added that the only certain things was that the leader of OSA would be a Bosnia, Deputy a Serb and the chief inspector a Croat. However, Avaz claims that HR Paddy Ashdown’s letter sent to Terzic in December last year called for urgent appointments to the working group, who could at the same time become leaders of OSA, proves that there was more to the ‘speculations’ on the candidates mentioned above. Terzic stated to DA that it was not also certain whether current SIPA leadership would be reappointed. |
FBiH Govt reshuffle | |
Mtg btw Hadzipasic and SDA on FBiH reshuffle
| FTV Fri, Nezavisne novine pg 2 ‘FBiH Government gives Mandate to SDA for Consideration’ – SDA President, Sulejman Tihic, Vice President Bakir Izetbegovic and Secretary General Sefik Dzaferovic held a meeting with FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic and FBiH Ministers from SDA. It was stated that the Prime Minister and Ministers have expressed readiness to offer their mandates to the SDA Presidency, if Coalition parties come to an agreement for the Government reshuffle. Oslobodjenje Sat cover, pg 5 ‘Prime Minister Hadzipasic will [not] resign?!’ by Senka Kurtovic – One of the participants of the meeting told Oslobodjenje that the meeting was not “smooth”, and said that Ministers Nedzad Brankovic, Nadarvic, Music, Halilovic all offered their mandates, expect Hadizpasic. However, these offers were apparently rejected, and Oslobodjenje’s source claims that this was staged in order to prove Hadzipasic that he did not enjoy SDA leadership support. On the other side, source claims that Hadzipasic will not respect decision to return his mandate if SDA against initiates the “story on the need to reshuffle Govt”. Dnevni Avaz Sat cover, pg 3 ‘Tihic: I think that there will be no FBiH Govt reconstruction’ – Sulejman Tihic stated for DA that judging from the current relations between Coalition partners, there will be no FBiH Govt reshuffle. “We did commenced with the reshuffle initiative for the purpose of better work of the entire Government, but than and now I think that the part of the Government appointed by the SDA is the healthiest part of FBiH Govt, which works and tries the hardest”, stated Tihic. Vecernji List Sun pg 3 ‘Hadzipasic remains at the head of FBiH Government’ by Zoran Kresic – The Prime Minister of FBiH, Ahmet Hadzipasic, confirmed to VL that he had received the support from the SDA to continue to lead the FBiH Government. In a telephone statement from Srebrenica, where the SDA Main Board held a meeting on Saturday, PM Hadzipasic, questioned whether he got the support from the SDA Presidency to continue to run the FBiH Government, briefly stated: “I did”. However, PM Hadzipasic did not rule out a possibility of submitting resignation in case his or responsibility of Ministers coming from the SDA for failure to implement reforms is argumented. |
SDA: Tihic will not resign as SDA President | Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 2 ‘Resignation of the party’s President is desired by SDA political opponents’, Oslobodjenje Sat pg 7 ‘Tihic is not leaving the position of party’s presdient’, Dnevni List Sat pg 4 ‘No removal of Sulejman Tihic’ – RS National Assembly Deputy Speaker and a member of SDA Main Board, Sefket Hafizovic, at the press conference on Friday denied that there was a division in SDA and that its President could eventually resign. “ We know this is a wish of SDA’s political opponents, which are constantly and selflessly working on this”, stressed Hafizovic. He reminded that SDA Presidency has publicly presented its remarks to the overall conduct of the FBiH Government. Thus, he said, it is our position that the Government should be reconstructed with the aim of improving the overall economic and social situation. According to him, although the partner parties – Party for BiH and HDZ, verbally supported the Government’s reconstruction, the Party for BiH rejected the initiative, and HDZ reduced it to removing the Prime Minister and by setting other unreasonable conditions. When asked what unreasonable conditions were set by HDZ, Hafizovic said, “their position was exclusively directed to the Prime Minister’s position”. He added that while the party was dissatisfied with the work of the FBiH Govt, the plans of its reshuffle did not have a removal of Prime Minister as the priority, but the interests of BiH citizens. |
Colak: relations between HDZ and SDA to be redefined | Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Change of relations with SDA’ – President of HDZ Barisa Colak stated after the party’s Presidency session on Friday that it was necessary to redefine relations between HDZ and SDA, adding that they should be much better in order to have reforms implemented faster. |
Oslobodjenje editorials on FBiH Govt reshuffle | Oslobodjenje Sat pg 2 ‘Hadzipasic’s moral victory’ op-ed by Mirko Sagolj – Author claims that regardless whether SDA President Sulejman Tihic would resign to that post, he already lost it in the series of wrong moves made lately. “Tihic’s persistent effort to remove Ahmet Hadzipasic… brought upon both him and his party irreparable damage… Regardless whether or not Hadzipasic will eventually be replaced, he is already absolute moral winner”, argues author claiming that weak SDA arguments against Hadzipasic made public to be on the side of Prime Minister. Author also concludes that Tihic brought the part in the conflict with the IC, and therefore isolated SDA, and that regardless to all denials it is obvious that SDA suffers from internal divisions. Oslobodjenje Sun pg 3 ‘Sulejman for president’ op-ed by Senka Kurtovic – Referring to Sulejman Tihic’s statement that SDA appointed staff with the FBiH Government were the best part of the Govt, author writes from this it appears that the entire FBiH Govt reshuffle ‘story’ has been initiated by HDZ and SBiH. Discharging this possibility, author concludes that Tihic “will stay remembered as the president of the party that did not support him in anything.” |
Political issues | |
Hays warns RS authorities over reforms
| RHB Fri, FTV Fri, BHTV 1 Fri, Oslobodjenje Sat pg 5 ‘Do not miss historical moment’, Nezavisne novine pg 5 ‘Last Dance For BiH’, Dnevni List Sat pg 10 ‘Republika Srpska will respect all deadlines’ – Principle Deputy High Representative Donald Hays warned in Banja Luka on Friday at the meeting with representatives of RSNA and RS Council of Peoples also attended by the RSNA Speaker Dragan Kalinic, that authorities need to work quickly on passing reform laws in order not to miss the opportunity for moving BiH closer to European structures. He said after a meeting with representatives of the RS National Assembly and Government, which was also attended by representatives of international financial organisations, that they were clearly informed what are the deadlines that need to be met in passing reform laws that will move BiH closer to the EU. Hays stressed that political have less than five months to fulfil all conditions and that it is possible that this is the last chance for joining to Euro-Atlantic Integrations. He also said that RS Officials have confirmed that they will take participation in this procedure in best interest of BiH citizens. Hays announced that EC representatives will visit BiH next week in order to discuss the conditions on signing the Stabilisation and Admission Agreement. He PDHR Hays said that there are a number of institutions that need to be formed, laws and activities implemented in order to move BiH closer to European structures. RTRS Fri – “Purpose of this meeting was to make representatives of Parliament and the Government very aware of the deadlines they should fulfil if they want to use this historical moment”, said Hays adding that “politicians in this country must join together as they have never done before”. Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 4 ‘Parties will be guilty for failure to meet EU deadlines’ – Hays warned that if EU deadlines were not met, the blame will not be only with leading RS parties – SDS and PDP – but also with the opposition parties. The meeting was also attended by the Senior Deputy of the HR Werner Wnendt, representatives of the European for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank, IMP and EC. Hays also met with the RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic, who said that RS will not be an obstacle towards fulfilment of the EC set conditions. |
Paravac: Decision to remove Sarovic a great blow to SDS | RTRS Fri, SRNA – Borislav Paravac, SDS Vice President who has recently resigned, in Doboj on Friday said that the High Representative’s decision to dismiss Mirko Sarovic from the post of the SDS Vice President and remove him from the public and political life in the RS and BiH, was a grave blow to the party and its reformist orientation. After a meeting of the regional SDS committee in Doboj, Paravac expressed the hope that “the SDS will once again have enough strength to overcome this imposed problem, which has not been provoked in any way, and consolidate its ranks and come out the other end not only stronger, but also better organized”. He added: “Now we have the opportunity to analyse the support for the party and its reformist orientation, and see what consequences the High Representative’s decision will have for the SDS, the RS and BiH.” According to him, the SDS wants to lead the Serb Republic, through Bosnia-Hercegovina, directly to Europe, and this is in the interest of the EU as well. “This is why the chairman and deputy chairman of the SDS, as well as the members of the party presidency who resigned from these posts, still remain in the posts – because the party does not want to provoke a crisis in the executive and legislative authorities in the Serb Republic and BiH”, said Paravac. FTV Sat, Oslobodjenje Sun pg 6 ‘Bozidar Vukovic not interested’, Vecernji List Sun pg 3 ‘Vucurevic is not candidate for SDS President’ – Following resignations by the SDS Presidency, which came as the support to Mirko Sarovic, the issue of new members of the presidency has been raised. Member of SDS Main Board and former President of Municipality’s Assembly Trebinje, Bozidar Vucurevic said that he would not accept the nomination for new President. He has condemned the group resignation of SDS Presidency. According to some information, candidacy of Bozidar Vucurevic is supported by “hard wing” of SDS, which considers that SDS exaggerated in the cooperation with the international community during the last few years. |
DL op-ed on removal of Sarovic | Dnevni List Sat pg 6 ‘Removals – the only cure’by Zvonimir Jukic – The author argues that removals are the only means in BiH that can secure the necessary momentum to reforms to BiH en route to becoming a modern European country. Jukic writes: “The Sarovic case clearly shows what mistakes Ashdown made in the first part of his tenure, for which he was criticized in the local media. Remember that Ashdown had a chance, after the Orao affair was revealed, to remove Sarovic with ease. Instead, he called onto him in a gentleman manner to step down, and after his resignation from the post of member of BiH Presidency, he even called him a honourable man. But Ashdown’s honourable man, as seen later, continued to supervise and prevent plans to arrest Karadzic and Mladic from a senior party position, in the same time providing the logistics to the two at large (…) Had Ashdown removed Sarovic on time, he would have escaped the problems, but what can you do, let him pay for his mistakes”. Having said all this, Jukic says the HR should not make the same mistake in Mostar i.e. he should remove the Head of Mostar’s Municipality Old Town and leader of SDA in Mostar, Zijad Hadziomerovic, after Hadziomerovic made numerous statements that support divisions in Mostar and encourage national hatred. |
Trebinje declaration: RS threatened | RTRS Sat, Dnevni Avaz Sun pg 4 ‘The claim is that RS is threatened’, Oslobodjenje Sun cover, pg 3 ‘RS is threatened’, SRNA – More than 50 Serb intellectuals from the RS, gathered in the organization committee of the Serb Forum for Democracy, on Saturday adopted the Trebinje Declaration, warning that the Republika Srpska is under threat. They called for the protection of the BiH constitution stemming from the Dayton Agreement. “The RS is under threat. Well-paid lobbies abroad and political centres in BiH are trying to pave the way for a change of the constitution and considerable weakening of the RS. Such demands are ill-intentioned, politically unrealistic and could destabilize the wider region,” says the declaration which the Serb intellectuals, “guided by their concern about the future of the Serb Republic and Bosnia-Hercegovina”, adopted at a meeting in Hercegovacka Gracanica. The declaration calls on all international mediators, particularly the countries which are guarantors of the peace agreement, to express the support for the Dayton Agreement and the BiH constitution again. Vecernji List Sun pg 4 ‘Orthodox Church calls on Serbs to spiritual rising’ by Dejan Jazvic – According to VL, especially harsh was the speech delivered by the Vladika (Bishop) of Zahum-Herzegovina, Grigorije, who said it was hard to be a Serb from the RS today. Apparently, Vladika Grigorije called on the Serb people to spiritual rising from apathy. The keynote speech was delivered by an MP in the BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives, Petar Kunic, who accused intellectuals from Sarajevo and international officials, foremost Doris Pack, of an attempt to destroy the RS as “the genocide creature”. |
SDP wins NTV Hayat’s poll ‘who would you vote for?’ | NTV Hayat Sat – The results of the Central News’ poll among citizens, who were asked to answer the question as to who they would vote for if the local elections were held now? The results: SDP: 8018 votes; SDA: 7967; BOSS: 4083; I wouldn’t vote: 3380; Party for BiH: 2008; Pensioners’ party: 860; ‘Radom za boljitak’: 816; Some other party: 533; HDZ: 241; and NHI: 228 votes. |
SD poll on Mostar Statute | Slobodna Dalmacija Sat pg 18 ‘40% for Statute’ by M. Landeka – A Mostar Internet site bljesak.info organized a public opinion poll, asking the public what it thought about the Statute for Mostar as imposed by the High Representative for BiH. Of 655 people that responded, 39,85% believe the new Statute is the right solution to Mostar. 4,27% believe it is a bad solution to every people in Mostar, whilst 6,56% believe the Statute needs to be amended. Moreover, 29,47% people believe the Statute is unjust towards the Croats, whilst 6,41% believe it is unjust towards the Bosniaks. |
War crimes | |
SFOR releases Tesic after 33 days of detention | RHB Fri, FTV Fri, RTRS Fri, NTV Hayat Sat, Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 4 ‘Dusan Tesic released from detention’, Oslobodjenje Sat pg 3 ‘Dusan Tadic released’, Nezavisne novine cover, page 3 ‘SFOR has not mistreated me’ – Dusan Bata Tesic, a former member of the RS special police, who was arrested by SFOR in Pale, has been released from detention on Friday. Tesic was arrested in January in an SFOR operation in Pale to locate persons suspected of assisting war crimes suspects. SFOR Spokesperson Dave Sullivan stated that SFOR was satisfied with result of interrogating Tesic, and added that his release did not mean that they have stopped the investigation into his actions. BHTV 1 Fri – Following Tesic’s release, Public Security Centre Bijeljina issued a statement reading Tesic was surrendered to RS Police, but that SFOR hasn’t handed them any documents that RS police could use to launch investigation, and therefore released him. NTV Hayat Sat – Dusan Tesic on Saturday rejected all accusations that he is in any way connected with the support network for those accused of committing war crimes in BiH. |
Sarovic to file appeal against HR’s decision to Human Rights Court in Strasbourg
| NTV Hayat Sat, Dnevni List Sun pg 10 ‘Sarovic announces lawsuit with human rights court’, ONASA – Outgoing deputy chairman of the SDS Mirko Sarovic said he would incept a proceeding before the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg against the High Representative Paddy Ashdown’s decision to sack him from his party function and ban his political engagement in BiH. Sarovic said that such decisions “violate the fundamental human and civic rights”, adding that the resignations of other SDS presidency members are not related to this case. “I hope the new party presidency will be appointed with a month,” Sarovic said. Sarovic was sacked by the OHR following his inclusion on the US “black list” of individuals who assist war criminals. Nezavisne novine cover, pg 2 ‘I haven’t been seeing Karadzic’ – Commenting on the decision of the US Government to place him on the ‘Black List’, Mirko Sarovic stated: “I haven’t seen Karadzic for years. All of that is lies and insinuation to discredit someone with an opposite opinion.” |
RS MoI: We will fulfil obligations towards ICTY
| RTRS Fri, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘RS MoI will fulfil its obligations towards the Tribunal’, Oslobodjenje Sat pg 6 ‘Full trust into RS MoI’ – Following the meeting on Friday, the RS President Dragan Cavic and RS Minister of Interior Zoran Djeric said that one of the priorities in 2004 would be fulfilment of obligations toward ICTY. At the meeting, Cavic said that he expected MoI to fulfil obligations towards the Hague Tribunal. He added that he had full confidence in the work of the RS MoI, although important issues remained which had to be resolved, including the cooperation with ICTY. Minister Djeric in a statement to journalists said that he had informed the RS president about the plan of work for this year. He announced that the Serb Republic Interior Ministry would be fighting even more resolutely against crime and drug abuse this year. BHTV 1 Fri – Djeric said that RS MoI did not receive a demand for dismissal of three policemen, Veljko Borovcanin, Ivan Sarac and Dragan Basevic, who were recently put on US black list due to suspicion of helping the persons indicted for war crimes, and he added that MoI still analyses the situation. “Following to that analysis we will come to certain evaluations, and according to those we will do certain staff changes”, said Djeric who announced more of staff changes in his Ministry with a goal to improve its efficiency, and reaching better cooperation with ICTY. He stressed that one of the tasks for the police was cooperation with the Hague tribunal, asserting that in the last year “everything was done so that the RS Interior Ministry could make its contribution to this cooperation”. He added: “Of course more can be done and I expect that we will, along with other in charged RS Institutions, I would say and BiH Institutions, try to achieve better results in this area.” |
Hoop: NATO will continue to seek Karadzic, Mladic | RHB Fri, FTV Fri, Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 2 ‘NATO continues to hunt Karadzic and Mladic’, Oslobodjenje Sat ‘Hunt for Karadzic and Mladic continues’, Nezavisne novine pg 2 ‘NATO Forces will continue search for Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic in Bosnia and Herzegovina’, Dnevni List Sat pg 4 ‘Hunt for Karadzic and Mladic continues’ – NATO forces will continue the search for Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, NATO Secretry General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told Italian dialy “Corriere della Sera” Friday. Responding to claims that it is difficult to believe that NATO with all its forces and technological equipment is unable to arrest Karadzic and Mladic, Scheffer said: “If you wish to say that there are political reasons behind the lack of arrest, than you are certainly mistaken. The hunt continues and will continue, even though [Carla] Del Ponte says that both men are in Belgrade”. |
Prosper, Bond on arrest of war crimes suspects | NTV Hayat Sat, FTV Sat, Vecernji List Sun pg 11 ‘Prosper: Extradition of Gotovina a condition for NATO and EU’, Dnevni List Sun pg 3 ‘We are getting information about Karadzic and Mladic’- US Administration issued a statement on Saturday, which reads that Belgrade should be conducting an investigation in order to verify or deny recent statement by Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte on Radovan Karadzic hiding in Belgrade, instead of denying it in advance. The US Ambassador for war crimes Pierre Prosper stressed in an interview to VoA that the authorities in Serbia and Monte Negro, Croatia and BiH should work more on disclosing the locations where war crime suspects Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Ante Gotovina are hiding. FTV Sat – US Ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond stated to SRNA news agency that he was concerned as there was not a single example of cooperation regarding the arrest of war crime suspects in RS. Dnevni Avaz Sun cover splash ‘Arrest of Karadzic and Mladic till the June summit’, pg 3 ‘US intention is to have Karadzic and Mladic arrested before June NATO summit’, pg 3 ‘Washington implements Dayton agreement, and it doesn’t breach human rights’, Dnevni List Sun pg 7 ‘USA do not violate human rights, but implement DAYTON’ – Clifford Bond said in the interview to SRNA: “US intention is to have war crimes suspects, before all Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, arrested before the NATO’s June summit in Istanbul, not to have this as the obstacle for admission of BiH, but also of Serbia and Montenegro”. In addition, Bond stressed that no US activities against those persons accused of assisting war crimes suspects can be declared as the breach of human rights. “US basically said to [Mirko] Sarovic that he is not welcomes in USA, they froze his assets in US and said to US citizens not to carry out any financial or commercial transactions with Sarovic or all other persons, and that cannot be called a breach of human rights”, said Bond. |
Economic and social issues | |
Covic on International Investment Conference in Mostar | RHB Fri, BHTV 1 Fri, Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 12 ‘Representatives of 500 companies will come to Mostar’, Oslobodjenje Sat pg 4 ‘Arrival of representatives of 52 states confirmed’, Vecernji List Sat pg 5 ‘Mostar expecting 2000 business persons’, Dnevni List Sat front splash, pg 5 ‘Covic: Ten or so inter-state agreements to be signed’, Slobodna Dalmacija pg 8 ‘Delegations from all over the world in Mostar’ – At the press conference on Friday, the Chairman of BiH Presidency and President of Organizational Board for preparation of International Investment Conference, Dragan Covic, has presented a program of this Conference to be held in Mostar on 26th and 27th February. He said that the Conference will be attended by the representatives of 53 states, including all EU member states and about ten, richest states of the Islamic world. “All that is important for future, potential economic cooperation and there will be all of key investors in BiH, presented on highest levels”- said Dragan Covic. He pointed that this is unique opportunity for all of BiH economists to make long-term cooperation with the participants. The Conference is supported by all international organizations in BiH, World Bank, USAID, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others. |
EC, OHR stress necessity for adoption of Law on Public Procurement | BHTV 1 Fri – The new Law on Public Procurement should prevent the misuse of public means on all administrative levels in BiH. The draft of this law, which was technically supported by European Commission, was presented in Banja Luka. The existing Law enable public officials to misuse their authorities and positions, while auditors’ reports warned that existing regulations can cause irrational spending. The necessity for adoption of this Law was stressed at the press conference of the representatives of EC, OHR, BiH and RS Finances Ministries. Ljerka Maric, BiH Minister of Finances, said that this Law would ensure the control over procurement, expertise and signing of the public bids, and enable everyone to apply to a bid. Also, it is necessary to to establish the Agencies for Procurements and appeals offices. She has announced that this Law could be passed in two and a half months, while in RS it is expected that this Law will be offered for the vote by the end of the May. Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 4 ‘FBiH Govt will nto be the reason for lateness of reforms’, Dnevni List Sat pg 5 ‘FBiH Government will not be cause of delay in reforms’, Slobodna Dalmacija Sat back pg ‘Government will not be cause of delay in reforms’, FTV Fri – FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic and Chief of EC delegation to BiH Michael Humphreys at the meeting on Friday stressed that necessity of urgent adoption of the Law on Public Procurement. |
SDA Main Board discusses return | FTV Sat, NTV Hayat Sat – The SDA Main Board held a session in Srebrenica on Saturday, dedicated to the return of refugees. The Board concluded that the rhe process of return of refugees and displaced persons can be completed successfully only if it is addressed at the BiH state level. BHTV 1 Sat – “This session is meant to be stimulus to all of our staff and to Institutions at all levels to work harder during this year on returning process, to make some additional efforts”- said Sulejman Tihic. “The projects of sustainable return must be carried out, so that people have not only the houses…, but also the education, jobs and everything else, which is what Srebrenica is missing. It is obvious that in this year we will try to animate foreign countries and investors to offer more means for return”- said Mirsad Kebo, BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees. Dnevni Avaz Sun cover ‘Main Board visits Memorial Centre’, pg 4 ‘Malkic: Everybody failed in organization of return’ – Board was addressed by the head of Srebrenica Municipality Abdurahman Malkic, who said that when it comes to the return to Srebrenica, everyone failed and that more should be expected for FBiH Government to assist this process. Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4&5 ‘Property claimed, people around the world’ – Minister Kebo stressed that, unfortunately, the property claims did not reflect the return of refugees. |
RTV subscription | |
Humphreys welcomes FBiH Govt decision on RTV fee
| FTV Fri, BHTV 1 Fri, Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 4 ‘FBiH Govt will not be the reason for lateness of reforms’ – At the meeting with the FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic, the Chief of EC delegation in BiH, Michael Humphreys welcomed the decision of FBiH Government, which instructed telecom operators to sign the contract with PBS and FTV on collection of RTV subscription through telephone bills. Association of Electronic Media [AEM] asked for 20% of the income from RTV subscription go to financing of independent and private media. |
HT Mostar refuses to sign contract on RTV subscription | RHB Fri, Dnevni List Sat front, pg 7 ‘I will hardly sign contract that detrimental to HT’- HT Mostar still refuses to sign the agreement PBS on collection of the RTV subscription through telephone bills. “I will hardly sign the agreement with anyone if it would damage HT’s business interest”, said Stipe Prlic, Director of HT Mostar to FENA news agency. Prlic stated that collection of RTV subscription through telephone bills would result in a massive cancelling of HT services. Nezavisne novine pg 6 ‘HT Mostar will not sign contract on subscripton fee” – Prlic added that one of the reasons not to sign the contract is that BiH Presidency Chair, Dragan Covic, in 1999 gave Eronet to privately owned companies and destroyed perspective for HT Mostar. In that time Covic was president of HT Managing Board. BiH Telecom didn’t want to comment FBiH Government decision on collectiing of subsrcription fee because they haven’t seen it yet. Dnevni Avaz Sat pg 11 ‘Collection of RTV subscription through telephone bills still uncertain’ – PBS General Director Drago Maric stated that collection of RTV subscription in Republika Srpska is satisfactory, and that there are information that RS citizens respect this legal obligation. |
Legal issues | |
McNair int with DA
| NTV Hayat Sat, Dnevni Avaz Sat cover splash ‘We will focus at the big crime’, pg 5 ‘I am not afraid to disclose the cases of big crimes’ – In an interview to DA, Chief of BiH Prosecutor John McNair said that his department “will focus at the investigations, that is disclosures of big crime activities. We will not get ‘swamped’ with the cases of, so to say, small thefts.” He added that local prosecutors will continue to be the part of these cases, and stressed excellent cooperation with the FBiH Interior Ministry “which submit us information. We check everything we get from them and then we decide whether to start with the investigation or not.” |
Verdict in Leutar case confirmed | FTV Sat, Oslobodjenje Sat cover, pg 9 ‘Releasing verdict in Leutar case confirmed’, Dnevni Avaz cover, pg 27 ‘Releasing verdict confirmed’, Slobodna Dalmacija Sat pg 9 ‘Suspects for Leutar murder free’ – FBiH Supreme Court confirmed releasing charges for Dominik Ilijasevic, Zoran Basic, Zeljko Cosic, Jedinko bajkusa, Ivan Andabak and Mario Milicevic, accused of murdering FBiH Deputy Interior Minister Jozo Leotar. With this decision, FBiH Supreme Court rejected demands by the Prosecution, which asked for the abolishment of the verdict and requested new processing of the case. Vecernji List Sun cover splash ‘‘Assassins’ demand huge compensation!’, pg 3 ‘So-called ‘assassins’ will demand astronomic compensations’ – VL claims that so-called “assassins” will soon launch a legal offensive on the people they believe to have rigged the whole process. Former suspects are making plans in order to press charges against the then investigative judge, Vladimir Spoljaric, former Head of FBiH MoI CID, Faik Lusija, former Cantonal Prosecutor, Munib Bisic, a false witness Merim Galijatovic, and a few other individuals. Apparently, the former suspects will also push for financial compensations since few of them spent a lot of time in detention. |