Friday
BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
Church in Bugojno fired | Kosovo | News from Kosovo |
D. Cavic on burned Church | Church in Bugojno fired | BiH Officials on Kosovo |
Kosovo | Rose- Roth Seminar | Church fired in Bugojno |
Rose- Roth Seminar | Explosive stolen in S. Sara. | D. Cavic on BL protests |
Saturday
NTV HAYAT (18,55 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
Conflict in Kosovo | Kosovo/Serbia | BiH Farmers’ Protests | News from Kosovo |
BiH Minister of Defence | Protests of BiH Farmers | SDA/HDZ crises’ reflections | Rose- Roth Seminar over |
Anniversary of war in Iraq | SNSD about BL Protests | R. Beecroft about elections | Farmers’ protests on Mon |
Depleted uranium | Rose- Roth Seminar | Rose- Roth Seminar | Opposition protest |
Saturday
Oslobodjenje | Serb Orthodox Church set on fire (in Bugojno) |
Dnevni Avaz | COMSFOR Packett on crisis in Kosovo – There are no indicators that BiH is in danger Sunday |
Dnevni List | “Arson in Orthodox Church in Cipuljic near Bugojno”; “HDZ Ministers invited to return to Government” |
Vecernji List | “Trial to Croat self-rule begins”; “Protests in Banja Luka” |
Slobodna Dalmacija | “Bugojno: Orthodox Church set on fire”; “Trial to Croat self-rule before BiH Court” |
Glas Srpske | In Cipuljic, near Bugojno – Serbian church set on fire; Professor Momcilo Grubac – temporary separation; Military control in Kosmet; Zagreb – Albanians vanished from Market places |
Nezavisne Novine | KFOR regains control in Kosovo; Bugojno incident – Orthodox church of Holy Mother of God set on fire; Dragan Cavic, RS President – “I support Bosko Ceko because he works independently”; Parts of indictment against Milorad Milakovic and associates – Testimonies of Human Trafficking in Prijedor; Nikola Radovanovic, BiH Minister of Defence – “I do not expect obstacles” |
Sunday
Oslobodjenje | Declaration signed on introduction of ethnic schools |
Dnevni Avaz | It is possible that it comes to outvoting (regarding Higher Education Law) |
Dnevni List | “Meeting Colak – Ashdown: Do OHR’s sanctions against HDZ follow?”; “Bishops appeal to stop bloodshed” |
Vecernji List | “Mujahiddins from Bosnia go to Kosovo”; “Protests: Protests against war in Iraq all over the world” |
Slobodna Dalmacija | Features Croatia related headlines |
Security/defence | |
Serb Orthodox Church set on fire in Bugojno
| BHTV, FTV RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje front page. pgs. 4-5 ‘Serb Orthodox Church set on fire’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4, mentioned on the front page ‘The priest blames criminals not having either nation or religion for the fire, Slobodna Dalmacija Saturday, front and page 7, “Orthodox Church set on fire in Bugojno”, by J. Senda, Dnevni List Saturday, front and page 5, “Arson in Orthodox Church in Cipuljic near Bugojno”, by M. Musa, Vecernji List Saturday, page 4, “Orthodox Church set on fire”, by R. Soldo, Nezavisne novine, cover and page 3: “Orthodox church set on fire” – Around 2300 hrs on Thursday, roof of the Serb Orthodox Church in the Bugojno suburb of Cipuljic was set on fire. “The incident disturbed particularly the Serb returnees to the area,” said local priest Slavisa Djuric. He however expressed hope the incident would not negatively influence further improvement of coexistence of different nationalities and religions in Bugojno. According to police sources, the investigation into the incident has showed so far that the fire had been set and that it had made minor damage estimated at approximately KM 800 (Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Fire set’, ONASA). |
Glass broken on Islamic Community building in Banja Luka | RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Glass broken on the Islamic Community building’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Residence of the Islamic Community stoned’, Nezavisne novine, page 3: “Window broken at Islamic Community building”, ONASA – The Banja Luka Public Security Center was reported that, on Friday, unknown perpetrators broke a glass/window on the Islamic Community building in the town, according to RS Interior Ministry Spokesman Zoran Glusac. He said that this was the first incident in Banja Luka that might be brought into connection with the escalation of violence in Kosovo. |
Reactions to violence in Kosovo/incident in Bugojno | OHR – Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Plum-brandy is the cause and not ethnic or religious violence’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘I do not believe conflict can take place in BiH’, Slobodna Dalmacija Saturday, page 9, “BiH does not need conflict”, by Fena, Vecernji List Saturday, “Ashdown: Plum brandy ‘set on fire’ Orthodox Church”, by Fena, Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, said on Friday that he expected all necessary measures to be taken in order for the violence in Kosovo to be stopped. Ashdown told a press conference in Sarajevo that he, however, did not expect the situation in Kosovo to have negative impact on the situation in BiH. He aso condemned an incident in Bugojno in which an Orthodox Church there had been put on torch. Ashdown emphasized that both police and fire-fighters had acted on time and that it was too dangerous to make any conclusions on the incident in advance meaning before the investigation into the matter is completed. “According to my information, a person has already been detained and I think that, in this case, it was more about something caused by brandy than about ethnic or religious violence,” said Ashdown. Vecernji List Sunday, page 2, “Inflammable plum brandy”, by Z. Cosic carries an editorial on this issue in which the author says that almighty High Representative Paddy Ashdown also believes that the situation in Kosovo could not have consequences for BiH. The author also says ironically that whenever there is ‘fire’ in BiH it has nothing to do with ethnic and religious violence but it is about Bosnian plum brandy. The author concludes the editorial by saying: “Apart from peace that the Dayton Peace Accord brought nothing more was offered to this people. Peace that has been experienced as compensation for the rights that we have been deprived of, the peace that has to be bought and deserved all the time cannot secure peaceful future and it will always depend on a glass of plum brandy. For this reason it should be looked for causes of our fires more seriously since as long as Bosnia exists there will be plum brandy as well.” BiH Inter-Religious Council – Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Continue moving on the path of peace and not violence’ – The BiH Inter-Religious Council fiercely condemned violence in Bugojno, Nis, Belgrade and Kosovo and particularly the killing of innocent people belonging to any community, the Council said in a press release. The Council called on all the peoples in the region to continue moving on the path of peace. RSNA Speaker – Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Not to allow transfer of conflict to BiH’, Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 – The RS National Assembly leadership on Friday called on all citizens and relevant political forces in BiH not to allow escalation of conflicts in the country caused by the latest wave of violence in Kosovo, said a press release issued by the Office of RSNA Speaker Dragan Kalinic. “Pressures and attacks against religious facilities in BiH represent the first sign of possible worsening of the situation in BiH and huge potential danger,” read the release. BiH Presidency on Kosovo – BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Urgently stop violence and ease tensions’ – The BiH Presidency requests all relevant bodies in BiH to take all necessary measures and prevent Kosovo and Serbia-like incidents taking place in the country, the Presidency said following its session in Sarajevo on Friday. The Presidency condemned violence in Kosovo and Serbia calling on all parties involved to start resolving problems through dialogue since, according to BiH’s experience, violence did never solve the problems but it only made them more complex. Slobodna Dalmacija Saturday, page 7, “BiH citizens remain calm!”, by Hina, Vecernji List Saturday, page 5, “Intensified security measures are being organized”, by D. Jazvic, Nezavisne novine, page 3: “Kosovo crises must not reflect in BiH” also covered this session. Tihic, Paravac, Radivojevic, Nikolaj visit site of the incident in Bugojno – BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Tihic requested punishment of the vandals’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Tihic: This is the attack on all citizens’, Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 – Chairman of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic, Serb member of the Presidency Borislav Paravac, FBiH Vice-president Desnica Radivojevic and Head of BiH Orthodox Community Nikolaj on Friday visited the Bugojno suburb of Cipuljic where late on Thursday the Orthodox Church had been set on fire. They condemned the incident and requested authorized bodies to find perpetrators and punish them in accordance to the law. SDA on Bugojno incident/Kosovo – Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Call on international community to stop conflicts in Kosovo’, Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Urgently find perpetrators’ – SDA condemns the violence in Kosovo and calls on the international community to take a decisive action in order for the conflicts to be stopped and those responsible brought to justice, said Ramiz Salkic, the Head of the Bosniak caucus in the RS Council of Peoples at the SDA’s press conference in Sarajevo on Friday. The SDA also condemns the attack on the Orthodox Church in Bugojno and requests immediate action of the authorized bodies to fully investigate into the incident. RS President Cavic – BHTV on Friday, Oslobodjenje on Saturday pg. 4, Vecernji List, Saturday, page 5, “RS authorities condemned fire and called on Serbs not to retaliate”, Nezavisne Novine pg. 3 – RS President Dragan Cavic on Friday condemned setting on fire the Orthodox Church in Bugojno saying in was about an extremist and vandal act but on which one should not respond in the same way. Cavic expressed hope the Federation authorities would find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. US Embassy to BiH – Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘One should refrain from all forms of violence’, FENA – The US Embassy to BiH on Friday condemned the attack on the Orthodox Church in Bugojno. It appealed on BiH political leaders to call on citizens to refrain from all forms of violence. Barisa Colak – Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz ‘Incident in Cipuljic will not escalate into unrest’’- BiH Security Minister Barisa Colak said he was convinced the act of vandalism in Bugojno suburb of Cipuljic will not escalate into unrest. Niko Lozancic – TV Hayat, BHTV on Saturday, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Incident will not jeopardize security of the citizens’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Lozancic : Security situation in FBiH stable’, Dnevni List Sunday, page 7, “Security situation in BiH satisfactory”, Slobodna Dalmacija Sunday, last page, “President Lozancic and Minister Halilovic visited Bugojno”, by Fena – Federation of BiH President Niko Lozancic visited Bugojno on Saturday expressing his satisfaction with a prompt and correct action by the local authorities with regard to setting on fire the Orthodox Church in the suburb of Cipuljic. |
VL: Mujahedeens from Bosnia go to Kosovo | Vecernji List (Sunday, front and pages 2 and 3, “Mujahiddins from Bosnia go to Kosovo”, by I. Barbaric) carries that the escalation of conflicts in Kosovo has caused a big concern of the BiH public and authority. VL also says that according to a high-ranked Police source, naturalized BiH citizens, who were members of the BiH Army during the war, go to Kosovo due to the conflicts in this area. |
Adnan Terzic on Kosovo violence impact, ongoing reforms | Su nday’s Dnevni Avaz front age, pg. 5 ‘It is possible that it comes to outvoting’ – Interview with BiH CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic. Commenting on the possible impact of Kosovo violence on the situation in BiH, Terzic said the fear of new war in the region was not justified at least because of the strong international military presence in BiH, Serbia and Monenegro and Macedonia. Terzic expressed his conviction the international community would not allow any escalation of violence. Commenting on the ongoing reforms in the country, Terzic said their implementation was being accelerated following a stoppage in January. He expressed optimism that the latest Kosovo-related developments would not slow down the process of reforms in BiH and that BiH would mange to meet all the international requirements within the set deadlines. |
Rose-Roth Seminar ended in Sarajevo | BHTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 6, mentioned on the front page ‘Conflicts in Kosovo have been organized, orchestrated’, Dnevni Avaz front page pg. 2 ‘There are no indicators that BiH is in danger’ – In his address on Friday, the second day of the three-day Rose-Roth seminar taking place in Sarajevo, SFOR Commander Virgil Packett said he did not expect the latest Kosovo violence to be spread on BiH. He emphasized that the conflicts in Kosovo had been well organized and orchestrated. Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Fighting organized crime’ – In his address to the Rose-Roth seminar participants, EUPM Head Kevin Carthy emphasized the establishment of Rule of Law. “Without the efficient fight against organized crime and corruption, BiH cannot count on to be a credible partner (of the international community/EU/NATO),” said Carthy. FTV on Friday – Carthy announced establishment of a commission by the High representative to handle the process of police re-structuring in BiH similarly to the bodies that did that in the sectors of defense, intelligence and indirect taxation. BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Saturday, Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 3, mentioned on the front page ‘More decisively into change of the Dayton Agreement’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Muratovic proposed transformation of the international community’s powers’ – On the third and the final day of the Rose-Roth Seminar on Saturday, the participants in the discussion and the parliamentarians including Hasan Muratovic, Principal Deputy Speaker of the BiH House of Peoples, and Martin Raguz of the BiH House of Representatives, advocated for more decisive moving towards change of the Dayton Peace Agreement i.e. BiH state structure. OSCE Haed of the Mission Robert Beecroft for his part said that any change of BiH structure should be carried out cautiously, with seriousness and responsibility bearing in mind need for sensitive balance at various levels. Dnevni List (Sunday, page 2, “International Community is passing decisions, domestic authority is being held accountable”, by R. Radic) carries that in his address at the Rose-Roth seminar Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Hasan Muratovic accused the International Community (IC) of taking over a bigger role than it was ascribed to the IC according to the Dayton Peace Accord. He added that the IC introduced a sort of protectorate in BiH, that the IC imposes and defines goals etc. while the role of the domestic authority is to obey and to be held accountable before BiH citizens and the whole world for the moves that were imposed to it. According to Muratovic, the problems will not be resolved unless BiH approaches the EU and unless the IC’s policy in BiH is changed. |
BiH Presidency meets with NATO/EU delegation | BHTV on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 4 ‘Still in BiH’, Dnevni Avaz, Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, page 9, “NATO will stay in BiH”, by D. Pasic), Dnevni List (Saturday, page 4, “Agreement on defining of European troops’ mandate in BiH reached”, by Nina) also covered the meeting. – BiH Presidency members Sulejman Tihic, Borislav Paravac and Dragan Covic in Sarajevo on Friday met with a delegation of NATO and EU to discuss process of BiH’s accession to Partnership for Peace and fulfilling the conditions for start of negotiations on stabilization and association with EU. Peter Feith, Envoy of the EU High Commissioner for Foreign Policy and Security, and Robert Serry, representative of the NATO Secretary-General, said BiH authorities would be involved in talks on the future of NATO mission in the country emphasizing the Alliance would remain present in BiH (even after possible hand-over of SFOR mandate to EU). The main responsibilities of the future NATO headquarters in BiH will include implementation of defense reforms, apprehension of war criminals and fight against terrorism. Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘I have no doubts NATO will hand over SFOR mission to EU’ – An interview with Peter Feith, envoy of EU High Commissioner for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana. Feith said EU was prepared for the news mission in BiH and he had no reason for doubts that NATO would at its Summit in Istanbul make a decision to hand-over the current SFOR mandate to EU Forces. Feith also announced that early next year a decision could be made for a special Italian unit of some 500 members currently serving within SFOR to be engaged in the framework of OHR. It is possible, according to Feith, that a body within OHR, which deals with fight against organized crime, takes over the command over the special Italian unit. |
Dnevni Avaz: OHR requests resolution of the SBS director issue | Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘OHR requested BiH Presidency to make final decision on SBS Director’ – The newspaper learns that OHR has requested BiH Presidency to make final decision on the issue of Relja Kovac appointment as the BiH State Border Service Director by next Wednesday at the latest. Otherwise the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, will take the matter in his hands. OHR Spokesman Oleg Milisic confirmed that a number of facts/issues related to appointment of Kovac had been again presented to the BiH Presidency. |
Economic/social issues | |
OHR, BiH Foreign Ministry changing image of BiH
| BHTV on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Tourism can be hope/opportunity for BiH’, Nezavisne novine, page 12: “Increase of tourist visits in BiH necessary”, Dnevni List Saturday, page 3, “Through tourism to new places of work”, by E. Mackic – BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic, Deputy Foreign Minister Lidija Topic and High Representative Paddy Ashdown in May will visit Amsterdam, London, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm where they will promote BiH tourist offering, it was announced by Ashdown at a press conference in Sarajevo on Friday. “We are particularly strong in winter (mountains) and religious tourism. We have Neum, Medjugorje, Prusac, Jajce, Olympic mountains…all the natural wealth and excellent pre-conditions for development of tourism,” said Topic for her part. |
Aluminij issue | Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, front and page 19, “Accumulations full but there is no electricity?!”, by Z. Zekic) carries that Aluminij might find itself under an attack of power-wielders from the power sector again. SD says that a few days ago an official letter arrived to Aluminij saying that Elektroprivreda of Croat Community of Herceg Bosna (EP HZ HB) does not have electricity for delivery and that it has to take electricity from Elektroprivreda of BiH (EP BiH) that has its own prices. SD says that this amount does not fit at all in the Law imposed by High Representative Paddy Ashdown. SD carries that EP BiH also informed Aluminij that they cannot deliver electricity in the period from April until October since they do not have it but they can do it in October, November and December. SD says that the amounts of electricity that EP BiH can deliver during these3 months are far from the amounts that were promised and to which EP BiH committed itself. |
Payment of RTV subscription fee | With regard to payment of the RTV subscription fee, Dnevni List (Sunday, page 7, “Telekoms violate signed contract on payment of RTV subscription fee”, by J. Petrovic) carries President of Federation of BiH RTV Steering Board Slavo Kukic who says that some signs of obstruction in payment of the RTV subscription fee were noticed in some post offices in Sarajevo, however, the FBiH RTV Management hopes that competent institutions will react timely so that the financial stability of broadcasters will not be brought in question. Talking about BH Telekom’s advertisements that advise clients as to how to pay a phone bill and not the RTV subscription fee, Kukic says that this is completely contrary to the contract that 3 Telekoms signed with PBS and entity broadcasters and that it shows that the forces to whom it does not suit to have PBS as an independent system deprived of control of a political oligarchy exist within Telekoms. On the same issue Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, page 20, “Gratis payment through payment slip!”, by E. Karamatic) carries that some Mostar media actively participate in the campaign of non-payment of the RTV subscription fee. SD carries Head of the BH Telekom financial operations Ibro Bubalo who says: “That was our idea, phone bill are phone bills and we make them exclusively because of our BH Telekom clients.” He stressed that BH Telekom primarily has to take care of its clients and not about PBS. |
RS President supports Ceko | Nezavisne novine, page 5: “I support Ceko becase he is independent” – Reports that has been prepared by RS Chief Auditor, Bosko Ceko, so far are proffesional and independent. While they are like that he will have my support, RS President Dragan Cavic stated. Work of RS Chief Auditor, Mr Bosko Ceko and other auditors is of great importance for rule of law and full responsibility for decision making, said Cavic. He thinks that audit reports and cases related to Authority officials should be priority in the judiciary. |
Mikerevic meets Ceko | Nezavisne novine, page 5: “Reports show possibility for criminal acts” – RS Prime Minister fully supports RS Audit Agency and its independence. This is stated after the meeting of RS Prime Minister, Dragan Mikerevic with RS Chief Auditor, Bosko Ceko. Mikerevic invited Ceko to attend RS Government session where audit reports will be discussed. |
Milutin Pejic on Audit report | Nezavisne novine, page 5: “Milutin Pejic does not accept audit” – Srpske poste General Director, Milutin Pejic, considers Audit report on Srpske poste to be inappropriate and partial. It is consisted of major misconduct and lack of professionalism, Pejic stated. Srpske poste Audit report said that Company has had profit of BAM 8.3 million last year, not BAM 2.5 million as they have reported. |
Political developments | |
SNSD’s Nikola Spiric invites citizens to the protests
| RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘Nikola Spiric invites citizens to protests’, FENA – At a press conference in Banja Luka on Friday, the members of the SNSD Main Board, Nikola Spiric, once again called on citizens to take part in a protest rally scheduled for March 23 in Banja Luka and thereby express their dissatisfaction with the social situation and the current authorities performance. The rally has been jointly organized by SNSD, Democratic People’s Alliance and RS Socialist Party. |
Cavic: I will not make decision on holding early elections | BHTV, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘I will not make decision on holding early elections’, Nezavisne novine, page 6: “I shall not dismiss RSNA”, FENA – RS President Dragan Cavic told journalists in Banja Luka on Friday that the protest rally organized by the three opposition parties and scheduled for March 23 had to be held in the framework of the law and without any violence. Cavic said he would not dismiss the RS national Assembly and make decision on holding early elections. |
IFIMES on situation in BiH/announced RS opposition protests | Dnevni List (Sunday, page 4, “Early elections are getting closer, political instability is increasing”, by M. Musa) carries that the International Institute for Middle East and Balkans Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana published a study with regard to the demonstrations of the RS opposition announced for March 23. DL says that the policy of the so-called reform’s cooperation between High Representative Paddy Ashdown with the national parties, that is faced with a failure on a daily basis, was harshly criticized. The study also says that the aforementioned failure is obvious trough constant, political conflicts that paralyze the state and create constant political instability. |
SDHR Wnendt visits Mostar | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘Uniformed city symbols’, FENA – The Senior Deputy High Representative, Werner Wnendt, said in Mostar on Friday he was glad the process of the unification of the town was being carried out in a decent and functional manner. He added that it was nice the citizens could see how such the unified city was functioning. Mostar Mayor Hamdija Jahic said the unformed city seal had been made and that the distribution of unique forms was underway in order for the city administration to be able to function in a normal way. Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, page 21, “City clerks at their places of work for time being”, by M. Landeka) Dnevni List (Saturday, page 14, “Wnendt: Team of experts of City Administration conducts unification process successfully”, by S. Bjelica) also reported on the issue. |
SDA-HDZ relations | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘Invitation to the HDZ ministers’, Dnevni List Saturday, front and page 2, “HDZ Ministers invited to return to Government”, by E. Mackic – The SDA on Friday called on HDZ Ministers to continue participating in the work of the Federation of BiH Government since it was about an important pre-condition for overcoming problems in the body’s functioning, said Ramiz Salkic, the Head of the Bosniak caucus in th RS Council of Peoples, at the SDA’s regular weekly press conference in Sarajevo. Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 8 ‘Agreement on the partnership and then return to the government’, FENA – Spokesman for the HDZ Pero Pavlovic said that the party was currently working on reaching a new agreement with SDA on partnership relations, and that the HDZ Ministers would not return to the FBiH Government all untill the agreement is reached. Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, last page, “Croats do not want to be in Government without agreement”, by Fena), Vecernji List (Saturday, page 7, “FBiH Government still rules without Croats”, by Fena) also carried the statement. |
Interview with President of HNC Assembly Omer Cevra
| Dnevni List (Saturday, page 7, “HNC budget will amount to 112 million KM”, by N. Bise) carries an interview with President of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Assembly Omer Cevra who said that he expects that the HNC Government will draft a proposal of the Cantonal budget for 2004 by the end of March. DL says that they learnt that the budget for this year should amount to 112 million KM. Asked whether disagreements between HDZ and SDA are being reflected on the relations in the HNC, Cevra says: “No it has not happened yet. We are expecting that the disagreements at the FBiH level will be overcome too. We have correct relations in the HNC.” |
Russian Ambassador to BiH: Dayton’s BiH can join Europe as such | Satu rday’s Oslobodjenje Pogled weekly supplement pg. 4 ‘Dayton’s BiH can join Europe’ – Interview with Russian Ambassador to BiH Alexander Grischenko. “I believe that the Dayton’s BiH can fulfill condition for accession to European community. Europe does not ask for either abandonment of Dayton or state re-arrangement. The reforms Europe is expecting and asking for can be implemented also in the framework of the Dayton’s BiH. We therefore maintain that then Dayton represents a foundation on the basis of which is possible to fulfill conditions for acceding European integration but we never say Dayton and full stop. IF the three peoples agree to make certain changes, if the majority is for change of Dayton, nobody will thwart that,” said Grischenko. |
Interview with Doris Pack | Dnevni List (Saturday, page 26, “Serbia does not have ground to complain that we are more rigorous towards this country than its neighbors”, not signed) carries an interview that representative of the European Parliament for Western Balkans Doris Pack gave to Radio Free Europe. Asked to judge the efforts that Croatia and BiH have exerted on the way towards Euro-Atlantic integration so far, Pack says: “As far as BiH is concerned the efforts are being exerted, however, a big burden exists in BiH and that burden are horrifying structures that the Dayton Peace Accord left. In spite of that, I hope that BiH politicians will agree to keep those institutions that are functional. Then they would be able to meet conditions that are being expected from them on the way of BiH towards Euro-Atlantic integration.” |
Marko Tadic elected HSS President | Dnevni List (Saturday, page 6, “Marko Tadic new HSS President?”, by M. Batarelo) carries that HSS BiH held a press conference on Friday and the main issue of this press conference was crises of the FBiH authority. HSS BiH Vice President Ilija Simic stated that the political situation in BiH is alarming, and stressed that the current authorities, as well as, the International Community, especially the OHR, bear the responsibility for this situation. Dnevni List (Sunday, front and page 3, “Marko Tadic new President”, by Nina) carries that the HSS BiH Convention took place in Sarajevo on Saturday and in this way preparations for marking 100th anniversary of HSS BiH started. Also, the leadership of HSS BiH was elected during the Convention. DL says that since 3 candidates for the position of the HSS BiH President gave up their candidacy, Marko Tadic was elected the President of this party. Slobodna Dalmacija (Sunday, last page, “Marko Tadic new President of HSS BiH”, by Fena) and Vecernji List (Sunday, page 2, “Marko Tadic HSS President”, by Fena) |
Education | |
Declaration signed on introduction of ethnic schools
| Sunday’s Oslobodjenje front page ‘Declaration signed on introduction of ethnic schools’, pgs. 4-5 ‘We want ethnic Croat schools!’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Reform cannot take away guaranteed rights’ – A meeting of Coordination of the Education Ministers from the cantons with Croat majority with HDZ President Barisa Colak held in Mostar (on Saturday) resulted in a document requesting that Croats in BiH have their own language, their own schools and their own curricula. The participants at the meeting claim that any education reform cannot annul constitutionally guaranteed rights of the constituent peoples in BiH. Dnevni List (Sunday, front and page 5, “Do OHR sanctions against HDZ follow?”, by M. Relota), Slobodna Dalmacija Sunday, “Education Ministers held meeting with Colak”, by Fena also cover the issue. DL also says that according to unofficial information High Representative Paddy Ashdown will meet Colak tomorrow in order to discuss the course of the education reform. DL says that it is hard to believe that justified objections of Croat people with regard to the education issue will be taken into consideration during this meeting. DL also says that it has been speculated in public that the next step, when the OHR’s pressure against HDZ is in question, will be fines and removal of some HDZ officials from the Central Bosnia Canton. |
OSCE’s Beecroft: Key is in hands of BiH authorities | Sunday’s Oslobodjenje pgs. 4-5 ‘Key is in hands of BiH authorities’ – “We did everything we could. People from the World Bank warned people from the government that the time was running out. The key is in the hands of BiH Ministers and Parliament. I am working actively with people from the Council of Europe and WB. I tried advocating (for the Law on Higher Education) during my meetings with Covic, Dokic and Halilovic. And I gave them the last instructions: you are responsible for the Law,” said OSCE head of Mission to BiH Robert Beecroft at a conference on education held in Sarajevo on Saturday, which was jointly prepared by the US Council and US State Bureau for Education and Culture. |
Terzic says Croat Ministers might be outvoted | In an interview with Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 5 ‘It is possible that it comes to outvoting’, BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Adnan Terzic said it was possible that Croat Ministers in the CoM are outvoted in the scheduled consideration of the draft Law on Higher Education bearing in mind their reserves towards the draft. Terzic emphasized he would like that there is no outvoting in any case but he expressed hope Croat Ministers would not leave the CoM if they are, however, outvoted in case of the education law. |