Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 21 December
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| Const. changes talks continue | Talks on const. changes resume SA |
| BiH HoR discusses Law on Pardon | Mektic on security in BiH |
| FBiH HoR on budget for 2006 | RS NA in session |
TV news broadcast on 20 December
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Depleted uranium in BIH | NATO raids two companies | Trial against Scorpions started in BG |
| BIH Parliament’s plenary session | BiH HoR and HoP in plenary session | Victims’ families on |
| BIH Presidency session | Rycroft meets Dodik | Trial for massacre in Kravica |
| FBIH HoR session | BiH Presidency in session | NATO operation in Vlasenica |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| BiH Presidency in session | BiH Presidency adopts 2006 budget | Matijasevic on terrorism |
| Chickens for BiH citizens | Proposal of the FBiH budget for 2006 | Trial to Scorpions |
| FBiH Government on VAT | Malaysian Works Minister in | NATO search in Vlasenica |
| Revision of disabled war veterans | BiH Parliament’s plenary session | Indictment against Mandic & others |
| Oslobodjenje | Mladic’s associates Pecanac and Furtula questioned in |
| Dnevni Avaz | Monsters are not sorry, they are threatening further |
| Dnevni List | Mostar losing status in UNESCO because of Hotel ‘Ruza’ |
| Vecernji List | Friend’s mobile phone blew general’s cover (Gotovina arrest) |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | |
| Glas Srpske | One BAM for loaf (bread prices increase over VAT) |
| Nezavisne Novine | Trial of Scorpions commenced |
| Blic | |
| Vecernje Novosti | |
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| LATEST NEWS OF TODAY |
| Const. changes talks continue
| RS Radio – The topic of today’s talks on constitutional changes that resumed in |
| PDHR Butler visiting B. Luka
| RS Radio – The Principal Deputy High Representative, Larry Butler, is visiting |
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| War Crimes/Legal Proceedings |
| Trial of Scorpions members started in Belgrade
| Pink, BHT, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 4 ‘Monsters are not sorry, they are threatening further’, Oslobodjenje cover page, pg 5 ‘There will be another indictment against Scorpions’, Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash ‘Trial against Scorpions commenced’, pg 3 ‘Medic: If I knew who recorded execution, I would kill him as a rabbit’ by D.Vidakovic, Vecernji List, pg 22 ‘Scorpions do not feel guilty for killings’, not signed– The trial against five members of the Scorpions paramilitary unit, who are indicted for war crimes against six prisoners from Srebrenica in 1995, started on Tuesday before Belgrade’s District Court. Slobodan Medic, Pera Petrasevic, Aleksandar Medic, Aleksandar Vukov and Branislav Medic are accused of killing six Bosniaks from Srebrenica in Godinske Bare settlement near Trnovo in July 1995. Scorpions’ commander Slobodan Medic claims that he did not find out about those murders until the video recording of the crimes was published in June 2005; he said that Branislav Medic than informed him that those civilians were supposed to be exchanged for some captured Serbs, but it did not happen because those Serbs were murdered. He added that, if he had known somebody was filming it, he would kill him as a rabbit. The director of the Belgrade Fund for Humanitarian Right Natasa Kandic delivered the video recording of the crime to the Hague Tribunal in early June; now, defence attorneys claim that it cannot be used as an evidence. “Because we are not sure if it is an original, or some kind of staged material”, stated defence attorney Zoran Rajic. “In addition to this tape we have twelve witnesses, and many evidences from the Hague Tribunal”, responded spokesperson of the Prosecutors’ Office Bruno Vekaric. Prosecutor for war crimes in |
| SDHR Ney’s letter to P. Bukejlovic: ‘Mladic’s associates Pecanac and Furtula questioned in
| Oslobodjenje cover pg splash and pgs 4 and 5 ‘Mladic’s associates Pecanac and Furtula questioned in Belgrade’ by E. Kamenica carries that according to the information that this daily has at its disposal it seems that the arrest of Ratko Mladic is at sight. Osl. goes on to say that the letter that they received from a reliable source written by Senior Deputy High Representative Martin Ney to RS Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic recently shows that this time it is not just about a rumor. According to the article the letter, among the other things, says that two war-time associates of Mladic, Dragomir Pecanac and Radovan Furtula, were questioned in |
| BiH Prosecutor’s Office is searching for another eight persons suspected of participating in Kravica massacre
| BHT Boris Grubesic – As BHT learns, BiH Prosecutor’s Office is searching for eight persons suspected of participating in the massacre of more than 1,000 Bosniaks in the warehouse of the farming cooperative in Kravica in July 1995. Those persons are hiding in |
| NATO raided offices of two companies linked with Ratko Mladic support network; Stankovic says all documents on Mladic handed to The Hague
| BHT, Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Searches over support to Mladic’ by M.C., Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘NATO searched two companies’, not signed – Members of the NATO forces in BiH raided the offices of two companies in Vlasenica, ‘Sipad 10th August’ and ‘Lorist’, in which Milje Kljestan has partial ownership, searching for the information on The Hague indictee Ratko Mladic. NATO believes that those two companies are linked with the network that supports Mladic. RS police did not take part in the action. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘All documents on Mladic are in The Hague’ by D.R. – Milovan Stankovic, RS Defence Minister, stated that RS has handed all documents from personal file of Ratko Mladic to the Hague. Those are two documents: one on appointment and second one on discharge from position of RS Army Commander. |
| NN op-ed critical of Webber/Leakey statements over Karadzic/Mnladic whereabouts
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Hide-and-seek’ by Almedic Sisic – Commenting on the recent statements of David Leakey and Lewis Webber (saying that Mladic and Karadzic are not in BiH), the author sarcastically notes the two have showed they perfectly fit into BiH political mixture, that is unpredictable, contradictory and inconsistent. He highlights that if nowadays everybody knows Karadzic and Mladic are not in BiH, and then they should also all know where they are. In regard to this, he stresses: “Is it possible to know something, and not knowing something else linked with it?” |
| VN on Karadzic/Mladic whereabouts: Hiding according to chetnik’ principle
| Vecernje Novosti pg 13 ‘Karadzic and Mladic as Cica Drza’, announced on cover ‘Accomplice privately’ by D.Stojakovic – Daily notes that the two most wanted Hague fugitives, Ratko Maldic and Radovan Karadzic, are hiding according to chetnikc’s principle “one man one accomplice”, owing to which reason information on their movement nobody knows. Also the fact they do not use modern means of communication (cell phones, computers and akin) makes it harder for forces searching after them to locate them. |
| DL: ‘Ashdown is protecting Karadzic’s aides?!’
| Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Ashdown is protecting Karadzic’s aides?!’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic – Dusko Tomic, a lawyer of Momcilo Mandic who is suspected of involvement in the ‘Privredna Bank of Srpsko Sarajevo’ illegalities and of being a financier of Radovan Karadzic, says he will contest the way the raising of indictment against his client is being stalled. Tomic says the prosecutor in charge, Jonathan Rattle, is deliberately stalling the process because he only submitted the indictment in English, and the reason behind all this is the plan to raise the indictment once the current High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, has left the country. Tomic explains that his client two years ago sent HR Ashdown, via the RS Finance Minister Svetlana Cenic, a complete documentation about Karadzic’s financiers. “We publicly call on Ashdown to appear as a defence witness and explain why he pressured Serbian judiciary to have Mandic arrested, claiming that it would result in arrest of Karadzic, because Mandic was allegedly the chief financier of Karadzic”, says Tomic. Tomic also calls on Ashdown to submit the Prosecution all the documentation Mandic had forwarded to him and to explain why he never spoke about people who finance Karadzic, instead of pushing the whole process in the wrong direction. |
| BIH
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4, announced on cover ‘Indictment against Sarovic and others supplemented’ by A.Sisic/G.Maunaga – The BiH Court Tuesday confirmed that the BiH Prosecutor’s Office (PO) Tuesday filed a supplemented indictments against Mirko Sarovic and Momcilo Mandic in Privredna Banka East Sarajkevo case. The supplemented indictment was also filed against Milovan Cicko Bjelica and Milorad Govedarica. Dusko Tomic, legal representative of Mandic, expressed surprise over qualification of parts of indictment, stressing he expected his client would be charged with organized crime, not only for office abuse and aiding war crime suspects. Tomic again refers to a letter Mandic sent to OHR and Paddy Ashdown through Svetlana Cenic, calling on HR to leave his UK address after he leaves BIH in order to be able to summon him as a witness before BiH Court (when he should explain why he was persistently presenting untruth and accusing Mandic and his bank of aiding Radovan Karadzic). EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Mirko Sarovic remains in custody’ by T.V. – BiH Constitutional Court released a press statement, saying that BiH CC Tuesday decided to reject file motions for temporary measures against Mirko Sarovic and “Zenica prison case” Milorad Rodic, Vlastimir Pusara, Ivan Bakvic and Zoran Knezevic (demanding transfer to another prison). BiH CC reads that Sarovic’ motion for temporary release is ungrounded. Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Mirko Sarovic’s appeal rejected’, not signed, Oslobodjenje pg 4 also reported on rejection of Sarovic’s appeal. |
| Croat self-rule case update
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Trial for “Croat self-rule’ postponed’ by A.D., Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Trial chamber rejects new prosecution witnesses’, by Erna Mackic, Vecernji List, pg 6 ‘Toby Robinson cannot stand witness’, by Dejan Jazvic – The Trial Chamber in the ‘Croat self-rule’ case rejected the Prosecution’s request to investigate additional 12 witnesses due to procedural (legal) reasons. Prosecutor Eric Larsson noted that in the interest of the truth, the Prosecution planned to question new witnesses, such as Ivo Kulis, Toby Robinson and others. |
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| Political Developments/Reforms |
| BiH Parliamentary Assembly held plenary session with regard to the
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| BiH Presidency member Tihic: Time will come when BiH will be full member of
| Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘The West stopped suffering of Bosniaks’, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘There is no agreement on BiH membership in OIC’, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘BiH will be a bridge between East and West’ by A.Sisic, FENA – BiH Presidency member and President of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) Sulejman Tihic expressed belief that time will come when BiH will be a full member of NATO, the European Union, but also of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), like the Republic of Turkey for instance. At the tribune entitled “BiH’s position between OIC and EU” organized by the “Illmija” Association of the Islamic Community in BiH, Tihic stressed that political consensus, unfortunately, currently does not exist for membership in the OIC. “Even back in 1994 when we were able to formally apply for full membership this was not done, because at that time we were accused of building an Islamic state. Now the situation is somewhat different, but it does not matter. The constitutional and political structure in BiH is such that membership in the OIC can only be result of consensus among all her peoples”, said Tihic. He explained that BiH should be a full pledged member state of the OIC primarily due to the economic reasons, because this status would provide for BiH’s access to development programmes and funds of the Islamic Bank for Development. |
| EC handed draft
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘In EU in 10 years?’ by S. Numanovic – Representatives of EC on Tuesday finalized draft Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Negotiations will start on January 25’ by M. K. S. – Dirk Lang, the head of EC Unit for the western Balkans, handed over to BiH chief negotiator Igor Davidovic draft text on Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘1st round of talks on 25 January’ by M.C. also covered the issue. |
| VL doubts BiH Parliament will be able to enact 100-150 laws per month
| Vecernji List, pg 5 ‘Parliament will be enacting 150 laws a month’, not signed – VL notes that the BiH Parliament, in order to harmonize the BiH legislation to the EU’s one, will have to enact some 100-150 laws a month during the process of getting closer to the EU. However, VL is not very optimistic that the BiH Parliament can meet the requirement, given that the current composition of the BiH Parliament has in past three years been enacting some 60 laws per year. VL also warns of additional burden, namely the competence of entity and cantonal assemblies for certain issues. |
| Komarica with Pack: Poor return of Catholics to
| Dnevni List, pg 3 ‘Lack of political will to help sustainable return’, by KTA, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 22 ‘Expelled Catholics are almost not returning’, by F – The (Catholic) Bishop of Banja Luka, Franjo Komarica, met with an MP in the EU Parliament in charge of South-eastern Europe related issues, Doris Pack, on Tuesday when he informed her about the very poor return of the Catholic (Croats) to the Banja Luka area. Both Pack and Komarica agreed that in 2005 there was a lack of political will of both the domestic and international officials to help the sustainable return and establish the rule of law. |
| Talks on constitutional reform to continue today
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| Rycroft visits Banja Luka, discusses constitutional reform with
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| BHT: BiH to have one president after all?
| BHT Boris Gagic – According to BHT reporter, on the eve of the continuation of talks on constitutional changes it looks very likely that BiH in the future would have one president. British and Swedish Ambassador to BiH visited Banjaluka on Tuesday, where they discussed the constitutional changes with the RS representatives. BHT reporter stated that they were not discontented with what they have heard from the RS representatives about the possibility that BiH has only one president. “We will see how the negotiations will end, but I have heard Serb representative saying that they could accept one president in case there are two vice-presidents”, stated British Ambassador to BiH Matthew Rycroft. This is the compromise solution proposed by the SNSD leader Milorad Dodik; he also believes that the executive authorities of the BiH Presidency should be reduced and transferred to the BiH Council of Ministers. Dodik stressed that, for the political situation in BiH, it would be the best if the future president and two vice-presidents were rotated every 16 months. But it seems that Croat parties are not ready to make significant changes in the organisation of BiH Presidency. “We are certain that the changes on the level of BiH Presidency and Parliament will not be necessary, and that changes in the functioning of the BiH Council of Ministers will be enough”, stated HDZ President Dragan Covic. On the other hand, representatives of the opposition parties are optimistic ahead of the talks on constitutional changes in |
| Dodik with Swedish Ambassador: No to abolishment of entities
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Exclude requests about abolishment of entities’, not signed – During the meeting with the Swedish Ambassador to BiH, Lars-Erik Wingren, which was held on Tuesday, the SNSD leader, Milorad Dodik, noted that when it came to future of constitutional reforms talks, requests related to abolishment of entities must be excluded. |
| HDZ leader Covic on constitutional reform talks: Issue of middle level will be raised, drawing of maps to follow
| Vecernji List, pg 6, mentioned on front ‘Next up is drawing of maps’, by Zoran Kresic – carries an interview with the HDZ President, Dragan Covic, in which he comments on the constitutional reforms talks. Questioned whether the issue of middle level of authorities will be raised during the talks, which is the issue that the international mediators do not want to raise, Covic says the talks about the issue will be started. Covic comments that everyone is aware that when the issue does get raised, it will mean drawing of maps, which is always a difficult job. “If we are talking about 4-5 regions, than you must precisely says where the border lines go through”, said Covic adding that we (probably referring to HDZ) advocate for establishment of 4 (middle level) units. |
| While FBiH political parties point out the need for having the BiH Ministry of Health established, RS political leaders disagree
| Hayat Elma Kazagic – Talks on constitutional changes in BiH have resulted in establishment of two new ministries; Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment Protection. But many believe that BiH Ministry of Health should as well be established, says the reporter. Leaders of several FBiH political parties said that now, as BiH is to head towards Euro-Atlantic integrations, the Ministry should be established. |
| Party for BiH maintains its stance
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Party for BiH maintains its stance’ – Party for BiH’s Safet Halilovic supports structural constitutional changes that would change the current non-functional organization of BiH at various levels. Halilovic said this party maintains its stance that BiH needs to have a single president. |
| RS/Serbian press: Comments on the eve of new round of constitutional changes’ talks: RS parties deny McElchany
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘RS against, F BiH pro one president of BiH’ by V.Popovic – On the eve of new round of talks on constitutional changes, dailies carry comments of politicians from RS (Milorad Dodik, Mladen Ivanic, Petar Djokic, Dragan Cavic) and F BiH (Adil Osmanovic, Safet Halilovic and Slobodan Nagradic). RS officials deny latest statement of the EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘RS does not want president of BiH’ by Nedeljka Breberina, Vecernje Novosti pg 4 ‘Serbs do not want to have president’ by Sl. Pesevic – carry comments of Dodik, Cavic and Halilovic, along the same lines. Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Why fear?’ by Z. D. – SDA’s Sulejman Tihic expects an agreement on a single president would be reached today. He assessed the differences in stances, with regard to the Presidency, as ‘a matter of political trades’ and he sees no reason why BiH should not have a single president, whose role would be of protocol’s nature. ‘No fear from CoM President, who has much greater authorities, exists and, at the same time, there is fear from the single president. I think there are no justified reasons for this’, Tihic said. |
| US’ Rosemary DiCarlo: We are encouraged with agreement on changes to BiH Constitution
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘We are encouraged with agreement on changes to BiH Constitution’ by Sead Numanovic – Deputy Assistant of US State Secretary for European and Euro-Asian issues Rosemary DiCarlo stated in an interview to DA that USA were encouraged with progress of leaders of eight political parties that was reached during the past talks on constitutional changes in BiH. She noted the next year is very important for BiH, especially with regard to elections, since the elected politicians will lead BiH and reform processes in forthcoming years. She also said |
| OHR surprised over Matiajsevic’ statement regarding police reform
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘OHR surprised over Matijasevic’ statements’ by N.N. – Ljiljana Radetic, OHR Spokesperson, Tuesday stated that the OHR is surprised over statements Darko Matiajsevic, RS Interior Minister, gave (that police reform would see RS MoI remain as a sub-system within security structures in BiH). According to her, the state and entities authorities have accepted three EC principles on police restructuring, adding: “We cannot understand why Matiajsevic keeps presenting framework proposals for which he was told on several occasions last year those do not comply with EC principles.” |
| VL says candidates for Police Reform Directorate have dubious past
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Police reformers come from underground’, by Zoran Kresic – The author notes that no candidate for membership in the Police Reform Directorate was proposed by any cantonal Interior Ministry, which in turn will jeopardize the Croats’ position in the police reform talks. VL notes that all candidates were proposed by the entity MoIs and that some candidates have ‘a rather suspicious past’. Apart from Faik Lusija (see OHR Media Round-up, |
| HDZ Presidency in session: Covic on Presidency’s decisions to expel Ljubic, Raguz and Merdzo, constitutional reform
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| Raguz: Only HDZ Central Board can decide on appeal
| Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘I am not informed about decision of HDZ BiH Presidency’, by F – Deputy Speaker of the BiH House of Representatives, Martin Raguž, stated for Fena that only the Central Board of HDZ BiH can take decision on the appeal which, apart from him, was lodged by Božo Ljubić and Josip Merdžo, who have been excluded from the party by the High Court of Honour of HDZ BiH. Commenting on decision of the HDZ BiH Presidency on rejecting the appeal of the three members, Raguž asserted that he was neither invited to the HDZ Presidency’s session nor has he been informed on the mentioned decision. “We hold that it is only Central Board of the party which can take decision on our appeal, and all other things are breach of both Statute of the party and Standing Orders”, Raguž said. |
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| Economic/Social Affairs |
| BiH Presidency adopts draft BiH 2006 Budget
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| FBiH HoR discusses FBiH 2006 Budget
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| Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘Malaysia would send offer to BiH in next 6 months’ by L. Sinanovic carries that Malaysian Minister of Labor Samy Vellu stated on Tuesday that in the next 6 months Malaysia would submit to BiH an offer for Corridor Vc. Also, in mid January Malaysian Government’s experts would come to BiH to analyze with experts form the BiH Ministry of Traffic and Communications the things that would have been done until then. Vellu agreed with Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic that upon the end of these analyzes a memorandum would be signed between two competent Ministries that would define mutual relations of the Governments in construction of the highway. Also reported by Oslobodjenje pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘Malaysians want their feasibility study’ by A. Kalamujic, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Agreement on participation in highway construction next year’ by D.Muminovic. |
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| Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘ |
| Rycroft: ‘It is late for VAT changes’
| Dnevni Avaz pg 11 ‘Rycroft: It is late for VAT changes’, Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Non-adoption of budget will not postponed introduction of VAT’ by P.Klincov, EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Matthew Rycroft: VAT on 1st January’ by N.B. – British Ambassador to BiH Matthew Rycroft stated in |
| FBiH Govt. called on ITA to exempt professional literature, textbooks from the VAT
| BHT – FBiH Government called on Indirect Taxation Administration to exempt professional literature, textbooks and books as the final products from the Value Added Tax. This would also apply for newspapers and magazines when they come to market as the final products. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 12 ‘Books and print media without VAT?’ also covered the issue. |
| SDHR Ney: Telecoms are obliged to collect RTV tax
| BHT – Senior Deputy High Representative Martin Ney stressed that the payment of the Radio-Television Tax is a legal obligation, and that all three telecom operators in BiH are obliged to collect these taxes. This is the reaction on HT Mostar General Director Stipe Prlic’s statement, in which he proposes new agreement on collecting RTV tax. |
| Ivanic: RS Govt. did nothing and it should resign
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4, announced on cover ‘RS Government did not do anything and should leave’ by N.Krsman – In an interview to daily, Mladen Ivanic, PDP President, says that he would not demand the vote-of-confidence to RS Government, adding that demands for such action by Dragan Cavic, RS President, are hypocritical. He claims RS Government should go by itself, since it has no parliament majority. He could not recall a single positive issue the Government has done since it assumed position. He does not want to speculate about possible participation of PDP in authority jointly with SNSD, adding that PDP would support the Government formed by SNSD. EuroBlic RSpg 1, announced on cover ‘Bukejlovic on a thin ice’ by Rajna Radosavljevic – carries statements of Dodik, Ivanic and Djokic, reiterating they would not support RS Gvoenrment proposal on budget and economic policy for 2006. Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Who wishes to win – will lose’ by Z. Markovic and Z. Domazet – Dodik and Ivanic on const. talks Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Government without support’ by Z. M. – |