- Tokic says BiH has realistic chances to join NATO Partnership for Peace program
- Al-Qaeda was preparing to carry out terrorist actions in Sarajevo?
- BIF Director suspected for espionage in BiH
- Spiric accused BiH Anti-terrorism Team of concealing terrorist activities in BiH
- Reuters: Bosnia’s “No Man’s Land” named best foreign film
- ONASA: Judicial Commission appoints judges, prosecutors in Brcko District
- Dnevni Avaz: A secret meeting in the residence of the High Representative
- The High Representative urges BiH political leaders to find home-grown solution
- Dnevni Avaz: Following another round of talks on constitutional reform – there is no agreement on the crucial issues
- Petritsch addresses journalists on constitutional reform
- SDP BiH still supports symmetric mechanism to protect vital national interests
- NHI sticks to its previously defined positions regarding the constitutional reforms
- Party for BiH distributes Memorandum on Constitutional Reforms containing its framework principles for further talks on the issue
- BiH Republican Party urges Petritsch to impose amendments to the Entities’ Constitutions
- SDA’s Palavric not believes the party’s representatives will return to the negotiating table
- Izetbegovic says offered constitutional reforms to legalize inequality of the peoples
- Lagumdzija responds to Izetbegovic
- OHR’s Stiglmayer says SDA has obviously started pre-election campaign
- HDZ denies 80 percent of disputed issues agreed in talks on the constitutional changes
- Sarovic expects positive results to be produce in the continuation of the talks on constitutional reform
- Cavic says eventually imposed constitutional reforms will not be implemented in the RS
- Racan and Ivanic in Zagreb discusses process of constitutional reforms in BiH
- Dodik says the criticism coming from the Federation aimed at abolishment of the RS
- Political parties from RS request Petritsch to end talks on the constitutional reform on Monday
- BOSS says existence of Entities represents legalization of the crime
- Circle 99 on constitutional reform
- Seven prominent BiH intellectuals send open letter to Petritsch in regard of the constitutional reform
- Behmen says, by his public statements, Brajkovic encourages illegal owners of the Mostar Aluminum
- HDZ BiH Presidency authorizes Niko Lozancic to officially represent the party in place of Jelavic
- Special police unit reportedly attempts to arrest Karadzic
- Minister denies police tried to arrest Karadzic
- AFP: NATO commander in Bosnia renews calls to Karadzic to surrender
- AFP: NATO-led troops raid RS Orthodox priest’s home for weapons
- RTRS Trade Union and RTRS War Veterans Association will no longer comply with decisions of RTRS Board of Governors
- OHR and BiH Federation Government to agree on the instructions for the revision of the disputed contracts on purchasing the socially-owned apartments in a few days
- SFOR Commander announces start of the new “Harvest” operation
- Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Zagreb needs cantonized Bosnia and Herzegovina
BiH State-related Issues
Tokic says BiH has realistic chances to join NATO Partnership for Peace program
According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, at a press conference in Sarajevo on Friday, the Chairman of the BiH House of Peoples, Sejfudin Tokic, said that it was clear following talks with NATO officials BiH had realistic chances to access to the NATO Partnership for Peace program. In the most optimistic case, this might happen at the NATO Summit in Prague scheduled for November this year. “The BiH’s accession to the program will primarily represent the continuity of the efforts being made by the progressive and democratic structures in the country,” Tokic said. He announced he would launch two initiatives in order to speed up the accession. First is the establishment of a new military unit at the BiH state level, which would be tasked to participate in the international peacekeeping missions, de-mining activities in the country and the activities related to the state protocol. The second initiative concerns the establishment of a BiH parliamentary committee for the military/security issues.
Al-Qaeda was preparing to carry out terrorist actions in Sarajevo?
According to Sunday’s Oslobodjenje, the Al-Qaeda terrorists were preparing a devastating attack on the Americans in Sarajevo, after they had meet in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia to determine their European targets, a high-ranking BiH official told Associated Press news agency on Saturday. The official said the intelligence data on the Sofia meeting had forced the BiH Federation Government to hold an extraordinary session in Sarajevo on Thursday and discuss the threats against the American Embassy in Sarajevo, as well as the Embassies of some European countries. He did not specify these European countries.
BIF Director suspected for espionage in BiH
According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, the BiH Federation Interior Ministry has launched a criminal proceedings before the Sarajevo Canton Court against the director of the Bosnian Ideal Future (BIF), Munib Zahiragic, due to a reasonable doubt he had committed a crime of espionage. The newspaper reported earlier that a number of confidential, security-related documents belonging to the BiH institutions had been found in the BIF offices during a police raid. The police investigators believe that, in BIF, apart from espionage they dealt with forging BiH passports and other personal documents, which were intended for foreigners illegally staying in the country.
Spiric accused BiH Anti-terrorism Team of concealing terrorist activities in BiH
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Deputy Speaker of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly’s House of Peoples, Nikola Spiric, accused the BiH Anti-terrorism Team of concealing the terrorist activities that have been going on in BiH which is why, according to him, the Team should be re-named the Team tasked with concealing terrorism, both Banja Luka-based dailies report. He said that the BiH Anti-terrorist Team should be asked for information about Talat Sulejmani, who used to work as a senior BiH diplomat in Turkey. According to Spiric, Sulejmani was the official tasked with “importing” terrorists trafficking in women and money laundering. “The BiH Anti-terrorist Team should also be asked about political options that stand behind these activities as well as about the conduct of the SDP BiH, a party which is trying to wash the SDA’s and SBiH’s dirty linen and conceal everything that was going on in BiH during the war when SDA was in power. Spiric said at a news conference in Banja Luka on Friday that the bill on the agency for information and protection of BiH, which the BiH Presidency had proposed, was in essence the creation of a joint ministry of interior of BiH. According to Spiric, many of the entities’ jurisdictions are being transferred to the joint institutions without prior consultations in the entities’ parliaments. Spiric called on the Speaker of the RS NA not to allow the transfer of jurisdictions without the RS NA’s approval as far as the bill on the public service of BiH is concerned. In the previous period the BiH Council of Ministers caused a great deal of damage to BiH considering that only the loss that resulted from the sale of the gold (part of the assets of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) exceeds 11m convertible marks, since the conversion of the gold from the dollars into euros resulted in the additional loss of 6m million marks, Spiric reiterated.
Reuters: Bosnia’s “No Man’s Land” named best foreign film
Bosnia’s “No Man’s Land,” a tragedy laced with black comedy about the devastation and futility of that country’s war, was named best foreign language film at the Oscars on Sunday. The film, directed and written by Danis Tanovic, tells of three soldiers — two Bosnian and one Serbian — trapped in an open trench during the Bosnian war, with one of them lying on a mine that will explode if he is removed. “This is for my country, for Bosnia,” Tanovic said as he held aloft the golden Oscar statuette. At turns comic and brutal, the film ends on a powerful note of despair. Earlier this year “No Man’s Land” had won the Golden Globe for foreign film and last year won an eight-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.
ONASA: Judicial Commission appoints judges, prosecutors in Brcko District
The Brcko District Judicial Commission on Sunday appointed the judges and prosecutors of the District and members of the Legal Assistance Office, Beta reported (note: the press release was issued on Friday, and the appointment comes into force as of 1 April 2002). With the approval of Brcko Supervisor Henry Clarke, the Commission announced the appointments for the Basic Court. The newly appointed judges are Mara Peric, Srdjan Nedic, Zarko Cuckovic, Sanja Evic, Emina Mulahalilovic, Selim Karamehic, Mirsada Vilic and Muhamed Avdic. The newly appointed prosecutors are Dane Jamina, Slavo Lekic, Senada Kusturica, Gojko Stjepanovic, Sadika Fatic and Amela Mustafic. The judges Ruza Gligorevic, Dragan Tesic, Zijad Kadric and Milorad Novakovic were appointed to the Appeals Court.
Safet Pizovic, Selmana Music, Senada Mirojevic, Predrag Pavlovic and Svetozar Vasiljevic were appointed the lawyers of the Legal Assistance Office. According to unofficial information, two judges did not meet criteria in the trial period, so they were not appointed to the positions. Their names were not announced.
Constitutional reforms
Dnevni Avaz: A secret meeting in the residence of the High Representative
In the framework of the preparations for the continuation of the talks on the constitutional reform, a secret meeting was held late on Sunday in the residence of the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, in Sarajevo. SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdzija, PDP President Mladen Ivanic, Dzemil Sabrihafizovic representing the Party for BiH and NHI leader Kresimir Zubak attended the meeting. The international community was represented by the High Representative, US Ambassador to BiH Clifford Bond and Rafael Vale Garagori, the Ambassador of Spain, which is currently holding the EU Presidency. The representatives of the once governing national political parties (SDA, HDZ and SDS) as well as SNSD were not invited to attend the meeting. OHR generally expected very much from the meeting. Its results in terms of bringing the positions of the participants closer are even comparable with the results of the meeting held in the Petritsch’s residence before the adoption of the election law. The meeting started at 5 p.m. and lasted until a few hours after midnight. The newspaper’s source particularly praises a constructive approach expressed by Lagumdzija, who is prepared to mediate between the political parties in order for a final agreement to be reached.
The High Representative urges BiH political leaders to find home-grown solution
The talks now underway under the auspices of the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, aimed at agreeing the optimum method of implementing the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the constituency of peoples are approaching their crucial final phase. These talks are the most significant negotiations on the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina since Dayton. Time is running out, and the High Representative reiterates that the leaders of BiH have now to take responsibility for the citizens they represent and to restore dignity to the country by demonstrating that they can reach agreement. (Monday’s Dnevni Avaz and Oslobodjenje carried the Press Release in full, Jutarnje Novine partly, Slobodna Dalmacija almost in full)
Dnevni Avaz: Following another round of talks on constitutional reform – there is no agreement on the crucial issues
According to Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, the talks on the constitutional reforms involving the leaders of the eight political parties in BiH have still not produced concrete results. The latest meeting ended early on Friday. According to the participants, the disputed issues include the protection of the vital national interests of Bosniak and Croats in the Republika Srpska and the ethnic structure by percentage of the Entities’ Governments. “There is progress, but main things have still not been agreed,” Party for BiH Presidency President Safet Halilovic said in a statement with Dnevni Avaz. Milorad Dodik, the President of the SNSD, told the newspaper that, however, he believed that domestic politicians should define the final solution despite evident differences between the political parties from the RS and the BiH Federation. He assessed as unacceptable the proposal of the Federation political parties leaders that the participation of a constituent peoples representatives in the Entities’ Governments is limited to 49 percent. “We in the RS will not allow that, since 55 percent of Serbs lived in the RS territory according to 1991 census,” Dodik said. On the other side, Mariofil Ljubic representing HDZ BiH in the talks believes that this 49 percent principle is a good principle. “This is a strong message that the representatives of a people do not have dominant position at the start,” Ljubic emphasized.
Petritsch addresses journalists on constitutional reform
Saturday’s Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz report that, on Friday in Sarajevo, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, met with a group of journalists from the BiH Federation to inform them about the results of the current talks on the constitutional reform. “On Monday at 10 a.m., a meeting of all meetings starts. I am not prepared to delay this further. We have spent more than 70 hours in talks, produced 22 documents and there are only a few unresolved issues,” Petritsch emphasized. According to Dnevni Avaz, the High Representative expressed surprisingly high level of optimism that the domestic politicians might find the final solution by their own. He did not specify whether otherwise he would impose the amendments to the Entities’ Constitutions. “The best solution is a home-grown solution. I believe that we are very close to this, and that I will not have to use my authorities,” Petritsch said. He added that the agreement on the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling would improve Dayton, and BiH would gain something “it could not have in time when the international act was made.” “The vital national interest has been defined and it will be applied in the entire state in the same way. Also there will be bodies, which will in the same way protect vital interests of the peoples. In one word, we have gone much more further than it was even thinkable only a few months ago. I am glad there is so much agreement among the BiH politicians as never before,” Petritsch said.
SDP BiH still supports symmetric mechanism to protect vital national interests
At its session in Sarajevo on Friday, the BiH SDP Presidency confirmed the party was not giving up its firm position that the definition of the vital national interest, mechanisms to protect vital national interest and the decision-making process had to be resolved in a symmetric and consistent way in the both BiH entities. According to the Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz and Oslobodjenje, the Presidency emphasized that more and more leaders of the political parties taking part in the talks on the constitutional reform were obviously using the talks to take suitable positions for the upcoming elections.
NHI sticks to its previously defined positions regarding the constitutional reforms
According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, the NHI Executive Board discussed the participation of the party’s representatives in the talks on the constitutional reform in BiH concluding that there was not a single reason for NHI to give its previously made positions on the issue. This means, according to a press release issued by the party, that the constitutional changes should be carried out in a manner to ensure full equality of the constituent peoples in the both entities, particularly in the parts related to the institutions and mechanisms for the national interests protection and fair representation of the constituent peoples in the authorities.
Party for BiH distributes Memorandum on Constitutional Reforms containing its framework principles for further talks on the issue
Saturday’s Oslobodjenje reports that the President of the Party for BiH Presidency, Safet Halilovic, delivered a memorandum on the constitutional reform containing an obligatory political framework and principles the party will honor in the continuation of the talks on the issue to the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the majority of leaders of the political parties taking part in the talks. The Party believes the way is wrong in which talks are being held, and that the principles and solutions from the BiH Constitution defining the position of the constituent peoples must not be a subject of any compromise. If the consensus is not to be reached by the leaders of the political parties in BiH, the Party for BiH expects the High Representative to resolve disputed issues “honoring the principles and solutions the international community has already incorporated in the BiH and the BiH Federation Constitutions.”
BiH Republican Party urges Petritsch to impose amendments to the Entities’ Constitutions
According to Saturday’s Osloobodjenje, on Friday, the BiH Republican Party called on the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to, on the basis of his authorities impose the amendments to the entity constitutions in accordance to the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling on the constituency of the peoples. The republicans believe that the ruling is not something which can be negotiated, and that BiH as a country which will soon join the Council of Europe must stick to the European standards.
SDA’s Palavric not believes the party’s representatives will return to the negotiating table
The SDA Vice-president, Seada Palavric, told journalists in Sarajevo on Friday that, for the party, it was unacceptable that the October elections are held under the Provisional Election Commission’s Rules and Regulations, because it would mean the maintenance of the current situation in the Republika Srpska for the next four years. According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, Palavric said that if such the constitutional solutions are imposed, which would not be in accordance with the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision on the constituent peoples, the possibility was not excluded that SDA decides to boycott the elections. She added that SDA was prepared to pay any price in order that the decision is implemented equally in both entities. “Neither the victory in a hundred of elections might annul damaging consequences for BiH and particularly for Bosniaks, which would be caused by the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling in a way being advocated by the political parties from the RS and the OHR,” Palavric said. She emphasized that the SDA leader, Sulejman Tihic, who left the negotiations on the constitutional reform, was not likely to re-join the talks, if the OHR does not make it clear that the decision on the constituency of the peoples would be fully implemented. According to Monday’s Oslobodjenje, in a statement given to ONASA news agency, Tihic confirmed he would not participate in the final talks on the constitutional reform, since the SDA had not received guarantees from OHR that the current concept of talks would be changed. “We maintain that the asymmetric solutions lead to further division of BiH, and we do not want to participate in that,” Tihic emphasized.
Izetbegovic says offered constitutional reforms to legalize inequality of the peoples
Alija Izetbegovic, the Honorary President of the SDA BiH, said in an interview with Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz he was disappointed with a way in which current talks on the constitutional reform were being held. “The document number 16, which is currently on the table and which has been offered as a basis for the talks, legalizes inequality of the peoples in the two entities. Instead of at least formal equality – not even to mention a real one – we have a legalized inequality and we are expected to participate in that. We have, of course, rejected such the possibility. When it is about the international community, we have been watching the same motion picture for ten years now. Each time when things are not going well, they are being resolved at the cost of Bosniaks. If we had to make concessions in Dayton, since the alternative was the continuation of the war and dying, now we do not have to do that and we will not. That is why we have withdrawn from the negotiations in which all has started to go in a direction damaging for the Bosniak people. We do not want to take over a historic responsibility for the abolishment of even an idea about Bosnia as the state of equal citizens,” Izetbegovic said.
Lagumdzija responds to Izetbegovic
Commenting on the Alija Izetbegovic’s statement that SDA did not want to be held responsible for the abolishment of the idea of Bosnia, SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdzija told Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz that these were obviously dramatic days during which, among other things, they “are intending to correct signature of a man who is nowadays wanted by our courts as a criminal (SDA’s Muhamed Sacirbegovic, former BiH Foreign Minister and BiH Ambassador to the UN), and who in 1995 in Geneva, under the Izetbegovic’s authorization, signed the 51:49 territorial proportion, principles of the country’s arrangement and the names of the entities practically becoming the first Republika Srpska non-Serb godfather.” On the basis of this signature, Lagumdzija added, the Dayton Agreement was designed with all the injustices and controversies following us until today.
OHR’s Stiglmayer says SDA has obviously started pre-election campaign
Commenting on the Alija Izetbegovic’s assessments concerning the talks on the constitutional reform, Head of the OHR Press Office Alexandra Stiglmayer told Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz “the SDA has obviously started its election campaign.” “It is funny to listen to the leaders of the party as they comment on the talks on the constitutional reforms in which they do not participate,” Stiglmayer emphasized. Among other things, Izetbegovic told the newspaper a day earlier that the document number 16 offered as the basis for talks was legalizing inequality of the peoples in two entities. “Concerning the document mentioned by Izetbegovic, it does not any more reflects the situation in the talks, and what has been agreed. In the meantime, the participants has come to the document number 22, but one cannot know that if he is not participating in the talks,” Stiglmayer said. She added that these were anyway not the OHR documents, but the documents showing the status of the negotiations.
HDZ denies 80 percent of disputed issues agreed in talks on the constitutional changes
According to Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, at a press conference organized by the HDZ BiH in Mostar on Friday, the officials of the party denied the High Representative’s claims that 70 or 80 percent of the proposed amendments to the Entities’ Constitutions had been agreed during the talks involving leaders of the eight political parties in BiH. “the talks are not going in a direction which is acceptable for Croats. It is about something far away from a persistent implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling on the constituency of the peoples. If it is to continue moving in this direction, than, practically, it is about using the constitutional reform to cement BiH’s division on two parts: the Republika Srpska, an ethnically clean state of the Serb people, and the Federation, which will be an entity with absolute Bosniak domination,” Ante Jelavic, the unrecognized HDZ leader said. Monday’s Dnevni Avaz learned from a high-ranking HDZ official that Jelavic had de-authorized Mariofil Ljubic to continue representing the party in the talks on the constitutional reforms.
Sarovic expects positive results to be produce in the continuation of the talks on constitutional reform
According to Monday’s Oslobodjenje, Republika Srpska President Mirko Sarovic told RS Radio on Sunday he expected the concrete results to be produced in the continuation of the talks on the constitutional reform in the OHR building in Sarajevo on Monday in spite of the efforts being made by the leaders of the Bosniak and Croat parties to re-arrange the entity. Sarovic emphasized that there was a full agreement among the representatives of the political parties in the RS that the BiH Constitutional Court’s decision on the constituency of the peoples is implemented in a way, which would preserve foundations of the RS and its constitutional system.
Cavic says eventually imposed constitutional reforms will not be implemented in the RS
Sunday’s Oslobodjenje reports that, at a press conference in Banja Luka on Saturday, Republika Srpska Vice-president Dragan Cavic said those advocating the imposition of the amendments to the Entities’ Constitutions should know that no one in the RS would implement such imposed solutions. He added that the referendum on the constitutional changes in the RS as an option was not excluded if the compromise on the issue is not reached. “The imposed constitutional solutions will produce new, deep crisis with unpredictable consequences,” Cavic emphasized. He accused political representatives of the Bosniak and the Croat people of requesting the establishment of a unitary BiH. Cavic concluded that if there was no RS, there would be no BiH as well.
Racan and Ivanic in Zagreb discusses process of constitutional reforms in BiH
Sunday’s Oslobodjenje reports that the Republika Srpska Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, met in Zagreb on Saturday with the Croatian Prime Minister Ivica racan and Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula to discuss the ongoing constitutional reforms in BiH, return of refugees and the economic cooperation. Concerning the constitutional changes, Ivanic said that the RS political leaders firmly believed there was no need for the introduction of the House of Peoples in the entity. “Our position is that the Council of Peoples or the Council for the Protection of Peoples should be established to take care about the vital national interests and be authorized to block any law or solution which might jeopardize these interests,” Ivanic said.
Dodik says the criticism coming from the Federation aimed at abolishment of the RS
According to Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz, SNSD President Milorad Dodik told the party’s gathering in Srbac on Saturday that “the orchestrated attacks from the BiH Federation are aimed at either the abolishment of the RS or the establishment of such institutions which will make its functioning impossible.”
Political parties from RS request Petritsch to end talks on the constitutional reform on Monday
Monday’s Dnevni Avaz reports that, in regard of the continuation of the talks on the constitutional reform, leaders of seven political parties from RS issued a joint press release. They requested the High representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to end the talks on Monday in order to give enough time to the Entity’s Parliaments to adopt amendments to the Constitutions by the end of March.Leaders of RS political parties remain determined and united in their view that there will be no bargaining nor concessions about key issues related to RS and position of the Serb people in BiH. The release was signed by: SDS, Party of Democratic Progress (PDP), Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), RS Socialist Party (SP of RS), Serb People’s Alliance (SNS), Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS) and RS Party of Pensioners.
BOSS says existence of Entities represents legalization of the crime
According to Sunday’s Oslobodjenje, the Bosnian Party (BOSS) leader, Mirnes Ajanovic, warns the public that the talks on the constitutional reforms involving leaders of the eight BiH political parties and the High Representative might result in permanent cementing the ethnic divisions in the country. The member of the BOSS Main Board, lawyer Faruk Balijagic, told journalists on Saturday that the existence of the Entities was in opposition to the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling on the equality of the peoples and the citizens.
Circle 99 on constitutional reform
At their regular session in Sarajevo on Sunday, members of the Circle 99 Independent Intellectuals Association discussed the ongoing constitutional reform in BiH. In his introductory remarks, Jakob Finci said that, if the agreement on the issue is not reached soon, the talks might be continued after the general elections in autumn this year. He added that the imposition of the amendments to the entities’ Constitutions by the High Representative “would be a great step back for the BiH political parties and its citizens.”
Seven prominent BiH intellectuals send open letter to Petritsch in regard of the constitutional reform
Monday’s Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz carried in full a letter sent by seven prominent BiH intellectuals to the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, in regard of the ongoing process of the constitutional reform in the country (Jutarnje Novine carried the FENA news agency report with excerpts from the letter). According to Friar Mile Babic, Gojko Beric, Zdravko Grebo, Ivan Lovrenovic, Senka Nozica, Haris Pasovic and Senad Pecanin, the High Representative is holding key responsibility for eventual further agony of the BiH society due to possible concessions to the devastating nationalist ideologies.
Federation
Behmen says, by his public statements, Brajkovic encourages illegal owners of the Mostar Aluminum
The determination of the Mostar-based Aluminum Company’s ownership structure is to be a subject of the arbitration to be performed soon by the World Bank-selected auditors. However, Aluminum Director Mijo Brajkovic recently told a Croatian newspaper that there would be no any audit and that those who wanted to challenge the company’s ownership structure would have to address the authorized court. In an interview with the Saturday’’ Dnevni Avaz, Federation Prime Minister Alija Behmen said that there would be arbitration and that he did not know what was the aim of such Brajkovic’s statement. “He just in advance encourages those who are illegal owners (of Aluminum),” Behmen emphasized. According to Behmen, he and Brajkovic are soon expected to sign an agreement on the arbitration with the World Bank representatives.
HDZ BiH Presidency authorizes Niko Lozancic to officially represent the party in place of Jelavic
According to Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, at its session in Mostar on Friday, the HDZ BiH Presidency authorized Niko Lozancic, the Presidency member, to represent HDZ in the register of the Mostar Cantonal Court. The dismissed party’s leader, Ante Jelavic, has been recently erased from the register, following threats that the party might not be allowed to participate in the next elections if Jelavic remains registered as its President. However, in an interview with Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz, Lozancic confirmed that, inside the party, Jelavic was remaining the President, and that he would just be its legal representative.
Republika Srpska
Special police unit reportedly attempts to arrest Karadzic
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Weekend edition of Nezavisne novine reports that several days ago, members of the special unit of the Montenegrin Interior Ministry stormed the Ostrog monastery, on the border with BiH, and the aim of their unannounced visit was the search for Radovan Karadzic. According to sources of the Banja Luka-based Nezavisne novine, the Montenegrin special unit stormed the monastery as an unannounced group of visitors and supporters of former Montenegrin president, Momir Bulatovic’s party, which greatly surprised the bishops in Ostrog. By the time they realized what was happening, the policemen had finished their business, but Karadzic was not arrested, the paper reports. This operation, reportedly, was carried out on information from US intelligence that something unusual was happening in Ostrog. Beforehand, the intelligence officers closely followed the communication inside Karadzic’s HQ, the movements of his vehicles, and according to Nezavisne novine’s source, they are also monitoring the supply of food to all monasteries in the border region of BiH, Serbia and Montenegro where organized visits have been reduced to a minimum. Allegedly, the aim of the recent operations of SFOR and US Rangers was not the arrest of Karadzic, but hacking into his communication system, searching for couriers and collaborators, and discovering the channels for their transfer from one region to another, defense organization by his security people and the system of mobility of the Karadzic entourage vehicles. This is all part of the bigger plan to arrest Radovan Karadzic, which has been dubbed “Sunrise”. The future progress of “Sunrise”, according to this source, has already been subject to big changes. After the discovery that there is a mole in Brussels, a person who announced in Foca the beginning of the recent action in Celebici, “Sunrise” has now been entrusted to the US soldiers. Soldiers of other counties, including the US allies, the British, have been moved from the command center in the Eagle base in Tuzla, Nezavisne novine reports.
Minister denies police tried to arrest Karadzic
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Montenegrin Minister of Interior Andrija Jovicevic, denied that a few days ago a special unit of the Montenegrin Ministry of Internal Affairs searched Ostrog monastery in an attempt to catch Radovan Karadzic, SRNA news agency reports. Jovicevic is the only one who can order such a thing and he – as he said – did not do it. “Special units of the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior are performing their regular duties and have not left their facilities for a long time, because the security situation in Montenegro is stable,” Jovicevic told SRNA. He recalled that police members do not have the right to enter or control religious facilities, including Ostrog monastery. “The police do not have the right to enter religious facilities; something of this kind cannot be done without my orders and I have not issued any orders to search Ostrog monastery,” Jovicevic said.
AFP: NATO commander in Bosnia renews calls to Karadzic to surrender
The commander of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in BiH renewed his call Friday to fugitive war crimes suspects, in particular the most wanted Radovan Karadzic to surrender. “Why require SFOR to go find them in the first place, why require anybody else?” US General John Sylvester told a news conference. “Stand up and say I am not guilty and I am ready to stand up and have my day in court.” Earlier this month, SFOR troops carried out two failed raids in southeastern Bosnia to nab Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb political leader during the 1992-95 war. “As long they (war crimes suspects) fail… either to turn themselves in or for the government to go get them, then we will be looking for them and we will find them,” Sylvester said. He added that his troops “will get it right” as the operation to detain Karadzic was “always ongoing.” “We only got to get it right once, and Radovan Karadzic and all the rest of those who are out there hiding, they have to get it right 100 percent of the time,” Sylvester said. Karadzic was indicted in 1995 by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague for genocide and war crimes. He has been on the run since then.
AFP: NATO-led troops raid RS Orthodox priest’s home for weapons
NATO-led troops raided the home of an Orthodox priest on Sunday as part of a campaign to hunt out illegally-held arms, but found no weapons, SFOR spokesman Scott Lundy said. Father Novice Cebic told AFP by telephone that around 15 people entered his home in the southeastern Bosnian town of Kopaci and searched the house for an hour as the priest’s wife and three children stood by. They even looked in the washing machine, Cebic said. The NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) said they were acting on a tip off and admitted finding nothing. SFOR has collected tonnes of weapons since the war ended in Bosnia over six years ago.
RTRS Trade Union and RTRS War Veterans Association will no longer comply with decisions of RTRS Board of Governors
(Provided by OHR Banja Luka)
Both Banja Luka dailies report that as of Friday (22 March 2002) the RTRS Trade Union and the RTRS War Veterans Association do not comply with decisions of the RTRS Board of Governors. Both organizations request that the RS National Assembly passes the Law on RTRS at its next session. Glas srpski quotes president of the RTRS War Veterans Association, Zeljko Bajic, as saying that despite the fact that RTRS had adopted the financial recovery program two months ago, neither OHR nor the RTRS Board of Governors did not find the time to discuss this problem with us. Bajic added that in the meantime the RTRS BoG adopted the RTRS Book of rules. He also said that both the RTRS BoG and the OHR refuse to have any contacts or talks with the RTRS management. “Because of this disparaging attitude toward us, we have decided not to comply with decisions of the RTRS BoG, chaired by Milos Babic who is a member of the RTRS Board of Governors and at the same time a member of the PBS founding committee.
International Community
OHR and BiH Federation Government to agree on the instructions for the revision of the disputed contracts on purchasing the socially-owned apartments in a few days
Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz reports that the representatives of the OHR and the BiH Federation Government were expected in the next few days to agree on the instructions for the implementation of the latest High Representative’s decision related to the revision of the renewed contracts on the use of socially-owned apartments. According to the decision, each contract on the privatization of the socially-owned apartments, which was signed on the basis of the re-validation made after April 1, 1992, must be revised. OHR Spokesman Oleg Milisic told the newspaper that the OHR had not been satisfied with the instructions drafted by the Federation Ministry for Urban Planning because they did not contain provisions that were clear enough. “This is, unfortunately, reason why thousands of contracts on the privatization of apartments are waiting to be registered in the land books,” Milisic said.
SFOR Commander announces start of the new “Harvest” operation
At a press conference in Sarajevo on Friday, SFOR Commander John Sylvester announced an official start of this year’s Harvest operation to collect illegal weapons in BiH. According to Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz and Oslobodjenje, the operation is to start on April 1 in the MND Southwest, and continue in the areas of responsibility of other SFOR Multi-National Divisions a few weeks afterwards. Sylvester emphasized that the local authorities would not any more issue permits for possessing military weapons such as the machine gun or hand grenade to the civilians, meaning that all these weapons would also be collected during the this year’s operation.
Editorials
Oslobodjenje and Dnevni Avaz
In the Saturday’s Oslobodjenje In Focus editorial, Gojko Beric wrote that the main actor of the current political drama related to the talks on the constitutional reforms in BiH is undoubtedly Wolfgang Petritsch. “The High Representative has right to impose his solutions but he is doing his best to avoid such the outcome. The mandate of the respectable Austrian diplomat expires in mid-May. It is up to Petritsch to decide in the next two months whether he will return to Vienna with the shield (as the winner) or on the shield (as the loser),” Beric emphasized. In another editorial in the Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, Mirko Sagolj wrote that the problem of BiH was in a fact its destiny was being decided by those who did not like it and who did not want it as a country of its citizens. “Some would divide it (HDZ and parties from the RS), as others would want it as a single state, but under condition to be dominant in it (SDA),” Sagolj wrote. In the Sunday’s Oslobodjenje editorial, Zija Dizdarevic concluded that the High Representative was obliged by the Dayton Agreement to ensure application of the BiH’s Constitution in the entire BiH’s territory. Fadil Mandal comments in the Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz Commentary of the Day on the RS Vice-president Dragan Cavic’s claim that there will be no BiH without RS. “With such a RS installed by his teacher Radovan Karadzic, BiH really does not have future,” Mandal concludes. In the Monday’s Oslobdjenje In Focus column, Ibrahim Prohic concludes that, if the constitutional crisis is not solved soon, through the agreement or the arbitration, it will determine the character of the election campaign and maybe the final outcome of the elections.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Zagreb needs cantonized Bosnia and Herzegovina
Written by Davor Gjenero (Provided by OHR Mostar)
This editorial in Slobodna Dalmacija brings views on ” the preparations of Croatian Government for serious conflict with the High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch and his Administration over the issue of constitutional changes (in BiH)”. The author says that Croatian Government accepts the concept of introduction of the House of Peoples in the RS that has gotten the support among Croat parties in BiH. The author says that introduction of House of Peoples in the RS would have counterproductive effect in relation to the one that advocators of such solution declare. State consisted out of two symmetrical entities can not be self-sustainable, and introduction of House of Peoples will only strengthen state prerogatives of the RS, says the author. He adds that constitution makers in BiH should work on the building of consciousness of common political identity, and symmetry in the two entities is not sufficient for that. High decentralization of the state and organization of the Federation of Cantons, which is in the foundation of the existing Federation’s Constitution, is a European way of establishing such state community, he says. He also says that the solution for stabile BiH is not in consolidation of unitary entity (RS) but rather in division of the whole state in Cantons based on geographical, historical and gravitational principles, in a way that those (multiethnic) Cantons have a high degree of Municipal autonomy. However, that Federation of Cantons would be presented as a homogeneous structure towards outside. This editorial says that such political correctives should be installed, that would unable practice of the anti-pluralistic principle within national communities and that would eliminate the politicians, who are not capable of creating coalitions or negotiating with political partners from other communities. At the end, it says that it is not understandable how new and democratic Authorities in Croatia are supporting incoherent constitutional solutions coming from the kitchen of previous arrangements, risking conflict with the IC, and all this because of low-quality solutions. Instead, they should be presenting their quality concept to the wider international public and getting supporters for it, says the editorial.
Headlines
Weekend editions
Jutarnje Novine
· What do contain The Hague envelopes delivered to the Federation Ministry of Justice: Mirko Bunoza accused of 24 murders
Nezavisne Novine
· Talks on constitutional changes to resume on Monday – Slim chances to reach an agreement + big photo of Petritsch and eight BiH leading politicians taken during the meeting;
· President of the RS NA Constitutional Commission Miroslav Mikes says Lagumdzija and Zubak are in forefront of obstructionism
Glas Srpski
· Police raided “Bosnian Ideal Future” – Espionage or terrorism;
· RTRS Trade Union and RTRS War Veterans Association will no longer comply with decisions of RTRS Board of Governors;
Dnevni List
· Changes to HDZ registration at court: Miko Lozancic officially instead of Jelavic
· Talks on constitutional changes without results: Karadzic thanks Petritsch for “keeping his acquisitions”
· Federation Ministry of Interior and intelligence services in BiH organize operation: Three persons arrested for threats against US Embassy
Oslobodjenje (Saturday)
· Director of BIF suspected for espionage in BiH
Dnevni Avaz (Saturday)
· Izetbegovic: We had to make concessions in Dayton, but now we shall not
Vecernji List
· Kresimir Zubak on exhausting talks on changes to BiH Constitution: Abolishing of entities solves the crisis
Oslobodjenje (Sunday)
· Al-Qaeda was preparing to attack targets in Sarajevo?
Dnevni Avaz (Sunday)
· Lagumdzija and OHR objects to Izetbegovic
Vecernji List (Sunday)
- American pressure in BiH enhanced: Petritsch will not impose constitutional changes
- Al-Qa’ida wanted to attack American Embassy
Monday editions
Oslobodjenje
· BiH presidency to initiate adoption of the law on civil command over the armed forces
Dnevni Avaz
· A secret meeting in Petritsch’s residence
Jutarnje Novine
· Due to Ante Jelavic, the HDZ might be banned (from participating in the elections)
Nezavisne Novine
· Wolfgang Petritsch before final round of talks over constitutional changes: Responsibility on BiH leaders
· Natasa Tesanovic, ATV (Alternativna Televizija) Director: CRA suppresses private electronic media
Glas Srpski
- Serb Gorazde: SFOR, French Gendarmerie and International Police: Parish House searched
- According to “Veritas”: Bobetko and Cermak indicted
- A priest and believers stoned
Dnevni List
- Mayor of Mostar gets heavily involved to solution of crisis in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton: Neven Tomic lobbies for introduction of supervisor!
- Dramatic, and behind closed doors, session of Federation Government on deteriorated security situation: Assassination on senior American diplomat in Sarajevo prevented!
Vecernji List
- Criminal charges against Momcilo Perisic were issued in 1992: Perisic ordered destruction of bridges over Neretva River
- Sulejman Tihic, SDA President: I prevented Zubak to succumb to Serbs
- Decision on old foreign-currency savings in bankrupt Serb banks today: Hundreds of million Marks remain in Belgrade?