| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Pope’s funeral | EUFOR’s exercise in Pale | List of Srebrenica war criminals issue |
| Sarajevo CC will be revoked | EUFOR on Ratko Mladic | SCG citizens among Srebrenica WC |
| SDP on | Adnan Terzic on SAA | Sarajevo City Council issue |
| OHR on | SIPA to become operative | SCG anti-war activists anniversary |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Sarajevo City Council to be annulled | Youth Informative Agency’s action | Curt didn’t state on Mladic’s hideout |
| Incident near Zvornik | Round table on education reform | Dokic update |
| World News | Sarajevo City Council issue | Sarajevo CC will be annulled |
| Interview with Adnan Basic | OHR on | EUFOR’s exercise on Pale |
| Oslobodjenje | Janja citizens are being apprehended by Serbian policemen and interrogated in Loznica |
| Dnevni Avaz | New lies and imputations from |
| Dnevni List | Smugglers of explosive will be known tomorrow |
| Vecernji List | Wedding: Charles and Camilla |
| Nezavisne Novine | Nobody knows the number of missing persons in BiH |
Political developments | |
| OHR: establishing of Sarajevo City Council is a matter for competent BiH institutions
| FTV, RHB, TV Pink, TV Hayat, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Establishing of a town authority is a matter for domestic institutions’ by Fena – After it was announced that BiH Election Commission, on its session on Tuesday, is going to revoke decision on electing of councillors in the Sarajevo City Council, the OHR Spokesman, Vedran Persic, stated that constituting of city authorities in Sarajevo is the matter of responsible institutions in BiH. He expressed the hope that this problem is going to be solved within those institutions. |
| SDP’s Pudaric: Election Commission is not revoking Sarajevo City Council because of SDP
| RHB – SDP General Secretary Svetozar Pudaric issued a press release after statement of SDA Chairman Sulejman Tihic (HB presenter does not specify the statement). Pudaric stressed that Election Commission is not revoking the election of Sarajevo City Council because of SDP but because of complaints from SDP. Pudaric stated in his announcement that Tihic should stop deceiving people because it doesn’t suit his position or his age. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘SDA and Party for BiH have obstructed changes of Sarajevo Statute’ by D. B., Oslobodjenje pg 3, announced on cover ‘Stop with imputations’ not signed – also carry Pudaric’s statement. |
| Svrakic: Someone applied pressure on Election Commission to annul election results
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4, announced on cover ‘Someone is applying pressure on BiH Election Commission to annul elections’ by J. Sogolj – Newly elected delegate at Sarajevo City Council Emin Svrakic thinks the announcement of Election Commission on annulling results of the election was an incorrect act. He claims everything has been done in accordance with laws, the only mistake was in the fact SDP has refused to take part in establishing of the Council. He believes the announcement of the Election Commission was a result of a pressure someone had applied on the Commission. |
| Huremovic: Serbian police often detains and interrogates Janja citizens who cross the border
| Oslobodjenje cover pg splash, pgs 4-5 ‘Janja citizens are being apprehended by Serbian policemen and interrogated in Loznica’ by Edina Kamenica – A member of Janja Local Community Board, Ibrahim Huremovic, claims Serbian police often apprehends and interrogates Janja citizens who dare to cross the nearby border between BiH and SiCG to reach their land. He says the stance of the Border Service deteriorated after their frequent statements on their issues. BiH Minister for Refugees Mirsad Kebo says the issue of borders is a delicate issue and he added this is not the only disputable border issue. He says BIH and SiCG Inter-state Council will hold talks on these problems. Huremovic claims he had addressed Minister Mladen Ivanic who had replied that the problem had been resolved since an agreement was reached with SiCG. Huremovic denies this is true. The article reads the only reaction from OHR is a statement of a spokesperson given at the end of the last year saying that the two states should resolve this issue. |
| Youth Informative Agency awarded prizes to BiH authorities for their moves for youth
| FTV, TV Pink, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Awards for the poorest moves of the authorities’ by D. Mu., Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Toys to delegates for selling Marshal Tito barracks’ not signed – Youth Informative Agency (OIA) has started the action “The best move of the authorities for the youth in 2005”. Although they made an effort to award the best, they couldn’t manage to find any positive example, said FTV reporter. The prizes still had to be awarded. The firs prize goes for BiH Parliamentary Assembly and those are small automobiles for every member of BiH Parliament. Youth said they felt a need to award them for everything they did for them. They have got these prizes because they didn’t succeed to pass the law on high education. The second prize goes to BiH Council of Ministers (CoM), due to failure to establish a commission for youth’s issues in BiH. The third prize in individual category, only for the local level, has been awarded to Sarajevo Canton Minister of Environment, Zlatko Petrovic, because of his contribution in selling of former barracks “Marsal Tito” to the USA Embassy. Exactly due to such moves, according to the last polls, 72% of youth in BiH want to leave BiH. FTV conducted a poll among youth and opinions on staying or going away were different. |
| HR to meet Serbian PM, Vojislav Kostunica | TV Pink, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Talks with Synod of Serb Orthodox Church were foreseen’ by S. N. – As, according to an announcement of Serbian Government, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica will hold talks with High Representative Paddy Ashdown in Belgrade on Monday. |
| BiH CoM Chairman Terzic: BiH will most probably start SAA negotiations by the end of 2005
| TV Pink Aida Doric – In an interview for INFOTOP, the Chair of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic said that BiH was going to reach the phase in which it would be able to start negotiations on Stabilization and Association Agreement. “I think that the EU is going to accept that the progress is sufficient for this phase and that the European Commission does not ask for Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic to be arrested in order to start negotiations. I am sure that we can start negotiations on SAA by the end of this year, and my plan is to sign the agreement by the end of our mandate”, said Terzic. Terzic said that two more great problems had to be solved in order to start the negotiations; namely law on public broadcasting service and winning of permission related with the basic elements regarding police structure reform, for which the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown announced that negotiations on consensus, were to be started by the end of April. “During the Peace Implementation Council session I said that by signing the SAA, BiH will need no OHR in BiH, instead we should have a high European Commission representative”, said Terzic on being asked on future International Community role to BiH. Terzic stressed that it was no possible to move forward without police reform and that all those who participate in negotiations should realize how high the price was. |
War crimes | |
| EUFOR members completed military exercise in Pale
| RHB, TV Pink, BHT 1, FTV, RTRS, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘EUFOR held a training in front of Karadzic’s house’ by Eldina Medunjanin, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Training of EUFOR near Karadzic’s house’ by Srna, Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘EUFOR members exercised near Karadzic’s house’ by Fena, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Exercise was coincidentally held near Karadzic’s house’ not signed – EUFOR members completed a military exercise in Pale Saturday. This regular exercise was carried out without incidents and in the nearby of Radovan Karadzic’s house. EUFOR stated that this fact was a coincidence. |
| EUFOR does not want to comment claims on Mladic’s hideout in Pancevo | TV Pink, RTRS – EUFOR Colonel Rolf Kurt did not want to give any comments on articles published in BiH newspapers on Ratko Mladic being hidden in Pancevo. Kurt said for BETA that EUFOR was awake all the time, seeking for war crime indictees, since it presented its mandate. Kurt added that EUFOR was going to act, whenever given a chance to do that. |
| Marcusen: Genocide must not happen again to the world
| Oslobodjenje pg 8, announced on cover ‘Genocide must not happen again to the World’ by Dl. Omeragic – carries a statement of Eris Marcusen, the Chairman of the Centre for Holocaust and Research of Genocide, who has presented his opinion on how it was possible that Srebrenica crimes could have happened. He hopes remembering of Srebrenica crimes would raise the awareness on necessity to react in time in future in order to prevent similar things from happening. |
| Goldstone: we knew well in 1995 and 1996 where Karadzic and Mladic were
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Soldiers were afraid of arresting indictees Karadzic and Mladic’ by S. Numanovic – the first prosecutor of ICTY, Richard Goldstone, has assessed ICTY cannot complete its work by 2010. He commented on Karadzic and Mladic by saying it is disappointing that they are still at large even ten years after they had been indicted. He added he has no evidence to substantiate his opinion that political reasons have led to failure to arrest them and he added: ‘I firmly believe the West had not wanted to do it due to fear of their soldiers in field that such an action would lead to retaliation. In 1995 and 1996 we knew well where Karadzic and Mladic were’. |
| Names of SCG citizens appeared on the lists of persons involved in crimes in Srebrenica
| BHT 1 Boris Grubesic – Commission for investigation of the events in Srebrenica in July 1995 determined that there is a certain number of the citizens of Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) on the list of persons responsible for the war crimes in this town. BiH and SCG should soon signed agreement on cooperation between prosecutors’ offices, what would make easier persecution of the persons that are not BiH citizens. Member of the Srebrenica Commission, Smail Cekic, confirmed that those were members of the Serbian Ministry of Interior and soldiers of the former Yugoslav army. Trials to those persons cannot be held in BiH, because SCG does not extradite their citizens. Still, there is possibility for their trials to be held in Serbia. “It is our obligation to use all relevant proves for committed war crimes in which SCG citizens participated,” said SCG Council for cooperation with ICTY President, Rasim Ljajic. |
| Hartmann: SiCG police is responsible for apprehending Hague indictees | RTRS – ICTY Chief prosecutor’s spokesperson Florence Hartman said that SiCG police is responsible for apprehending the ICTY indictees. She added that the Hague Tribunal expects a full cooperation with the country since they don’t have their own police forces. |
| Bosniak representatives are obstructing the formation of joint commission on war casualties in Sarajevo | RTRS – Representatives of Bosniaks are obstructing the establishment of joined commission on war casualties of Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks and others in Sarajevo said Ilina Djurkovic from PDP. She said that BIH PM Adnan Terzic has suggested the formation of commission for entire BIH, which is unacceptable. Serbs have rights to know the truth of Sarajevo. |
Judiciary/legal proceedings | |
| SCG legal representative, Stojanovic: BiH’s lawsuit against SiCG will crumble
| RTRS, TV Pink, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘BiH lawsuit against SiCG cannot survive’ by Onasa, Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘New lies and imputations from Belgrade’ and pg 2 ‘Softic: it is immoral to participate in any way in a genocide’ by H. Orahovac – ICTY Defence attorney of SiCG Radoslav Stojanovic said that the lawsuit of BIH on genocide against SiCG is on wobbly legs in the terms of process. He said that this is because BIH did not press charges after signing the Dayton Agreement. SiCG will win, but ICTY will not proclaim winner because it erroneous to put all the blame on RS. |
| Softic denies Stojanovic’s statement: lawsuit remains in force | Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘New lies and imputations from Belgrade’ and pg 2 ‘Softic: it is immoral to participate in any way in a genocide’ by H. Orahovac – BiH legal representative Sakib Softic has denied Stojanovic’s statement by saying: ‘This is not true. BiH Presidency has, on two occasions, stated that the lawsuit remains in force’. |
| Dokic says he was not informed on OHR’s request for resignation
| RTRS Report by Biljana Mandic – BiH Minister of Communications and Transport Branko Dokic stated onSaturday that he was not informed on OHR’s request for resignation.Dokic is accused of abuse of office and power. OHR’s spokesperson Vedran Persic said that OHR expects Dokic to resign due to the indictment. “OHR’s expects from prosecuted officials to resign from their offices. BiH should present its credibility” stated Persic. Dokic didn’t want to comment on this. He explicitly refused to resign from the office. High Representative Paddy Ashdown recently said, while commenting on Dokic’s case, that he will take actions in the same way as in the case of former member of BiH Presidency Dragan Covic. |
| HJPC Chairman Peric: BiH politicians are frustrated because they have lost influence on judiciary
| Nezavisne Novine pgs 8-9, announced on cover ‘BiH politicians are frustrated because they have lost influence on judiciary’ by Mirza Cubro – in a two-page long interview to NN, HJPC Chairman Branko Peric has stated politicians in BiH are no longer in possession of a mechanism by which they would be able to apply a pressure on judiciary because an independent judiciary had been established. He said: ‘Politicians no longer have any influence on judiciary and this makes them feel frustrated’. He also said BiH Court is ready to process war crimes, but he thinks the society in general is not ready to deal with this problem. ‘In order to face past, one needs both political consent and determination of all relevant social subjects. It is not realistic to expect from the Court to resolve this problem’, Peric said. |
Police/crime | |
| Inter-ethnic incident occurred near Zvornik Friday
| NTV Hayat, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Serbs and Bosniaks have caused disorder’ by Fena, Dnevni Avaz pg 23 ‘Serbs and Bosniaks got into a fight’ by Fena – A spokesman of Bijeljina PSC, Dragomir Peric, said that an incident took place Friday in the village of Setici near Zvornik. Peric did not wish to give more details saying an investigation is underway. RTRS – Head of Zvornik Budimir Acimovic commented the incident that happened in Zvornik when group of Bosniaks attacked Serbs road workers and said he is disappointed with the incident Acimovic called all people on tolerance and respect. Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘They were beaten up over their national belongings’ by Srna – The foreman in “Zvornik putevi”, Lazar Jovic, said that several Bosniaks have attacked him and three other workers of the firm who were working on the road at the time. He explained he and his colleagues had seen a car that had went off the road, they approached the car and offered help, after which persons who were in the car had replied by saying they ‘do not need help from Chetniks’. They have started beating him and persons who went out of cars that have arrived few moments later have also started beating him. |
| Babic: names of BiH citizens involved in smuggling of explosives in France will be known on Monday | Dnevni List cover pg splash and pg 2 ‘Smugglers of explosives will be known tomorrow’ by D. Kozina – Spokesperson of BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lepa Babic has stated names of BiH citizens, who were involved in smuggling of explosive devices and who were arrested by French police, will be known on Monday. |
| SIPA will become fully operative within a year
| TV Pink Ljubisa Davidovic – SIPA Director, Sredoje Novic said that SIPA was already operative, especially when it comes to economy crime, but it would take at least a year for SIPA to become fully operative. In last month, SIPA has arrested three persons charged with money laundry. By the beginning of this month, SIPA has become in charge of securing the highest BiH officials and institutions. Establishment of new, reformed police forces should help SIPA, since, according to Novic, only reformed police could ensure greater security to BiH citizens. Novic added that probably no one opposed police reform, which would carry out numerous actions at BiH level, and said that its territorial organization presented the only problem. |
| TI Spokesperson Blagovcanin: 25% of reported corruption cases refers to corruption at Universities
| TV Pink Milka Mrdja – Out of 3.500 reports on corruption, 25 % refers to corruption at Universities in BiH. Spokesperson to Transparency International, Srdjan Blagovcanin said that the fact that worries the most is reaction of bodies in charge, on such reports. Blagovcanin says that TI has sent to Ministries of Education certain reports, including evidences, but they have undertaken no measures. RS Professors and Students Association do not deny the existence of corruption, but they state that the most important thing is to protect University. TI calls on students and professors to report each corruption case they face. |
Social issues/education | |
| Exact number of missing persons in BiH is still unknown
| Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash ‘Nobody knows the number of missing persons in BiH’ and pgs 12-13 ‘The work of the Institute for Missing Persons depends on appointment of future directors’ by Natasa Krsman – The article reads between 17,000 and 22,000 persons, who went missing during the war, have been registered in BiH, yet the correct number is not known. The International Commission for Missing persons expects a central database at the Institute for Missing Persons of BiH would resolve the issue of manipulation with the number of missing persons. However, the database would be established only after the Institute is put in function. |
| Roundtable on high education reform in accordance with Bologna process in Sarajevo
| FTV Predrag Bosnjakovski – Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Science and Education and Sarajevo University have organized two-day roundtable on high education reform in accordance with Bologna process. The special topic was introducing of ECTS system of points at the Sarajevo University, which is one of characteristics of the new system at all European universities. This session should result with a joint position and plans of activities for introducing this part of Bologna process, said the reporter. |