OHR BiH Media Round-up, 23/4/2006

RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs)

TV PINK (18,00 hrs)

BHT 1 (19,00 hrs)

Anniversary of Trusina massacre

EU welcomed decision ofCLAC

Funeral for 43 Vlasenica war victims

Mladic to be arrested outside SCG

US Embassy on const. amendments

13^th anniv. of Trusina massacre

World news

ITA allocation of resources

Stankovic on Mladic’s arrestment

Constitutional amendments

62^nd Rose-Roth Seminar in Tirana

Speculations on const. changes

NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs)

FTV (19,30 hrs)

RTRS (19,30 hrs)

Constitutional amendments

Protest rally in Sarajevo

Dodik on statements of SA media

43 buried in Vlasenica

Dispute on Bajina Basta power plant

Burns met with HR in Washington

Anniversary of Trusina massacre

Tihic meets Trade Union reps

RS flag torn in Janja

BIH experts oppose Visoko pyramid

US Embassy on const. changes

Report on Hum Border Cross

Oslobodjenje

Either Mladic in the Hague or good-bye, Europe!

Dnevni Avaz

Burns: give votes for reforms

Dnevni List

Croatian six to depart for trial [Prlic, Stojic, Praljak, Petkovic, Coric and Pusic to go to the Hague on Monday]

Vecernji List

Priests to attend holly masses with their backs turned [the Pope advocates reinstating of an old ceremony]

Constitutional reform

Austrian Presidency welcomes adoption of const. amendments by BiH HoR CLAC

RHB, FTV, TV Hayat, TV Pink, BHT1, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Support to constitutional reform’ not signed, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘EU welcomes the decision of Constitution – Legal Affairs Commission’ not signed, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘EU supports the process of constitutional reforms in BiH’ by A. M. – Austrian Presidency, on behalf of EU, welcomed the adoption of constitutional amendments by BiH House of representative’s Constitutional-Legal Affairs Commission [ CLAC ]. Austrian Presidency reminded that the adoption of constitutional amendments in BiH Parliament would demonstrate further readiness of BiH to adopt and implement reforms necessary for BiH citizens.

US Embassy to BiH: const. amendments would strengthen BiH CoM and Parliament

TV Pink – Prior to BiH Parliament session regarding constitutional amendments, which is scheduled for April 25^th, US Embassy in Sarajevo stressed one more time the importance of the constitutional changes in BiH. US Embassy reported that the constitutional amendments would strengthen BiH Council of Ministers and BiH Parliament and that BiH Presidency would become more functional due to establishment of one president and two vice presidents who would rotate every sixteen months during four-year mandate. “We call all BiH Parliament Representatives to take the responsibility for making better future for citizens of this country”, US Embassy stated. RHB, TV Hayat, FTV, BHT1, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Appeal to delegates to take the responsibility’ not signed, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Take the responsibility for the making of a better future’ by A. M.– also reported.

US Undersecretary Burns met with HR, urged deputies to adopt const. amendments

RTRS – US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns asked from BiH to introduce Presidential system instead of current three-member Presidency. During the meeting with High Representative to BiH Christian Schwarz Schilling in WashingtonDC, Burns said that Dayton Peace Agreement should be modernized in order to make BiH normal and single country. Burns welcomed constitutional changes and stressed that the international community should slowly withdraw from BiH and transfer the decision making process onto BiH politicians. “I know that it is the most important that the US is fully engaged in this area. I believe that the US took decisive steps in 1990s in peace establishment so the US has to do the same in 21^st century and give one more contribution”, the High Representative said. BHT1 – Burns urged the Parliament deputies to think about the future of their countries and adopt the proposed amendments to BiH Constitution. Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Constitutional changes, joint wish of the international community’ not signed, Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Main priority is to complete constitutional changes’ by D. Kozina, Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash ‘Burns: vote for reforms’ and pg 2 ‘Adoption of the amendments is collective wish of the international community’ by A. M. – also reported on the meeting.

RS PM Dodik: Burns’ statement unclear, political agreement on const. changes already reached

RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Methodology of clear accounts’ by Fena [Note: the title of Oslobodjenje article refers to the statement given with regard to distribution of ITA funds, see under “Other political issues”]  – RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik said that does not know what Burns meant when he said that BiH needs one president. According to Dodik, the negotiations on constitutional changes are over. “We have reached a political agreement that should be respected. This was our goal. When we entered the negotiations we promoted this as our goal. We achieved this. Whether Burns is satisfied or not, I do not know”, Dodik said.

Will BiH HoR adopt the amendments to BiH Constitution?

BHT1 – Following the media speculations, which reported that 25 delegates support and 14 delegates oppose the constitutional amendments as well as the decision will depend on votes of the only remaining HDZ deputy Vlatka Komsic, DNZ deputy Ibrahim Djedovic and the independent deputy Sead Avdic, BHT quotes Djedovic as saying that the proposed amendments are not perfect, but he is aware of the responsibility and the need for support to the amendment and he said he was 99% sure he would support the amendments. Avdic and Komsic didn’t want to comment their possible votes. BiH Presidency member Ivo Miro Jovic stated that he expected thorough changes of the Constitution, which didn’t happen. Still, Jovic believes that the agreed changes represent a progress, and they should be adopted so that the second phase of constitutional reforms can start. Chair of BiH presidency Sulejman Tihic reiterated that, if all deputies come to the Tuesday’s session, there will be 27 votes for the amendments.

DL op-ed: HDZ 1990’s Raguz will have to decide whether to support const. changes or not

Dnevni List op-ed pg 2 ‘Troubled Raguz’ by Resad Dautefendic – Following the establishment of HDZ 1990 party with Bozo Ljubic and Martin Raguz at the head, the author notes Raguz will have to decide on what is the most favourable thing to do – either to support the first phase of the constitutional reform and gain favour of America, EU and HR to BiH or to act similarly to Haris Silajdzic, who has already lost trust of IC and who is using the constitutional reform to collect points in pre-election campaign, since his only current goal is to come back to the political scene.

HoP delegate and CLAC member Filip Andric decided to leave HDZ over adoption of amendments to BiH Constitution

Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Filip Andric is leaving BiH HDZ’ by Nina – HDZ member, HoP delegate and CLAC member Filip Andric has stated he had decided to leave HDZ because he believes BiH HDZ is working against interests of Croat people because the party had accepted the amendments to BiH Constitution, which put Croat people in an unfavourable position in comparison to the other two constitutive peoples. Asked whether he would join HDZ 1990, Andric said he would join no party and he would decide on his future political activities subsequently.

Party for BiH’s Silajdzic: politicians in a hurry to adopt const. changes before verdict in BiH lawsuit vs. SiCG

Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Silajdzic: Compensation for Serbia on the expense of BiH’ by S. Sp. – Municipal Board of the Party for BiH organised a public tribune on constitutional changes in Ilijas. Party for BiH’s Haris Silajdzic and Safet Halilovic, BOSS’s Mirnes Ajanovic, SDU’s Sefedin Suljevic and Kada Hotic from the Association “Movement of mothers from Srebrenica and Zepa enclaves” addressed the participants of the tribune. Silajdzic focused on the hurry in the adoption of constitutional changes and added: ‘they are in a hurry because this is all about the lawsuit for aggression and genocide BiH had filed against SiCG. If a verdict with a legal consequence is pronounces, this might lead to abolishment of the entity created by genocide. Kosovo and Montenegro might be in the game as well’, Silajdzic stated.

DNS: political leaders did not have mandate to negotiate on const. changes

RTRS – DNS warned three political leaders from RS who participated in the negotiations on constitutional changes that have to get support of citizens in possible future activities. DNS believes that these political leaders did not have mandate to negotiate on constitutional changes and that their activities are destroying RS.

SDP’s Pudaric: all decisions in BiH should be reached by consensus

Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘All important decisions should be reached through consensus’ by Fena – BiH SDP organised a public tribune on constitutional changes in Ljubuski on Friday. On this occasion, BiH SDP Secretary General and HoP delegate Svetozar Pudaric noted constitutional changes offer more opportunities for BiH to be a partner of EU and he added that all important decisions in BiH should be reached by consensus, i.e. qualified majority.

Face to Face: SDU’s Durakovic and SDA’s Dzaferovic confront their stances on constitutional amendments

TV Hayat Report by Senad Hadzifejzovic – Central News features Face to Face between SDU member Nijaz Durakovic and SDA member Sefik Dzaferovic. Durakovic opposes constitutional amendments whilst Dzaferovic is in favour of these. Durakovic feels that voting on constitutional amendments will be tight whilst Dzaferovic feels that they will be adopted and included in BiH Election Law by 4 May. Durakovic repeats his stance that the constitutional amendments cement division of BiH whilst Dzaferovic reminds that these amendments are only a first step and adds that the international community supports the amendments.

Former member of Yugoslav Presidency Bogicevic: BiH citizens should have been more involved in the process of constitutional changes

TV Hayat – Former member of Yugoslav Presidency and SDP member Bogic Bogicevic commented on the constitutional amendments by saying BiH citizens should have been more involved in the process. He also says that he expected the amendments to be more thorough and a little “better”. Bogicevic says that the constitutional amendments haven’t erased the results of the war and nation as an organised principle of the state. He concludes that these will be adopted in BiH Parliament regardless of all of this.

TV Hayat poll: will const. amendments be adopted?

TV Hayat poll: Asked whether constitutional amendments would be adopted, 28% of viewers answered “Yes” while 72% of viewers answered “No”. Asked to comment the possible adoption/non adoption of constitutional amendments, most of the citizens said they feel that the amendments will not be adopted and in their opinion they shouldn’t be since they legalise genocide.

War crimes/ security issues

13^th anniversary of massacre over Croats marked in Trusina

RHB, BHT1, TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3, announced on cover ‘Nobody was ever punished for death of 22 persons’ by A. Omeragic, Dnevni list pg 3, announced on cover ‘Hague policy forgot about Croat victims’ by Anja Vrebac, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Jovic: we will process the Trusina crime’ by M. Vasilj and I. Kaleb, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Jovic: nobody was held responsible as yet’ by M. C. – 13^th anniversary since the massacre over 23 Croat civilians and HVO soldiers from Trusina near Konjic has been marked on Saturday. RBiH Army soldiers have massacred them. None of the responsible ones have been sentenced so far. BiH Presidency member Ivo Miro Jovic, representatives of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Government and Assembly, HDZ, HDU and NHI representatives, as well as representatives of associations of war victims and veterans attended the memorial ceremony. Jovic stated that BiH authorities should take the responsibility and punish all responsible war criminals. He criticized the fact that nobody has been punished for the war crimes committed in Trusina, adding that this probably won’t happen at all, since ICTY is going to be closed soon. According to him, courts in BiH are political.

43 victims of Susica camp buried in Vlasenica

BHT1, TV Hayat, FTV, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3, announced on cover ‘Funeral for 43 murdered Bosniaks from Vlasenica’ by S. Smajlovic, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘No justification for the fact responsible for crimes have not been brought before courts’ not signed, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Little daughter Ajla was begging: Let’s go mom, I can’t take it anymore’, announced on cover ‘They were killed just because they were of other religion and had different names’ by A. Hadzic – Remains of 43 Bosniak victims that were exhumed from mass graves were buried on Saturday in Vlasenica. These victims were killed in campSusica. Chair of BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic, who stated that there is no excuse for the committed crime or the fact that the responsible ones still haven’t been punished, attended the funeral ceremony. He stressed that the state institutions will insist on truth and justice for the victims and their families. Murat Hurtic from Tuzla team of BiH Commission for missing persons stated that only one third of victims from Vlasenica have been found so far. Amor Masovic from BiH Commission for missing persons sharply criticized the fact that persons responsible for war crimes are often hiding in other countries, and they are not being extradited to BiH. FTV – So far, only one person has been sentenced for the crimes committed in this area – the commander of Susica camp Dragan Nikolic. RTRS – BiH Presidency Chair Sulejman Tihic said that return of refugees and support to their stay is necessary for the reestablishment of the multiethnic structure.

Brussels warns Belgrade : SAA with SiCG might be disturbed unless SiCG proves by end of April it cooperates with ICTY

Oslobodjenje cover pg splash and pgs 4-5 ‘Either Mladic in the Hague or good-bye, Europe!’ by B. Boskov – Member of SCG national council for cooperation with ICTY Zoran Loncar stated that SCG will fulfil its last ICTY obligation, i.e. arrest and extradite Hague indictee Ratko Mladic, in the shortest possible time. At the same time, SCG Minister of Defense Zoran Stankovic stated that SCG intelligence agency and Ministry of Interior are conducting the action aimed to locate and arrest Mladic. Stankovic believes that the responsibility for failure to arrest Mladic has to be determined. Head of EC Delegation to SiCG Josep Lloveras stated Brussels is carefully setting deadlines in communication with the official Belgrade but warned SiCG is entering a critical phase in which SAA talks might be disturbed unless SiCG proves it fully cooperates with ITCY by the end of April. RHB, TV Hayat and RTRS carry Loncar’s statement. BHT1 and RTRS carry Stankovic’s statement.

Head of Security Strategy Centre Monet analyses media speculations on terrorists in BiH

BHT1 – Majority of BiH citizens are facing serious problems when they attempt to get a visa in order to travel to the EU countries. After world media speculated that new terrorist threats come from white Muslims, the situation might get even worse for Bosniaks. Head of the Centre for Security Strategy Claude Monet (SP) stated that in comparison to Afghanistan , BiH is not a safe place for terrorists, and there are no terrorist training camps there. He added that according to some sources, asylums for terrorists exist near Zenica, but he stressed that the number of terrorists there is not large. According to Monet, terrorist can more easily hide in Belgium of Netherlands. He emphasized that BiH Muslims could be of a great help to anti-terrorism campaigns.

Other political issues

RS PM Dodik: it is necessary to adopt final decision on distribution of ITA funds

TV Pink – According to PINK, at its session that was held on Thursday in Sarajevo, Members of Indirect Taxation Administration (ITA) Steering Board reached technical agreement on allocation of resources from the single account, which should be supported by political agreement of entities’ prime ministers and BiH Council of Ministers Chair. If the political agreement were reached, ITA Steering Board would hold another session on Wednesday in order to unblock resources from the single account. RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik stated that it is necessary to determine a clear methodology and adopt a final decision on distribution of public revenues in BiH. Dodik also said that RS Government wants to support indirect taxation system since it gave high incomes to RS last year but it does not mean that RS is satisfied with the way of allocation of resources. BHT1, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Methodology of clear accounts’ by Fena – also carry Dodik’s statement.

RS PM Dodik denies US Ambassador and Head of EC Delegation told him to stop politically interfering in police reform

RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Methodology of clear accounts’ by Fena, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘I did not even discuss the police reform with US Ambassador’ by Fena – RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik denied writing of Sarajevo media that the US Ambassador Douglas McElhaneyand EC Chief Michael Humphreys told him to forget about the existence of RS Police and stop with political interference in the police reform. Dodik explained he had not discussed police reform with US Ambassador at all on the occasion and stated they discussed only constitutional changes and, with regard to his conversation with EC Delegation Head, Dodik said they did talk about the police reform and he only reiterated already known stances of RS on this issue. [Note: the title of Oslobodjenje article refers to the statement given with regard to distribution of ITA funds] Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Prime Minister, than you for confirming the correctness of reports of “Dnevni Avaz”’ by Edina Sarac – Dnevni Avaz journalist replied to the denial of RS PM Dodik by saying his reaction only confirmed the correctness of this paper’s reports, and she also criticised him for persistently fighting only for “Serb people”, “Serb police”, “Serb entity” etc.

PDP feels audit of awarded BIH citizenships represents a success for BIH

RHB, RTRS – PDP believes that the beginning of the work of theState Commission to review decisions on nationalization of foreign nationals in BiH presents success for BiH and would accelerate Euro-Atlantic integrations and liberalization of visa regime.

HR Schwarz-Schilling: economic and education reforms necessary too

BHT1, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘There is no peace without education’ not signed – HR Christian Schwarz-Schilling stated that the economic reforms are another priority for BiH on its way towards the EU. Schwarz-Schilling also stressed the need for education reform in order to preserve the sustainable peace and peaceful coexistence. He also emphasized the role of the elections in democratic process and the necessity of liberation of visa regime.

Association of Old Foreign Currency Savers expects from CoM to launch payment for savings this year

RTRS – Steering Board of the Association of Old Foreign Currency Savers had a meeting on Saturday. They expect from BiH Council of Ministers (CoM) to launch payment of old foreign currency savings this year. The Association members would ask from the competent institutions to deliver them documentation on use of their money and transactions and will also ask from CoM to solve the issue of cooperation in this issue with countries in the region by the end of May. Dnevni list pg 5 ‘Blockade of banks and firms at the end of May’ by T. Calic –Association Chairman Svetozar Nisic stated BiH Constitutional Court will have to reach a decision by which it would oblige the responsible institutions to adopt a law in accordance with savers’ demands, or else they would organise mass protests and block banks and border crossing points.

62^nd Rose-Roth Seminar commenced in Tirana/ HoR’s Novakovic and HoP’s Genjac attend on behalf of BiH

TV Pink – The conference “New security challenges of Euro-Atlantic community regarding Western Balkans” started in Tirana as part of the 62^nd Rose-Roth Seminar. Momcilo Novakovic from BiH House of Representatives and Halid Genjac from BiH House of Peoples are attending this seminar on behalf of BiH. Genjac said they are discussing security situation in Western Balkans, security challenges toward Euro-Atlantic integrations, reforms in the sector of security in Western Balkans and the situation in Albania . Genjac said that BiH delegation would talk about significant security reform that was conducted in BiH, which include reform of defence, intelligence, state border service and upcoming police reform. Genjac stressed that BiH and NATO should be proud of BiH’s defence reform. 

Orthodox Easter

Metropolitan Dobrobosanski Nikolaj congratulated Easter

TV Pink, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 10 ‘Let those on power fulfil promises’ not signed, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Metropolitan Nikolaj forwarded Easter message’ bybs – Metropolitan Dobrobosanski Nikolaj congratulated Easter to all believers. Metropolitan Dobrobosanski said that frequent attacks and slanders against Serbs should stop. Metropolitan believes that it is high time that respect of human rights is not only on paper and that it is necessary to provide equality to all BiH citizens. Metropolitan said that expects Sarajevo Seminary building to be returned after 65 years to Serb Orthodox Church. Metropolitan also said that all peoples should cherish their tradition.