Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 24 April
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| 6 ex Croat leaders go to | BiH legal team to end second round | Rycroft on const. changes |
| BiH Parliament to vote on cons. chgs | Excavation in Prijedor continues | Nikiforov on cooperation with ICTY |
| US Ambassador on const. changes | Pensions in FBiH before May 1 | Serbia-Montenegro relations |
TV news broadcast on 23 April
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Burns meets Schwarz-Schilling | Orthodox Easter celebration in world | Orthodox Easter celebrations in SA |
| Kebo in visit to | Orthodox Easter celebration in SA | Orthodox Easter celebrations in BL |
| | Orthodox Easter celebration in BL | Feature story on Easter customs |
| Jovic in visit to Derventa | Historical background of Easter | Easter celebrated throughout BiH |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Report on a successful businessman | Interview with Douglas McElhaney | Orthodox Easter celebration in BL |
| Report on milk production in BiH | Old foreign currency savings issue | Orthodox Easter celebration in RS |
| BiH youth on hourly payment | World news: Reforms in the IMF | Orthodox Easter celebration in SA |
| BiH savers to hold protests | Orthodox Easter celebrations | Orthodox Easter celebration in BG |
| Oslobodjenje | Old foreign currency holders cheated again |
| Dnevni Avaz | This is definitive division of BiH [Silajdzic] |
| Dnevni List | Decisive battle between patriots and betrayers! (on const. changes) |
| Vecernji List | Croats divided in education (different elementary schooling system in cantons with Croat majority) |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
| Nezavisne Novine | Volunteers were looking for pyramid (excavations at Visoko) |
| Glas Srpske | No publication today owing to Easter holidays |
| EuroBlic | Three young men chopped up RS flag [crime story] |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related topics |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| US Ambassador McElhaney calls on adoption on const. changes | |
| BiH ends presentation of second round of evidences before ICJ | BH Radio 1 – The legal team representing BiH in the lawsuit against |
Constitutional reform | |
| US Ambassador McElhaney strongly believes Parliament would pass constitutional amendments
| FTV by Sanja Bagaric – Commenting the amendments to the BiH Constitution, the |
| US Undersecretary Fried: This is not last phase of constitutional changes
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Passing of amendments opens perspectives for BiH’ by S.Numanovic– The US Undersecretary for Europe, Daniel Fried, stated for DA that the importance of the current constitutional reform in BiH is not only a perspective to join EU and NATO, but a creation of precondition for its next phase. Noting the |
| HR
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Without OHR in a year’, mentioned on cover by VoA – In an interview to the Voice of America during his visit to New York and Washington, the High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, commented a recent letter by the Cardinal Vinko Puljic who called on Croats to reject the constitutional changes, by saying he was not pleased with that letter and adding he did talk to the Bishops about it, some of which talked to the IC representative for the first time. “We have to understand that there is a fear that a minority could be outvoted – Croats now have fear all the time that they can’t shape BiH’s future in their benefit,” Schwarz-Schilling argues. He continues that the future constitutional negotiations should include the regulation protecting Croats, their language and culture. Commenting stances of SBiH founder Haris Silajdzic, HR said that his stances aren’t good or responsible but stressed that Siljadzic might be thinking of upcoming elections and SDA vote he could take. Vjesnik, pg 14 ‘Position of Croats in BiH will not deteriorate’, by Erol Avdovic – reports that Schwarz-Schilling told Vjesnik’s correspondent in New York that a failure to adopt the constitutional changes would make BiH’s trip to Europe longer and would probably postpone closing of the OHR scheduled for next year. He added that he had started a dialogue with representatives of the Catholic Church in BiH and that he even spoke to the Pope Benedict XVI in |
| Ambassador Rycroft: Constitutional changes are not yet precondition for
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘European path of BiH is blocked by not passing of amendments’ by S.Numanovic– In a brief interview to DA, the UK Ambassador to BiH, Matthew Rycroft,welcomes the adoption of the constitutional amendments in the BiH Parliamentary Constitutional Commission expressing hope and expectation that the Parliament would now vote in favour of the reform. Asked to comment whether there is a possibility for the amendments to be rejected, Rycroft answered positively and added: “The changes to the BiH Constitution are not the precondition to sign the Stabilisation and the Association Agreement. However, at some stage during the European integration, the constitutional changes would be a necessary precondition. Sooner the changes to the constitution are passed, the better.” Talking about the second stage of the constitutional reform, Rycroft said that it is up to BiH politicians and citizens to decide. “When there is a talk about entities, we must know that the decision on the changes are brought by consensus, which doesn’t exist currently.” Inset ‘Normal role of foreigners’- The IC would have, as Rycroft said, important but not leading role in the process, ie. it would monitor it instead of the leading the process and imposing solutions. Inset ‘Croats aren’t endangered’- Rycroft underlined said |
| Austrian President Fischer: const. changes are certainly a progress
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘European perspective for BiH in first line means membership in the EU’, mentioned on cover ‘BiH has to prove its European maturity’ by Sanja Skuletic– In interview to DA, the Austrian President Heinz Fischer comments the constitutional reform in BiH, saying he supports those “as they would certainly present the progress in comparison to current structures.” He concluded that the unsolved status of Kosovo is a insecurity factor in the Balkans, however he doesn’t except BiH to be more impacted by than any other country in the region. |
| DL on voting on const. changes: ‘Patriots’ vs. ‘Betrayers’
| Dnevni List, front pg splash and pg 3 ‘Decisive battle between patriots and betrayers!’, by R. Dautefendic – Prior to Tuesday’s session of BiH HoR, which should be deciding on the destiny of the proposed constitutional changes, DL notes that the ‘patriots’, namely the SBIH, SDU and BOSS, are against the proposed changes together with the HDZ 1990, whilst the ‘betrayers’, the label used by the ‘patriots’ to describe the |
| HDZ spokesman Relota: Const. changes do not require votes of former HDZ members
| Dnevni List, pg 3 ‘Votes by Raguz, Zoric and Andric are irrelevant’, not signed – announces that the National Council (NC) of HDZ will be discussing constitutional changes at Kiseljak on Monday night, and DL suspects the NC will support the changes simply because they were signed by HDZ leader Dragan Covic. DL also carries a statement by HDZ spokesman, Miso Relota, who says the constitutional changes do not require votes of former HDZ members (Raguz, Zoric, Andric) since he is convinced the changes will get the necessary majority in the Parliament after all. |
| DL interview: Leaders of
| Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘Coalition between |
| FBiH Vice President Dzihanovic with British Ambassador Rycroft: Constitutional changes are necessary
| Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Bigger support to EU necessary’ not signed – FBiH Vice President Sahbaz Dzihanovic received British Ambassador to BiH Matthew Rycroft and they talked about necessity of constitutional changes and overall situation in BiH, agreeing that the changes should be adopted in the BiH Parliament. Dzihanovic stressed that the 1st phase of the constitutional changes is one of the crucial steps that BiH must take in order to secure faster moving towards European integration and that it is a forerunner of the 2nd phase during which the organization of the middle level of authority and position of municipalities and towns should be discussed. |
| SBiH’s Silajdzic: proposed amendments lead to definitive division of BiH
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash and pg 2 ‘This is definitive division of BiH’ by E.Sarac– Founder of SBiH Haris Silajdzic commented that amendments to BiH Constitution, which would be voted on, on Tuesday’s session of BiH House of Representatives, present definitive division of BiH. He stressed that something without precedent happened during the session of BiH HoR Constitutional- Legal Affairs Commission and that is that instead of technical, they were making essential and basic changes. Once again he emphasized the incompatibility between entity vote and democratic principles, stressing that RS representatives have made it clear that second phase would be futile, since they emphasized that RS position can’t be even discussed about. Silajdzic said that best example for this is current police reform, which would confirm each of his words. |
| NN op-ed critical of
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘To abolish Federation of BiH!’ by Sead Fetahagic – Writing about recent statements urging abolishment of RS, led by Haris Silajdzic, the author notes that there are many things about RS that do not fit, but nothing can be done about it since Serb politicians and Serb population will not give up on it and it cannot be abolished by use of force, unless another war is in plan. He is critical of Silajdzic’ hidden intentions on this, saying he and his followers stir up this idea on abolishment of RS in order to prevent seeing issue of how they earned their fortunes during the war is raised. He stresses the issue of abolishment of F BiH should first be raised, since its abolishment would have no impact on situation, i.e. everything would be placed in hands of cantonal authorities and competition between federal and cantonal authorities would stop. He concludes by saying that “patriots”, referring to Silajdzic, should first abolish their entity, which is much bigger obstacle on the course towards normal state, then move on abolishment of cantons and lastly RS. |
| VL comment on const. changes: Croat have to help themselves
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘What do we believe in?’, by Iko Skoko – the author argues that the Croats in BiH are indeed in an unfavourable situation since many issues, including the constitutional changes, are imposed on them, however Skoko reckons it is the Croats themselves, who have to find answers to issues that burden them. “Only then we can loudly and clearly ask from others and IC to respect our people’s rights” |
Economic and other political issues | |
| Coordination of Association of Old Foreign Currency Savers called on depositors to boycott verification of their deposits
| BHT1 by Mirela Cosic – The Coordination of Association of Old Foreign Currency Savers called on all depositors to boycott the verification of their deposits, because the new Law on settling debts on the basis of old foreign currency savings does not guarantee to get their money back. The Coordination deems the Law is not in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, adding that it once again insists on the verification of all deposits, which is not in accordance with the decision of the |
| ‘Circle 99’ on problems of education in BiH: divisions are main obstacle to full reintegration and existence of democratic and civic society in BiH
| BHT1 by Marina Martinovic – At the regular Sunday’s session held in |
| VL: Different elementary schooling systems for Croat pupils in BiH
| Vecernji List, front pg splash and pg 3 ‘Croats divided in education’, by Zoran Kresic – the article is arguing that the Croat pupils in BiH will attend different elementary schooling systems as of next school year since reports suggest that the Croat pupils in Herzegovina-Neretva, Posavina and Canton 10 will start with the 9-year schooling system, whilst that will not be the case in West-Herzegovina and Central Bosnia cantons (opting for the current, 8-year system). Kresic comments this shows ‘a disgraceful social and political reality of BiH Croats’. |
| BiH Human Rights Minister Kebo to meet US State Department and White House officials
| BHT1 – Following the invitation of US Institute for Peace, BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Mirsad Kebo arrived to the |
| HR Schwarz-Schilling: If everything goes well transition from OHR to EUSR could be in a year
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Without OHR in a year’, mentioned on cover by VoA– In an interview to the Voice of America during his visits to New York and Washington, the High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, said that if all goes as planned, in the next year the OHR “would carry out perform a transition from the international high representative to special European representative and that would be the end of OHR authorities and so-called Bonn Powers.” The exception for the interventions by the IC would be the cooperation with the ICTY. Inset ‘UN Commissioner promised help’- The HR said he talked to the senior UN officials on the issue of police officers who were decertified by the UN International Police Task Force [IPTF]: “We can only help them to conduct an investigation in BiH, because we did not fire police officers. General secretary, to whom I explained the case, deems that human rights shouldn’t be violated and that steps toward the solution should be taken.” |
| Int with Austrian Presidency Fischer: Balkans should be EU member states, not partners
| Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘European perspective for BiH in first line means membership in the EU’, mentioned on cover ‘BiH has to prove its European maturity’ by Sanja Skuletic– In interview to DA, the Austrian President Heinz Fischer stresses that the EU has confirmed in several occasions that the Balkans countries have a “European perspective”. Asked to comment the German Chancellor Angela Markel advocating “privileged partnership” and not full EU membership of the Western Balkans countries, Fischer said: “European perspective for a country alike BiH in my mind means, primarily, membership to EU after certain obligations and are met… only if the membership would not be possible it would be worth considering other ways to relate to Europe.” Talking about the largest obstacles for BiH on a European road, Fischer noted the war crimes’ indictees. However, he pointed out to three others things that need to happen for BiH to join EU: firstly, BiH has to prove a maturity in economic and political sense; secondly, the EU has to complete the last round of enlargement and be prepared for new members; and thirdly a positive atmosphere has to be created among EU countries so to ensure ratification processes are successful. |
| Int. Forum
| Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Politicians additionally complicate situation’ By Fena – The participants of the debate organized by the International Forum Bosnia under title “BiH Political Controversies and European Integrations” on Sunday concluded that the process of the Euro-Atlantic integrations do not have an alternative in BiH. It was also stressed that this has not been well explained to the citizens leading to controversies which than become even more complicated by political parties and politicians. The Senior Deputy of High Representative Peter Bas-Backer stated on the occasion that in the future even more effort has to be put in the reform processes, instead to turning to controversies of retrograde nature. |
| Josip Merdzo: HDZ deputies in FBiH HoR to cross to HDZ 1990
| Dnevni Avaz pg ‘HDZ deputies crossing to HDZ 1990’ by F.V.– As DA learns, a group of HDZ deputies in FBiH House of Representatives is going to leave the HDZ Caucus on Tuesday and cross to HDZ 1990. As DA carried, Caucus of the new party would be joined by Josip Merdzo, Slavica Josipovic, Rudo Vidovic, Djuro Matuzovic, Ivica Ceko, Zoran Maric and Ante Bosnjak, while negotiations are in progress with five more HDZ deputies, including current Head of HDZ Caucus Ivan Madunic. As DA stressed these information were confirmed by Merdzo, who also said that HDZ 1990 Caucus would become operative as of next week. |
| Chair of HDZ in Capljina denies they all have joined HDZ 1990
| Vecernji List pg 4 ‘Vidic: Leaders divided Capljina!’ by Z. Kresic – President of the HDZ Commission in Capljina Smiljan Vidic denied that whole HDZ Capljina and HDZ Councillors in Capljina have joined HDZ 1990. Vidic added that this is about a small group of people, ‘5 or 6 of them, who privatized the party and the authority’. |
| HDZ, SDA leaders Covic and Tihic to solve Mostar budget issue this week
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Covic and Tihic are solving budget for Mostar’, by Miroslav Vasilj – announces that leaders of HDZ and SDA, Dragan Covic and Sulejman Tihic respectively, will be meeting in Mostar sometime this week to overcome the crisis which came to be after the Mostar City Council failed to adopt the 2006 budget. VL reminds that the Bosniak councillors in the Mostar City Council are objecting against the financing of the ‘Hercegovacka TV’ (Croat TV outlet from Mostar) from the budget, whilst the Croat councillors are objecting, among other issues, against the so-called ‘Kuwaiti loans’ (former Bosniak municipalities took loans from Kuwait, which are to be paid back from joint Mostar budget). |
| Interview with F BiH Min. Heco: Government is protecting private, not state sector
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5, announced on cover ‘Government is protecting private, not state capital’ by R.Cengic – In a brief interview to daily, Vahid Heco, F BiH Minister of Industry and Energy, says that the F BiH is working illegally, while delegates are parliament are led by private, not common interests, and private capital is being protected better than state property. He claims that in line with F BiH Laws, it is not possible that F BiH Government annuls decision on electricity price increase, adding that lawsuit is the sole way for possible annulment of this decision. |
| RS PM Dodik announces: control of sale of state capitals to commence soon
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Control of sale of state capital to commence soon’ by D.Risojevic – Milorad Dodik, RS Premier, told daily that the Commission in charge of audit into privatisation process in RS will be formed in ten days time, after which it would start controlling sales of states capital. According to him, RS Government is engaged in intensive consultations with the appointment of members of the Commission, that will be tasked with investigation on privatisation of companies and banks. (As of 2000, the state capital at 670 firms and seven banks in RS were sold through various sorts of privatisation. The process itself was followed in many cases with number of complaints regarding possible irregularities.) |
| BiH Restitution Commission will prepare a definite draft Law on BiH restitution until 30 June and hand it to BiH CoM
| EuroBlic RSpg 1 ‘Everybody deserves to be returned what was taken away from them’ by Tijana Veselinovic – Mustafa Begic, President of the BiH Restitution Commission, told daily that the Commission will prepare a definite draft Law on BiH restitution until 30 June and hand it to BiH Council of Ministers, after which public debates across the state will start. Feasibility Study is being prepared by Sarajevo Faculty of Economics Begic expressed full understanding with interest citizens show on this issue, adding that “Everybody deserves to be returned what has gone under nationalisation process”. ( Feasibility Study should propose manner in which seized property should be returned to civilians, religious communities and others in the period from 1 January 1945 to 3 March 2005.) |
| VL: Only FBiH Supreme Court can overturn FERK’s decision on electricity price
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘Only Supreme Court can overturn FERK’s decision’, by Eldina Medunjanin – According to VL, discussions in the FBiH Parliament about the FERK’s (FBiH Regulatory Agency for Electricity) decision on increase of price of electricity were wasting of taxpayers’ money since the law says the FERK’s decisions cannot be overturned by the FBiH Parliament, instead only the FBiH Supreme Court can overturn them in administrative procedures. VL notices that no MP in the FBiH Parliament made any suggestions to change the Law on electricity that would in turn enable the FBiH authorities to influence FERK’s decisions in the future. |
| BiH Armed Forces’ Podzic: BiH has good soldiers, obsolete equipment
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Good soldiers and obsolete equipment’, by Mensud Zorlak – Chief of BiH Armed Forces Joint HQ. Lt-Gen. Sifet Podzic, stresses the BiH Armed Forces have good, well-trained soldiers, however the equipment they use is obsolete. He explains that the current equipment will not be changed in the next two years since the means for defence in the said period will be used mostly on transition of the Armed Forces. |
War crimes and security | |
| Prlic and others trial commences before ICTY
| BHT1 – The trial before the ICTY against six former political and military leaders of BiH Croats will start on Wednesday [April 26]. Jadranko Prlic, Bruno Stojic, Valentin Coric, Milivoj Petkovic, Slobodan Praljak and Berislav Pusic are indicted for war crimes committed against Bosniaks in so-called Croat Community of Herceg-Bosna in 1993 and 1994. All 6 of them have voluntarily surrendered to the ICTY on |
| VL: Herceg Bosna was not criminal entrepreneur, it saved Croats and Bosniaks from annihilation
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Herceg-Bosna’, by Miroslav Vasilj – comments on the start of trials to ‘Prlic and others’ in which the authors disagrees with several arguments from the indictment, such as that ‘Herceg-Bosna’ was ‘an organized criminal entrepreneur’. Vasilj admits that crimes did happen in the then ‘Herceg Bosna’, however he argues the crimes were not planned and systematic as was the case with ‘the Serb aggressor’, insisting that ‘Herceg Bosna’ saved the Croats and Bosniaks from complete annihilation. |
| NN reports EU may suspend further talks with BiH if ICTY Chief Prosecutor reiterated in her report to EC BiH is failing to cooperate with ICTY
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Possible suspension of talks with EU’ by M.Cubro – Daily learns from highly positioned official of European Commission that if the ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, reiterated in her Report to EC that BiH authorities are failing to cooperate with the ICTY, BiH would be faced with suspension of talks on |
| Weekend house of Teslic municipal chief mined: he accuses
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2, announced on cover ‘Weekend house of Municipal Chief mined’ by G.Maunaga – Unknown person threw a hand grenade on the weekend house in Pavlovici village near Banja Vrucica owned by Teslic Municipal Chief, Rade Pavlovic. Explosion caused material damage to the house. Pavlovic stated that he has lately been receiving threats undersigned by “Black arm”. He believes that Dusan Stojicic, former RS NA Speaker, and Dragutin Skrebic, RS NA delegate, from Teslic are responsible for this act. Pavlovic was elected at the latest elections as a joint candidate of SNSD, |
| DL: Authorities in BiH are doing nothing to prevent series of car bombs
| Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Mafia from the Balkans’, by Arijana Beus – commenting on the series of explosions in BiH is last few days, Beus notes it is no surprise anymore when we see on TV that a car has been blown up. Beus wonders what the authorities in BiH are doing to put an end to this, claiming that they are more pre-occupied with staying in power and getting better salaries and other benefits rather then taking on the organized crime in BiH. |
| BiH COM announces BiH Commission in charge of audit of decisions on naturalisation of citizens might this week start seizing illegally obtained BiH citizenships
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Seizure of citizenships this week’ by M.Cubro – The BiH COM has announced that the BiH Commission in charge of audit of decisions on naturalisation of citizens might this week start seizing illegally obtained BiH citizenships, adding: “The procedure of collecting necessary information on 61 cases is completed. The next session of Commission would decide on future status of these persons, and its is certain some citizenships would be seized. A legally stipulated procedure follows after this, and it is impossible to exclude the possibility of deportation.” Vjekoslav Vukovic, Assistant to BiH Security Minister and Commission President refused to talk about this issue. (Audit should cover citizenships allocated in the period from 6 April 1992 untill 1 January 2006.) |