| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1(19,00 hrs) | FED TV(19,30 hrs) | RT RS(19,30) |
| Murders in Kostajnica | Attack in Kostajnica | Killings near Konjic | Three Croats killed |
| FBiH MoI – 7 suspects | FBiH MoI on Kostajnica | Xmas marked in BiH | Party splits |
| The murders condemned | Celebration of Xmas | World Xmas message | Top RS officials with media |
| Helicopter crash | Hussein warns Washington | December pensions |
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| Oslobodjenje | Father and two daughters brutally killed; Affair in judiciary – judges above the law; Xmas in Sarajevo; After a helicopter crash near Travnik – fog caused the fall |
| Dnevni Avaz | BiH in shock over the horrible crime; No evidence against 28 Bosniaks; Former FOSS members will block Sarajevo?; |
| Glas Srpski | RS Bar Association – no money, no lawyers; Srpski/Bosanski Brod – arms used against tax inspectors |
| Nezavisne Novine | Masked assailant murders three members of Andjelic family – bloody Xmas Eve in Kostajnica near Konjic; Health workers Trade Union Chief says thousands of workers will protest today in Banja Luka |
| FRY Nacional | Nine Police’s officers in the Hague soon |
| Blic | Mayor of Glamoc beaten up; Ivanic: PDP in Council of Ministers because of SDS |
Police Affairs |
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| Kostajnica murders
| Avaz pg. 1 and 2, Oslobodjenje pg. 1 and 7, BHTV, HAYAT TV, RTRS, Federation TV, ATV, NTV, TV OBN, Nezavisne Novine pg. 1 and 2, Blic pg. 2 ‘Father and two daughters killed’ – three people (Adjelko Andjelic and his daughters Mara and Zorica Andjelic) were killed on the Christmas Eve (around 22.00 hours) in the village of Kostajnica near Buturovic Polje. Andjelko’s son Marinko suffered serious injuries and has been stabilised in the Konjic hospital. After the brutal crime, the murdered ran away in an unknown direction. At the time of the crime, seven people were in the house. Andjelko’s wife Ruza managed to jump out of the window and called for help. His third daughter Mira and his granddaughter Ivanka Stojanovic, hid under a table in the house during the crime. The Federation Minister of Interior, Ramo Maslesa, stated they were looking for seven men. “They are known to police from their previous crimes. We can still not speak of the crime motives.” All electronic media carried Maslesa’s statement on the last night’s main bulletin. The RSRT reported Maslesa as saying that the seven men they were looking for were different nationalities and that Kostajnica had so far been very peaceful area without any incidents. He therefore said that they doubted the case had ethnic motives. The Federation Ministry formed a special operation group that was sent to join the investigation in Kostajnica. According to the BHTV the following police institutions are working on the case – the Konjic police, Federation MoI, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton MoI (HNK) and Sarajevo Canton police. According to the latest reports, the Sarajevo police and the FBiH MoI are keeping two men in detention. Both are Bosniaks who had on them army uniforms and weapons (the killer wore an army uniform and committed murders with a semi-automatic gun). The Konjic municipal council held an emergency session following the murders. The Konjic police chief briefed the Council, and they stated they were shocked with the crime. Goran Bilic, the HNK Minister of Interior, stated they detained two persons, and that there were indication that one of the two would be significant in solving the case. | |
| Reactions to the murders | HR Ashdown (BHTV, Fed TV, Avaz) condemned the crime last night. “The killing of the three members of Andjelic family is truly shocking. I condemn it unreservedly and extend my sympathies to the family and friends of the victims.” The SDA condemned the murders (Sarajevo dailies) and requested from the HNK and FBiH investigation bodies maximum engagement in the case in order to catch the murderer and shed light on the reasons behind the crime. The SDP BiH (Sarajevo dailies, FENA) also condemned the crime and requested an urgent and effective investigation about the murder. FBiH President Safet Halilovic (condemned today the killing. “The news of this crime is even more shocking because it comes at the time of Christmas,” Halilovic stated. He requested relevant law enforcement structures to find those responsible for this crime and to bring them to justice. “We express are deepest condolences to the families of victims and we share their grief, which can be reduced only by adequate sanctions against the perpetrators of this crime”, was stated by Halilovic’s Cabinet. HNK Deputy Governor Sefkija Dziho issued a statement condemned the attack. “The malice of this act of terror is especially demonstrated through its execution. And it took place at the time of Christmas, the holiday which symbolizes joy and peace. | |
| Commentary in Oslobodjenje | ‘In the spotlight’ column in Oslobodjenje on pg. 2 written today by Edin Krehic and entitled ‘The suburbs of hell’. “The tragedy of a single family clearly showed where this state is – at the suburbs of hell. The door of which started to burn on bloody Bairam in 1992 and the fire has never been put out. The firemen of the IC have localised the elements, but the spark always flares up. Like an attack on a newly built mosque, the killing for Xmas, the shooting on returnees.” The writer goes on points out that there are many of those who want to leave this country, and therefore it is not surprising, but defeating, to read about surveys which show that 70% of young people want to leave BiH. “They do not care about party fights for posts, or the washed out stories about steps leading BiH to Europe. They will do it faster on heir own.” | |
| 19 policemen | Avaz on Wednesday pg. 8 ‘Requests for reviewing decision sent to several addresses’ – the follow-up on the case of 19 Sarajevo police officers who have not been certified despite the realising sentence on the ‘Zujevina’ trial. One of the policemen’s lawyers, Asim Kadribasic, stated they would complain to the UN SC about the work of UNMIBH officials. He added that hey would especially complain about the work of the IPTF Commissioner Frederiksen, but also on HR Ashdown because he thinks that he should not interfere with Commissioner’s decision even though he had an obligation to do so by the DPA. Kadribasic’s colleague, Senka Nozica, said that in the next two days they would officially sent a request to HR to review the decision of the IPTF Commissioner. The daily also reported that the Sarajevo Canton allocated 100,000-KM for helping Sarajevo policemen. | |
| Commentary in Oslobodjenje | Today’s Oslobodjenje carried a comment on the above issue of 19 Sarajevo policemen by Senad Mesetovic. On pg. 2 entitled ‘Charity for special police officers’, the journalist claims that the IPTF Commissioner sealed the destiny of 19 policemen and left families without incomes. He calculated that the money allocated to policemen by the Sarajevo Canton (100,000-KM) when divided between 19 policemen comes to 5,000-KM each. He asks what would they do once the money or rather the charity as he refers to it, was spent. “Sad is the country of BiH when the court verdicts are not respected. If an IC member simply decides to make a decision then that’s a done deal. The case of 19 policemen best illustrates that our politicians and authority reps are in the hands of powerful internationals in BiH. Decisions and assessments of the IC reps can be wrong, but have to be implemented.” | |
| Glamoc Mayor beaten | Blic pg. 7, SRNA – “Glamoc Mayor Rade Gvero, councillor Velimir Ivic and employee in the Municipality Djuro Kopanja were seriously injured on Sunday when attacked by Croat extremists,” reads a statement issued by the Mayor’s Office. Gvero said that they were attacked at a restaurant by 10 Croats who claimed that he did not allow the town to be decorated for Xmas. Gvero said that the attack was directed against the return of Serbs in the area. Spokesperson of IPTF Alun Roberts told SRNA that the UN Mission expected the Livno Canton Ministry of Interior would conduct an investigation on the incident. | |
| Decertifying in Livno Canton | ONASA – the trade union of the Livno Canton Ministry of Interior workers has hired two lawyers in order to protect the rights of de-certified police officers. The IPTF has decertified 120 policemen from this Canton – 51 due to violations of the police code and 69 policemen’s temporary certificates were not extended. A team of lawyers said that there were indications that the IPTF violated Annex 11 of the Dayton Agreement and the BiH Constitution during the procedure of certification, adding that the policemen were unjustly deprived of certificates. The trade union said that more policemen were laid off in this canton than in all other cantons together. | |
Political Affairs |
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| Law on Citizenship
| Avaz pg. 4 ‘Officially requested from Ashdown to proclaim the Law on Citizenship’, Oslobodjenje pg. 3 ‘Prevent implementation of the Law on Citizenship’ – the BiH HoR Chairman, Sefik Dzaferovic, yesterday stated they he wrote to HR Ashdown informing him that the Parliament adopted the Law on Amendments to the BiH Citizenship Law. He also asked HR Ashdown in the letter to proclaim the Law so that a large number of BiH would not face problem on January 1 next year. Oslobodjenje article carried an appeal by the US lawyer Francis Doyle addressed to HR Ashdown regarding the law. He said the HR had to intervene immediately in order to prevent the implementation of this discriminating Law. He further reminds HR to the stipulations of the Universal UN Declaration on Human Rights from 1948 where in paragraph 15 it is clearly outlined that no one can arbitrate in taking away someone’s nationality. On Wednesday, Avaz on pg. 2 ‘Ashdown ready to proclaim the Changes to the Citizenship Law – a statement by OHR Spokesperson Kevin Sullivan. He said the HR would make the decision on imposing the Law once he received a request by the HoR. | |
| Brankovic for RS Vice-President | Avaz pg. 4 ‘Omer Brankovic for the RS Vice-President’ – Omer Brankovic, a representative in the RS NA, is one of the candidates for the Refugee Ministry in the RS. In case his candidacy won the support of the SDA, he would also perform duty of the RS Vice-President. | |
| PDP session | ONASA, Nezavisne Novine pg. 6, Nacional pg. 11 ‘PDP proposes Ivanic for chief of diplomacy’- the PDP Main Board on Tuesday endorsed the candidacy of its leader Mladen Ivanic for BiH foreign minister, the party said in a press release. “The Main Board has requested strong presence of the PDP in the RS government and the BiH Council of Ministers, given the huge responsibility this party has assumed upon itself,” said the press release issued after the Main Board meeting in Banja Luka. The party also underlined that it was necessary to secure a Serb parliamentary majority for the new RS government, although it was possible that some representatives of other peoples might show support for the new government as well. Blic pg. 7 ‘In CoM because of RS’ – a statement by Mladen Ivanic that it was significant that the post of BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs was given to Serbs. He explained it by saying that with the post the RS could be defended and the position of the RS could be preserved through the BiH institutions. Ivanic said that posts of deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, deputy Minister of Security and deputy Minister of Refugees in the CoM belonged to Serbs. | |
| Problems in SRS | Blic pg. 2, Nacional pg. 11 – “The only legitimate president of the SRS is Radislav Kanjeric, and it will stay that way as long as the Banja Luka County Court does not annul the decision,” General-Secretary of the SRS Ognjen Tadic told a press conference. He said that the SRS leadership had filled a complaint with the County Court against the Basic Court’s decision. The Banja Luka Basic Court confirmed on Tuesday the legality of the SRS newly elected leadership lead by Milanko Mihajlica. Tadic said that the High Judicial Commission and High Judicial Council were informed about the SRS case and that he expected that they ‘ would closely monitor the work of judicial bodies’. | |
| Radivojevic new FBiH Labour Minister? | Glas Srpski pg. 2 ‘Desnica Radivojevic Labout Minister?’, Nezavisne Novine pg. 7 ‘Radivojevic ready for a post’, Avaz pg. 1 and 4 – the SDA will nominate Desnica Radivojevic for the post of the Federation Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. The papers quote Tihic as saying that according to the HDZ-SDA agreement, the SDA is nominating a candidate for the labour minister and the nominee has to be Serb nationality. Tihic also said that Radivojevic was the SDA’s most serious candidate for the post. | |
| New FBiH and BiH government | With regards to the appointment of candidates to different posts in the executive authority at both Federation and State level, Oslobodjenje (Wednesday, December 25, pg. 1 and 7) reported that most parties had more or less nominated their candidates and that, in that perspective, HDZ was keeping quiet. Oslobodjenje learns from sources close to the HDZ BiH that a reason behind the silence is a disagreement between Dragan Covic, member of the BiH Presidency, and Barisa Colak, Acting President of the HDZ BiH – both of them allegedly pushing for their people to assume ministerial posts. In this context, Colak’s candidates are allegedly Ivan Bacak, Rade Bosnjak, Ivo Andric Luzanski, Velimir Jukic, Nevenko Herceg and Vinko Zoric whilst Covic’s candidates are Davor Cordas, Dragan Vrankic and Dubravko Horvat. According to Oslobodjenje, the speculations are that Niko Lozancic, an MP in the BiH Parliament’s HoR and HDZ Vice President, will be offered the office of the Federation President, and that brigadier Miroslav Nikolic will most likely become the Federation Defense Minister. Furthermore, the daily says that connoisseurs claim that Barisa Colak, despite being Deputy Speaker of the BiH HoR, is interested in becoming BiH Minister of Security. On the same issue, Dnevni Avaz on Wednesday carries on page 4, a statement by senior HDZ official, Martin Raguz, as saying that the HDZ will not provide a final list of its candidates for ministerial posts before Thursday, December 26. The same report carries a statement by President of the HNZ, an HDZ coalition partner, Milenko Brkic, as saying that it would be good if the HNZ nominated a candidate for the Speaker of the Federation Parliament’s House of Peoples. | |
| Fiuljanin case | Avaz pg. 4 ‘FBiH MoI still has not completed an investigation against Fiuljanin’ – up-date on the Fiuljanin case. The Federation MoI still working on the investigation. Currently expecting results on documents that were in the meantime requested from the authorised RS and FRY bodies, and are necessary in completing the case. | |
Judiciary Affairs |
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| Three judges refuse to resign
| Oslobodjenje pg. 4 and 5 ‘Judges accused of misconduct at trials’ – the Disciplinary Commission of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) will conduct hearings and possibly witnesses and make a final verdict in the cases of the following judges – Nedjo Draskovic, Stanojevic Svetislav and Tadica Katica. The three named judges, unlike 12 of his colleagues and prosecutors, refused to resign after they were temporarily removed from their posts due to alleged duty violations and disciplinary offences. Sanela Tunovic, Spokesperson for the HJPC, stated that the Disciplinary Prosecutor is responsible for reviewing complaints of misconduct lodged against judges and prosecutors. “If the judge or prosecutor is temporarily suspended from office he/she has a period of six months from the date of the suspension to initiate disciplinary proceedings by filing a Disciplinary Indictment, if warranted.” | |
| Insufficient evidence against 28 Bosniaks | Avaz pg. 3 ‘Insufficient evidence against 28 Bosniaks’ – the Federation Justice Ministry beginning of this week received a response from The Hague regarding the cases of war crimes involving over 200 names of Serbs and Croats. In most of the cases, The Hague green-lighted the processing of the cases, but some were assessed as category ‘B’ 9meaning insufficient evidence’ and category ‘C’, which is a request for further evidence. The Ministry also received a response from The Hague regarding alleged crimes committed by Bosniaks (28 names). They were marked as category ‘B’. | |
| EC assists IJC and HJPC | ONASA – the EC has signed a contract for 3.5 million Euro (6.8 million KM) to assist the Independent Judicial Commission (IJC) and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Councils (HJPC’s). A statement issued by the EC reads that the donation represents the continuing support of the EU to the establishment of the rule of law, fight against organized crime and more specifically the establishment of an impartial and efficient prosecution and judiciary throughout BiH. The rule of law is an essential component of any functioning society and it affects all other aspects of people’s everyday lives, from personal protection, human rights to the functioning of the economy and government. The establishment of the rule of law is one of the main priorities in the ‘Jobs and Justice’ agenda agreed by the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Community. | |
Military Affairs |
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| SCMM SG Pocrnja
| Avaz pg. 4 ‘Soon there will be reduction of the entity armies’ – Stjepan Pocrnja, the SG of the SCMM, stated he was an optimist regarding BiH entering the ‘Partnership for Peace’ program. He announced that the entity armies would soon have to conduct reductions. The Federation Army instead of the current 13,00 will be reduced down to 7,000 soldiers, and the RS Army will go from the current 6,600 down to 3,500 soldiers. He also stated that the Committee has 840,000-KM for the following year, which was not enough for any serious activities. | |
| Special regime for import and export of weapons | Avaz pg. 9 ‘Special purpose industry in FBiH threatened by collapse?’ – a statement by Ismet Bajramovic, President of BiH metal workers Union. He said that due to inability to obtain permits for the export of weapons, the special purpose industry in FBiH, which employs 3,000 workers, is threatened by a total collapse. Minister Azra Hadziahmetovic stated that there was a time factor because all papers for export and import first have to be checked by SFOR. She added that once the Law on Export and Import of Weapons was enforced, the whole process should be sped up. | |
Economic Affairs |
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| Joint customs
| Glas Srpski pg. 4 – the view of the RS Customs Administration regarding joint customs very clear – the formation of joint customs is so far unrealistic. The daily quoted the Chief of the RS Administration, Djuro Bulic, as saying that the reasons given by certain IC officials for the establishment of joint customs were not good enough. He further stated that the way in which the new customs administration should be organised was neither safe nor efficient in preventing customs frauds. According to Bulic, the consistent application of laws that regulate the matter in both entities was more than enough for both customs administrations to work properly. He stated that customs legislation was harmonised with the EU standards, and that the IC reps were involved in drafting the laws. “That is why we think the issue of joint customs administration is a political rather than legal issue. We have all the customs-related legislation.” | |
| Arms used against tax inspectors | Glas Srpski pg. 1 – owner of the ‘Kusljic’ company from Bosnski/Srpski Brod, Milovan Kusljic, yesterday tried to stop RS Tax Administration inspectors to sequestrate his 5 million-KM worth property, the amount he owes tot he RS Administration. The paper states that the sequestration started last month when the RS Tax Administration confiscated 12 tank trucks from the company, but soon drivers employed with the ‘Kusljic’ company disappeared along with the tanks truck keys. The daily quoted the RS Administration Chief, Milica Bisic, as saying that since the RS MoI could not find the keys the Administration could not let the oil be exposed any longer and that was why they started unloading the oil. He said that Administration employees, who were carrying out the operation, were surrounded by 20 people who threatened them. “I do not know if all of them had weapons, but I know that Kusljic had a shotgun, a hand grenade and a pistol. He threatened Administration employees,” said Bisic. | |
International Community/OHR |
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| OHR/Ivanic on VAT | Nacional pg. 11 ‘Joint revenues will be a source of new disagreements’ – that BiH is facing a big job – the economic reforms, i. e. the introduction of VAT. Although it is still uncertain which model of VAT is going to be introduced, it is sure that the introduction will be completed by 2004. The key question is whether the VAT is the entity or BiH revenue and who will control the collection of VAT. President of the RS government Mladen Ivanic said that VAT did not have an alternative if BiH wanted to join the European economic developments. He emphasised that the only thing that the RS did not agree with the IC representatives was the IC’s request that the revenues were collected on BiH level and then divided among the entities. According to Ivanic, that would have catastrophic consequences on political and economic stability in BiH. On the other side, OHR says there are several options, as to which model of VAT will be introduced in BiH, and that experts need to agree about that. “What is quite clear is that there will be a single VAT on BiH level,” Kevin Sullivan, OHR Spokesperson, said. “With the introduction of VAT there will be more money for citizens and the entity authorities, and that would hardly be considered as further centralisation of BiH,” Sullivan said. He said that citizens were generally misinformed about the introduction of VAT and customs on BiH level. “We are speaking about a modern system that every European country has. These countries are divided on regions and have regional administrations and parliaments, but they have a unique VAT,” Sullivan said. | |
| SFOR helicopter crashes | Avaz pg. 8 ‘A team from Slovakia investigating what caused helicopter crash’, Oslobodjenje pg. 6 ‘The fog caused the accident’, ONASA, Blic pg. 7 – SFOR troops in BiH on Wednesday launched an investigation into the helicopter crash in Travnik. On Tuesday at approximately 14.45 hrs, a Slovakian MI 17, assigned to SFOR, crashed near Travnik. There were three Slovakian crewmembers on board. All crewmembers survived the crash. The road from the Sipovik village towards Miskica Brdo near the crash site is blocked. Partial access to the site is allowed only to the workers of Travnik’s ‘Elektrodistribucija’ power company who are repairing the transmission line broken in the accident. A doctor at the Sarajevo Kosevo University Hospital Zoran Hadziahmetovic told ONASA that one of three injured Slovakian SFOR soldiers had undergone a surgery and he was presently at the intensive care unit C-3. Hadziahmetovic said he suffered spine injury and had to be operated. The other injured soldiers, who was also taken to the Kosevo Hospital, was transported to SFOR’s German military hospital at Rajlovac after receiving the medical treatment. According to SFOR, the medical condition of the crewmembers continues to be assessed. One of the crewmembers remains at the Travnik hospital while the other two crewmembers who suffered more serious injuries were transported to Sarajevo area medical facilities. One crewmember is presently being treated at SFOR’s German military hospital in Rajlovac, while the other crewmember is at the Sarajevo Kosevo University Hospital. | |
| OHR on health services integration | FENA – OHR welcomed today activities of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK) government regarding the implementation of the plan for integrating the health insurance systems in this Canton. OHR spokesperson Kevin Sullivan said at a press conference in Sarajevo today that the integration of health insurance systems would prevent discrimination against citizens and raise the level of health services in this Canton. The cantonal Government appointed yesterday nine-member Steering Board of the HNK Health Insurance Fund. This means they officially accepted the commitment to ensure the equal access to medical services for all users of health insurance in the Canton. “We expect HNK authorities to fully implement the integration plan recently presented by Principle Deputy High Representative Donald Hays,” Sullivan said. | |
Humanitarian Affairs |
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| Potocari memorial | Avaz pg. 9 ‘The construction of memorial centre without delay’ – despite the bad weather conditions the works on the Potocari memorial continue. Sadik Ahmetovic, Vice-President of the Srebrenica Assembly, stated that most credit goes to HR Ashdown who separated the construction of the memorial from the politics and placed it in the humanitarian context, as it should be. | |