Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 27 December
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| Church in Glamoc gets 3 new bells | RS Govt. on financing |
| Hunt for Mladic | Strategic partner for B.B. Refinery |
| Introduction of VAT in BiH | Israeli attacks in |
TV news broadcast on 26 December
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Catholics celebrate St. Steven’s Day | Yellow Wasps trial, update | RS Gov’t on RS Audit Report |
| Mladic is negotiating his surrender? | Nicovic on Mladic | Reactions on financing ICTY indict. |
| Airplane accident in Mostar | Hurtic on VAT | Trial to “Yellow Wasps” continued |
| Osmanovic on RS Government | RS Market Inspection on VAT | Reactions on trial to “Yellow Wasps” |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Prices of gas to go up | World News | RS Government session |
| Price of bread in Mostar increased | World News | |
| RS Government in session | World News | Mihajlica on RS budget, Government |
| Issue of decertified police officers | BIH Doctors return from | RS Veteran’s Organization on budget |
| Oslobodjenje | Increases of prices are already getting out of control [on VAT] |
| Dnevni Avaz | [Halilovic] Citizens do not know what is negotiated about |
| Dnevni List | Only the ambulance driver came to pick up injured young man (traffic accident in Mostar) |
| Vecernji List | 2,5 million SMS Christmas messages (X-mass in BiH) |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | More than 30 million SMS messages (X-mass in |
| Nezavisne Novine | Kazani case is not under investigation |
| Glas Srpske | Rattel taking make-up examination |
| EuroBlic | Only bread, water and promises at holiday dine |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related cover splash |
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| LATEST NEWS OF TODAY |
| Cenic: RS Govt. will not resign
| RTRS – Svetlana Cenic, RS Finance Minister, has today stated that if RS MP’s failed to support the budget for 2006 at tomorrow’s session of RS NA, the RS Government has already prepared a document on temporary financing. In a statement given to RTRS, she said RS Government has no intention of filing resignation since it has done its work well. She also said that whenever TV cameras were off, MP’s commented on proposed budget, saying there has never been a better budget prepared and such proposal should be adopted. However, other statements appear in the media on the eve of the RS NA session, according to her. |
| Minister Perkovic calls on measures to alleviate impact of VAT upon agrarian production
| RTRS – Goran Perkovic, RS Minister of Waters and Forestry, has stated that: “VAT application will have a negative impact upon conditions for agrarian production. Owing to this reason, this area should be well organized in order to alleviate consequences of the VAT introduction.” |
| Dokic on Vc corridor | |
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| Economic issues: VAT, budgets, others |
| RS Govt in session: Directors of Gacko mine, Elektroprivreda Finance Dept and 13 forest units to be removed
| RTRS, FTV, Hayat, BHT1, PINK, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Government launched dismissal of directors in RS Elektroprivreda and Srpske Sume’, Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Urgent removal of directors demanded’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4, announced on cover ‘Removals of Tesic and Culic demanded’ by D.Risojevic, EuroBlic RSpg 2 ’13 Directors removed, two more waiting for dismissal’ by T.V., Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Removals of Culic and Tesic’ by G.Dakic, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ’14 directors at “RS Forest” removed’, EuroBlic RSpg 2 ’13 Directors removed, two more waiting for dismissal’ by T.V. – After discussing the audit report on dealings in RS Elektroprivreda (EP), Government ordered EP Supervisory Board to remove the director of Gacko mine and thermal power plant Dragomir Culic and RS EP’ Finance Director Arsen Tesic. According to RS Minister of Economy, Energy and Development Miladin Gligoric, Culic and Tesic will not be able to assume any managerial position until the investigation related to charges against them completes. RS Govt also discussed the situation in public company ‘Srpske Sume’. This company implemented the majority of Government’s conclusions related to audit report, stated Director |
| Media analyze VAT introduction: Oslobodjenje warns of bad consequences; RTRS warns on companies already increasing prices
| Oslobodjenje, front pg splash and pgs 4-5 ‘Increases of prices are already getting out of control’, by Marina Kavaz-Sirucic – The article in general is warning of possible bad consequences of the introduction of VAT, carrying statements of Mediha Bakalovic (Association of consumers of Tuzla) and Edhem Biber (leader of BiH Unions), who are worried that the VAT will cause increase of prices of basic groceries in particular. Biber reminds that the Unions have recommended to the BiH CoM and BiH Parliament to use experiences of other countries, which started with single VAT rate, after which they realized they had been wrong. RTRSby Nada Arlov – RTRS says that even before the VAT introduction citizens have already felt some consequences, as some companies increased the service costs in order to take a better position on the eve of VAT introduction. In order to prevent the uncontrolled increase of prices, RS Government formed the team for monitoring the prices after the VAT introduction; those who try to gain some extra profit would be penalized. PINK by Ljubisa Davidovic – Despite increases of prices to follow the VAT, the growth in prices cannot be immense and citizens have no reason to be worried, the RS Market Inspection claims. RTRS ‘Pecat’ magazine by Bojan Kecman – Also dedicates the feature to VAT discussing whether or not the prices would be significantly increased, however doesn’t bring any conclusion. |
| FTV ’60 minuta’: Terzic, Lagumdzija clash over VAT consequences
| FTV ’60 minuta’ current affairs programme by Bakir Hadziomerovic – Programme entirely dedicated to the VAT introduction in BiH discussed both economic and political aspects of the taxation reform in the country. The BiH CoM Chair, Adnan Terzic, stressed: “Our determination to go move forward with the VAT introduction is our response to businessmen, as we promised, and… we have obligation to create business environment in BiH, one which would enable BiH to live on its economy.” Terzic added the VAT has become the political issue, where it is very profitable to attack the one rated VAT and stir talks about upcoming alleged chaos. “I am convinced that there will be no chaos, I am convinced that some disturbances will occur, that some prices will increase, but some will also reduce, so… in few months we will be in situation to say: Thanks God we have VAT,” Terzic concluded. |
| FBiH Govt to appoint VAT monitoring team
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘All members proposed, confirmation at the FBiH Government’s session on Thursday’ – Members of the FBiH expert team tasked to monitor the prices of the basic goods following the VAT introduction have been proposed on Monday, confirmed the advisor to the FBiH Trade Minister, Ibrahim Tirak. About 15 team members will be approved by the Government at the session on Thursday. |
| Hurtic: VAT to be introduced even if entities fail to adopt budgets
| PINKby Zeljko Mandic – Advisor to BiH Council of Ministers Chair, Zlatko Hurtic said on Monday that VAT was going to be introduced even if entities do not adopt budgets. Hurtic believes that entities are going to adopt budgets and that there will be no greater increase in prices. Hurtic says that profit of tradesmen are to be monitored in order to prevent citizens from becoming victims of profiteers. He hopes that entity Parliaments will respect the agreement and introduce social programs along with VAT. Hurtic added that BiH CoM, together with BiH Indirect Taxation Administration Managing Board, was trying to make publishing free of the VAT. |
| DL: BiH CoM got consent from ITA SB to exempt press from VAT, Spiric refuses to convene session of BiH HoR
| Dnevni List, pg 3, mentioned on front ‘Press exempt from VAT’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic – According to DL, the BiH Council of Ministers got the consent from the Steering Board of Indirect Tax Authority (ITA SB) to exempt books, brochures, magazines, publications and newspapers from VAT. According to an ITA SB member, Haris Basic, during the last session of the ITA SB, it was him, Joly Dixon and minister Ljerka Maric, who supported the BiH CoM’s proposal, whilst Miodrag Kudic abstained from voting and Sefika Hafizovic voted against the proposal. Basic explains that the entity Finance Ministers, Dragan Vrankic and Svetlana Cenic, gave positive opinions too, therefore the issue can go to the (BiH) Parliament. However, according to DL’s source, the Speaker of the BiH House of Representatives, Nikola Spiric, is refusing to convene a session of the BiH HoR by the end of the year because of his position made earlier since he (Spiric) would rather exempt bread, milk and medicines from VAT. |
| Distribution of VAT in first quarter of 2006 to base of rates from 2005
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘First three months, distribution will ground on rate from 2005’ by R.Cengic – The BiH Ministry of Finance and BiH ITA Monday confirmed that the money collected through VAT on single account in first three months of 2006 will be divided amongst beneficiaries on the basis of percent from 2005, until new percentage system is put in place. However, Dragan Vrankic, F BiH Finance Minister and member of ITA Administration says that percentage could not have been defined “since no tax has been recorded”. |
| DL: FBiH Pension Fund worried with introduction of VAT
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘New burdens will lead to decrease of pensions’, mentioned on front ‘Into new year with decreased pensions’, by Danka Polovina-Mandic – DL carries the Deputy Director of the FBiH MIO/ |
| Analysis in DL warns of ‘psychological inflation’ among BiH citizens that could be triggered by VAT
| Dnevni List, pg 23 ‘VAT-triggered psychological inflation is possible in BiH’, by Zeljko Marijanovic – carries an analysis of public opinion (NB: DL does not say who did the analysis, it is highly unlikely DL did it, it looks as though it was done by the UNDP) related to the introduction of the VAT in BiH according to which more than 80% of people expect the prices to go up after the introduction of the VAT. The analysis warns of possibility of ‘psychological inflation’ among the citizenry, which generally shows the mood of the citizens, and the analysis recommends that the general public in BiH, including the business sector in BiH, should be made aware about all segments of the introduction of the VAT. |
| DA op-ed warns authorities must strike back against irregular price increases
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Increase of bread prices in Mostar’ op-ed by Faruk Vele – Reporting of the increase of bread by Mostar-based ‘Zitoprerada’ company, DA editorial says that this case shows that a fear of irregular price increases following the VAT introduction are justifiable. While the company has said that the reason was the increase of price of oil, author argues that there is no doubt that VAT was the reason and strongly urges authorities to deal with such practice: “fishing in trouble waters must not be a foundation for lobby which would profit from reforms that should bring well-being for all of us.“ |
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| RTRS, BHT1, Dnevni Avaz pg 12 ‘Call to all parties to endorse proposed budget’, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘ |
| GS on RS Govt. status: the sole evident issue is that the destiny of the budget is uncertain
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘To destroy in an easy way, to elect the hard way’ by Z.Markovic – Reminding of previous statements of political officials regarding status of RS Government, GS notes that the sole evident issue now on the eve of the RS NA session is that the destiny of the budget is uncertain, noting the chances for seeing MP’s adopt it are more of theoretic than realistic nature. |
| FBiH budget expected to be harmonized on Wednesday
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Budget for 2006 should be increased for 15 million KM’ by Az. D. – Joint Commission for harmonization of the laws adopted in different texts at the level of the FBiH Parliament will hold session on Wednesday to harmonize the FBIH budget for 206. The FBiH House of Representatives adopted the 27 amendments to the budget, which were rejected by the House of Peoples who on the other hand adopted its own |
| RS Pension Fund warned the funds collected so far would not be enough to pay the December pension
| BHT1, FTV, RTRS, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Too little means for payment of pensions’, not signed, EuroBlic cover pg splash, RSpg 3 ‘Only bread, water and promises at holiday dine’ by |
| RS Trade Union urges urgent solution to B. Brod Refinery | RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘It is urgent to launch production in Bosanski Brod Refinery’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘They demand urgent assessment of bids for Refinery’ by R.S., Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Solutions or new strikes’ by M.M.-B.T. – The RS Trade Union of the energy security urged the RS Government to urgently launch the negotiations, and form an expert team that would offer the concrete solutions for the Oil Refinery Bosanski Brod and its workers. Syndicate also demands that the list of debtors to oil refinery is published and to be informed about the fate of the contract with British ‘Vitol’ company. |
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| War crimes |
| ‘Yellow wasps’ trial in
| RTRS, PINK, BHT1, Hayat, FTV, Glas Srpske pg 11 ‘I have nothing to do with crime’ by |
| Serbian officials, media on Mladic whereabouts: negotiating surrender?; EuroBlic claims hunt after Mladic getting accelerated; ‘Kurir’:
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| General Weber: NATO does not know where are Karadzic and Mladic hiding
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘NATO does not know where are Karadzic and Mladic hiding’ – Commander of NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo US general Louis Weber said in a statement for the daily that NATO did not have any information on whereabouts of the most wanted ICTY indictees Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. “If we get such an information we will react. But I repeat, the responsibility for their arrest still primarily lies with domestic and regional authorities,” said Weber. |
| Osmanovic: Government’s decision to finance ICTY indictees in detention scandalous; PoWs also criticize decision
| BHT1, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Scandalous decision of Pero’s Government’, pg 9 ‘Torture in the war, no concern in peace’, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Status of PoWs to be solved through the state law’, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Solve status of inmates in single way’, not signed, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Solve status of former inmates in BiH’, by ra – Representatives of the BiH Association of detention camp victims informed on Monday the RS Vice-president, Adil Osmanovic, on the necessity of issuing a state-level law on detention camp victims for the purpose of resolving the status of all former detainees in an identical manner. President of the Association Murat Tahirovic said he expects the legal status of former detainees to be regulated in the next year. Osmanovic also stated he regarded as scandalous the RS Government’s decision to provide material assistance for persons from RS that are in ICTY detention, regardless whether they surrendered voluntarily or were apprehended. “This is truly scandalous and I could not have expected anything better from the Government of Pero Bukejlovic”, said Osmanovic. – RS Govt’s decision was also opposed by Tahirovic, deputy chair of RS POWs Association, Slavko Jovicic, Head of RS Helsinki Board Branko Todorovic and Hasecic Bakira, Head of “Women – war victims” association. |
| NN says that senior officers of R BiH Army were not processed over crimes committed in Sarajevo
| Nezavisne Novine cover pg splash, pg 3 ‘Kazani case is not under investigation’ by M.Cubro – Daily learns from the BiH Prosecutor’s Office (PO) and Sarajevo Cantonal PO have not processed neither have they been engaged in investigations against any senior officer of the R BiH Army over crimes committed against Serbs at the locality of Kazani near Sarajevo. All those charged and found guilty for murders at Kazani were members of the 10th Hill Brigade under command of Musan Topalovic. |
| VL: ICTY investigators seeking new information of ‘Prlic and others’ and Delic cases | Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘Looking for witnesses for indictments against Prlic and Delic’, by Zoran Kresic – VL notes that investigators from the ICTY completed interviews with several former senior officials of Croat Republic of Herceg-Bosna just before X-mass. VL claims to know identities of the interviewees, saying that the investigators were looking for additional information related to indictments against ‘Prlic and others’ and Rasim Delic. |
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| Judicial issues |
| BiH Court confirms it returned indictment against Sarovic, others to prosecution; Detention against Sarovic and others expires tomorrow
| FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Indictment without witnesses, experts and indictees’ by A.O. – BiH Court has returned to the Prosecutor Jonathan Ratel the indictment against Mirko Sarovic, Milorad Govedarica and Milovan Bjelica in case of Privredna Bank East Sarajevo stating the Prosecution has failed to submit the statements by the witnesses, experts or even of the indictees. Bjelica’s lawyer, Ekrem Galijatovic, claims the indictment has not been properly written. Daily learns that the |
| Attorneys against Sarovic, others indictment
| Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘Rattel taking make-up examination’ by Z.D. – Daily carries statements of Dragisa Jokic, Mirko Sarovic’ attorney, and attorneys Rajko Bojat and Marko Arsovic, sharing the view that the indictment against Sarovic and others, viewed as incomplete by Judge Susan Meller, introduces the practice of first arresting somebody and then searching for evidence for indictment. They agree such practice has only been seen at the ICTY. Glas Srpske cover pg inset ‘Rigged process’ – carries statement of Dusko Tomic, attorney of Mandic, saying that Court has no courage to reject indictment, which holds no information on time and place of the crime act. |
| Decertified police officers to file charges against Terzic
| BHT1 by Mirela Cosic – Reporter stated that although the Sarajevo District Court issued a decision stating that IPTF’s decision had no legal basis, the officers who were decertified by the UN International Police Task Force are still without the work. Attorney of decertified police officers, Asim Kadribasic, condemned the situation adding that even international regulations were violated by this behaviour. “We are going to organize hunger strake in order to point out the injustice and political lawlessness in BiH. We era going to file charges against Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic and BIH Presidency”, said the Chair of FBiH Association Ramo Suljic. He stated that Authorities had to solve this issue by December 15th, but nothing has happened. Terzic stated that he personally informed UN and requested the resolution in the entire situation. “I asked UN to accept the recommendation of the |
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| Other political stories / reforms |
| Osmanovic: RS Government should resign as it brought no good to either entity or state
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| EuroBlic: SNSD still hesitating about initiating removal of RS Government
| EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Dodik is hesitating’ by Rajna Radosavljevic – Krstan SImic, SNSD Vice President, confirmed that the SNSD has not decided as yet whether it would launch procedure for vote-of-confidence to RS Government, stressing that SNSD will wait to see denouement of events after Wednesday’s session of the RS NA (and vote on budget and economic policy). Zoran Tesanovic from PDP and Drago Kalabic from DNS are not clear as to why SNSD is now disassociating from its initiative. |
| SP’s Djokic says: RS will get new Government by mid January
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘RS will get a new Government by mid January’ by V.Popovic – In a brief interview to daily, Petar Djokic, President of the Socialists Party (SP), expresses belief that RS will get a new Government in January 2006, since the current Government led by Pero Buekjlovic must go, since it has no support at the Parliament. He is of the view RS Govenrment’ drafts of budget and economic policy for 2006 will not get majority vote, adding SP will not support those documents, but will vote for removal of Government if SNSD launched this initiative. |
| Decision on 10 members of police directorate’s executive board on Wednesday
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Commission brings decision on 10 members tomorrow’ by E.S. – DA learns that the Commission appointed by the BiH Council of Ministers should bring decision on the candidates for 10 vacant positions in the Executive Board of Police Reform Directorate on Wednesday. The Commission chaired by Dragan Mektic has received the proposals from the entities, while 10 cantonal governments are expected to submit theirs by Wednesday morning. Members commission, which also include Uros Penasa, Ramo Maslesa, Mehmed Zilic and Jadranka Matic, are to submit to the CoM the list of the candidates for the Executive Board by 31 December. The board’s chief task is to prepare the proposal for implementation of the police reform by 30 September next year. |
| RS Govt proposes members of police directorate’s executive board
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 inset ‘Proposal from RS’, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Two candidates for each of seven positions’, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Candidates for Polcie Reform Directorate proposed’ by D.R., EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Candidates for Directorate’ – The RS Government at the session on Monday proposed its candidates for the members of the Executive Board of the Police Reform Directorate. Djordje Lazic and Slobodan Nikic have been proposed for the position of the Board’s Director, while Dragica Lukic and Predrag Lucic are candidates for Deputy position. |
| Halilovic: Citizens and BiH Parliament have no influence on course of constitutional reforms talks
| Dnevni Avaz, front pg splash and pg 5 ‘Citizens do not know what is negotiated about’, by Sead Numanovic – Carries an interview with the leader of SBiH, Safet Halilovic, who warns that citizens of BiH and the BiH Parliament have no influence on the course of constitutional reforms talks. He warns it is the entities that have been given the sovereignty and who are deciding how functional BiH will be, which is, according to Halilovic, completely wrong. Halilovic also argues that the current negotiations are in fact negotiations of leaders of 8 political parties and that a possible agreement among them cannot be taken as a legitimate draft constitution of BiH. Instead, he says a new constitution should be a result of a public debate, in which legal experts, state Parliament and citizens would take part. |
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| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘There is no political agreement between HDZ and SDA’, by NINA – The |
| VL: Local self-governance in FBiH is disorganized
| Vecernji List, pg 5 ‘ |
| Topcagic on
| RTRS by Sanja Stankovic – The director of the BiH Directorate of European Integration Osman Topcagic denied the information that European Commission could establish a special team to monitor the reforms process in BiH. The only change in the mechanism of BiH negotiations with the European Union refers to the change of the name of Consultative Working Group into Reform Process Monitoring, stated Topcagic. “I do not know anything about some new and special team… the only announced mechanism are the regular meetings within this Reform Process Monitoring. BiH is not receiving any special treatment, because other countries have the same mechanisms, only under different names”, explained director of the BiH Directorate of European Integration. BiH priorities remain the same: cooperation with The Hague Tribunal, police and administration reform, organisation of the united BiH market, changes to the BiH Election Law, and the adequate preparation of the BiH Directorate of European Integration. Topcagic announced that, after the phase of political dialogue with the European Union, in 2006 BiH would enter the phase of economic dialogue, which Topcagic believes is the proof that BiH is ready to join the European integration. |
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| Oslobodjenje, pg 8 ‘Backing to people in the Balkans’, by Douglas Alexander – Carries an op-ed signed by the UK Minister for Europe, Douglas Alexander, in which analyses the ten years after the signing of the DPA and future prospect of BiH. Alexander notes that BiH is the most successful post-conflict mission of the IC conducted so far, arguing that the achievements surpass the expectations from Dayton ten years ago, however he warns that the only ‘stain’ on BiH’s road to Europe in that two most wanted war criminals, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, are still at large. |
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| EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘Imposed decisions will be of no use for BiH’ by T.V. – The stance of the RS Constitutional Court, forwarded to the RS NA is that the RS Constitution can only be changed through procedure stipulated by the Constitution. The Court is of the view changes of the RS Constitution through Parliament decisions, decisions of HR or constitutional courts on transfer of powers has negative impact not solely on constitutional status and authority of the entity, but also the entirety of relations established in BiH. |
| RTRS ‘Pecat’ on defence reform: what is to happen with entities’ MoDs staff?
| RTRS ‘Pecat’ magazine by Zlatan Druzic – As of |
| FBIH Govt to discuss usage of FBIH military premises after 31 December | Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘FBiH Government is entitled to temporary rent out military facilities to state institutions’ by M.K. – Collegium of the FBiH Government on Monday discussed the warning by the US expert and NATO official in BiH, Raffi Gregorian, against release of military premises to civilian use. The Government is to discuss the issue of military premises following the cease of entities’ defence ministries function as of 1 January on Thursday. DA reads that most probably Government is to bring decision of being entitled to temporary rent out FBiH MoD’s facilities to hospitals, universities and municipalities until the state MoD requires it back. At the same time, Government warns that the military premises in the RS were already sold urging the issue to be equally treated in entire country. Dnevni Avaz pg 10 ‘I wonder why Gregorian did not react when RS issued is military premise’ by E. Sarac – Nermin Vila, member of the FBiH Commission for defence and security issues, criticises Gregorian’s statement wondering why the reaction did not come when RS Army and former HVO [Croat defence council] have sold their premises, whereas only BiH Army’s facilities remained at disposal of the armed forces. |