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| Cardinal Vinko Puljic again visited Kostajnica | UN Mission in BiH officially certified the Federal Ministry of Interior | Federal police received certificate from UN Mission in BiH | 2002 Review
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| What is the reason for visit of BiH doctors to Qatar? | Del Ponte said that only elite NATO commandos can arrest Karadzic | Coal Mine in Kakanj – inspection of finance performance | Paddy Ashdown will impose the Law on BH citizenship |
| Serbian Justice Minister demand Carla Del Ponte’s resignation | Due to video and audio piracy, BiH loses $2 to 7 million | Main Hague Tribunal Prosecutor reiterated she owns evidences that Ratko Mladic is in Serbia | Dragan Mikerevic – first round of consultations on structure of RS government comes to end |
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| Milan Milutinovic’s presidential mandate expired today | Construction workers in Potocari complete first phase of monument’s construction | In year 2002 level of implementation of the law on property reached 66% |
| Oslobodjenje | Session of FBiH Government scheduled for today: Will the veterans from Orasje get money for the apartments? |
| Dnevni Avaz | December pensions will be paid by January 1 |
| Dnevni List | Interview with Marko Matic, Head of Federation Bureau PIO/MIO: Payment of pensions started, necessary money was ensured |
| Vecernji List | Citizens are waiting for HR’s decision: P. Ashdown imposes changes of Law on Citizenship today |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | People from island of Pag dissatisfied with quality of electricity on island announced protest: Blockade of Pag Bridge today? |
| Glas Srpski | SFOR searches local community facilities near Prijedor: A drink after the violent entry: Banja Luka: 100 Bosniak and Croats indicted |
| Nezavisne Novine | Milan Lovric, Head of BiH Anti-terrorist Team,: The murder of Andjelic family is a result of bad atmosphere in BiH; Different views of Ivanic’s Government members on work of Petar Kunic: Kunic’s textbook divides ministries |
| Blic | Petroleum in Brcko rises in price as of 1 January; Alun Roberts: To reduce political influence on police |
International community/OHR |
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| Ashdown to impose Law on Citizenship today
| The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown will today impose the amendments to the BiH Law on Citizenship with intention to remove all uncertainties particularly amongst the BiH citizens whose status would be brought into question by non-adoption of the law, FENA reports (Dnevni Avaz, p 2: “ Ashdown will today impose Law on Citizenship”, Glas Srpski, p 3: “Ashdown imposes Law on Citizenship,” Nezavisne Novine, p 5, “Ashdown to promulgate the Law on Citizenship today”) | |
| Vecernji List, Dnevni List on the Citizenship Law | Vecernji List (front and page 3, “Citizens are waiting for HR’s decision: P. Ashdown imposes changes of Law on Citizenship today”, by Dejan Jazvic) and Dnevni List (front and page 6, “HR imposes Law on Citizenship today: BiH Diaspora disappointed with new authority”) carry that Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative, should proclaim changes of Law on Citizenship today and prevent that thousands of BiH citizens, who have citizenship of other countries, lose the BiH citizenship. VL says that making of bilateral agreements is very difficult, and for this reason during the last 5 years this sort of the inter-state agreement was signed with Yugoslavia only. DL carries that the BiH Diaspora believes that the HR will help them to preserve their BiH citizenship, and for this reason they started to sign a petition and they also sent a letter to the HR in which they demand from the HR to protect BiH citizens from corrupted politicians and to put out of effect disputable Law on Citizenship. DL also carries that with regard to this issue, Francis Doyle, an American lawyer, who was the BiH agent in the lawsuit against Yugoslavia before The Hague in 1993 and 1994, sent a letter to the HR which says that the HR should intervene immediately in order to prevent application of the discriminatory Law on Citizenship. | |
| Oslobodjenje’s Prohic on Ashdown | “The current BiH governor (Paddy Ashdown) at the beginning of his mandate fired a statement that the key problem in BiH was not nationalism, but corruption. Alas, what a delusion! Respected Ambassador, the streams of hatred soaked in nationalism are running through this country, we are suffocated by the smell of chauvinism, and discrimination (based on national principle) blocks any sort of progress. Do you need any more arguments? The disease was not brought by you from London, but are you making the right moves?,” Ibrahim Prohic wrote in the Oslobodjenje In Focus column. | |
| UN’s Roberts says political influence on police should be reduced | UN/IPTF Mission Spokesman for the Banja Luka/Bihac region Alun Roberts said on Saturday that the human rights violation cases in BiH, monitored by the UN Mission, would be documented and submitted to the European Union (EU) Mission which is taking over the authorities of the UN Mission in BiH on January 1, 2003. Roberts told reporters in Banja Luka that the political influence on police must be reduced, while the transparency of the work of police should be increased. He said the UN Mission is finalizing the process of accreditation of law enforcement agencies that meet basic standards for democratic police institutions. (Blic p 7, Nacional p 11) | |
| Financial Times on EUPM | “Europe’s first test of state and institution building begins on Wednesday when its takes over the training of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s police forces as part of its European Security and Defence Policy. Diplomats said the European Union’s Police Mission (EUPM), one of the civilian arms of ESDP, would usher in a new phase as the EU took on increasing responsibility for the Balkans and the Americans reduced their forces in the region’s Nato-led operations. EUPM will replace the United Nations International Police Task Force, set up in Bosnia in 1995 to oversee law enforcement as part of the Dayton peace accord that ended the bloody civil war in the former Yugoslav republic,” said an article in today’s Financial Times (“EU to take on Bosnian police training,” By Judy Dempsey in Brussels). | |
| VL: “European Police is three times cheaper than UN Police” | Vecernji List (page 2) carries that the Institute for War and Peace Researches (IWPR) warned that the fact that the European Union will take over the Police Mission in BiH from the UN might negatively influence security of BiH, struggle against organized crime and local economy. VL also says that there will be 500 European policemen in BiH , who will be deployed in 24 Police Administrations. Instead of 145 million Dollars, that the UN had at its disposal per year, the Police mission of the EU is planning to spend about 38 million Dollars per year. | |
| Vjesnik editorial on the alleged need for revision of DPA | Vjesnik (page 12) carries an editorial signed by Berislav Andrijevic, the Vice President of the Executive Assembly of Croats from Posavina and Northwest Bosnia, who says that the High Representatives of the International Community, with the assistance of Tonino Picula, the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as other representatives of Croatia and BiH stress that there will be no revision of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) before this agreement is implemented. The author also says that each further insisting on the DPA means prolonging of the agony of three BiH peoples. The editorial goes on to say that the application of the DPA has shown during these 7 years that the Annex 7 cannot be applied because Croats and Bosniaks from the Serb entity do not want to return under the Serb authority, and Serbs do not want it either when the return to the Federation is in question. The author says that they are convinced that the leaders of the entities that openly obstruct the return process do not want it either. | |
| This week’s Ljiljan on OHR-related developments | Column ‘SAUNA’ on pg. 11 entitled ‘Lord Bosnian’. The article says that Ashdown, in a way, became a normal citizen of Sarajevo and BiH. “He can be seen taking walks and talking to people who greet him in a very friendly manner,” reads the article. It further carries a quote from an interview HR Ashdown gave to London Times where he said that he loved this country. “Nothing close to such statements have we ever heard from politicians from the west Mostar or, especially, from Banja Luka. There, they love their country in parts. Their patriotism has somehow been reduced to parts for which they killed and implemented genocide,” ends the article. On page 16, again ‘SAUNA’ column entitled ‘From a post to a bench’. The article tackles the issue of a recent letter OHR sent to Prosecutor Marinko Jurcevic asking him to conduct an investigation against FBiH PM Behmen. The article points out that even though this was an obvious example of pre-election corruption, pensioners were happy to receive some money and that it was obvious from the election results that they did not fall naively for the move and voted for the SDP. It is a separate issue why every PM or every other minister has to suffer upon the mandate completion. The question now is who will be the next PM.” In a final paragraph, the magazine points out that the situation in the country remains just as difficult, from economy to social issues. The only thing however that changes are politicians in government. And they only do so to find themselves on the court bench. ‘Remove former communist secret police members from courts’ on pg. 36 by Mustafa Borovic. The magazine claims that OHR legal experts, in charge of reform of Bosnian judiciary, have not been implementing Resolution 1096, which was adopted by the CoE in Strasbourg in 1996. The principles of the Resolution have been embedded in legislation of all countries in transitions such as Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The CoE legal expert Ahmed Zilic, who has been insisting that the Resolution be implemented in BiH, has raised a bit of a strange dilemma, reads the article. Zilic asks whether OHR is obliged to respect the European lustration standards and CoE’s principles, even Borovic is of an opinion that there should be no dilemma on the issue. “If it’s OHR’s role, next to the peace implementation, the change of political, economic, legislative, educational and every other system in this country, their adaptation to the European standards, as a condition for entering European association, is supposed to be respected as well as the Resolution on lustration in judiciary.” | |
Political affairs |
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| FBiH Government to hold its session today in Sarajevo
| The BiH Federation Government will hold its 76th session in Sarajevo on Monday. Among other things, the Government is expected to discuss the draft program of usage of the budgetary funds intended for supporting the process of return in the first three months of 2003, as well as a decision on the financial support to the construction of apartments for the war veterans in the Orasje municipality (Oslobodjenje, front page, p 3). | |
| Sarovic’s interview for ONASA, SRNA | The Chairman of the BiH Presidency, Mirko Sarovic, emphasized in a New Year’s interview with ONASA and SRNA that the priority task of the collective head of the state was to work within the constitutional frame “bearing in mind to bring good and progress to the entire BiH.” He said that he personally would use his constitutional powers if and when the interests of the Serb people are jeopardised (Dnevni Avaz, p 4. “Biljana Plavsic’s admission of guilt crucial for trials of Milosxevic and Krajisnik”, Glas Srpski, p 3, Nezavisne Novine, p 7). According to the Banja Luka dailies, Sarovic stated that the most important events in BiH in 2002 were the general elections and implementation of the decision of the BiH Constitutional court on constituent status of BiH peoples. Commenting on BiH’s law suit against FRY, Sarovic stated that the RS questions the contents of the suit, due to the fact that the Serb people is treated as aggressor. Sarovic said: “At the moment, we are exploring other options as to how to question this law suit. At this point, one of the issues in BiH is how to provide financial means for the law suit against FRY, we are against the option that this law suit is financed from the budget of BiH institutions.” Commenting on the trial to Biljana Plavsic, Sarovic stated that her admission of guilt cannot endanger the implementation of the Dayton Agreement but it will have an impact on trials to Slobodan Milosevic and Momcilo Krajisnik. According to Sarovic, Biljana Plavsic is a tragic figure of the Serb people, as she is condemned by her own people and also, convicted as a war criminal. Speaking about the “Orao” affair, Sarovic stated that the final report on the affair is completed and that it will be forwarded to those who requested it very soon. It will be clear from the report whether there are some more people responsible for the affair, apart from the ones already identified, said Sarovic. | |
| Terzic’s interview for Dnevni Avaz
| The BiH Council of Ministers Chairman designate, Adnan Terzic, will on Friday, December 3, propose to the BiH House of Representatives candidates for the ministerial posts at the state level. In an interview with Dnevni Avaz (p 5: “I do not have intention to politicise but I want to seat and work”), Terzic said he would like that the BiH citizens begin considering and accepting the BiH Council of Ministers as an institution that would work in their own interest. | |
| Vecernji List on Croat representatives in BiH authority | With regard to the constituting of the BiH Council of Ministers, Vecernji List (page 2) carries an article saying that Croats lost match during the negotiations, however, there was a hope that they will compensate this loss by a smart, cadres’ politics. VL says that, unfortunately, this has not happened since proposed candidates, whose names appeared in media, were proposed according to various criterion (for instance, on the ground of their engagement in HDZ, their capability, membership to certain HDZ factions etc.). VL concludes the article by saying: “If the situation is really like this then the question arises as to who and in which way will represent interests of the Croat people in BiH, those who are ready to implement politics of individuals or the persons who are willing to implement global, all-Croat politics.” | |
| Mikerevic on distribution of ministerial posts in RS | The RS Prime Minister designate, Dragan Mikerevic, stated for Nezavisne Novine (p 6) that the SNSD could get three ministerial posts in the new RS Government assessing Milorad Dodik’s request for seven posts as megalomaniac. Also, according to Mikerevic, Dodik would not refuse his offer to negotiate on SNSD’s participation in the Government. Commenting on SDA’s request to get one of the two most important Ministries (Ministry for Finance, Interior Ministry), Mikerevic said that “everybody has a right to request whatever he wants, but he will get what is possible”. Mikerevic also said that he will apply the same principle with all political parties and that is: “take it or leave it”. | |
| HDZ Presidency to discuss issue of Travnik reorganization at its next session | Dnevni List (front and page 3, by M. Malic, “On issue of Travnik reorganization at next session of HDZ BiH Presidency???”) carries that a high-ranked HDZ official stated for DL that a part of the HDZ Presidency members is intending to raise the issue of the Travnik reorganization in order to organize Travnik in the same way as Mostar, that is to divide it in 3 Bosniak, 3 Croat Municipalities and the Central Zone. This HDZ official stated that HDZ will exert all its efforts in order to organize Mostar as a unified Municipality, if the non-ethnic principle of organization of local self-rule, Municipalities and cities prevails, however, if it does not happen, then Croats have their national interests with regard to the organization of the local authority in some areas, referring to the Municipalities with the Croat majority in the area of Tuzla and Stup settlement in Sarajevo. DL says that it is well known that for the last few months SDA has been supporting a stand that Mostar should be divided and the SDA top has given support to this stand recently. | |
| Dnevni List interview with Marko Matic, the Director of the FBiH Pension-Disability Insurance Fund | Dnevni List (front and page 3) carries an interview with Marko Matic, the Head of the Federation Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (MIO/PIO). Asked whether the information that the OHR sent a letter to Federation Prosecutor Marinko Jurcevic because of the alleged criminal activities in the Federation MIO/PIO, Matic says that there were no irregularities of any kind and that everything was done according to law. Matic also says: “The statement of Kevin Sullivan, an OHR Spokesperson, who said that the OHR has not sent any letter demanding the investigation, and who also said that the letter was not written in order to launch any kind of the investigation shows that there were no any criminal and suspicious activities in the Federation PIO/MIO and that everything was done in accordance with the decisions of the Federation Government.” Matic says that in order to misinform the public, some individuals and media that supports them published the Sullivan’s denial at the end of the page deliberately so that the public does not notice it. Matic also said that the whole situation is the result of political manipulations whose purpose is to stop reform of the Federation PIO/MIO and probably the other segments of the BiH Federation, however, according to Matic it will not be possible. | |
| Different views of RS ministers on textbook written by Minister Kunic | Nezavisne Novine (p 2) continues with reports related to the textbook written by the RS Minister for local management and self-management, Petar Kunic, which is to be used by civil servants as preparation for taking a professional exam, declared obligatory by the RS Government. The price of the textbook written by Minister Kunic is 50 KM. The RS Government would probably discuss the affair at one of its sessions in January. As for the other Ministers in the RS Government, the views are different. The Minister for economic relations with abroad, Fuad Turalic, stated that the entire thing should be discussed and Government members informed on all details related to the case. Kunic’s colleague from PDP and RS Minister of traffic and communications, Branko Dokic, said that there is nothing disputable about the textbook in question. Mitar Novakovic, RS Minister for science and culture wonders whether Kunic wrote the textbook just because he wanted to earn some money or whether he is one of few in this region capable of writing such a book. If it is established that Kunic’s motive was to earn money, then there is no dilemma – it is not moral, said Mico Micic, RS Minister for refugees and DPs. Petar Kunic scheduled a press conference today in Banja Luka. | |
| BiH politicians asses 2002 | Dnevni List (p 24 & 25, “From October elections to the “Lord of Rings”) and Vecernji List (page 4) carry BiH politicians’ assessments of most significant achievements or failures in the year 2002. Safet Halilovic: “Parallelisms in the FBiH Ministry of Defense not abolished, more radical reforms not completed.” Karlo Filipovic: “Defenders the unemployed and pensioners must be a priority.” Mladen Ivanic: “The most significant events are the “Banja Luka Summer Festival” and “The Lord of the Rings” film. Ramo Maslesa: “The results of the Crime Police Department are 300 % better.” Mijo Anic: “Reduction of the FBiH Defense Ministry’s Office and forming the state-level Ministry.” Dragan Covic: “The most significant event – Elections 2002.” Anto Domazet: “The most serious problems are unemployment and the foreign trade deficit.” Azra Hadziahmetovic: “Development strategy and reforms are the most significant.” | |
Crimes |
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| Carla Del Ponte: Mladic is in Serbia
| The Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, reiterated she possessed evidence that the wartime RS Army Commander and one of the most wanted war crime suspects Ratko Mladic was in the Serbian territory. Del Ponte accused the Belgrade authorities of doing nothing to apprehend him. “I do not want to wait any longer. I have evidence that Mladic is in Serbia. In July, I informed in detail the authorized institutions including the Interior Ministry about the Mladic’s whereabouts at the moment. However, nothing was done,” said Del Ponte in an interview with the Vienna daily Kronen Zeitung (Oslobodjenje, p 3: “Indicted Ratko Mladic is in Serbia”). | |
| Serbian Justice Minister suggests Del Ponte to resign | Serbian Minister of Justice Vladan Batic has suggested to the main prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal Carla Del Ponte to resign, because perhaps somebody else, at her post, would not selectively implement justice against perpetrators of crimes in the region of former Yugoslavia. He has sent a letter to the main prosecutor in Hague, in which he reminds on the principle “of mutual equality and equality before the justice” and warns on selective justice of this court towards the perpetrators of crimes in former Yugoslavia. (Vecernje Novosti p 2, Blic p 3, Nacional p 3) | |
| War crime charges filled against more than a hundred of Bosnaiks, Croats | The RS Prime Minister’s Advisor for Relations with ICTY, Sinisa Djordjevic, stated for SRNA on Sunday that the authorized RS judicial bodies had indicted more than a 100 of Bosniaks and Croats for war crimes committed against Serbs during the war (Glas Srpski, cover page, Nezavisne Novine, p 4). Djordjevic also stated that for 20 cases, the RS judiciary received approval from the Hague Tribunal to carry proceedings before local courts. He confirmed that the ICTY forwarded an information to the RS authorities that an investigation is ongoing on possible involvement of “former Muslim leader” Alija Izetbegovic in war crimes against Serbs. Djordjevic said he is satisfied with the work of the RS Bureau for relations with ICTY during this year and that the Bureau has become a partner to the ICTY. | |
| Lovric on Kostajnica murder | The Head of the BiH Anti-terrorist Team, Milan Lovric, commented on the murder of the Andjelic family in Kostajnica near Konjic and stated that this crime could not have been prevented (Nezavisne Novine, p 3). “Many people now condemn the crime in Kostajnica. However, there is no atmosphere in BiH that could help prevent such a crime. Also, there is another problem and media are to be blamed for that as well and that is different views on a same issue. For instance, some people are seen as heroes by one group and war criminals by other. All this creates a situation in which certain events escalate into developments such as this murder in Kostajnica.” he emphasized. | |
| CRO Press on the crime in Kostajnica | Slobodna Dalmacija (front page, p 4 “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Mate Granic’s statements: It is not true we have not reacted to the murder of BiH Croats”, p 12 “He who loves God cannot commit murder”, by Darko Juka), Dnevni list (p 5 “To prohibit the activities of vehabijas in BiH”, by Miso Relota), Vjesnik (p 2 “Granic’s claim is “political and ethic nonsense” by Hina & p 3 “Crime in Kostajnica or diplomacy in transition”, by Zoran Vodopija) Jutarnji list (p12 “Majority of Bosniaks reject Islamic extremism”, by Davor Butkovic) and Vecernji list (front page, p 3 “Topalovic’s organisation financed by Al’ Qaida’s network”, by Darko Juka, p 3 “Fear and uncertainty despite support” by I.Kaleb and p 8 “Marinko Andjelic goes to Zagreb for medical treatment” and “Granic uttered political and moral nonsense”, also by Ivan Kaleb) deal with the Kostajnica murders issue from various aspects. DL gives the explanation on who vehabijas are (“a new interpretation of Islam coming from Saudi Arabia, rejects any novelty as contrary to Islam and novelty is everything that was not practiced by prophet Mohamed, rigid sect against anything that enriched Islamic culture and tradition, not considered welcome in BiH by anyone but themselves”) and quotes Alija Izetbegovic as saying vehabijas brought BiH more damage than use. DL adds bringing mujahedeens to BiH was a very naive and short-sighted decision harms of which will be felt in this country for a long time. Quoting a connoisseur of the situation related to suppressing terrorism in BiH, VL claims Citizens’ Association Jemijjetul Furquan, seated in Sarajevo and to which Kostajnica crime perpetrator belonged to, was financed by Al Haramain organisation and to a lower degree by the High Saudi Committee. It is exactly due to the lack of money that the Association officially closed down some 2 months ago. As all the accounts of Al Haramain were blocked due to its connection to Al’ Qaida, it is no surprise this Association also closed down. VL also in 2 separate articles reads that Kostajnica was the biggest Croat village and was during the war the centre of Croat resistance. The safety of current 30 elderly Croat returnees and 13 Bosniak DP families is ensured by the police. A villager stated people live now in fear and state of uncertainty and many who had planned to return are having second thoughts. The return will depend on how the murders case is resolved, on the moves of the authorities and the IC in particular. Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affair’s harsh denial of the content of the statement by former Croatian Foreign Minister and the current president of the Democratic Centre party, Mate Granic, that the Ministry did not timely react to the murder and that this fact best reflects “the impotence of Croatian foreign policy” is carried by SD, VL and Vjesnik. The Ministry released that the Croatian Ambassador to BiH Josip Vrbosic visited the family of the victims as soon as he learned about the murder and that this was done in agreement with the current Croatian Foreign Minister. It was also released that the current Croatian authorities have to cope with the “difficult consequences of the policy Croatia led at the time Granic headed the Foreign Ministry” and that “patiently building partnership relations with BiH, current Croatian Government is continuously mending the damage it has inherited”. JL comments that the horrible crime could bring into question the possibility of survival of BiH in relatively peaceful circumstances. Yet, most of the reactions to the crime give right for at least some optimism. No doubt that Muamer Topalovic, while planning and executing it, wanted to cause forcible or at least harsh reactions of condemnation by Croats. It is certain that radical Islamic organisations do not want the return of Croats to places from which they were expelled during the war, that they do not want the co-existence of Bosniaks and Croats and that they do not want multi-ethnic, pro-West oriented BiH, so it is exactly such organisations that had in their interest to start a wave of condemnations against BiH Moslems in Croatia and among BiH Croats. Luckily, this did not happen. Not a single political party, nor the Church, not a single serious newspaper even tried to condemn Bosniaks for the crime committed by a member of an extremist Islamic organisation. As for the political aspect of the presence of radical Islamic organisations in BiH, 10 years ago, when their members started coming to BiH, the then Bosniak authorities did not have much choice: Bosniaks were facing genocide and any help had to be accepted. Islamic countries and the network of different Islamic organisations were far more reliable allies for BiH Moslems than the Western countries. Yet, with the sudden growing of Islamic terrorism in the world, the position of those organisations in BiH changed. Another significant factor in the situation that followed the murder of the Andjelic family is the mood of Bosniaks towards radical Islamism. Despite the tragedy of Bosniaks during the war, radical Islamic tendencies never influenced the behaviour of the majority of Moslems in BiH and Croatia to a bigger extent. BiH, luckily, has not become a militant Islamic country, neither in terms of customs, nor the political tendencies, nor in terms of legislation – extremist Islam has nothing to do with beliefs and behaviour of Bosniaks in BiH and in Croatia. Due to great conflicts on the global level between Islamic terrorist organisations and parts of the western world, deeper security problems could emerge in BiH but it is very important that huge majority of Bosniaks strongly reject Islamic extremism. | |
Mostar affairs |
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| Interview with Mostar Aluminium Director Mijo Brajkovic
| Vecernji List (front and page 5, “We will not be buying electricity in BiH any longer”) and Slobodna Dalmacija (page10, “It is pity that everything in BiH is politics and petty politics”) carry interviews with Mijo Brajkovic, the General Manager of Aluminij, who says that everything in this country is politics. Asked about the final arbitrage in Aluminij, Brajkovic says that he personally believes that the arbitrage was not necessary since a lot of time and money will be spent. Brajkovic also said that Aluminij is buying the most expensive electricity in Europe and for this reason they will exert all efforts in order to get all electricity from abroad. According to Brajkovic, various revisions have been conducted in Aluminij and adds that the same should be done in the other companies. | |
| Editorial on posters calling on Moslems not to celebrate New Year, that appeared in Mostar | With regard to the appearance of posters calling on Moslems not to celebrate New Year, Slobodna Dalmacija (page 11) carries an editorial signed by Darko Juka, who states all the incidents that have taken place in the Mostar area after the war ended and which were directed against Croats and Serbs. The author wonders: “What our Federation partners are preparing for us now when Bairam passed in peace and without incidents, the Catholic Christmas is still being celebrated and the Orthodox Christmas will take place soon? They are calling on Moslems not to celebrate New Year, do we have to be afraid of celebrating New Year on Mostar streets when they are creating the situation so that Croats and Serbs would be the only ones who will be on the Mostar streets on New Year’s Eve. Changes are necessary, re-organization is necessary. What kind of the reorganization and in which way it will be implemented? We can hope that the solution will not be imposed again and that as such it will not bring new victims.” | |