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| Drug overdose in Mostar | Municipal elections BiH | New | New RTRS programming |
| Municipal elections BiH | EU, NATO officials in BiH | Del Ponte in | Oil prices increased |
| Elections in | Search for missing persons | ICTY update Seselj trial | Police confiscates 2 cars |
| Elections in | Del Ponte in | EU, NATO officials in BiH | Report against M.K. |
| Oslobodjenje | Oil again to be more expensive; EUFOR as of January next year; Criminal almost became a mayor [Simo Zaric] |
| Dnevni Avaz | Catastrophic defeat of Lagumdzija’s SDP; Meddzida Kreso the President of the |
| Dnevni List | Projects and programmes of Croats in BiH chosen: Decision on awarding of help by end October |
| Vecernji List | |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | HDZ BiH satisfied with election results: |
| Nezavisne Novine | EUFOR takes over the mandate from SFOR on December 2; SNSD is stronger than SDS; A coalition authority will exist in most of municipalities in BiH; The police are interrogating friends of Ljubisa Savic Mauzer |
| Glas Srpske | Wolf with a heart of lamb |
| EuroBlic | Personal documents will not be changed |
Municipal Elections 2004 | |
| Preliminary results of the municipal elections
| Nezavisne Novine, cover ‘A coalition authority will exist in most of municipalities in BiH’ and pgs. 4-5 ‘Coalition authority will be established in most of municipalities in BiH’ not signed – BiH Election Commission has presented preliminary election results. According to incomplete results of BiH Election Commission, a coalition authority will be established in most of municipalities of BiH since there is no political party that has won a majority of 50% at municipal councils or municipal assemblies. FTV – According to the BiH Election Commission, final elections turnout was 45% of registered voters. Election results will be implemented after publishing final results, no latter than 30 days after the elections. BHT 1 – BHT 1 comments that the preliminary results in BiH show most of voters giving their trust to nationalists’ parties– SDA, SDS, and HDZ. Still, SNSD had very good results in RS. BHT 1, FTV, RTRS, RHB broadcast preliminary results. |
| FBiH elections: in 44 municipalities, second round of counting votes needed
| RHB, RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Second round of counting to decide in 42 municipalities’ by L.S., Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘The biggest number of mayoral positions goes to SDS’ by A Terzic, – Forty-four municipalities in the FBiH did not get new municipal heads after the first round of counting of votes at municipal elections held on 2 October. According to the BiH Election Commission, only 27 municipalities saw one candidate win more than the prescribed 50% plus one vote, which makes their election valid. reported on Sunday evening. In all other towns, mayors will be determined by adding up preferential votes from ballots, with the main rivals in most cases being the SDA and SDP. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Can SDA win in Centre’ by H.H. – In 7 Sarajevo municipalities, the mayor will be known only after the second round of votes counting. Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Seta: SDA will nominate Sarajevo mayor’ by A.M. – Abdulharis Seta, member of SDA’s Sarajevo Cantonal Board, says that the party will certainly appoint mayors in 5 of Sarajevo municipalities, while in Center and Novo Sarajevo their candidates did very well. This, says Seta, means that they will have a candidate for Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘HDZ ensured with 13, and SDA 10 mayoral positions’ by L.S. – Out of 27 municipalities in which mayors were already known, 13 will belong to HDZ and 10 to SDA. |
| RS elections: SDS wins 37, and SNSD 14 mayoral positions
| RHB by Stanko Smoljanovic– RHB comments on the elections on RS noting that the opposition won the majority of votes in bigger RS cities and towns. The party of Milorad Dodik won majority of the mayoral positions in the western municipalities. Acting Chairman of SDS Dragan Cavic stated that following the elections that SDS was happy to be ‘still alive’ after having 60 of its officials removed. RHB – A member of the Commission, Lidija Korac, told at the press conference that none of the candidates running for the post of Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘The biggest number of mayoral positions goes to SDS’ by A Terzic, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘37 mayor positions to SDS, and 14 to SNSD’ by L.S. – DA brings that according to the preliminary results, SDS won 37 mayoral positions, while SNSD won 14. The third party in mayoral run is Socialist Party of RS, who won mayoral position in Foca. |
| NN: SDS is not the strongest party in RS anymore
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 6 ‘SNSD is stronger than SDS’ by D. R. – According to NN, SNSD won the biggest number of votes in Republika Srpska [118.375], while SDS won 115.574 votes. NN carries that for the first time, by number of votes, SDS is not the strongest party in RS anymore. In percentages, SNSD won 28% of votes, SDS 27%, PDP 11% and RS Socialist party 6%. |
| Dodik: No Coalition with SDS, SDA or PDP
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘There is no coalition with SDS, SDA and PDP’ by O. Vukovic – SNSD leader Milorad Dodik stated that he is very satisfied with the election results, adding however that they could have been better. He added that the elections showed that SNSD is among top three or four strongest parties in BiH. Dragan Cavic commented that the “local elections are indictors of the current strength of the political parties, however not a primary condition for certain changes at the Republic’s level.” Dodik however disagrees with this adding that RS authorities are in crisis, especially since citizens have showed lack of confidence in SDS and PDP. Dodik stresses that he would never make coalition with SDS, SDA and PDP/ Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 6 ‘SNSD is stronger than SDS’ by D. R. – Igor Radojicic (SNSD) has stated that the party, judging in accordance with the total votes, has won more trust of voters than in 2002. At the same time, he said, SDS noted a drop for nearly 50,000 votes in comparison to the results of the 2002 parliamentary elections. |
| Comments to election results in RS
| RTRS, BHT 1, Glas Srpske, pg. 6 ‘More serious political moves’ by G. Dakic – Milanko Mihajlica (SRS) stated that the party is not completely satisfied, but also is not dissatisfied, with election results of this party. He said the most important is that the election results made it possible for the party to return top the political stage. He said the turnout was greater than the party has expected considering the fact citizens are dissatisfied with the work of local and republic authority. He also said that the High Representative has, on several occasions, showed who is the true ruler in BiH, therefore it is no surprise that the abstinence was higher than in the past. Glas Srpske, pg. 6 ‘Citizens punished authority’ by M. Mihajlovic – Zivko Marjanac (SPRS) thinks that poor turnout shows citizens have grew tired of elections and have no trust in parties anymore. ‘Citizens have punished ruling parties at the elections’, Marjanac said and added he expects from PDP President Mladen Ivanic to fulfil his pre-election promise that he would withdraw from the authority should he win less votes than at the previous elections. |
| DA on election results in Mostar: Statute gives results
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Parties already announce talks about cooperation’ by F. Vele – The article examines the results of the elections in Mostar, noting that all parties agree that there was no ‘clear winner’. “The Mostar Statute, if claims of the parties’ representatives analysed, have achieved desired effect – active cooperation between the parties in order to reach census,” the author notes. According to DA, HDZ will have at least 15 or 16 councillors, SDA expects at least 10, and SBiH 4 councillors. HDZ Presidency member Josip Merdzo announces active negotiations with SDA and other pro-Bosnian parties to reach consensus on the mayor. Commenting to election results, Mostar mayor Hamdija Jahic says that the coalition is possible, however that such decision will be brought later. |
| VL on Mostar mayoral run
| Vecernji List, pgs 4-5 ‘Beslic, Bilic or Margeta’, mentioned on front, by Miroslav Vasilj – The daily learns from ‘well informed sources in HDZ Mostar’ that the most serious candidates to become the new Mayor of Mostar are the current Deputy Mayor Ljubo Beslic, former Canton 7 Interior Minister Goran Bilic, and former Head of Municipality Mostar-Southwest Mladen Margeta. In that context, VL notes that leaders of Croat parties in BiH, led by the HDZ, announced that the new Mayor of Mostar should be a Croat since the HDZ-led coalition won 18 seats in the Mostar City Council. According to Josip Merdzo, first talks about the appointment of the new Mayor will begin after official results have been published, however Merdzo did not want to speculate with any names. VL also reports that the SDA won 10 seats in the City Council, the SBiH 5 seats and that the SDP won 3 seats. The President of SDP in Mostar, Zoran Peric, says the SDP too will propose its candidate for the Mayor of Mostar, acknowledging that the HDZ and SDA have the supremacy. “It is important who their candidates are, what they offer, an either a divided or normal city”, stresses Peric. VL wraps up the article by noting that if a candidate for the Mayor of Mostar does not get the two-third majority support after a possible second round of voting in the City Council, the Mayor will require a simple majority in the City Council in the third round of voting. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 17 ‘Mostar: HDZ to have 18 councillors’, by Z. Zekic – Carries Merdzo as saying that the HDZ-led coalition in Mostar should have at least 17 councillors in the Mostar City Council, and that realistic expectation are that the coalition will in fact have 18 councillors. “However, the composition of the Council depends on results of other parties because the preferential elections”, notes Merdzo. |
| DA’s comment to elections: SDA wins, SDP catastrophically defeated | Dnevni Avaz cover splash, pg 5 ‘Catastrophic defeat for Lagumdzija’s SDP’ by E. Sarac – DA publishes a comment to the municipal elections, which stresses the fact that these were the first elections in BiH organized by the local authorities. Author also notes the low turnout, adding that in comparison with the last elections the positions of some parties drastically changed. “While some, such as Party for BiH… mainly maintained positions gained 4 years ago, others either significantly got stronger [SDA] or went through the real disaster [SDP],” DA article reads. Author notes that SDA has a reason to celebrate, while “Lagumdzija’s SDP” faces catastrophic defeat, concluding that this proves that citizens believe that SDP’s promises are fabrication. DA says that the best examples for such elections results are |
| Up date to candidacy of ICTY accusee Simo Zaric in Bosanski Samac
| Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘War criminals intended to become the mayor of Bosanski Samac’, Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘ICTY accusee Simo Zaric was a candidate for mayor of Bosanski Samac’ by Fena – DA and Oslobodjenje bring the article apparently published by British ‘The Independent’ who brings the story on Simo Zaric, a candidate for Bosanski Samac mayor and ICTY accusee. The ICTY sentenced Zaric to six years for participating in the ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks and Croats. Independent’s article says that during his election campaign, Zaric was stressing his wish to build multi-ethnic Bosanski Samac, apologizing to victims of the war and calling them to return. Zaric was close to win elections. The member of BiH Election Commission, Lidija Korac stated for Fena that it is absurd that those sentenced by ICTY could run in elections after serving the sentence, while those sanctioned by Paddy Ashdown, IPTF or the Appeal Commission are not able to do so. “Of course, the election commission worked in accordance with the BiH Election Law under which those sentenced by ICTY… can be in the candidacy lists for elections after serving the sentence,” Korac says. |
| EC commends all involved in organization of elections | Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘One of the European Partnership’s conditions fulfilled’, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘European Commission welcome successfully organized municipal elections’, not signed – Delegation of the European Commission to BiH commended all those involved in the successful organization of the recently held municipal elections. EC’s press release reads that “the elections which were organized for the first time without major international help were conducted successfully and thus one of the conditions set in the European Partnership 2004 has been fulfilled.” However, the EC expressed regret that the turn-out was by far the lowest registered since the end of the war. |
| DL on low turnout in elections
| Dnevni List, pg 8 ‘Voting in elections does not change anything’, by Nermin Bise – Carries Zarko Papic, a political analyst from Sarajevo, as commenting on the local elections in BiH, especially the poor turnout that marked the elections. Papic notes there are two main reasons why many people opted not to vote. “Citizens do not have a feeling they can influence political goings on in BiH. There is very little space for individual influence of the citizens. The other reason lies in the fact that BiH is under a sort of protectorate, foremost of the OHR. Citizens feel they cannot influence the destiny of the country they live in”, says Papic. |
| Oslobodjenje op-eds say nothing much changed | Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Everybody satisfied!’ op-ed by Mirko Sagolj – Editorial notes that while all parties seem satisfied with the elections results, “which will keep them in their seats”, the only reason for dissatisfaction has citizenry. “Nothing significant has changed in BIH even after these elections, … these elections have just verified the existing situation in the country… Regardless to the fact that they passed in good organization, they can be described as the true reflection of the catastrophic situation and mood in the country. The information that 45% of people voted says it all,” reads editorial. Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Bit of something new’ op-ed by Zija Dizdarevic – The author notes that the low turnout shows that more than half of the people in the country believe that politicians and parties running at the elections were not even worth of them showing up at the polling station. On the nationalists parties, the editorials notes that SDS, HDZ and SDA won thanks to the rural electoral body and impact of religious leader in the election campaign. However, author notes that in RS parties are ‘intimidated’ with constant growth of SNSD, which would indicate the growth of social-democracy in RS if there was no nationalists rhetoric of its leader Milorad Dodik. As for SDP, author notes it ‘stopped’ the fall of its popularity, however was still very far away from its success in 2000. On Brcko, author says that turnout was excellent, noting that SDP success is encouraging. |
EUFOR/war crimes | |
| EU, NATO officials in visit to BiH: meetings with HR Ashdown, BiH Presidency
| RHB, Oslobodjenje cover, pg 7 ‘EUFOR as of January next year’by A. Prlenda, inset ‘Dealing with criminals’ by Fena, Dnevni List, pg 3Cavic supports Minister Matijasevic in operations on arrests’, by Erna Mackic, Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Fugitives must be arrested by December’, mentioned on front, by Eldina MedunjaninNezavisne Novine, cover ‘EUFOR takes over the mandate from SFOR on December 2’ and pg. 3 ‘EU will takeover the mandate from SFOR on December 2’ by A. Sisic, EuroBlic, pg. RS2 ‘The clock might become a timed bomb’ by J. D., Glas Srpske, pg. 3 ‘Hague is the most difficult test’ by G. Dakic –The envoy of EU High Representative, Peter Feith, and the envoy of NATO Secretary-General, Robert Serry, have meet with international and domestic representatives on Monday. After meeting the High Representative Paddy Ashdown, they stated that preparations for the handover of the SFOR’s mandate to the EUFOR in December of this year are proceeding as scheduled and the international community is conducting full consultations with domestic authorities. Ceremony marking the transfer of authority from SFOR to EUFOR is scheduled for December 2. They also said EUFOR would continue to be a strong military force in BiH which would be committed to leading the country into EU and extraditing war crimes indictees to the ICTY. EU and NATO officials also expressed regret that BiH has failed to be admitted to the Partnership for Peace in June. FTV, Dnevni List, pg 3Cavic supports Minister Matijasevic in operations on arrests’, by Erna Mackic – Following a meeting with the BiH Presidency, Peter Feith stated that the EU was not happy with BiH’s cooperation with the ICTY. Together with Feith, a NATO Secretary General’s envoy Robert Serry, also talked to BiH Presidency about the transfer of SFOR mandate onto EU forces. On transfer of mandate from SFOR to EU forces, the BiH Presidency Chair Sulejman Tihic said that there was a full political consensus on this issue in BiH. He added that the BiH Presidency would send a letter to the UN Security Council in order for the Security Council to adopt a relevant resolution. |
| EU, NATO officials meet top RS politicians in urge of cooperation with ICTY
| BHT 1 – Peter Feith and Robert Serry also had talks in FTV – Feith and Serry said that EU and NATO expect from BiH some concrete actions regarding the war crimes suspects before it becomes a credible candidate for accession to the Partnership for Peace. Cavic promised better RS cooperation with ICTY. “We deem it a main issue at the moment, and we will put maximal efforts to show that there is no political or operational obstruction to international commitments in RS,” said Cavic. Dragan Mikerevic emphasized that there is no other way for RS than a way towards European integrations. BiH defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic express expectation that transfer of authorities from SFOR to EUFOR won’t leave security vacuum and endanger security situation in BiH. RTRS – “Behind it all Nezavisne Novine, cover ‘EUFOR takes over the mandate from SFOR on December 2’ and pg. 3 ‘EU will takeover the mandate from SFOR on December 2’ by A. Sisic – NN inset ‘Cavic in the Hague’ reads that Cavic informed Serry and Feith, representatives of NATO and EU respectively, that RS MoI has taken operative steps in relation to this, but he did not give any details on these activities Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘ |
| DA int with Peter Feith
| Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘We will stay here as long as people of BiH wants us to’ by Sead Numanovic – In an interview to DA, the envoy of the EU High Commissioner Foreign and Security Policy, Peter Feith, says that he was encouraged with the information on the progress of defence reforms, and RS authorities’ intention to be actively involed in the police reform commission. However, he stresses that the cooperation with the Hague is still the priority, adding that he had an impression that RS authorities are genuinely determined to move forward in that regard, adding that police structures are now more interested in finding and arresting war crimes suspects. Feith emphasizes that it would be good if BiH makes a progress in that direction, which would enable it admission to the Partnership for Peace programme in December. Speaking about EUFOR, Feith said troops will be present in BiH for the next 3-4 years. In an inset ‘Ashdown’s role’, Feith explains that HR Paddy Ashdown will be in charge of coordinating presence and activities of both EUFOR and EUPM, and the provided by the European Commission. “As the EU Special Representative, he will be allowed to offer political suggestions to EUFOR Commander. That will make him a very important ‘player’ in this entire structure being established in BIH by EU,” Feith concludes. |
| Cavic visits ICTY
| Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Cavic and del Ponte on cooperation with The Hague’ by NINA – RS President Dragan Cavic will depart for The Hague today where he will have talks with ICTY representatives about cooperation between the RS and this Court. According to DL, Cavic will also visit RS detainees in the ICTY detention unit in Scheveningen. Nezavisne Novine, cover ‘EUFOR takes over the mandate from SFOR on December 2’ and pg. 3 ‘EU will takeover the mandate from SFOR on December 2’ by A. Sisic inset ‘Cavic in the Hague’, Glas Srpske, pg. 3 ‘Hague is the most difficult test’ by G. Dakic inset ‘Visit’ – Cavic will hold separate meetings with ICTY Chairman Theodor Merron and ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. Cavic stated they would discuss cooperation of RS with ICTY and he emphasised RS institutions were doing everything in their power to improve its cooperation with RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Cavic to hold separate meetings with Carla Del Ponte and Meron’ by Fena, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Cavic promised full cooperation with the ICTY’ by Onasa – also bring announcement of Cavic’s visit. |
| Del Ponte claims Mladic in
| RHB, RTRS, BHT1, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Del Ponte still claims Mladic is in Belgrade’ by Fena, Dnevni List pg 23 ‘To extradite Generals charged with war crimes as soon as possible’ not signed – ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte expects Belgrade to again start cooperation with the ICTY, which has to be full and mean the arrest of indicted war criminals and their transfer to the Hague. Following talks with SCG Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk Draskovic she praised the decision of the SCG Council for Cooperation with the ICTY to declassify documents and added that she expects the Serbian Government to fully implement that decision. Del Ponte said that during talks with Serbian President Boris Tadic they did not discuss the whereabouts of Ratko Mladic, but added that she still thinks that he is in Dnevni Avaz cover, pg 8 ‘Criminal Mladic receives pension of SCG Army’ by S. Numanovic – According to well-informed diplomatic source, Mladic still receives the pension of SCG Army. The source claims this was signed and approved by Vojislav Kostunica in 2001. |
| VL interview: Radovanovic on
| Vecernji List front pg ‘Iraq will cost us 2 million Dollars per year’ and pg 5 ‘War in Iraq will cost us 2 million Dollars’ by Z. Jurilj – VL carries an interview with BiH Minister of Defence Nikola Radovanovic. Asked whether BiH’s joining Partnership for Peace Program has been conditioned by sending of a BiH unit to |
| Update to search of RS war archive
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 2 ‘The police are interrogating friends of Ljubisa Savic Mauzer’ by S. Karic – Bijeljina police is, for the past several days, interrogating friends of late Ljubisa Savic aka Mauzer in frame of the search for wartime archives of RS Supreme Command. The police have interrogated former Deputy Head of RS Intelligence Service Predrag Ceranic and former RS MoI Spokesperson Dusan Tuzlancic. A source close to Bijeljina Police claims that the police have received a list of 100 names of people, which late Savic had had contacts with, from RS MoI. These people should be interrogated in frame of this investigation. Predrag Ceranic said the police should search for information on documentation from then members of the Headquarters and Supreme Command, as well as from those who had been securing then RS President Radovan Karadzic. Dusan Tuzlancic shares Ceranic’s view and says: ‘…I think this is a futile work of policemen that would serve only for the state officials to be able to show any paper and say – look, we have made efforts’. EuroBlic, pg. RS3 ‘Folder under a veil of mystery’ by N. B. – RS Defence Minister Milovan Stankovic says that the documentation found at this Ministry and RS Army would be forwarded to the RS Secretariat for Relations with ICTY today. He refused to give any details regarding the contents of the documentation. The RS Secretariat for Relations with ICTY yesterday did not want to give any information regarding the wartime documentation and said public would be informed on whether they have found anything and give further details. The deadline for collecting of the documentation expires today (Tuesday). |
| Update to Kevljani exhumations | FTV – FBIH Commission for Missing Persons has continued the exhumation in Kevljani. So far around 220 bodies have been exhumed. Due to bad whether conditions the gravesite was flooded several times. Jasmin Odobasic, Chief of FBIH Commission states that according to the documents found the victims exhumed from this site could be Omarska prisoners of war, mostly from Prijedor or surrounding areas. Gravesite in Kevljani is one of the biggest in Prijedor area. |
Economy and social issues | |
| Oil prices up in FBIH | Oslobodjenje cover splash ‘Oil again more expensive’, pg 7 ‘New price increases expected’ by M.K.S. – Daily reports on the newest oil price increase which entered into force in Federation on Monday. It also brings that oil distributors in both entities announce to new price increase is upcoming. “We expect the price of refined oil to increase this week, however we still do not know how will that reflect to the retail oil prices in BiH,” stated Muhidic Alic, chair of the Oil group in FBiH Chamber of Commerce, for daily. RHB, FTV, RTRS – also report on the price increase. |
| On Croatian Government’s assistance for projects of BiH Croats
| Dnevni List front and pg 5 ‘Decision on allocation of 25 million Kunas by end of October’ by I. Glibusic – On the ground of a tender announced by the Croatian Government for financing of educational, cultural, scientific etc. programs and projects of BiH Croats, the Commission of the Croatian Government has made selection of projects which met conditions of the tender. According to the article, all valid offers have been forwarded to a competent Commission for final selection. DL also says that since the Croatian Government is already late when allocation of the funds is in question, it has been expected that the decision on allocation of the funds will be on the agenda of the Croatian Government’s session by the end of this month and Croatian Minister of Health Andrija Hebrang confirmed this information during his recent visit paid to Mostar. |
| DL: Officials of Croat self-rule emptied Hercegovacka bank main vault before SFOR raids
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Millions in cash taken from Hercegovacka bank’, mentioned on front, not signed – The daily carries excerpts of an article originally published by the Zagreb-based ‘Dnevnik’ daily, which says that in span of three weeks, from the proclamation of the Croat self-rule by the HDZ BiH top until the instalment of the provisional administration for the bank, the bank officials transferred over the BiH borders vast amounts of money using the bank’s vehicles and the Mostar-Zagreb commercial airline. According to Dnevnik, the money was deposited in the Zagrebacka bank, and apparently leaders of the Croat self-rule emptied the main vault before the SFOR troops raided the bank on |
| On privatization of energy sector in FBiH
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Will HDZ save Elektroprivreda of HZ HB?’, by Dario Pusic – The daily claims that the Action plan on restructuring and privatization of the energy system of the FBiH is going into the procedure once more after the FBIH Constitutional Court annulled the debatable article 85 of the Law on energy, which speaks about the way of implementation of the action plan. According to the FBiH Minister of Energy, Izet Zigic, both chamber of the FBiH Parliament discussed changes to the said article, and adopted different conclusions that now have to be harmonized. Zigic explains that the House of Representatives took a decision to give the FBiH Government the authority to deal with the Action plan, whilst the House of Peoples decided that both chambers of the Parliament have to decide about the implementation of the Action plan. Zigic goes on to say that the essence of the action plan is restructuring of the energy sector, after which the Government will propose the Parliament a law which would deal with the privatization in the energy sector. Zigic adds it is position of both chambers of the FBiH Parliament and Government find a solution which would make sure that the state remains the majority owner. DL notes that the Croat MPs in the FBIH Parliament are against the Action plan, foremost because of possibility of abolishment of the Elektroprivreda of Herceg Bosna. Ante Colak (HSS), an MP in the FBiH Parliament, notes if the FBiH Government is to decide about the Action plan, a number of MPs, not only the Croat ones, will seek protection with the Constitutional Court. |
| On meeting between Hays and representatives of BiH Trade Unions | Dnevni List pg 15 ‘ BiH Trade Unions are uniting’ by V. Soldo – Deputy High Representative Donald Hays organized yesterday a meeting with Presidents of 4 Trade Unions from BiH during which the joint platform of the Trade Unions in order to establish an Economic-Social Council at the state level was discussed. Commenting on this meeting, President of the Association of Independent Trade Unions Josip Milic said: “According to the OHR, BiH Minister of Civil Affairs Safet Halilovic supports the idea on the joint platform of the Trade Unions, and employers support is as well and therefore after this meeting it will not be a problem that the Trade Unions become united in order to find quality solutions for workers and citizens in general.” Milic added that in the next few days they will come with the proposal of the Law on Economic-Social Council and it will be sent to Halilovic. |
Judicial / security issues | |
| HJPC appoints judges to
| BHT 1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz cover, pg 8 ‘Meddzida Kreso the president of BiH Court’ by H.Orahovac, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Fourt judges and three prosecutors appointed’ by Onasa, Slobodna Dalmacija ‘HJPC appointed judges of BiH Court and prosecutors of BiH Prosecution’ by f and Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Medzida Kreso appointed President of BiH Court’ by NINA, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘Four judges and four prosecutors were appointed’ by N. N. – The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH appointed four judges to the BiH Court and three prosecutors to the BiH Prosecution. The newly-appointed judges are: Azra Miletic, Saban Maksumic, Zorica Gogalo, and Court’s president Meddzida Kreso. Dzemila Begovic, Slavica Terzic and Vesna Tancic are new prosecutors. They will assume their posts on 11 October. |
| Update to Jelavic, Rupcic, Prce
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3 ‘Detention to Jelavic and Rupcic was extended’ by A. D. – Upon the State Prosecutor’s request, the BiH Court on Monday extended detention to Ante Jelavic and Miroslav Rupcic for two months, as BiH Prosecutor’s Office confirmed. A collocutor from the BiH Prosecutor’s Office claims judge Malcolm Simmons will consider Jelavic’s request to be permitted to stand trial at large. Jelavic filed the request seven days ago, offering a bail in the amount of 250,000 KM, as well as his passport and mortgage on his entire property. It has been announced that the trial would resume on October 14. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 5 ‘I am not obliged to charge anyone’, by Blanka Magas – The daily carries a comment by Miroslav Prce, who told SD that he was not obliged to charge anyone in the Hercegovacka bank case before the BiH Court. This statement comes after the media reports that stated that Prce cut a deal with the Prosecution, according to which Prce would be given a milder sentence in exchange for help to the Prosecution in the process against Ante Jelavic and others. Prce explains that he was never asked by the Prosecution about Jelavic, noting that the deal with the Prosecution represents a ‘lesser evil’. |
| Changes to names of towns and impact on personal documents
| EuroBlic RS pg 3 ‘Documents as previously’ by T. Veselinovic – Dusan Kalember, Secretary General of the BiH Constitutional Court, stated that decision on provisional names of cities and municipality of Serb Sarajevo “would be soon” forwarded for further processing at “Official Gazette” and the legislator of the RS would then immediately have to implement it. He reminded that provisional names would be used until RS NA and Council of peoples of RS agree on the law regulating these names. He noted that provisional measures do not stipulate the change of personal ID cards, road-signs (with names of cities) etc. |
| Proposal on new names of towns in RS
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘They propose new names’ by G. Dakic – The 7th session of the RS Council of Peoples (scheduled for 14 October) would discuss several decisions regarding procedure for protection of vital national interest in relation with the laws enacted at the latest session of the RS NA. Remzija Kadric and Pejo Krnjajic, Chairman and Co-chairman of the CoP, filed amendments to Law on changes and addenda to the Law on territorial organisation and local self-governance, related to the names of cities. They proposed new names of the cities, for example Grad Lukavica Sarajevo for Grad Sarajevo of RS. |
| Incident in Konjevic polje | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3 ‘Church in Konjevic Polje was stoned’ by Srna, Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Sacred object is target again’ by K. C – Unknown persons broke two windows at Orthodox Church in Konjevic Polje with rocks, as RS MoI confirmed yesterday. The incident occurred on Sunday. |