| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| BIH Presidency session | Hercegovacka banka case | Kozluk elections annulled | SFOR search in Vlasenica |
| Blocked bank accounts | No coop. btw BiH bodies | BIH Presidency in session | BIH Presidency in session |
| Irregularities BiH visas | Divisions in literature | Irregularities BiH visas | Trial of Naser Oric |
| CoM in session | Mikerevic on war criminals | CoM in session | Trial of 11 policemen |
| Oslobodjenje | Chetniks are making ‘little Ravna Gora’ near Visegrad |
| Dnevni Avaz | Srebrencia is a reminder to all of us; Trail of Naser Oric: Judge astonished with Prosecution’s setbacks |
| Dnevni List | Friar Sevo: I will not bargain with Prosecution |
| Nezavisne Novine | |
| Glas Srpske | Update to Serb returns to |
| EuroBlic | Mikerevic: Additional documentation in |
| Dani |
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| Slobodna Bosna | Miroslav Prce and Miroslav Rupcic, key |
NOTE: Please note that due to celebration of the Croatian national holiday (the Independence Day), Vecernji list and Slobodna Dalmacija were not published today.
War crimes | |
| SFOR searches hotel in Vlasenica | Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘There were no arrests’ mentioned on cover ‘SFOR soldiers searched Hotel “Panorama”’ by M. Cubro; Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘They searched Panorama’ by Z.J. – SFOR members searched the hotel Panorama in Vlasenica on Thursday. Dragomir Peric, Spokesperson of the PSC Bijeljina, Thursday confirmed SFOR carried out the search, noting “it is unknown whether something was taken from the hotel. RS police was also present at the site but only as observer.” No one has been arrested during Thursday’s search of the Panorama Hotel in Vlasenica, while the aim of the operation was to check if the Dayton Agreement was being observed, SFOR Spokesperson Mark Hope told SRNA Thursday. He further noted that it does not mean any of the employees are guilty of something just because SFOR searched the hotel. He was not able to reveal any more details about the operation, nor to say if anything was confiscated. An employee of Panorama, who wanted to stay anonymous, told GS that SFOR searched all the premises in Panorama, including the basement. RHB, RTRS, BHT 1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Search of hotel Panorama in Vlasenica’ by A.P., Dnevni List pg 9 ‘Hotel Panorama searched’ not signed – SFOR stated that the search was carried out as a part of the usual process of providing support to ICTY and BIH authorities to arrest the war crime suspects. |
| Mikerevic calls on war crimes suspects at large to surrender; on issue of war archive
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘The Hague reviewing war-time documentation’ by D. Risojevic – NN collocutor from the RS Government on Thursday said that the war-time documentation RS has transferred to The Hague Wednesday might be of some assistance to the ICTY, noting that “from the realistic point of view, I doubt ICTY officials would be satisfied with it.” Florence Hartmann, Spokesperson of ICTY Chief Prosecutor, did not want to make any comment as to whether Banja Luka has transferred the documents ICTY had demanded. Dragan Mikerevic, RS Premier, Thursday said that RS MoI during the course of Thursday transferred additional part of documentation to the ICTY. However, RS MoI denied his statement by saying that Mikerevicmust have referred to the documentation sent to Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘New documents to BHT 1 – BHT 1 comments that Mikerevic called on war crimes suspects at large to surrender due to the pressure of the international deadlines. ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte will report in two months FTV – Asked whether RS expects sanctions in case it fails to deliver all requested documents to the ICTY, Mikerevic said that sanctions are behind RS because RS chooses future. |
| OHR welcomes delivery of RS war archive to ICTY
| RTRS, BHT 1, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Praise and warning’ by M.Dz., Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘The Hague reviewing war-time documentation’ by D. Risojevic, inset ‘OHR welcomed transfer of archive’ – On Thursday OHR welcomed the transfer of war documentation from RS to ICTY. OHR also warned that RS hasn’t extradited any war crime suspects. This was stated at Thursday’s press conference of international organisations in |
| SB says Matijasevic, Covic stage actions with an aim to protect war criminals
| Slobodna Bosna cover, pgs 30-33 ‘New RS MoI Darko Matijasevic is a former JNA officer who still discusses anything important with the military leadership in Belgrade’ by Emir Hodzic – SB writes that “pressured with the latest ultimatum from the Hague to submit the RS Army war archive, the leaders of RS, before all president Dragan Cavic and Interior Minister, Dragan Matijasevic, have carried out [or to be more precise: staged] in the past few days a number of ‘determinant’ actions. Their essence stayed, more or less, the same as with the all previous similar operations: do everything to protect war criminals and to prevent evidences of their crimes to reach the ICTY Prosecution.” According to ‘well informed sources from RS MoI’, such action was last week’s search of house of late Ljubisa Savic Mazur. SB also learns from RS MoI leadership that Matijasevic is an important “ |
| Meron appoints Panel of judges that’s to decide whether to transfer case onto BiH judiciary
| Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Whether Meakic, Gruban, Knezevic, Fustar will be tried in BiH?’, Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Processes against Serb to be first before BiH Court!?’, by NINA – Tanjug news agency learns from reliable sources in the ICTY that the ICTY President, Theodor Meron, has appointed a Panel of judges, whose task is to decide whether the trials to Zeljko Meakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusko Knezevic and Dusan Fustar, who are charged with committing crimes at Omarska and Keraterm camps near Prijedor, will be transferred onto the BiH judiciary. Allegedly, Meron took the decision at request of the ICTY Prosecution, which believes that the ICTY should go ahead with its intention to transfer some cases onto the local (BiH) judiciary. Judges Alphons Orie, O-Gon Kwon and Kevin Parker will in the principle decide whether the case will be transferred onto the BiH judiciary, whilst the date itself will be set subsequently. |
| FTV on Register
| FTV by Sanjin Beciragic – FTV comments that, as it was expected, at the session on Thursday BIH Presidency members failed to sign agreement on establishing of BiH Register. Signing of this agreement has been delayed as it has not been clear who would select local and international judges and who should sign the agreement. After OHR previously warned Presidency that it will suffer sanctions if fails this, a new letter came from the OHR with new instructions and without sanctions. “For [this] session we have received material form the OHR, signed by someone from the OHR, where they ask us to remove this issue from the agenda until issue of amendments to the set of laws on judiciary is solved before BiH House of Peoples,” stated member of the Presidency, Dragan Covic. Establishing Registry Office is one of the key conditions to process war crimes cases in BiH. |
Political issues | |
| McElhaney visits Potocari memorial centre; returnee village Osmace
| Oslobodjenje pg 2 ‘Flowers and respect for killed people of Srebrenica’, Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘Srebrenica is a reminder to all of us’, pg 3 ‘McElhaney: Srebrenica must not repeat’ by M. Drinjakovic – U.S. Ambassador to BiH Douglas McElhaney on Thursday visited the Potocari Memorial he paid his respects and laid flowers. “I have come here to remember the victims of the horrific crimes that happened here nine years ago,” McElhaney said. He met with the mothers of Srebrenica victims. RTRS – He stated on the occasion that US would support all those working to arrest the war crime suspects at large. FTV, BHT 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Thousand of returnees got electricity’ – McElhaney also visited the Srebrenica settlement of Osmace, where he opened the newly built power station funded by USAID. In addition, the US Government, through USAID, has invested 4.6 million in building 109 kilometres of power-line in BHT 1 by Samir Kahrovic – BHT 1 also says that at the local elections in Srebrenica, Serb residents voted for SNSD stressing that after ruling for 14 years, SDS lost confidence of voters. Municipality officials show the readiness to change the attitude towards Srebrenica’s future, with help of the entity, state and the international community. “We won’t relay only on ourselves, we will engage people that can create programs and attract investments in Srebrenica,” said head of |
| Elections Commission annuls elections in Kozluk
| BHT 1, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Elections in polling station in primary school Kozluk annulled’ by A. Malagic – The BiH Election Commission has issued the decision to annul the elections conducted on October 2 at polling station Kozluk in Municipality Zvornik. Elections at this polling station will be conducted on Saturday, October 16. Kozluk polling station was closed at |
| Dani analysis of elections: nationalists not winning in urban areas
| Dani pgs 18-21, continued on pg 77 ‘Nationalists expelled from cities’, mentioned on front, by Vildana Selimbegovic, Esad Hecimovic – Commenting on results of the local elections in BiH, Dani argues that the main features of the elections are the low turnout and defeat of the ruling SDS, SDA and HDZ in big cities/towns. In that context, Dani notes that Sulejman Tihic and Mustafa eff. Ceric can try to persuade the Bosniaks about some things, “but those Bosniaks definitively do not live in areas where a registrar and a khoja are models of civic and moral purity”. As for the SDS and HDZ, Dani argues that the SDS is approaching times when only its hardcore supporters will vote for it, whilst the HDZ can thank Cardinal Vinko Puljic for the relative success. In context of elections losers, Dani note that SBiH and PDP are definitively on the losing streak. As for parties that did good in the elections, the SDP and SNSD in particular, Dani note that the SNSD took over a former SDS stronghold of Trebinje, stressing that the SDP has some prominent individuals in its ranks, especially Damir Hadzic, an SDP candidate for Mayor of Novi grad municipality in Sarajevo, who won as twice as much votes as the SDP in the said municipality. Dani goes on to say that examples of Hadzic, as well as Jasmin Imamovic ( |
| SB analysis on elections: Winners Social democrats, biggest losers PDP and SBiH
| Slobodna Bosna cover, pgs 19-21 ‘Election defeat of Silajdzic and Ivanic; Social democrats in both BiH entities in upraise’ by Asim Metiljevic – SB also analyses the election results, and also notes that the biggest losers are Party for BiH and PDP. It notes that 5 ruling parties lost 250.000 votes in the past two years. Article says that political climate has moved left especially in RS, where SNSD, as leftist party, managed for the first time in 14 years wins more votes than right wing of SDS. Equally important is SNSD’s victory in some of previous SDS strongholds, adding that if Parliamentarian elections were today, SNSD would be able to establish Assembly’s majority which for the first time would not depend on SDA or PDP. Article further notes a huge loss of supports on SDA and also HDZ [in 2002 approx. 113.000 votes, in 2004 only about 52.000]. Author however stresses that SDA is still the strongest party in FBiH, while even though weakened HDZ is still a Croat party without any alternative. As for SDP, author notes the party managed to recover, but adds that the increase in its support is still not sufficient. |
| SDS Trebinje official Grubac of SDS election results
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘Party leadership is responsible for the SDS defeat’ by V. Popovic – In a brief interview to NN, Milan Grubac, SDS official in Trebinje, expresses surprise over the SDS election defeat in Trebinje, blaming SDS top leadership for this failure. He announces party leadership will have to analyse election results and “identify causes” of this failure. He notes election result shows “people want changes and it might not be bad. New people with new ideas will be able to make this city even more beautiful than it currently is, since Herzegovinians are smart people.” He does not want to refer to any specific name of SDS official responsible for SDS election defeat, responding positively to press question that SDS has actually recorded a great loss with the departure of Dragan Kalinic, because it seems the new leadership does not have the authority to keep the party together. On Kalinic he notes: “Kalinic was a mature politician, but it is hard to hold out in these Balkans cuisine overwhelming with pressures, insinuations and public disreputation.” |
| Colak unhappy with election results in
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Colak: Removals in party because of election results’, mentioned on front, by Dario Pusic – The daily notes that despite being successful in the local elections, the HDZ BiH had some poor results, especially in the Canton 10, namely Tomislavgrad, Glamoc and Drvar. According to the HDZ President, Barisa Colak, the local leadership takes most credits for the outcome of local elections, since the local leadership were mostly in charge of selecting candidates for the local elections, thus assuming the responsibility. Colak goes on to say that when election results are made official, the party will have inter-party elections when “we will have something to say”. This leads DL to say that it seems that removals are to happen within the HDZ. |
| RFE int with Milorad Dodik
| Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘RS is not a criminal creation’ by V. Popovic – In a statement to Radio Free Europe Thursday, Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, also responded to questions of listeners. Dodik said the mandate period must be determined prior to filing request for early elections, adding that “if mandate were set to four years, we would more aggressively push for early elections.”. He also said: “RS is not the criminal creation. It is an interest of all those, who did not belong to SDS as well. I agree there were some crimes and people responsible for them should be criminal prosecuted. There should be no hiding behind a collective, since it cannot justify a single war crime committed, nor can such hiding be reason for blaming the entire collective.” He stressed the end should be put to the satanisation of the Serb people over crimes committed. Responding to question as to whether he would advise Radovan Karadzic to surrender, Dodik said: “Well, I would not like to be Karadzic’s advisor…As for Tribunal, Karadzic must go to |
| Politicians in RS agree accusations made in election campaigns should be investigated
| EuroBlic, pg. RS1 ‘Show some evidence’ by Mirna Soja – Leaders of the strongest parties think that accusations made against each other during the pre-election campaign in relation to crime and corruption should be checked in order to determine the real truth and defeat crime in RS. Acting President of SDS Dragan Cavic says he would ask from CRA to give him tape records of all political shows that were aired during the pre-election campaign in order to see who accused whom of such activities. PDP leader Mladen Ivanic agrees with Cavic’s initiative and thinks someone should provide answers on whether these accusations were true or politicians were falsely accusing each other. SNSD claims they are not afraid of police investigation or verification of claims they brought during pre-election campaign. A member of SNSD Main Board, Nikola Spiric, says all accusations brought against him during the pre-election campaign may be freely checked ‘because none of these were true, for the difference from other politicians who will need to explain how they have managed to build palaces with their public employees’ salaries’. RS MoI Spokesperson Zoran Glusac says that no party member has provided the police with official information on criminal activities, noting some of accusations had been investigated previously. Some accusations were overturned, while some were forwarded for further criminal investigation before Courts, said Glusac without giving any example of such cases. |
| DL on appointment of Mostar
| Dnevni List, pg 12 ‘Post-election games in Mostar’, mentioned on front, by Zvonimir Jukic – The daily features an article about likely scenarios that could happen in the process of appointment of the new Mayor of Mostar. Listing the election results in Mostar, the author stresses that neither HDZ nor SDA can appoint the Mayor of Mostar on their own, adding that is highly unlikely that the SDA would support an HDZ candidate because of low level of tolerance among the two parties. DL goes on to say that the “opposition” in the City Council, consisting of the SDP, NSRZB, supported by the SBIH, could in the third round of voting, should it go down to the third round, nominate Adisa Vucina (NSRZB) as a candidate for the Mayor of Mostar. The author puts all this into context of appointment of heads of departments and services in the City administration of Mostar noting that, should the SDA and HDZ not reach an agreement on distribution of offices in the City administration, especially the urban planning department, the SDA would rather opt to back Vucina than an HDZ candidate up. |
| Mayor Election results in Prijedor
| EuroBlic, cover ‘SDS blames Ashdown for defeat’ and RS pg2 ‘SDS blames Ashdown’ by G. Savic – The article carries a report on election results in Prijedor. It also says that SDS from Prijedor blames HR Paddy Ashdown for poor election results of this party. It explains that HR Ashdown has removed former President of the Municipal Board of SDS and candidate for Prijedor Mayor, Dusan Beric, and his successor Radenko Stijepic did not have enough time to get prepared and involved to pre-election campaign for Prijedor Mayor. |
| Cavic on constitutional changes
| RHB – At the press conference on Thursday in |
| BHT1 comments there is no cooperation btw institutions at the state level
| BHT 1 by Gvozden Sarac – BHT 1 comments that the lack of full cooperation between state BiH institutions damages BiH’s reputation in the world. Bad communication between BiH Presidency and Council of Ministers (CoM) was demonstrated during recent official visit of the Presidency members and BiH Foreign Affairs Minister to Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Foreign debt 5,85 billion KM’ by H.H., inset ‘Good cooperation with CoM’ – Covic stated for journalists that the cooperation between Presidency and CoM is at the satisfactory level. |
| EUFOR to take over on 2 December
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘NATo to hand over mandate in BiH to EU on 2 December’ by Fena, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘EU takes over Mission in BiH on 2nd December’ by BETA, Dnevni List pg 6 ‘EUFOR takes over mission on December 2’ by NINA – Spokesperson of the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Kristina Galjak confirmed yesterday that the EU will officially take over NATO’s mission (SFOR) on December 2, 2004. |
| Hays in BL, Ashdown addresses Venetian conference
| Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Ashdown at meeting of Venetian Commission’ not signed carries that Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays is paying a two-day visit to Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘The Law on obligations to be adopted by the end of year’ – OHR Spokeswoman |
| Oslobdojenje on ‘chetnik’ monuments near Visegrad
| Oslobodjenje cover splash, pg 3 ‘Chetniks making a ‘little Ravna Gora’ near Visegrad’ by Az. Kalamujic – Daily’s cover page story reads that the infamous statute of WWII chetnik leader Drazo Mihajlovic, recently removed from Brcko, has been located in Visegrad region. According to author, this is the same place were at the end of August this year, the Serb Orthodox Church top clergy and RS leaders revealed the monument t Serb leader from 18th century Karadjordje. In addition, there is also a Museum of the First Serb Uprising. “The aforementioned region in Visegrad has become, with the blessing from RS authorities, a certain cult place of BiH chetnik movement,” reads the article. |
| NN op-ed on elections | Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Election results and messages’ by Slavo Kukic – The author is writing about election results, noting with disappointing tone that election turn-out of voters is devastating, since hardly above half population turned out at elections. He is also praising the election results in RS, reflected through defeat of SDS by SNSD. On F BiH, he notes time will most likely time in two years or so when SDP would totally defeat HDZ or SDA, since SDP won much seats in many |
Judicial / visas issues | |
| Rupcic negotiates settlement with Prosecution
| Dnevni List, front and pg 3 ‘Friar Sevo: I will not bargain with Prosecution’, by N. Dedic – Amid reports that suggest that Miroslav Rupcic and friar Ivo Sevo, two suspects in the Hercegovacka bank case, are going to cut a deal with the BiH Prosecution, DL carries friar Sevo and his lawyer Zdravko Raic as denying such possibility. Sevo notes that he never left Mostar or talked to anyone, whilst his lawyer insists that the indictment against his client is ungrounded. On the other hand, Rupcic’s lawyer, Marko Martinovic, notes the following: “It is pointless to comment on it before it is official. You cannot comment on something that isn’t there. What is certain, you can talk about it, what’s not, then you must not talk about it”. DL also learns that one cannot rule out a possibility that other suspects cut a deal with the Prosecution. Inset entitled ‘McNair prepares first witness’ – DL wanted to get a comment from the Head of Special department for organized crime and corruption of the BiH Prosecution, John McNair, about possibilities of new deals, but the daily was told by the Prosecution that McNair was busy with “preparatory interview” with the first prosecution witness. BHT 1, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Negotiations with Prosecution on Rupcic’s plead are being led’ by F.V. – Lawyer Marko Martinovic confirms that Rupcic negotiates with BiH Prosecution to plead guilt. |
| SB on Rupcic; says Covic might end up in jail soon
| Slobodna Bosna cover splash ‘Hot fall in prison’, pg 11 ‘Miroslav Rupcic also settled wit Prosecution: he will plead guilty and will be sentenced to 5,5 years!’ by S. Avdic – SB writes that Miroslav Rupcic, the accused in the Hercegovacka Bank case, will settle with Prosecution. According to its source close to BiH Prosecution, Rupcic will plead guilty and in return will be sentenced to 5,5 years of jail. “What is still unknown is that whether Miroslav Prce and Miroslav Rupcic obliged themselves in the process of ‘negotiating’ with the Prosecution to testify against other accused in the case of HB,” the article reads adding that Prce denied their previous report that he accepted to testify against others. However, SB notes that it has not been explicitly denied that Prce and Rupce reached an agreement under which they would testify “against some other high-ranking officials of the HDZ accused of other crimes not directly related to Hercegovacka Bank?! This primarily refers to the current BIH Presidency member, Dragan Covic.” Remanding that BiH Court has annulled possibility for Covic and some other current or former high-ranking officials to call on immunity regarding several indictments raised against them, SB writes that Covic could end up in jail soon. “However, our sources claim that for the reason of ‘ethnic balance’ some high ranking Bosniak official will end up in jail before Covic, most probably former FBiH President Edhem Bicakcic, and his ministers, Fuad Purisevic and Sulejman Garib,” concludes the article. Slobodna Bosna pg 24 inset ‘Martin Raguz to replace Covic in BiH Presidency?!’ – SB writes that while |
| MIP official on issuance of visas in BiH Embassy in
| RHB, FTV – The Assistant Foreign Minister for International-Legal and Consular Affairs, Ibrahim Djikic, stated on Thursday that an intern audit has reviewed the conduct of the BiH Embassy in Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Vasilj in business with pilgrims in Medjugorje?’ by Az. Kalamujic – Djikic said that Ministry established that about 80 or 90 visas were issued for pilgrims to Medjugorje without an approval of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, however stressed that these visas were not used to illegally enter EU. Asked whether Ambassador Kruno Vasilj was privately included in the business of organizing pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Djikic refused to comment. Asked about the letter that PDHR Donald Hays sent to Mladen Ivanic in which Hays says that Consular Office [headed by Djikic] has been refusing to submit to CIPS directorate a database of diplomatic passports of BiH, Djikic says that ‘attacks’ from OHR were not grounded because CIPD Directorate officials promised at the meeting with the representatives of Foreign Affairs Ministry held in December last year that they would link the database of issued diplomatic passports within 24 hours. CIPS, says Djikic, has not yet fulfilled that obligation. |
| NN update to 60 BiH visas missing from BiH Embassy in
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Investigation against employee’ by A. Sisic – Jakob Finci, Director of the BiH State Administration Agency, Thursday stated that the Disciplinary Commission of the State Administration Agency and the BiH Foreign Ministry are conducting investigation against Damir Masic, Embassy employee, suspected of engagement in disappearance of 60 visas for BiH from the BiH Embassy in Brussels. Ambassador Zdenko Martinovic is yet to give his statement on this matter, after which Disciplinary Commission would make a decision. According to NN inset “Visa regime for 9 countries’, BiH has introduced a visa regime for 9 European countries. The Countries are |
| Dani int with judge Vlado Adamovic on charges against him
| Dani, pgs 36-38 ‘Reis is man who creates public opinion’, mentioned on front, by Emir Burlovic – carries an interview with a judge of the BiH Court, Vlado Adamovic, who is labeled by Dani as “the most controversial judge of the BiH Court”. Asked to comment on the information that disciplinary proceedings are being conducted against him because of his failure to report that he is living in a 3-bedroom apartment owned by the FBiH Government, judge Adamovic says he did not forget to report the apartment, but the change of address. Adamovic then goes on to say that he will be soon relieved of his duty, insisting that journalists create a negative image about him.“You (journalists) will make me jobless, I say that. Eventually, I will end up on the street, be sure of it, I know what I am saying. Because a myth that is being created about judge Adamovic will generate negative effects in the OHR and somebody will erase me without reading anything”, concludes judge Adamovic. |
| Bank accounts of 10 orgs blocked
| RHB, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Accounts of 10 Islamic humanitarian organizations blocked’ not signed – According to Tanjug, the BiH Security Ministry confirmed that competent Federation of BiH bodies blocked accounts of 10 Islamic humanitarian organizations because of the suspicion that they support international terrorists. DL also says that it has been suspected that about 790 million KM were laundered through suspicious financial operations of these organizations. |
| Update to Matanovic case | RTRS, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 6 ‘Authorities were aware of Matanovic case’ by SRNA – During Thursdays resumption of the trial against 11 former Prijedor police officers charged with the illegal detention of Catholic priest Tomislav Matanovic and his parents in 1995, prosecution witness Rajko Kasagic (formerly RS Premier from December 1995 through May 1996)stated that the RS authorities had been aware of the case of the Matanovic family, but had failed to do anything about it. Kasagic said that during his mandate as the RS Premier, he verbally requested the then RS President Radovan Karadzic to investigate this case, but nothing had been done about it. Kasagic claimed that policemen could not have resovled this problem, since they had just been obeying orders. |
| RS Govt in session
| RTRS – RS Government adopted the law on changes to the Law on |
Economic and social issues | |
| BiH Presidency: internal debt 5 bn KM, foreign debt 6 bn KM
| Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Foreign debt almost 6 billion KM’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Foreign debt 5,85 billion KM’ by H.H., Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘On cooperation between BiH and Croatia in mid October’, by E. Mackic – The BiH Presidency, at a session held in Sarajevo on Thursday, adopted the Report on execution of budget of BiH institutions and international commitments of BiH for 2003, and adopted the information on BiH internal and foreign debt. The Presidency has established that BiH’s foreign debt amounts to 6 billion KM, while internal is close to 5 billion KM. The Presidency’s member, Dragan Covic, stated that the foreign debt is not too high. Apparently, the execution of the budget amounts to 196 million KMs, whilst the re-balanced budget amounts to 211 million KMs. In light of auditors’ report, the BiH Presidency also passed a conclusion that all institutions are to adopt procedures, so the auditors do not have objections in the future that there are no relevant procedures. Finally, the Presidency decided in the principle that inter-state council meetings with RTRS – On the issues of debt, RTRS suggests that each citizen of BiH would have to give 1500 KM to pay out BiH foreign and 1300 KM to pay for BiH internal debt. RHB, FTV, BHT 1 – Presidency has also determined 18 November as a date of official meeting between Croatian and BiH delegations in |
| FBiH Govt in session
| RHB, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘Customs-free regime reduces incomes to Federation budget’, not signed – Carries a report from a session of the FBiH Government that was held in Mostar on Thursday. Among other issues, the FBiH Government ascertained that in the first 8 months of 2004, 2.732.301.409 KMs of public revenues were collected, which is an increase by 13% in comparison to the same period from 2003. However, the customs-generated revenues had decreased by 16%, which is caused by introduction of the customs-free regime with neighbouring countries. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Stance of Board of Directors of the PIO is waited to harmonize the pensions with salaries’ by A. Hadziarapovic– At the session, the Government has not discussed the amendments to the law on Pensions and Disability Insurance. The stance will be known only after FBiH PIO Board of Directors estimate the proposal to harmonize the amount of pensions with average monthly salary in FBiH. |
| Terzic on Ploce port; confirms Sklar to be his advisor
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Sanader confirmed that there is nothing of the agreement with Racan on Ploce Port’ by F. Cardzic – Despite the announcements made in the media, Chairman of the BiH CoM Adnan Terzic confirms in statement to DA that Richard Sklar, former economic envoy to Bill Clinton, will be his economic advisor. Terzic explains that his task would be to liaise with the international financial institutions, and to attract foreign investment in BiH. CoM Chair says Sklar has not asked for compensation for his job. As for the meeting with Croatian prime minister, Ivo Sanader, Terzic denies this was anything of a secret meeting, adding that the most attention was paid to the issue of Ploce port. Terzic confirms that they have agreed on agreement, stressing he doesn’t believe anything better can be done from what was agreed, concluding that Sanader made it clear that agreement with former Croatian Prime Minister Racan will not be accepted. |
| NN op-ed on Ivanic and economy
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Ivanic and economy’ by Borislav Bijelic – Bijelic is critical of Mladen Ivanic, BiH Foreign Minister, and his stances on economic situation in BiH presented in the most recent BN TV programme. The author reminds of some badly run privatisation procedures (including Kristal Banka Banja Luka), concluding that “politicians should not be engaged in economy related affairs. Employers and investors are to be engaged in economic affairs, while politicians should be engaged in creation of the institutional framework within which abuses of public offices should be sanctioned.” |
| CoM in session
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘BiH will have its honorary unit’, by E. Mackic – The BiH Council of Ministers, at its session held in Sarajevo on Thursday, adopted a proposal of the BiH Defence Ministry to support the Proposal of law on participation of BiH armed forces and police officials and other state officials in missions abroad, the proponent of which is Momcilo Novakovic. BHT 1, FTV – CoM has also accepted information on equipment, funds and services for the SIPA and the SBS. |