Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 8 November
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| Cro self-rule hearing without Jelavic | BiH HoR in session | Cavic press conference |
| ICTY disc. trial agst 6 Croat officials | Mesic honorary PhD in | BiH HoR to convene |
| Mesic awarded at | World News | Curfew in |
TV news broadcast on 7 Novemeber
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Riots in | Igman Initiative has not been signed | |
| Meeting of Igman Initiative | FBiH HoR on Energopetrol | Skenderija as Chief negotiator |
| EU to give green light for BiH | Detention for Jelavic | Statement on DPA not to be singed |
| | World News | FBIH HoR on “Energopetrol” |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| EU MoFA meeting in | FBIH HoR on “Energopetrol” | EU’s green light for BiH |
| Skenderija for chief BiH negotiator? | Zigic resigns | Igman Initiative- no agreement |
| Igman Initiative has not been signed | Review on spent donations to BIH | Agrément for Dragicevic |
| FBiH HoR on Energopetrol | Merhamet affair | DS on Head Negotiator |
| Oslobodjenje | |
| Dnevni Avaz | Minister Zigic resigned from office |
| Dnevni List | Documentation confiscated in cantonal MoI (Financial Police checks Canton 7 MoI) |
| Vecernji List | Attack on White House prepared in BiH |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | |
| Glas Srpske | Feature story on troubles of 10-memebr family from Cajnice |
| Nezavisne Novine | A joint goal is EU |
| Blic | KM 1500 for the first cry (about expenses of newly born babies) |
| Vecernje Novosti | |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| Igor Davidovic nominated for BiH Chief Negotiator with EU | |
| BiH HoR in session
| BH Radio 1 Mirsad Bajraktarevic – BiH House of Representatives have commenced the session today discussing the changes to the several laws, including the law on public purchase procedures. Delegates currently discuss the proposed changes to the Law on citizenship in urgent procedure, which stipulates the establishment of the Commission that would review the citizenships awarded in BiH. |
| FBiH HoP in session
| BH Radio 1 Ljiljana Radl – Due to absence of the FBiH Prime Minister, Ahmet Hadzipasic, and his deputy Dragan Vrankic, the FBiH HoP will not discuss the proposal for the changes to the FBiH budget for this year which were already passed by the HoR. The budget rebalance has been expected by the civil war victims and invalids, as it is still not certain whether they would receive benefits retroactively as of 1 July or 1 October this year. The HoP will also discuss the changes to the privatization of the companies, the changes to the law on practicing law and changes to the registration of companies. The House will continue with the session tomorrow. |
| Mesic receive honorary PhD | BH Radio 1 Samir Kahrovic – Croatian President Stjepan Mesic received honorary PhD at |
| EC’s Humphreys in Prijedor
| RS Radio – Michael Humphreys, Head of EC delegation to BiH, has stated in Prijedor today that over the last ten years, the EC has donated sources for refugee returns, while in the future it will be donating source intended for economic development. |
Political Developments/Reforms | |
| Igman Initiative session: BiH Presidency again discredited the state
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| VN: Tihic on Kosovo/BiH
| Vecernje Novosti pg 2 ‘A war over Kosovo as well’ by Lj. Dz. – carries a statement of BiH Presidency member Sulejman Tihic, who said: “Anyone who might attempt to bring in relation the status of Kosovo with BiH and its territorial integrity must know a war would brake out, because we will never allow such thing’. He added BiH had never been a part either of NOTE: Daily does not say where the statement/quote was taken from. |
| Interview with S. Mesic on third entity, DPA, Jelavic case
| Oslobodjenje cover pg splash and pgs 4 and 5 ‘Croatia and BiH do not have problems that cannot be resolved’ by S. Kurtovic carries an interview with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic who says that BiH and Croatia do not have problems that cannot be resolved. Asked to comment on the demand for establishment of the third, Croat entity, Mesic says that he would not comment on the demands of the Croat representatives in the BiH institutions since this is their legitimate right but he added this demand is not logical since they demand abolishment of one entity (the RS) while they fight for the third entity. Talking about the Dayton Peace Accord, Mesic says that the DPA stopped the war and it left the open space for its improving. Mesic added that BiH citizens through its institutions and with the international assistance should decided in which way the DPA would be improved in order to achieve European standards and implement reforms that have been expected from BiH. Asked to comment on the Ante Jelavic case, Mesic says: ‘If Jelavic stood the trial for non-transparent disposing with Croatian money, then those people who gave that money to Jelavic should stand the trial in |
| VL:
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘USA do not want to change two-entity organization of BiH’, by Miroslav Vasilj – According to VL, the US administration and large part of the IC, when it comes to the forthcoming constitutional changes in BiH, will not be insisting on genuine, real changes that include changes to the territorial organization, instead the changes should be only dealing with ‘cosmetic changes’ such as issue of (establishment) of state Ministry of Agriculture, possibility of abolishment of collective BiH Presidency, increase of number of state ministries, harmonization of entity laws etc. The confirmation of this comes from the Speaker of the BiH House of Representatives, Martin Raguz (HDZ), who says he has got an impression that the changes will not be dealing with the essence of the problem, the two-entity organization of BiH that is. VL concludes the article by saying that the Croat political top is getting prepared for such an unfavourable scenario for the Croats, therefore one can expect that all Croat parties will coordinate their moves towards the IC. |
| HR Ashdown on 10th anniversary of DA for BiH
| Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Dayton is reaching end of its utility’ by D.Risojevic – Addressing the Round Table dedicated to 10th anniversary of Dayton Agreement in London, the High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, stated that a decade after the end of the war in BiH the Dayton Peace Agreement has brought BiH to the gateway to the Stabilisation and Association Process and to Partnership for Peace, “but are reaching the end of the utility of the Dayton construct”. Addressing the next phase of BiH’s development the HR said “we in the International Community must now begin to move from the heavyweight, intrusive interventions, to a new role of adviser, persuader and partner under a European Union Special Representative.” Ashdown ntoed that IC has used the flexibilities within Dayton to create the broad superstructures of a light level state structure, governing a highly decentralized country, emphasising that it is now necessary to begin to recognize and correct two main downsides of the DA: first, reliance on group, rather than individual rights, and second, the burden of a highly dysfunctional structure of governance. According to HR, the cost of Government in BiH impoverishes its people and stagnates its economy and must be reduced. Functionality is the key word for the next phase. “The state-building task now is to make the state institutions we have recently created function effectively and make the state as a whole function more effectively,” said HR. |
| EU Foreign Ministers approve start of
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| British Ambassador Rycroft, BiH CoM Chair Terzic on
| RTRS – GB Ambassador to BiH Mathew Rycroft stated that speed of BiH movement toward the EU would depend on how fast will BiH pass and implement reforms vital for establishment of functional and sustainable State, including the full cooperation with ICTY. Chairman of Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic said that this decision was expected, but he admitted that important role in all of this has had EU Commissioner for Enlargement Ollie Rehn, who has done hi best to shorten the administrative procedures. Decisive fight against crime and corruption, independent judiciary, parliamentary democracy and market economy – these are all battles that BiH has to win on its way to European integration. Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Report of European Commission adopted’, not signed, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘BiH is getting closer to |
| PBS Law yet not harmonized
| Hayat, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Text of the Law on RTV system was not harmonized as yet’ by Srna, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Meaningless appointment’ – Member of the Joint Commission for harmonization of text of the Law on RTV system Vinko Radovanovic on Monday stated that the text of the Law was not harmonized as yet, while the Commission session adjourned until further notice. He stated that HDZ delegate Vinko Zoric had to leave the session due to his previously scheduled obligations and he added he thinks it was absurd to appoint as the Commission member a person whose Caucus, as in Zoric’s case – HDZ Caucus – voted against the Law. |
| DS’ Kovacevic: RS President Cavic to appoint Zoran Skenderija as Chief Negotiator
| BHT, Hayat, RTRS, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Cavic will nominate Skenderija’, not signed – The name of the Chief BiH Negotiator in Stabilization and Association Agreement talks will be published during the week. The Chair of RS Democratic Party (DSRS) Predrag Kovacevic claims that RS President Dragan Cavic is going to propose Zoran Skenderija for the chief negotiator. Skenderija used to perform the duty of Secretary in BiH Embassy in a western Europe state. |
| DA on dilemma related to election of BiH chief negotiator with EU
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Igor Davidovic is chief negotiator after all?’ by S.N. – Daily reports referring to a reliable source that Igor Davidovic, former BiH Ambassador at the USA, could, after all, be chief negotiator of BiH with EU on |
| EuroBlic on BiH chief negotiator with EU: Cenic referred to as the most serious candidate
| EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Cenic the candidate for negotiator with EU?’, announced on cover ‘Svetlana Cenic is negotiator with EU?’ by N. B. – Since Igor Davidovic rejected the nomination for the chief negotiator on |
| Terzic on postponement of Mostar mtg. of 8 parliamentary parties on negotiating team with EU
| Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Meeting was postponed due to negotiations on BiH Constitution’ by M. C. – CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic on Monday confirmed that leaders of parliamentary parties, members of BiH Presidency and CoM Chairman postponed the meeting that should have been held in Mostar Monday. Negotiating platform should have been defined and a chief negotiator on |
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| HDZ leader Covic meets Martens in
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Covic proving the convention was legal’, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Martens is coming to check legality of 9th Convention of HDZ’, mentioned on front ‘Suspension of HDZ BiH avoided in Brussels’, by Vlatko Ivankovic – Reports that senior leaderships of the HDZ BiH and European people’s Party (EPP), led by Dragan Covic and Wilfried Martens respectively met in Brussels on Monday to talk about cooperation between the two parties, especially about problems pertaining to organization of the 9th Convention of HDZ BiH. VL notes that Covic presented Martens a complete report about the implementation of the 9th Convention of HDZ, and that the HDZ invited members of the EPP to visit the HDZ BiH to see for themselves the credibility of the claims that the Convention was organized in a legal and democratic manner. Martens has accepted the invitation and the dialogue between the two parties should continue in Mostar on November 27 in Mostar. VL concludes that although there were big pressures on Martens to suspend the HDZ BiH from the EPP (HDZ BiH has a status of an observer), it did not happen. Inset entitled ‘Help to Croats’ efforts for equality’ carries Covic as saying that the issue of 9th Convention of HDZ BiH will be solved once and for all now when the documentation has been delivered to the EPP. Furthermore, Covic says the HDZ wants to be a part of the EPP, through which the HDZ wants to secure the equality for Croats in the forthcoming constitutional changes. |
| NN carries comments on speculation 16 new persons would be rehabilitated
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Dragan Cavic is trying to alleviate rift at the party’ by V.Popovic – Daily carries statements of several politicians reacting upon information from |
Economic/Social Affairs/Education | |
| FBiH Minister Zigic resigned from office
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| FBiH HoR discusses Energopetrol re-capitalization
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| Protest in front of F BiH Parliament’ building: Workers supportive of Government decision, minor share holders against the solution
| Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Workers supportive of Government decision, minor share holders oppose’ by Az.D., Oslobodjenje pg 7 ‘Energopetrol workers protested’ by S.Se., Dnevni List, pg 2 ‘Workers of Energopetrol protested’, by M. Zorlak– Several hundreds of workers of “Energopetrol” Monday gathered in front of the F BiH Parliament on the eve of HoR’s session. According to Nermin Hodzic, member of the Coordination Board of the Syndicate of Workers of “Energopetrol”, those employed at this company support decision of F BiH Government. However, according to Sead Osmanagic, former Commercial Director of “Energopetrol” and small shareholder, he and his likes, oppose Government’ decision, saying that “we should not let our ooil market to the neighbouring state.” |
| HDZ’s Josip Pojavnik on Magros privatisation affair
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘F BiH Parliament should discuss “Magros” by A.Dedajic – Josip Pojavnik, HDZ delegate at the HoR of F BiH Parliament, Monday during parliament session addressed a message to his colleagues that HoR should discuss the issue of sale of majority shares’ package of “Magros Veletrgovina” and “Magros Export Import”, sister-company of “Al Shiddi Trading Est” from Riyadh and “Al Shiddi International” from Zenica. |
| BiH Parliamentary Commission: Report on donations incomplete
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| OSCE’s Davidson: Politics should separate from education
| Dnevni List, pg 8 ‘Politics should split from education, not schools’, by Douglas Davidson – Carries a commentary signed by the Chief of OSCE Mission to BiH, Ambassador Douglas Davidson, in which he, whilst talking about the education reform in BiH, reminds that all BiH education ministers stated Brussels three years ago that the education system needed an urgent reform because it is lagging behind Europe, and that first step should be that the politics is to be removed from classrooms. However, according to the Ambassador, those were only nice words since not much has changed ever since because the education has become hostage to policy of divisions. |
| FBiH Finance Minister Vrankic’s reaction to DL article: ‘Uncoordinated informing of public does not serve anyone’s interest’
| Dnevni List pg 9 ‘Uncoordinated informing of public does not serve anyone’s interest’ by De.L. – Reacting to the article ‘Vrankic deprives journalists of information’ published in DL on Monday (see BiH Media Round-up Nov. 7, 2005) FBiH Minister of Finances Dragan Vrankic stated: “In accordance with the Law on Free Access to Information, the Ministry gives information to media through a press assistant according to the media demands and also according to our estimations or a need for press releases.’” He also stressed that uncoordinated and contradictory informing of the public does not serve anyone’s interest, it discredits the work of the Ministry and according to Vrankic it would not be allowed that this happens. |
Crime/Legal Proceedings | |
| Croat self-rule trials before Court of BiH start
| Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Prce: Charges are result of AID’s report’, by Erna Mackic – Reports from the trials in the ‘Croat self-rule’ case, which started before the |
| Newsweek’: Terrorist attacks planned in BiH, reaction by Deputy Minister Mektic
| Vecernji List, front pg splash and pg 13 ‘Attack on White House prepared in BiH’, by Miroslav Vasilj – According to the ‘Newsweek’, the US and UK authorities have launched an investigation regarding the arrest of three persons from London, who are suspected of planning terrorist attacks on the White House and other facilities in Washington. According to the ‘Newsweek’, trails lead to BiH where is the alleged HQ of the group the three men belong to. The group presented itself on the internet as ‘Maximus’. According to the BiH Deputy Security Minister, Dragan Mektic, the Ministry has heard of the article in the ‘Newsweek’, however no official request has arrived from the |
| DL: Financial Police seizes financial documentation of Canton 7 MoI
| Dnevni List, front pg splash ‘Documentation confiscated in cantonal MoI’ and pg 4 ‘Documentation of financial operations confiscated?!’, by M. Batarello – Learns from a police source that representatives of the EUPM, FBiH Interior Ministry and Financial Police of Mostar entered the building of the Canton 7 Interior Ministry on Monday, confiscating a part of the cantonal MoI’s documentation in the process. There are no official confirmations of the event. Unofficially, documentation that speak about financial operations of the cantonal MoI were confiscated. DL tried to contact various spokespersons to get comments, but they either said they could not comment the news (Srecko Bosnjak, cantonal Police Commissioner’s spokesman) or were unavailable for comments (Lejla Trivun, Robert Cvrtak, |
| Liaison officer with ICTY Mihaljevic on Rajic plea bargain, ICTY investigations in BiH
| Vecernji List pg 6 ‘Hague conducted 16 interviews with Croat war officials’ by Dejan Jazvic – carries an interview with Croat official from BiH – liaison officer with ICTY, Goran Mihaljevic who, inter alia, commented on the plea of Ivica Rajic before the Hague Tribunal. Asked whether Rajic’s plea would compromise the role Croatia had in BiH, Mihaljevic said the prosecution had, even before Rajic entered his plea, presented elements of Croatia’s involvement in the war in BiH and he thinks the plea would not bring much changes, regardless of the fact there is a theoretic possibility that BiH might bring a lawsuit against Croatia and demand for compensation of war damage. Nevertheless, Mihaljevic thinks there are slim chances for this to occur. With regard to war crimes investigations, Mihaljevic says |