04 December 97, 19:30
Sarajevo – The German FA Minister Kinkel, and the French FA Minister Vedrine met in Sarajevo, working on the preparations for the Bonn conference. Kinkel and Vedrinne met with presidency members Zubak and Krajisnik and BiH President Izetbegovic. Kinkel stressed the return of refugees is a matter of priority. Kinkel added that the laws on CoM, joint currency, passports and the national flag, are expected to be adopted before the Bonn conference, otherwise, HR Westendorp might be expected to bring the final decision about it. Vedrinne refuted the possibility of a protectorate, but the expansion of HR authorities will be discussed, as well as the extension of international army and police forces. Kinkel told Krajisnik that RS must extradite war criminals, while Krajisnik replied that this is not in accordance with RS constitution.
RS President Plavsic visited Sarajevo for the first time after the war.
3:00
Sarajevo – BiH Presidency session was held today, discussing the platform for the Bonn conference, and the laws on passports, registration plates, CoM, and the common currency. HR Westendorp and deputies Klein and Schumacher were also invited to the meeting.
1:00
Sarajevo – At the CoM session held today, Schumacher said that the International Community is determined to take serious action. The OHR will make these laws valid even the BiH Parliament does not adopt them. Schumacher also said that CoM should not put the Office into the embarrassing situation of having to enforce the legislation, because the legally elected ministers and the Parliament were unable to reach a agreement after 12 months of discussion. CoM Co-chairman Silajdzic said that if the property law is brought on the level of entities, at the Bonn conference, it would represent a serious step towards the division of BiH.
3:00
Sarajevo – HoP adopted the Law on Housing, and the Law on Recognition of IDs on the Federation territory. HoP also discussed the matter of the platform for the Bonn conference. The information on Reconstruction Programme delay was also adopted.
2:30
Zepce – BiH TV journalist Jovovic was attacked and beaten in Zepce by local people. Jovovic and the BiH Press team were invited to cover the constitutive session of Zepce Municipality Council. Jovovic and the BiH TV team were to blame for the immigration of Croats, cancelling of HTV programme in Zepce, unfair elections, Mujahadeens in Zenica, and the incident on the basketball game BiH – Croatia. Condemnations of the attack in Zepce came from the OSCE, BiH Journalists Association, and the BiH Independent Journalists Union.
2:30
Travnik – The round table ‘Croats of Middle Bosnia’ was held today in Travnik. Middle Bosnian Canton Vice-Governor Saric said that the round table will produce the expected the results. Saric also praised BiH TV for a job well done on covering the round table.
Sarajevo – OSCE objected on the BiH TV coverage on the murder of Ermin Rapa, published on December 2. OSCE spokesman Verheyden said that this coverage violates the rule on media acting. Verheyden said that the local police did not yet determine the direction from which the murderer came, and suggested to media to suppress the accusations since the investigation was not finished yet. BiH TV reacted to this statement saying that the author of the coverage was blamed, although he gained the information from the Canton Police Head deputy. (BiH TV re-broadcast the coverage which proved that the Ministers deputy said that the murderer came from the RS)
3:00 Sarajevo – The Croatian Ministry of Defence delegation visited BiH Federation Ministry of Defence today. The co-operation between the two ministries in 1998 was agreed.
1:30
Sarajevo – BiH Veterans Union, the Invalids War Association, the Organisation of the Deceased Veterans’ Families, and Refugees and DP’s Union, organised a round table session with the subjects of the laws on property and the laws on housing. It was concluded to demand for a urgent accordance of the constitutions of the entities with the BiH Constitution, from the Steering Board for the DPA Implementation. The immediate arrest of war criminals was also demanded. The participants of the meeting addressed the letter to the HR Westendorp, which says it would be necessary that Westendorp exert influence on the BiH Parliaments, in order to pass the laws in the area of property and privatisation.
1:30
Sarajevo – UN spokesman Ivanko confirmed that IPTF was informed about the action, taken by the Federal police in the mid Bosnia, when 40 people were arrested. Ivanko refused to give any further details about the operation, and said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is the only relevant institution that can provide more data.
1:00