SFOR Transcript 9 November 1999

Transcript: Joint Press Conference 9 November 1999, 11.40 Hours Coalition Press Information Center Tito Barracks

Simon Haselock, OHR: Good morning, everybody. I'm afraid I have a few things for you this morning. First of all, the High Representative, as you know, is in New York, and yesterday he reported to the UN Security Council, which as you know he has to do every few months. In fact, he gave a speech to the Security Council, and I've placed copies of the speech - in English, I'm afraid, at the moment, we'll get them translated as soon as possible. But there's a copy of his speech outside. A couple of highlights: obviously, Mr. Petritsch outlined his concept of ownership again, or odgovornost, and flagged up the two most important developments in Bosnia - Herzegovina over the last two or three weeks, I mean in regard to this concept. These of course are the package of property legislation reforms, or PLIP, imposed on October the 27th, and the handing over to the BiH Parliament of the draft Election Law. And as he pointed out in a speech in regard to the PLIP, it's hard to think of a single measure with a greater potential to reverse the effects of ethnic cleansing, as you know, the worst legacy of the war, provided - and thats, I have it underlined in here - provided the authorities here actually implement these laws. Meanwhile, the greater transparency and accountability that's inherent in the new draft election law will, we believe, for the first time empower the citizens of Bosnia - Herzegovina by enabling them to select local representatives who will in turn be obliged to sell their policies to the voters if they wish to be elected, rather than just having a place on the list. The draft election law and the property legislation thus complement each other, and are both essential tools, as I've said, in the concept of ownership. And the members of the UN Security Council fully agreed with this thesis. On privatization in the Republika Srpska, some reasonably good news: yesterday, we had some intensive and very productive with representatives of the Republika Srpska Directorate for Privatization, at which the privatization process in Republika Srpska was discussed. And we'd like to confirm that the current legislation and regulations in the Republika Srpska are in line with the State Framework Law on Privatization, so we now expect the process to go ahead in a fair and transparent manner. Over the last few months, the Republika Srpska Directorate for Privatization has provided us with approval for all privatization regulations and provisions to be in effect, or which will be in effect in the Republika Srpska. We believe that the fact that the participants in the RS privatization process have to register in order to participate will not have a negative impact on the rate of participation of eligible persons. The Directorate will increase staff in their satellite offices in Sarajevo, which as you remember was a key issue, in accordance with the needs during the registration period. This morning, the Senior Deputy High Representative Matei Hoffman met, or may still be meeting, with the Federation Ombudsman to discuss the new property legislation which I've just mentioned, and its implementation. They agreed, or will be agreeing, that the process of repossession of occupancy rights and property has been moving far too slowly, and that the authorities must devote far more energy and resources to property law implementation than they have thus far. Right now, the entities, cantons and municipalities are drafting their budgets for next year. The OHR expects them to allocate sufficient funds to the bodies in charge of property law implementation to be appropriately equipped and staffed, as well as for the minor reconstruction work and connections to electricity, gas, water and telephones, which the property and returns process demands. The OHR fully supports the Federation Ombudsman and is grateful for all the valuable work they have done in the field of property rights and return. And finally, and by no means lastly, the question of independent media. You will all have noticed the hiatus concerning RT RS and the RS government's attempts to influence its management, administration and editorial policy. This is further evidence of how politicians in the region just don't get it. They remain control freaks when it comes to the media, and are frightened of true independence, criticism, free debate or comment. You will have seen our press release on the issue of the general director, Mr. Kozomara, which we released yesterday, and there is copies outside, but I quote a couple of things from it: According to Article 15, "The Director General of Radio Television of Republika Srpska shall be appointed by the Board of Governors for a five- year mandate. The Republika Srpska National Assembly and Government have no legal role in the naming of the Director General. Public statements to the contrary carry no legal authority whatsoever. Thus, the director general - Mr. Kozomara - remains in his post. Now, I'd like to also stress a couple of other points: the OHR and the OSCE - and Tanya will support me here - believe that recent statements by the ministry of information and the director of the SRNA agency pose a threat to the independence of publicly-funded media in BiH and the Republika Srpska in particular. SRNA should not be used as an instrument of the ministry of information to undermine the independence of RTS or to attack any of its staff. Public officials and institutions must act within the law, respect the legislative process and their commitments to the High Representative and the international community in general. Both of us, the OHR and the OSCE, would wish to remind the political leadership of Bosnia - Herzegovina that the Peace Implementation Council has made it clear that genuine public service broadcasting is fundamental to building a stable peace. Severing government and political influence from broadcasting is also a prerequisite for membership in the Council of Europe. The apparent attempt by the Republika Srpska government to subvert the law on RTRS would, if enacted, call into question their commitment to adopting the standards necessary for Bosnia-Herzegovina to become integrated into European institutions. The High Representative required the government of the Republika Srpska to fulfill its obligations under the law with particular reference to transparent funding and editorial independence, issues on which the prime minister has given his explicit and personal assurances to the High Representative the last time the met. It is unfortunate that Mr. Vasic still continues to reject the law, due process and his duty to encourage media reforms in the Republika Srpska that will conform to European standards. Perhaps you should rename him the minister of disinformation. Another example of the same syndrome is the situation with Erotel and the HRT question. You will have heard through the press that HRT have apparently refused to accept an IMC license. Well, I don't want to speak for the IMC, but all I can tell you is that the IMC still has not received any formal response. Yesterday, the High Representative received an incoherent letter purporting to come from Erotel with no discernible signature. It was written in poor German in a completely unprofessional and rather childish fashion. No one in Erotel seems to be prepared to own up to the letter. Mr. Curic has, I understand, promised to the IMC a formal response today, and he claims that he was sick yesterday. It's clear to us that the problems regarding Erotel and HRT are coming from Zagreb, and not the Croat authorities in Bosnia - Herzegovina. President Jelavic has supported the reconstruction process publicly and privately, and we know that he and his staff understand that this is a question of process, not politics. The provisional license does not preclude an expansion of the signal in the second phase of the licensing process - they have to be treated the same as any other broadcaster. Unfortunately, certain individuals in Zagreb remain more concerned about their own parochial and commercial interests than they have in franchising indigenous BiH-Croat opinion through true public broadcasting. Be in no doubt - the clock has stopped ticking: we are nearly at the end of extra time…we are at the end of extra time, and we have played well into injury time, and the whistle is now finally about to blow. Thank you very much. Tanya Domi, OSCE: Good morning from the OSCE. With regard to this issue of protection of journalists and the spate of attacks on journalists in recent days: we would like to reiterate that the OSCE Mission to BiH is actively engaged in addressing a range of issues concerning the rights of journalists, and has a specific responsibility for tracking and monitoring all cases of violations of journalists' rights and freedom of the media. OSCE encourages all journalists who have received threats to inform OSCE directly in order that appropriate measures can be taken to protect the rights of all journalists, an in order to develop an accurate picture of the scope of this problem, which clearly has been burgeoning lately. If journalists wish their cases to be kept confidential and may not want the OSCE or any other organization to pursue an investigation on their behalf, particularly for their own security reasons, their wishes certainly will be respected. We recognize the difficult and often dangerous position they may be in, but the OSCE asks that cases may be brought to our attention so that we can continue this important job of tracking and monitoring the levels of violence that may be inflicted upon them, the types of violence and the area in which these incidents take place. Specifically and most recently, we are tracking the case of Mr. Srdic in Doboj from last Thursday involving the alleged attack on him by the mayor and the municipal assembly president, Mr. Stojcinovic. We are monitoring all public statements on this case - by the mayor and anyone else who might be involved in it, or choose to involve themselves in it - and we are also monitoring the lawsuit filed by the mayor against Mr. Srdic on November 8th in the Doboj local courts. We again call on all local authorities in the Republika Srpska to carry out their responsibilities on investigating this alleged attack: Mr. Srdic did go to the police, he did file a police report, and if true, these attacks are basic violation of the rule of law and undermines freedom of expression in Republika Srpska - which is clearly under siege at this moment - and throughout Bosnia - Herzegovina. We released a press release on this incident last Friday night: copies of it are available for all of you outside. With respect to registration applications of coalitions for the municipal 2000 elections: we have received seven applications for coalitions to be formed for these elections. The political parties that have formed coalitions are the following: the Croat National Alliance for BiH, which is Croat Peasant Party and Croat National Union. They are running - they have filed in this coalition for Cantons 2 and 7. The Alliance for a Whole and Democratic BiH, which is the SDA Party and the Party Bosnia - Herzegovina. They are running in the RS, all of the Mostar municipalities and in some of the municipalities in Canton 7. The third coalition is the Democratic Liberal Center BiH, which is HNZ HSS - the Liberal Bosanska Organization BiH, and the LSP BiH, which is Liberal -Social Party of BiH. They are running in cantons 3,4 and 9. The fifth coalition is the Liberal Citizen Coalition, which is Liberal Party BiH and GDS. They are running throughout of BiH. And - let me stand corrected - the fifth coalition is the Citizens' Alliance for New Politics, which is an independent candidate in the SEP party. They are running in eight municipalities in the RS. We do not have final announcements on these municipalities until later today. The sixth coalition is Coalition for King and Homeland: this is two parties from the RS and they are running in eastern par of Republika Srpska. And the final coalition is Movement for Rudo: it is running only in the Rudo municipality. The Provisional Election Commission will meet on the 23rd of November to make final decisions and approvals on all coalition applications. With regard to the Stability Pact Gender Task Force inaugural meeting that was held here in Sarajevo yesterday: their written findings and recommendations will be released to the public later today. Most significantly, government support for the work of this task force has been forthcoming from the Danish government, which follows the Norwegian government's grant to the OSCE mission for conducting Women Can Do It training seminars for women who are candidates for office in BiH, for municipal elections, and also who are thinking about running in the general elections in 2000. These trainings are being held throughout the country in 145 municipalities, but also it is being considered as an activity that would expand throughout the region under the Stability Pact activities. And lastly, tomorrow Ambassador Barry will attend the BiH Parliamentary Assembly's first session on the discussion on the Draft Election Law. That is all for the OSCE today. Wendy Rappeport, UNHCR:. Good morning from UNHCR. Some return news from Mostar. Over the weekend, some 77 Bosnian Serbs started to reestablish a permanent presence in their former villages of Domanovici and Gabela in Capljina municipality. On Saturday, 60 people visited Domanovici without incident. Twenty-five were expected to stay overnight. UNHCR provided the usual non-food items including beds, mattresses, tools, stoves etcetera to support them. On Sunday, 17 people returned to Gabela in Capljina municipality, also without incident. They plan to stay in one collective accommodation where water and electricity are already functional. Former neighbors and representatives in the international community were present to welcome the returnees. Once again, UNHCR provided needed items for the return. Since October, more than 140 Bosnian Serbs have returned with the direct assistance of the international community to eight different locations in Capljina. Also a church announcement: there will be a handover of houses in Cajnice municipality, near Gorazde, later this week - press are invited to attend. Please call my office later on this week for more information. UNHCR statistics package for November 1999 is also available outside. Thank you for your attention. Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: Good afternoon from the UN mission. With the second class at the Republika Srpska Police Academy now in its second week, the recruitment of potential candidates for the third and follow-on classes is now underway. The academy's third class is scheduled to begin in January. Under the police restructuring agreement, the Republika Srpska police force needs to become more multi-ethnic: to accomplish this, the RS Police Academy needs to continue to enroll more Bosniaks, Croats and non-Serbs. The IPTF particularly encourages displaced persons, especially former police officers, who wish to return to their pre-war homes in the Republika Srpska to apply. Application forms are now available in all IPTF stations throughout Bosnia - Herzegovina. In addition to classes for new recruits, the academy will also offer refresher courses for experienced police officers who are seeking re-employment in their pre-war communities. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, in good physical shape and sound mental condition: they must have graduated high school or an appropriate technical school, and be pre-war residence of the RS. UNMIBH is working with the donor community to help those accepted at the academy to find funding to repair their pre-war homes. As always, UNMIBH will closely monitor the entire recruitment process, including screening the applications, monitoring the testing and overseeing the final selection of candidates. When selected, the applicants will attend the academy in Banja Luka for six months, to be followed by six months of on-the-job training. UNMIBH training experts are co-located at the academy at all times. Thank you. Maj. Jacques Poitras, SFOR: Dobar dan from SFOR. SFOR has read last week AFP report quoting an unnamed NATO source that the "planned cut" in NATO-led SFOR troops has been delayed. SFOR is not aware of any delay in the process for restructuring announced by COMSFOR on Tuesday 2 November 1999. As indicated in our public statements, the re-structuring of SFOR, directed by the North Atlantic Council, has been planned for some time and will be conducted in an orderly and gradual manner over an extended period. Re-structuring plans have taken into account key events and contingencies including BiH municipal elections. On another subject, there will be a number of buildings and compounds that will be returned back to their owners in the coming months due to an IFOR project initiated in 1996 to provide the minimum military requirement in office space and in living accommodation for the Forces HQ Staff. One of these infrastructures is the building commonly known as the "Parliament", located in Bistrik, downtown Sarajevo. The formal hand-over procedure of this building took place yesterday. Colonel Rex Brown, the SFOR HQ Commandant, transferred the building to the Federation Deputy Minister of Defence, General Rasid Zorlak. The Parliament building was originally designed and built around 1870 to be an assembly building for the Bosnian Parliament. During the recent war, the structure was used by the United Nations Protection Force Ukrainian Contingent for billeting. Afterwards, and under the Status of Forces Agreement, the Implementation and Stabilization Forces used the building as part of the International Military Headquarters. Under that project, some 1.6 Million US Dollars were spent at the Parliament. On another issue: the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Harold Shelton, will visit SFOR on Wednesday evening. There will be a photo opportunity at the Sarajevo airport at 4:30pm, as General Shelton is greeted by COMSFOR, Lt. Gen. Ronald Adams. Finally, there will be a photo opportunity for media representatives who wish to attend a tri-national Remembrance Day Ceremony. It will include SFOR troops from the British, Canadian and Irish contingent, and will be held at Ilidza Thursday November 11 to pay tribute to those who died in conflict. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the time that the Armistice of the First World War was signed in 1918, we will observe two minutes of silent remembrance. Throughout the Commonwealth, Remembrance Day is observed in memory of the soldiers who have died in wars since the First World War. That's all for SFOR. Simon Haselock, OHR: Questions, please. Questions Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: Just briefly, to ask about the people in Kopaci: are they still in their tents, or… Wendy Rappeport, UNHCR:. Yes they are, they're still on the IEBL between Srpska Gorazde and Gorazde. Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: Any progress in negotiations with the authorities in Srpska Gorazde? Simon Haselock, OHR: Not that I know of, specifically, no. Wendy Rappeport, UNHCR:. I could mention, again, that they do have the legal right to go back to their homes. They have CRPC decisions, and with the OHR in position of amendments to the property law, those are binding decisions on top of the Dayton Agreement, which already makes them binding. They do have the right to go back: it is up to the local authorities to enforce that right. Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: But they're not going back. And, just wanted to know, are they negotiations ongoing, and what are they negotiating about? Simon Haselock, OHR: When I said I don't know, I don't know specifically on this subject. All I know is that the whole question of this, through the…etcetera, is a major thrust at the moment of the OHR, and as Wendy says, we'll be pushing forward. But in terms of the specifics of this problem, you'll have to phone the office. I don't know where we are specifically at the moment. Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: Could you please, by the next briefing? It's getting cold in those tents. Simon Haselock, OHR: I'll do it before the next briefing, if you ring the office we'll find you the information. We have a telephone, and we have people manning the telephone. Amra Kebo, Oslobodjenje, Q: Simon: are you telling us that the Bosnian Croats are for the IMC solution, and that what was proposed by OHR, and Croats from Zagreb are not for that? Could you just clear up? Simon Haselock, OHR: Yes. Clearly you'll need to speak again to…I don't want to speak on their behalf, but I can say that the Bosnian-Herzegovinan Croat authorities here have supported the decision. I spoke with on Friday, and as you know Mr. Jelavic made a public announcement himself in Mostar. We know what they want, and basically they have agreed with the principle that this is a question of process. The fact that Erotel has not got the license coverage, signal coverage it has now is not because we're trying somehow to disenfranchise Croats: it's the fact that every provisional license that the IMC has issued has been based on its pre-moratorium footprint. If you recall, when the IMC was established it placed a moratorium on all expansion of broadcasting. That means that every broadcaster has to be given its provisional license based on its original footprint. That doesn't mean that in its second phase, which the IMC has just launched, that a consideration cannot be given to the expansion of signal, provided they accept the conditions of the license, and provided that there is the technical capability for them to do that, both in transmitters or in frequency space. And my understanding from Mr. Jelavic's cabinet is that this is what they accept as the process: that they wish to see Erotel licensed through the normal IMC process, and consideration given to Erotel alongside other broadcasters. And as I say, it is extraordinary - I just find the whole thing extraordinary - that what is an extremely good deal that was on offer seems to have been turned down, and the Croat authorities here understand it's a good deal and accepted it. It just seems that certain individuals in Zagreb don't wish that to happen, and I think that's because there's a certain amount of commercial interest involved in Erotel specifically and its future, and maybe equivalent properties in Croatia proper. And it goes down to, what are these people really concerned about? Are they concerned about building themselves a media empire, or are they concerned about representing the Croats who live in Bosnia - Herzegovina. Amra Kebo, Oslobodjenje, Q: So are you telling me that Bosnian Croats in Bosnia, and Ante Jelavic and the head of HDZ, do not have enough power to accept this decision? Simon Haselock, OHR: No, I don't think it has anything to do with power: the fact remains that HRT comes from Zagreb: it is a…if we are going to get it willingly cut off, it has to be willingly cut off from Zagreb. And Erotel, the ownership of Erotel, excuse me - we've always called into question - is essentially run by Zagreb-based people, the people who are signing, or are trying to sign the license application. I mean, Curic - where does Mr. Curic come from? Does he work for Erotel, does he work for HRT? Does he live in Bosnia - Herzegovina, does he live in Croatia? These are the people who are actually obstructing the process, and as far as I'm aware, we have the support and confidence of the Croat leadership in Bosnia - Herzegovina. Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: Doug, are you aware of some action on Sunday in Stolac at this big market? Can you tell us what happened? Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: There was an action taken on Sunday by the local police in Stolac as well as with the cantonal customs officers. They impounded 84 vehicles at the Stolac market site for irregularities in their documentation. At this point, this is really all I have to say on that case. Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: Impounding? I'm sorry, I don't understand. Confiscating? Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: Confiscating, yes, with the ability that the property can be recovered by the owners if they end up showing proper documents. Obviously, the actions against the Stolac markets are long, long, long overdue, so in general we welcome this. But I still have not seen a full report as to where this will lead next. Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: That was about to be my next question - where will this lead us. So the owners of these vehicles have to present documentation for the vehicles tro somebody? Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: Valid documentation, I believe, to get them back, yes. To the local authorities who are now… Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: Is there a time frame for that? Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: That I don't know. Aida Cerkez - Robinson, AP, Q: Just asking so I know what to ask next time. Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters, Q: Doug, are you ICTY spokesperson as well, or just UN? Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: Yes. Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters, Q: O.K. I spoke to you about this already, but…Bosnian authorities are about to request handover of Veselin Zlahovic - "Batko" - from Montenegro. Are you aware…is OHR aware…that Hague Tribunal has given the go-ahead for local trial? Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: I still have to get you an answer as to whether The Hague has approved the rules of the road case and made this possible. Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters, Q: You still haven't checked it? Douglas Coffman, UNMIBH: I still have not gotten an answer. Nedim Dervisbegovic, Reuters, Q: I see. Are you aware of this, Simon? Simon Haselock, OHR: No. I wasn't actually aware of the problem, but I'll check with my people as well. O.K., thank you very much.