SARAJEVO, Bosnia (August 31,2007) – The leaders of two main Bosnian political parties have rejected a revised proposal on police reform put forward by the international community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak,saying it failed to reach the European Union's stated aim of unifying Bosnia's police forces.
Lajcak had a meeting yesterday with the President of the Party for Bosnia (SBIH) and a member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic and Sulejman Tihic, the President of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA).After discussing the issue Silajdzic and Tihic rejected Lajcak's proposal on the police reforms in Bosnia.
"This is not a police reform, this is legalisation of the ethnically divided police forces. We cannot accept that," Sulejman Tihic, the president of the Party of Democratic Action, told reporters.
The EU has made police reforms and war crimes cooperation key conditions for Bosnia to seal an association agreement seen as the first step on the long path toward full EU membership.
Bosnia completed a final round of talks on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union in December last year, but was asked by Brussels to finalise the police reforms before being allowed to sign it.
Among the EU principles are state-level legislation, a federal budget and the establishment of new police regions to create a more functional force.
"Those principles were completely denied in Lajcak's proposal",the president of the Party for Bosnia (SBIH) and a member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic said .
The Office of the international community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) dismissed the Bosnian leaders' criticism of Lajcak's proposal, which it said was not intended to be made public.
“I am deeply disappointed with statements made by SBiH and SDA leaders, Haris Silajdzic and Sulejman Tihic. By rejecting the draft proposal on police reform before all the major political leaders have even received it, they have demonstrated a disdain for their colleagues and the political process. They have broken their agreement to provide me with comments on the proposal directly, instead of communicating them through the media.
Furthermore, they have rejected a proposal that is fair and balanced and in line with the three EU principles. There are no losers in this proposal. The only winners would be the citizens of Bosnia, who would benefit from the initialling of Bosnia’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union. As you know, all my efforts are focussed on helping the Bosnian citizens get closer to the EU. This includes my proposal on police reform.
In order for Bosnia to progress, political leaders must think about the country as a whole, which unfortunately is not the case at this time,” the international community's High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia, Miroslav Lajcak said,reacting to statements made by Haris Silajdzic and Sulejman Tihic yesterday.
Friday, August 31, 2007
BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC VISITS ST. LOUIS
ST.LOUIS, USA (August 31,2007) - The Bosnian President Željko Komšić is visiting Saint Louis in the period of 30. August – 2. September 2007, where he is meeting with the representatives of the Bosnia Diaspora.
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan welcomed yesterday Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic to the U.S. State of Missouri as his plane landed in St. Louis. Traveling with President Komsic was Bosnian Ambassador to the U.S. Bisera Turkovic.
“It is an honor to have President Komsic here in St. Louis to help celebrate the St. Louis Bosnian Heritage Festival.St. Louis’ growing Bosnian community enriches our state by adding a wonderful cultural dimension and economic vibrancy to our community. As a nation of immigrants, it is a worthwhile reminder for Americans to witness the energy and determination a thriving immigrant population brings to our region,” said Carnahan.
President Komšić is in Saint Louis primarily upon invitation of Bosnian-Americans living and working there, which are estimated to be around 50.000. Komšić wants to find out firsthand what they expect of Bosnia and Bosnian authorities.
Earlier this week,Komsic has expressed wishes to inform Bosnian-Americans from St.Louis about the situation and problems in Bosnia,as well as the positive developments. He wants to encourage them and give them full support for actions they, as a Diaspora, conduct in the interest of the entire Bosnian State.
In addition, he wants to make an appeal to their positive position toward the country they currently reside in, to hear their opinions, consider the conditions they live and work in, hear out proposals and answer all possible questions they might have.
During the stay in Saint Louis, Komšić will also meet with about 150 businessmen with whom he will discuss the potential investments in Bosnia; all that taking place at a special conference organized in Saint Louis by the Bosnian Embassy in Washington and the Bosnian State Agency for Foreign Investment Promotion.
He will also open a great event called “Bosnian Festival”, which will gather a great number of Bosnians that live in the US.
He will also attend the 10th anniversary of “Sabah” magazine, the most printed weekly paper of the Bosnian Diaspora in the North America.
During the stay in Saint Louis, President Komšić will meet with the Mayor of Saint Louis, US congressional representatives and many local officials, as well as the media representatives.
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan welcomed yesterday Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic to the U.S. State of Missouri as his plane landed in St. Louis. Traveling with President Komsic was Bosnian Ambassador to the U.S. Bisera Turkovic.
“It is an honor to have President Komsic here in St. Louis to help celebrate the St. Louis Bosnian Heritage Festival.St. Louis’ growing Bosnian community enriches our state by adding a wonderful cultural dimension and economic vibrancy to our community. As a nation of immigrants, it is a worthwhile reminder for Americans to witness the energy and determination a thriving immigrant population brings to our region,” said Carnahan.
President Komšić is in Saint Louis primarily upon invitation of Bosnian-Americans living and working there, which are estimated to be around 50.000. Komšić wants to find out firsthand what they expect of Bosnia and Bosnian authorities.
Earlier this week,Komsic has expressed wishes to inform Bosnian-Americans from St.Louis about the situation and problems in Bosnia,as well as the positive developments. He wants to encourage them and give them full support for actions they, as a Diaspora, conduct in the interest of the entire Bosnian State.
In addition, he wants to make an appeal to their positive position toward the country they currently reside in, to hear their opinions, consider the conditions they live and work in, hear out proposals and answer all possible questions they might have.
During the stay in Saint Louis, Komšić will also meet with about 150 businessmen with whom he will discuss the potential investments in Bosnia; all that taking place at a special conference organized in Saint Louis by the Bosnian Embassy in Washington and the Bosnian State Agency for Foreign Investment Promotion.
He will also open a great event called “Bosnian Festival”, which will gather a great number of Bosnians that live in the US.
He will also attend the 10th anniversary of “Sabah” magazine, the most printed weekly paper of the Bosnian Diaspora in the North America.
During the stay in Saint Louis, President Komšić will meet with the Mayor of Saint Louis, US congressional representatives and many local officials, as well as the media representatives.
EGYPTIAN EXPERTS VISIT BOSNIAN VALLEY OF PYRAMIDS
VISOKO, Bosnia (August 31,2007) - The group of world renown scientists, who are the leading experts for Egyptian pyramids, are visiting Bosnia and the Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids already for the second year under the egis of the Egyptian Government and the Egyptian Ministry Of Culture.
Egyptian experts are lead by Mrs. Dr. M. Fouad Ali and prof. Dr. Soliman Hamed.The group of experts will investigate for the coming fifteen days all archaeological sites inside the Visoko valley. Dr. Nabil Swelim and Dr. Aly Abdullah Barakat have joined the research team yesterday.
"Upon request by the Archaeological Park: Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun Foundation we came here to help Mr. Osmanagic and the Foundation in the research and to develop a program for future studies," Mrs. Dr. M. Fouad Ali said,after the preliminary visit of the Ravne tunnel complex.
Also,Italian geologist Giovanni Borri, paid a visit to the Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids on August 6th 2007. The Foundation’s guides gave him a tour to the locations on the Pyramid of the Moon and the complex of the underground tunnels Ravne and the stone structure located in Gornje Vratnice.
"The underground tunnels Ravne represent a great potential, possibly the great archaeological discovery. I am impressed by several archaeological excavations on the Pyramid of the Moon; please keep me posted about your research results," Borri said.
Egyptian experts are lead by Mrs. Dr. M. Fouad Ali and prof. Dr. Soliman Hamed.The group of experts will investigate for the coming fifteen days all archaeological sites inside the Visoko valley. Dr. Nabil Swelim and Dr. Aly Abdullah Barakat have joined the research team yesterday.
"Upon request by the Archaeological Park: Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun Foundation we came here to help Mr. Osmanagic and the Foundation in the research and to develop a program for future studies," Mrs. Dr. M. Fouad Ali said,after the preliminary visit of the Ravne tunnel complex.
Also,Italian geologist Giovanni Borri, paid a visit to the Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids on August 6th 2007. The Foundation’s guides gave him a tour to the locations on the Pyramid of the Moon and the complex of the underground tunnels Ravne and the stone structure located in Gornje Vratnice.
"The underground tunnels Ravne represent a great potential, possibly the great archaeological discovery. I am impressed by several archaeological excavations on the Pyramid of the Moon; please keep me posted about your research results," Borri said.
HEARING SCHEDULED BEFORE BOSNIAN STATE COURT IN CASE OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL RADMILO VUKOVIC
SARAJEVO, Bosnia (August 31,2007) - A hearing before the Appellate Panel of Section I for War Crimes of the Bosnian State Court in the case of Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vuković has been scheduled for today, 31 August 2007 in courtroom 5, starting at 10.00am.
On 16 April 2007, the Trial Panel handed down the first instance verdict in this case, finding Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vuković guilty of War crimes against Bosnian civilians and sentencing him to five years and six months of imprisonment.
The Trial Panel’s verdict states that on 10 June 1992, armed with a riffle, Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vuković took a Bosnian woman from an apartment in Miljevina, Foča and took her to another apartment in the same municipality.
In the second apartment,Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vukovic physically abused the victim by beating her, threatening to kill her, placing a pistol against her temple and holding a knife to her throat. He then tore the victim’s clothes to pieces and punched her in the head, causing her to lose consciousness and then used the victim’s unconsciousness to rape her.
Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vukovic raped the victim in the same apartment at least five or six times until the end of August 1992.These rapes caused the victim to fall pregnant, resulting in the birth of a child.
The above verdict was appealed by the Bosnian State Prosecutor’s Office and Serbian war criminal's defence counsel.
On 16 April 2007, the Trial Panel handed down the first instance verdict in this case, finding Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vuković guilty of War crimes against Bosnian civilians and sentencing him to five years and six months of imprisonment.
The Trial Panel’s verdict states that on 10 June 1992, armed with a riffle, Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vuković took a Bosnian woman from an apartment in Miljevina, Foča and took her to another apartment in the same municipality.
In the second apartment,Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vukovic physically abused the victim by beating her, threatening to kill her, placing a pistol against her temple and holding a knife to her throat. He then tore the victim’s clothes to pieces and punched her in the head, causing her to lose consciousness and then used the victim’s unconsciousness to rape her.
Serbian war criminal Radmilo Vukovic raped the victim in the same apartment at least five or six times until the end of August 1992.These rapes caused the victim to fall pregnant, resulting in the birth of a child.
The above verdict was appealed by the Bosnian State Prosecutor’s Office and Serbian war criminal's defence counsel.
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