SDA: BOSNIA NEEDS ESSENTIAL, NOT COSMETIC REFORMS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 5,2008) – The SDA Party Collegium supported the attitude of the party’s President Sulejman Tihic at the meeting of Bosnia's six main political parties in Siroki Brijeg.

In a press conference, Tihic announced that the SDA has entirely different position on the issue, than other parties. The SDA does not think that the proposed reform would result in a single police structure in Bosnia, and that a central police body would have no power over local police,Tihic stated.

The SDA is supportive of signing the Stabilisation and Association agreement (SAA) beteween Bosnia and the EU, but will always insist on the police reform which is in accordance to the three European principles. The party officials added that the Bosnian citizens need an efficient police, not an ethnically based police forces, which is the case now.

”Not cosmetic, but essential reforms are the only options for Bosnia. That is why the SDA Party is disappointed and worried with High Representative’s advocating interests of one side in police reform negotiations, meaning that the HR meets Milorad Dodik’s ultimatums. We are supportive of the constitutional reforms which will enable integration and strengthening of Bosnia,” the SDA Party announced.

The SDA also said that it supports the project of construction of facilities in the electric energy sector in Bosnia, but is also asking that the decision proposed is re-examined in the number of instances such are the following: legality of the procedures, foreign partners’ credibility, capacity of the domestic companies.

A tender needs to be announced for the construction of hydroelectric power plants in Konjic Municipality. That is not a process that is to be conducted on the basis of individual offers.

LEADERS OF SIX MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES IN BOSNIA HELD A MEETING ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

SIROKI BRIJEG, Bosnia (February 5,2008) - At the meeting between Bosnia's six most influential political parties’ leaders and the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak which took place in the southern Bosnian town of Siroki Brijeg, the issue of new Bosnian constitution was discussed.Bosnia's politicians also talked about the reform processes which are key for signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Bosnia and the EU.

Miso Relota, HDZ Party Spokesperson said after the meeting that the participants adopted joint statement in which it is emphasized that the participants started the talks in a constructive atmosphere on constitutional reform and that individual attitudes were rpesented, regardless of the current political situation.

According to him, participants at the meeting agreed that the talks will continue after signing of SAA.

”Participants of the meeting remained loyal to the obligations related to signing of SAA. They are determined to fulfil all the necessary obligations in the time frame set.Fully aware of the need of adopting the Bosnian State Budget, it has been agreed that it is necessary to initiate a meeting between Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric, the Bosnian Finance Minister and members of the Bosnian Parliamentary Assembly Collegiums, for the purpose of achieving an agreement which will enable a fast adoption of the Bosnian State Budget”, Relota stated and added that the meeting should take place by Wednesday the latest.

Commenting the talks on the Bosnian constitutional reforms, Relota said that it has been agreed that the next meeting will take place by March 10 and that the meeting will be hosted by the SDA Party President Sulejman Tihic.

Certain arguments arose during the talks on the Bosnian constitutional reform related to police reform agreement laws that need to be adopted by the Bosnian Parliament by February 15.

The SDA Party President Sulejman Tihic stated that the SDA does not agree with the laws that will be submitted by the expert group in charge of implementation of the Mostar Declaration.

Presidents of the following parties attended the Saturday meeting in Siroki Brijeg, together with the International community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak: Sulejman Tihic (SDA), Haris Silajdzic (SBiH),Bozo Ljubic (HDZ 1990), Dragan Covic (HDZ), Milorad Dodik (SNSD) and Mladen Ivanic (PDP).

SWEDISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 5,2008) – Delegation of the Swedish Parliament lead by Deputy Speaker Jan Bjőrkman arrived yesterday in Bosnia.

In continuation of the three-day visit, Swedish parliamentary delegation will have meetings with members of the Bosnian Parliament’s House of Peoples’ Collegiums, as well as with members of the Bosnian Parliament's Commission for European Integrations and the Commission for Foreign Affairs.

NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED DOWN IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 5,2008) - The latest data from the Bosnian employment offices show there were 515.764 unemployed people registered by the end of 2007. In comparison to November 30 last year, the number was smaller by 2,309 person (decrease of 0.45 per cent).

Out of total number of persons looking for employment, 48.26 per cent are women. Compared to the month before, the number of registered unemployed women was down in December by 0.54 per cent (1,348 women).

REAL ESTATE PRICES IN BOSNIA EXPECTED TO STAGNATE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 5,2008) - Real estate agents in Bosnia expect prices to stay at their current levels for a while. According to them, the current prices of a square meter in the Bosnian cities have reached their high, and no increase higher than average 100 – 200 Bosnian Marks is expected.

Despite the high prices of apartments, demand is not yielding. Prices in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo have gone up by approximately 50 per cent in the past three years. In central Sarajevo clients now pay up to 4000 Bosnian Marks/sqm.

Banja Luka and Mostar follow as the second most expensive places to live, in terms of real estate prices.The causes for stagnating prices are seen in decreasing purchasing power, one agency claims.

BOSNIAN STATE COURT SENTENCED SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS RANKO AND RAJKO VUKOVIC TO 24 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 5,2008) - The Bosnian State Court of has found yesterday Serbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic guilty, and sentenced each to 12 years of imprisonment.The Court found them guilty of the crimes they committed against Bosnian civilians as members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) in Podkolun village, Foca municipality, in 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The verdict acquitted Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic of the charges that he raped a Bosnian woman in Miljevina in June 1992.The Bosnian State Court has also ordered that the two Serbian war criminals be kept in custody until the pronouncement of a second instance verdict.

The Trial Chamber determined that the Bosnian State Prosecutor presented persuasive evidence proving thatSerbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic, together with Serbian war criminals Ranko and Blagoje Golubovic, murdered Bosnian civilians Avdija Hukara and Mejra Bekrija.

The first instance verdict indicates that the two Serbian war criminals are guilty of committing, as part of a broad and systematic attack conducted by the genocidal Serbian aggressor's formations and being aware of such an attack, the persecution of Bosnian civilians of Podkolun village on the basis of their ethnicity and religious affiliation.

The Bosnian State Court has also found Serbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic guilty of participation in a joint criminal enterprise together with Serbian war criminals Ranko and Blagoje Golubovic, who are not arrested yet.

Justifying the verdict, Trial Chamber Chairman Stanisa Gluhajic said that the Court has determined, beyond reasonable doubt, that Serbian war criminals Ranko and Rajko Vukovic committed the crime against humanity.

"The Court decided to trust the Prosecution witnesses, who said that the Vukovic and Golubovic brothers came to Podkolun village and murdered Avdija Hukara and Mejra Bekrija," Gluhajic said.

"The indictees may have not committed the murder personally, but they did not try to prevent the murder of the two Bosnian civilians in an unprotected village of Podkolun," Gluhajic said, adding that the Defence's material evidence did not manage to rebut the Prosecution's evidence.

The Bosnian State Court acquitted Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic of the count charging him with rape of a Bosnian woman in Miljevina village, Foca municipality, due to lack of evidence. The injured party, who testified as Prosecution witness, was encouraged to file a lawsuit.

Explaining the acquitting part of the verdict, Gluhajic said that "the Prosecution has not determined, beyond doubt, that the rape did happen".

"Injured party A altered her statements, when she spoke about the manner in which the crime was committed," Gluhajic said, stressing that witness A showed a large degree of insecurity during her testimony.

Both parties have the right to appeal the verdict.

Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic was arrested on June 23 and Serbian war criminal Ranko Vukovic on July 11 last year.